NO CRUISE SHIPS IN ASTORIA ON MONDAY

Due to rough seas, both cruise ships scheduled to visit Astoria today have cancelled their stops.  According to Cindy Hansen of the Cruise Host Volunteers,  the two ships scheduled for tomorrow are still due to arrive, the Celebrity Century with 1886 passengers is scheduled to be here from 9am to 5pm, also the Sapphire Princess with 2670 passengers is scheduled to visit from 10am to 6pm. 

ASTORIA SUNDAY MARKET TWO MORE WEEKS

The Astoria Sunday Market was closed Sunday due to  inclement weather.  Executive Director Cyndi Mudge says the Market will be open for its last two scheduled days – October 6th and 13th.   

SOLVE BEACH CLEANUP POSTPONED

Oregon SOLVE has postponed the beach clean up that was scheduled to take place on Saturday.  In a statement, Maureen Fisher, SOLVE’s Executive Director, said  "We are already working with each of the coordinators for the 47 sites along the coast to reschedule a cleanup in the next few weeks. After this storm there will be even more trash and debris on the beaches for us all to clean up." 

BOATER RESCUED OFF TILLAMOOK BAY

Saturday night, The Coast Guard rescued Oak Harbor, Wash., resident Duane Jones, from a 40-foot sailboat beset by rough weather more than 14 miles off shore of Tillamook Bay.

Jones had reported to the Coast Guard that he was experiencing severe weather, and because the Tillamook Bay Bar was closed to all recreational boat traffic and night was approaching, he did not feel safe staying on his boat and asked to be rescued.

A helicopter crew hoisted him from the vessel and transferred him to Air Station Astoria by 8 p.m. with no injuries reported.

Coast Guard closes Tillamook Bay bar entrance

 The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, Ore., issued the closure of the Tillamook Bay bar entrance due to hazardous conditions at 9 p.m. Sunday.

The bar closure applies to all vessels and any request to transit the bars prior to reopening must be approved by the Captain of the Port. Mariners may contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM Channel 16 for further information or to request crossing.
The Coast Guard will re-evaluate the bar closure on an ongoing basis and will re-open the waterway as soon as the offshore weather improves.
The Coast Guard understands the effects these closures have on commerce and will make every effort to re-open these waterways as soon as they are considered safe for navigation.

Anglers may now keep unclipped chinook

  

Chinook salmon caught on the lower Columbia River will no longer need to be fin-clipped in order to be retained, effective Thursday, Sept. 26. 

   Fishery managers on Tuesday decided to allow anglers to harvest both marked and unmarked chinook throughout a 58-mile stretch of the Columbia between Buoy 10 and Warrior Rock. 

CLATSOP COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILLS WILL BE MAILED OUT SOON

Property tax bills for the 2013-14 fiscal year will arrive in mailboxes beginning the third week of October.

The tax bill that you will be receiving will show market values in some, but not all areas have decreased, but this may not translate into lower taxes. The primary reason can be found in the provisions of Ballot Measure 50, the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1997.

Under Measure 50, your assessed property value cannot increase by more than 3% annually unless you have made improvements to the property. In addition, your assessed value cannot be higher than your real market value.

SURVEY SEEKS INPUT ON CLATSOP COUNTY HEALTH NEEDS

Clatsop County, in partnership with the Columbia Pacific Coordinate Care Organization (CCO), is seeking the public’s input on the state of health care in our community, and the areas in greatest need of improvement, through the 2013 Community Health Assessment

This brief, anonymous survey asks respondents for their views on health problems, health care access and ways to improve community health. The survey is available in both English and Spanish.

To take the survey, go to the Clatsop County website, www.co.clatsop.or.us and click on “SURVEY-Community Health Assessment” under “Hot Topics.” Paper copies of the survey are also available at the Clatsop County Public Health Department, 820 Exchange St., Astoria.

The survey will run until Oct. 15.

Results will be used by the Columbia Pacific CCO Community Advisory Council to identify the top three health issues in Clatsop County targeted for improvement.

Columbia Pacific CCO is a consortium of healthcare and mental health providers in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and portions of Douglas County providing integrated health services to Oregon Health Plan clients through the state’s new Coordinate Care Organization initiative.

In Libraries I Believe! It’s story-time but this time YOU tell the story!

What was your first memory of a librarian? What does a library mean to you?What kinds of trans-formative experiences have you had in your life because of libraries?

The Oregon Library Association along with Candice Watkins, the Library Director at Clatsop Community College, and KMUN Coast Community Radio invites people from all walks of life to contribute their voices to an audio project in Clatsop County.Basically, we need interesting stories; stories about your life and how a library, reading, or a person in the library has impacted you. The story may be funny, sad, empowering, or…the sky’s the limit. It’s really up to you! The project focuses on libraries and the important role that they play in our lives. The format will be based on NPR’s This I Believe series, which records people’s personal beliefs and showcases them on public radio. Similar to that series, we are asking people to write a brief essay based on their personal beliefs and/or experiences with libraries. The goal is to highlight the importance of libraries to individuals and communities.

Keep your story at 500 words or less. The deadline for submitting essays is Friday, December 1, 2013, For more information, call (503) 338-2460.

JAPAN EMERGENCY MANAGER TO SPEAK IN ASTORIA ABOUT 2011 TSUNAMI

Junichi Matsuo from the Japan Fire Headquarters Prevention Division in Sanda City will speak about his experiences as an emergency manager responding to the subduction zone earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011.

The event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria.

Matsuo, who is being hosted by OSU Extension Service County Leader Patrick Corcoran with support from Clatsop County Emergency Management, is passionate about talking to local emergency managers and sharing his lessons learned. He will speak briefly and offer opportunities for audience questions.

SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS AVAILABLE IN CLATSOP, COLUMBIA, TILLAMOOK, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES

Public schools educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, and Washington counties are eligible to apply for grants between $100 and $1,000 from the Northwest Regional ESD Foundation. The application process runs Monday, Sept. 9, through Friday, Oct. 4.  Awards will be announced Friday, November 15.  Additional information and the online application can be found at www.nwresdfoundation.org. 

Grants will be awarded for projects that directly impact young children and students in the following areas:

1. Early Intervention/Early Childhood

2. School age special education

3. At-risk youth

4. Northwest Outdoor Science School (NOSS)

5. Professional/Technical/Vocational programs

Clatsop County Commission Sept. 11 meeting highlights

 Community Assessment presentation

The board heard a presentation from Steven Blakesley, Health Promotion Specialist, Janet Evans, Juvenile Department Director and Jill Quackenbush, Prevention Supervisor on the Clatsop County Community Assessment, a comprehensive look at health and wellness indicators for the county. The assessment gathers information from multiple reports and surveys on various areas including drug and alcohol use, chronic disease, access to healthcare, education and crime.

The data will help guide the county’s participation in the state’s transition from the Commissions on Children and Families to the new Early Childhood Councils designed to better coordinate services. The assessment will also be useful for health department accreditation and the state’s Coordinated Care Organization inititative.

Other Business

In other business the board:

-Approved a contract with the Oregon Health Authority for outreach to those eligible for the Cover Oregon health insurance program. The county Public Health Department received a $76,436 grant to fund the outreach program. An agreement with the outreach provider, Judi Mahoney, is scheduled for action at the board’s Sept. 25 meeting.

-Approved findings of fact for its Aug. 28 ruling granting a lot-of-record property determination for Jack Newton.

BOARD OF CLATSOP COMMISSIONERS WILL TAKE UP OREGON PIPELINE APPLICATION OCT. 9

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners will again take up the consolidated land-use application from Oregon Pipeline Company at a public hearing Oct. 9.

After a lengthy legal dispute over jurisdictional issues, the county has been given the go-ahead by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) to resume its reconsideration of the application, which seeks approval for construction of 41 miles of pipeline to serve a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Warrenton.

DEADLINE NEARS FOR CLATSOP PROPERTY TAX APPEAL BOARD APPLICATIONS

The Clatsop County Board of Commissions continues to seek applications from individuals interested in serving on the County Board of Property Tax Appeals for the 2013–14 term. The deadline to apply for the board is Monday, Sept. 9

The Board of Property Tax Appeals hears petitions from taxpayers seeking to decrease their real market or assessed property values. The board also considers requests to excuse penalties or late filings of real or personal property returns.

Applicants must be residents of Clatsop County, but cannot be employees of the county or of any tax district within the County. The Board of Commissioners makes appointments to a pool, from which the County Clerk selects three people to serve on the Board of Property Tax Appeals. Training is provided.  The committee holds several daytime meetings beginning the first Monday in February to hear petitions.  The committee adjourns no later than April 15, 2014, with the term ending June 30, 2014.

Application forms for the appointments are available online at www.co.clatsop.or.us or contact the Clatsop County Manager’s Office, 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria, OR, (503) 325-1000.

Applications must be completed and turned in by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9 to be considered.