Clatskanie Artist Awarded Residency and Commission
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#TimberUnity CCSO announces round speaks in Clatskanie two of Hometown Heroes Page A2 Page A3 Obituaries-A3 • Church News-A3 • Opinions-A4 • Clatskanie Grows-A5 • Market Place-A6 • Public Notices-A6 • Sports-A8 Friday, $1 September 13, 2019 Vol. 128, No. 18 The Chief 8 Pages TheServing the Lower ColumbiaChief Region since 1891 Speeding motorcyclist Clatskanie artist awarded caught residency and commission include a strong metal background, CHRISTINE MENGES and subjects include people fishing chronicle2@countrymedia.net or birds. “Some of it’s abstract, some of Jeremy Furnish, founder of the it’s more literal and there’s a little Clatskanie Artists Network, whose bit of surrealism in there,” Furnish most recent project includes the said. musical bench that sits outside the Furnish has been interested in Clatskanie Cultural Center, has a participating in the residency for a few new projects under his belt. while but had never found it realistic Furnish was awarded the Coastal to participate due to a few different Oregon Artist Residency (COAR), factors, but particularly the stipend, which began June 1, and he will which increased from approximately present his work at a show on Oct. $500 a month to $1,000 a month 12. He was also recently awarded this year. Additionally, COAR added a commission to build the Regatta another month to their residency Monument on the Astoria waterfront program. Courtesy photo next to the Columbia River Mari- Douglas Matthew Moyer. The studio space for the project time Museum in honor of the boat is in Warrenton, Oregon and is a race’s 125th year. Furnish will build space that Furnish really likes. CODY MANN and unveil the monument before “The gallery space is really fan- headlightnews@countrymedia.net showing it sometime next year tastic,” Furnish said. “I want to fill it before Astoria’s annual Regatta in up and do it justice.” August. Clatskanie City Council While both projects are an honor COAR, which is completing its to Furnish, the Regatta Monument members had a bit of a chuckle fourth year in Astoria, is a partner- during the monthly law enforce- is especially important, because ship between Astoria Visual Arts Furnish has a personal connection to ment update. It seems a speeding and Recology Western Oregon and motorcyclist wasn’t as slick as he the boat race. involves creating art from materi- “My great-great grandfather thought. als found in Recology’s Astoria Chief Deputy Ryan Murphy, emigrated from Denmark to Astoria Recycling Depot and Transfer the same year the regatta began,” Columbia County Sheriff’s Of- Station, according to Recology’s fice, told the council that a deputy Furnish said. website. Furnish was given salvage Furnish’s great-great grandfather spotted the alleged speeder blaz- rights at the transfer station and has ing a trail down Highway 30 in worked as a fish packer in one of the four months to create pieces from canneries in Astoria in 1894. Sailing the Clatskanie area around 8 a.m. materials found at the station. So Wednesday, Sept. 4. The deputy ships would arrive in Astoria, bring- far, Furnish has created close to 15 ing back fish from Alaska. The com- attempted to make a traffic stop medium-sized sculptures as well as but terminated pursuit due to reck- petition between the ships would a few wall hangs, all created from turn into a big boat race, a tradition less riding by the motorcyclist. items ranging from glass bottles to Despite cutting off the pursuit, which has stuck for the city, making metal to other products. it one of the oldest festivals west of the deputy was able to track the The purpose of the project, ac- motorcyclist, who eventually the Rocky Mountains, according to cording to Furnish, is to draw atten- the Astoria Regatta’s website. turned down Kallunki Road and tion to overconsumption and waste. was caught. The motorcyclist did The tentative placement for the “[The purpose] is to give a visual monument right now is on the pier not resist arrest and had no weap- understanding of our waste as con- ons, and no force was used in the just to the left of the Columbia River sumers, an educational experience Maritime Museum on the water arrest, according to Sheriff Brian to help us not be as irresponsible Pixley. Photo: Jeremy Furnish with our planet,” Furnish said. One of the pieces Furnish has created for the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency The suspect, who was later A lot of Furnish’s sculptures identified as 23-year-old Douglas See ARTIST Page A7 (COAR), entitled “Little Help.” Matthew Moyer of Longview, Washington was taken to the Columbia County Jail and charged with attempt to elude law enforce- ment, reckless driving and two Commission hears arguments counts of reckless endangering as well as second-degree criminal trespass for entering Port West- ward’s property. on Deer Pointe Meadows Correction: In last Friday’s Chief, an article about the Colum- bia County Tourism Initiative incor- Building permit approved for mobile home park rectly stated that Columbia County filed the land use appeal against Commissioner Henry Heimuller CODY MANN the building permits. denied the initiative’s $10,000 headlightnews@countrymedia.net Campbell’s appeal is based request. Heimuller did not deny the on the argument that space 10 request, but rather did not second Deer Pointe Meadows was the was one of 13 spaces that were the motion brought up by Com- focus of a hearing held by county blocked from park use by county officials in late August. The missioner Alex Tardif, stating he officials during septic system discussion was a continuation of needed to receive more documen- repairs in 2017. Campbell said talks held in late July stemming when nonconforming activities or tation before approving the request. from a construction permit appli- The Chief regrets the error. uses are lost or abandoned, cur- cation at the mobile home park. rent criteria must be applied to the property. Exparte contacts, fire code Troubled history The August meeting began with disclosures of exparte com- Living next to Deer Pointe munications related to the matter. Meadows, Campbell has closely Columbia County Commissioner watched a history of septic system Alex Tardif said a discussion failures at the mobile home park. with a staff member regarding He has expressed great concern RV park septic system certifica- in city, county and state meetings tions had led to a mention of Deer Google Images about the number of active spaces Pointe Meadows, at which point in the park and what he says is he ended the conversation, not the County has inconsistently en- land use appeal regarding the sin- the likelihood of a major septic knowing how it might be related forced fire code regulations found gle space for which building and system failure if capacity isn’t to the current matter before the within building codes as they ap- electrical permits were requested. restricted. commission. ply to the permitting process. Tardif agreed with Magruder, call- Initially established in 1965, a Commissioner Margaret Commissioner Henry ing the case an interesting and fas- past owner illegally expanded the Magruder said she spoke with Heimuller said he spoke with cinating example of the complex park from 33 to 46 spaces, accord- Chief Steve Sharek, Clatskanie State Sen. Betsy Johnson (D- nonconforming land use issues in ing to county land use documents. Rural Fire Protection District, Scappoose) sometime after the Oregon. In 1996, Columbia County Board prior to his writing a letter to the July hearing and she asked him “I would have to agree that of Commissioners approved the Columbia County Board of Com- if there was a current, ongo- in this case, space 10 should be expansion with a mandate that the missioners regarding fire code ing sewer failure at Deer Pointe allowed a building permit, an failing septic system be repaired concerns at the mobile home park. Meadows, reportedly having heard electrical permit, and the ability to and able to meet DEQ standards She said the substance of that con- that from a Department of Envi- move forward with siting,” Tardif for the increase in sewage from versation was captured in the fire ronmental Quality (DEQ) official. said. additional spaces. Repeated septic chief’s letter, which ended with Heimuller said he then contacted Heimuller said he would sup- failures at the park have resulted a recommendation that county county legal counsel, who con- port approving the permits, noting in discharges of untreated or par- planning and permitting processes firmed that staff found a “minor” that issues with Deer Pointe tially treated sewage to the ground should meet all standards and drain-related issue at the RV park Meadows have been intertwined or surface waters on multiple codes. portion of the mobile home park, with his time on the Board of occasions. In the letter, Sharek requested unrelated to building permit ap- Commissioners seemingly from A county land use document that a recent Land Development plications at hand. the minute he took office. He said states that previous failures, while Services staff report be clarified the current owner is doing every- many contributing factors should to reflect the lack of knowledge or Discussion and concerns thing possible to bring the mobile be considered, were caused main- documentation indicating that fire home park into compliance. ly by too much wastewater and officials were notified at each step Moving to deliberations, Heimuller added that he disagreed of Deer Pointe Meadows’ permit- Magruder suggested taking into with the legal interpretation held ting process throughout the years. consideration the entirety of the by Rainier-area resident Don Sharek’s letter said it appears that mobile home park in ruling on the Campbell, the park neighbor who See PERMIT Page A2 A2 www.thechiefnews.com Friday, September 13, 2019 DEQ approves air quality permit introduced earlier this year.