INSIDE: Special graduation edition for Neah-Kah-Nie High School
north coast
Serving North Tillamook County Since 1996 NORTHCOASTCITIZEN . COM
M AY 31, 2012
VOLUME 17, N O. 11
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A LOOK AT HOW WE VOTED MAY 15
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Fro Members of the founding board of directors for the Lower and Nehalem Community Trust gather at Alder Creek Farm for a group photo. From left: Lane deMoll, Tom Bender, Georgenne Ferdun, Judith Schwartz Sorrel, Doug Firstbrook, Gareth Ferdun and Vivi Tallman. Photo by Dave Fisher
Ten years later, the LNCT takes on ‘a life of its own’ Lisa Phipps, left, chats with a north county resident following the candidates’ forum held at Pine Grove in Manzanita prior to the May 15 primary election.
In north Tillamook County, Lisa Phipps and library levy receive overwhelming support By Erin Dietrich For the Citizen
Just more than half of the county’s registered voters cast a ballot to determine the fate of the Tillamook County library system
and the makeup of the County Commission. Those voters opted on May 15 to renew the library’s operational levy, and send Lisa Phipps and Bill Baertlein into a November race for commissioner. A total of 8,073 ballots were returned in the primary, or 56.48 percent of registered voters. This was a dramatic increase from the turnout of last year’s primary election, which saw just 39.87 percent of voters participating. It was about the same turnout shown for the November 2011 defeat of the county road levy. Of those who voted in the May 15 election, 3,635 were Democrats,
2,985 Republicans and 1,453 were registered as Independent. The May primary was also first election since recent redistricting split the state House and Senate Race. District 10 is the newly redistricted seat that now serves Netarts, Oceanside and all parts of Tillamook County south of the city limits of Tillamook. Both House District 10 Republican candidate, Jerome Grant, and Democratic Candidate David Gomberg ran uncontested and will advance to the November election. In the race for 32nd District House Representative, incumbent Deborah Boone (D) and
See ELECTION, page 3
CITY OF MANZANITA PUBLIC MEETING On the proposed transient lodging tax increase Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. Manzanita City Hall
The Manzanita City Council is considering a proposal by the Manzanita Business Alliance to raise the transient lodging tax from the current 7 percent to 9 percent. This tax is paid by visitors to the community. By State law, 70 percent of the revenue from this increase would be required to be used for tourism promotion and/or tourist-related facilities. The remaining 30 percent could be used for road maintenance and
other general purposes. The purpose of the increase would be to support promotion of special events held at other times of the year than the already busy summer season. These events would provide a more stable year round business environment to retain and support local businesses used by residents and visitors alike. Before making a final decision on this proposal, the city council invites all Manzanita residents, second-home owners and businesses to attend an informational meeting to ask questions and let council know their thoughts and opinions about this proposal. For more information, visit the city’s website at http://www.ci.manzanita.or.us, or look for information posted in the lobby at Manzanita City Hall.
Lower Nehalem Community Trust celebrates 10th year as local land trust By Dave Fisher The Citizen
As far as whoopla, the Lower Nehalem Community Trust celebrated its10th anniversary in May with little fanfare, with the possible exception that the local land trust added another 7.5 acres bringing its total of environmentally protected holdings to just under 105 acres. On a Sunday afternoon in May, the founders of the Trust, seven in all, gathered where it all began, Alder Creek Farm, for a group photograph and to reminisce. Ten years ago, the goal was to form the land trust to acquire the 54-acre parcel on the north end of Nehalem Bay. “The vision early on was primarily focused on the farm,” said Gareth Ferdun, one of the original LNCT board members. “By the time the Trust was formed, the vision had expanded.” In ten years time, the Trust has added another 50 acres, the latest a three-acre in Wheeler known as Zimmerman Creek Marsh in early May and a donated 4.5-acre piece of land that sits between Pine Ridge and Manzanita Meadows developments that closed just this week. Looking back, current LNCT chair Doug Firstbrook says the ef-
forts of the Trust was targeted to acquire lands and set them aside, saving them from future development. “The consensus was in the development of the north Oregon coast, there were a lot of properties that probably needed to be set aside, but they kept disappearing. Initially, we approached national land conservation organizations like the Nature Conservatory, but we didn’t fit their model,” said Firstbrook, who, in addition to being one of the original LNCT founders, helped spearhead the creation of the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council in 1997. “The only way to have any impact was to take the bull by the horns for the good of the community.”
See LNCT, page 5
The Citizen
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It’ll be a busy time this summer for Jeff Aprati, Wheeler’s soon-to-be new city manager, who receives his master’s degree June 15 and starts his new job June 18. The Wheeler City Council gave the green light to hire Aprati in midApril after a three-panel interview process involving the city council, a citizens’ group, and the city managers of Manzanita, Nehalem and Wheeler. The position drew the attention of 55 applicants, with the League of Oregon Cities conducting background screenings and selecting the finalists, four of whom made the trip to Wheeler in April. “I first learned about through a professor at Portland State,” said Aprati. “He had heard about the opening through the grapevine and was the same professor who suggested to Randy Ealy (a previous PSU student and subsequent city manager for Wheeler) that he apply for the job 10 years ago.” Aprati, who will earn his master’s
in public administration from PSU, was born and raised in Orange County, California. He attended the University of California – Irvine and upon graduation decided it was time for a change. Friends convinced him to move to the Pacific Northwest and he hasn’t looked back. “It’s beautiful up here…it’s so green. We don’t have anything like this in California,” he said, noting the rain hasn’t even bothered him. Originally settling in Vancouver, Wash., Aprati, upon the advice of his girlfriend who he met shortly after moving north, crossed the river and took up residence in Portland. Not long afterwards, the two married. His wife’s aspiration to become a nurse led them to Astoria where she attended nursing school for a year, during which time he worked at TLC Credit Union. Though this is his first stint as a city manager, Aprati recently served a two-year internship with the City of Banks working with its city manager, Jim Hough, who has since retired.
See APRATI, page 2
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A bronze plaque recently installed at Alder Creek Farm and made possible by an anonymous donor lists the names of the LNCT founders.
Wheeler’s new city manager can’t wait to settle in By Dave Fisher
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Jeff Aprati, who has been learning the ropes from Wheeler’s interim city manager, is looking forward to when he becomes the city’s new full-time city manager June 18. Photo by Dave Fisher