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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
St. Helens High alum Ryan Waite caps college career as an All-American, Page A14
2/21/12
3:24 PM
TODAY’S WEATHER Chance of showers Highs to 62 Page A15 Lows to 49
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The Chronicle
$1.00 Vol. 131, No. 24 16 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
Skate Clatskanie man convicted on multiple counts of rape, sex abuse park plans back on track BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
SCAPPOOSE — Plans to replace Scappoose’s skate park near city hall ran into some delays that officials are hopeful they have finally resolved. Earlier this year, Grindline Skateparks based in Seattle was awarded a contract with the city through a competitive bid process with an expected completion date of May 31 for a new 4,900 square foot skate park. In early April the company brought a geotechnical engineering firm hired by Grindline to do borings on the previous skate park site. According to Grindline, that’s when the problems began. In an email sent by Grindline sales manager Micah Shapiro, the company points to results found by that geotechnical engineering firm as the cause. “We have been going back and forth with our structural and geotech engineers and based on their investigations we come to the conclusion that it will be better to demo the old park than to pour over it,” said Shapiro. Grindline said it then began working with its contractors to determine how best to remove the old park. “Although this has delayed the project, in the long run it will provide for a better skatepark both from a skateability and durability standpoint,” said Shapiro. Grindline also said the concept submitted with the proposal called for the new park to have the same elements as the existing park but that limitation wouldn’t be necessary with the new design. “Now that we are starting from scratch we have a lot of flexibility to do a different and better layout,” said Shapiro. But City Manager Jon Hanken said the decision to scrap the previous plans in See PARK, Page A4
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A Clatskanie man arrested in 2011 and charged with multiple counts of rape, sodomy and sex abuse has been convicted on 46 separate counts. George Nick Lammi, 55, was arrested on June 8, 2011 after a friend arrived at his home at witnessed Lammi abusing a female relative. The witness then reported Lammi to law enforcement officials. Lammi’s trial began on May 28 and ended with his conviction on June 3.
“Basically, his daughter would visit him on weekends. Starting in December of 2010 until 2011, he was raping and sodomizing her,” said Deputy District Attorney George Lammi Jon Berg. “Sex abuse is not often a crime we have a witness to.” Lammi was initially charged with three counts of first-degree rape, 16 counts of first-degree sodomy, nine counts of first-degree sex abuse and
19 counts of incest. The jury ultimately found him guilty on all but one count which was dismissed. “The grand jury indicted him for three counts of rape and 16 counts of sodomy. It ultimately turned out to be 46 counts that he was convicted on,” said Berg. “I’m very thankful for the jury. They did a good job.” If it seems like an unusually long time between when Lammi was arrested and when his trial began, that’s because it was. Berg said some extenuating circumstances in the case delayed prosecution. “There were some intervening facts that delayed the trial. The
defense filed I can’t tell you how many motions,” Berg said. “We were just flooded with motions from the defense on mostly discovery issues. And there were other issues.” Lammi’s was orginally held at the Columbia County Jail on $800,000 bail which was reduced to $139,000 following a bail reduction hearing. The trial itself wasn’t without its own difficulties. “I’ve never had a trial that was attended so well by supporters of the offender. At one point, the jury actually complained because they were disturbing the jury’s ability to See CONVICTION, Page A4
St. Helens High School 2013 Graduation
For all of this year’s graduating class, look for the special section inside. A full list of graduate scholarships can be found on page A8.
Planning commission resumes rezoning public hearing BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
The Columbia County Planning Commission will continue its public hearing held over from May 20 to review a rezoning application submitted by the Port of St. Helens. The second part of the public hearing will be held on June 17 in the courthouse at 230 Strand. The Port has requested a comprehensive plan amendment and zone change to expand its Port Westward industrial site by more than 950 acres. That acreage, which is partially owned by the Port, is currently zoned for agricultural use. “The Port is seeking to create a framework to attract industrial users,” said Patrick Trapp, executive director for the Port. “Those businesses will provide above average wages.” Planning manager Glen Higgins
said undeveloped and vacant land already zoned as for industrial use has been identified as wetlands and that the proposed zoning request did not target any wetlands already on the national wetlands inventory. But opponents to the zoning request say there is no need for additional industrial lands and that the Port already has plenty of industrial-zoned property in its possession. Scappoose resident Pat Zimmerman, who has been heavily involved in the opposition to that city’s Urban Growth Boundary expansion request, was among dozens speaking against the Port’s rezoning application. Zimmerman said the Port’s request is based on two statements – that PGE’s leasehold makes the area unavailable and that the entirety of the area inside the Port Westward Industrial Park not currently developed is See PORT, Page A6
Courtesy photo
The Columbia County Planning Commission will continue its public hearing on June 17 for an application submitted by the Port of St. Helens to rezone more than 950 acres at its Port Westward facility.
Aguirre tapped for role of St. Helens High principal BY SHARI PHIEL The Chronicle
Students returning to St. Helens High School next fall will find a familiar face sitting behind the principal’s desk. Assistant Principal BG Aguirre has been named as the school’s new principal, replacing outgoing principal Andy Croley who will be leaving his position in June. The team selected to replace Croley may not have had to look far to find his replacement, but the interview process was certainly thorough. “The interview team – comprised of myself, St. Helens High School students, several parents, district staff, and a school board member – deliberated the interviewed candidates and recommended two strong candidates for my final consideration,” said District Superintendent Mark Davalos. Davalos ultimately selected Aguirre for the position and made
his recommendation to the school board at its May 22 regular meeting. “BG is already working hard to help close the 2012–2013 year and take the BG Aguirre helm of responsibility she has accepted. I am delighted with our choice and confident for our future,” Davalos added. Aguirre has been at St. Helens High School for the past five years and is ready for her new role. “I am honored to be the next principal at St. Helens High School,” she said. Aguirre attended Oregon State University, graduating in 1998 with a major in sociology and Spanish. She then went on to Concordia University in Portland where she earned her
master’s degree. “I started teaching in the Beaverton School District and taught there for eight years. I started at the elementary level,” Aguirre said, noting she taught at Vase and Kinnaman elementary schools. “Then I did my administrative program through Beaverton future leaders program.” She said she got her first administrator position at Newport High School, where she was the assistant principal. She then became the principal at Sam Case Elementary, also in Newport. Aguirre said her experience teaching and working with students from all levels – from kindergarten through high school – has helped with her role at St. Helens High School. “It’s an awesome thing… I get the whole K-12 vertical alignment, I know where they need to be when the come here. I think it just helps overall and I know it’s helped me with kids that are struggling,” Agu-
irre said. Although she won’t officially begin her new position until July 1, Aguirre has been spending time shadowing Croley to learn more about the responsibilities she will be taking on. “Mr. Croley has been really cool. He’s been letting me be part of and take part in the decisions that are being made now,” she said. “It’s kind of a transition period right now.” Aguirre said she has enjoyed having the opportunity to take on new responsibilities. In fact, she’s already looking at her goals for next year. “With the new graduation requirements for math – needing Algebra I or higher – one thing I’ve already done, last week at the administrators meeting, was fight to have summer school… we will offer summer this summer,” she added. “And we have an online program that’s a proficiency-based program. Students can sign up for one class and complete as many as they need to.”