A1
MOOKS
OCEANSIDE RESTAURANT
FINISH IN SECOND
IDENTICAL TWINS OPEN NEW CAFE, PAGE A10
TILLAMOOK TAKES SECOND IN LEAGUE, PAGE A12
Headlight Herald
TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM • MAY 15, 2013
LONGEST RUNNING BUSINESS IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY • SINCE 1888
Skaters and BMX bikers rally for skate park Singh pleads
Q&A with the PUD
“I hear from every skate boarder and BMX rider I know that they’re tired of having to go to Bay City all the time.”
Part three in a series The Headlight Herald is engaging the Tillamook PUD in a Q&A series about the proposed Tillamook to Oceanside transmission line. Please send your questions about the transmission line to mfbell@countrymedia.net and we will ask the PUD to answer them in this forum. HEADLIGHT HERALD QUESTION: Please describe the proposed route for the transmission line and explain why that route was chosen. TILLAMOOK PUD ANSWER: The proposed route is approximately seven miles in length. It extends west from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Tillamook Substation, crossing the Port of Tillamook Bay railroad main line into the spur right-of-way to Highway 101. It then crosses Highway 101 along the north side of Front Street, traversing west to farm lands behind the Tillamook County General Hospital, then turns southwest to and along Highway 131 to Tomlinson Road, through farm and forest lands to the proposed substation near Oceanside. Tillamook PUD evaluated numerous routes and route segments, carefully considering impacts. Adjustments to the proposed route have been made over time to accommodate the City of Tillamook and landowner
Tyler Lind, BMX rider By Sayde Moser
smoser@countrymedia.net
See PUD, Page A3 EARLY MEMORIAL DAY DEADLINES: See page A10
INDEX Classified Ads...............B5-8 Calendar........................... B2 Fenceposts....................B3-4 Letters.............................. A4 Obituaries......................... A6 Opinions........................... A4 Sports.......................A12-13
Noah Palter, 15, stood before the Tillamook City Council last week with several of his friends and one thing on his mind: he wants a skatepark. “I came in here when I was nine years old,” he told the council, “talking about the same thing that I am today.” The council held a public hearing in regards to the parks and master plan. The plan addressed a plethora of park ideas and aspecs; yet the skaters and BMXers dominated the hearing, making their voices heard for the addition of a skate and bike park. Six years ago Noah asked his dad why the skate park at Goodspeed Park had been taken down. “I told him I didn’t know,” recalled his dad, Aaron Palter, Port of Tillamook Bay’s Project Manager. “But I said, ‘I know who does’ and I took him to see the city council.” A few years later - and still lacking a proper place to skate - Palter tried again to get something going for his son and his friends, but he said the timing just wasn’t quite right. “Timing is everything for a project such as this,” he said. “And the timing just wasn’t appropriate.” But after attending the city council meeting and the beautification and parks committee meeting last week, Palter said he thinks it might finally be possible to give these kids what they want. “In my opinion, it will take an organized group with a handful of parents to lead the way and work with the city,” City Councilor Doug Henson said, adding he is more than willing to volunteer his own time to help the process. Palter told the beautification and parks committee that if they would give him a “footprint” of dedicated space for a park, he would form a committee and get the ball rolling.
See PARK, Page A8
Photo by Sayde Moser
Ian Groshong, 16, has been riding BMX bikes for two and a half years and attended last week’s council meeting in support of a skate park. Currently he rides in various parking lots across town.
Pelican Brewery will open this summer
1908 2nd St. 503-842-7535
By Mary Faith Bell
www.TillamookHeadlightHerald.com
VOL. 124, NO. 20 $1.00
mfbell@countrymedia.net
August 1 is the projected opening date for the Pelican Brewery Company Production Brewery and Tasting Room in downtown Tillamook. Construction is well underway in the Front Street building, which will house a 40 seat tasting room and brewery capable of producing 35,000 barrels over time. Initial projections, according to Pelican co-owner Jeff Schons, are 8,500 barrels in the first year alone, more than double Pelican’s current production of 4,000 barrels in the Pacific City brewery. Local officials, supporters and community members attended a groundbreaking ceremony May 13 and celebrated with Pelican beer. Co-owners Jeff Schons, Mary Jones, Ken Henson and Darron Welch thanked the community for helping to make the idea of a brewery in Tillamook into a reality. “We want to express our gratitude to the county commissioners, Mayor Suzanne Weber and the City Manager Paul Wyntergreen,” said Jeff Schons. “Without the loan from TURA we wouldn’t have been able to do this, and
By Sayde Moser
smoser@countrymedia.net
Photo by Mary Faith Bell
The Pelican Brewing Co. brewery and tasting room will open in August. likewise, without the generosity and commitment of Pat and Don Kehr of Star Distributors this project would not have happened.” Schons praised local officials in every step of the process. “The planning department, public works, the building department, plumbing and electrical, they’ve all been phenomenal to work with,” he said. County Commissioner Mark Labhart attended the ceremony and said, “This is the start of something
big. With the downtown improvements to Hwy 101 and Hwy 6, downtown is opening up. You just watch, this is the start of something big.” Labhart represented Senator Betsy Johnson, who is recovering from an automobile accident and couldn’t attend. “Senator Johnson praised the great partnerships between the city, TURA and the state that made this possible. A number of agencies have been working hard on this
EVA MANDERSON Manderson has been the director of Tillamook Bay Child Care Center for six years and lived in Tillamook for eight. With three kids of her own enrolled in school, she said it’s always been a habit of hers to be involved with everything her kids are doing.
See SCHOOL, Page A6
Why Wait? Call NOW!
Serving Tillamook County Since 1935
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project for the past couple of years, and this shows what government can accomplish working together, and in partnership with private industry.” Approximately 15 jobs will be created with the opening of the brewery. In addition to the 40 seat tasting room with casual dining, there will also be a 20 seat outdoor patio. The brewery will produce draft beer, 22 ounce bottles, and will introduce 12 ounce bottles in September.
It’s a contested race for Position 2 on the Tillamook School District board. Eva Manderson with Tillamook Bay Child Care Center and Michelle Gordon, former school teacher, have both thrown their hats in the running.
NEED PROPANE?
Tillamook’s Country Store
1920 Main Street North Tillamook, Oregon 97141
Tillamook Center Market grocer Hamraj Singh, 46, pleaded guilty on May 9 to six counts of harassment against two of his female employees. District Attorney William Porter told Judge Jonathan R. Hill that the defense had been Hamraj Singh engaged in discussions with the victims and the state and the state had agreed to negotiate a settlement. Singh pleaded guilty to six Class A misdemeanors, each with a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail, 24 month bench probation, a $50,000 fine and an “A” rating on the Oregon State guidelines. According to the guidelines, every two misdemeanors equals one felony and three felonies equal an A rating. “In one fell swoop this guy went from one end of the chart to the other,” Porter explained. Singh was originally arrested on 82 counts of sexual assault against two women; 24 counts of rape I, five counts of sodomy and 51 counts of sex abuse I and II and two counts of harassment. He was accused of raping, sodomizing and sexually abusing a 41 year-old woman numerous times over a period of six months beginning in November 2011 and ending in April 2012. The victim was allegedly compelled to endure Singh’s sexual assaults repeatedly and remain silent. Singh’s sentancing is scheduled for June 5 at which time the judge will determine if he will serve any jail time or have to register as a sex offender.
Two women running for one school board position
TILLAMOOK FARMERS’ CO-OP
Reg. $18.99 Sale
guilty to six counts of harassment
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