Winds so strong this ramp blew off the docks.

Repair work began immediately.

December 2, 2007 will be a date sticking in the minds of this region’s residents for a long while. The storm which ripped through the area packing 147 mile-per-hour winds wreaked havoc with man-made and mother nature’s assets and the Port of Astoria was no exception. According to interim director Ron Larsen, damage estimates so far approximate $1.5 million and that number may change depending on the cost of temporary versus permanent repairs. Projects ranging from exterior loss of roofing and water damage to interior loss of ceiling tiles and computers/files are currently being assessed. All FEMA paperwork for debris cleanup has been filed and Port officials are currently awaiting insurance adjustment reports for some projects. “The wind here was so strong,” said Ron Larsen, “that it blew the 70-foot cruise ship gangway off the dock and into the water. We had to hire a dive crew to go in the icy river water and recover the gangway before we could operate a dredge in that area.” The Port of Astoria maintenance storage shelter, for example, lost 90 percent of its roof in the storm and two portable guard shacks were 100 percent destroyed. Those will need to be replaced at a cost of $10,000 each.


It has been busy at the Port since the storm. So far more than 4 tons of debris has been removed from Port properties, additional Port security was provided during and after the storm to ensure damaged facilities were protected, plus a generator was leased in order to fuel planes and operate sewage pumps, and contractors were hired. “The folks at Beeline Roofing, for example, helped us immediately,” said Larsen, “to ensure there was no more internal damage to Port properties. I want to say we are thankful for their quick response.”

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Lora Eddy is our new environmental compliance manager.

Lora Eddy began working with Port of Astoria projects in November, 2006, when she took a job with the Columbia River Estuary Task Force. She moved to a full time position with the Port one year later. Her title is environmental compliance manager and she is charged with “...understanding the applicable federal and state regulations for the Port and its tenants.” she said. “I help obtain permits and develop programs to comply with regulations with regards to dredging and other activities at the Port.” According to Eddy, Port tenants are also required to comply with all applicable state and federal regulations for their activities, and wording in the port leasing agreements include that as part of a tenant's ability to remain on port property.


Lora was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia and has a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Her first career employment was with a lab doing remediation work for lead asbestos in buildings and from there she went in to environmental consulting. Her husband took a job in the area and that is when she found work with CREST. With the Port, she has been working on stormwater plans for Port and Airport properties as part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination program, known as NPDES. She has helped assist the Port in obtaining new dredge permits and modifications for dredging.

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Herb Florer is our new marina & boat yard administrator.

Herb Florer is the new Port of Astoria marina and boat yard administrator. He is responsible for scheduling haul-out and lift operations in the boatyard, and providing information to boaters, as well as scheduling slips and collecting fees for the marina.

Herb was born in Florida but grew up in the east coast of the U. S. He graduated from Reed College, which is what brought him to our region. There he studied political science and diplomatic history. "I have been involved with boats since I was a kid," said Herb, "...all my life. I went to sailing school at age 9 in Cape Cod and I worked on a hospital ship in New York Harbor in high school. I began teaching sailing in 1977." He has been the manager of a sailing club and school in the region, as well as serving a term as a paralegal for the domestic Peace Corps, doing construction work, and achieving the rank of Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Herb holds certifications from the American Sailing Association and U.S. Sailing organization. "I am a certified instructor from beginning through advanced off-shore sailing, including celestial navigation,.. and I am also qualified to certify other instructors." He has taught sailing to individuals as young as nine years old and ranging up to over 70 years old, but one of his more memorable sailing experiences was when he shared the excitement and adventure of the Columbia River with his wife and stepson as part of the Portland to Astoria racing for the Astoria Regatta in 2004.

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Tiki Charters recent Oregon Business excursion.

The recent storms have required some moving around the Port beyond just the efforts to clean up debris and secure roofing. Two tenants have moved from the Red Lion building into the Port’s main office at 422 Gateway Avenue. The tenants are Tiki Charters and the Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union. Read more about these entities below.

Tiki Charters began in the 1960s as Thunderbird Charters because it was located in what was then called the Thunderbird Motel. We know the property today as the Red Lion, Astoria. Thirteen years ago, Oly Olson bought Tiki Charters from then-owner Karen Van Cleave. Tiki Charters provides quality fishing trips in the Pacific Ocean and lower Columbia River (Columbia Estuary) near Astoria, Oregon for chinook and coho salmon, sturgeon, dungeness crab and numerous types of bottomfish including halibut, flounder, lingcod and sea bass. They provide Oregon coast charter fishing for halibut, tuna, sturgeon, bottomfish, and buoy 10, as well as guided fishing trips for Pacific halibut, ocean king salmon, coho salmon and lingcodt. They have three well maintained charter boats (34 to 40 foot) outfitted with the latest safety, navigation and fish locating equipment, and are Coast Guard Inspected and licensed. Tiki Charters is now located in Suite 3D of the Port’s main offices and you may contact them via telephone at (503) 325-7818. Their website is www.tikicharter.com.

The Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union was formed in 1884. It is a membership organization with 500 commercial fishing permit holders in Oregon and Washington. Active participation in the organization ranges from a hand-full of dedicated workers up to 200 depending on the season. Executive director Jack Marincovich said, “We have board members up and down the Columbia River. We represent fishing communities on both sides of the river all the way up. Most of us come from three and four generation fishing families. We have been representing the interests of fishermen and their families on the Columbia River for that long.” The CRFPU offices have been located where Josephsons’ Seafoods are now, but remained on 10th Street in Astoria from before World War II until the year 2000 when they became a Port of Astoria tenant. CRFPU representatives get involved in such issues as dredging and sea lion habitat as well as producing a biannual magazine called "Columbia River Gillnetter," and maintaining a fishing net recycling program. “We have been doing that for three or four years now,’ said Jon Westerholm, board member and editor of the organization’s magazine. “Now we collect the old nets and leadline and a couple of times a year we take them up to Burlington, Washington and they get so much a pound, bundle it up and ship it overseas. They then use it to make secondary plastics like bicycle or motorcycle seats, and they pay us for it.” CRFPU is located in suite A3 of the Port offices and their telephone number is 503-325-2702 . The website is crpfu.org.

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State senator Betsy Johnson joins representatives from the Oregon Govenor's office, county commissioners and Port commissioners at a meeting at Englund Marine.

Port Commisssioner Bernie Bjork represents the Port of Astoria at the 2008 Leadership Forum.

Responsibilities for Port of Astoria commissioners include representing Port projects and Clatsop County interests around the region and with special interest groups and action committees. Each Port commissioner has been assigned to a variety of committees and in some cases, such as the annual boat show in Portland and meeting with government representatives who travel to the area, all commissioners are requested to participate. Committee assignments include the Area Committee on Transportation, the Northwest Oregon Regional Partnership, and the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association, among others. Within the Port itself, commissioners and alternates are assigned to committees such as Airport Development, Marine Advisory, Design Review and the Cold Storage Committee. Commissioner Kathy Sanders gave her opinion on her duties of committee and meeting attendance. “As a public entity the Port of Astoria needs to be aware of the economic needs of the local area. The most effective way to stay in touch with the pulse of the communities is with personal contact. Attending meetings and activities allows the commissioners to do just that.” A complete list of commissioner committee assignments is available from the port office.

In some cases, the commissioners have chosen their committee assignments based on personal experience or a passion for the content. Commissioner Bernie Bjork said, " I was an ocean going commercial fishermen for over 30 years, 27 of those years were on my 55 foot vessel the New Dawn. After fishing the first 5 or so years off the West coast, I moved to Alaska and for the last 21 years fished mostly out of Seward longlining for Halibut and Black Cod. During the last 15 years or so I became very involved in fishing politics and policy, having to go to North Pacific Fishing Management Council and Pacific Fishing Management Council meetings. In October of 2003, I helped form the Lower Columbia Alliance for Sustainable Fisheries, a grassroots alliance of mostly local commercial and sport fishermen, and businesses that cater to fishermen from both sides of the River. Our sole purpose is to stop the closure of any more grounds to fishing, thereby keeping as many people fishing as possible. Since 2005 I have been attending, and commenting at Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) meetings about processes meant to close more grounds to fishing. Since becoming a Port commissioner in Sept. of 2006, I have continued to attend OPAC meetings, and started to attend Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association meetings dealing with closing more fishing grounds. I have met many Port and County commissioners that feel exactly the same way I do, and that has helped form alliances that are truly helping our local fishermen stay in business."

Commissioner assignments involve economic development, industry issues such as fishing and regional transportation, and even service and fellowship, such as attending a Kiwanis meeting in Seaside. After a recent visit to the Port by Fritz Graham, field representative to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Ann Richardson, Lead Field Representative from the office of Congressman David Wu said of the meeting, “It was productive, especially to bring Fritz up to speed. It was important to bring all the constituencies who are effected by dredging permit issues together for a united front.”

The Port of Astoria exists to bring benefit to all residents of Clatsop County and indeed, the region. The Port of Astoria commission meets monthly in regular session and at least once if not more often for workshops on topics of special interest or which require more study. You are invited to attend all commission meetings and workshops. A schedule of upcoming meetings and the minutes of meetings already approved may be found on this website. http://www.portofastoria.com/calendar/ or (http://www.portofastoria.com/news/minutes.html).

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Port Commissioner Kathy Sanders attended the Oregon Employment Department's Manufacturers Meeting at Fort Clatsop.

Astoria mayor Willis Van Dusen chats with county commissioner Sam Patrick. Port Commissioner Bernie Bjork chats with county commissioner Jeff Hazen and Astoria resident John Compere during a networking opportunity at the Port offices.

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Port commissioners Bill Hunsinger, Daniel Hess and Kathy Sanders join state senator Betsy Johnson and other regional leaders at a community meeting in Seaside.

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