Last weekend’s Pac Rim Wrestling Tournament was very competitive. The annual tournament, attended by 17 schools from the Pacific Northwest, was hosted by the Seaside wrestling team. Warrenton wrestled hard, but in some matches our wrestlers made critical mistakes, and it cost them. Warrenton had a total of three placers in the tournament. Freshman Austin Atwood placed fifth, wrestling at 120 pounds. Freshman Parker Greenawald placed sixth at 132 pounds. Senior Giovanni Martinez pinned a (continued)
The Warrenton girls wrestling team was very successful at Forest Grove last weekend. There were a total of 18 teams and our girls placed fourth. Sahanna Rodriquez won her third match by a pin in the third round, where she was down 3-10 to place first at 100 pounds. Alexandra Lopez also placed at 100 pounds, taking a third. Madison Kadera placed third at 115 pounds. Brianna Quaschnick placed second at 152 pounds, and Jade Freniere placed third at 220 pounds. The girls team has great numbers this (continued)
Coming off a 46-25 loss last weekend to Taft, the Warrenton boys basketball team bested Clatskanie at home Tuesday, 52-41. Dalton Knight led the Warrior attack with 19 points, while Devin Jackson and Ayden Stephens followed with 10 points each. Warrenton’s girls basketball team rode a tremendous high after last weekend’s thrashing of Taft 61-19, but came crashing back to earth with a 55-45 loss to Clatskanie on Tuesday. Kenzie Ramsey had 15 points in the game, followed by Claire Busser (continued)
Pacific Seafood’s plans to build housing for its employees moved toward fruition Tuesday night. Warrenton City Commissioners approved a development code amendment that allows the company to convert a metal fabrication building it owns into bunkhouse-style housing to meet the needs of seasonal employee working at the seafood processing plant. Commissioner Mark Baldwin, a contractor, abstained from the vote because he has worked and may work again for the company. The proposal has b (continued)
A coffee shop here. A bakery there. Perhaps a brewpub on the corner. These are some of the goals and plans being bandied about as a group of citizens plots a course for downtown Warrenton. It is a downtown with great potential and a recent history of falling short of that potential. “The idea is to … get positive change in Warrenton through citizens just getting together and putting their heads together,” said Kelsey Balensifer, who is volunteering with other citizens to improve downtown. (continued)
A property with a dilapidated house on South Main Avenue, which the city had hoped to buy, has a new owner who is tearing down the nuisance. Mark Korpi of North Coast Classic Homes said he plans to build a duplex and expects to be ready to rent the units by June. It takes care of a major eyesore for the city. Two other properties were declared nuisances at Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting. A property at 1940 S. Main Ave. has many junk cars and equipment, plus people camping ther (continued)
The Warrenton Warriors girls basketball team prevailed over Willamina last Friday night in a hard-fought 44-38 win. They then came back the next night, Saturday, with a 63-25 tromping of Taft. Claire Bussert had 19 points Saturday with Kenz Ramsey’s 14. Warrior boys basketball fans might need their hearts restarted after last Friday's 46-45 win over Willamina, which was followed by a 43-41 win against Taft on Saturday. Thanks to Dalton Knight’s 33 points Saturday, the Warriors improved (continued)
Five city committees have new members after the City Commission made appointments Tuesday night. The volunteer panels serve as advisory groups for the commission and recommend certain actions on issues. The Planning Commission also has some authority over certain development actions. The following appointments were approved unanimously: Budget Committee: Gerald Poe, whose term ended Dec. 31, was reappointed to his post. Community Center Board: Carol Snell was reappointed to her position, which (continued)
A project to improve forest health and fire safety at Fort Stevens State Park began this week. Crews are removing sick and dying trees in the mostly undeveloped south section of the park along Burma Road. The area contains some primitive hiking and biking trails. “Our goal is to help the native trees, such as hemlock and spruce, grow into a healthy, mature forest,” Park Manager Justin Parker said. The project also will help protect the park from wildfire by creating a gap in vegetation that (continued)
City Recorder Dawne Shaw was named Region I director of the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders.
She also recently was promoted to her current city position after serving as deputy city recorder.
She has served as acting recorder since Linda Engbretson, who previously held the position, was named city manager in October 2016. (continued)
Construction work remains steady throughout Warrenton and two projects are about to take off at Astoria-Warrenton Regional Airport. Life Flight Network plans to build a 7,680-square-foot hangar with offices and sleeping quarters for pilots. A second project will put a hangar there for a rock star’s plane. Both projects would be adjacent to Lektro, near the center of the airport. In May 2017, the Port of Astoria had placed a $1.9 million bond issue on the ballot as a way to improve a section (continued)
Five compete for 'miss' title; nine for 'outstanding teen'
Five young women will compete for the title of Miss Clatsop County later this month and nine teenagers will vie for Miss Clatsop County’s Outstanding Teen and Miss North Coast’s Outstanding Teen. The Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Competition is the official preliminary competition for the Miss Oregon Pageant and is part of the Miss America Organization. Miss America is the world’s leading scholarship provider for women, organizers said. “I’m really excited. We’ve got some new (continued)
Transportation isn’t a boring topic for those caught in traffic and those waiting for street improvements. A three-year project to update Warrenton’s transportation system is set for a public hearing before the City Commission and possible adoption Jan. 8. The Transportation System Plan will serve as a long-term guide or blueprint for how the city will spend its transportation dollars. During the past three years, the community, transportation officials and city leaders have come up with (continued)
Carolyn Jarvis, a former bookkeeper and business owner and nearly lifelong Warrenton resident, died Dec. 25 at her home. She was 76. She was born Carolyn Kunkler in Okmulgee, Okla., and moved to Warrenton with her family when she was 5. She attended Warrenton schools and graduated in 1960. She raised two children, Donna and Kelly, and married Wayne Jarvis in 1974. Mrs. Jarvis worked at the former Pop’s Restaurant in Warrenton, for Bumble Bee Seafoods and at Pig ’N Pancake for 20 years, (continued)
Today, Jan. 4, is the first day commercial crab fishers can pull up their pots along most of the Oregon coast. The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Dec. 31 that fishermen could begin setting their pots, but couldn’t pull them until Jan. 4 from Coos Bay north into much of Washington state. The area south of Coos Bay remains closed due to a combination of low meat quality and domoic acid. Recreational crab harvesting also is open throughout the entire state. For more information, call (continued)
If you hit and kill a deer or elk today, you’ve potentially got a free meal. A new law went into effect Tuesday allowing the salvage of road-killed deer and elk. A free online permit is all that’s required after the fact and you can find it at www.odfw.com/roadkill. The change in law was required after the passage of Senate Bill 372 during the 2017 Oregon State Legislative session. Following are the key regulations to follow to legally salvage roadkill: Submit the online permit within 24 (continued)
Clatsop Community College’s Small Business Development Center offers a variety of classes for those thinking about starting a new business and those who need to brush up on some skills. To register for any of the workshops, go to bizcenter.org/centers/clatsop-sbdc/our-classes. Or call 503-338-2402. ** Ready, Set, Start Your Business This is for those who have a great idea but don’t know how to get started. The class covers the basics and will help attendees decide if they’re ready to be (continued)
Winter weather has set in across Oregon and the Oregon State Police want to know if you’re prepared. With the increasing chance of snow, freezing rain and ice on the road, it’s more important than ever to know what you face before you head out. Checking www.tripcheck.com is the best way to get information on highway closures and construction, minimum chain requirements and road conditions utilizing their traffic cameras. Those traveling in lower elevations should expect rain and wet (continued)
Clatsop County invites citizens to serve on local budget committees. The citizen committees review the proposed budgets and make recommendations to the county commissioners. Each committee is made up of five county commissioners and five residents they appoint. The committees generally meet in May to review the proposed budgets. Two seats are available on the countywide committee, one for a person living in the eastern portion of the county and one for a person living in south county. Thr (continued)
Columnists & Other Opinions
I live in the city of Warrenton and utilize the Warrenton Waterfront Trail for exercise daily. I’ve met many residents on my walks and we all share a common feeling of safety when we use the path. Recently, I’ve learned of a request by Pacific Seafood for a zone change on the property that abuts the path near Northwest 17th Place Alarmed, I looked for additional information. The zone change request is for the purpose of constructing seasonal transient housing for employees. When I learned (continued)
Which would you rather have, a trunk full of nickels or a trunk half full of dimes? Now that we are seniors, we have more time to ponder such thoughts. Think hard and I’ll try to remember to put the answer at the end of the column. I got to thinking the other day (and probably most of us think more at this stage of our lives) about how we have seen the results of many an invention and simply marveled. I was pondering the other day over the possibility of “uninventing” things. You know, (continued)
Jan. 11, 1698: Four French missionaries who’ve been staying with the Quapaw Indians on the Mississippi River travel downstream to a Tunica Indian village. Father Antoine Davion will decide to stay with the Tunica. Jan. 12, 1833: Congress passes a law making it unlawful for any Indian to remain within the boundaries of the state of Florida. Jan. 13, 1756: Pennsylvania authorities and local Indians begin a five-day council in Carlisle, Penn. Gouverneur Morris, who wrote the Preamble to the U.S. (continued)
Looking outside I see all the rooftops covered with white from a heavy frost. No wonder! While we were busy getting ready for Christmas, winter arrived quietly at exactly 2:23 p.m. Dec. 21. Do the freezing temperatures and frost mean snow is around the corner for us on the coast? The Old Farmer’s 2019 Almanac says no. We are encouraged to prepare for a kinder winter this year. Whom do we believe? Snoopy, via author Charles M. Schulz, says, “Don’t worry. Look up!” Snoopy seems to have (continued)
Jan. 4, 1874: Chief Eskiminzin, an Aravaipa Apache and survivor of the Camp Grant Massacre, escapes from San Carlos, where he was being held as a “military precaution,” along with others from his band. He will return in four months because most of his people are sick and hungry. Jan. 5, 1923: The Senate debates the benefits of peyote, a psychoactive drug, for American Indians, who use it for medicine and religious purposes. Jan. 6, 1975: Mattie Grinnell, the last full-blooded Mandan Indian, (continued)
Events
The Brownsmead Flats, a celebrated local musical group, will perform at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the Performing Arts Center, corner of 16th Street and Franklin Avenue, Astoria. Suggested donations are $10 for general admission and $5 for children and seniors. All money raised benefits the PAC. There will be a chance for the audience to sing along, and for children to participate in the music-making. The folk and bluegrass group is made up of John Fenton, Ned Heavenrich, Ray Raihala, Larry (continued)
Historic winter transportation is the theme of this weekend’s “In Their Footsteps” free talk at Fort Clatsop. Richard Brenne, a skier, mountain climber, tour guide and award-winning screen-writer, will lead the discussion. The free talk is at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in the Netul River Room in the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. People of northern climes have long used various methods of transportation specific to winter weather such as skis, sleds, and snowshoes. Brenne will ponder whether (continued)
Kaisa Liljenwall and Jane McGeehan will present popular classics, including four-hands pieces, in their concert “Classics and Candlelight: Bach to Broadway.” It is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at Pioneer Presbyterian Church, 33324 Patriot Way, next to Camp Rilea in Warrenton. Included will be work by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Hogey Carmichael. The concert is a dedication for a new grand piano recently given to the church by Sam Purtle, whose mother, Jacquetta, was a concert (continued)
Clatsop Community College will be host for the Tillamook Bay Community College Truck Driving Training Program, which allows locals an opportunity to acquire a commercial driver’s license and become a certified truck driver. Students in the program can earn a CDL in four weeks. Application for the program is required by Jan. 29, although the class doesn’t start until March 18. It runs through April 12. Students must commit to classes Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to receive th (continued)
A Family Bingo Night fund-raiser sponsored by the 4-H Leaders Association is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Bob Chisholm Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Friends, supporters and the public are invited to play 10 bingo games for $10 per person or $30 per family. There will be prizes for bingo as well as basket drawings (raffle tickets are $1). Food available for purchase includes pulled-pork sliders, chips and drinks. Proceeds will benefit 4-H programs. For more info please call the Extension (continued)
A class in yoga for all ages and abilities begins Jan. 22 at Pioneer Presbyterian Church.
Kristin Kabanuk of Seaside Yoga will teach the class, which will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesdays at the church, 33324 Patriot Way, Warrenton.
Chair poses will be included for those with physical challenges and loaner yoga mats are available. Classes are by donation. (continued)
First Lutheran Church will have its annual crab feet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at the church, 725 33rd St., Astoria.
Cost is $15 per plate. To attend, email your name and the number of servings to flcastoria@gmail.com. (continued)
“Wild West” is the theme of this year’s Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting and banquet. Tickets are $40 and are now on sale for the event, set for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria. Tickets include dinner and one raffle ticket. There also will be a blind drawing for wine. After dinner, the 2018 George Award and 2018 Richard Ford Award, along with a few other honors, will be given. A reservation is required. (continued)
Pacific University’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing program will host readings by some of the world’s best contemporary writers during its 10-day residency in Seaside. The readings are free and open to the public. The event is a rare opportunity to hear master writers read their works on successive evenings. Featured authors include poet Marvin Bell, recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and fiction writer Chris Abani, recipient of the PEN Hemingway Book Prize and a (continued)
Contemporary folk singer-songwriter John Gorka will perform for a Coast Community Radio Benefit at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Performing Arts Center, 588 16th St., Astoria. Rolling Stone magazine called Gorka “the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement.” His new studio album, “True in Time,” is described as deep and meaningful with Gorka’s soulful voice, songwriting and guitar work given center stage. Tickets are $20 and available a (continued)
Rides are being organized for the annual Roe v. Wade Memorial and March in Portland on Jan. 19. The event marks the 46th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion. Speakers include Catholic Archbishop Alexander Sample and “Becky” from StandUpGirl.com, a resource for young women seeking alternatives to abortion. Sundial Travel has donated a van to take those who sign up to Courthouse Square in Portland. The van will leave Columbia Memorial Cancer Hospital’s re (continued)
Angora Hiking Club will have a planning meeting to schedule 2019 hikes at 2 p.m. Jan. 6 in Room 231 at Oregon State University’s Seafood Lab, 2001 Marine Dr.
The club is preparing for its 100th anniversary in 2020.
All those interested in leading a hike are urged to attend. While the cost to join the club is minimal, hikers can participate without being members. (continued)
North Coast Symphonic Band returns to the Liberty Theatre for its 38th season in October. The community band, with Dave Becker as conductor and musical director, is a self-supporting nonprofit group with 50 volunteer musicians. The group provides two of its four annual concerts for free. The first concert of the season is at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. “Dances of Enchantment” will feature a collaboration between the North Coast Symphonic Band and 3 Leg Torso, a well-known ethnic folk band from (continued)
Police and Public Safety
A man with sawed-down master keys was arrested New Year’s eve when he allegedly was caught breaking into a pickup truck. A 54-year-old Warrenton man told police he’d stepped outside to check his weather station about 2:27 a.m. and saw someone sitting inside his truck, which was parked on Northeast Harbor Court. He walked over to the truck and said, “What are you doing?” according to a police report. The man got out and tried to run away, spilling a box of doughnuts on the ground. The (continued)
A 20-year-old Vancouver, Wash., man was arrested after he crashed his car at Fort Stevens State Park and left the scene, returning to his campsite at the Warrenton KOA, according to police reports. Timofey P. Priymak was booked at Clatsop County Jail for failing to perform the duties of a driver causing property damage and failing to carry and present a license. He was also cited for driving while suspended, driving without insurance and having an open container of alcohol. Priymak’s white (continued)
** Warrants Warrant service, 11:10 a.m. Jan. 2, police station. Christopher James Beeman, 36, of Warrenton was arrested on a contempt of court warrant. ** Thefts and burglaries Theft of recyclables, various times and dates in mid-December, 800 block South Main Avenue. Approximately 10 bags of bottles and cans valued at $60 were stolen from a back porch. Shoplifting, 6 p.m. Dec. 21, Walmart. Julie Ann Chapman, 35, of Astoria was arrested on suspicion of third-degree theft after she allegedly (continued)
A Warrenton man who told officers he was “having a hard time with the holiday season” was arrested early Christmas Day on multiple charges. Terry Lloyd Parsons, 65, was booked at Clatsop County Jail for fourth-degree assault, menacing and creating a disturbance. His female roommate and a man he was allowing to stay on his couch called police about 3:15 a.m. when Parsons began yelling, making threats and stabbing a teddy bear, according to a police report. When officers arrived at the mobile (continued)
** Thefts and burglaries Stolen cell phone, 9:13 p.m. Dec. 21, Dollar Tree. A woman reported setting her LG Silo phone down on a shelf and forgetting it and when she contacted the store later, it was gone. Theft by fraud, 1:40 p.m. Dec. 21, Petco. A man and woman worked together to complete returns of merchandise on four separate occasions using receipts. However, the items were actually taken from store shelves just prior to the returns. Shoplifting, 2:24 p.m. Dec. 22, Walmart. A male in his (continued)
