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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2017)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 ‘The Beast’: Kids helped come up with name Continued from Page 1A EO Media Group/File Photo U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s local leaders want to relocate Willapa National Wildlife Refuge headquarters from its current site on the east side of Willapa Bay in Washington, shown here, to a new location more accessible to the population center of the Long Beach Peninsula. Refuge: ‘We’re trying to be part of the community’ Continued from Page 1A Refuge Manager Jackie Ferrier said she wanted to include the public in decid- ing where to build the Natural Resource Center and designing it, although the project has yet to be funded. If federal dollars don’t come through, Ferrier said, she’ll work with the refuge nonprofit to try to raise the money. The cost of the center will depend on what’s included in its design. Refuge officials in 2011 estimated a cost of about $6 million in its long-term plans. “We’ll be paring it down, at least the government portion,” Ferrier said. New public face She wants the new center to have space for the refuge head- quarters, a visitor center, educa- tion programs, events and pub- lic meetings. Ferrier has long wanted to move the headquarters closer to Long Beach from its location at 3888 U.S. Highway 101, now about a 15-minute drive from downtown. “We’re trying to be part of the community,” she said. Two sites are being con- sidered for the center. It could be built at the east end of 67th Place, a tsunami-evacuation route. The refuge could then help Pacific County house emergency supplies and pro- vide a public meeting space during an evacuation, Ferrier said. “I think it makes a lot of sense,” she said. The refuge was slated to receive $2 million in federal grants to help Pacific County repave and improve 67th Place during the next few years but getting the money depends on the federal highways budget. 95th Street work The other site being con- sidered is in the flood plain Symbols: Dogs rescued from shelters also proposed as state’s favorite pup Continued from Page 1A The Kiger Mustang, for example, is native to southeast- ern Oregon and named after the Kiger Gorge there. Accord- ing to the Bureau of Land Man- agement website, the horses are “one of the best remaining examples of the Spanish Mus- tang” and highly sought after in BLM auctions. A Kiger Mus- tang with the breed’s charac- teristic gold coloring and dark mane was used as the model for the title character of the ani- mated movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.” “They’re beautiful animals, sturdy and hardy,” Hansell said. State dog Hansell also sponsored a bill naming the border collie as Oregon’s state dog, at the request of Ron Folck of Unity. He felt a working dog like the border collie was a good rep- resentation of Oregon, but Rep. David Gomberg, D-Cen- tral Coast, had a different idea and is sponsoring a bill to name dogs rescued from a shelter as the state dog. Hansell said the reason Ore- gon has never named a state dog before may be because there isn’t a particular breed of dog that stands out for its ties to Oregon. And while dog’s are “humankind’s best friend,” near 95th Street and San- dridge Road. The refuge got a $60,000 grant from the state and county to put in park- ing spaces, a viewing area and a safer trail access point on 95th Street. The refuge is working on a federal grant to pay for connecting its South Bay Trail across the peninsula to the Discovery Trail, but again, those dollars depend on the federal budget, Ferrier said. Either of the two sites being considered for the cen- ter would make it easier for people’s favorite breed of dog varies greatly. “All my kids and I, we love the corgi, because that was our family’s first dog,” he said. This session there are also proposals to name a state tar- tan to honor the contributions of Oregonians with Scottish ancestry, a proposal to replace the western meadowlark with the osprey as Oregon’s state bird, and a proposal to name marionberry pie as the state’s official pie in recognition of the fact that the marionberry was developed at Oregon State Uni- versity and was named after Marion County. tourists and locals to access the refuge, she said. It boasts scenic beaches, coastal dunes, old-growth forests, estuaries, salt marshes, muddy tideflats and ample wildlife watching opportunities. Ferrier has set two more public meetings from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 17 and June 14 at the Cranberry Museum. “We’re really looking for- ward to having a lot of input to help us design a space that works for everybody,” Ferrier said. OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER Not looking for any style of truck in particu- lar, Wicklander found the new one at a scrapyard in Portland five weeks ago. Although he was searching for a smaller truck, this one cost $4,200 and had only been driven about 6,000 miles. Wicklander has been working for about a month to give the truck — which was coated in fading blue paint — a face-lift. “It was pretty cruddy looking, so we touched it all up,” Wicklander said. The truck is now a dark green color with Fort Ste- vens logos on the doors. Padded seats in the bed of the truck will seat up to 26 people. A camouflage tarp drapes over the top for weather protection. The hour-long tours fea- ture 20 stops at historical sites around the fort. Four drivers will be on hand throughout the summer, and a recorded narration will provide background information for visitors during the tours. When Wicklander drove the truck soon after its purchase, children on the side of the road yelled, “That thing is a beast!” From that day forward, Wicklander christened the vehicle “The Beast,” even painting it above the wheel well on the driver’s side. When visitors com- plete their tour, shirts with the phrase, “I survived The Beast,” will be available. We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! Join us for the SPRING MEMBERSHIP DRIVE at COMING FRI D A Y IN THE D AILY ASTORIAN A SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE OF THE SEASIDE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS HISTORIC 2016-17 BASKETBALL SEASONS M onday, M arch 13 to W ednesday, M arch 22 Raise your hand, stand up, count yourself in and make a difference today. 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