NORTH COAST
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015
3A
Downtown association
honored for efforts
The Daily Astorian
Dulcye Taylor, a volun-
teer board president with the
Astoria Downtown Historic
District Association, won
Volunteer of the Year at Ore-
gon Main Street’s semiannu-
al conference Wednesday in
The Dalles.
Taylor, who owns Old
Town Framing Company in
downtown Astoria, has been
involved with the downtown
association’s board since
2009.
“Dulcye is a connector of
people and ideas, and goes
the extra step to see them
through,” Alana Garner, the
executive director of the
downtown association, said
in a release Wednesday.
“Dulcye never rests, and is
never satisfied with less than
what she believes downtown
Astoria deserves.”
Oregon Main Street, a
program under the Oregon
Department of Parks and
Recreation, works with
cities to develop revital-
ization strategies for down-
town cores. The award tak-
en by Astoria honors the
best downtown retention or
business recruitment pro-
gram.
“We are thrilled to pres-
ent this award to Dulcye
Taylor,” Sheri Stuart, Ore-
gon Main Street coordinator,
said in the release. “Dulcye
was a critical player in re-
building the organization to
a point where it can once
again support a full-time
paid staff person. Dulcye’s
fingerprints can be found on
countless programs, events,
and efforts of ADHDA, in-
cluding restoration of the
organization’s Performing
Main Street status after a hi-
Photo courtesy of Diane Taylor
Runners and walkers start the climb up the Astoria Bridge in the Great Columbia
Crossing event last year.
+HDY\WUDI¿FH[SHFWHGIRU
Great Columbia Crossing
back to normal shortly after
11 a.m., when the partici-
pants are cleared from the
bridge.
Drivers are urged to be
prepared for delays, and to
either avoid unnecessary
trips on the bridge during
this time or to be aware of
the extra time needed for the
trip.
For information, con-
tact the Astoria-Warrenton
Chamber of Commerce at
503-325-6311 or go to www.
greatcolumbiacrossing.com
ning at 6 a.m., as partici-
pants arrive for the event.
The
Astoria-Warren- Shuttle buses to the starting
ton Chamber of Commerce area begin operating by 7
Great Columbia Crossing DP FUHDWLQJ D VWHDG\ ÀRZ
10K event is Sunday morn- of vehicles on the bridge.
ing. More than 3,000 event At approximately 8:30 a.m.,
participants and volunteers YHKLFOH WUDI¿F VWDUWV EHLQJ
are involved in this once-a- guided by a pilot car in alter-
year opportunity to cross the nating directions, using one
lane of the bridge. Due to the
Astoria Bridge on foot.
7UDI¿F FKDQJHV DQG GH- reduced speed on the bridge
lays are expected to occur during this time, vehicles
may wait up to 45 minutes to
between 6 and 11:30 a.m.
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7UDI¿F ÀRZ VKRXOG EH
around the Bridge begin-
The Daily Astorian
JEFF DALY — For The Daily Astorian
Dulcye Taylor, who emceed this year’s Jane Barnes Re-
vue as Cal E. Bration, won the Volunteer of the Year Award
at Oregon Main Street’s semiannual conference in The
Dalles Wednesday.
atus of more than 20 years;
receiving accreditation as a
National Main Street Pro-
gram; and increasing the
level of city funding allocat-
ed to the organization on an
annual basis.”
NEDTalks
NEDalks, the downtown
association’s series of infor-
mational presentations on
creating a healthy downtown
core, won an Excellence in
Downtown Revitalization
Award as the “Best Business
Development Project” at the
conference.
The downtown associ-
ation’s business develop-
ment committee began the
merchant-focused series of
NEDtalks, short for Novel
Efforts Downtown, as a spin
on the popular TEDTalk lec-
tures. The talks, which are
free, open to the public and
available on the downtown
association’s website, ad-
dress current issues or trends
and provide a forum for open
dialogue and discussion.
“The level of engagement
from the downtown busi-
nesses on the tips and tricks
they have learned from the
NEDTalks has been great,”
Garner said in a separate re-
lease Wednesday. “We have
received so many positive
remarks for the enlightening
and rewarding information
sharing with the community
and businesses.”
Burn ban still in effect
when traveling on forest
roads.
“Local residents are only
The Oregon Department
of Forestry has issued a re- DOORZHGWRKDYHFDPS¿UHVLQ
PLQGHU WKDW ¿UH UHVWULFWLRQV designated campgrounds or
on personal property where
are still in effect.
Recreationists are re- ODF has granted a waiv-
quired to carry a shovel and er,” ODF Protection Unit
HLWKHUDSRXQG¿UHH[WLQ- Forester Neal Bond cau-
guisher or 1 gallon of water tioned. “Until we get a line of
The Daily Astorian
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season will remain in effect.”
The countywide burn ban
for outdoor debris burning
is still in effect. The public
ZLOOEHQRWL¿HGRIDQ\FKDQJ-
HV &RQWDFW D ORFDO UXUDO ¿UH
department or the ODF at
503-325-5451 for any ques-
tions about burning.
Kumoricon: A welcoming home for area nerds
time Thomas joined in 2005,
roughly 1,600 people attend-
ed. (Anime is the Japanese
word for animation, often
involving fantasy worlds that
blend Japanese folklore and
popular culture.)
In recent years, the annual
event has hosted more than
By KATHERYN
6,000 people. It’s expected to
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On an average day in Nah- the crowds.
Kumoricon won’t be
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found working as a residen- alone. Two new conventions
tial advisor for Job Corps in began this year in Eugene,
blue jeans and with her long and one in Portland.
Convention Chair Phillip
black hair falling to her waist.
But in the growing world of Koop said conventions are
growing because mainstream
anime, she’s a champion.
In September, Thomas society has “gone comic.”
“Geeks were viewed as
stood in front of 6,000 peo-
ple as the intermediate cos- basement dwellers who col-
play winner for the 2015 Ku- lected comic books and had
character,”
moricon Convention, which questionable
judges how well candidates he said. “But today, every-
embody a selected character. one has seen ‘Spider-Man’
Her hair was pinned under and loves the idea of a Lois
a short gray wig with bangs Lane.”
Today, the geek could be
that wrapped around her face.
She stood tall in wooden Japa- the person in the cubicle next
nese sandals and her body was to you who grew up watching
covered in layers of red, yel- Cartoon Network, he said.
While nerd culture is
low and gray fabric — a look
more acceptable, Koop said
that took 275 hours to make.
“Convention is for nerds of it wouldn’t be OK to hop on
any variety to be whoever they a bus dressed in cosplay any-
want,” Thomas, 26, said. “We time soon.
don’t know each other, but we
know we have a common love
Finding friends
that’s not always understood in
among costumes
our hometowns.”
Thomas’ best friends are
Nerd culture
Local woman
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acceptance in the
world of anime
Expanding
anime culture
When the anime gather-
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419 people showed. By the
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ASTORIA
AMERICAN LEGION
Cla t sop Post 12
1132 Exchange Street 325-5771
Katheryn Houghton/EO Media Group
Cosplay enthusiast Steffi Thomas prepares to put on a
wig by pinning up her hair.
Katheryn Houghton/EO Media
Group
er character she needs to be
in that moment.”
Thomas snacked on yo-
gurt, candy corn and hot co-
coa as she talked about the
character she choose, Kanata
— one of the main characters
of Trinity Universe who was
the Demon God King until he
rejected his father’s evil ways.
“I liked him ’cause he’s a
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chat I ever saw about him
Thomas took 275 hours to
make the layered costume.
Even with help, getting
the costumes according
to Japanese custom takes
about 30 minutes.
screen names coming from
places like Oregon, Japan
and Sweden. Conventions are
the main place she can gath-
er with people who love the
world she picked.
“We’ve all been bullied in
some way — for me it was
just being ignored,” she said.
“But at
Kumoricon, being into an-
ime is the normal thing.”
Her close friend, Ian Jef-
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they’ve known each other,
he’s seen Thomas out of cos-
tume once.
“It’s hard to imagine her
in normal clothes,” Jefferson,
30, said. “I see her as whatev-
A tribute to
Sharnelle Fee
said he loved pizza and naps
— that’s lovable.”
The character allowed her
to tap into her outgoing side,
something she said most peo-
ple never get to see.
W !
O
N N
Amanda Brian, 26, had
only been to one convention
when she meet Thomas.
“Conventions drew me in
because they are a culture of
storytelling, art, and educa-
tion,” Brian said.
Hundreds of attendees
hold panels ranging from
character Q&A’s to pub-
lic-speaking lessons.
Brian thought Thomas
was timid, until she attend-
ed her Shakespearean Voice
and Acting panel. “She
owned it,” Brian said. “It’s
the like-mindedness of this
place. Whatever it is you
want to call yourself, you’re
accepted.”
When the judges called
Thomas’ name as the winner
and the room began to clap,
Thomas didn’t move. Brian
had to pull her on stage to ac-
cept the award.
“She was recognized for
her amazing work in a room
of thousands — it shocked
her,” Brian said. “It feels like
we are coming into the gen-
eration of nerds. They aren’t
wearing name tags saying
‘Hi, I’m nerd 645,’ but they
are everywhere.”
IN WARRENTON
next to Big 5 & Fred Meyer
E
P
O
A celebration of life
for Sharnelle Fee,
founder and
director of the
Wildlife Center of
the North Coast
Saturday,
October 10th
at 3 p.m.
at the Warrenton
Community Center
170 SW 3rd Street in
Warrenton
In lieu of flow ers, don a tion s m a y be m a de to th e
W ildlife Cen ter of th e N orth Coa st
www.americasmattress.com
503-861-6085
HOURS
M-F 10-7
SAT 10-5
SUN 11-5
FREE DELIVERY
FREE SET-UP The Sleep You Need
w/minimum purchase
local delivery
GUARANTEED