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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2015)
143rd YEAR, No. 109 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2015 ONE DOLLAR Central Singing in the holidays School housing on hold Developer calls timeout as neighbors debate options By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Santa Claus, played by Russ House, helps kick off the holiday season atop a double-decker bus with the caroling members of the North Coast Chorale. The procession added a bit of magic Saturday at downtown Astoria’s Christmas lighting Saturday in front of the Liberty Theater. Developer Richard Krueger has called a timeout on his proposed KRXVLQJSURMHFWDWWKHIRUPHU&HQWUDO School site. “I don’t think he’s walking away completely,” said Don Hanson, a SODQQHU ZLWK 3RUWODQG GHVLJQ ¿UP 2WDNUHSUHVHQWLQJ.UXHJHU³+HMXVW wants to put it on pause.” Hanson said the meeting he planned for Wednesday to gather people’s thoughts on development at the Central School site has been canceled. But neighbors around the See HOUSING, Page 10A Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Seaside lights up with Festival of Trees Astoria’s unsung hero Foundation raises funds for new surgical equipment Mitchum dies at age 73 Volunteer, property owner involved in many areas By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group SEASIDE — The Prov- idence Seaside Foundation hopes to dazzle, delight and raise funds for new surgical equipment during the 2015 Festival of Trees, an annual tradition. The festival will ring in the holiday season for the 18th year, Dec. 5, with a free public open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a gala dinner and auction starting at 5 p.m. Both events will take place at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. The festival “is sort of the premier event of the holiday season,” helping put people in the holiday spirit, execu- tive director Kimberly Ward said. “People have really em- braced it and come to antici- pate it.” Seaside resident Bob Perkel, who has attended the festival gala with his wife, author Honey Perkel, three times, agreed the event is a special affair. The couple like ³GUHVVLQJ XS HQMR\LQJ WKH festivities,” and “one of the best things is spending time with our friends,” Perkel said. It is a good opportuni- ty to wear nice attire, since opportunities to dress up at By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Justin Grafton Studios/Submitted Photo Attendees join in for Christmas carols during the gala at last year’s Festival of Trees, an an- nual fundraiser put on by the Providence Seaside Foundation. Local organizations, busi- nesses and individuals sponsor and decorate trees, auctioned off during the live auction. IF YOU GO Magical trees, beautiful art Dinner and the live auc- tion for the trees begins about 6:30 p.m. The 22 trees are the highlight of the event, Ward the beach “are so minimal,” view the display of decorated said. They are sponsored by he said. local organizations, business- trees. From the beautiful trees That evening, the gala es and individuals. Several and holiday-themed lighting starts with a champagne re- hospital staff members par- and decorations to the good ception and a silent auction. ticipate, and this year, three food, talented musicians and Acústica World Music pro- trees are from the staff of the lively auction, Perkel said the vides music. Silent auction hospital’s surgical depart- HYHQW LV HQMR\DEOH DQG KDV items donated by the com- PHQWWKHHYHQW¶VEHQH¿FLDU\ become a holiday tradition munity include wreaths, va- “The trees are so beautiful for the couple. cation getaways, gift baskets, and all of the donors and the During the public open JLIW FHUWL¿FDWHV DUWZRUN DQG GHVLJQHUV MXVW SXW WKHLU KHDUW house, families can visit more. and soul into creating them,” 6DQWD &ODXV HQMR\ UHIUHVK- “It’s going to be a great :DUGVDLG³,W¶VMXVWPDJLFDO´ ments, decorate cookies, do variety; something for every- See FESTIVAL, Page 10A crafts and face-painting and one,” Ward said. Tickets to the gala are $100 per person; $65 is tax-deductible. For reservations, call the foundation at 503-717-7604. William “Mitch” Mitchum, former Astoria public works director, lo- cal property developer and SUROL¿F YROXQWHHU GLHG 6DW- urday in Portland. Mitchum, 73, is survived by wife Toni 0LWFKXP ¿YH FKLOGUHQ DQG 10 grandchildren. Mitch Mitchum, who spent 38 years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a cap- tain, had been a civil engi- neer at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Norfolk, Virginia, said Toni Mitchum. She met her hus- band while she was also in the Navy, working at the command center. “He was retiring from the Navy, and he was really in great demand on the East Coast,” she said. But thumbing through a headhunter magazine one day, she said, he happened upon an advertisement for the public works director position in Astoria. “We came out to the in- WHUYLHZDQGMXVWIHOOLQORYH with the town,” she said. Mitch Mitchum “He started taking The Daily Astorian and having it deliv- ered to Washington, D.C.” The Mitchums moved to Astoria in 1994, and Mitch Mitchum was public works director for the next 11 years. After leaving the city, Mitchum remained a pro- OL¿F YROXQWHHU XQWLO VKRUWO\ before his death. He helped with a dizzying number of local efforts, including for the Astoria Riverfront Trol- ley, Clatsop Cruise Hosts, Clatsop Care Center Health District, Astoria Downtown Historic District Association and the Clatsop County His- torical Society. He was the president of the Astoria Sun- day Market Board, played an integral role in starting the trolley and was an active See MITCHUM, Page 10A $W/RLV+DUULPDQ¿QGVMR\SXUSRVHLQZRUNLQJ Deals Only worker says work ethic keeps her young A t 90 years old, Lois Har- riman doesn’t need to work, but she chooses to work. “I think it’s what keeps me going,” she said. For a decade, the Astoria resident has been an employ- ee at Deals Only, a discount liquidation store in Astoria where Harriman works as a cashier and shelf-stacker. And LW¶VZKHUHVKH¿QGVJUHDWGH- light in playing the game of merchandising — boosting the saleability of products by making their presentation more appealing. “It’s fun for me to see if it works,” she said, “and some- times it does and sometimes it doesn’t.” Merchandising — pretty- ing up the items and subtly arranging them to catch cus- tomers’ eyes — is a kind of creative outlet for Harriman. “I don’t even know if the store knows I do this,” she added with a laugh. “They’re very patient with me, and I think they let me do things like that sometimes.” Harriman, who worked at U.S. Bank in downtown Port- land for 43 years, had been re- tired nearly 20 years when she and her late husband, Gene, bought a charming, rinky- dink house above Uniontown. “And one day, I said, ‘You know, I’d like to go back to work again.’ And I knew that Deals Only had an opening, but I didn’t have the nerve to ask,” she said. “And he says, ‘Well, if you’re serious, I’ll ask for you. Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian See HARRIMAN, Page 10A Lois Harriman at Deals Only.
