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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2016)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JULY 25, 2016 Fort George: ‘We’d love to have everything to be organic and local’ Continued from Page 1A Farm fresh Farm-to-table dining supports the idea that food should come directly from local or regional sources. “We’d love everything to be organic and local, but that’s not always the option,” said Jeff Gra- ham, executive chef at Fort George. One problem, he explained, is the pig farm they donate scraps to cannot supply them with pork because there isn’t a U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture slaughterhouse nearby. “They would have to travel about 500 miles there and back to be used,” Graham said. Certain loops can be closed on the farm-to-table system, as dif- ferent laws make some foods eas- ier to obtain locally than others. Fort George is now buying chick- ens from Blackberry Bog Farm. In the few months they have worked together, the brewery has used about 400 chickens from the Astoria farm. Seafood is another market Gra- ham wishes Fort George could tap directly from local ishermen. The brewery currently sources from Ocean Beauty, a company that does processing in Alaska, but has an Astoria distribution center. While not having any com- plaints about the freshness of prod- uct, Graham says, “I’d much rather know my isherman as well as I know my farmer.” TOP: Scott Thompson, right, and son Andrew pose for a portrait with their dog, Claus, on Friday at Blackberry Bog Farm. LEFT: Pasture-raised chickens roam on Friday at Blackberry Bog Farm. Looking ahead While a strictly local menu might not be attainable now, John- son and Fort George are looking ahead at what they can do in terms of reducing their environmental impact. The director of sustainabil- ity said that a complete report will be produced in 2017. From there, they will be able to address which issues are the most important and need to be tackled. “My plan is by the end of the year to prioritize consuming less. Whether that’s food or electricity or water. It’s economic and the right thing to do,” Johnson said. Photos by Danny Miller The Daily Astorian ‘My plan is by the end of the year to prioritize consuming less. Whether that’s food or electricity or water. It’s economic and the right thing to do.’ Renee Johnson new director of sustainability at Fort George Brewery Library: New cost estimates range from $7.2 million to $24.1 million Different options Continued from Page 1A “I’m ready to make a deci- sion,” said City Councilor Cindy Price, who represents the swath of downtown that includes the library, the Waldorf and Heri- tage Square. “I think it’s time for Astoria to make an open, pub- lic, accessible, technologically advanced library. “I think we can do it. And I’m ready. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I feel like we’re all kind of at the same place.” City Councilor Zetty Nem- lowill said councilors have “done our due diligence explor- ing the options and I’m ready to make a decision. “It’s a tough position, because this issue is so contro- versial,” she said in a text mes- sage. “As a leader I am balanc- ing a collection of citizen input and studies regarding two city properties — the library and for- mer Safeway site — that span more than a decade.” Financial analysis In a memo released late Fri- day, Kevin Cronin, the city’s community development direc- tor, said the City Council could select a site and direct city staff to come up with a funding strat- egy, or weigh the preliminary inancial analysis as a tool to make a site selection. Councilors should also Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian The Astoria Library and vacant Waldorf Hotel next door. The City Council is debating whether to renovate the existing library or build a new one at Heritage Square. decide whether a project is a short- or long-term goal given the anticipated inancial challenges. The new cost estimates range from $7.2 million to reno- vate the existing library by using the basement to $24.1 million for a new library with housing at Heritage Square. Just building a new library at Heritage Square, the Library Board’s recommen- dation, would cost about $10.9 million. A project could be inanced by a blend of city money, pri- vate donations and grants, loans and a bond sale. The city now has about $1.6 million ear- marked for a project. City staff presumes the Astoria Library Friends Association could raise about $1 million through a capital campaign. The rest of the money would proba- bly come from private grants, U.S. Department of Agriculture loans or a bond sale. According to city staff, a $10 million bond over 21 years at an interest rate of 4 percent would cost an average homeowner Rund: Beauty pageants are ‘more than the glitz and glam and the showy part of it’ Continued from Page 1A My answer to that was, at irst you think it does, but hon- estly, every woman and girl teen in the pageant has their own way of being healthy and beautiful. It doesn’t matter what your body type is. Q: Should female beauty contests accept transgender participants? A: That’s deinitely been a topic of conversation. My per- sonal opinion is that as long as they have fully transitioned, they should be eligible to com- pete. Because it’s a pageant for women. If they haven’t, it kind of crosses the lines of privacy in the dressing rooms, and it could be a religious issue. Q: Will you do future pageants? A: Deinitely. I’m planning on competing in Miss Univer- sity of Oregon or Miss Lane County pageant, in Febru- ary. It’s been such an enriching experience. Q: What will you do to prepare for the February contest? A: The biggest thing is stay- ing up on current events in Ore- gon, the country and the world. And the onstage competitions — walking and the swimsuit — there’s a certain way to pose yourself. I don’t have a coach. I kind of do it on my own in front of a mirror. I’m practicing my talent, which is dance. I don’t have a dance for February, but I’ll make it up soon. For interview skills, I like to talk with my friends. I have this one particular friend who likes to test me. She asks me inter- view questions. Q: Anything else you want to add? A: If you don’t think a beauty pageant is for you, think again. It’s much more than the glitz and glam and the showy part of it. It provides so many scholarship opportunities — tal- ent, evening gown, marketing scholarships — and develops communications skills. Just one week of spring pageant camp is worth a million dollars. — R.J. Marx with a $200,000 property about $200 extra each year. A $5 million USDA loan at 3.5 percent interest over 40 years, according to staff, could be repaid over time by assessing a library utility fee. The options with the hous- ing components at the Waldorf and Heritage Square could also attract private developers as inancial partners. In 2014, former Mayor Wil- lis Van Dusen and the City Council had settled on a $4.6 million library renovation project that involved expand- ing into the space of a demol- ished Waldorf Hotel. Early last year, Mayor LaMear and a new council — responding to pres- ervationists who want to save the Waldorf as an example of 1920s architecture, and others interested in the potential rede- velopment of Heritage Square — opted to look at Heritage Square. The council also revived ideas such as renovating the existing library by using the basement or parking lot. In May, city staff, work- ing with consultants, presented inancial estimates for six options but cautioned that the projections were luid. Staff pre- pared a more detailed inancial analysis in the memo Friday to help councilors select a site. • Option A/10th Street library expands into the base- ment. The estimated cost had been $5.7 million to $7.1 mil- lion. The revised estimate is $7.2 million, still the least expensive option. • Option B/10th Street library expands into the park- ing lot. The estimate had been $9 million to $10.4 million. The new igure is $11.3 million. • Option C/10th Street library expands into the Wal- dorf Hotel with housing. The estimated cost for the library portion was $10.2 million to $11.7 million, with the housing component at $2.5 million to $3.5 million. The revised esti- mate is $15.3 million. • Option D/10th Street library expands into the Wal- dorf. The estimate had been $8.4 million to $9.6 million, demonstrably higher — and more realistic — than the $4.6 million described for a similar project in 2014. The new ig- ure is $10.5 million, the second lowest. • Option E/New library at Heritage Square. The esti- mated cost had been $8.7 million to $10.1 million. The revised estimate is $10.9 million. • Option F/New library with housing at Heritage Square. The estimate for the library portion was $8.7 million to $10.1 million, with the hous- ing component at $15.6 million to $17.8 million. The new ig- ure is $24.1 million, the most expensive option. The special meeting is at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Classified/Inside Sales The Daily Astorian is looking for an individual with excellent customer service skills, both in person and over the phone. Someone who brings an upbeat and “go get ‘em” attitude to the table, works well with a team as well as alone. This position requires great computer skills, accurate spelling, the ability to receive incoming classified advertising calls as well as calling advertisers back for ad renewals. Manage special monthly projects requiring cold calls. Must be persistent and be able to handle rejection with ease. This is a full time position, working Monday through Friday. Evenings and weekends off, plus paid holidays! R E WA R D I N G C A R E E R Competitive wage plus commissions. Benefits include paid time off (PTO), insurances and a 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. Send resume and letter of interest to EO Media Group, PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail to:hr@eomediagroup.com