DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016
144TH YEAR, NO. 119
‘I have such mixed feelings, because I’m going to miss so
many people — the staff, the parents and, of course, the kids.’
Patty Skinner
Astoria Library’s retiring senior library assistant
FOR CHILDREN,
A NEED TO READ
CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN RETIRES AFTER WORKING FOR 17 YEARS WITH THE ASTORIA LIBRARY
ONE DOLLAR
Warrenton
turns to
Corps in
dam fight
City Commission
declares emergency
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — Declaring an emer-
gency risk to public safety and property,
the Warrenton City Commission on Tues-
day night voted to ask the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers to review whether the Eighth
Street Dam should be restored for flood
control.
The city wants the Army Corps to inves-
tigate if the Skipanon Water Control Dis-
trict improperly removed tide gates on the
dam and whether the devices should be
reinstalled.
The resolution, approved unanimously by
the City Commission, is a shift in the city’s
strategy. The city was preparing to sue the
water district to take control of the dam for
flood control, and had given the water dis-
trict until Tuesday to respond.
See DAM, Page 7A
College
may ban
smoking
on campus
Prohibition could be
in place by late winter
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Senior Library Assistant Patty Skinner will retire this week after working 17 years with the Astoria Library.
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
O
ne way to turn young children into good readers: Teach
them to enjoy books before they actually start reading.
Patty Skinner has made that her mission at the Astoria
Library for 17 years. As a senior library assistant, she has led the
Preschool Story Time sessions, developed children’s reading pro-
grams and served as a resource for parents aiming to get their kids
hooked on books.
This week is Skinner’s last at the library. A retirement open
house in Skinner’s honor will be held 5 p.m. Thursday at the
library.
“I have such mixed feelings, because I’m going to miss so many
people — the staff, the parents and, of course, the kids,” she said.
Skinner, who also did administrative work at the library, said
she hasn’t decided how she will spend retirement, but she knows
it will involve children.
See SKINNER, Page 7A
Clatsop Community College could go
tobacco-free by spring term.
President Christopher Breitmeyer said he
is drafting a no-smoking policy after the col-
lege council, a group of college faculty, staff
and students used to address major issues on
campus, voted to move
ahead.
“The goal of our
policy is to change
the culture on cam-
pus to one where stu-
dents, faculty and staff
do not smoke on our
campus,” Breitmeyer
said. “We will step
up efforts to educate
people about the con-
Christopher
sequences of smok-
Breitmeyer
ing and secondhand
smoke. We do not expect this to be an over-
night change and we will be sensitive in how
we implement this policy.”
Breitmeyer said the first reading could
happen in January, with adoption in late win-
ter or early spring.
Smoking survey
Patty Skinner, senior library assistant, shows her library pins on
her name tag Tuesday at the Astoria Library. Each pin signifies five
years of service with the library.
Breitmeyer said some of the impetus
See SMOKING, Page 5A
Local retailers rejoice robust seasonal sales
Others hope
December
picks up
By LUKE WHITTAKER
EO Media Group
Nor rain, ice, snow or lin-
gering election anxiety can
curb sales and optimism lead-
ing into the homestretch of
the holiday shopping season
for retailers across Clatsop
County.
“The last two days of
snow have been a challenge
but we’re on par,” said Tom
Leiner, co-owner of Pat’s Pan-
try, a “spices and more” store
in Astoria last week.
“December is typically our
biggest month for sales.” The
store has been busy prepar-
ing gift packs featuring their
freshly ground spices, a con-
venient way for out-of-town-
ers to take a taste home.
“The bulk of our sales,
probably 80 percent, are from
Seattle and Portland,” Leiner
said. “We’re still in the high-
growth mode.”
In a clothing store in Can-
non Beach, a similar occur-
rence is taking place.
“It seems like our customer
base continues to grow,” said
Vange Alderman, sales asso-
ciate at Dena’s Shop on the
Corner, a women’s cloth-
ing boutique. “We’re seeing a
new influx coming into town
from Portland and Seattle —
everywhere,” Alderman said,
“November turned out to be
very strong in spite of the tor-
nado, power failures and all
the bad weather.”
But not everyone felt the
weather was necessarily bad
for business.
“It doesn’t matter if the
weather is bad or not — there
are people who come down
specifically when there are
storms,” said Mary Laplante
Krettler, owner of Commercial
Street Antiques and Collect-
ibles in Astoria. “People will
See RETAILERS, Page 9A
Luke Whittaker/EO Media Group
“The last two days of snow have been a challenge but
we’re on par,” said Tom Leiner, co-owner of Pat’s Pantry, a
“spices and more” store in Astoria.