FISHERMEN RELOADING FOR ANOTHER LEAGUE FOOTBALL TITLE PAGE 12A
DailyAstorian.com //
145TH YEAR, NO. 43
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017
ONE DOLLAR
Seaside
adopts
inclusivity
resolution
Supporters disappointed
by lack of unanimity
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
TURNING BACK THE TIMES
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
A construction worker appears in a section of the exterior of the Times Theater in Seaside that had to be removed to
facilitate the restoration and enhancement work. Find more photos of the theater online at DailyAstorian.com
Historic Seaside
building restored
as a brew pub and
event space
SEASIDE — The City Council endorsed
an inclusivity resolution Monday night rec-
ognizing the contributions of immigrants,
but resistance by two councilors led to an
uneasy feeling among some in the Hispanic
community .
While a majority supported the resolu-
tion in a 5-2 vote, City Councilor Seth Mor-
risey said it was ambiguous and intentionally
vague.
Councilor Randy Frank called it political
and unnecessary.
“I don’t understand why we have a reso-
lution for this,” Frank said. “I’ve lived here
52 years. I went to school here. I don’t know
of anybody being excluded on any basis. …
I do know these inclusivity movements are
part of a political alignment and this is what
I object to.”
See SEASIDE, Page 4A
By BRENNA VISSER
The Daily Astorian
S
EASIDE — After closing its doors
almost 30 years ago, the historic
Times Theater could come back to
life early next year.
The t heater, which sits at the corner of
Broadway and Columbia Street, is most
recognizable for the giant postcard mural
painted on its walls. It originally opened
in 1941 and is one of the city’s most his-
toric buildings.
The Times played the day’s most pop-
ular movies before the previous owner,
Don McMurdie, decided not to renew the
lease in 1989.
Now the property owners from
TD&M Enterprises have plans to restore
and renovate the theater into a brew pub
and event space, with the possibility of
live entertainment, sports viewing and
even some second-run movies .
“The space already has a cool feel. It
just has to be upgraded,” Mark Utti, the
company’s president, said. “Someone
has already asked about having a wed-
ding in there.”
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
Guadalupe Beltran and Minerva Moulin
after Monday’s meeting of the Seaside
City Council.
ABOVE: Marla Olstedt uses her phone as a flashlight to look at memorabilia left
over from the days when the Times Theater in Seaside was a thriving venue.
BELOW: Construction work continues on the historic Times Theater in down-
town Seaside .
Man dies in
Ilwaco fi re
Blaze ripped through
trailer on Sunday
By AMY NILE
EO Media Group
Inspiration
TD&M Enterprises, which also oper-
ates other restaurants like the Twisted Fish
Steakhouse and Finn’s Fish House, has
owned the property for many years, Utti
said. But the inspiration to bring the space
back to life came after Utti met Vince
Berg, a local brewer, through mutual busi-
ness acquaintances earlier this year.
The two were looking at existing
locations owned by TD&M Enterprises
until they started exploring and concep-
tualizing the idea of what a brew pub
would look like in the old theater.
The Arc Arcade in downtown
Astoria closed Monday night.
“It is with great sadness that
we have decided to close our
doors,” read a message posted on
a window outside the papered-
over front entrance on 11th and
Commercial streets and later on
Facebook. “It has been a labour of
love each day to be a part of this
community and we wish all of you
the best.”
Katie Frankowicz/The Daily Astorian
ILWACO, Wash. — Douglas L. Mattox is
dead after a fi re ripped through his home in
a gated recreational vehicle park on Sunday.
The trailer was engulfed in black smoke
and fl ames by the time fi refi ghters arrived to
the 3000 block of Sandridge Road just after
3 p.m., Pacifi c County Fire District 1 Assis-
tant Chief Brad Weatherby said.
Long Beach and Ilwaco fi refi ghters
helped put out the blaze in the Safari Asso-
ciation of Ilwaco lot. A victim believed to be
Mattox was found in the smoldering remains
of his home.
Although offi cials are still waiting for an
autopsy to confi rm, Weatherby said Mattox’s
family had been notifi ed.
His sister, Julie Martin, shared what she
described on Facebook as a “rather humor-
ous, somewhat macabre, twist” to the story.
Mattox apparently stored a lot of illegal fi re-
works at his place. His neighbors told Mar-
tin they had tried to contain the fl ames until
help arrived but had to back off when the
fi reworks started going off.
“I had to laugh,” she wrote. “He went out
with a bang.”
Mattox was 57. His sister, Marci Bennett,
said he suffered from heart problems and
diabetes.
Bennett, who runs a dessert-catering busi-
ness and is known for her pies, also shared
her feelings on Facebook.
“I loved you so much, Doug,” she wrote.
“I’m glad you’re not in pain anymore. You
battled with life everyday. I know you were
ready to go. We will miss you very much.”
Mattox is survived by his son, Dustin
Mattox, father Robert Mattox, stepmother
Johnni Dolan, brother David Mattox, his
sisters, brothers-in-law Don Bennett and
Bill Martin, uncle Roger DeHart, aunt Leila
See ARCADE, Page 4A
Employees loaded video games from the arcade into a trailer earlier
this month. The arcade has closed.
See FIRE, Page 4A
See THEATER, Page 4A
Game over at Arc Arcade in Astoria
Downtown venue
closed on Monday
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian