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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017
Fire: Law enforcement investigating
Continued from Page 1A
Mattox, along with nephews,
nieces and cousins.
The family noted they were
thankful no one else was hurt
in the fire. Although Mattox’s
home was destroyed, they
were glad neighbors’ property
wasn’t damaged.
The Safari Association is a
membership RV park, accord-
ing to its website. Members
pay dues to stay in the park’s
322 lots and use various
amenities.
The park, a nonprofit cor-
poration, maintains ownership
of the 20-acre property.
It’s a crowded place and it
does not have fire hydrants,
which makes it tough to fight
fires there, volunteer fire cap-
tain Gary Forner said.
“It’s a place that concerns a
lot of people,” Forner, a long-
time city councilman and can-
didate for Ilwaco mayor, said.
Safari caretaker Dana Rad-
ford referred questions about
the park to its board president
but declined to provide contact
information.
The Pacific County Sher-
iff’s Office is investigating the
cause of the fire and the fatal-
ity. Chief Criminal Deputy Pat
Matlock said foul play is not
suspected.
It took 23 firefighters about
2 1/2 hours to finish work at
the scene before turning the
fire investigation over to law
enforcement, Weatherby said.
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
Jorge Gutierrez of the Lower Columbia Hispanic Coun-
cil translates for Minerva Moulin at Monday’s meeting
of the Seaside City Council.
Seaside: Resolution
doesn’t make Seaside
a sanctuary city
Continued from Page 1A
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Marla Olstedt carefully navigates a flight of stairs in the Times Theater in Seaside during a tour last week.
Theater: ‘We’re excited to get started’
Continued from Page 1A
“The timing felt right,”
Utti said.
But turning the theater
solely into a brew pub just
didn’t feel right, Utti said.
Walking inside is like step-
ping into a time machine, with
a much of the original 1940s
architecture still intact. Many
of the other features, such as
the water fountains, old film
equipment and reels, signage
and even a movie poster from
1951, remain intact from a
bygone era.
“When you look at the
architecture, you just think,
‘God, I just can’t rip this out.’
But opening up a single-plex
movie theater is not enough
revenue alone, so we need
additional revenue sources,”
Utti said.
Keeping aesthetic
They aim to keep the old
theater’s aesthetic, though
some parts of the building will
have to be renovated after 30
years of dormancy, Utti said.
Marketing director Marla
Olstedt said the people she
has spoken with are excited
about the fact it’s staying a
theater at all.
“This is a unique project
A show of support
Construction crews use the stage in the Times Theater in Seaside as a staging area as
they work to restore the historic venue.
because the locals are excited.
It’s in the heart of down-
town Seaside, and there is
automatic foot traffic,” Olst-
edt said. “It will be exciting
to watch the collaboration
between the brew pub and the
theater.”
What beers will be brewed
and what type of food will be
on the menu is still under con-
sideration, but the name of
the brew pub, Sisu Brewing
Co., is firmly rooted in their
plans, as well as Utti’s family
heritage.
“Sisu is an undefinable
Finnish word. Loosely, it’s a
term for perseverance, grit,
stubbornness. It defines the
character of the Finnish peo-
ple,” Utti said.
Olstedt added that it also
represents the hardiness of the
people who live year-round
on the Oregon Coast.
“Anyone who has expe-
rienced a winter here knows
this,” she said.
For now, the company is
focused on moving in brew-
ing equipment by Septem-
ber to get ready for a January
opening.
“We’re excited to get
started,” Utti said.
Arcade: ‘I’m not sure what’s going to happen there’
Continued from Page 1A
Brad Smithart opened the
arcade in the Royal Build-
ing three years ago. He did
not respond to requests for
comment.
Building
owner
Jeff
Bjornsgard had previously put
a for-lease sign on a window
outside the building. “I’m not
sure what’s going to happen
there with the building,”
Bjornsgard said in a voicemail
message.
Before the arcade, the
building housed Deals Too,
a second location of Bjorns-
gard’s discount store Deals
Minerva Moulin, of La
Voz de la Comunidad, an
advisory committee to the
Lower Columbia Hispanic
Council, said she was happy
Seaside passed the inclu-
sivity resolution, but would
have been happier had the
vote been unanimous.
While city councilors
may feel safe and protected,
many immigrants do not,
resident Guadalupe Beltran
added.
“We as part of the com-
munity want you to be in
our shoes for a minute,” she
said.
Only east on Commercial
Street.
Smithart opened the arcade
while operating the Asto-
ria Riverwalk Inn, where he
racked up significant debt to
government agencies and con-
tractors through his company
Hospitality Masters.
The city won a judgment
against Smithart in Novem-
ber for $118,331 in overdue
lodging taxes. Susan Brooks,
the city’s finance director, said
Smithart has not repaid the
money.
During operation of the
Riverwalk Inn, Hospitality
Masters had been sued four
times by the Port of Astoria
over landlord-tenant issues.
The Port filed a fifth law-
suit in November and is seek-
ing more than $400,000 in
rent and revenue-sharing the
agency claims Smithart owes.
The case has been set aside
until a lawsuit by Param Hotel
Corp. against the Port over the
operation of the Riverwalk Inn
is resolved.
Discussion of an inclu-
sivity resolution began early
this year when changes in
federal immigration pol-
icy under President Donald
Trump created heightened
local awareness.
Advocates believe inclu-
sivity resolutions allow cities
to support and recognize the
contributions of immigrants
without getting drawn into
the national clash with the
Trump administration over
immigration enforcement.
Seaside’s resolution is
similar to ones adopted in
Astoria, Cannon Beach,
Gearhart and Warrenton.
Resolution 3903 recog-
nizes the contribution of
immigrants and refugees
“of all nations” to the state
as workers and taxpayers.
Inclusion and integration “of
all residents of Seaside is a
vital concern for the gen-
eral welfare of Seaside in all
respects. … Every Seaside
resident should be treated
with compassion and respect
regardless of national origin
or citizenship status.”
The resolution does not
make Seaside a sanctuary
city, a designation some cit-
ies have adopted to shield
immigrants from federal
law enforcement.
“I think it affirms who we
are as a community,” Mayor
Jay Barber said Monday
night.
During public comment,
Moulin told city councilors
that Seaside’s Hispanic com-
munity wants to “work hard
and make sure our children
are part of both cultures: the
Spanish and the American
cultures.”
Moulin thanked the city
for putting the resolution to
a vote.
“It will help us to con-
tinue to grow and prosper
economically,” she said.
“It’s simply a gesture, but I
think it’s a really important
way to show cities do sup-
port everyone in their com-
munity. Even though you
say that you do, putting it on
record is really important.”
Law or policy?
Along with Frank and
Morrisey, Councilor Dana
Phillips also questioned
whether the inclusivity res-
olution was necessary in
a city she said has always
respected its immigrant
population.
“I really believe we are
an inclusive community
already, and always have
been,” Phillips said.
“Of course everyone up
here respects immigrants,
refugees and Hispanics,”
Morrisey said. “That goes
without saying.”
Councilor Tita Montero
suggested a different per-
spective. “We sitting up here
are white people,” Montero
said. “We haven’t seen what
happens in other places.
None of us see it all.”
Barber, along with coun-
cilors Tom Horning and
Steve Wright, joined Mon-
tero in speaking in favor of
the inclusivity resolution.
Phillips also voted in favor.
Morrisey and Frank voted
against it.
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Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian
The Arc Arcade, located in the Royal Building at the cor-
ner of 11th and Commercial streets, closed Monday.
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