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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 2017)
SEASIDE GIRLS WIN 16TH STRAIGHT AT HOME SPORTS • PAGE 10A 145TH YEAR, NO. 111 DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017 A day for kids, a night for innovation ONE DOLLAR Clatsop, Columbia could link up transit Options could improve regional bus service By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Garrett, Anika and Bianna Parks visit David Frei and his therapy dogs, Grace and Angel, at the Seaside Festival of Trees. Hospital foundation gala supports emergency services By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian S EASIDE — Innovation was the focus of Saturday’s 20th annual Safeway Providence Festival of Trees at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. With a goal of raising $175,000, donors at silent and live auc- tions tallied almost $196,000. The money will support programs at Providence Seaside Hospital. “Our focus for tonight is to celebrate the last 20 years and look to the future and the need to grow and expand our services,” said Kimberly Ward, executive director of the hospital’s foundation. “This fund will allow us to focus on greater, more strategic proj- ects. The first priority will be to help patients who use our emer- gency services.” Providence Seaside Hospital Foundation Chairman Gregg Freedman described it as “the most successful gala ever.” See GALA, Page 9A ‘A gift to each other’ Cannon Beach celebrates holiday season with annual lamplighting, holiday tea By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — During a notoriously busy time of year, Lori and Kathy Strombeck come to Can- non Beach as a way to start the holiday season in a more “peaceful and gentle” way. “Coming here is a gift to each other — rather than buying fancy sweaters or something,” Lori said. The two sisters traveled from Corvallis and Eugene to attend the Cannon Beach Library Holiday Tea and lamp- lighting ceremony Saturday. Sitting by the library’s fire- place with tea in one hand and homemade cookies in the other, Lori said they have been attending the town’s holi- day rituals for the past four years as way to start off a cha- otic month of shopping and event planning. “We like starting the season in a peaceful way. When the holidays start getting crazy and expensive, we go back to thinking about this day — the tea, the lamplighting, the music — and remember what Christmas is all about,” Lori said. The Strombecks were among hundreds who came Sat- urday to celebrate the 44th annual lamplighting ceremony in Sandpiper Square. Ornately decorated Christmas trees were on display over the weekend at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center during the annual Festival of Trees. Two of the region’s bus transit networks are exploring the possibility of joining forces to improve service. Sunset Empire Transportation District, the bus agency for Clatsop County, recently secured a state grant to study its options with Columbia County. Those options could include expanding to oversee transit in Columbia County, con- tracting with that county or asking voters to create a separate transit district there. The results of the study are expected early next year. Jeff Hazen, executive direc- tor of Sunset Empire since 2014, applied for the grant. “They really struggle in Columbia County, because they are a county depart- ment,” he said. “They don’t have the tax base we do.” Columbia County Rider operates buses in the county and contracts with motor coach operator MTR Western to provide drivers. The study is looking at the operational spe- cifics and tax rate needed to fund transit ser- vices in one or both counties, Hazen said. Changing tax rates or expanding a district would involve public votes, while contract- ing with Columbia County would require a competitive bidding process. Sunset Empire sends two buses a day east on U.S. Highway 30 to Rainier and back. Columbia County Rider in turn pro- vides buses to Portland and Longview, Washington. “In Columbia County, funding can change year by year,” said Michael Ray, transit director in Columbia County. “The advantage of being a district is your funding is dedicated to the district.” Sunset Empire has a permanent tax rate of 16.2 cents per $1,000 of assessed prop- erty value, along with timber tax revenue. The transit district receives about $900,000 annually in property taxes, Hazen said. Voters in Columbia County last year rejected a bond measure that would have created the Columbia County Rider Trans- portation District at a tax rate of 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The county also previously tried to pass a quarry depletion tax that would have aided transit. See TRANSIT, Page 9A Sue Cody See LAMPLIGHTING, Page 9A Jeff Hazen has been the executive di- rector of Sunset Empire Transit District since 2014. New Astoria school liaison provides family support By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian ne thing Michael Olsen has noticed since joining the Astoria School District is how much teachers care about their students. But they are often power- less to influence a child’s life once he or she walks out of the classroom. “That’s a horrible feeling for a lot of these really caring teachers,” he said. As the district’s new fam- ily and school liaison, Olsen reaches out to see what’s going on with students who don’t show up to school. O “Just knowing what the conditions are at home helps inform how the teacher can approach the student in the school,” he said. A marriage and family ther- apist, Olsen came to Astoria a few years ago from Grants Pass, eventually setting up his own private practice. He recently heard about the new liaison position at the school district, funded by Measure 98. The state Legislature pro- vided $170 million over two years to enhance college and career-technical offerings, while cutting down on the state’s dismal attendance and dropout rates. Olsen operates out of an office at Astoria Middle School. He receives referrals from school counselors to con- tact families whose children aren’t showing up for school or having other issues. “A lot of times it’s support- ing parents,” he said. “Parents are overwhelmed. I’m think- ing of one family I’m working Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian See OLSEN, Page 9A Michael Olsen is the new family and school liaison for the Astoria School District.