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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 Warming center: A handful of people have been excluded for the season because of their behavior Continued from Page 1A The Helping Hands shel- ter, with its focus on re-en- try, would be more stringent in its requirements. Astoria still needs a place like the warming center, Evans said. “There is a community of people who will not be able to access our facility in inclement weather,” he said. “So those organizations need to happen still.” Midseason review Only two neighbors showed up to ask questions and express concerns at the warming cen- ter’s midseason neighborhood meeting Saturday. “It’s going a lot better this year,” said Sue Allen Clarke, who lives on Franklin Avenue. Clarke attended to make sure that people who came to the center and then caused major disruptions were excluded in the future, she said. Dan Parkison, president of the warming center board, assured her this was now the case. Cathy Cruikshank, who lives in the Illahee Apart- ments across the street from the church, came to talk about two incidents outside the shel- ter. In December, she saw a group gathered around a man who was too drunk to stand, trying to help him inside the center, she said. In early Janu- ary, she had been catcalled as she walked by the center. “We’re low barrier but zero tolerance,” Parkison said, add- ing, “We are much quicker and stricter on exclusion policies.” This season, staff have excluded a handful of people for the entire season because of unruly or uncooperative behav- ior, Parkison said. When the warming cen- ter sought a one-year condi- tional use permit to operate out of the church last summer, the board was asked to develop an agreement with the neighbor- hood and the Astoria Down- town Historic District Associ- ation. The agreement outlined commitments from the center, including regular trash pickup, patrols of the church parking lot to make sure people aren’t camping in their cars on nights when the center is open, and regular meetings at the begin- ning, middle and end of the season. The center struggled to fill out its roster of volunteers this winter and has been forced to close several nights when it could have been open. Park- ison said the board is develop- ing a list of “last resort” people they can call if they are short just one person. ‘Rules are good’ Every night the warming center is open now, the home- less people who come, in addi- tion to getting a meal and place to sleep, hear a talk about respecting the neighborhood, Parkison said. They also help volunteers pick up trash and dog poop around the church grounds. “This year, it’s a jail without bars, it’s so strict,” said Edward Gates Sr., who has lived in Clatsop County for four years and has been homeless off and on throughout that period. But, to him, the new, stricter condi- tions are a good thing. Other people who have stayed at the shelter this win- ter agreed. One woman com- mented, “Hotels have rules, homes have rules. Rules are good. They keep people safe.” Sean Fitzpatrick, who serves on the Astoria Planning Commission and is one of the owners of the Illahee Apart- ments across the street from the church, did not attend the meeting Saturday. During the conditional use permit hear- ings, Fitzpatrick recused him- self from discussion and vote so he could participate as a member of the public. He sup- ports the center’s mission, he said, but believes it is a burden on the neighborhood. In a phone interview Sat- urday, he said the opera- tion is smoother than it was last winter. He still has con- cerns, though. He complained to the city about urine and feces around the church at a City Council meeting in early January. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian LEFT: People living near the Astoria Warming Center have reported fewer problems this year. Volunteers Cheryl Paul and Ami Kreider organize do- nations before opening the facility. BIG GAME HEADQUARTERS clip or CLICK! 10 $ Valid 1/30/18 thru 2/6/18 ® OFF 50 $ or more * Save on your next grocery purchase of $50 or more* with your Club Card & this Savings Award. *Use this Savings Award on any shopping trip you choose at any Oregon Safeway or Albertsons store and S.W. Washington stores serving Clark, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania, Walla Walla and Klickitat counties by 2/6/18. 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PG 1,Common 013118_POR_ROP_S_8.722x17_DailyAstorian_P1_Common
