145TH YEAR, NO. 244
ONE DOLLAR
WEEKEND EDITION //
WALK TOWARD
THE FUTURE
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
The Astoria High School Class of 2018 took a traditional walk downtown on Thursday with
stops at the Flavel House and the Liberty Theatre. The graduation ceremony is Saturday.
Astoria Co-op gets green light
New building
in Mill Pond
trict underwent a thorough
search and vetting process
before deciding on Phillips.
“I think people deserve
the opportunity to learn
from mistakes and know
By EDWARD
that they’re not going to
STRATTON
make them again,” she said.
The Daily Astorian
“And I’m very confident that
that’s not a mistake Mr. Phil-
JEWELL — A pro- lips will make in the future.
spective new hire by Jew-
“Steve has an exten-
ell School District is turn- sive amount of experience
ing some heads because of a to bring to the district, and
past social media post.
I think we’re lucky to get a
Stephen Phillips, who candidate of his quality.”
Phillips spent two years at
is finalizing a contract to
be a new executive admin- Beaverton as deputy super-
istrator in Jewell, comes intendent. He was recruited
from Beaverton School Dis- there from the Malheur Edu-
trict, where he resigned cational Service District in
Eastern
Oregon,
as deputy super-
intendent in April
where he was super-
intendent for four
after retweeting a
years and director of
claim that undocu-
mented immigrants
secondary education
for four years prior.
are more danger-
ous than assault
He spent five
years as a middle
rifles and should
school vice prin-
be banned from the
Stephen
cipal and two as
United States.
Phillips
a math teacher
The
retweet
caused the school district to in Nyssa near the Ore-
apologize and some in the gon-Idaho border. His first
community to form a peti- teaching job was in the
tion calling for Phillips’ dis- Burnt River School District,
missal. He later apologized which he said served about
and announced his resigna- 100 students during his time
tion in a letter to Beaverton there.
Jewell, located in rural
Superintendent Don Grot-
ting, calling the retweet a southeast Clatsop County,
mistake that does not define averages around 150 stu-
dents K-12.
him as a person.
Members of the Jew-
Phillips said he is hop-
ing to prove himself anew at ell Education Association
had opposed Phillips’ hir-
Jewell.
“Long story short, it’s ing after learning of his past.
going to take time,” he said. Don Anderson, an English
“It’s going to take people teacher and co-president of
getting to know me, and the association, said 13 out
realizing I’m an educator of 14 teachers responding
that cares about kids and to a survey did not support
wants what’s best for kids his hiring. The association
includes about 20 members.
— that’s all kids.”
One teacher resigned
More than 20 candi-
dates applied for the exec- over Phillips’ hiring, Ander-
utive administrator posi- son said.
tion. Jewell Superintendent
See PHILLIPS, Page 9A
Alice Hunsaker said the dis-
Resigned over
controversial
retweet
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Co-op cleared
its last major hurdle with the
city Thursday night, landing
an approval to build a larger
store east of downtown.
The city’s Design Review
Committee voted 4-1 to
approve the organic and natu-
ral food store’s application to
build on property in the Mill
Pond neighborhood. Unless
someone appeals the com-
mittee’s decision, this marks
the last public hearing for the
co-op’s application.
Committee member Hila-
rie Phelps was the sole “no”
vote, and Sarah Jane Bardy
gave her “yes” with reluc-
tance. She was conflicted
about the grocery store’s
application, especially the
way the building was situated
on the property, but agreed
the application met the city’s
criteria.
Educator hopes to
rebound in Jewell
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Co-op Grocery plans an expanded store in the Mill Pond neighborhood.
“We have worked really
hard to try to meet that criteria
and we’ve done that and they
were able to recognize that,”
Matt Stanley, general manager
for the co-op, said afterward.
When asked how soon the
co-op needs to break ground
to stay on track, Stanley said:
“Really the sooner the better.”
The co-op is tapping into
the federal new markets tax
credit to help cover the costs
of the expansion, estimated to
cost $8 million total.
“The funds are condition-
ally approved for the co-op,
but they don’t stick around
forever,” Stanley said.
The co-op faced a set-
back in May when the Design
Review Committee asked the
grocery to adjust aspects of its
proposal and decided to con-
tinue the hearing into June.
Committee members wor-
ried about how the build-
ing was situated, pedestrian
See CO-OP, Page 9A
Price will run for mayor
City councilor
seeks top post
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Astoria City Councilor
Cindy Price will run for mayor
in the November election.
“The magic of Astoria is
real,” she said in a statement.
“But we’ve been discovered.
There are opportunities, and
there are challenges. Astoria
must avoid becoming a combi-
nation of Lincoln City and the
worst parts of Portland.”
Her challenger so far is Dul-
cye Taylor, the owner of Old
Town Framing Co. and presi-
dent of the Astoria Downtown
Historic District Association.
Taylor and Price, who rep-
resents the downtown Ward 3
district, have collaborated on
causes and projects in the past,
most recently on efforts to
bring the historic Astoria ferry
— Tourist No. 2 — back to the
city. They are co-presidents
of the ferry group’s board of
directors.
Mayor Arline LaMear
chose not to run for re-elec-
tion, creating an opening for
the city’s top post.
See PRICE, Page 9A
Astoria City Councilor Cin-
dy Price was elected in 2014.