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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2018)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 Market: ‘The trend is away from malls and back to the downtown’ Continued from Page 1A Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian From left, Sean Fitzpatrick, Chris Holen and Shannon Fitzpatrick hope to host several businesses on the 6,500-square- foot main floor. Tall ships: Will arrive in Astoria on July 27 Continued from Page 1A a working waterfront: Com- mercial fishing boats come and go from packed docks, fish processing facilities line the water, tourist-based busi- nesses — restaurants, shops, attractions — are every- where and the streets hum with pedestrian, car and fork- lift traffic. The bulk of the bayfront district’s revenue is made in July and August, the petitioners argued. “Summer is already a challenge in terms of try- ing to maintain a work- ing waterfront with forklift activity, large trucks pulling in and out of the plants, etc., with the amount of tourist traffic,” one woman wrote to the port commissioners. When the tall ships vis- ited in the April off-season, “things got much worse,” she added. “… Having the tall ships come in July is crazy. The Port does not need to attract more tourists to the bayfront in July.” Port staff offered the nonprofit several alterna- tive dock options at other port facilities, but these weren’t viable, said Brandi Bednarik, executive direc- tor of Grays Harbor Histori- cal Seaport. At one location, Lady Washington would have been unable to load passengers or host dock- side visitors. Port staff say the nonprofit also rejected an option that would have accommodated the smaller Hawaiian Chieftain while staff continued to look for a location for the larger Lady Washington. “From our perspective, it came out of left field,” Bed- narik said of the business community’s complaints and the decision by the port. She expects the orga- nization will lose $50,000 to $70,000 in revenue as a result. The nonprofit has had to refund or transfer around 2,100 tickets, as well as cover other related fees. The ships, by switch- ing course to Coos Bay and Astoria, will lose about six days of sold-out sailing time. Bednarik is not sure yet what Newport’s decision means for future tall ship visits to the city’s bayfront. “I think they should have communicated (their con- cerns) to us sooner and I’m really worried this could happen to us again if we went there,” she said. The Port of Newport issued a lengthy press release this week to clarify the commissioners’ deci- sion and the port’s interac- tions with the nonprofit and the tall ships, and express disappointment over how the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport responded. Under the moorage license agreement with Grays Harbor Histori- cal Seaport, the port could amend the permit to use the dock at any time, or even cancel it outright with 30 days written notice, the press release states, but says the nonprofit released mis- leading information after the port revoked the permit. “The port continued to be disappointed by (Grays Harbor’s) decision to aban- don Newport given that very viable options were made available,” the press release stated. “The commissioners for the Port of Newport try to weigh the needs of all users of the port when they are making decisions and this situation was no different. The needs of the commer- cial fishing industry, local port businesses, recreational users, and port visitors were all taken into consideration as options were developed. In the end, the Port of New- port is disappointed they will not be seeing the tall ships in Newport this sum- mer but we hope they will continue to be successful and will consider the Port of Newport an option for their future plans.” The tall ships will arrive in Astoria July 27. The historical elements of the 1924 building will be restored, with reclaimed wood and other elements incor- porated throughout and an open design so visitors can see between Commercial and Duane streets, Fitzpatrick said. The utilities and other aspects of the building will also be upgraded to be more energy efficient. The tiling and other decora- tive features from the Commer- cial Street entrance will remain, with the J.C. Penney Co. sign displayed inside. The new name of the space, A.O. Mar- ket Pl., will be a nod to its pre- vious tenant. “If the stars align, we’d like to open in October,” Fitzpatrick said. After the food court and tap house are up and running, Fitzpatrick and Holen will start looking to fill the other spaces in the 14,000-square-foot building. Upstairs from the main floor is a 2,500-square-foot mezza- nine where the partners hope to add a clothing or other retailer. “We would love to have something kind of like what J.C. Penney did, maybe more along a boutique level,” Fitz- patrick said. Downstairs is another 3,500 square feet. The partners hope to bring in some form of fam- ily entertainment, be it minia- ture golf, an arcade, an escape room or karaoke booths. “We are encouraging people to bring us their ideas,” Fitzpat- rick said. Fitzpatrick is focusing on dealing with contractors, while his brother, Shannon, is deal- ing with leases. Holen will manage the food side of the marketplace. The irony of the building’s new life is that J.C. Penney’s downtown location was still profitable when the company decided to leave, Fitzpatrick said. “It should not have been closed,” he said. “The trend is away from malls and back to the downtown. “The cool thing would have been for them to sell the build- ing to me, and they stayed, and then we would have had our J.C. Penney.” Justices strike down Minnesota clothing restrictions for voters By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thurs- day struck down Minneso- ta’s broad restrictions on vot- ers wearing “political” hats, T-shirts and pins to the polls, but said states can place limits on such apparel. Minnesota contended the restrictions were reasonable, kept order at polling places and prevented voter intimida- tion. But the justices, in a 7-2 ruling, said the state’s limits on political clothing violate the free speech clause of the First Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that “if a State wishes to set its polling places apart as areas free of partisan discord, it must employ a more dis- cernible approach than the one Minnesota has offered here.” At another point he wrote: “Casting a vote is a weighty civic act, akin to a jury’s return of a verdict or a representa- tive’s vote on a piece of legis- lation. It is a time for choosing, not campaigning. The State may reasonably decide that the interior of the polling place should reflect that distinction.” Most states restrict what people can wear when they vote, but Minnesota’s restraints were some of the broadest. State law bars vot- ers from casting a ballot while wearing clothing related to a campaign, such as a T-shirt with the name of a candidate. It also said voters couldn’t wear a “political badge, polit- ical button, or other political insignia” to vote. That was the part of state law that was chal- lenged and invalidated by the court. Roberts said the problem came down to the word “polit- ical,” which state law didn’t define. He said the state’s interpretation of what counted as political was unreason- able, covering any item that made reference to a group with recognizable political views AP Photo/Jim Mone Andy Cilek poses with a Tea Party shirt at his home in Eden Prairie, Minn. or referring to any subject on which a political candidate or party has taken a stance. “Would a ‘Support Our Troops’ shirt be banned, if one of the candidates or parties had expressed a view on military funding or aid for veterans? What about a ‘#MeToo’ shirt, referencing the movement to increase awareness of sexual harassment and assault?” Rob- erts wrote. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer would have sent the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court for clarification of the law’s boundaries. It is unclear exactly how many states the ruling could affect. Both Minnesota and the group challenging the state’s law had said there are about 10 states with laws similar to Minnesota’s, though they dis- agreed significantly on which ones. Roberts said other states have laws that describe restric- tions “in more lucid terms” than Minnesota’s, referenc- ing laws in California and Texas. California bars voters from wearing anything with a “candidate’s name, like- ness or logo” or a “ballot mea- sure’s number, title, subject, or logo,” Roberts said, and Texas prohibits wearing anything connected to a political party appearing on the ballot. Daniel Rogan, who defended Minnesota’s law before the justices, said that while he was disappointed by the justices’ conclusion, there was a lot in the opinion “we’re very pleased about.” Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Dem- ocrat, said he would work with the Legislature, which returns in January, to pass new voter apparel legislation. And Rogan said other provisions in state law will still bar voters from wearing apparel that promotes a candidate or party or that might be considered mislead- ing to voters. Not just serving the community. Part of the community. Want a fresh look for summer? Call your local, neighborhood experts! Call now for your free In-Home Consultation! % 25 OFF Select Signature Series* We’re Budget Blinds, and we’re North America’s #1 provider of custom window coverings. We do it all for you; design, measure and install — because we think everyone, at every budget, deserves style, service, and the peace-of-mind of the best warranty in the business. Blinds • Shutters • Shades Drapes • Home Automation Oregon Coast 503-738-5242 • Lincoln City 541-994-9954 SW Washington 503-738-5242 • www.budgetblinds.com *Applies to selected window treatments from Budget Blinds. Restrictions may apply, ask for details. Valid for a limited time, not valid with any other offers, discounts, or coupons. Offer good at initial time of estimate only. At participating franchises only. ©2018 Budget Blinds, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Budget Blinds is a trademark of Budget Blinds, LLC and a Home Franchise Concepts Brand. Each franchise independently owned and operated. The case before the Supreme Court dates back to 2010 and involves a dis- pute that began over tea party T-shirts and buttons with the words “Please I.D. Me,” a reference to legislation then under discussion in Minnesota that would have required res- idents to show photo identifi- cation to vote. The legislation didn’t become law. Pointing to the state’s stat- ute, Minnesota officials said before the election that neither the tea party T-shirts nor those buttons would be permitted at the polls. In response, a group of voters and organizations sued. J. David Breemer, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foun- dation, the group behind the challenge, said the court “put all government entities on notice — they cannot dictate the terms of personal expres- sion, nor can they designate the arbiters of free speech at their whim.” Tina Galey, ARNP Family Medicine Providers at Coastal Family Health Center live, work, and are actively a part of helping improve our local community. They are committed to providing health care services for the whole person and the whole family. Now accepting new patients. Coastal Family Health Center (503) 325-8315 www.yvfwc.org
