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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher Founded in 1873 JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager OUR VIEWS Clatsop Works offers real-world experience N ot all graduating high school seniors advance to a four-year academic college degree program. That should be — to borrow a quote from a long-ago author — a truth that is universally acknowledged. Oddly, despite the horrendous cost of college educations, we are not all at that point yet. It is pleasing to note, how- ever, that programs that encour- age career and technical education (CTE) opportunities are increas- ing. One such, featured last week in The Daily Astorian, is Clatsop Works, a new summer intern- ship program offering North Coast students an introduction to the workforce. Interns from Astoria, Warrenton and Knappa high schools, along with Clatsop Community College, are working full-time jobs around the county. Among those provid- ing places include our two Clatsop County hospitals, a couple of car dealerships and construction firms, plus Englund Marine and Hampton Lumber. For some time now, Hampton managers, particularly, have shown enthusiasm for expanding career-technical courses at Astoria High School. It is one of the bet- ter-paying local employers and its internships expose students to an environment where safety and work habits are just as important as the lumberyard tasks undertaken. SCHEDULES Fred Lindstrom Memorial Park (at the top of the hill on Niag- ara Avenue near the Peter Pan Market). Free Aug. 8: “A Wrinkle in Time,” a sci-fi film about a girl searching for her father. Aug. 22: “Coco,” an animated tearjerker about a young boy in rural Mexico who dreams of becoming a musician. McClure Park (off Eighth Street). Admission $5. Aug. 18: “Grease” promises a nostalgic singalong opportunity. Welcome back, free movies F Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Leo Matthews, a Clatsop Works intern from Astoria, assembles orders for Englund Marine & Industrial Supply. Clatsop Works allows students to spend a day each week in pro- fessional development workshops learning customer service, safety, communication and other skills. The program provides a small injection into the regional econ- omy, but more importantly teaches job skills that make potential job applicants more employable, like reliability, punctuality, account- ability and trustworthiness. Call us old-fashioned if you like, but those traits are desirable in any level or type of employee, whether a graphic designer, a delivery driver, or a sales assistant in a cannabis store. There are just 16 students in the internship program this sum- mer, but Kevin Leahy, director of Clatsop Economic Development Resources, wants to expand next year to 24. We hope that happens to broaden the benefits of the concept. Clatsop Works is so highly regarded by the Northwest Regional Education Service District that its leaders, seek- ing to expand career-technical learning opportunities, are look- ing to replicate Clatsop Works’ model in neighboring Columbia and Tillamook counties in the next couple of years. That reflects credit on Leahy and his colleague, Anna Stamper, who oversees the program. The good folks who have built the stellar seamanship program at Tongue Point have known since Day 1 that formats which offer hands-on skills training while teaching students to be a solid employee are what’s needed. Clatsop Works is another commendable step in the right direction. ree movie showings are back at Fred Lindstrom Memorial Park. And the Astoria Parks and Recreation Department has some generous spon- sors to thank. The action is a timely reminder that these days, little good happens without creative public-private partnerships. The Parks Department operates two movies-in-the-park programs, one free and another, operated by the Astoria Parks Recreation and Community Foundation, where admission is charged. A couple of years ago, parks managers were forced to cut all the free family and community events because of budget shortfalls as the department sought to match the true costs of operations with revenue. This included the free movie program at Lindstrom Park. But sponsors Recology Western Oregon, Arbor Care, Clatsop Power Equipment, Gimre’s shoe store, Aquafina and the Mini Mart have stepped up to restore the program. In welcoming this generosity from these businesses, we would note that a similar, paid-admission program flour- ishes, with the cost kept low because of sponsors. People attending “Parks After Dark” at McClure Park off Eighth Street pay only $5, thanks to the support of the Astoria Co-op Grocery, Astoria Downtown Historic District Association and the Liberty Theatre. The events feature beer from Fort George Brewery and pizza from Baked Alaska. The department’s family and community events have always been a signal of a city’s mental health. They are an enjoyable way to turn off the TV, put away your phone, get outdoors with your neighbors, and just kick back for some entertaining summer fun. LETTERS WELCOME Letters should be exclusive to The Daily Astorian. Letters should be fewer than 250 words and must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. You will be contacted to confirm authorship. All letters are subject to editing for space, grammar, and, on occasion, factual accuracy. Only two letters per writer are allowed each month. Letters written in response to other letter writers should address the issue at hand and, rather than mentioning the writer by name, should refer to the headline and date the letter was published. Discourse should be civil and people should be referred to in a respectful manner. Letters in poor taste will not be printed. Send via email to editor@dailyastorian.com, online at dailyastorian.com/sub- mit_letters, in person at 949 Exchange St. in Astoria or 1555 North Roosevelt in Seaside, or mail to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK Hardworking kids deserve support at the county fair E Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Tyson McGorty, assisted by Danner Walters, leads a pig back to the pens during the Clatsop County Fair. very year I have a list of things that are it. It’s young people learning basic skills like quintessential summer experiences that cooking, outdoorsmanship, gardening, sewing, I check off to be sure I’m making good or perfecting techniques in photography, pre- sentations, art and science. use of every minute of these long-lighted days. I’m an unapologetic advocate for 4-H and One of those items, every year, is “go to a FFA programs. I appreciate the leaders and fam- fair.” ilies who teach responsibility and hard work. My appreciation for the fair goes back to my Watch 4-H and FFA kids at the fair. early days in 4-H, when I worked all They’ve learned what it’s like to feed, year to get to the one glorious week to care for and clean up after another living present my work, and best of all, hang thing. They work together on barn out with my friends every day from duty, washing animals and practicing dawn to dusk. I completed market lamb, for show. Then they take their animals dairy, sewing, cooking and presentation through the auction at the end of the fair. projects. KARI That, too, is part of learning the business My children tested my coping skills BORGEN of agriculture. with market swine, market lamb, horse, This weekend I’ll check the box sewing and cooking projects. on my summer checklist item, “go to a fair,” My best friend then remains a best friend as I head to the Clatsop County Fair. I’ll eat now. Our kids were in the same 4-H club. fair food, to be sure. But mostly I’ll be there We were 4-H leaders together, and fair to watch a group of our county’s finest young superintendents. people present their projects for sale to the You see, my appreciation for county fairs grandparents and businesses who will support isn’t really about the fair. (Although I have to their efforts by buying their market animals. admit that fair food is part of the attraction.) I hope that I’ll see you there, too. It’s about the kids who work all year long on Kari Borgen is publisher of The Daily their projects to learn how to raise a superior market animal, and acquire the patience to show Astorian.
