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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 2018)
A7 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbER 12, 2018 Trail: ‘There are a lot of opportunities in this area’ continued from Page A1 marketing manager for the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, said “we wanted to acknowl- edge that this is a good place for people who are want- ing to take a picture of the Goonies house.” The chamber asks fans to avoid going up into the neighborhood to find the house. But the request has left fans confused about where they can go and still see a glimpse of the property. “There isn’t really an ‘x marks the spot,’ or a ‘you are here,’” Willkie said. The film trail sign will be an important marker for fans who want to ensure they’re getting a good view of the house. If it turns out people are simply using the sign as a way to pinpoint the Goonies house neighborhood so they can go in for a closer look, that portion of the sign will be removed, Willkie said. While the majority of Goonies fans are respect- ful and just happy to be near sites included in one of their favorite movies, Burns has noticed a shift over the years. “There is a growing 5 percent that feel enti- tled,” he said. They want to know, “Why can’t we see everything?” Burns and others explain that the Goonies house can draw thousands of people a year. There are no official signs or museum guides to tell people what is and isn’t allowed. No garbage cans or Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Pedestrians on the Astoria Riverwalk near the East Mooring Basin may notice the plaque recognizing a film location. public bathrooms. No park- ing. It has the potential to be — and has been — a mess. “The real Goonies fans, they respect that,” Burns said. They know how wel- coming the community has been and, he added, “They want to engage in a mean- ingful way.” Official measures Still, the city, in response to neighborhood com- plaints, has had to take offi- cial measures. The City Council recently passed an ordi- nance to impose strict park- ing fines in an effort to curb issues associated with Goonies fandom. Most of the city’s efforts have only angered some Goonies fans, who argue that people who bought the Goonies house and even houses nearby “should have known what they were get- ting into.” “‘Goonies fans, it turns out, never say die, or no, to a photo opportunity,” noted a press release about the film trail. Another sign specifically for “The Goonies” will be located by the Oregon Film Museum near the historic Flavel House Museum and will speak to that structure’s roles in the film. A sign at Alameda Park, located on Alameda Ave- nue above Marine Drive in the shadow of the Asto- ria Bridge, pays homage to “Short Circuit.” The bridge was a major feature in a robot character’s escape. Across the state, the Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Television is working in partnership with local groups, the Ore- gon Made Creative Foun- dation and Travel Oregon to create the film trail. If all goes well in Astoria, signs could be placed at strategic points across Oregon, from the desert to the coast, high- lighting the varied locations that have provided back- drops and sets for a number of films. “Historical markers are typically about famous peo- ple and events,” Tim Wil- liams, executive director of the Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Televi- sion, said in a statement. “Movies filmed here are also an important part of Oregon’s history and cul- ture, so ours offer a twist on that convention.” He hopes the signs will provide interesting infor- mation and act as “a beacon to visitors seeking out film locations and stories.” The Historic Oregon Film Trail debuts Jan. 10. Willkie said there will be some kind of dedication ceremony in Astoria for the signs and to celebrate the launch of a website that will provide more context and information about the trail, where to find other signs or how other communities can nominate sites. In the future, she hopes to include more film sites in Clatsop County, spots like the Hammond Marina, fea- tured in “Free Willy.” “There are a lot of oppor- tunities in this area,” she said. Housing: ‘At some point we have to do our job’ continued from Page A1 residents, outlining a num- ber of rules and conditions if housing is developed. The company is also open to future housing develop- ment being considered a conditional rather than an outright use, which would give the city more say in what is developed. On Tuesday, Newton said the City Commission needed to be completely transparent about the process. He was in favor of allowing more spoken and written testi- mony ahead of the January meeting, but the other com- missioners did not see the need. They noted that the com- mission has already delayed voting once before in order to give people another opportunity to ask Pacific Seafood questions and pro- vide testimony. “At some point we have to do our job,” Commis- sioner Mark Baldwin said. “We have to rule on what the state has said we have to rule on, what our Planning Com- mission has said.” Baldwin, however, does not plan to vote on the code amendment. He has noted a possible conflict of interest since he worked as a con- tractor for Pacific Seafood when the company rebuilt its facility in Warrenton. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Pacific Seafood wants to build dormitory-style housing for its workers in Warrenton. Need help getting health insurance by the Dec. 15 deadline? GET FREE LOCAL HELP! www.OregonHealthCare.gov | 1-855-268-3767 1139 Exchange Street Astoria, OR 97103 503-440-3909 duganins.com