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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2018)
A4 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, DEcEmbER 19, 2018 OPINION editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN circulation manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production manager CARL EARL Systems manager GUEST COLUMN What are the next steps for Astoria’s school bond? D ear parents and community members: This is our final week of school in Astoria before winter break. Our students and staff have been work- ing hard and I am sure they are looking forward to some time off to spend the holidays with their families. December has been overflowing with wonderful events and celebrations at all of our schools. I hope you were able to join us to share the spirit of the season with our students and staff. It is also a busy time of year for our school CRAIG board. This past week, HOPPES our elected board of directors reviewed their goals for the upcoming year. These goals include student atten- dance, equity, and renewing the district’s strategic plan for another three years. A final important board goal includes community engagement with every stage of the district facilities bond proj- ects. Our overwhelming community support ensured the passage of the 2018 school bond by over 62 percent. We are so proud that our community has come together in support of our schools and students. We often receive many ques- tions regarding the “next steps.” We welcome specific community questions during this process. Here are some of the most common questions: Q: With the bond passing, what will it pay for? A: Every school in the district will see facilities improvements begin- ning next year. The district will address safety, security and improvements to old and outdated classrooms, includ- ing increased vocational and technical learning spaces. We will make our build- ings more efficient through upkeep and repairs. Q: How will I find out about the bond projects at each school? A: There will be regular updates on the district website. We will also be out in our schools and in our commu- nity informing parents and commu- nity members of upcoming projects. We want the community to be actively engaged in helping us develop learning spaces for a modern education for our children. Beginning early next year, we will develop design advisory commit- Astoria School District The Port City Singers from Astoria High School performed Monday at the Astoria Rotary meeting. tees at Astor Elementary School, Asto- ria Middle School and Astoria High School. Throughout the process, we will invite parents and community members to come tour the schools and share their thoughts about project priorities. Q: What is the process for deter- mining projects? A: The district established a “blue ribbon” panel of community stakehold- ers experienced in construction manage- ment to help us hire a project manager. Through a competitive bid, we are in the process of selecting the project manager by mid-January. Q: How do I know that my tax dol- lars are being spent wisely on the projects? A: The school board is appointing members to a citizen bond oversight committee. They will meet in open ses- sions on an ongoing basis throughout all construction to review all projects and costs. We will post their findings on the district website. Q: When will construction start? A: Some projects will start as quickly as the summer of 2019. The larger proj- ects — such as replacement of the dia- mond wing at Astoria Middle School — will take longer to plan and develop. Our goal is to have construction damaged. Short-wave radio was the only communica- tion between Astoria and the outside world. Water under the bridge 75 years ago — 1943 The Oregon Pine No. 1 rode at moorage on the waters of Young’s Bay today with its identical sister ship, the cargo barge Oregon Pine No. 2. The Pine No. 1 slid eas- ily down the CRPA shipyard’s ways Saturday at about 1 p.m. — the second barge to be launched by the yard — adding 5,854 displacement tons to the ship production of the Astoria area. Compiled by Bob Duke From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers 10 years ago this week — 2008 The good news was that the cold and ice took a bite out of crime overnight. There were very few incidents on the North Coast and no one was booked into the county jail between Sunday afternoon and this morning. The bad news was that this morning’s commute was slow and dangerous on the icy roads. The North Coast slithered through the snow to work today and residents braced for more of the white stuff on its way — and accompanying treacherous highway con- ditions — later in the weekend. The potential for a sig- nificant weekend winter storm along the North Coast has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory. The old Franklin Avenue Bridge over 38th Street in Astoria’s Uppertown neighborhood is the only link to the rest of the city for about 40 households on the Hillside above it. Now plans are in place to replace the deteriorating 220- foot long, timber-truss bridge, which was built in the 1920s and completely reconstructed in 1949. occur with minimal impact on student learning. Finally, I want to let our commu- nity know that we have an opening for a board member on the Astoria School Board. The board is accepting appli- cations through Jan. 4, 2019. It is a dynamic and exciting time to be in the Astoria School District. On behalf of our students and employees, please accept our sincere appreciation for all you do to make Astoria School District a great place for children. craig Hoppes is superintendent of the Astoria School District. Power-hungry war plants of the Pacific Northwest today received a huge increase of electrical energy when the 10th and final gen- erating unit at Bonneville dam was completed, marking the end of 10 years of construction. Enrollment of boys and girls in Oregon’s vocational work program has more than doubled in recent years, Walter W. Morse, state supervisor of trade and industrial education, told members of the Astoria apprenticeship commission Monday night at the regular monthly meet- ing at the Imperial grill. 2008 — A pedestrian trudges across Commercial Street through a heavy snowfall that quickly came and went in Astoria. 50 years ago — 1968 This year’s highest tides are expected this week on the Oregon and Washington coast and storms at sea could cause flooding in coastal cities. The Weather Bureau said storms change ocean levels and could add as much as two or three feet to the heights predicted on tide tables. Operators of the Worldmark Wyndham Vacation Resort in Seaside closed all of the resort’s balconies and roped off the sidewalks under them after pieces of concrete started falling from some balconies Tues- day. No injuries were reported from the falling pieces, said a spokeswoman at the company’s headquarters in Florida. The Oregon Highway commission today in Salem approved a route survey for reconstruc- tion of 2.83 miles of Columbia River highway between Tongue Point and Fernhill. It will cost $5 million. The road will be built when funds become available. The Naselle Youth Camp in Washington state may close in a year. Facing what some esti- mate to be a $6 billion budget deficit in the next two-year budget cycle, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget released Thursday proposes a number of cuts, including closing Naselle Youth Camp. In Days Gone By column: The Astorian-Budget, Dec. 18, 1933 — Ninety-mile-an-hour winds and high waters ripped the lower Columbia area, starting a slide that blocked the highway to Portland and knocking out com- munication wires. Capt. Elfving of the Astoria-North Beach Ferry company said the wind and waves destroyed the slip at Megler. Railroads and other roads were badly The war emergency has shown the need for vocational training and planned assistance for the youth of the state, Morse said, as he compli- mented the local commission on its work among Astoria boys and girls. “We hope that the war will be over before the 16-year-old boys now in vocational work pro- grams reach the age for military service,” said Morse, “but if it isn’t, the training they are receiv- ing here in Astoria industrial plants will stand them in good stead when Uncle Sam needs them.” The mysterious and rare white beaver has been found in Clatsop County. Three of the animals were trapped in this community this week by a predatory hunter and trapper sent by the state to check damage to the dike by beavers. The white animals weighed about 35 pounds apiece and were a clear white when their pelts were cleaned of the dirt and discoloration of water. No estimate of the value of the white beaver furs can be made, but their rar- ity would make it prohibitive to most persons. The sport of basketball — longtime king of sport in Astoria — will ascend to new heights here Friday and Saturday nights, when the best inter- collegiate athletes of Oregon and Washington gather for the intercollegiate hoop jamboree at the USO pavilion at 8 o’clock.
