A3
THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2019
Stepping off
Some old, some
new faces after vote
for transit district
He ran for Astoria mayor
in 2014, losing to Arline
LaMear. He was specifi cally
interested in applying his
Incumbent Tracy Mac- analysis skills to the trans-
Donald, a retired emergency portation board and doesn’t
responder, fended off a chal- know what he’ll do next,
lenge Tuesday from Larry Taylor said.
Boothe-Schmidt said she
Taylor, a retired technology
worker and former chairman was looking for another vol-
of the Clatsop County Dem- unteer opportunity for when
ocrats, in the race for Posi- she steps down as president
of the local Amer-
tion 1 on the Sunset
ican Federation of
Empire Transporta-
State, County and
tion District.
Municipal Employ-
MacDonald had
ees union.
56% of the vote to
Gaebel focused
Taylor’s 44%.
her candidacy on
Debbie Boothe-
making sure pub-
Schmidt, a trial
Tracy
lic transportation is
assistant with the
MacDonald
available for seniors
Clatsop
County
and lower-income
District
Attor-
residents
unable
ney’s Offi ce and
to drive. She has
co-owner of Phog
served on the trans-
Bounders Antique
portation
board
Mall in Astoria, beat
about six of the past
incumbent
Lylla
10 years.
Gaebel, a retired
“I’ve been there
911 dispatcher, in
the race for Position Debbie Boothe- during the trou-
Schmidt
bling times and the
2. Boothe-Schmidt
good times, and I’ve
had 63 % of the vote
really enjoyed my time,” she
to Gaebel’s 37%.
Tamra Taylor ran uncon- said. “I see a great future for
tested for Position 6, and the transportation district.”
After nearing fi nan-
Bryan Kidder was unop-
cial collapse in 2011 and
posed for Position 7.
As a driver for Schwan’s, a temporary fi nancial cri-
MacDonald said, he wit- sis during the recent federal
nessed fi rsthand people government shutdown, the
without cars or too old to bus agency is entering an
drive isolated in rural areas, expansionary mode buffeted
an issue he hopes to help by a statewide payroll tax
alleviate in his service on the expected to provide an addi-
bus agency. He has focused tional $1.4 million annually.
Candidates are hope-
on the need to expand Dial-
A-Ride on-demand trans- ful the transit district can
portation for underserved expand service in rural
areas, and that technology
areas.
Taylor recently retired such as Wi-Fi on buses and
from the technology sec- online scheduling can entice
tor, including a stint at Intel. more riders.
By EDWARD
STRATTON
The Astorian
Luke Whittaker/Chinook Observer
Zach Foster steps into Black Lake on Saturday at the fi fth annual Cape D Triathlon in Ilwaco.
Alley mural project lands city approval
By KATIE
FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
A mural planned for
Astoria’s 13th Street Alley
received fi nal approval Tues-
day night.
The city’s Historic Land-
marks Commission signed
off on a twisting, colorful
design by artist Andie Ster-
ling. The Astoria Downtown
Historic District Associa-
tion landed grant funds for
the work and commissioned
Sterling in April through a
request for proposals process.
The alley provides a
shortcut between Commer-
cial Street and Duane Street
and became a source of com-
munity concern in the p ast
few years. Business owners
and volunteers had to cover
up offensive graffi ti and
there were frequent issues
with homeless and other
people using the alley as a
bathroom.
Sarah Lu Heath, the exec-
utive director of the down-
town association, hopes the
improvements will bring
people to the alley. The
group had experimented with
lighting displays , hoping to
make it a more welcoming
Astoria Downtown Historic District Association
Local artist Andie Sterling’s design for the 13th Street
Alley mural includes organic lines leading to the scene of a
mountain and farmland valley.
and beautiful place. Ster-
ling’s mural, which includes
representational images of
mountains and trees, as well
as ribbons of color, will have
a graffi ti-resistant fi nish.
“We have had a tremen-
dous amount of feedback,”
Heath said. “I’m going to be
candid and say that I’m sur-
prised at how positive it all
was knowing that art can be
individual.”
Some on the Historic
Landmarks
Commission
worried about the effect of
the design on people with
visual impairments, but they
liked the idea overall and
unanimously approved the
project.
Commissioner Michelle
Dieffenbach called the mural
an exciting development for
the alley.
“Hopefully the artis-
tic work and the energy that
it creates will create a nicer
place and encourage better
activities in the alley,” she
said.
Commission
President
M cAndrew Burns recalled
similar efforts to improve
the alley during the celebra-
tion of Astoria’s bicentennial
in 2011.
“So I’m glad that some-
body else fi nally championed
this and made it happen,” he
said. “It’s a nice design and
I’m looking forward to see-
ing it completed.”
The downtown associ-
ation anticipates the mural
will be fi nished in June.
Consult a
PROFESSIONAL
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Restoration fundraiser underway for St. Mary’s McGowan
By ALYSSA EVANS
Chinook Observer
CHINOOK, Wash. —
The congregation of St.
Mary’s McGowan Catholic
Church is asking the com-
munity to lend a helping
hand.
Church leaders decided
to hold a fundraiser for
needed repairs after a post-
Mass meeting.
“I thought, ‘Why not
us?’” said Lloyd Thomure,
a parishioner.
Parts of the church need-
ing work include the win-
dows, roof, siding, front
doors, front stairs, front rail-
ing and the stairs’ founda-
tion. Repairs, renovation
and replacement will be
done to match the church’s
design.
“It’s beyond the church
to restore the McGowan. It’s
an icon out here; everybody
knows it’s here,” Thomure
said. “It’d be easy to tear it
down.”
The church has “quite a
bit” of money already set
aside, Thomure said, but
not enough to get started or
cover the repairs .
Church leaders are work-
ing on applying for grants
for funding. Other fundrais-
ers, garage sales and com-
munity outreach will also be
used to raise money .
“The building is our
responsibility,” Thomure
said.
A “fi sherman’s M ass”
is held Sunday nights from
St. Mary’s McGowan Catholic
Church is in need of repairs.
Memorial Day to Labor
Day. Weddings and events
are also held at the church.
Thomure expects events
will be held more often at
the church after its renova-
tions are completed.
“As we get older, our
timber weathers, our paint
wrinkles in the cold north
wind, and we lose a few
shingles here and there,”
the fundraising page states.
“The day has come where
my body cannot stand up
Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500
Steve Putman
A: One of the
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Medicare Products a Medicare Supplement
503-440-1076 Policy is to have both Parts
A (hospitalization) and Part
Licensed in Oregon
B (medically necessary i.e.
and Washington
doctors, lab work etc).
putmanagency@gmail.com
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people delve into it,” Garvin
said.
A
park
surround-
ing the church features
canoes and information
about the Chinook village,
Lewis and Clark E xpedi-
tion and McGowan church
settlement.
“The park is really ded-
icated to those three stories
and all the future layers that
will come,” Garvin said.
ASTORIA
TRANSIT CENTER
WANTED
against the forces of nature
anymore.”
St. Mary McGowan is
located near a one-time Chi-
nook Indian village, and
one of Meriwether Lewis
and William Clark’s camp-
ing spots.
The church was built in
1904 after a Catholic com-
munity was established
in the mid 1800s. Church
builder PJ McGowan’s
great-grandson, Bill Garvin ,
regularly attends M ass at the
church. Bill’s wife, Cherrie
Garvin, arranges fl owers .
“It’s such a cool little
church,” Bill Garvin said.
“We want to do anything we
can to preserve it.”
Garvin said he’s thrilled
about
the
restoration
fundraiser.
“I’m optimistic people
will step up,” he said. “It’s a
project that’s well worth it.”
The 114-year-old church
is designed with late Victo-
rian Gothic style, from its
windows and doors, to its
roof and bell tower.
“It’s fun to see the differ-
ent layers of history and see
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