146TH YEAR, NO. 234
WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019
Neighbors take on
park near Sunset Beach
$1.50
Gearhart
approves
firehouse
study
Project at High Point site
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
Photos by Katie Frankowicz/The Astorian
Bob McNamee tries out his footing on a floating dock in need of repair at Sunset Beach Park between Warrenton and Gearhart.
He and his neighbors have made numerous repairs and improvements at the park, but the dock is still an issue.
Public ownership
remains a mystery
See Gearhart, Page A10
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Local grads
rake in
scholarships
L
ook up who owns a grassy park
off Sunset Beach Road stocked
with aging playground equip-
ment and you’ll get the enlightening
answer: “Public The.”
No commas, no explanations.
Public The has owned the park
— advertised on an old wooden sign
as “Sunset Beach Park by Neacoxie
Lake” — at least since the late 1990s,
according to Clatsop County records.
The neighbors who live across the
street and look at the park every day
don’t know who Public The is. They
long suspected it was the county
because, every few years, jail work
release crews would sometimes show
up to mow at the urging of Seaside
Police Chief Dave Ham.
But the county doesn’t own the
land, according to Tom Bennett, a
county spokesman. The property is
classified as vacant municipal or port
property. Plain old public land.
But it doesn’t really matter. For
years, neighbors have taken on
the work of maintaining the park
themselves.
This year, one particular group
decided to take a more active role.
“We had the time, and we’re look-
ing at it every day,” said Bob McNa-
mee, shrugging. And what they were
GEARHART — City officials voted
to approve a $10,000 geotechnical study,
the first step toward a new firehouse, but
not without some tempers flaring.
After years of research by a fire-
house committee, public forums and,
most recently, results of a survey, offi-
cials determined the High Point site, a
privately owned property on Marion Ave-
nue near 12th Street, to meet many of the
needs.
City staff requested money to perform
a geotechnical investigation. The report
will allow the city to further explore the
foundation requirements to better antici-
pate costs for construction.
The report is considered essential
before purchase.
The city hopes to get the project
before voters on the November ballot,
which would require a filing with Clatsop
County by Aug. 17.
But while it appeared the transfer of
funds for the study was a slam dunk, City
Councilor Kerry Smith asked if the city
had considered a vertical evacuation site
at the fire station.
“Is there going to be any geotech
report for the east side of City Hall?”
Smith asked.
A record for Astoria
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
Ravi Croak contemplates what he can salvage from the remains of an old picnic
table at Sunset Beach Park.
looking at, he said, “was kind of sad.”
McNamee, who lives across the
street from the park, and his neighbor,
Ravi Croak, are some of the people
leading the charge on improvements.
Thanks to an anonymous donor,
they have recently repaired collapsed
benches and picnic tables, repainted
and repaired the basketball court and
hoops, and made sure an old slide and
swingset are safe for kids.
Now Croak has dreams of making
a horseshoe pit — he has the horse-
shoes to donate — and repairing bar-
becue pits that have fallen to pieces.
McNamee would like to have things
like basketballs and soccer balls on
hand so kids can just show up and
start playing. Maybe some more
picnic tables, some more benches.
They are also researching the cost
of installing commercial dog waste
stations.
“When I was a kid I used to like
to play in a park,” Croak said. “Too
many kids are inside these days. I
don’t like to see a park so ignored and
neglected.”
Astoria High School graduates took
home $275,000 on Thursday from Asto-
ria High School Scholarships Inc., part
of more than $800,000 in local grants
awarded to Clatsop County graduates this
year.
The Astoria scholarship foundation,
started with a car wash in 1976, has
grown to more than $8 million in assets
it manages for different funds from for-
mer students, businesses, unions, social
groups and others.
The foundation now regularly awards
more than $200,000 a year. This year’s
total, spread among 90 students inter-
viewed by the nonprofit, was a slight
record over last year’s $264,000.
See Park, Page A7
See Scholarships, Page A7
Astoria wants Goonies
party, just not at the house
‘Don’t be a Mr. Perkins’
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Goonies are coming.
This weekend marks the 34th anniver-
sary of the release of the cult classic, “The
Goonies,” and Astoria plans to celebrate.
But while city and tourism leaders are
organizing events, they’re also trying to get
one message across loud and clear: Don’t
visit the house in Uppertown.
At a meeting of downtown merchants on
Friday, David Reid, executive director of the
Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Com-
merce, had some advice for business own-
ers to give fans searching for the Goonies
House.
“The best answer is: There is no Goonies
House,” he said.
For Goonies Day events this weekend,
hosted by the chamber and the Oregon
Film Museum, Reid says visitors should be
directed to the museum or chamber offices
where they can pick up special pins and
get more information about Goonies-re-
lated opportunities. Other buildings besides
Katie Frankowicz/The Astorian
See Goonies, Page A8
Fans of the 1985 film ‘The Goonies’ face steep fines if they park illegally in the neighborhood
that is home to the iconic Goonies House.