INSIDE 147TH YEAR, NO. 27 WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2019 $1.50 WATERFRONT BRIDGE PROJECT New credit union branch brings cross-laminated timber to county Fibre Federal uses CLT on new roof Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian A sea lion scratches its face with a rear fl ipper while resting on the structure beneath Buoy Beer Co. off Eighth Street on Friday. By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian ARRENTON — The new Fibre Federal Credit Union branch at the North Coast Retail Center uses a cross-lami- nated Douglas fi r roof, one of the fi rst commercial structures in Clatsop County to incorporate the timber technology. The roof, however, comes from Austria, an example of the evolving nature of what many in the U.S. see as the new frontier for timber. The Longview, Washington-based Fibre Federal wanted an affordable way to use exposed wood for a more Pacifi c Northwest feel, said Chris Bradberry, the president of the credit union. A rchitects recommended cross-laminated timber, a wood panel made from gluing layers of lumber together . The technology has been used in thousands of buildings across Europe and has recently taken root in the U.S. Portland, for example, is home to Carbon12, an 85-foot condominium and retail tower that is the tallest cross-laminated timber building in the country. “It gave us that ability to have the architectural design we wanted,” Bradberry said of the technology. “It’s also quicker on the build.” Crews under general contractor Momentum, Inc., are building out the interior of the new branch, expected to open late this year as TLC Federal Credit Union, acquired as a division of Fibre Federal. Watching for sea lions W See Roof, Page A6 Workers tracked more than 4,000 encounters By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian From the roof of the unfi nished building, Mike Clizbe, the site supervisor for Momentum, Inc., points out cross-laminated timber in the new Fibre Federal branch in Warrenton. A short list of issues that held up work on three waterfront bridges downtown includes snowstorms that shut down suppli- ers, emergency road MORE repairs and more than INSIDE 4,000 encounters with Public sea lions. comment The bridges at the open on base of Seventh, Ninth killing sea and 11th s treets offi cially lions reopened on Thursday. Page A3 The work to replace them closed street ends for months and hit busi- nesses that rely on foot traffi c hard. See Sea lions, Page A6 Fibre Federal Credit Union Longview, Washington-based Fibre Federal Credit Union is building a new branch of its subsidiary TLC Federal Credit Union in Warrenton using a cross-laminated timber roof. ‘IT’S KIND OF LIKE HOW GLUE-LAMINATED TIMBER STARTED IN THE 1940s WITH A COUPLE PRODUCERS. NOW THERE ARE 20 TO 30. I THINK THE U.S. INDUSTRY IS GOING TO CATCH UP WITH THE EUROPEAN INDUSTRY PRETTY QUICKLY.’ Tom Williamson | wood technology expert based in Vancouver, Washington The roof of a new Fibre Federal building is being constructed with CLT off of U.S. Highway 101 and Ensign Lane. Three sick by parasite at county fair An outbreak of ‘crypto’ By NICOLE BALES The Astorian An adult and two children were infected by cryptosporidium, a micro- scopic parasite, at the Clatsop County F air. The Oregon Health Authority is lead- ing an investigation into the cause of the outbreak. The county has notifi ed health care providers and asked for reports of other suspected cases. The fair was held from late July to early August. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cryp- tosporidium, known as “crypto,” causes watery diarrhea. The parasite spreads most commonly by water, the CDC said, and is a leading cause of waterborne disease among people in the United States. Symptoms often show within two to 10 days, although some people have no symptoms at all. See Parasite, Page A6 Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian At Pier 39, the second coming of El Primero An old yacht returns to Astoria By LUCY KLEINER The Astorian INSIDE With the smell of fi sh wafting from the kitchen and the sound of sea lions barking in the distance, a walk down historic Pier 39 is timeless. But nothing takes visi- tors back like the maritime oddity anchored nearby. For the fi rst time in 113 years, El Primero has returned to Asto- ria. The 137-foot ship’s white paint and rustic wood stretches along- side the pier, and its long, narrow shape attracts the eyes of locals and tourists alike. Last time the yacht crossed the bar, it was 1906. The El Primero, one of the oldest luxury yachts still sailing today, returned to the mouth of the Columbia River earlier this month . The yacht was built in San Francisco in 1893 by Union Iron Works. The original construction cost just under $250,000. After infl ation, that is roughly $7 million today. But the investment paid off . “This boat is one of the most important remaining yachts in the world,” said Capt. Christian Lint, who owns the El Primero and the Astoria Ferry . “It exemplifi es the transition of sail to steam and of wood to steel.” In 1906, El Primero passed through Astoria on its way north Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian See El Primero, Page A6 The old luxury yacht, El Primero, is anchored at Pier 39.