Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2020)
A10 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Gary Henley/The Astorian Jordan Poyer during his football camp last year at CMH Field. Poyer signs new deal to stay in Buffalo The Astorian Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Seaside softball players got some practice in before practices and games were canceled through April 28. Spring sports season in jeopardy Coaches remain ‘guardedly optimistic’ By GARY HENLEY The Astorian It was the one sentence that athletes and coaches did not want to hear from the Oregon School Activities Association this week, but one which did not bring much of a surprise. In a statement released Wednesday after- noon, the OSAA, because of the c oronavi- rus outbreak, “has extended the suspension of interscholastic practices and contests for sports and activities for all member schools through April 28.” The announcement followed Gov. Kate Brown’s announcement Tuesday regarding statewide school closures. So while it wasn’t unexpected, the deci- sion may have dealt a serious blow to any chance that the spring sports season can be salvaged. If it is saved, it would be in a much-abbre- viated form. While schools are closed, school ball fi elds and facilities are closed to all athletes, and coaches cannot conduct any type of organized practices for their teams. Athletes are allowed to work out on their own, but that’s about it. Or, as Knappa baseball coach Jeff Miller puts it, “it’s where they all started as little kids,” just throwing the ball around in the backyard. “Our school grounds are completely shut down,” he said. “I can’t even enter the build- ing. We’ll do whatever we can. Of course, some things are a lot bigger than baseball.” Miller always fi elds one of the top base- ball teams at the 2A level (four state cham- pionship game appearances in the last fi ve years), including his current team, which was ranked third in a pre-season coaches poll. But he’s also being realistic. The April 28 date wipes out nearly two- thirds of the season for baseball and softball, while state championships for golf and track are held the third week of May. And if teams can’t practice until April 28, athletes and team sports would need at least another week before games can begin. “We’re going to remain guardedly opti- mistic that there will be some form of league season in May, and perhaps extending into See Spring sports, Page A9 Various sources report that Jordan Poyer has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Buffalo Bills, that will take the Astoria High School graduate through the 2022 season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network have reported that the deal is worth $20.5 million. After spending time with the Phila- delphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, Poyer will enter his fourth year as a start- ing safety with the Bills in 2020. Poyer, who will turn 29 on April 25, has started 47 of 48 regular season games in his three years with Buffalo. He recorded 107 combined tackles with two interceptions last season for one of the NFL’s top defensive units. A C lass of 2008 graduate from Asto- ria, Poyer played at Oregon State and was a seventh-round draft choice of the Eagles in 2013. He was released after three games, and played with the Browns through 2016. He has one touchdown in his career, an interception return off a Tom Brady pass in 2013. PAID ADVERTISMENT Energy Upgrades Lead to Active, Healthy Coastal Communities Clatsop Community College’s reimagined Patriot Hall takes advantage of efficient features like daylighting and natural ventilation. YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH. MAKE YOUR PLACE WORK HARDER FOR YOU. You’ve been chipping away at the to-do list and the place is looking great. But what about the things you can’t see—like energy being wasted? No worries. Whether you’re a homeowner or making energy decisions at work, Energy Trust of Oregon has you covered with low-cost and DIY solutions to save energy and money. + Get more from your energy. Call us at 1.866.368.7878 or visit www.energytrust.org/DIY. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista. Up and down the coast, Oregonians take pride in the gathering places that anchor their communities. That’s why cities like Astoria and Newport have invested in healthy and energy-efficient community spac- es with support from Energy Trust of Oregon. In Astoria, Clatsop Community Col- lege sought a way to preserve history by redeveloping Patriot Hall, which has stood as the centerpiece of the campus since 1921. Over time, the building had begun to show its age, so the College drew up plans for a reimagined hall with a new gym, classrooms and community space. Because it is a customer of Pacif- ic Power and NW Natural, the college chose to work with Energy Trust, a non- profit created to make sure Oregonians have access to clean, affordable energy and renewable power. After enrolling in Energy Trust’s Path to Net Zero effort, the college was able to receive technical assistance and cash incentives for com- fort- and efficiency-enhancing features like daylighting and natural ventilation. The new Patriot Hall will serve stu- dents and Astorians for many genera- tions to come, while saving $25,000 per year in energy costs — a big deal for the community college. “It’s so important for us to be good stewards of taxpay- er dollars and just good stewards of the environment,” said Chris Breitmey- er, president of Clatsop Community College. Down the coast, the City of New- port saw an opportunity to prioritize energy efficiency while building a new community aquatic center. The plan called for replacing the 50-year- old pool with separate competition and recreation pools, plus space for spectators. This would allow the center to serve the community better by supporting recreational and com- petitive swimming, fitness program- ming and special events. As a customer of NW Natu- ral, the City took advantage of a $21,000 cash incentive from Energy Trust to cover the cost of efficient heating for the aquatic cen- ter’s pools. The City installed new boilers with better technology and controls to keep pool water at a con- sistent temperature and adjust the temperature more quickly for swim meets. The new system made swim- mers more comfortable and saves an estimated $11,000 each year in ener- gy costs. “I’ve had multiple residents tell me the aquatic center is the best thing to happen to Newport in 30 years,” said Tim Gross, the City’s public works director. “The center has been so popular that we’re look- ing for ways to leverage the facility to bring more events to Newport.” For these coastal communi- ties, efficiency means much more than saving energy. It’s a way to make their gathering places more comfortable and less expen- sive. For more stories about how Energy Trust is helping commu- nities throughout Oregon, visit energytrust.org/this-is-oregon.
