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DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020
147TH YEAR, NO. 139
$1.50
CORONAVIRUS
ELECTION
Astoria leaders
want freeze on
minimum wage
Scheduled to rise in July
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
Astoria estimates a minimum wage
increase from $11.25 to $12 an hour in
July will cost the city an extra $62,000
in raises for the small army of part-time
staff who run parks programs, along with
a similar amount next year.
City leaders, facing dire budget fore-
casts amid the coronavirus pandemic
and a diffi cult bal-
ancing act between
providing
child
MORE
care and trying to
INSIDE
reopen the heavily
subsidized Astoria
County
Aquatic Center, plan
reports four
to push the state for
new virus
a reprieve.
cases
Mayor
Bruce
Page A2
Jones said Monday
that while the mini-
mum wage increases
were passed with the best intentions in
better economic times, he will reach out
to the region’s state legislators and Gov.
Kate Brown to ask they be canceled for
the time being.
See Wage, Page A6
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Ballots in the May election
were counted Tuesday.
Bangs, Toyooka
sweep to victory in
commission races
Challengers prevail
over incumbents
Grant money
could help
businesses
Astoria, county to partner
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
Astoria and Clatsop County are
applying for $150,000 worth of small
grants for low- and moderate- income
businesses and employees, along with
another $50,000 for protective equipment
and testing costs amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
The city has been with working with
county and regional partners to pre-
pare and apply for the c ommunity
d evelopment b lock g rants becoming
available soon through Business Ore-
gon, the state’s economic development
agency.
Mary McArthur, the executive direc-
tor of the Columbia-Pacifi c Economic
Development District, has been oversee-
ing preparation.
“Clatsop County has been extremely
hard hit by the restrictions and the clo-
sures, and … 40% of folks making less
than $40,000 a year are currently without
income,” she said. “This is a perfect set
of funding mechanisms to address those
people that are most hard hit in Clatsop
County right now.
See Grants, Page A6
C
Suzanne
Weber
Boothe-Schmidt,
Weber win state
House primaries
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
ourtney Bangs, a Knappa
preschool teacher, and John
Toyooka, a manager at Lum’s
Auto Center, have unseated Com-
missioner Kathleen Sullivan and
Commissioner
Sarah
Nebeker
on the Clatsop County Board of
Commissioners.
Bangs defeated Sullivan 63% to
37% in District 4, which covers east-
ern Astoria to Westport. Toyooka
prevailed over Nebeker 60% to 40%
in District 2, which covers Gearhart,
Clatsop Plains and parts of Warren-
ton and Seaside.
“I am extremely excited for the
opportunity to serve my commu-
nity, and I am grateful that we had
so many come out and vote,” Bangs
said.
Bangs said she has gained more
insight through the campaign and
appreciates Sullivan’s service.
“It takes a lot of heart and it takes
a lot of energy and it takes just a lot
of willingness, I think,” she said.
“And so I have a lot of respect for
her for being able to do that and for
being able to just put her life and her
heart out there.”
Sullivan
conceded
Tuesday
night after the initial returns were
announced.
“I would like to congratulate
Courtney Bangs on her hard-fought
campaign,” Sullivan said in an email.
“I wish her the best of luck when she
begins her term in January and I will
help with the transition every way I
Debbie
Boothe-Schmidt
Courtney Bangs
John Toyooka
MORE INSIDE
Election to replace
Mitchell in November
Voters approve tax levies for the
county fairgrounds and Cannon Beach fi re
Page A3
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
am able.”
Toyooka said Tuesday night that
he felt overwhelmed by the support
and confi dence that voters have in
him. With the victory, he said, there’s
an “enormous responsibility now to
fulfi ll that commitment.”
Nebeker could not immediately
be reached for comment.
The county clerk released results
Tuesday night based on ballots
accepted through 2 p.m. More results
were released on Wednesday after-
noon. The only remaining outstand-
ing ballots are challenged ballots and
ballots dropped off in other counties .
Voter turnout overall was about
48%.
Bangs and Toyooka were fi rst-
time candidates and their campaigns
drew similar support.
Both were favored by donors from
major industries and businesses on
the North Coast and were endorsed
by Clatsop County Republicans and
#TimberUnity.
Tillamook Mayor Suzanne Weber
and Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, a Clatsop
County trial assistant, will square off in
the November election to replace state
Rep. Tiffi ny Mitchell in House District 32.
Weber won the Republican primary
Tuesday over Vineeta Lower, an online
educator in Seaside, 80% to 20%. In the
Democratic primary, Boothe-Schmidt
defeated George Kiepke, a former Clatsop
County commissioner, 71% to 28%.
Mitchell, D-Astoria, has represented
the district covering Clatsop and parts of
Tillamook and Washington counties since
2018. She announced shortly before the
fi ling deadline in March that she would
not run for reelection, moving to Wash-
ington state because of her husband’s new
job with Pacifi c Power.
The opening gave Republicans,
buoyed by a rural backlash to proposed
climate change legislation, one of their
best chances to fl ip a district held by Dem-
ocrats since 2002.
Weber emerged as the preferred can-
didate of regional industry, while Boothe-
Schmidt is primarily backed by labor
unions.
See Commission, Page A3
See House, Page A3
Cannon Beach looks to help businesses rebound from virus
City could close
Hemlock to vehicles
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH — Eager
to help businesses rebound during
the coronavirus pandemic, the City
Council will allow restaurants
to set up tables in parking lots or
malls and has asked city staff to
draft a plan to close part of Hem-
lock Street to vehicles.
The idea is to allow restaurants
more room to social distance while
serving enough customers to pay
for overhead costs and employee
wages.
“So this is for the restau-
rants because the restaurants are
required to separate folks so much
within the space that they’re nor-
mally used to,” Mayor Sam Steidel
said Monday night. “This gives
them the chance to expand their
square footage enough maybe
to make it so they can pay their
employees.”
“And reduce the number of peo-
ple that can occupy their space,”
City Councilor Brandon Ogil-
vie said. “They’re being hurt both
ways.”
The City Council also asked
staff to draft a plan to close part of
Hemlock Street to vehicles for a
few weeks.
Ideally, the street closure would
allow people to practice social dis-
Brenna Visser/The Astorian
Cannon Beach could temporarily close part of Hemlock Street to vehicles.
tancing downtown without crowd-
ing sidewalks.
The Cannon Beach Chamber
of Commerce is discussing the
idea with businesses and the city
expects to review a plan next week .
Jim Paino, the chamber’s exec-
utive director, said he has spo-
ken to businesses that have also
expressed interest in being able to
place merchandise outside.
“As I’ve traveled around the
country and in Europe, the most
attractive downtowns have been
those that had a pedestrian mall ...
without exception, I think,” City
Councilor Mike Benefi eld said.
City Manager Bruce St. Denis
said he likes the idea, but he wants
to make sure any major changes
or plans can benefi t everyone and
avoid unintended consequences.
“What I feel is a civic duty to
protect not only our townspeople,
but also the guests that come here,”
Ogilvie said.
“We’re a town that attracts peo-
ple from all over the world and to
not be able to create a situation
where there’s at least room for
people to move around — I’d just
like us to be able to do something
like that.”