A6
THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, OcTObER 13, 2020
Dorm: ‘Not a minor oversight’
continued from Page A1
Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
A neighbor has appealed the extension of building permits for Pacific Seafood’s proposed
dormitories inside part of a fabrication shop the company owns in Hammond.
would need to bring in 100
extra workers to reach full
capacity.
The Warrenton City Com-
mission last year amended
the city’s development code
and passed a good-neigh-
bor agreement to pave the
way for the Pacific Seafood
dorms. But neighbors in a
residential cul-de-sac have
argued that the proposed
footprint is not big enough to
safely house 70 workers.
One of those neighbors,
Scott Widdicombe, filed an
appeal over the extension
of building permits, claim-
ing the city’s former commu-
nity development director,
Kevin Cronin, didn’t tell the
mission and on to the state
Land Use Board of Appeals
if necessary.
“I feel that this (Planning)
Commission should con-
sider asking Pacific Seafood
to agree to abide by Oregon
OSHA building codes as they
apply to employer-provided
housing for seasonal workers
where the employer charges
a fee for those workers to
live in that housing,” Widdi-
combe wrote.
The appeal comes shorty
after Pacific Seafood dropped
a proposal to house 80 work-
ers at Astoria Pointe, a for-
mer drug and alcohol treat-
ment center in Uniontown.
The company gave no rea-
son for withdrawing the
application.
Planning Commission about
more stringent regulations
specifically for Pacific Sea-
food’s project under consid-
eration with the state Occu-
pational Safety and Health
Administration.
“This is not a minor over-
sight,” Widdicombe wrote.
“The building codes required
by OSHA are much more
demanding for Pacific Sea-
food to comply with than
the (local) regulations for
dormitories.”
Widdicombe took issue
with Pacific Seafood’s argu-
ments that the dorms are not
seasonal housing regulated
by the state. He indicated
his willingness to take the
appeal through the Planning
Commission, City Com-
McMaster: Junior aims to compete in college
continued from Page A1
“We’re looking up in bas-
ketball,” he said, as the Fish-
ermen were 2-22 last year.
“I’m hoping so. Me and
Xander (Marincovich) have
been working a lot. Last Sat-
urday against Ilwaco, I had
24 points and he had 40.”
In track, McMaster will
be the front-runner for a 4A
state title in the discus in the
spring.
Between basketball and
track, McMaster will suit
up for his junior year of
football.
He is hoping to become
the Rob Gronkowski of the
Cowapa, as the Fishermen
will take advantage of his
talents as a tight end.
Astoria football “could
use the tight end more than
they have in 15 years,”
McMaster said. “Last year
they really couldn’t work
me into the offense. I didn’t
know the routes really well,
and I just wasn’t as phys-
ically developed. I proba-
bly would have gotten eaten
alive.”
McMaster likes the idea
of a spring football sea-
son, with games starting in
mid-March.
“There’s always a home-
coming game, but I think a
prom game would be pretty
cool,” he said. “A spring
season is better for me. If I
get hurt playing football in
the fall, then I would be out
either the next sport or two
sports that come after that.”
But beginning in early
May, McMaster will com-
pete in his best sport. The
shortened spring track sea-
son will be just his second
year at the high school level.
The coronavirus wiped
out the 2020 season, but
with luck, McMaster still
has two years to rewrite the
Astoria record book in at
least two events: the discus
and shot put.
McMaster’s best mark is
145-5, set as a freshman in
2019 and making the list of
top discus throws in school
history. He stands as the
fourth-best discus thrower
in Fishermen history.
After the season was can-
celed, McMaster said, “I
was super disappointed. I
was ready. I wanted to beat
the school record my sopho-
Warrenton and other school districts have taken
precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Schools: High
caseload continues
to impact districts
continued from Page A1
The school district had
reopened to all grade levels
before the outbreak at the
seafood processor. Because
of the concentration of virus
cases, district administrators
decided to close the schools
to all activities beginning
Sept. 25 as a precaution
even before contact tracing
of the cases wrapped up.
The high caseload con-
tinues to impact other
school districts, too.
Students in the Seaside
School District are doing all
of their learning at home, a
decision the district plans to
reevaluate later this month
if coronavirus case metrics
improve.
The Knappa School Dis-
trict, which had opened
to some grade levels,
announced last week it
would continue with dis-
tance learning for all stu-
Elizabeth Douglass
Astoria athlete Colton McMaster is out to set the new school record in the discus.
more year.”
Instead, he gave a
glimpse of what might have
been by competing in three
virtual meets over the sum-
mer. The meets were open to
any high school thrower in
the nation.
He took first in the first
meet with a throw of 156-
1. McMaster placed sixth
in the second meet (160-9),
then took ninth in a virtual
meet in June, with his new
personal best toss of 173-6.
“I did my regular war-
mups, then it was on the
third throw,” he said, “which
is usually how it goes. You
can throw as much as you
want, as long as you get it on
film.”
The mark was good
enough to beat the Astoria
record but does not count as
an official school record.
In virtual meets, athletes
have to film the full throw
and measurement in one
take.
“I didn’t expect them to
count it as a school record.
It has to be in a regulated
meet,” McMaster said, add-
ing he will set the new
school record “as soon as we
can get myself in a regular
meet. I just want to hit it as
soon as I can, so I can keep
improving on it.”
Although only a junior,
McMaster has hopes of
competing in college.
Through Astoria throw-
ing coach Bob Ellsberg, he
said, “I’ve been contacted
by Stanford about track.
My transcripts are solid, but
I would need to take way
more AP classes in order to
be qualified there.”
Meet directors for Astoria
home meets may have to set
up precautionary measures
once meets start again since
McMaster’s throws in the
discus are landing on or near
the new track, the spectator
bleachers and closing in on
traffic along Marine Drive.
Ellsberg “told me that by
the time they put up a net,
I’ll be throwing over it,”
McMaster said. “They’re
talking about putting down
some rubber mats on the
track so I’m not denting the
track.”
dents until metrics allowed
them to reevaluate.
The school district
offered day care and inter-
net access options to help
students and parents man-
age the shift.
The Astoria School Dis-
trict is continuing with the
online-only model schools
adopted at the beginning of
the school year.
The Jewell School Dis-
trict remains the only pub-
lic school complex where
students are regularly meet-
ing for in-person instruction
across grade levels. Because
of the district’s small size
and remote location, Jewell
has more leeway in what it
can offer.
For now, school admin-
istrators are watching the
number and location of pos-
itive cases and, said Jon
Wood, Jewell High School
principal, “crossing our
fingers.”
Don’t forget!
Coast Weekend
is included in The Astorian every Thursday
and The Chinook Observer every Wednesday
Daily Astorian
- 08/13/2020
Copy Reduced
to 79% from origina
l to fit letter page
Copy Redu
ced to 75%
from origi
nal to fit lette
r page
Page : C01
THURSDAY
SEPT. 10
THURSDAY
AUG. 13
2020
2020
ABOVE
ASTORIA
KS
MUSEUMS, PAR
AND ART TO SEE
REAL
FLAVOR
PAGE 2
NDS
HOLIDAY FRIE
ALBUM
RELEASE NEW
PAGE 6
PAGE 3
EST POETRY,
NEW NORTHW RAPHY BOOK
PHOTOG
PAGE 4
IDYLLIC ILWACO
EXPLORE TH
E TOWN’S
GALLE REF
LEC
GEARHA RY
RT ARTIST TS
’S
PERSONALI
TY
CHARM
PAGE 4
PAGE 8
ASTORIA ART
WALK
A NEW PE
BOOT
AND SHOE ET
DRYER!
Ev
PAGE 6
IA
Powered by TECNAV
020
, Astoria, OR 08/13/2
Daily Astorian
-7:00)
Copyright 2020
3:24 pm (GMT
October 1, 2020
Copyright
October 1, 2020 Daily Astorian,
2020 3:23
Astoria, OR
pm (GMT
09/10/2020
-7:00)
Powered by
TECNA
VIA
Your weekly local guide to the latest in
dining, arts, and entertainment.
Go. See. Do.
DailyAstorian.com