»INSIDE SPRIN ES G ACTIVITI GUIDE Ideas for youth, adults inside Ken From left to right: Crowder and Brown, Elliott b ride their Matt Weintrau the Cannon bikes during Festival. Beach Fat Bike Colin Murphey/ The Astorian WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021 148TH YEAR, NO. 122 $1.50 CORONAVIRUS Library renovation to go in stages Fundraising was disrupted by pandemic By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian The renovation of the Astoria Library will begin with a scaled-back fi rst phase to kick-start progress amid a pandemic that has halted fundraising. City Manager Brett Estes and David Wark, a historical architect hired to design a refurbished library, on Wednes- day presented a proposal to remove a sec- ond-fl oor mezzanine that does not com- ply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The library’s entire collection would be housed on the fi rst fl oor using tall and movable stacks. The initial work would replace two concrete panels along Duane Street to introduce more natural light. It would also enhance the children’s areas, replace bulky furniture with more movable objects, move the Astoriana historical collection to the basement for researchers and install new carpets and paint. The project is estimated to cost $750,000, paid for through money from the sale of carbon sequestration credits set aside by the city for the library . “The improvements that we spend money on now should allow for and be See Library, Page A2 Gearhart takes new look at fi rehouse location Proposed land exchange off Highlands Lane Charis Kids A preschool student at Charis Kids colors in a calendar. Cannon Beach preschool to close Parents, former teachers disappointed by the loss of Charis Kids By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian ANNON BEACH — The same day Ashley Nelson decided to accept a full-time job, the preschool where her chil- dren attended an after-school pro- gram announced it would close in June. Nelson, previously a stay-at-home mom, had been counting on Charis Kids in Cannon Beach as she dipped back into the workforce. Now, she and more than 20 other families are trying to fi gure out what to do next. Charis Kids, owned by the Cannon Beach Conference Center, is the only C Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Charis Kids at the Cannon Beach Conference Center will close in June. local preschool option in the city and one of just a few such programs avail- See Preschool, Page A6 North Coast schools contemplate another pandemic graduation By R.J. MARX The Astorian GEARHART — Threats of litiga- tion at the proposed High Point location on North Marion Avenue and a reluc- tant seller are among the reasons Gear- hart is looking at new sites for the city’s fi rehouse. They may have found one at the Cot- tages at Gearhart, a proposed 30-acre subdivision off of Highlands Lane, north of the city. Developers hope to swap part of the property to the city for a fi rehouse in exchange for bringing the property into the urban growth boundary and annexed into the city. Peter Watts, the city’s attorney, said at the City Council’s meeting on Wednes- day that the developers have indicated they’re willing to donate a portion of the property as well as land for a public park. able across Clatsop C ounty. The main preschool and after-school programs will end June 18. It isn’t clear yet if a summer program will go ahead as planned. Charis Kids is a long-standing community institution with an excel- lent reputation, Nelson said. When it closes, her children will not only miss out on a faith-based curriculum Nelson values and the care of well- trained and certifi ed teachers, they will also lose the community that had formed around the preschool . “It’s an incredible hole,” Nelson said. Many plans for June still in fl ux By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Sebastian Rivas Guitron Antonio walks across the fi eld to receive his diploma with the Fishermen scoreboard displaying 2020 at Astoria High School’s drive-in graduation in June. While it takes eff ort to become a grad- uate, a school graduation ceremony is usu- ally the easy part. But as schools approach another June under the cloud of the coronavirus See Graduation, Page A6 MORE INSIDE County reports eighth virus death • A2 See Gearhart, Page A6 Port hopes to save big on loans Refi nancing a loan for the Taggart Building By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian Edward Stratton/The Astorian The Port of Astoria will save an estimated $550,000 after refi nancing the loan used to buy the Taggart Building on Pier 1. The Port of Astoria will save more than $500,000 by refi nanc- ing a loan used to buy the Taggart Building on Pier 1. The Port took out a $1.7 mil- lion loan with Clatsop Commu- nity Bank in 2010 to buy the three- story offi ce complex, named after the family of former Port Com- missioner Glenn Taggart, who developed the building. The loan was later transferred to Lewis & Clark Bank. The agency worked with David Ulbricht, an adviser with the Spe- cial Districts Association of Ore- gon, to recruit other banks and refi nance at lower interest rates. The best proposal came from Kit- sap Bank based in Port Orchard, Washington, which off ered a fully amortized loan running through June 2035 that Ulbricht said would ultimately save the agency around $550,000. The new loan agreement with Kitsap Bank will cost the Port around $110,000 a year, Ulbricht said, versus around $150,000 a year with Lewis & Clark. The agreement will also remove a lien on the building used as collateral, he said. “The bank you’re getting the funding from is taking just your promise to pay — no bank fees, no loan fees, no appraisals, no deeds, See Port, Page A6