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148TH YEAR, NO. 130
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021
$1.50
CORONAVIRUS
County
appeals to
governor
on virus
restrictions
Letter in solidarity
with other counties
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Blind Pilot
Blind Pilot streamed a performance from the Liberty Theatre.
Challenges remain as
curtains raise for musicians
Duo refl ects on past year
By ALYSSA EVANS
The Astorian
O
n stage at the Liberty Theatre, as
Blind Pilot tuned and switched
out their instruments , lead singer
Israel Nebeker introduced the next song
to dozens of viewers watching at home
across the globe .
“This next song is called ‘Two Towns
From Me,’” Nebeker said. “Astoria is
the town that was two towns away when
I wrote this song. Bet you guys didn’t
know that, huh?”
The hometown indie band’s perfor-
mance earlier this month was its fi rst
since February 2020, when they played
in Santa Barbara .
“It’s been such a long time since
we’ve been indoors with other people
and making music,” band member Luke
Ydstie said.
The two virtual shows lasted about an
hour each. In place of applause, fans left
dozens of comments and emojis in a chat
feature that ran alongside the livestream.
The hybrid concert marked a cross-
roads for the local arts scene as venues
and musicians slowly embark on a return
to live events. But it’s been a long road.
Musicians have had to stay fl exible with
work, family and coronavirus restric-
tions. And they still face challenges as
the pandemic continues.
“We really miss that energy you get
when you’re playing live,” said Kati
Claborn, another Blind Pilot member
who with her husband, Ydstie, make up
the band The Hackles. “It’s such a diff er-
ent experience than just kind of playing
into the void.”
Ahead of the shows, band mem-
bers practiced on their own except for
one in-person rehearsal. Everyone got
COVID-19 tests before gathering to
perform.
“We’ve been playing together for so
long. And although it’s been a while,
we’ve played most of the songs together
before. A lot of it just kind of comes right
The Clatsop County Board of Commis-
sioners has called on Gov. Kate Brown to
lift restrictions for counties at extreme risk
for the coronavirus.
The governor on
Tuesday announced
MORE
that 15 counties
INSIDE
will move into the
County
state’s extreme-risk
reports new
level on Friday —
virus vases
one week ahead of
• A6
the regular cycle as
virus case counts
Knappa
and hospitalizations
student tests
soar across Ore-
positive for
gon. Indoor activity
virus • A2
at restaurants, bars,
gyms and entertain-
ment venues is pro-
hibited in counties at extreme risk.
Clatsop County will remain at high
risk for the virus. B ut Commissioner
Mark Kujala, the board’s chairman, said
See Restrictions, Page A6
Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Israel Nebeker of the band Blind Pilot sits on his front porch.
Tommy Spencer
Luke Ydstie and Kati Claborn live together in
Astoria with their daughter, Hazel.
back,” Claborn said. “We did do a cou-
ple new songs. That was an interesting
process.”
‘It’s not going to happen’
In January, Claborn and Ydstie should
have been performing a series of venues
in Europe for The Hackles’ fi rst Euro-
pean tour. Instead, they spent most of
their time at home.
The tour was going to mark the
release of the duo’s full-length album,
“A Dobritch Did As a Dobritch Should.”
The album was released in November
2019, providing some touring time to
perform in person before venue closures
due to the pandemic .
“That was a bummer though because
there was a lot of stuff that was in the
works with that record,” Ydstie said.
“The whole year, we were just kind of
barely holding onto the hope that maybe
things would get better. But in Novem-
ber, we were like, ‘Yeah, it’s not going
to happen.’”
Claborn and Ydstie have released
a few singles during the pandemic.
In December , they created a six-song
instrumental album, with Claborn on
clarinet and Ydstie on electric guitar. The
album was created as a Christmas pres-
ent for friends and family.
“It was a diff erent thing for us to
do. Usually, our music largely revolves
around singing together,” Claborn said.
“To be making something that felt new
was exciting … I really did struggle with
trying to write anything during this time.
Warrenton
to restrict
vacation
rentals
City wants to preserve
limited housing stock
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
WARRENTON — The City Commis-
sion is expected to approve code changes
that will restrict single-family homes in
residential areas from being turned into
vacation rentals.
The commission conducted the fi rst
public hearing of the changes on Tuesday
to allow non owner occupied vacation rent-
als in commercial zones, but not in resi-
dential zones. Homestay lodging would be
permitted in residential zones as long as the
owner or representative lives on the prop-
erty and is available 24/7.
See Rentals, Page A6
See Musicians, Page A6
Column closure angers some visitors
Landmark likely closed
until virus risk improves
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
A $5 fee will buy you parking
for a calendar year at the Astoria
Column on top of Coxcomb Hill.
But park employees are encoun-
tering the anger of some visitors
upset by the closure of the Col-
umn, which likely won’t reopen
until Clatsop County’s risk from
the coronavirus becomes minimal.
The Friends of the Astoria Col-
umn, the group that oversees the
park for the city, closed the tower
more than a year ago because of
the inherent diffi culty in keeping
people socially distanced and sur-
faces sanitized in the narrow spiral
staircase leading up to the wrap-
around viewing deck.
Matteo Luccio, a Portland res-
ident who has been visiting the
Column for the past 25 years,
recently sent a letter to the city,
Friends group and The Astorian
accusing the park of false advertis-
ing and endangerment of a minor.
He demanded a refund of his park-
ing fee, new signage and a written
apology, threatening litigation if
the actions were not taken.
Luccio complained that the
Friends group was putting a
16-year-old employee he encoun-
tered at danger after hearing she
had been harassed by visitors
angry the Column is closed. Her
father had joined her at the park
the day Luccio had visited.
The family lives next door to
Willis Van Dusen, a former mayor
and board member for the Friends
group. Van Dusen said the father
talked to him about his daughter’s
treatment, after which the Friends
group produced an outdoor sign
and fl yers to better inform visitors
of the Column’s closure.
Fred Pynes, the caretaker at the
Column, said the Friends group
spoke with the county Public
Health Department about what it
would take to reopen. The Column
falls under health guidelines for
Edward Stratton/The Astorian
See Column, Page A6
Workers at the Astoria Column have faced anger over the closure of the
tower because of the coronavirus pandemic.