»INSIDE
urnal.com
inessJo
CoastRiverBus
Volume 16 •
FREE
Published 2nd
Wednesday
of the month
Chronicling
Issue 5
bia-Pacifi c Region
ss in the Colum
the Joy of Busine
light:
Industry Spot
May 2021
using enges to try to meet the demand
New ho
chall
ers navigate
Inside:
Page 6
Home build
Outdoor dining
Astoria
enliven 10th Street in
Parklets and outdoor
Page 4
dining
surge
Marijuana sales
this year
see record sales so far
Peninsula marijuana
Page 8
stores
EMILY LINDBLOM
ts open
Farmers marke
for this season
As they try
to keep up with
the high demand
for new housing,
builders are
d lumber prices
and lack of
staffi ng.
facing increase
Vendors, managers optimistic
Page 9
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
148TH YEAR, NO. 135
$1.50
CORONAVIRUS
Astoria
Regatta
canceled
Second year event
called off over virus
By ALYSSA EVANS
The Astorian
The Astoria Regatta is canceled for the
second year in a row due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
The festival is the city’s longest standing
annual celebration. The event has only been
modifi ed four other times, including 2020,
after World War I, the Astoria fi re in 1922 and
World War II.
“It is with regret that the Astoria Regatta
Association will not host a festival for the
2021 season,” Melissa Grothe, a Lewis and
Clark Elementary School teacher and presi-
dent of the Astoria Regatta Association, said in
a statement.
The festival, which celebrates regional
maritime history and culture, began in 1894.
In lieu of the 2021 festival, the Astoria Regatta
Association is encouraging local businesses to
decorate their front windows with “their best
Regatta regalia,” during the
week of Aug. 11 to Aug. 14.
The decision to cancel
MORE
the
festival was brought on
INSIDE
by the eff ects of the pan-
County
demic. The association’s
reports
board hopes to reduce stress
new virus
on local businesses and
cases • A6
volunteers.
“Our board acknowledges
the incredible challenge
our community has been facing and want to
respect the hard work that businesses and indi-
viduals are putting in to keep things moving
forward,” Grothe said. “However, the Regatta
f estival operates almost entirely through the
incredible generosity of our community mem-
bers both fi nancially and time-wise.
“To ask for donations or do any fundrais-
ing at this time would only serve to add more
pressure to our local businesses and commu-
nity members in a diffi cult season.”
Another factor behind the decision was
Clatsop County’s virus case numbers. The
county remains at high risk for the virus under
the state’s designation.
“With COVID-19 cases still permeating
our community, we also want to respect the
health and safety of our community members
by avoiding additional gatherings,” Grothe
said.
Annalyse Steele, of Astoria High School,
was crowned as Regatta q ueen during a small
coronation ceremony in 2020. She will main-
tain her role until 2022, when the Astoria
Regatta Association “can safely host the festi-
val,” according to the press release.
The festival’s 2020 court also includes
princesses Zoey Alexander, of Seaside High
School; Mia McFadden, of Warrenton High
School; and Gabrielle Morrill, of Knappa
High School. The group attended a few events
in 2020, including a “reverse parade” in
Tillamook.
Throughout summer and “especially during
Regatta w eek,” the Astoria Regatta Associ-
ation will share photos on social media plat-
forms from past celebrations to “keep the
Regatta spirit alive,” Grothe said.
“We look forward to a grand celebration
next summer and hope you are practicing your
best parade wave because ya’ gotta Regatta,”
Grothe said.
Photos by Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Part of Main Avenue from downtown to Warrenton High School lacks a safe pedestrian route.
Bonamici advances local
projects for federal funding
By EMILY LINDBLOM
The Astorian
I
ABOVE: Astoria could receive $902,500 to mitigate potential landslides.
BELOW: Warrenton students regularly walk along Main Avenue.
n the coming years, federal
money could help bring a safe
pedestrian route to Warren-
ton, protection against landslides
in Astoria and an updated salmon
habitat restoration program to the
Columbia River.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
recommended these local projects
to be considered for federal funding
through two separate streams .
“There’s a tremendous need
in our community and I was very
pleased to advance these projects,”
Bonamici said, adding they would
not only benefi t Clatsop County,
but the whole region. “We really
looked for projects that need federal
investment, are good for the region,
create jobs, address public safety,
the climate and other issues that are
important to our region as well.”
The Oregon Democrat advanced
a $1.3 million request from Warren-
ton for a pedestrian corridor along
Main Avenue connecting down-
town to Warrenton High School.
The project is meant to create
safe, Americans with Disabilities
Act -accessible sidewalks, cross-
walks and transit access.
The congresswoman said War-
renton Mayor Henry Balensifer
told her that sidewalks were a pri-
ority for his grandmother when she
was mayor.
“Keeping students safe is import-
ant to me, and I was concerned to
hear that students and pedestrians
are struggling to safely navigate
this busy stretch of road,” Bonamici
said. “Addressing safety issues like
this one will support Warrenton’s
future growth, create jobs and bol-
ster the c ity’s eff orts to make War-
renton the safest and most welcom-
ing community it can be.”
See Bonamici, Page A6
Couple brings arcade back to Astoria
Gizmo’s to replace The Arc on Commercial
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Astorian
A
Edward Stratton/The Astorian
Andrea and Galen McDermed are reopening the former
Arc Arcade in Astoria as Gizmo’s Arcade & Eatery.
ndrea
and
Galen
McDermed saw the
vacant Arc Arcade and the
void of options for teenag-
ers when their parents are
downtown.
The self-described children
of the 1980s are planning to
help fi ll the void in June with
Gizmo’s Arcade & Eatery, a
retro gaming center with gour-
met hot dogs, beer and cider at
Commercial and 11th streets.
The Arc Arcade closed in
2017. Bonsai Hollow opened
over the summer on Marine
Drive, off ering a place for
board gamers to stock up
and hang out. But the nearest
arcade, aside from a 21-and-
over pinball room in Merry
Time Bar & Grill, is in Seaside.
“We view it through the
lens of a family,” Galen
McDermed said. “We have
four kids. When we’re travel-
ing to Seaside, we know we’re
going to have to commit to a
certain amount of money for
food, and then some entertain-
ment. So we wanted to kind of
bring that here.”
They wanted the arcade
to pay homage to their child-
hood, with tape deck wall-
paper and plans for He-Man
memorabilia. Instead of card
readers, Gizmo’s will use
old-school tokens to operate
machines and off er prizes out
of small plastic capsules.
See Gizmo’s, Page A6