»INSIDE
WEEKLY
RTAINMENT
ARTS & ENTE
THURSDAY
JULY 15
2021
MEET THE ARTISTS WH CH O
SHAPED CANNON BEA
INTO
BOOK DELVES PAST
CITY’S ARTISTIC
PAGE 8
RAILROAD
EVENT
REVS UP
ASTORIA EVEN
TO BENEFIT
BUSINESSES
PAGE 4
T
PAGE 6
ENJOY AN
INDIAN DISH
AT HOME
PAGE 10
BAY CASINO; Col-
SHOALWATER x 108
Front Cover- ;
756
249482-1; 07.15 x 1.5; XPos: 0 YPos: 0, Width:
or; 4
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021
149TH YEAR, NO. 7
$1.50
College
sorts
through
enrollment
challenges
A software system
also poses problems
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Low enrollment at Clatsop Commu-
nity College, a pinch point in college board
elections, is starting to creep back up.
Though not yet at pre-pandemic lev-
els, enrollment for the fall quarter is show-
ing signs of signifi cant recovery, according
to a recent report submitted to the college
board . The fall numbers are on track with
enrollment levels seen in the 2018-19 aca-
demic year.
“Additionally, both applications and
admissions have surged compared to the
previous year,” the report stated.
In the spring, enrollment was reported
down by around 37% — a drop the col-
lege could not sustain for long, Chris Breit-
meyer, the college president, told the board
at budget hearings in May.
“Enrollment and retention will continue
to be a focus for us,” Breitmeyer told The
Astorian. He said the progress he’s seen so
far is encouraging.
But some issues continue with the col-
lege’s software system, CampusNexus,
another campaign theme in the May
election.
See College, Page A6
MORE INSIDE
County records 10th virus death • A6
Warrenton
reduces
spending
on tourism
promotion
Pares contribution to
regional committee
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
WARRENTON —The City Commis-
sion voted 4-1 on Tuesday night to reduce
the amount of lodging tax money the city
contributes to the Lower Columbia Tour-
ism Committee.
The tourism committee markets Asto-
ria and Warrenton as a combined desti-
nation and is funded by a percentage of
lodging taxes from both cities. Warrenton
had been distributing 6.8% of their lodg-
ing taxes to the committee, but will now
only distribute 2%.
In May, the city’s budget committee
voted to zero out funding to the tourism
committee and direct the revenue toward
the Hammond Marina capital reserve
fund.
Griffi n Reilly/The Astorian
Virtue at the Pointe in Astoria off ers addiction treatment.
‘It’s a loss-loss situation’
A lack of drug and alcohol abuse treatment options creates barriers to recovery
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
T
here are few options on the
North Coast for drug and alco-
hol addiction treatment. People
without private insurance have even
less access to help.
The number of treatment facili-
ties in Clatsop County has declined
over the years as the facilities have
become increasingly more challeng-
ing to operate fi nancially.
Awakenings by the Sea, a wom-
en’s only center in Seaside, and Virtue
a t t he Pointe in Astoria, are the two
inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the
county. Neither accept public insur-
ance. Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare,
the county’s mental health provider,
provides outpatient treatment.
There are few inpatient treatment
centers in the state that accept pub-
lic insurance, so people on the Ore-
gon Health Plan — the state’s Medic-
aid program for low-income residents
and the disabled — must look to
facilities in the Portland metro area,
Eugene and Hermiston.
Bridge to Pathways in St. Helens
was the closest medical detox center
that accepted public insurance, but
it temporarily closed due to staffi ng
challenges.
Amy Baker, the executive direc-
tor of Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare,
said it is diffi cult to fi nd facilities that
accept public insurance because the
rate of reimbursement from Medicaid
has long been substandard.
“The detox reimbursement rate is
fi ne, which is why we have access
to it,” she said. “It’s the residen-
Griffi n Reilly/The Astorian
The number of treatment facilities in Clatsop County has declined over the years.
tial rate, which is abysmal, which is
why we don’t have access to it. It’s
the few programs around the state
who fi gured out how to operate on a
dime, or maybe they’ve negotiated a
higher rate with their CCO (c oordi-
nated c are o rganization). But I think
that’s the question we have to ask our-
selves, is how can it be allowed to be
so disparate?
“But that’s the reason why we
don’t have access. I couldn’t run a
residential program on that rate.”
Baker added that while private
insurance has a higher rate of reim-
bursement, commercial carriers have
become more restrictive about what
they are willing to authorize, making
it more diffi cult for providers to get
paid.
Trista Boudon, an addictions coun-
selor at Clatsop Behavioral Health-
care who leads the agency’s mobile
recovery ally team, said the lack of
options for people on public insur-
ance and the uninsured is often why
people die instead of getting help.
The recovery ally team, known
as the “Ra-Ra Team,” is made up of
four staff ers who work with between
60 to 100 people at any given
time. Almost all are on public insur-
ance or are uninsured. Many are
homeless.
See Treatment, Page A6
‘I’M TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE DIE
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
RESOURCES TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.’
Trista Boudon | an addictions counselor at Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare
who leads the agency’s mobile recovery ally team
See Tourism, Page A6
Gallery, residence space coming to Gearhart
Speakmans intend
to display their art
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
The Gearhart Ironwerks space, which the Speakmans plan to adapt into a gallery.
GEARHART — The Planning
Commission has approved a local
family’s proposal to turn a former
metal works into a gallery and liv-
ing space off Pacifi c Way.
“By supporting local art-
ists, the city of Gearhart can
play an important role in add-
ing to the vibrancy and aesthet-
ics of the local community,” Jay
Speakman wrote in a letter to the
commission.
Speakman and his wife, Diane,
own Sesame + Lilies, a home
decor store in Cannon Beach.
The store originally started on the
corner of U.S. Highway 101 and
Pacifi c Way in 2003 before mov-
ing to Cannon Beach in 2007.
The couple’s daughter, Rachel,
is a painter and illustrator, he
said in the letter . At the Art Insti-
tute of Chicago, she specialized
in ceramic sculpture. “It is her
desire to return to this form of
See Gearhart, Page A6