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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2021)
WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2021 149TH YEAR, NO. 59 $1.50 Local agencies partner on warming center in Seaside Low-barrier shelter to open in December By R.J. MARX The Astorian S EASIDE — A new warming center will give homeless people an alter- native to sleeping outside in the cold. The 15-bed, low-barrier shelter on S. Roosevelt Drive will open on Dec. 1. The outreach is a combined project between Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Cen- ters, the city, Clatsop Community Action and the Sunset Empire Park and Recre- ation District. The warming center was announced in a year of prioritizing homeless issues, with the goal of transitional and perma- nent housing for people in need. Rec- ommendations from city, county and nonprofi t leaders delivered to the City C ouncil prior to Monday’s meeting sought to defi ne and implement strategies to address homelessness . In February, a warming center pro- posed at the former Broadway Middle School — now the Sunset Recreation Center — was rejected by the park dis- trict’s board. With the approach of another winter, a shelter remained a priority. “Low barrier means they could have had a drink that day. They could have used (drugs) that day,” said Alan Evans, of Helping Hands. “They can come to the facility, but they can’t come to the facility and drink and use (drugs) at the facility.” The warming center, which will open in winter months during inclement weather, is fully funded for at least one year, Evans said. See Seaside, Page A3 Lydia Ely/The Astorian BACKGROUND: The Astoria Warming Center is based out of the First United Methodist Church above downtown. Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Astoria draws drinking water from the Bear Creek watershed. Water break prompts call to conserve Transmission line tied to watershed By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Warming center preps for season A low-barrier emergency shelter at First United Methodist Church By ERICK BENGEL The Astorian he Astoria Warming Center, a place that provides overnight shelter for homeless people during the months of wintry weather, plans to open for its eighth season on Monday. Hours will run 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. As usual, supper will be served and showers will be on off er. This will be the warming center’s sec- ond season of having to work around the coronavirus. By this point, the crew and clientele have adjusted to a setting with masks, temperature checks, sleeping mats spaced 6 feet apart and other pandemic protocols. The warming center is hoping gradu- ally to bring back volunteer positions. T When COVID arrived, the center had to do away with most volunteers and move almost entirely to paid staff . This was partly to reduce the number of people coming in and out of the space — the basement of the First United Methodist Church at Frank- lin Avenue and 11th Street — and partly because the volunteer base skewed older, a demographic especially vulnerable to the virus. On Sunday, the board of directors’ meeting will be an open house, held vir- tually at 4 p.m., for anyone who wants to talk to board members about donating their time. The board itself, which is all volunteer, is also looking to fi ll roles. Billie Delaney, the warming center coordinator, said the organization is “at an evolving place with COVID. I don’t think any of us can know where COVID will be a month into the season.” See Church, Page A3 Residents and businesses were urged to limit water use after the city reported a break in the transmission line from the Astoria watershed Friday morning. The city asked people to only use the amount of water required for nor- mal, daily routines. City staff planned to reach out to Astoria breweries, which are among the highest water users , and ask them to conserve water as much as possi- ble during this time. The break impacts Astoria and the out- lying water districts the watershed serves, including Willowdale, Fernhill, John Day, Olney, Walluski, Riverpoint and Williamsport. The city advised water customers in Willowdale, Fernhill, John Day, Olney, Walluski, Riverpoint and around the Clat- sop County Fairgrounds to boil all water before using until further notice. “While the danger to public health is low, we are taking all necessary precau- tions to ensure the safety and health of the public,” Eric Bufkin, the city’s water qual- ity supervisor, said in a statement. The city stores water in four diff erent areas and typically has more than a week’s worth of water on hand, but past breaks See Water, Page A2 In Warrenton, the daff odil is the new city fl ower City Commission votes to replace phlox By ETHAN MYERS The Astorian WARRENTON — Phlox is out. The City Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to make the daff odil the city fl ower. Spruce Up Warrenton, a non- profi t that seeks to beautify the city, advocated for the change. “When you drive down the Oregon Coast, or you start to get close to this area, you just see them everywhere,” Jeanne Smith, the chairwoman of Spruce Up, said of the daff odil. “It is just a fl ower that pops up … Peo- ple’s front yards, on the side of the highway, they’re just everywhere. They just grow like crazy — places you wouldn’t even think a fl ower could grow, they’re there.” In an emergency declaration back in 1927, the city adopted an ordinance making phlox the offi - cial fl ower. City Commissioner Rick New- ton was unsure why the city declared an emergency, but noted the city used to have many bizarre regulations and ordinances that seemingly had no explanation. The daff odil has some history in Warrenton. While not native to the North Coast, Newton said daff odil bulbs were raised in vast fi elds for export prior to World War II. “With the phlox, for most peo- ple, unless they’re a major gar- dener, they have no clue what that fl ower is,” Smith said. Spruce Up will plant daff odil bulbs on Saturday morning along walking trails. They have dis- cussed making a sign detailing the fl ower’s history. Smith said they hope to “have them popping up everywhere when you enter into Warrenton.” Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Daff odils are often seen in the spring on the North Coast.
