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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2022)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 IN BRIEF State reports 50 new virus cases for county The Oregon Health Authority reported 50 new coronavirus cases for Clatsop County on Friday. Since the pandemic began, the county had reported 3,989 virus cases and 37 deaths as of Friday. — The Astorian Oregon hospitals near breaking point during COVID surge Health offi cials say Oregon hospitals are near their COVID-19 breaking point as the state is expected to reach peak hospitalizations in coming weeks. Fueled by the highly contagious omicron vari- ant, hospitalizations could soon surpass the pandemic high, offi cials said Friday. “(The pandemic) is not behind us yet,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health offi cer and epidemiologist. — Associated Press Oregon wine leads US in growing direct-to-consumer sales PORTLAND — Bolstered by high demand and rising prices, Oregon’s wine industry led the U.S. in accelerating its rate of growth for direct-to-consumer sales in 2021, according to an analysis of shipment data from more than 1,300 wineries nationwide. The annual report, issued by Sovos ShipCompli- ant and Wines Vines Analytics, shows Oregon winer- ies shipped 560,702 cases of wine valued at $285.5 million. That represents an increase of 12.9% in volume and 18.7% in sales value over 2020, outperforming all other wine regions across the country. Pinot noir dominated the share of Oregon direct- to-consumer sales, accounting for more than half of the state’s wine shipments and two-thirds of the total sales value. — Capital Press DEATHS Jan. 30, 2022 GROTHE, Alvin J., 96, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Ocean View Funeral & Cremation Service of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. In Brief print_headline MEMORIALS Wednesday, Feb. 2 GRABER, Billie — Graveside service at 10 a.m. at Willamette National Cemetery, 1800 S.E. Mount Scott Blvd. in Portland. Graber, 76, of Seaside, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Seaside. Memorials A celebration of life will be held July 9 for friends and family in Seaside. Saturday, Feb. 5 HAUKE, Michael Holden — Graveside service at 11 a.m., Ocean View Cemetery, 575 S.W 18th St. in Warrenton. ON THE RECORD Strangulation ing under the infl uence of On • Andy the Bierlee Record Loke, intoxicants, reckless driv- 47, of Seaside was indicted last week for strangulation, assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic vio- lence and attempted assault in the fourth degree consti- tuting domestic violence. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in January. Weapons charges • Ricky Lee Guz- man, 60, of Madras, was arraigned last week on charges of fl eeing or attempting to elude a police offi cer, driv- ing, two counts of unlaw- ful possession of a fi rearm and two counts of carry- ing a concealed weapon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Clatsop County in September. Theft • Michael John Lyly, 36, of Hillsboro, was arraigned last week on charges of theft in the second degree. The crime was alleged to have occurred in Clatsop County in July. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A. Port of Astoria Commission, 4 p.m., (electronic meeting). Clatsop Care Health District Board, 5 p.m., (electronic meeting). Astoria Library Board, 5:30 p.m., Flag Room, 450 10th St. (and via Zoom). Clatsop County Fair Board, 5:30 p.m., 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria. Cannon Beach City Council, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting). Seaside Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broad- way. WEDNESDAY Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 10 a.m., work session, (electronic meeting). Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m., (electronic meeting). THURSDAY Astoria Design Review Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Seaside Parks Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. PUBLIC MEETINGS REFLECTION Lydia Ely/The Astorian People, refl ected in a puddle, walk back to their cars after sunset at Fort Stevens State Park. Chamber recognizes business and community leaders Annual event celebrates the best of local outreach By ABBEY McDONALD The Astorian On Saturday night, busi- ness leaders fl ocked to the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, some opting for waist-length crab bibs over semi formal attire. The 149th a nnual m eet- ing and b anquet for the Asto- ria-Warrenton Area Cham- ber of Commerce recognized the community service work of businesses and individuals this past year. David Reid, the cham- ber’s executive director, wearing a royal-blue rail- road conductors’ uniform to follow the event’s theme of “back on track,” said he was excited to be back in person after holding the event virtu- ally last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event had a lower capacity of 130 people, spaced out among a greater number of tables. All went quiet for the main event, which were awards for outstanding com- munity service. First up was the Board President’s Award, selected by 2021 president Lois Per- due, and awarded to Bridge- water Bistro for their help with the Great Columbia Crossing and communication throughout the pandemic. Next was the Ambassa- dor’s Choice Award, which went to Hampton Lumber for its infrastructure proj- ects, forest management and employment in the area. Lindsay Davis, Hamp- ton’s outreach specialist and stewardship coordinator, said the award was a surprise and an honor. “We are so grateful to have had such an impact on the community, because it’s had such an impact on us,” she said. The Richard Ford Distin- guished Service Award went to Brenda and Norm Hox- sey, of Spruce Up Warren- ton, which cleaned up over (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Circulation phone number: 800-781-3214 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2022 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Chamber award winners pose for a group photo. From left, Chris Laman, Lindsay Davis, Kevin Leahy, Janet Bowler, Judi Lampi, Norm Hoxsey and Brenda Hoxsey. 70 properties last year. The pair also worked to revital- ize downtown Warrenton and clean up local trails and parks. “While Spruce Up War- renton is full of active per- sons, many deserving credit, these two were directly responsible for the formation and continual expansion of work by Spruce Up Warren- ton and the outsized impact of their work over the past few years makes them the obvious choice for this most prestigious of awards,” War- renton Mayor Henry Balen- sifer said . Astoria Mayor Bruce Jones presented the fi rst of two George Awards for com- munity service, selected by both the c ity and the c hamber. Judi Lampi and Janet Bowler received an award for their near six-year eff ort to build the Astoria Nordic Heritage Park. They received a standing ovation, and even with the assistance the city was willing to pro- vide on rent, was just too much for a new nonprofi t to expect to overcome in the near term,” Citovic said in a text message. “And this was confi rmed by our con- tacts in the philanthropy world, especially given that there is not a family income or need-based element for admissions.” Citovic said the nonprofi t estimates the child care pro- gram would need an addi- tional $300,000 to $400,000 per year. She said while the group is stepping back for now, “we are waiting in the wings to help in any way we can Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 Bowler called it a “shocking surprise.” “We’re proud to be a part of our community,” said Lampi, who added that their work would not have been possible without the 866 peo- ple who donated over $1.5 million toward the project. Former s tate Sen. Betsy Johnson, who is making an independent bid for gov- ernor, presented the fi nal George Award to someone she said she consulted with repeatedly in her work, and that she considers a personal friend. Kevin Leahy, the d irector of the Small Business Devel- opment Center and Clat- sop Economic Development Resources, had a bounce in his step as he approached the stage to another standing ovation. “Growing up in this com- munity, and looking at the names of who have won before, it’s just an honor,” said Leahy, who called his work in community develop- ment his dream job. He said the award was especially meaningful to him coming from Johnson, and in front of a room full of friends and colleagues. The fi nal award of the night, the Applause Award, went to Chris Laman, the d irector of p harmacy and c an- cer c enter services at Colum- bia Memorial Hospital. “His organizational skills, his knowledge of com- plex medical challenges, his calm leadership, and just his unfl appable charm turned lit- tle old Clatsop County’s vac- cine rollout into a model for our entire state,” Johnson said . Afterward, Laman praised the work of over 300 volun- teers that put the c ounty in the upper rungs of state vac- cination rates. “Without the whole com- munity coming together, we wouldn’t have been able to do what w e did, ” he said. Nonprofi t: Center relies on lower-paid, part-time labor Continued from Page A1 Established July 1, 1873 Photos by Abbey McDonald/The Astorian Kevin Leahy was recognized with the George Award for his work in the community. WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 as the future of Sprouts becomes clearer.” Jonah Dart-McLean, Astoria’s parks director, said the city plans to discuss how to move forward with the City Council during a work session later this month. “(We) just need to get more discussion with coun- cil on where their priori- ties are and how we can best off er the existing ser- vices we have in place with the resources we have,” he said. The day care, run by the Astoria Parks and Rec- reation Department at the Astoria Recreation Center, has become increasingly taxing on department staff . The center relies heav- ily on lower-paid, part-time labor, which has been espe- cially challenging to hire and retain during the coro- navirus pandemic. After opening nearly a decade ago because of the need for child care in the community, the day care still serves as a vital resource in the county. Child care options on the North Coast remain scarce, and the center is one of the few of its size that provides care for infants.
