»INSIDE
THURSDAY
AUG. 25
2022
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Co lumbia-P PAG ac E 6 ific pe
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150TH YEAR, NO. 24
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022
$1.50
COPELAND COMMONS
Location may
complicate
gap funding
Property is
outside urban
renewal district
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
The City Council was
supportive last week of
using urban renewal dollars
to help an Astoria nonprofi t
close a funding gap for an
aff ordable housing project
downtown.
However, after a further
look, the city discovered that
the former hotel building on
Marine Drive that the non-
profi t Copeland Commons
is looking to renovate is out-
side of the city’s Astor East
Urban Renewal District.
The district’s boundar-
ies extend to 14th Street
Garlic covered in
snow on April 11 at
46 North Farm.
between Marine Drive and
Exchange Street. The build-
ing the nonprofi t is looking
to renovate is just west of
12th Street.
Interim City Manager
Paul Benoit said expand-
ing the urban renewal dis-
trict to include the property
would be the city’s best tool
to assist the project.
He said the process is
laborious, fairly expensive,
would likely involve con-
sultants and take up to sev-
eral months.
“All that said, we have
done it before and could do
it again for a worthwhile
project,” Benoit said in an
email.
Andy Davis, a board
member of Copeland
See Copeland, Page A6
Contractor to
campaign for
City Council
Farmers fatigued
after unusual spring
Haefker a candidate for Ward 3
Cold, wet weather caused disruptions
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
MORE INSIDE
By ALEXIS WEISEND
The Astorian
Morrisey, Solem
Kris Haefker, a gen-
announce City Council
eral contractor and hous-
campaigns in Seaside • A6
ing provider, will run for the
Astoria City Council in the
was a window dresser for
November election.
Haefker will campaign Butch’s For Sir, a men’s
for the downtown Ward 3 clothing store downtown .
seat held by City Councilor
He continued to take on
Joan Herman. Herman has big projects — essentially
chosen not to seek a second, reconstructing
numer-
four-year term.
ous other historic
Elisabeth Adams,
buildings that fell
the owner of Wild
into disrepair. He
Roots Movement &
moved into one of
Massage downtown,
them and works
announced her intent
out of the base-
to run in July.
ment. Haefker con-
Haefker, origi-
tinues to main-
nally from Portland, Kris Haefker tain the buildings
purchased his fi rst
and has also com-
property in Asto-
pleted work on
ria on Grand Ave-
many other homes
nue in 2002. He
throughout the city.
repaired the vacant
“I’ve become a
and dilapidated his-
housing provider,
toric building and converted not that that was really my
it into rental housing.
ambition,” Haefker said.
Haefker said he looked “I have become a hous-
for a fi xer-upper in Asto- ing provider because I love
ria after remembering to fi x up old buildings. So
the times he visited as a
See Haefker, Page A6
child with his father, who
eresa Retzlaff , the owner
of 46 North Farm in
Olney , waited for that
moment all farmers watch for
in spring when it’s dry enough
to turn the beds over and mow
down the cover crop to prepare
for planting.
But as that moment was
delayed, she became worried.
Then, her early spring plants
were hit by an unexpected snow-
fall on April 11, stunting or kill-
ing many of her plants. A frost
came in May when the last frost
of the season usually comes in
T
April . The rain lasted until June.
Only about a quarter of her
perennials could be harvested .
“I’ve been growing on the
Oregon C oast for almost 20
years, and I don’t think I’ve ever
experienced a spring quite like
this,” she said.
With smaller summer har-
vests, farmers like Retzlaff are
still feeling the eff ects of strange
spring weather months later.
Tomatoes, corn, berries and
other items have been sparse at
farmers markets usually fi lled
with a variety of produce.
North Coast Food Web, a
nonprofi t that runs an online
farmers market, had a tough
time fi nding vendors this year
and has sold less produce from
local farmers due to the later
season, Caitlin Seyfried, the
food partnerships manager, said.
No farming year is typical,
but people across the board have
been impacted this year .
“It was like one thing after
another … ,” Retzlaff said.
“It was very depressing, very
worrying. And like I said, I’ve
been through some really bad
springs before and I’ve seen
snow, you know, like a light
snow in April before. I’ve seen
like frosts that are late. I mean
See Farmers, Page A6
‘I’VE BEEN THROUGH SOME REALLY BAD SPRINGS
BEFORE AND I’VE SEEN SNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE A LIGHT
SNOW IN APRIL BEFORE. I’VE SEEN LIKE FROSTS THAT
ARE LATE. I MEAN I’VE SEEN ELEMENTS OF ALL OF
THESE THINGS, BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN THEM ALL IN ONE
YEAR. IT WAS CRAZY. IT WAS REALLY UNEXPECTED.’
Teresa Retzlaff | owner of 46 North Farm in Olney
Advocates for domestic violence survivors look to help with housing, health care
Outreach is bilingual
and bicultural
By ALEXIS WEISEND
The Astorian
The Harbor has hired a hous-
ing navigator and community
health worker who are bilingual
and bicultural to help survivors
of domestic violence fi nd housing
and health care.
The new positions are intended
to help address barriers within the
Hispanic community.
“Just connecting with some-
body that can help you navigate
systems and know that you’re not
alone when you do that, it’s such
a huge help and a benefi t of the
well-being of the individual or the
families,” Maritza Romero, the
Latinx p rogram d irector for The
Harbor, said.
The housing navigator was
hired in partnership with the
Fair Housing Council of Ore-
gon, a statewide civil rights orga-
nization, allowing The Harbor to
assist people facing housing dis-
crimination and help with land-
lord-tenant issues. The navigator
connects people to local resources
and agencies that can help them
‘JUST CONNECTING WITH SOMEBODY
THAT CAN HELP YOU NAVIGATE SYSTEMS
AND KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE
WHEN YOU DO THAT, IT’S SUCH A HUGE
HELP AND A BENEFIT OF THE WELL-BEING
OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE FAMILIES.’
Maritza Romero | Latinx p rogram d irector for The Harbor
fi nd housing and build or restore
credit.
Romero said the housing crisis
in Clatsop C ounty already makes
fi nding housing diffi cult. But peo-
ple leaving situations of domes-
tic violence face additional chal-
lenges, such as a loss of income or
the need for child care.
The community health worker
will do community outreach,
educating people on where they
can access health care and how
domestic violence can aff ect men-
tal and physical health.
Having the housing naviga-
tor and community health worker
be bilingual and bicultural was
important to The Harbor. Lan-
guage or immigration status for
survivors in the Hispanic commu-
nity can be barriers to accessing
housing and health care, Romero
said.
It can be easier for survivors to
talk about their situation with rep-
resentatives of their community,
she said.
“ I know I lived and I’ve seen
those struggles. Right?” Romero
said. “So I feel that our com-
munity is able to connect with a
bicultural, bilingual better.”
Being visible through commu-
nity outreach is a critical compo-
nent of the new roles. Through
presentations and community
meetings, the housing naviga-
tor and community health worker
educate people on their rights and
available resources.
See Harbor, Page A2