Senior Moments
with Emma Edwards
Musings for a stormy November day
The other day it was a blus-
tery coastal day with torren-
tial rains coming down.
As you know, I am a bit of
a worrier, so the first thing
that came to my mind was the
Advent Day storm of Dec. 2,
2007.
If my memory is right, we
“dealt” with it for several days
with little letup. As always,
our electricity was the first
thing to go.
That’s when I became ac-
quainted with a little machine
called a car inverter. Many
have one to use when camp-
ing or hunting to have pow-
er to plug in a lamp or other
items.
Anyway, what an amaz-
ing help when my daugh-
ter brought hers over and
plugged in an extension cord
in the car, giving me electric-
ity.
The down side was that the
car had to be running, so that
used gas. But it was nice to
have a means of making cof-
fee and heating up my chick-
en noodle soup.
So, why was it called the Ad-
vent Day Storm? Duh! (As the
kids would say). The worst of
it hit us on Advent Day!
There are churches of all de-
nominations that start Christ-
mas season on Advent Day. It
is similar to Lent, which pre-
pares us for Easter.
In researching, I learned
that Advent originally lasted
40 days, involving fasting as
with Lent. In the ninth cen-
tury, the first day of Advent
changed to the Sunday clos-
est to Nov. 30 and the fourth
Sunday of Advent is the Sun-
day before Dec. 25, which, of
course, is Christmas.
Now the Advent season lasts
December 1, 2017
T he C olumbia P ress
6
21 to 28 days, depending
upon where the first Sunday
falls. Hit your Google button
to find an interesting study
about symbolism of the Ad-
vent wreath or use of candle
centerpieces.
A while ago, Phil Thomp-
son, who is moderator at the
Warrenton meal site, shared
a great idea for the holidays.
I will quote him: “A hug is
like a perfect gift. One size
fits all and nobody minds if
you exchange it.”
On the lighter side, I have to
share a story that 95-year-old
George Gunn shared with us
at the meal site the other day.
He is legally blind, so shares
with us by memory:
“A young man comes home
and says ‘Dad, I just got my
driver’s license and would
like to use the family car.’
Dad replies, ‘OK, son. But
first you have to get better
grades in school, keep your
room neat, clean the yard,
and cut your hair. Come
back in a month and then
we’ll see.’
“Well, a month passed and
the young man comes into
the house with his report
card in hand. ‘Dad, I got
great grades on my report
card and I’ve been keeping
my room clean, and the yard
is always neat. How about
letting me use the car?’
Dad replies, ‘That’s all true,
son, but you didn’t cut your
hair.’ Son says, ‘But, Dad,
Jesus had long hair.’
“Dad replies, ‘Yes, son, you’re
perfectly right. And He walked
everywhere he went.’ ”
Business: County vacates streets
Continued from Page 1
The streets are in the area
between the sheriff’s office on
19 Street and Astoria Ford.
“Vacating
the
subject
streets will ultimately facil-
itate the county’s efforts to
develop the business park,”
Warrenton Community De-
velopment Director Skip Url-
ing wrote in his report on the
request.
Development of the busi-
ness park is in the best in-
terest of residents, city and
county officials believe.
It’s zoned industrial, which
encompasses broad uses.
“The County Commis-
sion’s goal is for an employ-
ment-type use,” Summers
said. “Distributing, light
manufacturing,
but
not
heavy industrial.”
Senior lunch menu
Monday, Dec. 4: Spaghetti with red sauce and Italian sausage,
broccoli, navy bean soup, ice cream.
Thursday, Dec. 7: Pork stew, potatoes, carrots, coleslaw, choc-
olate cake.
The Warrenton senior lunch program is at noon (doors
open at 10:30 a.m.) Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton
Community Center, 170 SW Third St. Suggested donation is
$5 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more
information, call 503-861-3502.
Legal Ads
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Warrenton Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing at
7:00 P.M. December 14, 2017 at the Warrenton City Hall, Commission
Chamber regarding a an application submitted by Jennifer Bunch Wickiup
Consulting LLC on behalf of Stanley Johnson, Astoria Northwest Homes
Inc., to rezone Tax Lot 81028AD02500 from R10 Intermediate Density
Residential to RH High Density Residential. The subject property consists
of 0.76 acres and is located on the east bank of the Skipanon River and
north side of Highway 104 Spur.
This application will be reviewed under the procedures, standards and
criteria in Warrenton Municipal Code 16.36 High Density Residential Dis-
trict and 16.232 Land Use District Map and Text Amendments and Warren-
ton Municipal Code 16.208.060 Type IV Procedure (Legislative and Map
Amendments) although it is considered a quasi-judicial action.
All evidence to be relied upon to make a decision on this application is in
the public record and available for review at the Warrenton Building and
Planning Department, 225 S. Main Ave., Warrenton, at no cost. Copies can
be made at reasonable cost. A copy of the City’s staff report and recommen-
dation to the Planning Commission shall be available for review at no cost
at least seven days before the hearing, and that a copy shall be provided on
request at a reasonable cost.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE: All interested persons are invited to submit
written comments to Skip Urling, Community Development Director, War-
renton City Hall, PO Box 250, Warrenton, OR 97146 by 5:00 p.m. June 8,
2017, or present oral testimony at the public hearing. Failure to raise an
issue in by letter or in person at the hearing, or failure to provide state-
ments or evidence sufficient to afford the decision-maker an opportunity to
respond to the issue, means that an appeal based on that issue cannot be
filed with the State Land Use Board of Appeals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION contact Skip Urling, Community De-
velopment Director at 503.861.0920 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
noon/1:00 p.m. to 5:00p.m.
Published: The Columbia Press, December 1, 2017
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
A public hearing is scheduled before the City of Warrenton Planning
Commission at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at the Warren-
ton City Hall Commission Chambers, 225 S Main Avenue, Warrenton, re-
garding a land use application submitted by Adam Swensen of North River
Homes for preliminary plat approval for 74 lots for detached single-family
homes with development occurring in three phases on a portion of Tax Lot
810340000100. The project area is south of the Clatsop County Sheriff’s
Office and west of the western terminus of SE Willow Drive.
This application will be reviewed under the applicable standards and cri-
teria in Warrenton Municipal Code Chapters, 16.216 Land Divisions and
Lot Line Adjustments, 16.192 Large Scale Developments, 16.36 High Den-
sity Residential District, 16.140 Stormwater and Surface Water Manage-
ment, 16.152 Grading, Excavating and Erosion Control Plans, 16.256 Traffic
Impact Study, and 16.120 Access and Circulation. The review will follow
WMC 16.208.050 Type III Procedure (Quasi-Judicial).
Anyone wishing to participate in the above-noted public hearing may
present testimony orally at the public hearing, or submit written testimony,
which must be received by the Warrenton Planning and Building Depart-
ment no later than 5:00 P.M. on the day of the hearing. Written comments
may be mailed to Skip Urling, Community Development Director, Warren-
ton Planning and Building Department, P.O. Box 250, Warrenton Oregon,
97146-0250. Failure to raise an issue on the record in person or by letter
before the close of the record at the public hearing, or failure to provide
statements or evidence sufficient to afford the decision making body an
opportunity to respond to the issue, will preclude appeal to the Land Use
Board of Appeals based on that issue.
Anyone wishing to review and/or purchase copies of the application and/
or staff report may do so at the City of Warrenton Planning and Building
Department, Warrenton City Hall, 225 South Main, Warrenton. The staff
report will be available for review at no cost at least seven days before the
hearing. For more information call Skip Urling at 503.861.0920.
Published: The Columbia Press December 1, 2017