Hazen wins
5-year transit
post contract
Sunset Empire Transpor-
tation District’s board of di-
rectors has extended the con-
tract of Executive Director
Jeff Hazen.
Hazen, who was a finalist
for a job at another agency,
will get $90,000 per year,
according to the contract
agreed upon at a special
meeting Nov. 29.
Hazen is a former mayor
of Warrenton
and was assis-
tant manager
at Costco for
years.
He was ap-
pointed to the
executive di-
rector post in
Hazen
2014, the first
permanent director after
former director Cindy Howe
resigned in 2011 amid accu-
sations of misconduct and
spending mismanagement.
Hazen’s initial contract was
for three years, but the board
chose to extend that to five
years, board member Lylla
Gaebel said.
Sunset Empire receives
about $900,000 per year
through county property tax
assessments as well as state
and federal public transit
grants.
December 8, 2017
T he C olumbia P ress
8
This Weekend
,
Symphony and
HS choir perform
Cellos take stage
with English
rock band’s work
Portland Cello Project per-
forms at 7:30 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 8, at the Liberty The-
ater, 1203 Commercial St.,
Astoria.
Portland Cello Project will
perform Radiohead’s “OK
Computer,”
interspersed
with creatively curated con-
trasting and complementa-
ry pieces of classical music.
The group will be joined
vocally by Portland musi-
cians Kyleen King and Adam
Shearer.
King plays viola who has
performed on recordings of
many artists, including My
Morning Jacket and Band
of Horses. Shearer has been
a fan-favorite collaborator
with the Cello Project for
the last 10 years. The singer/
songwriter has appeared on
MTV and NBC.
Tickets are $25 general
admission. The box office
opens at 2 p.m. on show day.
Columbia River Sympho-
ny and the Warrenton High
School Choir present a free
family concert at 7 p.m. Sat-
urday, Dec. 9, at the Liberty
Theater, 1203 Commercial
St., Astoria.
It’s the second year the two
have joined forces to present
“’Tis the Season: A Holiday
Concert.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
in the lobby.
Admission is $10 for adults
and free to children under
12 when accompanied by an
adult. Tickets can be pur-
chased at the door.
Tuba fete features
Chorale’s concert jazz, holiday tunes
focuses on stars
An annual Tuba Christ-
North Coast Chorale will
have its winter concert, “Mys-
teries of the Stars,” during
two performances.
The first is at 7 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 8; the second is 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 10. Both are at
the Performing Arts Center,
corner of 16 and Franklin
streets, Astoria.
The concert is a collection
of compositions all involv-
ing stars -- what they are,
how we use them, and how
beautiful they are. The mu-
sic will be performed in a
variety of genre, including
sacred, secular and gospel.
Karin Temple will deliver
poetry about stars and an as-
sortment of art by Jo Pome-
roy Crockett will be displayed
mas concert by Astoria Tuba
Quartet is set for 2 p.m. Sat-
urday, Dec. 9, at the Colum-
bia Pacific Heritage Museum,
115 S.E. Lake St., Ilwaco.
The family-friendly concert
is free and includes a variety
of seasonal selections, jazz
arrangements and a polka or
two. Tuba Christmas is spon-
sored by the Ilwaco Mer-
chants Association.
For more information, call
the museum at 360-642-
3446.
Open house set
for Astor Place
Astor Place, a senior living
facility in Astoria, will have
its holiday open house from
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9.
There will be refreshments,
a raffle and a community giv-
ing tree where attendees are
welcome to provide support
for a senior in need for the
holidays.
Astor Place is at 999 Klas-
kanine Ave. For more infor-
mation, call Allanah at 503-
325-6970.
Two churches
host bazaars
Two Astoria church will
have holiday fairs this week-
end.
First Lutheran Church
has its Christmas bake sale
and bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the
church, 725 33 St. Included
are Scandinavian items, a
gently used Christmas deco-
ration table, baked goods and
more.
First Presbyterian Church
has its holiday fair from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec.
9, in the fellowship hall of the
church, corner of Harrison
Avenue and 11 Street.
Portland’s Festival of Lights in its third decade
Festival of Lights runs every evening through Christmas.
The Grotto’s annual Fes-
tival of Lights has been an
ever-growing
community
tradition that celebrates the
true spirit of Christmas, pro-
moters say.
Through lighting, family
entertainment and magnif-
icent indoor concerts, the
festival has been highlighting
the sights and sounds of the
season since 1988.
It is the world’s largest
Christmas choral festival
with more than 175 choirs
and ensembles from around
the region performing in the
Chapel of Mary, known for its
cathedral-like acoustics.
Other family entertain-
ment includes nightly puppet
shows, outdoor caroling and
a live petting zoo, this year
featuring B.C., the baby cam-
el.
Festival hours are 5 to 9:30
p.m. Admission is $11, with a
$1 discount for members of
the military and senior citi-
zens 65 and older. Children 3
to 12 are $6.
Visitors are encouraged to
bring a donation of canned
or dry food benefiting Snow-
Cap, a Portland food bank.
Parking is free and volun-
teer attendants will help di-
rect visitors to the most con-
venient parking.
The Grotto is a Catho-
lic-based ministry run by the
Servite Friars and the Order
of Friar Servants of Mary.
To learn more, visit the festi-
val’s web page at thegrotto.org