T he C olumbia P ress
1
50 ¢
C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper
503-861-3331
March 2, 2018
Vol. 2, Issue 9
A ‘Natural’ fit with shoppers
Voters will be
Ice cream social lures residents on grocer’s opening day asked to keep
police position
B C
y
y
Indy
Ingst
The Columbia Press
The lure of ice cream, muffins and a chance to
win free groceries brought hundreds of shop-
pers to Youngs Bay Plaza for Natural Grocers’
two-day grand opening.
The all-organic GMO- and hormone-free food
seller’s 21,800-square-foot Warrenton store
was much anticipated.
“It’s a lovely store,” said Sandy Van Meer of
Astoria, who was sampling elk and black-bean
sliders from the catered spread set up in the
education center at the back of the store. “It’s
all delicious.”
As more people opt for healthier lifestyles,
choice is essential, Van Meer said. “I love the
(Astoria) Co-op, but it’s not as convenient for a
lot of people who live out this way.”
Jessica Harris drove in from Cannon Beach
for the grand opening.
“I’m impressed with the selection
and it’s a beautiful set-up. And they
have snacks, so that’s great,” Harris
said as she searched through the
health and beauty aisles. “They’ve
got a good variety of price ranges –
they’ve got products from $6 to $22
Bermudez for face wash.”
Lilly Bermudez of Seaside, who
was shopping in the grocery aisles, has made
trips to Portland in search of healthful prod-
See ‘Grocers’ on Page 4
Above: A worker
prepares to install
the grocery store’s
sign last Friday.
Left: Shoppers
comb the grocery
aisles at the Tues-
day night opening.
Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
Tide changes in Eighth Street Dam controversy
The Columbia Press
State law precludes Warrenton
from replacing the old tide gates re-
moved from the Eighth Street Dam
in 2015, the state’s top fish passage
expert told city leaders Tuesday.
“We have a long history in this
state of fish-passage challenges,”
said Greg Apke, Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife’s state-
wide fish passage program leader.
Oregon’s laws governing tide gates
date to 1859, when it became a state.
All older tide gates – and Oregon
has more than 1,200 -- were grandfa-
thered in. But anytime there is signifi-
cant change, such as new construction
or major maintenance, the state has
the authority to require fish-friendly
tide gates or their total removal, Apke
told city commissioners.
“There’s not a tide gate in Oregon
that doesn’t pose a problem for fish,”
he said. “I’ve yet in my 25 years seen a
The Columbia Press
Residents will be asked in May to con-
tinue paying for a Warrenton police of-
ficer position.
The funding would come from the
extension of a property tax levy first
passed in 1999.
Warrenton Police Department has
seven officers and, should the levy fail,
at least one officer position would be
cut.
“There is not some magic pot of mon-
ey,” Mayor Henry Balensifer said at
Tuesday night’s City Commission meet-
ing. “This will end in some real cuts if
we don’t have this levy.”
Home owners currently pay 28 cents
per $1,000 of assessed property value,
or $56 per year on a home valued at
$200,000. If approved, that would con-
tinue until 2024. The current levy ends
in June 2019.
“We feel that continuing at 28 cents is
reasonable,” City Manager Linda Eng-
bretson said. “And thought it best to go
out (for the vote) in spring rather than
try to compete with whatever is on the
November ballot.”
Two bond measures are expected to
face voters in November.
Warrenton-Hammond School District
is likely to approve placing a long-range
See ‘Police levy’ on Page 6
tide gate that is fully compliant with
fish passage.”
And the gate connected to the
Eighth Street Dam was among the
worst, with top hinges that make fish
passage nearly impossible, he said.
“Tide gates have a function, don’t
get me wrong,” Apke said. “I might
represent fish, but I’m also a farmer.”
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press
He recently worked with a farm- City Commissioners Pam Ackley and
er in Nehalem who had to replace a Mark Baldwin review details of an apart-
See ‘Tide gates’ on Page 5 ment project appeal Tuesday night.