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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper www.thecolumbiapress.com City meter project shorter, cheaper than expected June 8, 2018 Walmart makes a grand entrance B y c indy y ingst The Columbia Press Dozens of blue-vested work- ers scurry about the nearly open Walmart, shelving and pricing items. Contractors in yellow safety vests hang the final electrical cables and activate the last se- curity cameras. Two gentlemen greeters are assigned to the entryway, en- B y c indy y ingst The Columbia Press It’s not every day that a big govern- ment project comes in under budget and ahead of schedule. But that’s what happened on Warrenton’s wa- ter meter replacement project. Chris Dials Contracting of Tilla- mook was able to save taxpayers $17,592 and knock 17 days off the project work schedule. Public Works Director Collin Stelzig had the happy task of asking city commissioners to revise the contract in the city’s and state’s favor. “The state was surprised we called,” Stelzig told them. More than two years ago, the state’s Infrastructure Financing Authority approved a $1.1 million grant/loan combination so the city could replace all its obsolete meters within a three- year time frame. The city has about 3,300 water connections. Some of the assumptions about the size of the meters needed and Vol. 2, Issue 23 Top: Store Manager Kimberly Smith will welcome shoppers during Wednesday’s grand opening. Left: “Where the heck is Warrenton” reads a local specialty product. Below: Last-minute work in the pick-up area. Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press See ‘Project’ on Page 4 Grand opening All day Wednesday, June 13, with a brief ceremony at 8 a.m. suring employees, construc- tion workers and visitors get to their destinations. Store Manager Kimberly Smith works on plans for the store’s grand opening, a gala celebration with a Coast Guard presentation, food trucks, Sun- day Market vendors and other parking lot activities, an event she plans to extend through the weekend. “We’re going to have a good time with the community,” Smith says. It’s her third stint as a Walmart store manager, her second building a store from the ground up. While she comes to Warrenton from Washington state, 98 percent of the store’s 300 employees are local. “And I’ve already promoted 10 percent of them after we got into the store,” she says. With See ‘Walmart’ on Page 4 Applications ready for this year’s Fourth of July activities Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press Ted and Pam Lively showed off their 1915 Mod- el T Ford Roadstar at last year’s Fourth of July car show. The Columbia Press The Old-Fashioned Fourth of July committee has begun taking appli- cations for the annual parade, car show and motorcycle tailgate party. The 2018 theme is “Salute Our Heroes.” “We do not have a single grand marshal this year,” said Mike Moha, committee chairman. “All of our ‘heroes’ are being honored.” Old-Fashioned Fourth of July is sponsored by the city of Warrenton and the Warrenton Business Asso- ciation. Applications have been e-mailed to prior parade participants. Ap- plications also are available at City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave., or by send- ing an e-mail to warrentonfourt- hofjuly@gmail.com. A ctivities • Barbecue: Warrenton Firefight- ers Association has its annual free community barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. at Warrenton Fire Station. • Car Show: If you’ve got a “cool” car, enter it in the all-category car show, which is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Robinson Community Park. • Motorcycle Show & Tailgate Party sponsored by North Coast ABATE: It’s from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Robinson Community Park. • The Decoration Station and Kids’ Activity Area: Children can deco- rate their bikes and play games in the gravel lot adjacent to Warren- ton Fire Station. Sponsored by Cal- vary Assembly of God, volunteers will help children decorate and ride with them in the parade. Decorating and a chance to show off bikes is from noon to 3 p.m. For more information about any of the activities, contact Moha at 503-861-2281 (work) or 503-298- 0470 (cell).
