T he C olumbia P ress
1
50 ¢
C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper
www.thecolumbiapress.com
June 22, 2018
Body of missing
fisherman found
Vol. 2, Issue 25
Summertime and
school cafeterias
keep on cooking
The Columbia Press
The body of Scappoose man who
disappeared while fishing on the coast
was found June 16 in Fort Stevens
State Park.
Bret Allen Yates, 52,
had been reported
missing June 13 when
he failed to return
from a fishing trip.
The
area
was
searched Wednesday
and the Coast Guard
issues multiple alerts
throughout the day,
Yates
asking boaters to be
on the lookout for him.
His body washed ashore at Social
Security Beach, on the river side of
Fort Stevens.
Foul play is not suspected and there
was nothing suspicious related to the
death, according to the Clatsop Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Department.
Yates left his home about 7:45 p.m.
June 12 and planned to fish from the
beach near South Jetty.
He’d texted his wife, Mechelle, at
9:45 p.m. to let her know he’d arrived
at Fort Stevens.
Mechelle Yates reported her husband
missing Wednesday morning after he
failed to return home as planned.
When school lets out for the summer,
thousands of Oregon children lose ac-
cess to breakfast, lunch and after-school
meals that are available during the regu-
lar school year.
Many children and families rely on
school meals to supplement what’s avail-
able at home. The Summer Food Service
Program helps fill the gap by providing
free nutritious meals to children and
teens over the summer months.
Programs are offered throughout Clat-
sop County and the state.
Free meals and enrichment activities
are offered at participating summer sites,
including many schools, parks and other
nonprofit organizations.
Above: Making healthy
The program is underutilized, program
choices is the theme of
organizers
say, with many families un-
school lunches these
aware
of
the
free meals and activities in
days. Salads, fruit, veg-
their
communities.
etables and grain-filled
Nationally, only one in six children
desserts are on the menu.
who receive free or reduced-price meals
Left: A typical school-year during the school year continue to receive
breakfast selection of fruit, meals during the summer.
yogurt and granola.
Increasing awareness of and access to
these programs can have a significant im-
Photos courtesy Oregon
pact by helping to provide food for those
Department of Education
See ‘Lunches’ on Page 4
Plans for expanded community center may find a home
B y C indy y ingst
The Columbia Press
Turning hopes into reality can be
difficult, but dreams seldom come
true without a game plan.
The board of Warrenton Senior Cit-
izens Inc. hopes to develop a winning
strategy for an expansion of Warren-
ton Community Center.
“It’s a vision of some of our board
members to provide a five-day-a-
week experience,” said Don Mellison,
one of four people on a task force for
development of a senior center in
Warrenton.
His group offers reduced-price
meals for seniors on Mondays and
Thursdays at the community center,
which is owned by the city of War-
renton. But that’s about it for senior
activities.
A designated space for seniors –
whether a stand-alone senior center
or an expansion of the city’s facility –
could offer daily meals and serve as a
drop-in center for socializing, games,
classes and lectures.
“A number of us have gotten togeth-
er and said we want a senior center
added on to the existing community
center,” said Gil Gramson, a former
city manager, mayor and current task
force member.
“We’re just getting the ball rolling,”
he said. “The main thing is that there’s
going to be more and more seniors. Warrenton Community Center could
They need that place to go for social- be expanded to include an area
See ‘Senior center’ on Page 6 solely for senior citizens.