T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C laTsoP C ounTy ’ s i ndePendenT W eekly n eWsPaPer www.thecolumbiapress.com Vol. 2, Issue 27 July 6, 2018 No dampened spirits on Fourth of July B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press Thousands reveled in patriot- ic pomp and frivolity Wednesday despite the coldest, windiest and rainiest Fourth of July in memory. “The weather didn’t work out, but it was one of our best parades,” said Mike Moha, Old-Fashioned Fourth of July director. “The flyover was great,” Moha said. “Thank you, Mayor Balensifer for getting those F15s and to the Coast Guard for the helicopter. It was one of the longest parades and the car show was our biggest ever.” At least 40 cars were entered in the cool car show and 20 motorcycles in the hot mo- torcycle party, both at Robinson Communi- ty Park. “My family and I come every year. My More than a dozen unlicensed con- tractors and many other violations were found last month when the state Construction Contractor Board made sweeps of job sites from Astoria to Newport. The sweeps, which included 157 sites on the coast, were part of a mul- tistate action targeting the construc- tion industry. The largest number of violations in- volved people working on home-im- provement projects without a con- tractor license, including contractors who hired unlicensed subcontractors or worked on homes built prior to 1978 without the required lead-based paint renovation license. The sweeps are made “to protect consumers from unlicensed contrac- tors and to level the playing field for legitimate contractors,” lead investi- gator Eric McLauchlin said. The board is sending notices of in- tent to issue civil penalties to those suspected of violations. Peggy Yingst/The Columbia Press See ‘Fourth’ on Page 4 Top left: Astoria Regatta’s “Making Waves” float included the Regatta Court. Top right: A young girl prepares to pass out books to children on the parade route on behalf of Clatsop CASA. Right: A group of Boy Scouts have fun with a skeleton Mike Adelmann set up at his 1965 Mustang in the car show. State targets unlicensed contractors, other violations Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press See ‘Contractors’ on Page 6 Day for dog lovers and honoring Lewis & Clark’s 34th expedition member The 25th annual Seaman’s Day, which commemorates the dog who ac- companied the Corps of Discovery, will be Wednesday, July 11, at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Fort Clatsop. There were 33 people on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which spent the winter of 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop. Sea- man, Capt. Meriwether Lewis’ New- foundland dog, with the 34th member. According to the explorers’ journals, Seaman served as a watchdog, hunt- er, retriever, companion and diplomat during the two-and-a-half year trek. The park has invited some guest Newfoundland dogs and their people to volunteer for the event. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about Seaman and to meet some modern Newfoundland dogs. The day’s schedule includes: 10:30 a.m., Flintlock program 11 a.m., Netul River Trail walk 11:30 a.m., “Our Dog Seaman” talk 12:30 p.m., Meet the Newfoundland dogs 1:30 p.m., Flintlock program 2 p.m., Netul River Trail walk 2:30 p.m., Meet the Newfoundland dogs 3:30 p.m., “Our Dog Seaman” talk 4:30 p.m., Flintlock program Kids Corps dog-themed crafts will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the visitor center. Costumed rangers will be at the fort during the day to answer questions and share living history. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 per adult and free for those 15 and younger. For more information, call the park at 503-861-4414. Bjorn, one of the dogs who participated in last year’s Seaman’s Day. Photo courtesy Fort Clatsop