T he C olumbia P ress
1
50 ¢
C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper
www.thecolumbiapress.com
Warrenton
strong: A call
for fiscal vigor
B y C indy y ingst
The Columbia Press
Warrenton needs you – yes you – to
keep it on the path of economic suc-
cess.
The entire town and its business
leaders are being asked to come to-
gether to create a vision for economic
vitality.
The first of four Economic Vitality
Roadmap meet-
If you go
ings is Monday
Who: All residents
in Hammond.
and business
“You have a
leaders
very
terrific and
What: Economic
simple
vision,”
Vitality Roadmap
Mary Bosch told
planning
When: 5:30-8 p.m. city leaders re-
cently. She is
Monday, Aug. 20
Where: Gateway
director of rural
Community Church, economic vitali-
796 Pacific Drive,
ty for RDI, a Eu-
Hammond
gene-based non-
profit company.
“Warrenton has an incredibly di-
verse strong economy,” she said. “I
can’t state enough how important
that is to long-term stability.”
The city has a range of small and
large retailers plus major employ-
er-producers in lumber and fishing.
There’s light industry, three marinas,
hospitality businesses and even tour-
ist attractions.
Few rural cities are so lucky, Bosch
said.
RDI’s mission is to help rural com-
munities thrive. The company re-
ceives 95 percent of its funding from
foundations, such as the Ford Family
Foundation of Roseburg.
One of the city commission’s goals
this fiscal year is revitalizing down-
towns.
“Hammond’s got one. Warrenton’s
See ‘Roadmap’ on Page 6
Vol. 2, Issue 33
August 17, 2018
Pacific Seafood tackles adversity and wins
New state of art
plant rises from
ashes of 2013 fire
Left: Chief Execu-
tive Frank Dulcich
speaks to the
crowd gathered
for the reopening.
Below: Dulcich’s
grandsons, Charlie
and Dominic, on a
whiting processor.
Below left: A
worker unloads
yellowtail rockfish
from the Pacific
Conquest.
Peggy Yingst
The Columbia Press
B y P eggy y ingst
The Columbia Press
Pacific Seafood, a leader in the fishing
industry, celebrated its grand reopen-
ing Tuesday with speeches, facility
tours and employee recognition.
The new facility is on the precise spot
where a fire destroyed the original
plant and dock in 2013.
“Today is a celebration of resilience
and strength in the face of adversity,
a celebration of community, a celebra-
tion of the seafood industry, which is
among the best in the world,” Frank
Dulcich, chief executive of Pacific Sea-
food, announced to the crowd.
He thanked the community and elect-
ed officials for their support and paid
homage to his grandfather, Pacific Sea-
food founder Franck Dulcich, a Croa-
tian immigrant who began the business
in Portland in 1941 by selling fresh sea-
food out of the back of his truck.
See ‘Seafood’ on Page 5
Warrenton High School girl wins Regatta queen title
Scott Docherty/Redhare
Catherine Tapales is
crowned Regatta queen.
The Columbia Press
Warrenton High School senior Catherine
Tapales was named Regatta queen during
a competition at the Liberty Theatre on the
first night of the five-day maritime festival.
Tapales, who turns 17 this month, com-
peted against Danielle Morinville of Knap-
pa High School, Katie Zagata of Seaside
High School and Nikkole Sasso of Astoria
High School. She succeeds 2017 queen Me-
gan Postlewait.
“I was very shocked when they said my
name,” Tapales said. “It was such a surreal
experience and it went by like a blur. At the
reception, I was super happy and everyone
was very sweet and congratulating me.”
Tapales is the daughter of Felix and Grace
Tapales. She has an older sister, Christine, who
will be a junior at Oregon State University,
and a younger brother, Christian, an incoming
freshman at Warrenton High.
She volunteered over the summer at Fort
Clatsop and has served on the student council,
is a member of the National Honors Society
and was head statistician for the school’s wres-
tling team. She plans to attend the University
of Washington to become a pathologist.
Tapales will receive a $6,500 scholarship
from the Hankel Trust plus additional money
from the Regatta Foundation and Riedel Foun-
dation. All members of the court receive some
scholarship money.