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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2018)
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 34 August 24, 2018 Putting the city back on track Girls Build! More power. More skills. More confidence. B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press Residents work on city’s destiny through Economic Vitality Roadmap sessions Right: Katie Hughes of Portland-based Girls Build helps a participant build a stool with power tools. Below: Warrenton Public Works employees Hallie Sweet and Trisha Hayry- nen show two girls how to close off a leaky pipe while volunteer firefighter Billie O’Bryant looks on. Brooke Holmes of Ilwaco is only 8, but she’s thinking of becoming an engineer. Carolina Añeses, 10, of Las Cruces, N.M., wants to be an aerospace engineer. Reese Long, 11, of Chinook isn’t sure, but she wants to do something with her hands. Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press Thanks to Girls Build, their future job opportunities are wide open. “We want girls to simply gain more curiosity and confidence in themselves. By building, they can do that,” said Katie Hughes, who is leading a Girls Build camp at Warrenton Grade School this week. “We want to make sure kids know that a really great option for them is to go into the construction trades,” Hughes said. “But they have to start young for them to The Columbia Press See ‘Girls Build’ on Page 5 Ombudsmen speak on behalf of vulnerable seniors B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press The woman’s lost hearing aids may have seemed insignificant to staff members at the nursing home, but they were her connec- tion to the outside world and, at several thousand dollars, would have been difficult for her to re- place. It was a memorable first case for long-term care ombudsman Mi- chelyn Hahn of Hammond. “She was in the hospital for a short stay and I found out the last time she’d seen the hearing aids,” Hahn said. “She said at 10 o’clock she’d handed them to a caregiver. We searched the gar- bage. Searched the floor. I said, ‘you know, we need to talk to the person she said she handed them to.’” That person said the hearing aids had been placed in the med- ications cart. The nursing staff said they’d already looked there. Hahn insisted they go through ev- ery drawer again. And there they were. “I felt so good,” Hahn said. “This could have gone on for months. The husband was very thankful. She was very thankful.” See ‘Ombudsmen’ on Page 4 Courtesy Melissa Bosworth Clatsop County’s four long-term care om- budsmen are (left to right) Michelyn Hahn of Hammond, Becky and Larry Thormahlen of Astoria, and Don Mellison of Hammond. Warrenton has a lot going for it: visitors find natural beauty and wild- life, history, recreation, the beach, fishing, seafood festivals, national parks and other attractions. Warrenton’s residents, however, know there are flaws and they came together Monday to begin fixing them. “You have a very diverse employ- ment base now,” said Mary Bosch, director of rural economic develop- ment for RDI, a company helping Warrenton develop a 90-day action plan. “Compared to many local rural communities, you have some strong suits here.” Opportunities to be tapped include marinas, the airport and “a phenom- enal retail base,” she told the 50 peo- ple gathered at Gateway Community Church. The first of several economic vitality meetings was held in Ham- mond so no one would feel left out. “We have two downtowns, so we want to improve two downtowns,” Mayor Henry Balensifer explained. The group was diverse, too. There were members of the business com- munity, seniors, school employees, volunteers, politicians and tourism employees. Everyone had a chance to talk about the improvements they’d like to see. Penny Morris of Columbia Bank suggested a more vibrant downtown and shops within an easy walk. Sylvia Stephens, local organizer of the Community Emergency Response See ‘Roadmap’ on Page 6
