Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper www.thecolumbiapress.com December 21, 2018 Vol. 2, Issue 51 Farm and garden store gets go-ahead from city planners Living like Lewis and Clark... but more comfortably B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press The Columbia Press If it feels like nothing is open the week between Christmas and New Year, think again. Fort Clatsop has scheduled a variety of activities that week about the Corps of Dis- covery and their stay here, including mov- ies, guided walks, hands-on programs and demonstrations of jobs and other activities undertaken by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. “Visit these sites during the time of year the expedition stayed on the coast,” urged park ranger Sally Freeman. Members of the party were pretty misera- ble during their stay here – it rained nearly every day during the winter of 1805-06. Welcome to Oregon, right? Visitors these days have a warm visitor center and other amenities at the fort. Fort Clatsop’s “Holiday Happenings” be- gins Dec 26 and runs through Jan. 1. Above: Ranger Susan Rhoads explains the action of a flintlock rifle to visitors. Right: Volunteer Jim Wilson prepares visitors for a Netul River Walk. Photos courtesy Fort Clatsop See ‘Fort Clatsop’ on Page 6 Prepare ye the way for the upcoming king tides Volunteer photographers are invit- ed to participate in the first round of this winter’s King Tide Project, which documents the highest reach of the year’s highest tides. The current focus is on the set of extreme high tides — known as “king tides” — arriving this weekend. Two additional series of high tides take place Jan. 19-21, and Feb. 18-20. It’s the ninth year Oregon has par- ticipated in the international citi- zen-science effort. The project began in Australia. King tides arrive when the sun, moon and earth are in align- ment, causing a stronger-than-usual 50 ¢ gravitational pull. The project in Oregon is most con- cerned with how sea level rise affects Oregon’s coastline. Local sponsors are the CoastWatch Program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coali- tion, the Oregon Coastal Management Program of the Department of Land Conservation and Development. While the King Tide Project can help identify areas threatened by flooding, the more important purpose is to gain a preview of sea level rise. The king tides, while extreme to- day, are expected to become the “new normal” as the sea level continues to rise and storm surges increase due to global warming, scientists say. Gaining a glimpse of tidal inun- dation likely to become common decades into the future will benefit planners, resource agencies, conser- vationists, and coastal citizens in pre- paring for these changes. Speakers at a Dec. 14 preview event included Sally Hacker, a professor in Oregon State University’s Depart- ment of Integrative Biology, and Steve Dundas, and OSU economist studying the economic implications of shore- line management and protection. See ‘King tides’ on Page 7 A farm and garden store visible from Highway 101 received approval with conditions from the city’s Planning Department. The project initially was rejected by the city’s Community Development director as having “fatal flaws” when developers seemed unwilling to make concessions to their plans. But at two Planning Commission meetings this month, commissioners instructed both parties to work out their differences so the project could go through. The proposed 19,000-square-foot Tractor Supply Co. store is slated for a portion of the large cleared piece of land behind Les Schwab Tire Center, at the corner of Highway 101 Business and Southeast King Street. The Nygaard family, which has owned the property for years, has struggled to attract a major tenant willing to come to Warrenton, said Wes Giesbricht, a partner in the proj- ect. At one time they’d been negoti- ating with Walmart before Walmart chose a site in the North Coast Busi- ness Park. See ‘Farm store’ on Page 6