T he C olumbia P ress
February 1, 2019
Mayor’s Message
by Henry Balensifer
Warrenton’s progress due to many people
2018--what a year!
A lot of things were accom-
plished, including a wider in-
volvement by citizens in shap-
ing the city.
Two things stand out to me
about 2018. The first was how
clean the downtown has be-
come compared to years past
thanks to the efforts of the
RDI Economic Roadmapping
Downtown Community Ac-
tion Team. The second is how
proud I am of the city making
a special emphasis to honor
our veterans.
To the first point, I feel cred-
it is long overdue.
Before the Downtown Ac-
tion Team was formed, the
groundwork for downtown re-
vitalization was laid by three
citizens who persevered and
really spurred myself and the
commission to look at what
makes Warrenton a good
place to live: Norm and Bren-
da Hoxsey, and Jim Dutcher.
It all started at a Mayor’s Cof-
fee when they raised a safety
issue. Long story short, it had
to do with derelict vehicles,
trailers and junk preventing
residents from seeing oncom-
ing traffic as they left their de-
velopment. Due to some juris-
dictional issues with the state,
the city began looking for bet-
ter options and discovered the
nuisance ordinance of 1989
enabled the city to resolve the
issue.
It took more than a year
to hash everything out, but
Norm, Brenda, and Jim were
patient and persistent. Their
advocacy ended up kicking off
a year of cleanups, including a
few for which Commissioner
Tom Dyer organized citizen
groups to assist folks whose
properties were beyond their
ability to clean.
To the second point, War-
renton really made 2018 a
year to remember. Our Fourth
of July parade had the best
turnout ever, and it was ded-
icated to all veterans. The Or-
egon Air National Guard was
so impressed by how much
our city supports the military
and our veterans that they
cleared much of their flyover
schedule and made what was,
essentially, a one-time spe-
cial dispensation to provide
us with an F-15 Eagle flyover
led by the commander of the
fighter wing.
Local veterans, inspired by
the F-15 flyover, made a com-
memorative flyover of the La-
bor Day concert in the park as
well.
Beyond that, Warrenton
VFW, in partnership with the
city, erected the first veterans
memorial in Clatsop County
in more than 90 years! This
brings me to another Warren-
ton couple who have made a
big difference. Bert and Deb-
bie Little.
Bert and Debbie received the
Richard Ford Award last
weekend, which is the high-
est award the city of Warren-
ton bestows upon people who
spend a significant part of the
lives improving our city.
Bert and Debbie are very ac-
tive members of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars and, if not for
them, there would be no vet-
erans memorial downtown.
There also wouldn’t be regular
and active concessions at the
Quincy Robinson Park.
They also maintain the flags
flown near the veterans me-
morial. Did I mention they
were involved in getting the
Army to improve the Fort
Stevens Military Cemetery to
military standards?
This is just what they’ve
done as a couple in the past
five years and they’ve been
doing things individually in
nonprofit groups, schools and
churches for decades before
that. I don’t have the column
inches to list it all, but if you
see them--congratulate them
on their well-deserved honor
as Richard Ford Award recipi-
ents, and thank them for their
service to the city.
Public safety calls
Continued from Page 2
• Female fall patient, 5:16 a.m.
Jan. 22, 2200 block Southeast
Dolphin Avenue.
• Female with difficulty breath-
ing, 10:17 a.m. Jan. 22, 100
block South Highway 101.
• Male who’s not breathing, 2:19
p.m. Jan. 23, 90900 block Spirit
Place Road.
• Suicidal female, 3:48 p.m. Jan.
23, 1400 block Southeast Willow
Drive.
• Suicidal female, 3:48 p.m. Jan.
23, 90900 block Highway 101.
• Male with chest pain, 9:44 p.m.
Jan. 23, 500 block Northeast
Skipanon Drive.
• Female with chest pain, 7:20
a.m. Jan. 24, 1100 block South-
west Cedar Avenue.
• Female with rib pain, 1:23 p.m.
Jan. 25, 0-100 block Southwest
Main Court.
• Male with chest pain, 4:27 p.m.
Jan. 25, 2200 block Southeast
Dolphin Avenue.
• Male with unknown injuries
from a fall, 3:25 a.m. Jan. 27,
200 block Southwest Alder
Avenue.
• Female with possible overdose,
8:18 p.m. Jan. 27, 0-100 block
Southwest Main Court.
3
Pursuit ends in arrests near Cullaby
A Portland-area couple were at speeds of 95 mph or more.
arrested Jan. 16 after they led
For safety reasons, the offi-
police on a high-speed motor- cer backed off some and the
cycle pursuit that ended near motorcycle eventually turned
Cullaby Lake.
into the Cullaby Lake area.
A Warrenton police
The officer lost sight
officer was parked in
of the bike and, when
the Home Depot park-
other units arrived,
ing lot checking email
they began searching
about 9 p.m. when he
the driveways and side
heard an abnormally
yards.
loud motorcycle com-
While walking past
ing in his direction.
a home in the 33800
“I looked over toward Carlson block of Cullaby Lake
Southeast Ensign Ave-
Lane, the officer no-
nue and could see the
ticed the bike and saw
motorcycle’s front tire
two people hiding be-
hind a bush.
come off the ground as
Cameron Dean Carl-
it revved its engine,” the
son, 27, of Vancouver,
officer wrote in a po-
lice report. “I could see
Wash., was arrested on
there was a passenger
suspicion of reckless
Kor
on the bike.”
driving, reckless en-
dangerment, eluding a
The bike passed in
front of the marked police police officer, exceeding the
car, failed to signal as it made posted speed, failure to carry
a right turn onto Alternate and present a license, driving
Highway 101 and failed to sig- while suspended and failing
nal again a short time later.
to obey a traffic-control de-
“I activated my emergen- vice.
cy lights as the bike entered
Lori Lynn Kor, 26, of Mil-
Highway 101” headed south, waukee was arrested on sus-
according to the report. The picion of possessing heroin.
Both were booked at Clatsop
officer informed dispatch of
the pursuit, which continued County Jail.