T he C olumbia P ress
1
50 ¢
C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper
www.thecolumbiapress.com
May 17, 2019
Vol. 3, Issue 20
City to sponsor
Envisioning possibilities in an unfinished neighborhood
farmer’s market
B C
y
at the marina
The Columbia Press
y
B y C indy y ingst
The Columbia Press
Warrenton could get its own farm-
er’s market with fresh seafood, live
music, hand-made crafts, food trucks
and kettle corn.
Plans are for a weekly market from 3
to 7 p.m. Thursdays in the parking lot
and grassy area at
Get involved Warrenton Ma-
To sign up for a rina. It wouldn’t
vendor booth or compete
with
for more info, call farmer’s markets
503-861-3822. held in Astoria on
Sundays, Seaside
on Wednesdays and Ilwaco on Sat-
urdays and could, in fact, provide an
additional opportunity for vendors.
Harbormaster Jane Sweet and ma-
rina assistant Jessica McDonald were
brainstorming ways to increase the
use of marina property and boost vis-
itors throughout town when the idea
came to them.
City leaders were enthusiastic.
“It could explode,” City Commis-
sioner Rick Newton said. “It would
just be terrible if we had another suc-
indy
ingst
A community garden here, a cluster of cottages
there, a courtyard ringed with tiny homes and a pe-
destrian path along the perimeter.
The possibilities for a cohesive new neighborhood
seemed endless last week during a three-day design
charrette, an opportunity for property owners and
other interested people to come together with cre-
ative ideas and solutions.
The 19-acre Spur 104 project area, which runs from
Ocean Crest Chevrolet to Home Depot, was rezoned
earlier this year from low-density residential to com-
mercial mixed-use.
The city hired SERA Architects, a design company,
to manage the charrette and put the ideas onto pa-
per.
“I want to stress that we have to not only balance
the needs of the property owners, but also the neigh-
bors,” Warrenton’s Community De-
velopment Director Kevin Cronin
told those gathered Thursday eve-
ning. “We don’t want to do pie-in-
the-sky, but we also want to put a
vision out there.”
The charrette was in the former
Fenton Grocery building, the his-
toric brown building on Main Ave-
nue in the heart of downtown and
about a mile and a half from Spur
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press
Above: Spencer West of SERA Architects describes some of
the options for development in the Spur 104 project.
Below: James Dutcher of Warrenton (foreground) and others
wander through displays during the charrette.
See ‘Charrette’ on Page 4
See ‘Market’ on Page 4
Band hits a high note: 13 years as state champs
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press
Music teacher Michael McClure leading the early morning
band class earlier this school year.
The Columbia Press
Warrenton High School placed second in the
Oregon School Activities Association’s annual
band and orchestra competition last week.
It was the 13th consecutive year that the school
has been in the top two.
“We are so proud of the hard work our students
have put in this year,” Principal Rod Heyen said.
“We were, by far, the biggest and most inclusive
student band in 3A. Congratulations Warriors!”
The 2019 OSAA statewide high school band and
orchestra championships were held May 8-11 at
Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Warrenton has more than 200 students en-
rolled in band and orchestra programs, one of the
few districts that offers the program to students as
young as grade 5.
“They played their hearts out,” said music teach-
er Michael McClure. On the selection they played,
“it was the best they’d ever done.”
Warrenton’s choir placed sixth in the OSAA state
choir championships, which were held the week
before the band competition.
Perhaps the most impressive part is that War-
renton’s program is noncompetitive. Any student
who wants to play can participate. Some students
start out the year unable to read music.
See ‘Band’ on Page 7