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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2019)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper www.thecolumbiapress.com County targets businesses selling vaping products August 9, 2019 Vol. 3, Issue 32 Plan to improve downtown enters new phase B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press A lack of oversight is contributing to one of the biggest health threats fac- ing Clatsop County’s teenagers: vap- ing. Oregon requires a license to own a dog or sell Christmas trees, but retail- ers selling tobacco and nicotine aren’t regulated. Oregon is one of just nine states without a licensing system. “This is something we know as a tre- mendous problem among our young people,” County Commissioner Pa- mela Wev told Warrenton city com- missioners recently. “It’s become an epidemic,” add- ed Public Health Director Michael McNickle. “Each one of our school superintendents is just flabberghast- ed by the in-class usage.” Vaping products are often candy flavored, packaged to look like treats and sold in stores adjacent to snack foods, McNickle said. The devices can look like thumb drives and some students use them in class because they’re easy to conceal. A study conducted by the Oregon Warrenton Urban Renewal District boundaries B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press Warrenton has had success funding its multi-year plan to improve down- town and is doubling down on efforts to raise even more money during the final years of the plan. With plenty more to do and more tax money coming in than original- ly expected, the city must take legal steps to put additional projects and a spending plan in place. “The original purpose in 2007 was to fix up downtown,” said Kevin Cro- nin, Warrenton’s Community Devel- opment director. “They largely have not done that.” A huge portion of the early tax mon- ey was spent at Warrenton Marina. See ‘Downtown’ on Page 4 Plans to revive downtown include plac- ing power lines underground, paving the lot between the fire station and the future home of Arnie’s Cafe, shown here under construction, providing loan guar- antees for expanding businesses, and adding landscaping and lighting. See ‘Vaping’ on Page 7 We’re Better than a Bank. We’re a Fam ily . As a Fibre Family member, you’re not just a customer, you’re a member and owner of your credit union. Along with Fibre Family status comes a level of service and care that you expect and deserve. It’s all in the family! 800.205.7872 The Vandervalks, Fibre Family Members Since 2013 “We have to make good on our promise to the folks who supported the original urban renewal plan,” Cronin said. The Urban Renewal District was created in 2007, carved out of 870 acres in the heart of downtown. The district’s 1,106 parcels repre- sent 7.6 percent of the city’s acre- age. Yet those parcels bring in 11.4 percent of the city’s property tax revenue. During its first 12 years, the dis- trict has “outperformed” or raised more money than expected. As property owners within the bound- aries built and made improvements – and as the economy improved – additional tax money flowed into urban renewal district coffers. The idea behind an urban renew- al district is to use tax money raised in the district to improve public fa- cilities such as streets, sidewalks, the sewer system and parks. The improvements are designed to encourage rehabilitation of both 102 W 5th St, Rainier fibrecu.com Federally Insured by NCUA