T he C olumbia P ress
2
PAID OPINION PIECE
PAID OPINION PIECE
May 15, 2020
PAID OPINION PIECE
PRESERVE HAMMOND’S UNIQUE HISTORY
renton voters to have their prop-
I read the public comments
made by Warrenton City Com-
missioners concerning the sub-
ject building and I was encour-
aged that Mayor Balensifer and
the other commissioners seem
to be open to holding a town hall
where interested residents could
have a frank exchange of ideas
without the 3-minute restriction
on comments. Warrenton Com-
missioners also could reply to
comments.
The old Hammond City Hall
was condemned by Warrenton
because the weight of the books
in the library had destabilized
the foundation.
Now that the building has no
books, I’m uncertain if the build-
ing remains unsafe for use by
the VFW or other group that
needs a meeting place, since
there can be no favoritism by the
commission members.
I am aware of Commissioner
Baldwin’s comments about lead
paint in the building and oth-
er potential problems with old
buildings. However, you cannot
have it both ways.
Either the building is unac-
ceptably dangerous and must
be brought up to local building
codes, or the Warrenton Com-
mission can grant variances that
would allow meetings by VFW,
Boy Scout troops, or any other
organized group.
I do not agree that the VFW
needs to own the building for
them to use it. I’ve looked at the
building’s history, which I’ve in-
cluded below, and my general
impression is Warrenton has no
pressing financial need to sell
the building just because it’s old
and presents potential public
health risks.
I cannot imagine what costs
Warrenton incurs by owning
the building, as it appears com-
missioners want to be rid of it
as soon as possible if the VFW
doesn’t buy it.
I’d like to see the commission
create a referendum for the No-
vember election offering the fol-
lowing voting choices:
A yes vote would indicate the
voter wants the building sold for
whatever the market would bear.
A no vote would indicate a de-
sire to create a low-cost (suggest
$100 a year) long-term (suggest
25 years) lease to the VFW un-
der the following stipulations:
The VFW agrees to rent the
building to any group or per-
son wishing to hold an event at
the property for a small charge
that would recover costs such
as utilities, maintenance, insur-
ance and any other charges
necessary to sustain the build-
ing. The VFW needs to pay a
small fee to the maintenance
fund when they use the building
for their own meetings so that
costs don’t fall only on outside
users.
The VFW would need to cre-
ate a written disclaimer for any-
one wanting to rent the prop-
erty that absolves the VFW as
leaseholder and/or the City of
Warrenton as lessor of any lia-
bility for future claim of damage,
personal or property, because
a renter suffered some sort of
loss.
The VFW would be respon-
sible for administration of the
property and could never cre-
ate a sublease to another entity.
The VFW would have its lease
cancelled if it failed to maintain
the property or make it available
to outside groups or individuals.
The VFW would be the exclu-
sive decision makers as to what
dates the building would be
available for rent for public use.
Before Warrenton achieved its
current boundaries, Wikipedia
shows there were originally 5
different settlements known as
Flavel, Fort Stevens, Hammond,
Lexington, and Skipanon.
I have heard a local story that,
back in 1915, the area now
known as Hammond was called
New Astoria. I have not been
able to find any documents to
support this story. However,
the story goes that New Astoria
was visited by a businessman
named George Hammond who
was looking for a location to
build a new lumber mill.
The leaders of New Astoria
decided to rename their set-
tlement Hammond in the hope
the businessman would build
his mill near their town. George
Hammond ended up building
the mill in Astoria. However,
the settlement kept the name of
Hammond and the area contin-
ues to be called that up to this
date even though it is now part
of Warrenton.
Hammond’s annual income
came from property taxes, sea-
sonal sport fishing, and gener-
al tourist spending during their
visits to Fort Stevens and local
beaches.
Hammond as a political enti-
ty fell into decline because of a
dysfunctional political situation
within city government that mo-
tivated leaders to ask Warren-
ton to consider absorbing them.
Discontinuing the legal city of
Hammond and being absorbed
into Warrenton would require
the voters of both cities to hold
a referendum that would cause
this to happen in a legal manner.
Absorbing Hammond into
Warrenton required Hammond
to surrender legal ownership of
city assets and required War-
erty taxes increase by a small
amount each year to cover the
bond costs of the Hammond
sewer system that had been
constructed and established to
be paid back by the residents of
Hammond alone.
However, once absorbed by
Warrenton, repaying the bond
balance became a responsibility
of all residents.
Hammond assets included
land adjacent to the Hammond
Marina, other undeveloped land
northwest of Fort Stevens, and
the Hammond City Hall. All were
turned over to Warrenton in 1991
at the time a majority of voters in
both Hammond and Warrenton
agreed to have Hammond ab-
sorbed into Warrenton. Although
there is still a postal code for
Hammond, all political decisions
are made by the Warrenton City
Commission.
Hammond has always had a
local independent streak as res-
idents had total control of their
city until it was absorbed.
I think it’s a short-sighted as-
sumption that Hammond res-
idents don’t remember when
they had full control of their city
services.
A great story all by itself is how
Hammond leaders were able to
have their City Hall building do-
nated by Fort Stevens after the
fort was deactivated in 1947.
The city was allowed to remove
the building from the post and
move it to the location it current-
ly occupies.
The building is of substantial
historical value to existing res-
idents because it was the city
hall before it was a library during
the time when Hammond resi-
dents controlled their own future
and could operate their city as
local residents wished.
I think the Warrenton City
Commissioners should consid-
er the historical record of this
building before they make a final
decision to sell the building for
whatever price they can get.
Please contact Warrenton City
Hall or send a letter to the edi-
tor at the Columbia Press if you
agree with the content in this
opinion piece.
Scott Widdicombe
Public safety calls
t hefts and Burglaries
• Shoplifting, 7:09 p.m. May 3,
Walmart. Tyler C. Buckner, 24, of
Warrenton was cited for third-de-
gree theft after he allegedly
attempted to leave the store
without paying for a light bar and
LED lights valued at $99.
• Shoplifting, 9:46 p.m. May
6, Fred Meyer. Hope A. Bod-
way-McDonald, 21, of Seaside
was cited for second-degree theft
and Kelli Louise Grieve, 26, of
Springfield was cited for third-de-
gree theft after they allegedly
attempted to leave the store with-
out paying for cosmetics, DVDs
and other merchandise.
• Theft, 12:26 p.m. May 8, Ocean
Shore Drive at beach. A 48-year-
old man was fishing on Clatsop
Beach when someone got out of
a white Ford pickup and stole his
bag of belongings, according to
Oregon State Police. Victim was
able to track his cell phone and
eventually found his bag and be-
longings farther down the beach.
• Shoplifting, 4:27 p.m. May 8,
Walmart. Sarah M. Smith, 39,
and Nicholas L. Remington, 40,
both of Portland, were cited for
second-degree theft and criminal
mischief after they allegedly at-
tempted to leave the store with-
out paying for $203 in clothes.
• Shoplifting, 3:45 p.m. May 9,
Walmart. Patricia A. Tewalt, 46,
of Seaside was cited for third-de-
gree theft, criminal mischief and
criminal trespassing, and Misty
V. Alvarez, 40, of Kelso, Wash.,
was cited for second-degree theft
and criminal mischief after they
attempted to leave the store with-
out paying for groceries, jewelry,
artificial nails and clothes.
• Theft, 6:69 p.m. May 10,
Walmart. Alexander G. Sur-
ovec, 26, of Seaside was cited
for second-degree theft after he
allegedly attempted to leave the
store without paying for $185 in
merchandise, including a shop
vacuum and blower.
s uspiCious CirCumstanCes /
disturBanCes
• Clamming violation, 8 a.m. May 7,
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