The Columbia Press
1
Clatsop County’s Independent Weekly
www.thecolumbiapress.com
Vol. 5, Issue 22
May 28, 2021
Business and community leaders honored
The Columbia Press
Businesses and individual
leaders throughout Clatsop
County received accolades
from a group that bolsters
small businesses.
Innovation
inspired
by
COVID brought the awards
ceremony to each worksite
this year. The worksite visits
were filmed and can be viewed
online at the Facebook page
for CEDR, Clatsop Economic
Development Resources.
Winners from Warrenton
included Spruce Up Warren-
ton, TLC credit union, Hamp-
ton Lumber, and Ray Graves,
owner of fishing vessel Ken &
Al Inc. There were 17 winners
in all from throughout the
county.
“We take pride in being part
of the community and what
we can do for the communi-
ty,” said Lois Perdue, plant
manager for Hampton Lum-
ber. “We believe that lumber
is a sustainable resource and
it’s better than the alterna-
tives of imports or concrete
and steel for the environment
and climate change. We take
pride in being able to provide
living-wage jobs.”
Hampton was given the large
business Economic Impact
Award. Slurpalicious, an on-
line restaurant delivery ser-
vice, was given the small busi-
ness Economic Impact Award.
Two nonbusinesses were
given the Business Com-
munity Supporter Award:
The Columbia Press
out looking, he said at the time. They
could be struck by a vehicle entering
the parking lot.
“I’ve brought up my years of busi-
ness experience” and it hasn’t mat-
tered, Newton told fellow commis-
sioners Tuesday night. “I’m excusing
myself from this; I’m going to go
home.”
The Warrenton Urban Renewal
A group of Warrenton residents
want to turn a vacant downtown lot
owned by the city into a community
gathering place with a gazebo, picnic
tables, corn-hole games.
“I know people need a vision to un-
derstand where we’re wanting to go,
but obviously things can be changed
up,” Jeanne Smith told city commis-
sioners Tuesday night.
Smith is co-owner of Main Street
Market and a member of Spruce Up
Warrenton. She has been the driving
force behind the annual harvest fes-
tivals and several other downtown
events.
She presented a drawing of what a
park could look like in the vacant lot,
which is directly behind City Hall and
north of the building that houses Oha-
na Media and Soar With Us day care.
“We have this vision of putting a
gazebo (there) … and having a com-
munity gathering place, maybe for
weddings and concerts there in the
future,” Spruce Up Director Brenda
Hoxsey said. “That’s our vision, to
spruce up that area.”
The group has received an offer for
at least a partial donation of the gaze-
bo, she said.
City leaders have pondered what
to do with the lot, considered prime
real estate. Plans for a parking lot,
an apartment complex and a park all
have been bandied about.
“I’m not opposed to this project in
any way, other than it’s coming to us
kind of out of the blue,” City Manag-
er Linda Engbretson said. “I will say
that, personally, I see their vision. I
like what they’re doing. Basically, we’d
See ‘Pod’ on Page 8
See ‘Park’ on Page 4
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press
Brenda Hoxsey of Spruce Up Warrenton receives
the Business Community Supporter Award from
Kevin Leahy at Warrenton Marina. Her husband,
Norm, and Commissioner Rick Newton look on.
Left: CEDR board member
Zach Schmitt presents the
Economic Impact Award to
Lois Perdue of Hampton
Lumber.
Right: Ray Graves, cen-
ter left holding the plaque,
stands with captains and
crew members of F/V Ken &
Al Inc., which received the
Community Impact Award.
Kevin Leahy/CEDR
Food pod’s construction fund increased amid tensions
The Columbia Press
A new food pod next to City Hall
took another step forward Tuesday.
City commissioners, in their role
as the city’s Urban Renewal Agency,
voted 4-0 to increase funding for the
food truck area and solidified the se-
lected design.
The decision came with a bit of dra-
Group unveils
plans for a new
Warrenton park
By Cindy Yingst
See ‘Awards’ on Page 4
By Cindy Yingst
50 ¢
ma, however, when Commissioner
Rick Newton chose to leave the meet-
ing rather than discuss the issue,
which was the last item of business
for the night.
In March, Newton was the sole dis-
senter on the selected design, which
has a small entrance into the food
pod area. Experience has taught him
that customers, especially children,
will dart in and out of the area with-