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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2021)
The Columbia Press 1 50 ¢ Clatsop County’s Independent Weekly www.thecolumbiapress.com Vol. 5, Issue 23 June 4, 2021 Port sailing through a reputation rebuild Despite tough year, finances are coming together Everyone wants to go camping! By Cindy Yingst The Columbia Press By Cindy Yingst While many people have thought about camping during the pandem- ic, at least two municipalities are wrestling with the idea, too. The city of Warrenton is looking at ways to increase the availability of camping at its two marinas. And the Port of Astoria may consider creat- ing a new campground altogether. The idea to build a campground on the bayfront – property on the Ski- panon Peninsula owned by the Port of Astoria – was brought up Tuesday by Warrenton City Commissioner Rick Newton. And port leaders were interested. “RV parks are real big right now,” said Matt McGrath, deputy execu- tive director for the port. “The Port of Newport spent $5 million to build an RV park … and it paid for itself in seven years.” Newport’s South Beach RV Park and Marina has 144 spaces, full hookups, showers, laundry, a dump The Columbia Press Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press The Pride of America pulls into port Tuesday afternoon, dwarfing the Port of As- toria’s Pier 1 building. The return of cruise ships signals good news for the port’s finances in fiscal year 2021-22. station, and miles of hiking and biking trails. Newton suggested the port build 200 to 300 campsites, dredge the bayfront to build mooring slips, and build a boardwalk over wetlands. A high-end hotel could go at the tip of the penin- sula. “I want you guys to make money,” Newton said. Later, in a discussion about the port’s financial situation, See ‘Camping’ on Page 5 The Port of Astoria, which has spent years paying the conse- quences of mismanagement and questionable business decisions, is working its way back as a respect- able member of society. Business Oregon, the state’s eco- nomic development agency, ap- proved the port’s business strategy and capital facilities plans recently. Without their completion -- and without the agency’s stamp of ap- proval -- the port had failed to ob- tain grants and its public and pri- vate partnerships were drying up. Two weeks ago, Port Executive Di- rector Will Isom met with a regional support team set up by the Gover- nor’s Office. Representatives from Oregon Department of Transporta- tion, Business Oregon, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Land Conservation See ‘Port’ on Page 4 Lift-span repairs require nighttime bridge closures The Columbia Press Nighttime closures of Youngs Bay Bridge begin this weekend and for two weeks as part of the repair project that began there in March 2019. The $12.4 million project in- cludes raising the bracing for the lift span, replacing rocker bear- ings, repairing damaged con- crete, and replacing compression joint seals. Most of the work on the 58-year- old bridge was performed from below using a barge. While there have been some single-lane clo- sures during repairs, the remain- ing repairs to the tower require a complete closure. The bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. each week- night (Sunday night through Fri- day morning). The closures are Sunday, June 6, through Friday, June 18. Message signs already have been posted to warn travelers of the impending closure. Once work has begun, drivers will be instructed to a detour on Highway 101 Business over the Lewis and Clark River and Old Youngs Bay Bridges as the al- ternate route. The work by Oregon State Bridge Construction of Scio is weather dependent, which means the schedule could be changed at the last minute. Pedestrians are expected to By Steve Morgan have access across the bridge Youngs Bay Bridge was built in 1964 and is undergo- during the closures. ing multiyear repairs.