The Columbia Press
Clatsop County’s Independent Weekly
www.thecolumbiapress.com
July 23, 2021
Post office searching for new home
By Cindy Yingst
See ‘Post Office’ on Page 6
50 ¢
Vol. 5, Issue 30
Auto burglary
ring strikes city
The Columbia Press
Police are asking for the public’s
help to locate those responsible for a
string of vehicle thefts and break-ins
across the city Tuesday morning.
The case began about 9 a.m., when
the dispatch center received a report
that several vehicles had been bur-
glarized during the night at Pacific
Rim Apartments on Snowberry Lane.
During the investigation, it was dis-
covered a white Honda CR-V entered
the parking lot at 4:45 a.m. and then
several people are spotted on video
surveillance entering various vehi-
cles in the parking lot, according to a
police report. A Toyota pickup in the
parking lot that had damage also had
been broken into.
“The owner of the truck was not a
resident, so officers contacted him
and he advised his truck should be
at Rod’s Auto & Marine Repair” on
Marlin Avenue, according to a press
release.
The pickup had been stolen from
the business earlier in the morning
and driven to the apartments.
Another vehicle burglary occurred
during the same timeframe at TJ’s
The Columbia Press
The U.S. Postal Service wants to find a new
site for the Warrenton Post Office.
“The United States Postal Service is consider-
ing relocating the retail services currently pro-
vided at the (Warrenton) Post Office to a new
location within the city limits … ,” Greg Shel-
ton, real estate specialist for the agency wrote
to the city of Warrenton. “The Postal Service is
considering relocation because of a space defi-
ciency in the current location.”
The 2,200-square-foot building stands on
a 0.38-acre pieces of property at the hub of
downtown Warrenton. It was built of concrete
block in 1963, when John F. Kennedy was
president.
The cramped quarters and minimal parking
have been problematic for years for both post-
al workers and customers.
The issue came up during an August 2020
rally outside the Warrenton Post Office. U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep Su-
zanne Bonamici, D-Ore., organized the rally to
protest cuts to the U.S. Postal Service that had
been proposed by President Donald Trump.
Bonamici vowed to help improve conditions
for postal workers in Warrenton.
“This is a growing and vibrant community,”
1
The Warrenton Post
Office, dedicated in
1963, is deemed too
cramped for both
workers and patrons.
Right: U.S. Sen.
Ron Wyden (green
cap) and U.S. Rep.
Suzanne Bonamici
(to his right) during
a rally at the post
office a year ago.
Cindy Yingst
The Columbia Press
See ‘Auto thefts’ on Page 2
Clatsop County Fair opens with new thrills
The Columbia Press
The 2021 Clatsop County Fair
will be low-key and a bit, well,
ordinary.
After a year that was anything
but ordinary, this year’s fair
offers a return to normal with
plenty of animal exhibits, car-
nival games, food carts and live
entertainment.
The fair begins Tuesday and
runs through Saturday, with
tickets $5 for adults and chil-
dren. Admission includes park-
ing.
After a year’s pause during the
pandemic – as well as statewide
restrictions on public gatherings
– fairgrounds Operations Man-
ager John Lewis says he expects
a “relatively normal fair,” albeit
with fewer live acts on the out-
door stage.
However, there will be a return
to some beloved events that ha-
ven’t been held in a few years:
mutton busting, a cutest-baby
contest, diaper derby, antique
tractor display, and a vehicle ral-
ly on closing day.
As plans were being made, fair
organizers were uncertain how
many people would want to at-
tend this year’s fair, so kept it
a bit smaller, Lewis said. But
clearly the public enthusiasm for
Warrenton’s Fourth of July Pa-
rade shows people are ready to
enjoy themselves again.
Other activities at the facility
have picked up, too. Birthday
Courtesy Clatsop County Fair
See ‘Fair’ on Page 4 A youngster tries mutton busting at a prior county fair.