The Columbia Press
4
Hammond: Continuing a sense of place
Continued from Page 1
care of them (residents). We
had to assure them that they
would not lose that.”
While the pandemic has
dampened progress in myri-
ad ways, the city of Warren-
ton has a renewed interest in
ensuring Hammond thrives.
The city’s Building and
Planning Department has
been tasked with taking steps
to remove blighted buildings,
including vacant shops and
even the decaying post office.
Others in the city are working
to entice new business along
Pacific Drive.
The city’s Marinas Adviso-
ry Committee is focusing on
improvements at Hammond
Marina and encouraging
businesses to open there.
Spruce Up Warrenton, a
grassroots group founded to
improve downtown Warren-
ton, has expanded its mission
to include downtown Ham-
mond.
The city’s Parks Advisory
Board approved the design
for a new metal sign that will
go at the entrance of Ham-
The bell from the old Ham-
mond School is preserved in
downtown Hammond.
mond’s downtown, an un-
usual three-lane thorough-
fare with a grassy, tree-lined
median.
“It’s the perfect little en-
tryway,” Mayor Henry Bal-
ensifer said. “Once we get
more planning staff and a
restructured planning de-
partment … then we can
start moving on cleaning up
the commercial districts and
downtown Hammond. We’ve
been working to get people to
lease or buy vacant buildings.
Right now, it’s a boarded up,
abandoned town.”
Balensifer took his ideas
for an eye-appealing gateway
sign to local designer Polk Ri-
ley, who developed both the
Hammond sign and vertical
signs that would designate
March 11, 2022
all of Warrenton’s districts –
Lexington, Flavel, Kindred,
Hammond.
“The idea was, how do we
ensure that Hammond gets
recognition as a former town
and a district of Warrenton,
but clearly is part of Warren-
ton,” Balensifer said. “It’s got
a ZIP code still and so very
much a distinct identity from
that. … But the town doesn’t
exist anymore. We want to
pay homage to that past and
that history while acknowl-
edging we’re all part of War-
renton.”
Money already is in the
budget for the large entrance
sign; the district designation
signs will come later.
“I guess it’s better than
nothing,” said Gerald Poe,
the only city commissioner
who lives in the Hammond
District. “I think any im-
provement to Hammond as
far as being welcoming is a
good thing.”
He’s looking forward to
more focus on the vacant
and deteriorating downtown
buildings.
Letter to the editor
Support Kujala
for county seat
I was very happy to read
in the newspaper that our
current
Warrenton/Ham-
mond area representative
on the County Commission,
Mark Kujala, is asking to be
re-elected.
Our Warrenton and Ham-
mond area is grouped with
a small slice of Astoria in the
county representation dis-
tricts, but the vast majority
of the population of the area
resides west of Youngs Bay.
Mark has always tried to do
his absolute best for our peo-
ple, and for him to be chosen
as the County Commission
chair acknowledges that the
other commissioners believe
he is doing a good job.
I ask for you to please vote
for Mark Kujala in the No-
vember election so he may
continue to represent our in-
terests with the County Com-
mission.
Rick Newton
Warrenton
4H plans Super Saturday, invites all
Clatsop County young peo-
ple ages 9 to 19 are invited to
a free Super Saturday work-
shop from 10 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the
Clatsop County Fairgrounds.
Super Saturday activities
include classes in shotgun,
rifle, archery, a search-and-
rescue dog demonstration,
swine education, an intro-
duction to small animal care,
hiking, paper bead jewelry,
egg education, Finnish art,
robotics, and science.
Children ages 5 to 8 are in-
vited for games, storytime,
and small animal encounters.
Admission is free with the
donation of nonperishable
food items for the Clatsop
County Food Bank. Lunch
is available for $5 (sign up
before arrival) or bring your
own lunch.
Registration is required by
April 4 at signup.com/go/
faXnYBb or by calling OSU
Extension at 503-325-8573.