Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2022)
The Columbia Press Celebrating our 100th year • 1922-2022 1 50 ¢ 503-861-3331 March 25, 2022 Vol. 6, Issue 12 Miss Clatsop is from ... Columbia County The Columbia Press A Clatskanie teenager was named Miss Clat- sop County during the annual pageant Saturday in Seaside. Lilly Boothe, 18, will represent the region during the 2022 Miss Oregon pageant in June as well as serving as official ambassador for Clatsop County. Aliciyah Miguel-Cloninger, 15, of Astoria was named Outstanding Teen. Seven youths competed for the titles of Miss Clatsop County and Miss Clatsop County Out- standing Teen. While Clatskanie is in Columbia County, there is no pageant there associated with Miss Ore- gon and residents of counties without pageants are allowed to compete in neighbor counties. About 375 people attended the 71st annual pageant at the Seaside Convention & Events Center. In addition to the title, Boothe won $1,375 in scholarships. She also received the highest score in the interview category as well as the Alexis Mather Service Style Award, established by Astoria resident Alexis Mather, who was Miss Oregon 2016. Boothe attends Oregon State University, Justin Grafton Studios where she is working toward a degree in speech Lilly Boothe is crowned Miss Clatsop County on Saturday by Miss communications. Her social mission is to bring Clatsop 2018 Haylie Moon. She’s assisted by the reigning Miss awareness to missing indigenous women. Oregon, Abigail Hayes, left. See ‘Miss Clatsop’ on Page 4 Explosives team responds to bomb hoax at Home Depot The Columbia Press A device made to look like an im- provised explosive was left in the parking lot at Home Depot late last week, forcing the store’s evacuation and bringing a visit from the Oregon State Police Explosives Unit. “It was determined the item was not an actual improvised explosive de- vice, but was made to look like one,” according to Warrenton Police Chief Matt Workman. Just before 5 p.m., an employee found the item, which had wires and political graffiti written on it, and brought it into the store to the re- turns desk, according to police. A Warrenton officer took photos and confirmed that it was, indeed, a possible explosive device. The area around the item was cleared and pho- tos sent to the state’s explosives unit for examination. “It was agreed that the Explosives Unit should respond to the location from Salem and a safety perimeter should be established around the item,” Workman said. “Warrenton Fire Department arrived at the loca- tion and the entire store was evacu- ated and all driveway entrances were barricaded by Warrenton Public Works.” The explosives team arrived about 8 p.m., examined the item with special- ized equipment and eventually used equipment to remove the device from the store. It was then opened and found to be a ball with tie wires and a damaged carbon dioxide cartridge -- not an See ‘Hoax’ on Page 4 City manager candidate pool narrowed to 2 The Columbia Press The city has narrowed its field of city manager candidates down to two finalists. And residents will have an opportu- nity to help choose Warrenton’s next top paid employee on April 5. Separate virtual (live, over the in- ternet) interviews will be conducted with members of the community, city staff, department heads, and city commissioners throughout the first full week of April. The commission is slated to choose the new city manag- er on Friday, April 8. City Manager Linda Engbretson an- nounced last June that she planned to retire in the fall. She has been work- ing on an interim basis since Oct. 1. Engbretson has spent nearly 27 years working for the city, first as city recorder and as city manager since 2016. On Tuesday night, commissioners met with their consultant, Jensen Strategies, in an executive session, where they were given an update on the hiring process. While reporters are allowed to attend executive ses- sions in the state of Oregon, they are restricted on what can be reported about the details. A monthlong nationwide search for Warrenton’s next city manager net- ted nine applications, which Jensen whittled down to four. On Tuesday, commissioners selected the top two, one from out of state and one from within the state. Jensen plans to issue a press release about the two candidates and how the public can weigh in in the next few days. See ‘Top job’ on Page 6