The Columbia press., September 02, 2022, Page 4, Image 4

The Columbia Press
4
September 2, 2022
Newton: Words ‘not intended to offend’
Continued from Page 1
ment, but it was nonetheless
unnecessary and unprofes-
sional.”
The email goes on to say
the email writer was working
quietly and not participating
in the conversation until be-
ing dragged into it by New-
ton, who said “(You’re) being
awful quiet over there.”
The worker replied that
they were working and look-
ing up a code reference and
then Newton said, in a jok-
ing manner, “Oh, (redacted)
must be looking at pornogra-
phy on (redacted) computer
screen.”
After Newton left the office,
the employees talked about
the conversation and agreed
to document it and report it.
Newton emailed the follow-
ing response to reporters late
last week.
“I want it known that my
words absolutely were not
intended to offend any of the
city employees,” he wrote. “I
have aggressively stood up
when needed for women’s
rights, people of color rights,
all minority rights, and sexu-
al orientation rights.
“I aggressively promote
that Martin Luther King did
not march and die for the
word ‘N-word’ to exist; and
women did not march and
fight so hard for equality to
be treated as a less-than-any-
one’s equal.
“I was the only Warrenton
City Commissioner to attend
Commissioner Rick Newton
the Diversity class sponsored
by our Library; I attended to
try to understand people’s
problems so I might be of as-
sistance in the future.
“I tease people I like, and I
like most of our city employ-
ees. In my NAPA store, the
remark I made about looking
at the computer screen was
one often made by my cus-
tomers to me or my employ-
ees in teasing, probably 8 to
10 times a year. I absolutely
did not intend to offend any-
one. It was just teasing. I
promise to you, I will not
do either thing again.
“Regarding both of the
comments, I see how they
could violate the city’s policy
and I will refrain from mak-
ing such comments in the
future. I view the official pro-
cess the complaint was han-
dled with to be the correct ac-
tion taken to protect our city
interests as well.”
Dairy: Old boat a
remnant of farm
Continued from Page 1
1910s-1940s,” according to
the post. “A descendant of
that family confirmed that
they used a gillnetter like this
one to transport milk to Asto-
ria in the days before reliable
roadways.”
According to the Oregon His-
tory Project, dairies were the
earliest and most important
farming enterprise in Clatsop
County – even before Tilla-
mook County. Dairying was
well established in Clatsop by
1845.
“Dairy farmers diked and
drained the marshy tide flats
around Youngs Bay to grow
hay and make pasture for their
cows,” according to a history
project report.
Fort Clatsop had been aban-
doned in 1806 when the Corps
of Discovery left to return East.
Farmers took over much of
the fertile land there, through-
out the Lewis and Clark area
and further east in Clatsop
County.
Dairy products that weren’t
sold locally were distributed
See ‘Dairy’ on Page 6