Christina Kelly is Elks Student of the Month
Get Ready Guide 2024 Inside
PAGE A3
Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
$2.00
Spirit of Halloweentown returns WILL LOHRE / COUNTRY MEDIA, INC.
The famous Halloweentown pumpkin is back in the riverfront plaza, one of the icons of the classic Halloween festival. WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
O
ctober is almost here, and while it marks the beginning of “spooky season” across the country, Halloween means something a little more in St. Helens. St. Helens’ signature Spirit of Halloweentown event will return Sept. 28. This is the first year the event is being put on by new city event contractor Treadway Events, after years of success under E2C Corp. and Tina Curry. The contractor isn’t the only difference this year; construction in downtown St. Helens may have an impact on the event. Spirit of Halloweentown will return from Sept. 28 through Oct. 31, transforming the riverfront district into a Halloween scene straight out of the Disney Channel classic “Halloweentown,” with themed attractions, celebrity appearances, and family-friendly fun for all ages, according to organizers. Treadway Events Project Manager and Business Development Associate Brittany Hummel said that
WILL LOHRE / COUNTRY MEDIA, INC.
The skeleton taxi driver from the Halloweentown movie.
Halloweentown is a special place for Treadway and that Halloween events are one of the company’s specialties. “Like many, our team grew up loving the film, and Halloween has
always been at the core of Treadway Events—it’s what we do best. From planning haunted houses to leading large-scale Halloween events, this opportunity was a natural fit for us. We believe there’s
so much we can contribute to the Spirit of Halloweentown,” Hummel said. “While time constraints may limit some of the enhancements we can bring this year, we’re incredibly excited about future opportunities
to add even more creativity and theming to elevate the event.” Hummel said that Treadway Events understands the community’s concerns over the uncertainty around the event this year and knows “many rely on these events for their livelihood.” “We want to reassure the community that we’re actively addressing the challenges. We’ve been collaborating closely with local businesses, organizations, and the Main Street Association to develop a plan that includes positioning key activities, such as vendors, along 1st Street and behind the Masonic Building in what we’re calling the ‘Boo Bash Pavilion,’” Hummel said. “Parking remains one of the biggest challenges, but we’ve enhanced the shuttle plan with parking available at the Old Mill site. Our goal is to minimize congestion in residential areas as much as possible.” Hummel said that Treadway will use “clear signage” and “preSee HALLOWEENTOWN, Page A6
St. Helens’ reservoir project on hold WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
T
WILL LOHRE / COUNTRY MEDIA, INC.
Walsh and Gaston explained that the department is short on personnel for a variety of reasons at the moment.
St. Helens transitioning away from 24-hour police coverage WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
T
he City of St. Helens will soon be transitioning away from 24-hour police coverage, citing a lack of sufficient staffing necessary to continue service around the clock. The new scheduling policy will go into effect Oct. 1. City Administrator John Walsh explained what the new coverage plan will look like. “St. Helens officers will continue to patrol St. Helens at regular staffing levels during the majority of the day with on-call officers assigned to answer dispatch calls when no one is on duty,” Walsh said. Speaking on behalf of the St. Helens Police Association, Association President Dylan Gaston said starting Oct. 1, there will be a period each day when all officers are off-
duty and are instead in an on-call status. He wouldn’t give details on when officers will be off duty for the protection of citizens, but the department will be going from three shifts to two shifts each day. At those times, Gaston said there will always be a minimum of a sergeant and two officers on-call for emergencies. “They will be available to respond to calls from home as needed,” Gaston said. “Response times will obviously be longer than if officers were on-duty 24 hours a day.” Why now? Though the police association has been flagging the issue of staffSee POLICE, Page A6
he St. Helens reservoir replacement project has been put on hold, with the city citing excessive costs as a barrier to replacing the long derelict structure. The design-build contract for the replacement of the 2.0 MG Reservoir with Emery & Sons Construction was terminated in May 2024 because estimated project costs derived from the 30% design cost estimate were almost 200% higher than originally planned, according to St. Helens Engineering Manager Sharon Darroux. Darroux explained what the project was and why the city ultimately took the measure of terminating the project. “The project was for the replacement of the existing reservoir at Pittsburg Road. The city evaluated and decided to abandoned plans to construct a new reservoir at the existing reservoir site because of high project costs and because the existing site constraints will not allow a larger reservoir to be constructed,” Darroux said. “From a cost-benefit standpoint, constructing a new 2.0 MG reservoir at the site at the projected cost would not benefit St. Helens residents.” Darroux said the 2.0 MG Reservoir Replacement project was initially anticipated to cost $4.2 million but that the estimated
COURTESY PHOTO FROM THE CITY OF ST. HELENS
Crews conducting testing on the inside of the Pittsburgh Road reservoir in 2022.
construction costs at 30% design were priced at $8 million. The project was canceled after the city and the Emery & Sons Construction Design-Build Team spent considerable time working together to reduce costs but “were unable to substantially do so.” Darroux said that since the pandemic, there has been up to a “350% increase in construction costs across the state,” which has put a “strain” on the reservoir project and other planned capital improvement projects. The reservoir has now been empty for about eight years, having been drained in Sept. 2016, according to Darroux. In April 2022, the
City of St. Helens reached a settlement with Western Partition, Inc., concerning the 2MG (two million gallon) Water Reservoir Rehabilitation Project on Pittsburg Road. The dispute resolution arose from the installation of a liner membrane in 2017 to address leaks in the 2MG potable water reservoir. The city contracted with Western Partition, Inc., to install the liner. After installation, the reservoir’s leakage rate increased dramatically, leading to the reservoir being out of use as the city searched for solutions. See RESERVOIR, Page A3
We are excited to announce the Grand Opening of Shields Installation’s residential & commercial flooring showroom! Come by on Thursday October 17th between 2pm and 7pm for street tacos & refreshments while you check out some of our preferred vendors & products. We are located on the corner of 18th & Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens. We can’t wait to see you there! 1771 Columbia Blvd, St. Helens, OR 97051 • 971-203-6662 • info@shieldsinstallation.com Monday-Friday 10-6 • After hours or weekend appointments available by request
IN THIS ISSUE
7 DAY FORECAST
Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Market ............................ A5 Public Notices .............. A5 Obituaries ...................... A7 Crossword .................... A8 Sports .......................... A8
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
High 65° Low 47°
High 71° Low 55°
High 71° Low 49°
High 70° Low 49°
High 74° Low 49°
High 76° Low 50°
High 76° Low 50°
Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset 7:02 a.m. 7:01 p.m. 7:04 a.m. 6:59 p.m. 7:05 a.m. 6:57 p.m. 7:06 a.m. 6:55 p.m. 7:07 a.m. 6:53 p.m. 7:09 a.m. 6:52 p.m. 7:10 a.m. 6:50 p.m.