Special D-Day 80th anniversary presentation coming to Columbia County
Graduation 2024 Scappoose & Plymouth Special B SECTION
PAGE A9 The Chronicle & Chief Keepsake Edition
Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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St. Helens shows off new look WILL LOHRE
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T
he long wait is over, as St. Helens High School welcomed the community to an open house in the newly finished Phase I of the St. Helens High School Improvement Bond Project. The event was on the evening of May 24, and St. Helens community members were invited to see the progress the school has made. Many folks walking the modern interior of the cafeteria and fresh entry hall expressed amazement at the transformation. St. Helens School District board member Melody Killens said it’s a relief to have Phase I done. “It’s fun getting to watch everybody tonight, so many of them were teachers or kids here, and they come out like, ‘This is awesome,’” Killens said. The event included a self-guided tour with ten stops around Building A that demonstrated the work completed and the vision for Phase II of the construction that will be started this summer on Building B. One relieved staff member is SHHS Band Director Noelle Freshner. Freshner and her program have a new space to fill with music, and she couldn’t be happier. “It’s incredible; it’s everything
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The new face of St. Helens High School.
that we wanted it to be, and actually more! I didn’t expect it to feel so big and open,” Freshner said of the new space. “When we finally got our stuff in here, I was shocked to see how big it was.” Though students got to start using the building in the past few weeks, Freshner said the band did not get to rehearse in the new band room yet. Freshner is excited to have the room accessible for all of next year. The self-guided tour included stops at the new cafeteria and exterior courtyard, the freshly minted main offices and welcome area, and the auditorium and gym.
Staff members were at each stop, ready to answer questions about the completed work and what will come next. One of the stops on the tour was labeled “Future Spaces,” which refers to the hallway connecting the completed Building A to the soonto-be renovated Building B. The renovation of Building B is scheduled to take about a year and will begin once students are dismissed for the summer. Trevor Dunn is a Project Engineer for Hoffman Construction (the company that has been doing construction on the project, and he explained what the next steps will
be in the “future space.” “When school is out, we’re going to start demolishing the flooring, the walls, everything in Building B and doing a total gut and remodel of existing spaces in there,” Dunn said. “I’m excited to be officially done with this one; let them have it and have fun. And then, we’ll see what we can do over there to make it better for the kids.” Looking ahead at Phase II, here will be some of the additions that will be coming: • Connecting Building B to Building C with an enclosed walkway. • New carpet, cabinets, finishes,
and paint throughout most of the building. • Technology, Security, and AV upgrades. •The thin walls that once separated the classrooms will be sheetrocked and strengthened to improve the overall look and act as a sound barrier. •The former Home Economics classroom will be turned into a state-of-the-art culinary arts classroom with new appliances. •The LooWit room will become a Medical CTE Program where students will learn about and how to See ST. HELENS, Page A9
Lacey Willis high jumps to the state championship WILL LOHRE
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It wasn’t until a few days after Lacey Willis took home the state championship at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene that the gravity of her achievement hit her. Willis is a freshman at Clatskanie Middle/High School (CMHS), but she is also now a state champion high jumper, taking home the gold medal at the 2024 OSAA 2A/3A State track and field championships on May 16. “Since I had the highest PR going in, I was the last one to jump, so I kind of knew I was going to win, but I was in shock, I didn’t really process it until a few days later,” Willis said. Fast forward to the CMHS track and field awards night on May 21, and Willis was honored by Clatskanie Mayor Bob Brajcich, who declared May 21, 2024 as “Lacey Willis Day” for the City of Clatskanie. “I had processed it by then, but I didn’t really understand what a big deal it was till that happened,” Willis said. “It’s really cool to get
acknowledged for my high jumping; it was a much bigger deal than I was expecting.” Willis is a three-sport athlete at CMHS, competing in track and field, volleyball, and basketball. Throughout the year, Willis said that the community support for CMHS programs has been really strong. While winning states was the cherry on top, Willis said that the journey to get there was more of a highlight for her season. The support of her team and coaches helped her keep a cool head on the big stage. Track Coach Tim Van Voorst said coaching an athlete like Willis is “a pleasure.” “She works hard, is willing to try new things, listens to advice, and is helpful to her coaches and fellow teammates,” Van Voorst said. “She is an athlete that is very deserving of her accomplishments.” Willis was the only female athlete CMHS sent to compete at the state championships, but Willis’ coaches allowed her to bring along a friend for moral support, and it made “the whole trip fun.” “Mya Jensen was the one person
I got to bring for my person to help me through this, and I think she really helped me stay calm,” Willis said. “If I was by myself, I would have way overworked myself. She helped me stay calm and look at the bigger picture; she really helped me. I don’t think I could have done it without her. Being at Hayward Field, Willis said it felt surreal to look around at the huge stadium, but once she started jumping, she forgot all about the foreign surroundings. “Once I started jumping, it kind of all went away and felt natural,” Willis said. Throughout the spring, Willis said they had practice every day, but the “trick” to training is jumping a lot to get the legs used to it, but not so much that “you overdo your legs.” Starting the season, Willis’ state championship wasn’t a guarantee. Willis’ early season measurements were the baseline she built her gold medal on. “If you told me that I’d won at the beginning of the year, I’d have See WILLIS, Page A10
Clatskanie Mayor Bob Brajcich with State Champion Lacey Willis.
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Early election results and reactions WILL LOHRE
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13,936 of the 42,0007 registered voters in Columbia County cast a ballot in the 2024 Oregon Primary Election.
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices ..............A6-8 Games & Puzzles .......... A8 Crossword .................... A9 Sports .......................... A10
7 DAY FORECAST
Election Day has come and gone in Columbia County, and though the election results won’t be certified until June 17, initial returns indicate that many across the county were not willing to approve measures that would add to their tax bill. Levies for the St. Helens Police Department, the Columbia County Jail, and Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District all fell short of a majority approval. The only levy that has been approved by a majority of voters at this time is Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District’s fire and emergency service levy. In the race to see who would be on the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, Casey Garrett retained his seat, running unopposed. Incumbent Margaret Magruder will continue her reelection efforts against Alex Tardiff in a runoff
election this fall. Let’s take a look at the early results of an election that saw 13,936 of the 42,0007 registered voters in the county cast a ballot: Columbia County Commissioner Position 1 The race for Position 1 of the Columbia County Commissioners will be extended to the November election, as no candidate secured the 50% +1 vote margin necessary to ward off a runoff election. Incumbent Margaret Magruder received 6,056 votes, while opponent Alex Tardiff received 4,990 votes. Brian Brust was also running for Position 1 and received 1,509 votes. Speaking on the result, Magruder said she wanted to “thank voters for their incredible support.” “It’s their voices that shape our See ELECTION, Page A9
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