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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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Sand Island Sand Castle Competition canceled WILL LOHRE
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s the process of securing an event coordinator continues to unfold, the City of St. Helens has canceled the Sand Island Sand Castle Competition, citing logistical issues and the lack of a tourism contractor. The decision to cancel the competition was made by the St. Helens City Council and was discussed during the work and regular city council meetings on July 16. The council expressed regret over needing to cancel the event, but deemed it necessary due to the lack of planning time as the city negotiates with Treadway Events & Entertainment LLC. City Administrator John Walsh detailed some of the issues with holding the event this year via email. Part of the issue stems from logistical problems created by the transition of event management services from E2C, which ended June 30, and the new contractor not being in place yet. “The primary issue is that the city does not have an executed contract with a new event contractor yet and the Sand Island Sandcastle Competition was scheduled to occur August 2-4, 2024. The city does not have the logistical resources and staffing to organize the event, which is complex due to it being on Sand Island,” Walsh said. “Sand forms need to be built, restrooms and portable showers need to be transported to and from the island, equipment necessary to build the sculptures needs to be transported, a shuttle needs to be in operation to ferry attendees to
COURTESY PHOTO BY JENNI BANDOV
“The primary issue is that the city does not have an executed contract with a new event contractor yet and the Sand Island Sandcastle Competition was scheduled to occur August 2-4, 2024,” City Administrator John Walsh.
and from the island, and sufficient lead time is needed to promote the event and sell tickets.” The sand castle contest was started in 2021, and though the competition will not be held this year, the city and council hope to bring the event back next year under the management of its new event coordinator. During the council regular session on June 16, sand castle competition coordinator Brittany Lapp expressed disap-
pointment about the late cancellation of the event. Lapp helped coordinate securing “16 or 17” carvers for the event and described how hard it was to tell them the event wouldn’t be happening. “They’re pissed. I feel like my integrity has been jeopardized. It’s been really tough dealing with the backlash. They know it’s not completely my fault, but they’re frustrated,” Lapp said. “This
and would carry on. But it didn’t work for them,” Wooley said. “The bottom line is if we don’t get the volunteers, we really can’t sustain the Arts Commission and what we bring here. It takes manpower. I’m sure there are people in our community that have skills and believe in the arts, and they just have never thought about the need for somebody to continue this longevity.” There are three vacancies on the CAC board at the moment. Wooley said it isn’t just the CAC that needs help but that many of the non-profits she’s spoken to in Clatskanie have struggled to get volunteers involved. The CAC is a non-profit corporation, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization created to provide a variety of entertaining programs and events that enrich the lives of the people of the Lower Columbia River Region.
Wooley said that as a small town, it’s essential for people to get involved in the community and support each other. “That’s the heart of this community. We’ve always been volunteers. No one is really helping us. We’re too far from Portland and we’re kind of far from the coast, so we just have to do our own thing,” Wooley said. “That’s our strength, that we come together and make things happen.” One stark example of what can happen without support is that the CAC has had to cancel the revival of the Clatskanie Bluegrass Festival scheduled for this fall. The festival was set to take place in September after an 11-year absence, an effort headed by Nate Hendricks, a member of the CAC Board. In a message on the CAC
is something that we’ve really started to build and make.” One disappointing aspect of the cancellation is that there was an Oregon Public Broadcasting special that was going to feature the Sand Island Sand Castle Competition and some of the carvers who partake. “It makes me sick that this film’s going to be released and I’m one of the main spokespersons of it, all of our carvers are going to
be so excited to share it, but it’s like, ‘Oh, by the way, it’s not happening,’” Lapp said. “It’s just very frustrating.” Ultimately, Walsh said the city hopes to hold the event again in 2025 when “a new contractor is on board and there is sufficient lead time to plan and promote the event.” See SAND, Page A6
Clatskanie Arts Commission in need of volunteers WILL LOHRE
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hough the Clatskanie Arts Commission (CAC) is gearing up for its 35th Annual Performing Arts Series, the organization is seeking volunteers to ensure that bringing the arts to Clatskanie can continue for years to come. Elsa Wooley is a board member and organizer for the (CAC) and has been since the organization began in 1988. Wooley has been involved with the CAC from the beginning, along with her husband, Donovan “Dee” Wooley, who was the music teacher at CMHS. Wooley said that she and “Dee” have been involved for such a long time but that right now, “it’s a lot of work for very few people.” “We had a couple of people leave our board last year that we thought would have longevity
See CLATSKANIE, Page A10
COURTESY PHOTO
Donovan and Elsa Wooley in the Birkenfeld Theatre in the Clatskanie Cultural Center.
Attorney General candidate visits county fair WILL LOHRE
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Will Lathrop taking a Chomp from CCSO’s K-9 Bravo.
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IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Market ............................ A5 Public Notices .............. A6 Obituaries ................... A7-8 Crossword .................... A10 Sports .......................... A10
lection Day is around the corner, and in an effort to connect with Columbia County voters, Oregon Attorney General candidate Will Lathrop took a trip to the Columbia County Fair & Rodeo. The July 18 visit was the fifth stop Lathrop has made in the county while on the campaign trail. Lathrop, a Republican, is running against Oregon Representative Dan Rayfield for the role of Oregon Attorney General. During his visit, Lathrop met with Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. Their meeting included a “friendly, but fierce, showdown” with Bravo from the Columbia County K-9 Unit. Both Pixley and Lathrop took turns wearing the “bite jacket,” and Bravo showed off his biting and take-down skills.
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The spectacle drew an audience of about 80 people, according to Lathrop’s campaign manager Sam Herscovitz. Speaking on his time at the fair, Lathrop said he was impressed with the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo. “There’s a really good turnout; the stockyards were great; they just had a great feel,” Lathrop said. When asked what sticks out to him about Columbia County compared to other parts of Oregon, Lathrop said that he can see that it is a tight-knit community with engaged voters. “You have people in Scappoose, St. Helens, and Rainier that really care about their local community, their local schools. There’s a sense of local pride,” Lathrop said. “From a campaign perspective, it seems like an unusually large number of reasonable voters; people who are looking for someone who
can lead, rather than voting on a blank party line.” Lathrop expressed that it’s a great place to campaign because people “listen and they interact.” Pixley is just one of the elected officials in Columbia County who has endorsed Lathrop. In an email to the Chronicle & Chief about his endorsement of Lathrop, Pixley thanked Lathrop for his time. “I am thankful Will was willing to come out and be part of our K9 demo here in Columbia County,” Pixley said. “It was great to have Will join us at the Fair this evening to meet local law enforcement leaders in our community and be part of our K-9 demonstration. I trust Will to be an honest leader for our state, and I look forward to working with him.” Other officials in the county to See ATTORNEY, Page A9
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