Rainier Trap Team hits the mark
Flags for First Graders! PAGE A9
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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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mEGGa Egg Hunt 2024! COURTESY PHOTO FROM BETSY STEPHENS
The mEGGa Egg Hunt has come and gone, and once again, Peter Cottontail left the fields of the Columbia County Fairgrounds strewn with candy!
Organizers estimated that the event drew about 3,500 people this year. There were about 120 volunteers helping facilitate the fun.
One of the highlights of the event was the wonderful weather which was “the star of the show,” according to volunteers. Organizers were also pleased
with the number of people who rode the CC Rider shuttles. “The bunnies on the bus had a great time. The weather could not have been better,” Heather Epperly
Agency Inc’s Betsy Stephens said. “We are so grateful for all of the sponsors and volunteers that ensure this event can happen each year.”
St. Helens waterfront, lagoon update were over $5 million despite the estimated project cost being about $3 million. The city needed to remove portions of work outside of the grant funding to bring the project within budget. Three state grants have been secured by the city for the Riverwalk Phase 1 Project:
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here has been movement for the ongoing Riverfront Redevelopment Project in recent weeks, with developments in both the Riverwalk and the Central Waterfront Redevelopment project. Riverwalk Construction Construction on the Riverwalk Project will soon be underway following the awarding of a contract for Phase 1 of the work to Advanced Excavating Specialists, LLC (AES). The revised Riverwalk Phase 1 project went out to bid in February 2024. At $2,996,000, AES was the lowest bidder of the four bids the city received. The city council directed staff to move forward with contracting with AES at the March 20 council meeting. According to the St. Helens Waterfront Newsletter, the city anticipates that a contract will be approved by the council in April, with a construction notice to
PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF ST. HELENS
The lagoon, which is located on the former Boise Veneer Mill site, is undergoing a feasibility study to see if it can be safely changed into a solid waste landfill.
proceed in May. The first phase of construction is anticipated to take one year to complete. The revised scope of work no longer includes replacing the playground or the new amphitheater stage. This is a result of cost increases mid-project. Some of the issues included: • The Covid-19 pandemic
• Two of the main grant sources for this project were applied for in 2020 using cost estimates based on pre-pandemic costs • New legislation that occurred mid-project: the Build America, Buy America Act material sourcing compliance The city said that three of the bids that came in for the project
1. Travel Oregon Competitive Grant for $100,000. This grant must be used to improve accessibility and inclusive tourism for the Riverwalk Project by constructing an accessible pathway access connecting the city docks to the new Riverwalk pathway and the Columbia County Courthouse’s existing riverfront walking path in their lower parking lot. 2. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant for $964,095 (anticipated contract amendment amount). This grant was awarded for the riverwalk path work. 3. Oregon Parks and RecreSee WATERFRONT, Page A9
CES gets food program funds WILL LOHRE
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n an effort to support students undergoing food insecurity, Clatskanie Elementary School (CES) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Trailblazers. The grant funds will be used toward the school’s Backpack Program, which provides supplemental food packages for children at CES who experience food insecurity. The packages are distributed each Friday to provide meals and snacks for the weekend. Clatskanie School District Board member Kara Harris helped secure the grant, and explained the need for the funds. “The program is an outreach of Clatskanie Community Church, but it is nondenominational and serves all children in need. The program does not have an ongoing funding stream and has been funded primarily by donations for the first eight years,” Harris said. “With the increased need, it was necessary to seek funding through grants.” Over the past year, CES Harris said there has been an increase in the number of students utilizing the program. There are currently 71 children participating in the program, a “huge increase” from last year, when approximately 40 children participated, according to Harris.
COURTESY PHOTO
The check for $10,000 that was given to Clatskanie Elementary School
Harris applied for the grant through the Trailblazer Foundation website and found out at the award ceremony that CES was one of 15 grant recipients out of 89 applications. CES Principal Kara Burghardt said the school is “appreciative”
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of Harris’ efforts and that the grant will create opportunities for CES students. Harris emphasized that lack of access to food is an issue in communities, and that providing support can help students both inside and beyond the classroom.
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“Food insecurity is a real problem, in our community and others,” Harris said. “It is important to reduce the impact on the physical and mental health for children, which in turn will improve academic outcomes, and overall quality of life.”
COURTESY PHOTO FROM PETER MCHUGH
Bread Place patron Neta Halladay checks out what’s available.
The Bread Place’s new roof WILL LOHRE
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he Bread Place, commonly known as the Bread Store, in Scappoose, will be getting a new roof, in large part thanks to an Economic Development Grant from the Columbia River People’s Utility District (CRPUD). The grant from CRPUD is worth $12,590 and is a “huge shot in the arm” for the Scappoose Senior Center (SSC) and its members, according to Peter McHugh of the SSC. McHugh gave some insight into how the SSC got the grant. “We applied for the suggested maximum amount of $7,500, but when the CRPUD Board of Directors saw the need and the valuable service the Bread Place provided in our community, they made an exception and awarded us the full amount,” McHugh said. “The support of the CRPUD means a lot to our members and volunteers.” Mark Comfort Construction provided the winning bid. McHugh said Comfort is a local contractor and a friend of the SSC. “We appreciate his support and the excellent work he does, always at a reasonable price. The new roof is scheduled to be installed this spring,” McHugh said. The Bread Place is affiliated with the SSC. McHugh said it’s a “much bigger and more complicated operation than meets the eye.” Bread Place Manager Robert Glosenger oversees over thirty other volunteers who keep things moving forward, as well as the maintenance of The Bread Place facility itself. The volunteers help pick up donations, unload vans, restock, and are See NEW ROOF, Page A7
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