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Wednesday, April 26, 2023
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Park amphitheater design entering final stage
The current lay out of Columbia View Park Amphitheater. WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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hase One of the Riverwalk Project is getting closer to actuality as the St. Helens City Council has authorized staff to move into final designs for the new Columbia View Park Amphitheater. The city of St. Helens will address various needs of the riverfront park at 3 Strand Street during Phase
Courtesy from the City of St. Helens
Courtesy from the City of St. Helens
The rendering of the new stage and open seating area.
One of the Riverwalk Project. In addition to constructing a new stage and seating infrastructure for Columbia View Park Amphitheater, the project will also expand Columbia View Park, add a new playground, and begin construction of the first part of the public river walk along the Columbia River, according to St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King. Under Phase One of the Riv-
erwalk Project, the city entered an agreement with Mayer/Reed in March of 2021. Mayer/Reed is a Portland-based landscape architecture firm. At the City Council meeting on April 5, St. Helens City Council gave the go-ahead to enter the final design stages. “This is anticipated to take about a month to complete. Then we will apply for permits and bid the project,” King said. “We have also
consulted with an audio and visual engineer and confirmed that there is adequate electrical capacity and AV capabilities.” The total cost of the project is $2.9 million, according to King, which would include the full scope of the Phase One work. This estimate is subject to change, and the city will have a “more accurate cost once the project is fully designed and bidding is complete,” King said.
they can reside. St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King said that with this draft ordinance in hand, there are still steps that need to be taken to get the legislation across the finish line. “The next steps are completing the ordinance and having it reviewed by the City’s special legal counsel, approving the ordinance through Council, and adopting it by July 1, 2023,” King said. Working with the Planning Commission, the St. Helens City Council has been drafting an ordinance that will address the social nature of the problem while also shielding the city from potential lawsuits that can arise because of the state law. “We are working with specialized legal counsel to review any proposed ordinance and have been monitor-
ing what other cities in Oregon are doing,” King said. “As we work on this, how any regulation is reasonably objectionable from the perspective of someone who is experiencing homelessness is a constant part of the discussion. That is a key provision of state law.”
considerations to help shape the ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission,” King said. “They wanted to explore the camping duration and who has the authority to extend the time limit and designate locations.” The ordinance also outlined that “public places, roads, parks, trails, rights of way, the waterfront and public property being clean, and safe are vital for the health, safety, and wellbeing of the public.” So camping is also restricted on those premises. “The City of St. Helens cannot reasonably care for and house, whether it be in shelter or campgrounds, persons from outside of St. Helens who are experiencing homelessness other than on a temporary basis,” the ordinance says. Concerning location, the ordi-
Changes to Columbia View Park Amphitheater The plans for the new amphitheater stage aim to increase capacity and functionality while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that currently exists.
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City defining homeless camping ordinance WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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he St. Helens City Council is drawing closer to a resolution regarding HB 3115 after reviewing the draft ordinance supplied to the council by the Planning Commission. House Bill 3115 provides “that local law regulating sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness.” The key points are the “time, manner, and place” regulations. People who will rest or camp on public property must be provided “objectively reasonable” guidelines that dictate when, where, and how
Place It is important to note that the council is working on a draft of the ordinance, meaning anything outlined within can be subject to change. In the draft presented to the city council on April 19, the ordinance outlined that camping would not be allowed at locations within 400 feet of any privately owned or rented property. “The Council expressed multiple
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nance outlined the following places as potential sites where “camping may occur”:
• An area identified on the backside of the recreation facility on Old Portland Road, subject to the time and manner restrictions herein, and shall be limited to a maximum of 8 persons at this location. • An area identified as down Kaster Road subject to the time and manner restrictions herein and shall be limited to a maximum of 7 persons at this location. • Sand Island upon paying the appropriate fees and per the rules of Sand Island.
See ORDINANCE Page A9
County’s first female firefighter celebrates retirement aspects. “Sometimes you’re able to help, and sometimes, unfortunately, you can’t. You know, and, I don’t know, it’s got its highs, and it’s got its lows, that’s for sure,” Frigaard said. Having retired a year ago, Frigaard has had time to reflect on what her time in the service meant to her. Some of the things she’ll miss most are the people she worked with and the outreach components of the job. Having spent “a third of her life” with her coworkers, Frigaard described the fire service as “a second family.”
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he first paid female firefighter in Columbia County celebrated her retirement from the force with friends and family at El Tapatio Mexican restaurant in Rainier. Amy Frigaard, who was hired by the Rainier Fire Department in 1998, retired in May of 2022 and the celebration was held on April 17. After Rainier and St. Helens fire districts merged in 2002, Frigaard continued her work at the thennewly formed Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR). Serving the community Before being hired, Frigaard was a volunteer for five years, and her time in the service amounted to more than 25 years. Serving the community meant a lot to Frigaard News and Views ....... A4 Poll ............................ A4 Obituaries ................. A5 Classified Ads ......... A6 Legals .................... A6-7 Crossword ............... A8 Sports ..................... A10
Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 Email: chroniclenews@ countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051 Vol. 141, No. 18
Community outreach Courtesy photo from Amy Frigaard
Amy Frigaard, pictured on the left, fights a blaze at the CRFR training grounds.
during her time with the Rainier Fire Department and CRFR. “Being able to help a lot of people, I mean, we kind of get called when it’s the worst possible moment, and to be able to help and
get them to the hospital, or take care of them, it’s a pretty big honor to be able to do that,” Frigaard said. This responsibility is what makes the job so worthwhile, but it also is one of the most challenging
When she left the service, she worked as an engine boss and was certified to be an officer on the fire rigs, though she wasn’t paid as an officer for the department, according to Frigaard. She also worked as the Juvenile Fire Center Interven-
tion Officer, which is a role that speaks to children about the dangers of playing with fire on behalf of concerned parents. One of the roles she also enjoyed was fire prevention education. “Going into the classes and talking to all the kids from preschool all the way up to 5th or 6th grade about fire prevention,” Frigaard said. “Probably that’s what I’ll miss the most because I’ve really enjoyed working with the kids.” Frigaard also took a lot of joy from spearheading the “Toy N Joy” program for the Rainier community, which helps get gifts and toys for families in need. “I ran the Toy N Joy program for the fire department for 22 years,” Frigaard said. “We provided food for the families along with toys for each of the kids. That is something I will miss.”
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