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Headlight Herald
Headlight Herald
Photo by Katherine Mace
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | Vol. 136, Issue 46
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www.TillamookHeadlightHerald.com
Recreation district seeks funding for final phases of pool project Tillamook County election results released
WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
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s the second phase of construction on a new pool facility nears completion, North County Recreation District board members and supporters are working to determine funding sources to complete the project. Members of the project team have met several times in recent months with the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners to discuss the county supporting the project with transient lodging tax (TLT) dollars, most recently on November 6. Commissioners voiced support for the project but also concerns about the process of making the award and raised the possibility of granting funds to help repay a loan the district is considering as an alternate means of funding. The project, which will replace the North County Recreation District’s (NCRD) nearly century old pool in Nehalem, has received more than $16 million in support from numerous donors in the community as well as through a bond approved by district voters in 2020. However, cost escalations due to inflation have driven the project’s budget well over its initial estimate, leaving the district facing a $2.5 million gap to complete the pool facility with the installation of equipment, commission the new facility and decommission the old facility. Currently, construction crews are nearing completion on the second phase of the project and have dug the pools and finished much of the interior work, including the facility’s lobby and locker rooms. The new facility will feature two pools, one with six lanes that will be able to host interscholastic competitions and a second therapy pool, sponsored by Adventist Health Tillamook, that will be accessible to individuals with limited mobility. Work on the second phase is
WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
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(Top) Work on adding a ramp for ADA accessibility is underway outside the building’s entrance.(Bottom) The shotcrete shell of both the main pool and therapy pool have been completed and they will be finished with tiling in the coming weeks.
set to conclude by January 15, and NCRD Board Chair Michael Howes told commissioners that the project team hopes to have proof of funds for the next phase by December 13. This will allow the project to continue without demobilizing work crews between the phases or other delays, which would cause further price escalations. Thomas Fiorelli, a consultant helping the district with the project said that the project team is continuing to look at a bevy of possible grants to support the project but that it was unlikely they would materialize in the condensed timeframe. This led the team to start the ball rolling on a possible line of credit to keep the project moving
forward. Howes told commissioners that he had reached out to banks about the possibility and was confident that the district would be able to secure a loan but that he did not yet have more specifics. He also said that the district’s board would be discussing the possibility of taking a loan at their board meeting on November 14. The next phase of the project,
which will see the installation of pool equipment, will cost an estimated $1.75 million and is planned to begin in February and be complete by April, putting the facility on track for a June opening. The commissioning of the new pool will cost $100,000 and See PROJECT TO, Page A3
Adventist Health partners with Dialysis Clinic Inc. to re-open local dialysis clinic For the Herald Adventist Health Tillamook, in partnership with Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI), announces a soon-tobe reopened dialysis clinic located at 1000 3rd Street in Tillamook, Oregon. The clinic, formerly operated by U.S. Renal Care, will now operate under the name “Tillamook Kidney Center,” emphasizing its commitment to community-centered care. In support of the clinic’s reestablishment, Adventist Health Tillamook has launched a philanthropy campaign to help DCI cover $75,000 in equipment and supply needs to restart clinic operations. DCI has already committed eight newer dialysis chairs from one of their other locations, which will create a welcoming environment for returning patients. Donations to support this essential community effort can be made at AdventistHealthTillamook.org. While an official opening date has not yet been determined, the goal is to have all necessary
elements in place for a potential opening as early as late November or December, pending regulatory approval. All past patients will be directly contacted by DCI as soon as a confirmed opening date is available. Many local patients are currently traveling significant distances to the Willamette Valley for their dialysis treatments, underscoring the community’s urgent need for a local dialysis option. DCI, a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1971, operates over 240 locations across 29 states, providing care for patients at various stages of kidney disease, including chronic kidney disease, dialysis and transplant services. “Naming the clinic Tillamook Kidney Center celebrates its importance to the community,” said Doug Johnson, MD, ViceChairman of the Board at DCI. While the opening of the new Tillamook Kidney Center is tentatively scheduled, recruitment of clinic staff is well underway. Key staff, including Medical Director Dr. Nicole Kemper from Northwest Renal Clinic, have been secured
IN THIS ISSUE News Opinion Obituaries Sports Classifieds
A2-4 A5-6 A7 A9-11 A11-16
Standing together in strong support of returning dialysis care to Tillamook County, shown left to right at Adventist Health Tillamook, Kalyla Hogue, Area Operations Director for Dialysis Clinic, Inc; Eric Swanson, President of Adventist Health Tillamook; and Sharon Marti, Senior Operations Director for Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
to ensure high-quality patient care from the start. “This fresh community solution
illamook County voters returned or mailed their ballots by November 5 and the county clerk and secretary of state’s offices released results on election night and November 7. As of Thursday, just over 16,000 ballots had been accepted in Tillamook County, accounting for 74.4% of eligible voters in the county, and support for a bond for a new emergency radio system led opposition while Republican State Representative Cyrus Javadi was in a close race against Democratic challenger Andy Davis. The bond question seeking $24 million in taxpayer funding to support an upgrade to the county’s aging emergency radio system had received 7,780 of 14,988, or 51.9%, of the votes counted in the race. Javadi had received 55.0% of the votes counted in Tillamook County, good for a 1,572-vote advantage, and 52.1% across the district, with Davis enjoying a 358-vote advantage in Clatsop County and Javadi a 358vote advantage in the portion of the district in Columbia County. United States Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici was on track for an easy win over Republican challenger Bob Todd, having received 68.0% of the almost 290,000 votes across the district in the first round of results. Bonamici also led the vote counting in Tillamook County, but had received just 49.0% of votes tallied, with Todd accounting for 47.9% of the total, and Libertarian Joe Christman 2.9%. In races for the Tillamook County Peoples’ Utility District Board of Directors, Tamra Perman had received 55.5% of the vote against 43.4% for Maile Rosa Samek in the race for subdivision one, while Lonnie Jenck led in the three-way race for subdivision three, with 49.5% of the vote against 25.5% for Harry Hewitt and 24.1% for Justin Aufdermauer. Tillamook city council’s incumbents were all on track to retain their seats, with Garrett Noffsinger, Nicholas Torres and Sylvia Schriber running unopposed and Brian Reynolds having received 68.4% of the vote counted against 28.5% for challenger Richard Reidt. Bay City Mayor Liane Welch was unopposed in her race and Colin Jones, Tim Josi and Justin Howard were elected to three open seats on the council. Katie Findling was also unopposed in her bid to maintain the mayoralty of Garibaldi, while in a three-way contest for two open council seats, Cheryl Gierga and Sandra Tyrer had received 264 and 244 votes, respectively, against 233 tallied for Terry Kandle. Rockaway Beach’s hotly conSee VOTE TO, Page A3
See CLINIC TO, Page A2
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