10th Annual 2021 Columbia County
Business
Guide FREE
Published by The Chronicle & The Chief
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2021 Business Guide The 2021 edition of the Columbia County Business Guide reflects the positive spirit of our community, as local businesses and residents work together to navigate through challenges enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through smart practices, the hard working business operators and their employees have demonstrated faith and have shown their perseverance in facing state and local health and safety guidelines. The selection of the stories in this Business Guide shows how Columbia County is moving forward and, despite the pandemic and other challenges, our economy is strong and thriving.
The following stories collected through the last several months show the strengths of Columbia County, our passion for what we do, the enrichment of our neighborhoods, and the natural beauty of our region. Our staff at The Chronicle and The Chief take pride in accelerating our positive partnerships with local businesses through multiple platforms and products to help strengthen their sustainability and propel growth. We encourage you to visit our websites at thechronicleonline.com and at thechiefnews.com and follow our Facebook pages for the latest insightful and
Table of Contents 2021 Business Guide Introduction ...........................................................................2 Local restaurants wrestle with COVID-19 guidelines ..............................4-5 Columbia County moving ahead ....................................................................8-10 Port outlines 2021 priorities .............................................................................12-13 City moving to develop industrial business park ..........................................14 City using public engagement for riverfront projects .........................16-17 Publisher/Executive Editor Jeremy C. Ruark General Assignment Reporter Aurora Biggers Creative Director James Yang Marketing Consultant Amy Trull Office Manager Kelli Nicholson
impactful business and community news. Our websites provide daily news and information to help keep you informed about what’s happening throughout Columbia County. Our E-Editions, included free with each subscription, allows you to reference past business articles or other topics. We encourage you to support our local businesses and to explore all that Columbia County has to offer. Jeremy C. Ruark Publisher/Executive Editor
The Business of Halloweentown ....................................................................18-19 The Business of Medicine: OHSU Scappoose Clinic ..........................22-23 The Business of Recreation: City swimming pools ...............................26-27 Who We Are: Passion for cooking and for surviving ..........................28-30 New in town: Grocery Outlet ................................................................................31 PCC training center to open in August ......................................................32-33 Business of Nonprofits ........................................................................................36-37 Rainier Chamber recognizes locals .......................................................................38 The Chronicle / The Chief 1805 Columbia Blvd., PO Box 1153, St. Helens, OR. 97051 503-397-0116 thechronicleonline.com thechiefnews.com
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ichardson's Furniture began in 1959 when Lowell Richardson's daughter needed some upholstery work done on her car. Word of mouth spread among her friends and the basement of Lowell and Martha's home was soon a full time upholstery shop. The next few years required three different moves due to the growth of business until they opened a full service store at the present location on Columbia Blvd in St. Helens. Lowell and Martha were joined in 1970 by October 1964 Grand Opening of Richardson’s Furniture in its current location.. their daughter Eileen and her husband Chris Kirby. In 1998 their daughter Anne and her husband Joe Davis joined the firm. The family tradition continues as Chris and Eileen's grandchildren have brought a 4th generation of family to the business. Richardson's Furniture still follows the credo started over 62 years ago by the Richardson family of “Furniture with a Future.” This means offering the best values, a great selection of product and the best possible service both before and after you have chosen your furniture. Richardson's currently displays over 22,000 sq. ft. of home furnishings from national names you know and trust, including: Simmons, Sealy, Temper-pedic, Flexsteel, and Ashley. We are also proud to carry many local brands that are produced in Oregon, including Stanton, Englander and NW Furniture Manufacturers. Our prices are discounted to save you money every day and on every item you choose. As always convenient in-home delivery is available to fit your location and time schedule. We feel shopping for your home should be a fun and relaxing experience. You are encouraged to take your time finding the right items to fit your home and your budget without any extra pressure from sales people. While we are happy to deliver your furniture immediately; special order is always an option and there is no extra charge to customize your furniture to fit your home. As you can see, at Richardson's, your way is the right way. Stop in today and see why Richardson's should be your home furnishing choice.
“Furniture with a Future.”
lOWell and maRtHa
CHRiS and eileen
jOe and anne
2015 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, Oregon 503.397.1329 www.richardsonsfurniture.com “Where Columbia County Has Bought With Confidence Since 1959”
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Local restaurants wrestle with COVID-19 guidelines AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
Oregon’s first real grappling with the pandemic hit in mid-March—a perfect spring weekend which drove Oregonians to the coast like Floridian spring breakers with arguably better coffee. Up until that point, Gov. Kate Brown had largely appealed to the good nature and sense of her fellow Oregonians. “I asked and urged Oregonians to stay home,” Brown said in a conference call with reporters, following the spring breaker weekend. “On Friday night, I frankly directed them to stay home. And now I am ordering them to stay home.” Initial pandemic impact All over the state, businesses were shuttering—to follow mounting COVID-19 guidelines and Brown’s executive order. Bowling alleys, gyms, gift shops, malls, spas, senior centers, and theaters were all scrambling, with virtually no alternate means of operating. The exception: restaurants. Restaurants and bars were left in a space of liminality. Most had closed several weeks prior, via an earlier order from Brown, but were still operating with take-out and delivery services. Still, the guidelines were constantly shifting. Restaurant owners and managers were caught in a perpetual cycle of innumerable calculations. Open for dining outside? Closed until dinner? Open just on weekends? Close indefinitely or shut down permanently? No matter how they sliced the numbers, the options just weren’t in their favor. Restaurants with patios were in luck, those without were less so. Quaint little breakfast cafes were dwarfed by larger facilities. And all across the industry, restaurants were scaling back—guidelines or no—as a new wave of home cooking emerged in every socially distant and quarantined home. In Columbia County, the restaurant industry’s own unique struggle perfectly encapsulat-
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark The Plymouth Pub in St. Helens is one of the local businesses that have endured the state’s health and safety restrictions since the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the state in March 2020.
ed the ecliptic cycle presented by COVID-19, changing restrictions and guidelines, and the individual navigation of each restaurant. Navigating the restrictions Plymouth Pub, 298 S. First Street in St. Helens, had only been open for one year when COVID-19 hit, owner Brad Rakes said. For Plymouth, alternative methods of operating, like take-out service, was incremental in the restaurant’s survival post-one year anniversary. “Take-out has been huge for us. That was the saving grace,” Rakes said. “The community really came out. They were coming just to get togo because they felt bad for us … St. Helens has really been good to us.” Still, the mounting restrictions and COVID-19 concerns made staying open even more complicated than first year failure rates. The hardest part with COVID-19, said Rakes, was when employees experienced any symptoms of illness. “Anytime someone got sick or had the sniffles, we had to send them home.” While most employees hadn’t contracted
COVID-19, Rakes still had to take precautions. “It’s been a real struggle as far as being short handed. We’re short handed all the time.” The constantly changing regulations, which cause Plymouth to constantly pivot between open and closed, added to the restaurant’s staffing issues. “Nobody wants to work in the restaurant industry because you don’t know—It’s so volatile. You might get laid off in two weeks or three weeks.” Nationally, the food industry is struggling to remain staffed because of inconsistent employment, risk factors, and extremely poor pay rates. Staffing and COVID-19 risks aren’t the only barriers that restaurants have had to face. “Some of our most popular things, I can’t even get it,” Rakes explained. “Cisco—which is a big food supplier—they cut back and restaurants needed to cut back because everything is perishable. So then they lower their inventory, but everyone opens back up, and then they don’t have the [inventory] anymore.” Restaurants nationwide have had to reduce their menus, not only due to short staffing or limited service hours but also because the food supply simply wasn’t available. Even within St. Helens, the restaurant experience differs from restaurant to restaurant. Places like Kozy Korner, where the owners own the property and don’t have to pay rent, had more flexibility to close the restaurant with hopes of it reopening at a safer point in time. “That wouldn’t be possible for us,” Rakes said. He rents the location for Plymouth Pub, which he said needs to remain open in order for him to keep the property. Kozy Korner, at 371 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens, closed in March 2020, along with every other restaurant in the state, and remained closed until May 2021, when they reopened for all days with breakfast service only. Owner Dale Ogan decided to keep the restaurant closed until he was sure it would remain open to avoid having to deal with shifting regulations, he said. Continued on page 5
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From page 4 Now that Kozy Korner is reopened, Ogan allows patrons to be unmasked, but the employees will remain masked for the time being. Other restaurants like Running Dogs and Dockside offer more limited hours—not being open on Mondays, for example. Or only offering dinner service. Across the county In Rainier, Cornerstone Café faced the same problems as Plymouth Pub, but they benefited from a generous Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which owners Viki and Mark Overbay used to give “The Stone” some remodels. “Having been restricted to outdoor and togo only is rough!” Viki Overbay said. “For togo orders, even with guests going out of their way to support us which we are so grateful for, we certainly don’t get as much in sales as when we have dine-in.” Cornerstone isn’t located on the main street, which Viki Overbay said makes business a bit more difficult to generate. Add in the unpredictability of Oregon weather, Overbay said, and restaurants are in a difficult spot. “Oregon weather, especially in the Spring, is not good for outdoor dining,” she said. “We did set up seven outdoor tables with umbrellas and plants. But it is pretty chilly to eat outside.” Then the weather flipped. “We had recently hired three new employees to seat folks and keep track of the amount of guests, so we could adhere to the restrictions of capacity of guests allowed in-doors. Now...we have no hours at all for them. It is extremely difficult to write a schedule ... Now, on sunny days we need servers for outdoor tables and on rainy days we don’t need them.” New, less restrictive guidelines And more recently, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released new face mask guidelines after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in early June that individuals who are fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 could stop wearing masks and stop physical distancing in most public spaces. The OHA’s new guidance aligns with CDC guidance, stating that “businesses, employers and faith institutions can choose to no longer require masks and physical distancing for fully vaccinated individuals, or continue to require masks and physical distancing in their locations for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.” Alternatively, if businesses, employers, and faith institutions choose to no longer require masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated individuals, “the business, employer or faith institution must require visitors to show proof of vaccination and review the proof of vaccination. In that case, a business would need to have a policy for checking the vaccination status of customers and employees if they are not wearing masks. Fully vaccinated individuals would need to provide proof they’d been vaccinated if they want to remove face coverings and not observe physical distancing guidelines.” Gov. Kate Brown applauded the new guidelines saying it is, “another sign that as more people become fully vaccinated, the closer we are to ending this pandemic.” However, the new guidelines present Oregon businesses, especially the restaurant industry with a particular dilemma: either maintain prior guidelines with masks and social distancing required or switch to a two standard system with different regulations for vaccinated and unvaccinated customers—which may include hiring new employees to act as door-keepers or hosts and check customers for proof of vaccination. Overbay said Cornerstone was prepared for this pivot due to a heads up from the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association (ORLA). “We decided if they truly insist upon not wearing a mask that, yes, we will go ahead and check. We will ask them for proof of their vaccination date,” Overbay said. The new regulation means Cornerstone will have a host for every shift who will check vaccination statuses and use a calendar to verify that every patron without a mask has been fully vaccinated—with the 14 day waiting period after the second vaccination (or first, if a single
shot vaccination). “Because we had a hostess anyways,” Overbay said, explaining their choice. “If we didn’t have a hostess anyways, on account of the restrictions, I highly doubt we’d be offering [vaccinated customers to not wear masks].” Comfort levels However, some restaurant owners don’t feel comfortable asking customers to prove their vaccination status. In Clatskanie, Tom Colvins, owner of Colvins Pub & Grill, said his restaurant won’t be checking vaccination statuses nor enforcing mask guidelines. “I’m not going to be the mask police,” Colvins said. “I’m not going to be checking if they’re vaccinated. I think it’s an infringement on their rights and on their privacy.” Restaurants that have continued to stay closed inside throughout the pandemic have less control over their customer’s masking. Bundy’s Cafe and Drive-In only runs drivethrough service, so customers make their own choice about masking up or not. Other restaurants like Hometown Pizza in Rainier are mostly maintaining original masking guidelines, unless customers specifically ask. “I took the ‘Masks are required’ sign off the door,” Manager Sloan Nelson said. “But I’m not advertising it.” If customers ask, Nelson said Hometown Pizza will allow customers to go unmasked on the “honesty policy,” but so far no one has asked, she said. Employees are continuing to wear their masks until they are vaccinated and provide proof to Nelson, but otherwise, they are keeping the restaurant business as usual with COVID-19 guidelines. Still, other restaurants say they are undecided about their policy. In St. Helens, Running Dogs, owned by Maggie and Jaron Clayton, is considering retaining the original masking guidelines. “My concern is that I don’t want my employees to have to be the mask police,” Maggie Clayton said. Clayton said that they are considering requiring their employees to still wear masks and giving customers the opportunity to go unmasked if they provide proof of vaccination. Ultimately, customers and employees alike getting vaccinated is the key to restaurants bouncing back fully. “I think it’s going to get better. I think everyone just needs to get open again and get the vaccinations done,” Rakes said. “You can tell people are getting hopeful. People want to go out.” Reopening Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced in early June that the state was progressing towards reaching her goal of having 70% of adult Oregonians vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus by late June so that Oregon could reopen and most of the state’s pandemic health and safety restrictions lifted.
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Columbia County moving ahead JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
The COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps one of the most impactful events that occurred in Columbia County and across the state. As our county and the state moves ahead with increased vaccinations and the health and safety restrictions are eased, we gain insight from Paul Vogel, the executive director of Columbia Economic Team, about business lessons learned and how we can successfully move ahead. The Chronicle - The Chief: As Oregon (and hopefully Columbia County) reaches the required vaccinate rate to reopen, what do you believe our businesses should take away from this experience? Paul Vogel: There are some pretty core takeaways that we’ve seen manifested throughout the pandemic and the economic disruption. One is that there is no “normal”, no “business as usual” that forgives a business not being soundly set up and operating according to a plan, no matter how simple. Know your business and know your plan. If you don’t have a plan, you’re in no shape to know how to adjust your plan to address the unexpected. Know what your
business costs you, how much revenue you’re making and where it comes from; pretty basic and essential. If you know those things you can more easily apply for assistance – grants or loans – or just help and advice. If you know your business basics you can adjust your marketing, your hours of operation, workforce management, your productivity – everything that is affected by things you can’t control, like a pandemic. For many of the people we’ve worked with in various aspects, this was a huge smack on the forehead about taking care of the basics and not taking those – including customers and suppliers — for granted. This is why we set up a business basics workshop series in the fall. It’s why we offered tuition reimbursement for business owners that took PCC basic business classes. It’s why we’re working very hard to set up a Small Business Resource Center so that we have free 1-on-1 business advising and even
more sophisticated help and resources available right here in Columbia County. Other takeaways include the most overused word in the past twelve months: “pivot.” Whether businesses pivoted or picked another word for what they had to do to shift gears in shifting sands, those who knew their businesses and their customers best were able to make adjustments and focus on different types of customers, market differently – including improving (or simply establishing) an online presence, or website, setting up e-commerce, marketing through social and digital media. Reaching customers that were now staying home, working from home and increasingly going online to buy things became critical. There are businesses that didn’t even have websites prior to the pandemic who are now fully online and even doing e-commerce, and using social and digital media to drive awareness and consumer behavior. In our workshop series, we had three separate sessions just on marketing. Marketing through social media had the best turnout, the most useful information, the greatest number of questions and ran almost 40 minutes over. If that digital change really took root here, it will be one of the best Continued on page 9
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From page 8 things to come out of this pandemic. One other great element that emerged is the collaboration we saw: cities and local governments, non-profits, school districts, chambers of commerce, Columbia Economic Team, fire districts, social services, child care – the list goes on with so many people and organizations just dropping how things had been done, filling gaps and working together to do what needed to be done now – in almost all new ways. Continuing that collaborative atmosphere also will be a tremendous positive to maintain and sustain as we move forward and recover will forever change the social fabric, economic balance and our economic resilience for generations. The Chronicle - The Chief: It would appear Columbia County businesses that survived the pandemic did so by developing smart practices. From your vantage point, what are the range of those smart practices and how will they continue to help local businesses thrive and survive in the future? Vogel: Many of the businesses that have survived and even thrive have done so by getting back to basics: stabilizing the business, deciding what they could do and what they had to stop doing – because they couldn’t under the circumstances, re-connecting with their customers in different ways and really taking care
of their customers even better because every transaction took on a greater importance. Customers really took care of those businesses they care a lot about. We saw this in the online promotion and communication through our Keep It Local program. Businesses got creative. People and customers got creative. And we did that because we were all in the same very strange, unfamiliar boat and by focusing on simple things like buying local, eating an extra take-out meal per week, those things add up and they mattered. Being mindful of, and sustaining, that local emphasis will help our businesses recover, and it will help grow demand. Demand generates more business and new businesses. Healthy businesses and new ones diversify our choices and improve our selection of goods and services. That helps support even more growth and that’s how a healthy economy, and communities, expand. If you’re not growing, you’re shrinking. That’s how a healthy economy works. Being forced to adjust, adapt and survive makes for stronger businesses and business sectors and clusters. Continuing to market aggressively, improve online presence, and studying customers – really paying new attention to them and being strategic will always help businesses thrive. The Chronicle - The Chief: What federal funding and grants administered to help businesses
through the pandemic should be continued and why? Vogel: Our national – and position in the global – economy can’t sustain this kind of generational spending. It was essential; it was the most important thing that could be done, but there’s no question that the repeated federal appropriations can’t be sustained. But neither will they need to be as the economy picks up speed, industries and sectors begin investing again, supply chains correct and people can overwhelmingly get back into the workforce. These are things that need to be corrected for next time or continued with a strong head of steam, in my view. Access to cash: The past year has shown us that simpler, more accessible grants to small businesses can have a tremendous beneficial effect. Establishing new, progressive criteria not pandemic-related will be important so money is flowing to businesses. The CARES Act was vital in many respects. The way it was administered also needs to be carefully evaluated. It’s pretty unprecedented so it’s understandable why it was clunky, hard to deal with on a large scale down to the ground level. But adjustments started to happen on the fly to make the various grants and allocations more pragmatic and more usable, so that is encouraging. A good solid bucket of lessons learned; let’s be more ready next time. Continued on page 10
Lea has been a licensed agent for over 23 years and still enjoys guiding buyers and sellers through the real estate process, every day. Lea believes in helping others through education, communication and assistance. Working together as a team is when goals are achieved and relationships are created that last a lifetime. She also enjoys being involved in the local community. As a long time resident of Columbia County and mother of two children raised in St. Helens, Lea has volunteered in the schools, sport organizations and Girls and Boys Scouts. Columbia County is a beautiful part of the Pacific Northwest and she finds it a pleasure to call home. Give Lea a call today and feel the Re/Max difference!
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From page 9 Childcare: The enhanced focus on childcare has to be sustained. Child care and preschool have always been a challenging issue but this was really magnified in the pandemic – it needs to stay at the forefront. Access to childcare is a large business, a small business, a workforce and a quality of life and society issue. We need to make substantive progress on child care while there’s a big magnifying glass on it. Schools: Don’t stop figuring out how we need to educate better and with more agility just because the pandemic is subsiding. The schools/education paradigm has shifted, probably forever. Let’s use the tectonic shift to improve access and application. Broadband: If there’s a universal need when isolation is the rule of the day, it’s broadband and quality access to the world, for homes, parents, students, workers, entire communities. The federal broadband funding has to continue. Although the Columbia Economic Team is shifting more emphasis back to industrial and business recruitment, our past year’s intensive focus on small businesses has been transformational to our organization. We’re well underway with an initiative to establish a Small Business Resource Center that is independent, locally staffed and fits with our county. The Chronicle - The Chief: Feel free to add any other comments you might have.
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Vogel: We have lost neighbors, friends and loved ones to the COVID-19 virus. We have lost businesses to the economic side of the pandemic. We have seen, though, businesses not just surviving but thriving as they figure this thing out. The pandemic and its conditions put a magnifying glass over every vulnerable part of our systems and our economy. It also provided a microscope to us to study, learn and get better and stronger. And it opened a big wide Zoom screen with lots of windows of people, capability, capacity, commitment and collaboration that might never have mature as quickly without the dire circumstances. We have a lot to work with here in Columbia County: A lot of hard lessons learned; some pleasant surprises about our own capabilities; some new grit and innovation; a new training and workforce center joined at the hip with advanced manufacturing; land, space, ideas and a quality of life that’s never been more appealing than after lockdown; strengthened partnerships and new collaborations; resources and focus. We’re excited about the uptick in industrial investment interest from the outside. We’re even more excited about the business resilience, retention and desire to invest and grow that we’re finding inside Columbia County right now. The Columbia Economic Team may be reached at 503-410-1061. 10 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
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PORT OUTLINES 2021 PRIORITIES Courtesy photo from Port of Columbia County Port Westward is a deepwater port with existing dock facilities and direct access to the 43-foot navigation channel in the Columbia River. It is seen as a future economic driver for the county.
JEREMY C. RUARK
The Chronicle - The Chief: What does the Port see as its top four priorities for 2021?
As 2021 began, The Chronicle and The Chief presented special reports looking ahead in 2021. The special reports focused on key economic indicators for the region. One of the essential assets are the ports in Columbia County. In the following conversation, Port of Columbia County Executive Director Doug Hayes shares his insight into 2021.
Doug Hayes: The top priorities for the Port are economic development and growth, specifically development at Scappoose Industrial Airpark and the McNulty Creek Industrial Park in St. Helens. The rezone at Port Westward is also a priority, as the land in the rezone will be used to address the critical shortage of large tracts of rural industrial land with river access throughout Columbia County,
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12 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
the Portland metropolitan area, and the entire Lower Columbia River region. As we move through our fiscal year budget process, we may adjust slightly some of the priorities in 2021. The Chronicle- The Chief: What challenges has the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Port’s economic development efforts and how has the Port overcome those challenges? Continued on page 13
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Hayes: We have had limited economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic due to our diverse lines of business and tenant listings within the port district. We have done very well during this period, and it was our fiscal stability that enabled us to reduce the port’s property tax levy to zero in 2020, lowering the overall tax rates for district residents and businesses during these difficult times. The commissioners and staff will assess the tax levy during the budget process again in 2021 to determine whether or not we continue to do this in the future. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Port also contracted for three months with an experienced financial counselor to offer free aid to small businesses within the port district in navigating the application process for federal and state relief funds. The Port saw the need in the community for this type of assistance and felt it fit within our mission of fostering local economic opportunities to create and sustain jobs.
Hayes: We are looking at developing our 47-acre property at McNulty Way in St. Helens. McNulty is a certified shovel-ready site by the state of Oregon, which means the property has all utilities and construction can proceed within a very short time. The property is zoned industrial, with both highway and rail access, which makes it an attractive site for manufacturers. We are currently in negotiations for developing the site, but we cannot be more specific at this time. Railroad Avenue has seen some interest from businesses, but we need to work on expanding the northern access to that property to make development there viable. The Port actively markets all of our available properties on LoopNet, an online commercial real estate marketplace; Oregon Prospector, a GIS web tool provided by Business Oregon; and various partnerships with regional economic development agencies such as Greater Portland Inc. and Columbia Economic Team.
Hayes: The Port’s Columbia City property is zoned light industrial, but we are very cognizant of what type of industry would be a good fit and well-received by the community in Columbia City. We do have companies who have expressed interest, but we cannot go into detail until negotiations are complete.
The Chronicle - The Chief: What is the future target development for the Port properties at McNulty Way and Railway Avenue and how is the Port marketing those properties and to whom?
The Chronicle - The Chief: What is the future target development for the Port’s property in Columbia City and how is the Port marketing those properties and to whom?
To reach the Port of Columbia County, visit portofcolumbiacounty.org, or call 503-3972888. The Port office is located at 100 E Street in Columbia City.
From page 12
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The Chronicle - The Chief: What are the next targeted project developments for the Scappoose Airpark? Hayes: The Port has made major capital investments at the Scappoose Industrial Airpark over the last couple of years with the Taxiway-B Relocation Project and the Airpark Water/Sewer Project that brought sanitary sewer service to the west side of the airport and our just completed 31,500-square-foot building/hanger. We are constantly making infrastructure improvements to the facility with the help of the FAA to attract new business interest and improve our facilities at the airport.
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City moving to develop industrial business park JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
St. Helens city officials are looking at future major economic strength through development of an industrial business park at the site the former Boise White Paper Mill site at Kaster Road. In early May, the St. Helens City Council reviewed a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the St. Helens Industrial Business Park (SHIBP), a 205-acre area, zoned for industrial uses, and situated along the banks of the Multnomah Channel of the Willamette River. The council authorized moving forward with a request for qualification for the design, engineering, and construction management services for infrastructure at the former mill site. The city is seeking qualifications from licensed professional engineering firms with the intent of contracting to submit all necessary permit applications and prepare design and construction documents, specifications, work schedules, construction cost estimates, and construction management services for the St. Helens Industrial Business Park infrastructure. City planners state that city leaders and community members recognized the need for a change on the waterfront when two large wood product industries left the community after years of declining profitability. After the closures, the city was left with hundreds of acres of industrial brown fields located on the Columbia River. “As underutilized riverfront property zoned industrial, this property provides an incredible opportunity to transform the future of the City,” St. Helens Deputy City Administrator Matt Brown stated in the report to the city council. Phased development approach In the first step to attract industrial development to the riverfront, the city is seeking professional services to create an industrial subdivision for Phase 1 of the park. Phase 1 would include design work for: • Transportation network and streetscape • Water • Sanitary Sewer • Stormwater management • Lot and right-of-way platting • Parcelization
Illustration courtesy of the City of St. Helens
and infrastructure is the primary development challenge for matching potential users with the site. Most property lines and some rightsof-way will need to be created/reconfigured as well. The city expects to develop the site in a phased approach. Funding options The city is also reviewing funding options for the industrial park development. The City of St. Helens has received a technical assistance grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) in 2019 to develop a master plan for the industrial park. The master plan (SHIBP) assesses existing physical conditions and development barriers, summarizes pertinent information from previous plan documents and decisions, defines targeted industrial user types, and provides a framework for parcelization. Importantly,
The utility infrastructure design should be flexible and able to meet the needs of a range of future users, the planning outline states. “The updated market analysis, included in the parcelization plan, indicates that smaller parcels of 2-5 acres with the potential to be combined into larger 10-20-acre parcels are desirable. This approach also provides the flexibility to accommodate a range of future industrial activities.” The planners state that the lack of access 14 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
planners said, is that the city has also scoped the master plan to include a phased infrastructure funding plan. “To date, we understand that the key development barriers in the SHIBP are its environmental, regulatory, and infrastructure conditions,” the planners outline states. “The intent of this funding plan is to coordinate solutions to address infrastructure barriers by: • Clarifying how infrastructure will be delivered and funded. • Coordinating investment responsibilities across a range of public and private partners (i.e., those who will be involved in funding the capital projects needed to allow development of the SHIBP). • Identifying actions and funding resources to address the infrastructure needs in the SHIBP. Read the full plan attached to this story at thechronicleonline.com
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Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 15
City using public engagement for riverfront projects Courtesy drawing from the City of St. Helens
The City of St. Helens has released this conceptual drawing of the planned riverwalk development.
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The City of St. Helens is currently working on two riverfront projects to bring major infrastructure and public amenity improvements to the St. Helens waterfront. Both projects are focused on infrastructure development on the former Boise veneer property. The property is a vacant 22acre, half-mile long piece of property. It is bordered by the Columbia River to the east, Columbia View Park and the historic St. Helens Riverfront District to the north, Nob Hill Nature Park to the southwest, and Plymouth
Street at its south end. The site is commonly referred to as the St. Helens waterfront property. First steps The City of St. Helens launched the Road and Utility Extension Project in March 2021. The project is focused on creating design documents, securing permits, and starting construction on road and utility extensions for South 1st and Strand Streets through the St. Helens waterfront property. Development is anticipated to include pedestrian and bicycle connections, streetscape design, on-street
parking, and view corridors of the Columbia River. Otak is the City’s consultant for the street extension project, Otak, was set to present the street alignment options for the continuation of South 1st Street and Strand Street during a city council public session June 16. While the City’s last Riverfront meeting was intended to gather community input to help shape the design process, this meeting is for the city council to review and select one of the street extension alignment alternatives. Continued on page 17
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From page 16 Public access The city also launched the Riverwalk Project in March 2021 to design public access along the St. Helens waterfront property and a new stage for the Columbia View Park amphitheater. The riverwalk will extend along the banks of the Columbia River from Columbia View Park to Plymouth Street and Nob Hill Nature Park. The new linear park design may incorporate a combination of pathways, boardwalks, and overlooks. The city held a public forum on Wednesday, May 19 to review the project’s scope and gather community feedback about the types of uses and themes that are important to incorporate in the project’s design. A community survey was also open for two weeks in May to gather feedback about the project. The survey gathered 471 responses. A summary of the survey feedback was created by Mayer/Reed, Inc., the city’s consultant for the Riverwalk Project. The summary is available to view on the Riverwalk Project website at www. sthelensoregon.gov/waterfront/page/riverwalk-project. The survey highlighted the importance of designing a space for the community to be able to walk, socialize, and view the landscape and wildlife along the riverwalk. Walking, views, wildlife viewing, and paddling were the activities that ranked highest in importance. The results from the survey will be used to help shape the design proposals for the riverwalk. Mayer/Reed, Inc. was set to give a presentation to the St. Helens City Council of Riverwalk Project design alternatives at during the council’s July 21 work session. These projects are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to open a large expanse of riverfront property that was formerly private industrial land fenced off from community access. With the City’s purchase of the property in 2015, major planning and design work has taken place to reclaim the waterfront to serve the St. Helens community in new ways. This redevelopment process aims to pay homage to both the past and future of the city by creating new amenities to attract new business and residents to St. Helens and provide guaranteed public access to a larger stretch of the Columbia River. The city’s waterfront redevelopment project includes three main properties that total 225-acres of adjacent land: the St. Helens waterfront property (former Boise Veneer property) to the north; the central waterfront property (current site of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and directly south of the waterfront property); and the St. Helens Industrial Business Park (former Boise Mill property). Information about the redevelopment efforts can be found on the city’s website at www.sthelensoregon. gov/waterfront. For more information contact Associate Planner and Community Development Project Manager Jenny Dimsho at jdimsho@sthelensoregon. gov. A Publication of The Chronicle and The Chief
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The Business of Halloweentown AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
For newcomers, figuring out why St. Helens becomes “Halloweentown” once a year each fall may likely be a mystery unto itself. To the uninitiated, there isn’t an obvious tie into the theme of costumes, jack-o-lanterns, and haunted houses. It isn’t Portland and roses, Macy’s and Christmas, or Pendleton and a rodeo. Halloween has been a big deal in town for decades and has come to be one of the major centerpieces of the city with an annual kid’s parade featuring costumed children, trick-or-treating at the doors of local businesses and people making creative scarecrows and hanging their displays all around St. Helens. While Halloweentown is designed for fun and community engagement it also provides a significant boost to the city’s economy, according to St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh. “In many ways the event has transformed St. Helens from a fading mill town to a community recognized internationally as a top destination for Halloween activities,” Walsh said. “Halloweentown has created a sense of community identity and brought an economic boost to the region. The event draws tens of thousands of visitors each year throughout the month of October who stay in hotels, eat at local restaurants, shop at local merchants and experience all that St. Helens has to offer.”
Children dressed as pumpkins celebrate during the annual Halloweentown events.
zine, newspaper, radio and social media articles and tourism related articles, according to Curry. “We’ve had almost one million people visit our discovercolumbiacounty.com site alone,” she said. “We’ve had individual posts that garner more than 24 million views. If you have to put an exact number to this it’s very difficult but our audits show very high results.” The history St. Helens annual “Spirit of Halloweentown” festivities are days filled with extroverted behavior. Dressing in costumes, screaming in haunted houses, pretending that St. Helens is the Halloweentown depicted in the 1998 Disney movie shot in town for its Disney Channel cable feed using settings around the Old Town area. Titled “Halloweentown,” the movie stars Debbie Reynolds as a witch named Aggie who visits her daughter and grandchildren at Halloween, after an argument, she leaves by hopping on a magic bus. Little did she know, her grandchildren joined her as stowaways on the bus and
ve a Great School Year! By the numbers
City of St. Helens tourism representative Tina Curry said Halloweentown generates well over a million dollars annually. “This is direct to businesses and merchant dollars,” Curry said. In addition, the City of St. Helens and sponsors have received an estimated value of several million dollars in media reach through maga-
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Chronicle photo
the group ends up in a place called “Halloweentown.” One of the climatic moments of the film occurs inside the Columbia Theatre in the Old Town District of St. Helens. Another major scene in the movie is re-enacted each year in St. Helens, the lighting of the bigger than life jacko-lantern in the plaza in front of the courthouse. It is a replica of the original pumpkin from the movie. The kickoff to St. Helens Halloweentown is held annually with the lighting of the large pumpkin at the city’s Old Town District. Occasionally, Halloweentown is host to special guests like the cast of the movie, which reunited in St. Helens for the event in 2017. The event has grown with each year, but in 2020, Halloweentown had to downscale a bit due to COVID-19. It doesn’t look there will be any Halloweentown cast appearances this year, but the big draw, said Curry, is the new additions to Halloweentown. “We have four new attractions this year,” she said, listing off the new attractions—WhisContinued on page 19
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From page 18
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark This art piece is part of the annual riverfront decorations placed each year as the St. Helens Old Town District transforms into the Spirit of Halloweentown, a celebration of all things spooky.
pers in the Woods (a scavenger hunt for hidden painted faces within trees around the city), The Art of Wade Lapp’s “Walk With Pumpkins” (a shuttle out to Sand Island for another Halloween themed scavenger hunt), the Pumpkin King Tunnel (a laser light show tunnel leading to a 20 foot Pumpkin King statue), and the new Dark Market (a Halloween themed shop that opened in May). COVID-19 concerns Under the guidance of Curry, who has been contracted for Halloweentown since 2017, the event will proceed with new attractions. Though it is too early to say what the exact COVID-19 guidelines will be this year, Curry said Halloweentown will “be in compliance with governor’s orders as always.” Plus, Halloweentown is an outdoor event, which reduces the risk significantly, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Continuing Halloweentown was a controversial decision last year, but Curry said the event was a success and no COVID-19 outbreaks occurred as a result. The main concern was that many of Halloweentown’s attendees fly into Oregon from other states or travel from other counties within the state. However, flying requires rigorous tests and vetting to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “A lot of people fly here, so the airlines have already dealt with it by the time they get here,” Curry said of Halloweentown attendees being tested for COVID-19 prior to the event. “I would say that last year our audience was probably 90% from other locations.” Whether you are a tourist or a local, Halloweentown will be available to everyone this year, though Curry isn’t sure whether they will cap attendance at 250, depending on the state and county guidelines. “We hope enough to cover all the costs,” she said. Halloweentown relies heavily on outside financing, Curry explained. “We have to raise more than $250,000 to make Halloween happen.” The majority of the financing for Halloweentown comes from ticket sales and sponsorships; Halloweentown doesn’t receive money from the city or taxes, she said. See more photos and video of previous Halloweentown activities in St. Helens at thechronicleonline.com. A Publication of The Chronicle and The Chief
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Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 19
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Thank you Columbia County for supporting us the past four years You have led us to be able to grow into a larger production facility currently in the works, keep in touch online for updates. We’re also excited to get back to our roots and be able to host events again like trivia and live music. See you again soon. Cheers!
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Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 21
The Business of Medicine: OHSU Scappoose Clinic AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
In January, the OHSU Primary Care Clinic in Scappoose began administering COVID-19 vaccines to Columbia County residents. At first, the clinic was primarily administering the Moderna vaccine, though they included Johnson & Johnson briefly (for one week before the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused in Oregon). On May 29, the clinic began administering Pfizer. When the site began giving vaccines, Columbia County Public Health Director Michael Paul championed the clinic as a key for the county to jump out of its high risk cycle. “This [site] will allow for more vaccines per hour in Columbia County and to accommodate a lot more people. With that new site we will be able to offer a vaccination to everyone in the next several weeks,” Paul said. “We want to make sure there is no one waiting for a vaccine.” The operation has been a joint venture with the Columbia County health department. At first, the vaccination clinics were primarily staffed by Continued on page 23
The OHSU Scappoose Clinic is located at 51377 SW Old Portland Road in Scappoose.
Courtesy photo
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Thank you to our Business Partners www.unitedwayofcolumbiacounty.com 503-556-3614
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From page 22 local clinic personnel, but since then the clinic has included volunteers from across many different OHSU departments, medical students, county health department leadership and staff, local community volunteers, as well as volunteers from Columbia Pacific CCO, the clinic’s Medicaid provider. The number of vaccines given per day fluctuates “depending on the day,” said Family Medicine Clinic Medical Director Dr. Brian Garvey. “We transitioned to vaccine events four days a week during the months where demand peaked, and at our height we could offer about 700 doses/ day.” is home of Dr. Heather Sorber, a naturopathic Though the county remains at high risk, as of press time, the site was successful in increasing physician in St. Helens. Naturopathic doctors the county’s vaccination rates, according to Garare primary care physicians in Oregon, and vey. “We just surpassed 16k doses last weekend,” utilize labs, imaging, physical exams, and Garvey said on May 2. Since then, Columbia medications alongside herbs, vitamins, County has moved to being 40% vaccinated. minerals, and diet and lifestyle changes to “When we first started, our county had one help restore balance to the body. of the lowest vaccination rates in the state, highlighting the need for increased access to vaccines. Our site has been the primary site for vaccina2020 tions across the county, and has allowed individReaders’ Choice #1 Health uals to get vaccinated without having to travel to Dr. Heather Sorber Awards the metro area. This has been critical, especially The Chronicle Naturopathic Physician Professional The Chief for vulnerable populations that have challenges with transportation, or have a hard time waiting in the long lines at the mass-vaccination events in Portland,” Garvey said. Phone: 503-410-3134 • Email: drsorber@columbiarivernaturalmedicine.com The county’s vaccination rates are still low, but Fax: 503-893-3118 • Website: www.columbiarivernaturalmedicine.com most of the county’s vulnerable populations are vaccinated, according to Paul. Now, the clinic is beginning to wrap up its stint as a COVID-19 vaccine provider. “We have started scaling back because demand has significantly decreased over the last few weeks … We plan to scale back on our vaccine events by the end of June due to decreased demand, but plan to offer a vaccine clinic at least once per week indefinitely,” Garvey explained. But new ventures will continue at the clinic. On June 1, the clinic started offering immediate care services for the first time—alongside their full-spectrum family medicine services. The OHSU Scappoose Clinic is located at 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 1 6/22/12 3:28 PM Page 1 51377 SW Old Portland Road in Scappoose and 11-16-11 3x2D Cuts:Layout 1 6/22/12 3:28 PM Page 1 can be reached at 503-418-4222.
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To learn more, call 503-397-1922 or visit www.lifemp.org
Since 1974, lifempowered has been providing high quality supports to people who experience Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in Columbia County. We pride ourselves on focusing on local families, initially starting with those leaving the (now closed) state institution “Fairview” and returning to their home towns. As that was so many years ago, only one person whose families started our agency are still living, but we are eternally grateful for them and their amazing families, who tirelessly advocated for local services. Service provision has evolved significantly over the many years since we got started, from homes that supported 15 or more people, to now supporting 3 people who choose to live together and others who live in their own apartments – all of whom direct their supports with team planning and informed decision making. While not all of our homes are that small and we still have some with 5 people, we work carefully to ensure that the people who live together are involved in making that decision as well as trying to ensure that the people who support them are also the best fit. Great staff matching goes a long way toward ensuring people live their best lives. As we move forward with our name change and updated mission “Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live the life they choose” we are also excited about our strategic plan
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for the next 5 years. The key priorities include being the premier resource in our community for people with disabilities which includes an extensive internal as well as community education campaign, a revamping of our existing administrative space to include a community empowerment center that is open to the public and meets a dual requirement to ensure an emergency evacuation site in the event one or more of our homes is uninhabitable for whatever reason. We would love for it to also be a resource for the community in case of emergency as well. Last but not least, we want to expand our board of directors in terms of numbers and skill sets to enable lifempowered to be the strongest we have ever been. We value fiscal integrity, as a not for profit that receives state dollars that are federally matched, we feel it critical to be responsibly stewards of public resources. If you or someone you know is interested in serving on our board, supporting our fundraising efforts or would just like more information, please contact Cindy Stockton, Executive Director at cindys@lifemp.org and don’t forget to check out our website www.lifemp.org or one of our Facebook pages to see all of the fun we have at lifempowered Community Adventures Thank you in advance for your support!
Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 25
The Business of Recreation: City swimming pools AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
After a difficult year for Eisenschmidt Pool, Pool Manager Anne Sholz has secured some financial relief for the facility. During the St. Helens City Council work session May 5, Sholz requested that the council grant leniency to the pool for its water bill. After making the request, the council tentatively agreed to reduce the pool’s water bill by 50% and Sholz said that evening, the council confirmed their vote and later notified Sholz of the change to the pool’s bill. The reduction will stand through June 2022, when the council will re-evaluate the pool’s financial status. “[The reduction is] a huge gift,” Sholz said, “I’m very, very pleased.” During the regular work session, in which the council tentatively granted Sholz’s request, St. Helens Mayor Rick Sholl said, “We do appreciate what you guys do as a special district,” and affirmed the council’s decision to reduce the pool’s water bill. Eisenschmidt Pool, located at 1070 Eisenschmidt Lane in St. Helens turns 82 this year, but its survival has been tenuous in recent years, especially since COVID-19 forced Sholz to close the pool, and lay off 25 employees. The pool was built in 1939 during the Great Depression as part of the Work Projects Administration (WPA), a relief program aimed at getting unemployed people back to work by having them work on a wide variety of projects, and is one of eight functioning WPA pools left in the U.S. Originally built as a life-saving measure for residents of St. Helens, after three drownings occurred in the Columbia River in the summer of 1936, Sholz said the pool continues its historic legacy today, and she hopes to guide it into the future. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pool attracted an estimated 500 visitors daily during peak seasons, according to Scholtz. “We are extremely proud to be part of its continuing future,” Sholz said in a previous statement. “We want nothing more than to keep this resource available at an affordable cost to our county residents.” Sholz sought the water bill reduction because of financial difficulties caused by COVID-19 and necessary repairs to the pool. During the pool’s closure, Sholz said she also had to repair a pipe due to damage from a winter storm, which cost the pool $25,000 and 400,000 gallons of water. A recent bid for re-grouting and re-caulking the pool shell estimated the additional repairs at $78,000. “We are completely unsure how we can get this project started until the COVID-19 pandemic has come to a complete end,” she said.
Eisenschmidt Pool is located at 1070 Eisenschmidt Lane in St. Helens.
Prior to the city council meeting, Sholz enumerated these costs to the council in a letter and during the April 21 City Council meeting and asked the council to consider granting the pool leniency. “With the above expenses, limited operating hours/programs and resources, I would like to ask for your consideration in a temporary reduction in the percentage paid on our water bill or at least place a hold on our current percentage paid,” she said. According to St. Helens Deputy City Administrator Matt Brown, when the pool was built, the pool board had a “handshake deal” with the mayor at the time, which allowed the pool to operate without paying the water bill. “Back in those days, it probably was not a huge deal because the city had plenty of industrial and business customers to help supplement residential and smaller business user rates,” Brown said. When Brown was hired in 2016, the city asked him to review St. Helens’ revenue, expenses, and fees for utilities. He brought in a consultant who recommended that the city “review every account and ensure that every customer is paying their fair share,” he said, which led Brown to recommend that the pool, among other businesses, begin paying facility bills.
26 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark
Eisenschmidt wasn’t the only business that received a higher bill after Brown’s evaluation, the city also notified the local Walmart that the store would begin paying the store’s full sewer and storm bill, which also had been previously reduced. Brown said Walmart paid a reduced amount of the store’s fees because when the building was constructed, the city had an option in the municipal code for larger commercial/industrial facilities to build their own treatment facility onsite to assist with storm drainage. Brown said this part of the municipal code is now repealed and now Walmart is paying the same type of rate structure as all other customers. When the city decided to reintroduce the pool’s water bill into the pool’s fees, the city council agreed to ease the pool into utility paying, said Brown. The first year, water and sewer rates were billed at 25% of what the actual bill should have been and increased during the second year to 50%, then 75%, and then finally 100%. “This was agreed upon with the Eisenschmidt Pool board along with City Council,” he said. Continued on page 27
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From page 26
Columbia Funeral Home & Cremation Center Columbia Memorial Gardens
Locally Owned & Operated. Serving Columbia County Since the early 1900s.
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark The Clatskanie City Pool is located at 346 NE 5th Street in Clatskanie.
With the bill reduced through June 2022, Sholz said she believes the pool will be able to remain open, and hopefully expand back to its usual programs and number of staff. Under the current pandemic health and safety guidelines, the pool operations are limited. Clatskanie City Pool Supply chain delays triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed the $600,000 renovation project at the Clatskanie Pool. “This is chronically challenging for everything,” Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman said. “The supply chain for everything is slow due to the pandemic.” Hinkelman said essential elements for the renovation, including a new gutter system, are part of the supplies needed. The original completion date for the pool project was scheduled for Memorial Day. “Our new target date is now July 4, at least that is our hope,” Hinkelman said. “And we are hoping the delays will not add to the cost of the overall project.” Built in 1958, the Clatskanie Pool is 90-feet long, 60-feet wide, and holds approximately 125,000 gallons of water. The renovations include resurfacing the deck, resurfacing and repainting the pool, replacing of the old tile gutter system with a stainless steel gutter system. The wading pool also will be replaced with a splash pad and crews will investigate multiple pool piping issues including current failures, potential failures and existing leaks. The Clatskanie Pool draws thousands each summer for community and family swims, swimming lessons, aerobics, senior exercising, synchronized swim team performances and other programs. The pool also offers full and part time employment opportunities and training for student lifeguards. Following a limited summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pool closed in September 2020. The cost of renovations are to be paid for through the city’s Scout Lake Funds, a special timber revenue collection set aside by the city. A Publication of The Chronicle and The Chief
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Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 27
Who We Are: Passion for cooking and for surviving
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark The Columbia County Bistro, at 305 Strand Street in St. Helens, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The bistro’s phone number is 503410-5680.
JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
Usually, a one year anniversary for opening your new business can be cause for celebration, but for business operator Kayleigh Stano, this past year has been one of endurance and patience. Stano is the chef and owner of the Columbia County Bistro in the Old Town District of St.
Helens, which opened its doors February 19, 2020. “Just a mere three weeks prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that brought us all to our knees,” Stano said, but added that the decision to open a restaurant, while daunting was exciting and interesting to her. “Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest I am a true foodie at heart, and lover of everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer the culinary world,” she said. Stano said because she has several food allergies and the dietary restrictions were always frustrating for her as she tried to navigate her way around restaurant menus to find something not only allergy-friendly but also tasty and enjoyable. True passion According to Stano, her true passion lies in creating dishes for anyone to enjoy that are easily modified depending on the consumers individual dietary restrictions and having trained and studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Stano said she learned classic French cooking techniques and modify them to not only be allergy-friendly but also fitting for the Pacific Northwest. “My passion has been to bring to our local
28 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
community food that is not only fresh and tasty, but encompasses everything our beautiful area has to offer,” she said. What makes her bistro unique, Santo said, is that it offers an entirely gluten-free kitchen where everything is locally sourced and procured fresh. Visitors will notice that the bistro has a very small kitchen. There is no room to store or freeze items, so Stano works to source all of the herbs and vegetables used in the bistro from local farms and on her family’s property in Warren. “My goal is to only use fresh and seasonal ingredients, as freshness and quality are a huge priority for me,” she said. Stano said this year the she plans to grow 11 different types of basil and 37 varieties of Heirloom tomatoes to utilize exclusively in the bistro. “We also are able to makes a lot of our menu items vegan, specifically our dairy-free version of The Mac Daddy,” she said. “We are a small boutique style restaurant and able to make changes to our dishes within reason.” The menu Stano said the bistro’s menu changes bimonthly and ranges from $16 to $20 per item, Continued on page 29
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From page 28 allowing her to offer a wide range of options from soups, stews, sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, wraps, salads, braised meats, risottos, pastas, pan fried cutlets, and The Mac Daddy, which she said is always around. “Occasionally, we offer desserts when local fruits are in season,” she said. “I love cooking and it’s something I’m passionate about, but I’m not a fan of repetition. With the constant rotation I can explore new things and our customers get new foods to try.” The bistro’s drink menu also changes depending on the season. “Some of our biggest sellers and fan favorites are our Manhattan and our house infused Lavender Vodka Martini,” Stano said. “Our lavender is grown here in Warren and we harvest and dry it at its peak. It truly is a beautiful cocktail. Just like with our food we enjoy experimenting with ingredients and concocting lovely libations.” Challenges and rewards Working through the past year and the pandemic has definitely challenged Stano as a business operator, but she said, she has endured. “We were able to keep afloat with take-out or-
ders and the support of family and friends,” she said. “We are truly thankful for everyone who supported us during these difficult times. Without the support of our loyal customers we definitely would not be open today. As most of us have during these trying times we have literally just kind of rolled with the punches.” Stano said the pandemic has allowed her to grow professionally as a new small business owner. “My goal is to be completely adaptable in order to navigate these troubled waters and times,” she said. “Opening a business in 2020 definitely has been a trial by fire experience for me. I am thankful for the support of family and friends. Stano said, so far she has overcome the biggest pandemic challenge, its financial impact. “When we initially opened we were on track to employ several employees, which would have provided much needed jobs in our community” she said. But Stano told the Chronicle during this interview in early March, that she was not a position at that time to hire anyone. “As this would definitely sink our little ship,” she said. Stano was the only employee at the bistro at the time of The Chronicle interview, but she said she is able to run the small restaurant with much
support from family and close friends. Securing small business loans from the federal government and grants from the Columbia County has enabled her to keep the bistro open. “My greatest reward is serving our local community and the needs of our customers,” she said. “I truly am blessed to have such devoted customers and appreciate their support of my little operation. It is their devotion and support that drives me to be my best, even when there are times I feeling like giving up. However challenging this past year has been for us, I continue to learn and grow from my experiences be them good or bad.” Background in her own words “I have always had a passion for food. Growing up I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my Grandpa (a self proclaimed culinary genius) experimenting and trying new recipes. My parents were also a huge inspiration for me. Growing up my sister and I were not allowed to eat processed pre-packaged food. Everything we ate in the house was made from scratch and we grew and canned the majority of the foods we ate on a daily basis. Continued on page 30
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McMullen Water System is based in St. Helens, Oregon, the heart of Columbia County. Our business’ history reflects the work of ethic and family values of the community we call home. McMullen is not a franchise, but instead founded by an Oregonian for Oregonians. Our honest, straight-forward, people first philosophy has been the defining hallmarks of our business for the past 43 years. McMullen Water systems was originally part of McMullen Drilling, a small business founded by Bud McMullen (Scott’s dad) in 1976. He worked in the well drilling business for 6 years before opening the doors to his own business. Bud’s business philosophy was simple: “Listen to your client. Do it right the first time. On time. And on budget.”
McMullen Water Systems is now moving into its third generation. Scott’s sons, Justin and Shawn, are now working for the company and are proudly carrying on the McMullen tradition of offering our clients the best products, at the best value, with the best service in the industry. McMullen Water Systems is licensed, insured, and bonded. The company’s Construction Contractor’s Board (CCB) number is 204823.
503.397.1744 http://mcmullenwater.com
A FULL SERVICE WATER TREATMENT AND WATER PUMP COMPANY Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 29
From page 29
OREGON TRAIL LANES Providing Family Entertainment to Columbia County for Sixty Years.
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark Columbia County Bistro Chef and Owner Kayleigh Stano in the bistro kitchen prepares the restaurant’s signature dish, The Mac Daddy.
“Food has always been such a huge part of my life and has been quintessential at helping me form long lasting relationships. When I was 15 I met Trent Dolyniuk, the owner of Black Bird Catering. Trent took me under his wings and further fostered my passion for food and cooking. While my skills at that time were limited, Trent took the time to show me knife skills, proper food handling techniques and basic culinary techniques. I would assist him with catering events, at times preparing meals for several hundred people. A few years after meeting Trent he and his family opened up Columbia County Brewing (CCB). Trent was not hesitant about throwing me on the line by his side. Trent continued teaching and guiding me through the years that I worked at CCB. Trent helped me hone my skills in the kitchen as a line cook, fish and meat butcher and smoker tender. Much like the Bistro, Trent had a small, weekly rotating menu, which I would receive upon arrival at work on Thursdays, he never micromanaged me, he gave me vague descriptions on a menu and guided me through preparing them, allowing me to use my creativity while I learned. Around this time is when I found out about my allergies, and threw us all for a loop, Trent and I worked to take classic dishes and convert them into allergy friendly meals, without compromising the integrity of the food. Trent helped guide me to follow my passion and I went off to school at the Culinary Institute of America in November of 2016 where I received an Associates in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors of Business Administration in Hospitality Management. After he passed, I wanted to pay homage to where it all started and continue on with the CCB name, not a day goes by that I don’t wish that he was here to see what I have built, to help guide me through the trials I’ve faced in the past year and to simply enjoy the good days.” The Columbia County Bistro is located at 305 Strand Street in St. Helens and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The bistro’s phone number is 503-410-5680.
www.morepowertech.com
(888)-556-8049
If you know of someone, an agency or business, or a group, that is making a positive difference in our community and would like to see them featured in Who We Are, email details to jruark@ countrymedia.net.
Longview 1422 12th Ave. Suite A Longview, WA
St. Helens 1870 St. Helens Street Suite A St. Helens, OR
30 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
We’re still Roll’n! Join us this league season on a junior, senior, women’s, men’s or mixed league. New bowlers are as welcome as the competitive ones! Meet new friends while being active!
(503) 397-1011 • OregonTrailLanes@gmail.com 735 S Columbia River Hwy, St Helens, OR 97051
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New in town: Grocery Outlet JEREMY C. RUARK
JRUARK@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
Get involved today! We are rebuilding the St. Helens Main Street Alliance in partnership with local government and community partners. We are currently recruiting Board Members & volunteers who love St. Helens! From our uptown train station to our downtown historic riverfront the St. Helens Main Street Alliance follows the Main Street Approach™ to revitalize St. Helens’ historic business districts. The St. Helens Main Street Alliance is working to enhance the vibrancy of St. Helens and help property and business owners in partnership with other nonprofits, service clubs, community volunteers and local governments. Activities include: local celebrations, shop local promotions, grant programs. Organization • Promotion • Design • Economic Vitality Contact: 503.366.8232 sthelensmainstreet@gmail.com
Stephen D. Petersen, LLC is a general practice law firm that specializes in personal injury, civil litigation, wills, trusts and probate, and real estate and business law. Our office offers over 40 years of experience in personal injury, civil litigation, wills, trusts, probate and real estate matters. We are licensed in Oregon and Washington and a member of the Oregon State Bar and Washington State Bar Association.
(503) 556-4120 PO BOX 459, Rainier, OR 97048 Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Appointments Available Proudly Supporting Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington
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A Grocery Outlet store has been constructed along Highway 30 adjacent to Legacy Clinic in St. Helens. A representative of the company’s public relations firm said that the store is currently slated to open in mid to late August. Much of the outside project appears to be completed and this spring, contractors were conducting the inside work, which includes electrical, shelving assembly, and cash register placements. Specific details of that work have not been released by the company. Construction for the approximately 12,000-square-foot store began in late 2020. Grocery Outlet’s Regional Marketing Director Kyle Noble told The Chronicle in an earlier interview that all employees will be hired/employed by the independent owneroperator of the store. Typically, new stores hire for 25-35 positions, Noble said. Regional wages Oregon Employment Department Regional Economist Shawna Sykes said the average wage of food and beverage stores plus general merchandise stores in this region is $26,869 annually, but that wage can vary greatly depending on the specific job. According to third quarter of 2020 Oregon Employment Department information, there were 320 food and beverage stores and 534 general merchandise outlets in Columbia County with a total payroll for the two business segments at $21,171,394 in 2019. The two segments ranked 10th highest in terms of payroll within the county behind manufacturing ($84,945,316), health care and social assistance ($52,378,690), educational services ($46,375,798), public administration ($38,429,376), construction ($36,043,065), transportation and warehousing ($23,178,815), accommodation and food services ($22,274,908), the balance of retail trade minus grocery and general merchandise stores ($21,392,255) and utilities ($21,296,903). Sykes said the food and beverage stores and general merchandise outlets had an average annual employment of 788 in 2019, ranking them fifth highest in employment behind manufacturing (1,552), health care and social assistance (1,455), accommodation and food services (1,233), and educational services (1,143). According to its website, Grocery Outlet has 11 stores in the Portland metro-Southwest Washington area and 300-plus stores nationwide. The closest Grocery Outlets to St. Helens are in Scappoose and Rainier. Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 31
PCC training center to open in August The PCC Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, at 33701 Charles T. Parker Way in Scappoose, will cost approximately $28.6 million in total and cover 32,000 square feet.
AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
A new satellite Portland Community College (PCC) training center in Scappoose is set to open for its first class in August. The center’s construction began in January 2020 and will be complete by Au-
gust, according to Training Director Andrew Lattanner. “We’re still in the set-up phase,” he said. “But we are planning to offer our first class this August.” The class will be an on ramp to manufacturing course, Lattanner said. The course will prepare students with the basics to work in the manufacturing indus-
SCAPPOOSE
Courtesy photo
try. In addition, the center will offer courses for registered apprenticeship programs in Machinist, CNC Lathe Operator, CNC Mill Operator, Welder/Fabricator, and Mechatronics Technician. The August opening will offer students Continued on page 33
BETSYJOHNSON JOHNSON BETSY
STATE SENATOR - DISTRICT 16 STATE SENATOR - DISTRICT 16
District Office: District Office: 53894 Airport Rd.53894 (P.O. Box R) Rd. Airport Scappoose, ORBox 97056 (P.O. R) Phone: Scappoose, 503.543.4046OR 97056 Fax: Phone: 503.543.5296 503.543.4046 Fax: 503.543.5296 sen.betsyjohnson@state.or.us
Sand & Gravel Co.
Salem Office:Street NE Salem Office: 900 Court 900 Court Street NE S-209 Salem, S-209 Salem, OR 97301 OR 97301 Phone: 503.986.1716 Phone: 503.986.1716 sen.betsyjohnson@state.or.us
P.O. Box AF • 33485 E. Crown Zellerbach Rd. Scappoose, OR 97056 Phone: (503) 543-8821 • Email: scappoosesg@gmail.com Website: www.scappoosesandandgravel.com • FAX: (503) 543-7997
Find State Senator Betsy Johnson on Facebook
Sen.BetsyJohnson@oregonlegislature.gov
A local company based in Scappoose, Oregon Sky Bark LLC has more than 15 years of experience. We are full-service Material Blowing company.
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From page 32 and the community a sneak peek before the training center’s full launch in the fall. The center is being constructed by PCC, with the help of Bond Funds and state grants. In total, the center will cost approximately $28.6 million for its construction. “The manufacturing industry has been experiencing a skilled gap for a long time,” Lattanner said “The pandemic has amplified the opportunity gaps that keep people from getting the training they need. COVID has definitely had an impact and hopefully this is an opportunity to look for new and innovative ways to get people the training they need.” Once complete, the training center will be 32,000 square feet and contain a fully equipped work room with all of the machines and equipment that students would work with in real work environments. “This is PCC’s first physical location in Columbia County,” Lattanner explained. “It’s designed to replicate a real life manufacturing environment.” PCC’s administration has had its eye on locating a building in Columbia County for “a number of years,” according to Lattanner. The center is located across from the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC), a partner with the training center to get students trained and employed. “We are working with the industry, government, and community to create jobs in the industry,” Lattanner explained. Rightline Equipment in Rainier is also looking to employ students out of the center for their machine shop, by sponsoring the center and offering jobs to top graduates, according to Lattanner. Lattanner said the center is working with local high schools, STEM programs, the workforce board, and the county’s economic team to recruit students into the center’s programs. “We want to align our systems, so that there are clear pathways into the training center. Our outreach is to people who live in Columbia County, but my sense is and hope is that we will attract interest from across the region.” Students will enroll through PCC’s normal application process and have access to all of the college’s student resources and benefits, but they will attend classes in Scappoose at the training center. The cost of tuition depends on the program that students choose, though the manufacturing program is grant funded and free to students. The facility will be open for a full class curriculum in September, provided that the county’s COVID-19 rates are low enough. PCC is planning for a sustained re-opening this fall, said Lattanner, including courses that require in-person training. Classes that can be delivered online or remotely will stay online. In conjunction with PCC’s re-opening in Portland, the training center hopes to offer in-person classes in the fall. A Publication of The Chronicle and The Chief
Created in 1940 to promote economic development in the port district, the Port of Columbia County offers a variety of property sites for industrial development.
100 E Street, Columbia City, OR 97018 www.portofcolumbiacounty.org 503-397-2888
Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 33
Read. Watch. Engage.
Read the news online at thechronicleonline.com and thechiefnews.com
Volunteer to serve your community today! Services offered:
Columbia River Fire & Rescue serves approximately 200 square miles of Columbia County, Oregon. Saint Helens, Columbia City, and the City of Rainier reside within its borders. CRF&R operates out of 7 stations, providing fire, rescue, and life-saving EMS transport services.
• Emergency Response – Fire & EMS • Volunteer & Career Opportunities • FireMed Membership • Burn Permits • Fire Marshal • Fire Prevention • Rural Address Sign Program • Toy N Joy
To volunteer:
Fill out an application on our website at www.crfr.com or contact “Jennifer Motherway” via email motherwayj@crfr.com. 270 Columbia Blvd, St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-2990 • www. crfr.com 34 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
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Read the news online at thechronicleonline.com and thechiefnews.com
Read. Watch. Engage.
Now Hiring Now Hiring Join the Berry Family Join the Berry Family
At Berry, we create innovative products and solutions that make life better for people and the planet. With over 280 locations around the world, our employees help make a global impact. We proudly with our customers provide them with value-added At Berry, wepartner create innovative productsto and solutions that make life betterprotective for peoplesolutions and the that are increasingly lightweighted and easier to recycle or reuse, always designing a planet. With over 280 locations around the world, our employees help make a globalfor impact. more sustainable future. We proudly partner with our customers to provide them with value-added protective solutions that are increasingly lightweighted and easier to recycle or reuse, always designing for a What we offerfuture. more sustainable At Berry, you will enjoy a supportive and What offer We encourage our inclusivewe environment. employees to progress careers and through At Berry, you will enjoy their a supportive our employee development programs. We inclusive environment. We encourage our offer many benefits including: employees to progress their careers through •ourCompetitive Salary with Pay Progression employee development programs. We offer many benefits including: • 401K Plan •• Competitive Salary with Pay Progression Shift Differentials • 401K Plan What we look for • Shift Differentials Are you a team player who thrives in a What weenvironment? look for Would you like to fast-paced create products for some of thrives the world’s Are youbrands? a team player who in a largest Our facilities areyou currently fast-paced environment? Would like to hiring manufacturing positions. From problem create products for some of the world’s solving skills to leadership qualities, we want largest brands? Our facilities are currently Apply today at you to feel right at home in a place that hiring manufacturing positions. From problem appreciates valuable qualities. berryglobal.com/careers. solving skillsyour to leadership qualities, we want Apply today at you to feel right at home in a place that Berry is an equal opportunity employer. appreciates your valuable qualities. berryglobal.com/careers. Berry is an equal opportunity employer.
7603d
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Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 35
Business of Nonprofits The Columbia Pacific Food Bank purchased the former Columbia Electric Feed & Seed building on Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens in 2018.
STAFF REPORT
CHRONICLENEWS@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
Administrators and volunteers with Columbia Pacific Food Bank hope to be working from a new location by the end of year. The nonprofit operators anticipated starting renovation construction on its new space earlier this year with the goal of being fully moved in by fall, Executive Director Casey Wheeler said. The food bank currently operates at 474 Milton Way in St. Helens, a space the organization has outgrown after over 20 years of operation
in it. In 2018, the food bank purchased the old Columbia Electric Feed & Seed building on Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens with the aim of renovating the larger space to serve the nonprofit’s growing needs. Pandemic impact Columbia Pacific Food Bank was in the midst of a capital campaign to raise money for the costs associated with outfitting the new facility when the pandemic swept across the state, preventing in-person fundraising efforts.
Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark
Despite the setback, progress has continued. “The internal timeline had to be extended due to the pandemic, but our public timeline is still on target,” Wheeler said. The food bank is contributing an additional $175,000 from its reserves to the project— which has been largely funded through a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant, as well as fundraising efforts and donations from businesses and individuals. Donations are still welcome, he said. Continued on page 37
(503) 366-1323
We live, work, and play in Columbia County Northwest Plumbing Services is turning 30 in October and has FINALLY moved out of Mindy and Davids’ house! Our new location is on Highway 20 next door to CarQuest in St. Helens. With all this new space, we decided it was the perfect opportunity for Mindy to make a lifelong dream come true - Sass at Home. We are working on opening a showroom for the community to come and pick out plumbing fixtures like faucets and sinks, along with a home goods store consisting of kitchen and bathroom related products, and stuff we like! Northwest Plumbing Services CCB#77141 Phone: (503) 366-1323 Email: office@nwplumbingservices.com Showroom and Office: 58105 Columbia River Hwy., Suite B St. Helens, OR 97051 Mailing: PO Box 492 St. Helens, OR 97051 Website: nwplumbingservices.com
36 | Columbia County Business Guide 2021
Showroom and Office: 58105 Columbia River Hwy., Suite B St. Helens, OR 97051 Mailing address: PO Box 492, St. Helens, OR 97051 M-TH, 8am-4pm and F 8am-12pm, or online with free pickup in-store or shipping options Phone: 503-410-5197 • Website: sassathome.com Follow us on social media: sassathome97051
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From page 36 “Additional donations will help reduce the overall cost to the food bank for the project,” Wheeler said. “Additional donations will help us replace these funds that would go to paying for food.” More space The new facility is approximately five times the size of the current space, and will feature a shopping-style pantry with produce, nonperishables and both frozen and refrigerated goods. Construction plans also include space for a community room, office spaces, distribution and packing areas, both a walk-in freezer and refrigerator and a bottle return.
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Ongoing efforts The pandemic not only interrupted the food bank’s capital campaign, but also brought upon a wave of increased need— which Wheeler said the food bank was able to meet. “We were well prepared to meet unanticipated food needs when an emergency occurs within the county and were successful in making additional adjustments as needed,” Wheeler said. What has stood out most to him over the last 10 months of operating during the pandemic has been the reaction from the community. “The outpouring of support from the individuals, organizations, businesses and governments in Columbia County,” he said. “This enabled us to increase our countywide distribution from 12 tons a week to 19 tons a week at the height of the pandemic.” The organization is now distributing an average of 16.5 tons of food a week, he said. Additional resources becoming available reduced the need slightly over the course of the pandemic, Wheeler said. More seniors and families with children have been using the food bank, and fewer individuals, he said. The increased demand has been felt across the county, but the St. Helens food pantry has seen the largest increase, he said. In addition to ramping up distribution to meet the food needs, and adjusting along the way, the organization has found a way to continue to ease the burden on its partners as well. County food pantries, senior centers and SAFE will not be charged for food purchases made from the food bank for at least the next year, Wheeler said. This is made possible due to donations from individuals, organizations, businesses and a myriad of COVID-related grants, he said. “We anticipate this to continue through the end of the calendar year and may continue past depending on the length of the pandemic and funding streams,” he said.
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To donate or learn more about the Columbia Pacific Food Bank, visit cpfoodbank.org. A Publication of The Chronicle and The Chief
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Best view, best food & drink, and the best people. 16 Beers on Tap, Digital Menu Board, Wine, Spirits, Live Music & Private Parties 31 Cowlitz St., St. Helens, OR SUMMER HOURS Wed-Thur: 12:00-7:00 p.m. Fri-Sat: 12:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00-5:00 p.m. Columbia County Business Guide 2021 | 37
O
Rainier Chamber recognizes locals AURORA BIGGERS
CHRONICLE2@COUNTRYMEDIA.NET
The Rainier Chamber of Commerce has recognized local individuals and businesses with its annual awards. The chamber conducted the award presentations during an informal ceremony Thursday, May 13, at Rainier City Park. It was the first inperson event for the chamber since the beginning of the pandemic. Members who were fully vaccinated were unmasked, because the event was held outside, as allowable by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and presidential guidelines. Chamber President Meagan Fawcett and Chamber Vice President Natasha Parvey presented the awards. HOPE of Rainier, a social services nonprofit, and the agencies executive director Kelly Miller received the chamber’s 2020 Nonprofit Business of the Year Award for efforts to help the community during the pandemic — including the organization’s partnership with Columbia Pacific Food Bank; opening a thrift store to provide communities members with access to clothing and homewares; and partnering with the local school district to offer resources and food to students and families. United Way of Columbia County and Claire Catt, the organization’s executive director, re-
Photo by Aurora Biggers Rainier Chamber of Commerce award winners, left to right, Kelly Miller (HOPE of Rainier), Mark and Viki Overbay (Cornerstone Café), Claire Catt (United Way of Rainier), and Amy Trull (The Chronicle/The Chief).
ceived the 2020 Community Collaborator Award for assisting people who were effected by the 2020 wild fires; partnering with food banks to feed local residents; and for helping lead the county census during the pandemic. Cornerstone Café and owners, Viki and Mark Overbay, received the 2020 Business of the Year Award for making aesthetic improvements to the restaurant; for following COVID-19 guidelines; and for continuing great service to the community.
The 2020 Chamber Advocates of the Year Award went to The Chronicle and The Chief Newspaper’s marketing consultant Amy Trull for offering to run the Chamber Corner news in the publications without charge for three months during the pandemic. The Chronicle and The Chief received the second Rainier 2020 Chamber Advocates of the Year Award for publishing the Chamber Corner in the publications free of charge.
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