north coast Volume 19, No. 8
April 17, 2014
northcoastcitizen.com
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LANEDA AVENUE PROJECT ON TRACK By Dave Fisher The Citizen
Despite the mess and inconvenience, the Laneda Ave. project, which has effectively closed Manzanita’s main street to traffic from Hwy 101 to Division St., is progressing well, according to city officials. “It’s going pretty well,” said Manzanita Public Works director Bret Siler, noting that the installation of the water line is currently underway which caused a couple of two-hour water outages on Monday and Tuesday of this week as crews cut and capped existing lines. Sanitary and storm sewer lines have been completed and Nehalem RTI is finishing up its work on its underground communication lines this week. Once the water and telephone lines are completed, grading will begin for the sidewalk and roadway. “Were looking at forming up the sidewalks in a couple of weeks,” Siler told the Citizen. “So far, there have been no major interruptions.” “On the whole, the general public has not complained very much, although we know that the project creates inconvenience for many people,” said Jerry Taylor, Manzanita’s city manager. “I think we have been mostly successful in directing traffic around the construction zone without getting people lost. But ultimately, we are trying to help the contractor get in,
Of the three businesses on Laneda Ave. in the construction zone, Manzanita Lumber, because it is a retail outlet, has been affected the most and has seen a drop in business. Further down the street, it has been pretty much business as usual for Columbia Bank and Coast Cabins. Photo by Dave Fisher get the project done, and get out as soon as possible.” That’s good news for the three businesses located in the construction area that remain open and are accessible, but are looking forward to seeing Laneda put back together again. “It’s always a pain, and there’s concern that some businesses may have lost some business, particularly from tourists,” Siler concedes. “Locals know they’re open, however.”
While it has been pretty much business as usual at Columbia Bank and Coast Cabins because of the nature of their business, Manzanita Lumber, the only retailer directly affect has noticed a drop in its day-to-day walkin traffic. “It has had an effect,” said owner Dave Stephens. “It’s hard to put a number on it. We’ve been working with customers and suppliers to get them in and out. There’s even a sign (on the street bar-
ricade) that says we’re open, but our daily walk-in traffic has definitely dropped. Parking, says Stephens, has been an issue and his next-door neighbor Brian Williams, owner of the Big Wave Café, has allowed lumberyard customers to park in his lot to help the situation. Patty Schlip, branch manager of Columbia Bank, says the bank hasn’t noticed any drop off. “We’ve actually been pretty busy. People have been able to access us
through the back way with the detour. Everyone will be glad when it’s finished, but it will really be nice to have the sidewalk for increased safety and that will connect us with downtown.” In an effort to keep the public informed on construction progress, the city has made every effort to keep in close communication with affected businesses and residents along Laneda within the construction area. “They have shown a lot of patience, which we appreciate,” noted Taylor. “We have tried to address problems that have arisen as soon as possible. Our Monday morning updates with the contractor have been a good way to address issues as they have come up. They are held Mondays at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall and the public is invited to attend.” Meanwhile, Laneda Ave. remains closed to through traffic, including pedestrian foot traffic, from Hwy 101 to Division Street. The Classic St. / Laneda Ave. intersection is also closed now to north and south bound traffic on Classic St. Local access is still available to those that need it within these two blocks, says Siler. Barring any unforeseen hiccups, the 90-day contracted project, which commenced March 7, will be wrapped up by June 10, and, perhaps even by the end of May.
Wheeler looks to acquire parcel for park
The city hopes the second time is a charm in acquiring property for Bott’s Marsh Park By Dave Fisher The Citizen
In an ongoing effort to acquire a 6.78 parcel of land known to locals as the “upland property” adjacent to Bott’s Marsh, the City of Wheeler has once again, with the blessing of property owners John Jelineo and Vern Scovell, applied for an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Acquisition Grant. Last year, at about this same time, Wheeler applied to for a similar grant with the state agency
and came tantalizingly close to receiving it. OPRD ended up approving 25 applications received last year for grants, with Wheeler coming in at number 27, a matter of “close, but no cigar.” Approached by the current owners in the past couple of months whether or not the city was still interested in acquiring the property, the city’s response was “yes” and now it finds itself in a race against time to submit its application by the April deadline, though it does have more time to address its portion of the funding to seal the deal should it obtain approval from OPRD. In the meantime, city officials are working on a three-prong ap-
See WHEELER, page 9
NORTH COUNTY NEWS ONLINE
Looking north at Bott’s Marsh from the “upland property” that the City of Wheeler hopes to purchase and develop into a waterfront part along the Nehalem River. Photo by Dave Fisher
By Laura Swanson For the Citizen
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Rinehart Clinic CEO to retire Ellen Boggs, who has been the chief executive officer of the Rinehart Clinic, announced her planned retirement in a joint statement to the staff and Board of Directors on Wednesday. Boggs, who has been in the position for more than seven years, has set her final date as June 30. “I really hate to see Ellen go, but understand that she has earned a welldeserved retirement,” said Rinehart Board president John Sorenson. “ The progress that the Clinic has made under Ellen’s watch is phenomenal. The increased level of professionalism has been astounding, and the increase in the scope of what we do here is impressive. She has added many programs that serve the patients of the Clinic, and marshaled the Clinic through the many changes in health care we’ve seen in recent years, and overseen a substantial increase in staff and providers. Ellen will be missed greatly, and we wish her nothing but good in the future.” Sue Remy, vice president of the Board, said, “The Clinic was very fortunate to coax Ellen out of retirement when she moved to the coast after retiring from many years as a school department administrator in Vancouver, Washington. The expertise she brought with her has served the Clinic well.” Sorenson said that he will appoint a committee to begin the search for
See RINEHART, page 9
CARTM asks, ‘Why target us?’
Five destructive robberies at CARTM over last nine months Including E-Edition
Ellen Boggs, CEO of the Rinehart Clinic,plans to retire the end of June after seven years.
The rash of car break-ins during Spring Break several weeks ago also alerted the community to a spate of robberies at CARTM. On Sunday, Mar. 30 or early Monday, Mar. 31, yet another break-in occurred at CARTM. “Since last June, we’ve been hit five times,” said CARTM executive director Jan Hamilton. “We are being targeted. Everyone, staff, volunteers and our customers are baffled about why someone would do this to such a beloved nonprofit
that does so much good for the community. We feel so violated, and there seems to be a pattern. It’s so disappointing that it appears to be someone that knows us.” CARTM has taken measures to prevent and protect itself from these attacks, which have included destroying entrance doors, breaking windows, smashing cash registers and file cabinets, in addition to stealing money and other valuables. “We installed security cameras. The suspect seemed to know this and covered his face during subsequent robberies,” said Hamilton. “We do not keep cash on premises after hours, we lock up and secure any valuables now in ways we didn’t before.”
See CARTM, page 9
CARTM executive director Jan Hamilton cannot understand why someone would target the beloved nonprofit recycling center. Courtesy photo
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