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St. Helens set for silver screen, again

Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 141

June 21, 2023

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The historic Riverfront District in St. Helens will feature on the silver screen again, adding to the rich history of St. Helens as a cinematic setting.

A Massachusetts based production, Test Screening the Movie, LLC took over part of downtown on June 9 and 10. While not much is known about the details of this movie at this time, we do know how and why St. Helens was chosen as the filming location.

Choosing St. Helens

When a production company wants to film in Oregon, one of its first calls is to the Oregon Film and Video Office. When production companies reach out to Oregon Film, they generally know what type of town or location they are looking for.

“They either send us a script and, or a breakdown of the locations needed and oftentimes will attach reference photos and descriptions. Based on what they are looking for, we will create a location package for them from the thousands of locations that we have in our location database, which is constantly evolving,” Strategic Initiatives & Community Project Strategist for Oregon Film and Video Office Jane Ridley said. “There is often added research and information to send on potential locations that may not be listed in our database.”

Oregon Film is a semistate agency that exists to attract production to the state.

Their mission is to promote the development of the film, television, commercial, and interactive industry in Oregon and to enhance the industry’s revenues, profile, and reputation within Oregon and among the industry

internationally, according to Ridley.

When Test Screening the Movie, LLC reached out to the Oregon Film and Video Office; they had specific ideas surrounding locations and towns they wanted to film at. St. Helens was one of the suggested filming locations for several reasons.

“They were going for a small-town feel and had specific locations that pertained to the movie that might have been a good fit,” Ridley said. “St. Helens has been “film friendly” in the past and is best known for Halloweentown, and Twilight, among others.”

Upon deciding to use St. Helens as its filming location, Test Screening the Movie, LLC applied for a Special Use Permit with the city to film in the Riverfront District. City departments reviewed the permit, and staff worked with the company to ensure traffic control requirements were met and to help identify parking options, according to St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King.

On June 8, the production company began preparing South First Street for its set. By the time the movie started shooting on June 9, the Riverfront District was transformed into a scene straight out of the ‘80s, with retro cars up and down the block and retro-styled storefront designs surrounding the Columbia Theater.

While it was a drizzly day, the cast, crew, and production workers went through their shoots despite the weather, observed by curious downtown goers and business owners.

Benefits of the Big Screen

The timeline by which this film will be completed is unclear, but the benefits of having a movie set in a small town can be substantial.

These are the three primary ways, according to Ridley:

1. Filming provides economic benefits and development to a town location by utilizing services, stores, paying for parking fees, permit fees, etc. Sometimes it can even provide jobs. Often a production will leave a location better than when they found it by making improvements that were necessary for production. Occasionally they may donate items, such as set pieces, or props, etc., to local schools and the like.

2. It galvanizes pride in the community - there is nothing quite like see-

ing your hometown playing a part on the big or little screen.

3. Exposure always provides the potential to attract new visitors. “Film Tourism” is a very fast-growing sector and can reach beyond the confines of traditional RDM or DMO tourism advertising; it is an exciting sector to embrace.

When asked about the economic value of allowing films to shoot in St. Helens, King’s response for the City echoed Ridley’s answers. King said that such projects

are a good way to increase tourism and visibility.

“Depending on how well a film does, being a filming location brings recognition to St. Helens and can create a tourism draw for people who want to visit popular movie filming locations,” King said. “We have seen this happen in St. Helens with Halloweentown and Twilight. Local businesses may also see a benefit from the production company shopping or dining at businesses while they are in the area.” St. Helens signature event, The Spirit of Hal-

loweentown, is held each fall, as the town leans into its spooky side during an event that draws people from around the country to tap into the Halloween spirit. The event began after St. Helens was featured in the Disney Channel Halloween classic Halloweentown in 1998. This year the Spirit of Halloweentown will last from September 16 - October 31.

Find more details about this upcoming movie in future editions of the Chronicle and online at thechronicleonline. com.

ODOT announces bridge closure projects

Originally published in The Chief Vol. 132 June 23, 2023

STAFF REPORT

Country Media, Inc.

Nightly single lane clo-

sures of the Lewis and Clark Bridge will begin Monday night June 26, as crews prepare for full closure of the bridge in July that could last for as long as eight days, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

The night single lane closures are a major step in the project to replace two expansion joints and a fractured floor beam on the 93-yearold bridge between Rainier and Longview, Washington.

Closing the only bridge across the Columbia River between Astoria and Portland may create hardships for communities along the river and require residents to reschedule medical and other important appointments.

During the night lane closures, northbound and southbound traffic, controlled by flaggers, will share the open lane and alternate crossings.

The lane closure schedule:

• 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sundays through Fridays.

• 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Fridays to Saturdays

• 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturdays to Sundays.

Single lane closures will resume after completion of the July 16 full bridge closure.

No lane closures will take place over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Friday, June 30 through Tuesday

July 5, or on Saturday, July 8 for Rainier Days. The five-week construction schedule of nighttime lane closures and the bridge closure of up to eight days shortens the construction timeline for this $1 million preservation project. It also avoids months of daytime single lane closures that would create congestion throughout Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon.

Last April 12, bridge inspectors discovered a fractured floor beam resulting in an emergency 12-hour closure. Prior to that discovery, the bridge was scheduled to close for up to six days for the expansion joint replacement work. Because of the April 12 discovery, the closure has been extended to

accommodate the additional work of installing a new floor beam.

“Safety is our number one priority during the closure of this critical bridge, for travelers, construction crews and those who need access across the river for life-saving medical care,” said WSDOT Southwest Region Administrator Carley Francis. “We are asking the public to avoid use of the low-capacity Wahkiakum County Ferry in order to prioritize its use for first responders, healthcare workers and patients needing medical care who can’t wait.”

Construction schedule

The full closure of the Lewis and Clark Bridge for up to eight days begins at 8

p.m. on Sunday, July 16.

Emergency vehicles –including only ambulances with active critical medical needs or law enforcement emergency response – can use the bridge during the closure except when crews install the new floor beam.

This work will take place soon after the start of the July 16 closure. Due to safety, no park and ride facilities are available. There will be no single lane closures during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4, or Saturday July 8 for Rainier Days.

For the safety of travelers and the construction crew, the work zone will have reduced speed limits.

Plan for longer travel times

During the following times travelers should expect longer delays and congestion due to nighttime single lane closures:

• 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Friday.

• 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday to Saturday.

• 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday to Sunday.

Plan ahead for lengthy detours

During the closure, all traffic crossing the Columbia River will detour to either U.S. 101 AstoriaMegler Bridge between Astoria and Megler, Washing-

ton or the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Vancouver and Portland. Ferry service

The Wahkiakum County Ferry between Cathlamet, Washington and Westport will run twice an hour, 24 hours a day while the bridge is closed. This ferry has extremely limited capacity and its use should be reserved for urgent matters that do not require an ambulance. A priority lane will be established and enforced to accommodate ambulances and first responders on return trips from the hospital in Longview; healthcare and first responder commutes to work; and medical needs like chemotherapy or other critical but non-emergency medical appointments.

All other travelers should expect hours of lengthy wait times and long lines.

Medical access

Depending on where people begin and end their travel, using the detour routes can add upwards of two and a half hours of travel time. People who use the SR 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge to access scheduled medical services should plan their travel time with this in mind and contact their providers to confirm or reschedule their appointments.

The traveling public can stay up-to-date on bridge repair news and closure dates may subscribe to email alerts for this project.

For real time traffic updates in Oregon go to TripCheck.com.

Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.

Production crew keeping the talent and filming technology dry with umbrellas and plastic wrap during the movie shoot.

Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.

Melty Mike’s Pizza isn’t a new pizza joint in town, it’s just one of the store fronts installed by production for the film.

Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.

Retro cars filled the block of South First Street, giving downtown an ‘80s vibe in line with the film’s goals.

BTU