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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023
VOL. 132, NO. 25 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Big Guy’s Nightmare on Nehalem Street been having a lot of kids come by and take pictures with our decorations and stuff.” Last year, Davis said the children’s event drew around 250 kids to the restaurant, but she’s got candy for 800 this year. With the trick-ortreaters being downtown already after the children’s parade, Davis is hoping there will be more turnout this year. The event will be family-friendly and include games and activities for the kids as well. Above all, Davis is hoping for a fun event that brings the community together. “There’s room if anybody else wants to get involved. We’d like this to be open for the whole community; anybody is welcome,” Davis said.
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ig Guy in Clatskanie is getting in the Halloween spirit this October and will be hosting events for both adults and children to celebrate the holiday. There will be a Halloween party for adults hosted at the bar on Oct. 28 and an event for kids that they have dubbed Nightmare on Nehalem Street on Oct. 31. For the kids The Chief spoke with Big Guy owner Vicki Davis about her plans and what she’s hoping to offer the community. Davis said for a long time, Big Guy has been viewed as just a bar, and through events like this one, she hopes to foster a more family environment. “I’ve got a great big parking lot on the river, so I just reached out to different businesses, clubs, community members that wanted to pass out treats to the kids,” Davis said. “We’re going to put up pop-up tents; everybody’s decorating their own area. I asked them to pass out candy from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., but try not to run out before 7 p.m.” Davis said they have 24 booths already committed to joining the event, but if more are interested in participating, there are still 11 spots for booths available. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Posse, Wauna Credit Union, and other local organizations and families have signed up to pass out candy. In addition to passing out candy, there will be a fire, music, and hotdogs, hot cider, and hot cocoa available for sale. When asked whether Nightmare on Nehalem becoming a tradition was something she wanted,
Nightmare on Nehalem for adults
Courtesy photo from Vicki Davis
The custom Nightmare on Nehalem Street logo is an homage to late Big Guy owner Gerald “Jerry” Erhardt Weigant.
she said she hopes so. “I hope so. If it goes well and everybody is safe,” Davis said. “Of
course, the safety of our kids is the first priority. I’ve decorated down the riverfront a lot of stuff, so I’ve
Big Guy isn’t just putting an event on for kids this year; there will be a costume party at the bar for adults on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 7 p.m. to close. The party will have a photo booth, a trick-or-treat raffle, karaoke, and food and drinks. The theme for the party is also Nightmare on Nehalem Street, and a piece of the event is dedicated to Davis’ late father, who passed away and left Big Guy to Vicki Davis. There will be 100 custom t-shirts made that feature Freddy Krueger doing a “hang-loose” sign with his hand as a tribute to Gerald “Jerry” Erhardt Weigant. The shirts will be available for purchase, and a couple will be prizes for the raffle. Davis is expecting a good turnout for the costume party. Last year, they had about 80 people show up, and she is expecting to exceed that number this year. Tickets for the raffle can be
acquired by bringing canned goods that will be donated to Turning Point Community Services Center for their Thanksgiving drive or making purchases at the bar during the party. Attendees get one ticket per canned good, with a limit of 20 cans. At last year’s event, Big Guy also collected donations for Turning Point, and they contributed 160 cans. Davis hopes to top that number this year. “People can bring up to 20 cans of food to get a raffle ticket,” Davis said. “Every item they buy gives them a raffle ticket, and every 15 minutes, I do a drawing, and they either get a trick or a treat. I do that all night from 8 p.m. to midnight. Then we have a costume party.” The party will also feature a costume contest. Contestants take a photo at the booth and submit it to the staff for judgment. “You’re going to go through the photo booth and hang up your favorite pic, and that’s how you get picked for the costume contest that we vote,” Davis said. “ We give a prize away for the best female, the best male, best couple, and then a staff pick. And the staff pick wins happy hour price for a year.” Prizes for the contest and the raffle include a few of the custom Big Guy shirts and a variety of items donated by distributors. Some prizes are gag gifts, but there are others, like a 2-night hotel stay in downtown Portland and dinner gift cards, among others. Davis said there are about 92 prizes up for grabs. For those interested in participating in the children’s event on Oct. 31, or with questions about the party on Oct. 28, call Big Guy at (503) 728-4113.
ODOT budget shortfall means less road maintenance JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is facing significant declines in revenue and added expenses, which means Oregonians and visitors will see less maintenance along the state’s roadways in days and months ahead.
We will not be able to provide the service Oregonians have come to expect. ~ Katherine Benenati, ODOT
ODOT manages a $6.12 billion budget that funds programs related to Oregon’s system of highways, roads and bridges; railway; public transportation services; transportation safety programs; driver and licensing; and motor regulation. Delivery and operations accounts for about two-thirds, or $4 billion, of ODOT’s 2023-2025 legislatively approved budget. The division spends its resources on maintaining the highway system, bridge and
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pavement preservation projects, adding capacity to highways, and bicycle/pedestrian projects among others. The Chief reached out to ODOT Assistant Communications Director Katherine Benenati for insight into the budget challenges. The Chief: What is ODOT’s message to drivers about the winter maintenance that may not be available? Katherine Benenati: Let me stress, that we will still be out there. But we will not be able to provide the service Oregonians have come to expect. During winter, you’ll notice more snow and ice build-up, more chain requirements, longer delays and fewer open roads. Please plan ahead: carry chains and know how to use them, check local forecasts and forecasts for where you’re going, keep an eye on tripcheck. com. We remind travelers to do these things every year. This winter, it will be even more critical. And it’s not just winter maintenance that will be affected. We’re already restricting maintenance recruitments, deferring some road and bridge maintenance, including pavement repair and
painting as well as litter removal and graffiti cleanup, and scaling back after-hours response efforts. These cuts will affect drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and freight haulers – everyone who uses the system. • You’ll see more potholes and ruts on the road, along with more trash in medians and along highways. • You’ll spend more time waiting for roads to re-open after a crash, see lowered speed limits because of poor pavement conditions and fewer ODOT responders on the road. You can learn more about our budget and regional cuts at: https:// www.oregon.gov/odot/about/pages/ transportation-funding.aspx. The Chief: What is the economic factor that is likely leading to less winter maintenance? Benenati: There are a few, namely declining revenues and rising costs for materials, labor and equipment. Revenue from the gas tax is on track to decline as vehicles become more efficient while the cost of doing business has increased
Courtesy photo
ODOT warns that during winter, you’ll notice more snow and ice build-up, more chain requirements, longer delays and fewer open roads.
rapidly in recent years. To balance our budget, we are scaling back maintenance and services around the state. Until the state establishes a sustainable revenue source, these cuts will only become more severe. We cannot fund maintenance or direct services by redirecting funding from other areas like our transit or electric vehicle charging programs, nor can we pull from federally funded or toll-funded construction projects like the major
interstate projects planned in the Portland area. Our funding structure was established decades ago. It has failed to keep pace with the evolving needs of the multimodal infrastructure Oregonians have come to rely on statewide and it needs structural reform. The Chief: What solutions is
See ODOT Page A4
Annual Kiwanis Gala returning WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
The Kiwanis Club of Clatskanie is hosting its annual Kiwanis Gala, which is the largest fundraiser the organization puts on to support its many projects and scholarships to Clatskanie High School students. The gala will take place at the American Legion Hall at 930 NE 5th St., on Nov. 4. Organizer and Kiwanis Club Secretary Sandy Davis is expecting about 130 people to attend the fundraiser. “It is our largest fundraiser for this club. All of the money raised goes towards the many projects that we support here in town, as well as scholarships to Clatskanie High School students, and to the chance to become a scholarship program that is operated by Columbia Learning Center,” Davis said.
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
Courtesy photo from Sandy Davis
Mark Kuhn acting as the auctioneer as former Oregon State Senator Betsy Johnson displays an item up for bid.
See GALA Page A6