TNA

St. Helens water taxi finally in the water

Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 141

August 9, 2023

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

At long last, the water taxi purchased by the City of St. Helens is in the water and in action, and it ferried people to Sand Island over the weekend for the annual Sand Castle competition.

“We are excited to showcase the St. Helens waterfront to our city’s visitors,” St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King said. “By using the boat for tourism opportunities, visitors and community members can better experience our unique location on the Columbia River.”

The St. Helens City Council approved placing a deposit for the water taxi following a public hearing on May 18, 2022.

The boat arrived on June 5, and the city hoped to have it operational for riverfront activities during the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, it was unavailable during the event because it was still going through the final steps of the Coast Guard certification process and other final preparations, according to King.

“While the boat had certification in Florida, Oregon Coast Guard certification had to occur once it arrived here,”

King said. “The boat canopy top had to be lifted and reassembled post-delivery. Safety equipment needed to be installed. Equipment software programming needed to be completed.”

The original budgeted cost for the water taxi was $250,000 and it was bought from Bargeworx, LLC in Florida. The total cost of the refurbished boat is around $230,000 and was fully paid

for by tourism-related event revenues, according to St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King.

The boat has a capacity of 29 passengers plus three crew members. The taxi will be operated by a licensed boat captain hired through E2C Corp., whose principal contractor is Tina Curry. The city’s event contractor manages and pays the boat’s operation costs, according to King.

The St. Helens Marina currently operates a shuttle service to Sand Island to access the island’s campground. The new water taxi is in addition to that shuttle. While the boat has been billed as a benefit for the city’s summer events, there is also hope that the boat will be utilized yearround.

“E2C is working to develop additional tourism events that the boat will be

used to facilitate,” King said.

“We do not have specific event details to announce at this time.”

Boat controversy

The announcement of the boat’s purchase sparked controversy on social media. The original article from The Chronicle was posted on Facebook on June 6, 2022, and generated more than 70

comments.

The most recent article from The Chronicle posted to Facebook in early June of this year drew more than 20 comments from citizens. Comments included concerns about the use of city funds for the boat and questions about whether the boat will benefit the private leasers of Sand Island.

In response to some of the questions raised, the Facebook page for 13 Nights on the River, which has an email associated with Tina Curry, commented about the need for the boat. The comment noted that Sand Island Camp Ground has its own boats that support its business. It also sought to clarify how the boat is funded.

“This boat will only be used for tourism-related activities. This boat was paid for by tourism activities. The Captain of the boat is certified to drive this boat and is very familiar with this river. All insurance and expenses will be paid for by money raised by tourism,” the comment said. “We very much need a boat with this capacity based on our boat rentals last year.”

The city has emphasized that the cost was covered by tourism revenue and not property taxes, but comments on social media still reflect opposition to spending city money in this way.

9th Annual Garlic Festival growing strong

Originally published in

The Chief Vol. 132

August 11, 2023

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

The Garlic Festival, Clatskanie Farmers Market’s most popular event, is around the corner, and organizers hope people from around Columbia County and beyond will flock to the event.

Garlic growers from around Oregon and Washington will bring their harvest to market in the 9th Annual Garlic Festival at Copes Park Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Steve Routon and his wife Darro Breshears-Routon are self-proclaimed “garlic geeks,” and Breshears-Routon was one of the founders of the Clatskanie Farmers Market.

The inspiration for the event has its roots based on the idea of garlic being a vessel to bring communities together in its production.

Routon and Breshears-Routon are from New Mexico, and an author, Stanley Crawford, in the area wrote a book on the subject. While starting a festival wasn’t the first priority on their list when they moved to Oregon, they were always fascinated with the idea of garlic as a focal point for a community.

In 2016, Routon had been growing garlic for a couple of years and decided he really enjoyed growing garlic and thought that he could maybe create a community event around it.

“I took some garlic, I set up a table in the middle of the small market, and advertised it as a ‘Garlic Festival.’ I had probably no more than 150 cloves at my table, and

Darro had probably another 150 at our table,” Routon said. “I roasted all the garlic that I had, and I spread it on the artisan bread that I make, and I gave it away as tasters. We drew the biggest crowd of the year, the biggest crowd of our early life as a market, in fact.”

Growing operation

After the success of the small-scale Garlic Festival, the brains behind the Clatskanie Farmers Market put their heads together and decided that they wanted to pursue it further.

The Garlic Festival has grown year after year, and Routon said that it “truly is the largest event of the season.” Not only is the event popular with customers, but the Garlic Festival draws garlic farmers from around Oregon and Washington to participate.

While the event started with just Routon and Breshears-Routon, there are now as many as four or five garlic producers at the event, and Routon said there will be four or five tables “full of garlic.” In 2022, there were at least 6,000 bulbs for sale. The event features all 11 major horticultural varieties and dozens of unique strains. The garlic won’t be the only draw to the festival.

“The bottom line is it’s got wonderful music, fabulous garlic, wonderful artisans and their craft goods, it has good food,” Routon said. “Another note on the music, we are truly pulling in regional talent at this point. These are really good ensembles who play pretty spectacular music.”

While garlic is the focus

of the event, all the usual produce and products that are available at the Clatskanie Farmers Market will be there too.

The popularity of the event over the last couple of years has opened up the possibility of drawing higherquality acts. Brandon Schilling, who is on the board for the Clatskanie Farmers Market, organizes the music. This year, the Standard Keys and the Lorna Baxter Trio will be performing.

For Routon and Breshears-Routon, the Garlic Festival and the Farmers Market, in general, are opportunities to bring the community together. The market draws people of “all stripes.”

“The whole concept of community is probably 50

percent of the reason to do a farmers market. I think the Clatskanie Farmers Market has become sort of the weekend living room of the community,” Routon said. “The market is a magnet for people to come out of their living rooms, come out of their yards, and get out and communicate with one another, and enjoy the day for Heaven’s sake!”

Breshears-Routon said that in past years, the Garlic Festival has featured around 24 vendors. This year, they have more than 60 vendors. Breshears-Routon said there is a “buzz” around this year’s event. Last year’s festival drew more than 700 customers, and they hope to have more this year.

To accommodate the

increased number of vendors, Lillich Street will be closed to allow vendors to set up on the street around the park.

Expanding reach

The Garlic Festival has been advertised around the area and even as far as Portland. Breshears-Routon said they had limited the scope in years past to ensure they had enough garlic to go around. Now they feel they can meet that demand.

Growing garlic is a yearround labor of love. Routon said they plant it in November and “babysit” the crops until they are ready to be harvested.

The festival will feature all kinds of garlic. Routon and Breshears-Routon said

that different vendors offer different products, and consumers can get all kinds depending on what they need, whether that’s a certain flavor profile or shelf life.

Due to popular demand, the festival has extended its hours. Normally the market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year it will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers have also added a “Garden of Libations” and will be offering local hard cider, beer and vodka cocktails.

“We sometimes need excuses to come together as a culture, and I can’t think of a less apolitical thing right now than garlic,” Routon said. “Come out and take part in some really benevolent, benign garlic geekdom!”

Jon Campbell / Country Media, Inc.

After more than a year of waiting, the water taxi is finally up and running.

Courtesy photo from Darro Breshears-Routon Steve and Darro selling garlic during a previous Garlic Festival.