Looking Preparing for a for wildfire home season Page A2 Page A6 Wednesday, July 22, 2020 $1 TheThe ChronicleChronicle thechronicleonline.com Serving Columbia County since 1881 Marine business coming to St. Helens Bernert described as a progressive, CHRISTINE MENGES entrepreneurial and forward-think- [email protected] ing spirit. “Working with the city was an An industry set to generate $2 extremely natural fit,” Bernert said. to 5 million in revenue annually is “Other groups, you start thinking coming to St. Helens. too much in a box. All three of Wilsonville Concrete Products those factors made it by far the best (WCP) is set to lease moorage fit for what we’re trying to do.” space at the St. Helens Industrial The company operates in other Business Park docks, which are locations in Wilsonville, Carver, situated on what used to be the site Beaverton and Salem. They also of the Boise White Paper Mill. have aggregate mines in both Salem The company is in charge and Yamhill county. of marine transportation, barge WCP mainly focuses on con- unloading, dredging, and marine crete but would be using St. Helens construction. to expand its marine operations, During the July 15 St. Helens according to Bernert. City Council meeting, WCP Vice “We have a small marine foot- President Michael Bernert an- print in Wilsonville, but St. Helens nounced that the company is ready is really going to be the location for to begin operations at the docks our marine fleet, and the home of following an engineering study of our marine business and our marine existing dock structures, updating activities,” Bernert said. of the DSL lease, and preparing a The company is ready to move moorage lease agreement. its marine fleet over, which com- The work left to be done is with prises five tugboats, six barges services, parcelization for industrial and three crane barges, Bernert river frontage, moving the company said. The entire fleet will now be fleet to St. Helens, and building a stationed in St. Helens. vibrant marine ecosystem by at- The entire operation will be both tracting peers and partners, Bernert water- and land-based, Bernert said, said. with the water portion expected to “We’re really excited to partner be 2.5 acres and the land portion yet with the city in building something to be determined. that’s vibrant in the city of St. Hel- “Our finished scope is between ens,” Bernert said. two to five acres,” Bernert said. The business is expected to cre- Photo courtesy of the City of St. Helens “The site actually hasn’t gone ate $2 to 5 million in revenue for WCP operates dredging and marine construction as part of its overall services. through parcelization yet. A lot of activities that will be based in St. it is going to depend on working According to City of St. Helens economic development partnerships deliveries on a regular basis. In Helens, Bernert said. with the city in defining where the Government Affairs and Project in Columbia County,” Barry said. addition, the location of the city is Bernert could not give specific boundaries are, and other users on Support Specialist Rachael Barry, Bernert said there are three at the intersection of Multnomah figures for jobs to be gained as the that site.” WCP reached out to the Port of Co- reasons that his company chose St. Channel and the Columbia River, company locates in St. Helens but WCP will begin its St. Helens lumbia first when looking for a site Helens. an area that makes it suitable for he said that WCP currently employs operations at the end of this month, about 100 employees, and they will and port authorities directed WCP WCP has a history of working marine transportation. Finally, when bring about 25 of those workers out to St. Helens. in St. Helens when the Boise Mill WCP was meeting with other cities, “We are grateful to have strong was still in operation, making ship St. Helens stood out as having what to the St. Helens location. See WCP Page A3 Public help sought in poaching cases JEREMY C. RUARK [email protected] Oregon State Police (OSP) investigators are seeking public help in finding the person or persons who may be responsible for illegal killings and wasting of livestock and wild animals in Columbia County. On June 28, OSP Fish and Wild- life troopers investigated the report of a spike elk that was discovered on Weyerhaeuser property located off of Clear Creek Road near Timber Road in Columbia County. The elk Christine Menges / The Chronicle had been shot and some meat was New apartments have been build adjacent to the Legacy Clinic in St. Helens. removed but most was left to waste. On July 5, OSP Fish and Wild- Construction moving ahead in St. Helens life troopers investigated another report from the same area regarding Photo courtesy of OSP a buck deer left to waste. The deer Investigators found this .308 caliber estimated values for these projects for 17 buildings offering 204 units was located approximately 50 yards JEREMY C. RUARK come from the building permit proj- ranging from 553 to 1,205-square- bullet casing found on road near where a [email protected] from where the elk was located. The deer was recently poached in Columbia ect values submitted to the City and feet with a prince range of $1,085 to deer had been shot and no meat was are rounded to the nearest $100,000: $1,665 monthly. County. Construction projects have removed. • St. Helens Place Apartments: Trees were removed to make There was a .308 caliber bullet Poaching is prevalent across the moved forward in St. Helens despite $23.1 million room for the apartments new Leg- the pandemic. casing found on the road near the state, according to Shaw. • Legacy Clinic: $8.6 million acy Clinic, but other trees will be area. “Deer and elk, along with other There are at least three key de- • Graystone Estates (mixed-use): planted in the area, according to de- velopments in St. Helens, including This case may be related to a big game animals, marine life, birds Has not submitted for building per- velopment plans. The tree removal wasted cow elk reported in this area and other wildlife all fall prey to the new apartments near Legacy mits yet. The work you see taking was necessary due to the wetlands Clinic, new townhouses near the on March 28. unscrupulous thieves,” Shaw said. place at this site is only grading and present on the site, according to St. “Poaching is stealing natural “Poachers often sell parts or whole DMV and the new animal clinic public improvements (i.e. streets Helens Planner Jacob Graichen. along Columbia Blvd. resources that belong to all Or- and utilities) egonians,” Oregon’s anti-poaching City of St. Helens Communica- • Columbia Vet Clinic: $900,000 tion Director Crystal King said the campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw The St. Helens Apartments call See CONSTRUCTION Page A9 said. See POACHING Page A5 Opinion: ...................A4 Poll: ...........................A4 Cartoon: ...................A4 Introducing Wednesday Obituaries: ................A6 TV Guide: .................A7 marketfreshonline.com Classified Ads: .........A8 Night BBQ Legals: .......................A9 Curbside service, is back! with same day 3 pm -7pm. ordering. Download our Vol. 138, No. 30 app today 7 AM - 10 PM EVERY DAY • (503) 397-2288 1111 Columbia Blvd, St Helens, OR 97051 • marketfreshonline.com A2 www.thechronicleonline.com Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Humane Society’s modified operations and then relinquish the kitten to come in, and partake in Beggio estimates the amount CHRISTINE MENGES to the shelter. According different activities with the raised is approximately [email protected] to Beggio, the shelter will animals, like walking dogs, $10,000. This was something assure that the kittens are al- working in the cattery, or do- the shelter had to do in lieu Even during COVID-19, tered and vaccinated and then ing anything else the shelter of holding in-person fund- the Columbia Humane Soci- placed in appropriate homes. needed, Beggio said. raisers, which they had been ety, located at 2084 Oregon But all that is over now, planning this year, Beggio St. in St. Helens, has been and the staff have been tak- said. continuing its work, even ing care of all needed tasks. 24 animals reside at the though operations have been We feel that the animals of The shelter is also not shelter now. Three em- modified. open for the general public ployees work at the shelter, So far this year, the animal Columbia County need to have a voice and we are to walk in. All adoptions are which hasn’t changed due to shelter has adopted out 60 by appointment. the pandemic, according to animals and 10 animals have trying to be the voice of those animals. “Families are asked to Beggio. adoption pending, waiting to get an application in for the In general, the goal of the get either spayed or neu- ~ Lisa Beggio, Columbia Humane Society animal they are interested in shelter has not changed. tered, according to Columbia and then we will schedule a “We feel that the animals Humane Society executive time for them to come in and of Columbia County need to director Lisa Beggio. meet the pet they are inter- have a voice and we are try- The animal shelter has The overall goal of the ested in,” Beggio said. ing to be the voice of those also launched a new program shelter has not changed since All animals that are avail- animals,” Beggio said. “We this year, called the Queen the beginning of the pan- able for adoption are on the are trying to help and protect Program which helps with demic, with the center still shelter’s website at www.