Astoria, Ore , Leaders Divided on E-Scooter Pilot Plan govtech.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from govtech.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Local cultural groups scrapped spring and summer events as the coronavirus pandemic shut down public gatherings and much of the regionâs tourism-based economy beginning in March.
Astoria, which awards cultural grants funded by lodging taxes each year for tourism-related events, forgave the money already spent, allowing the rest to be saved for later.
Local events, like the Astoria Regatta, face an uncertain 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
But with the safety of public gatherings in the first half of the new year still up in the air with the rate of vaccinations, Astoria is asking cultural groups to decide whether events before July can still happen or return the grant money for safekeeping.
Lisa Morley, a behavioral workplace safety consultant, has conceded in the close race for Ward 4 on the Astoria City Council to Tom Hilton, the owner of Hanthorn Crab Co.
Morley, who was behind by one vote after a hand recount, had the option of challenging the results through a petition in Circuit Court. She sought information on the process but ultimately decided not to challenge by the deadline.
âI would like to congratulate Tom Hilton on his win,â Morley said in a statement Tuesday. âI am very proud of the campaign we ran, and Iâm especially excited by the high voter turnout. I hope that will be the legacy of 2020 in elections, that we all continue to get out and vote for every single election.