Astoria Receives Heritage All-Star Community Designation, June 16

Astoria has been designated by the Oregon Heritage Commission as an “Oregon Heritage All-Star Community.” The commission created the All-Star program to recognize the strong efforts by communities to broadly preserve and develop heritage resources. An All-Star designation requires that communities meet at least 15 of 20 criteria related to local heritage. These include heritage tourism efforts, historic preservation programs, photo and document archives, museums, historic cemeteries and more. “Astoria embraces heritage as a community value,” said Kyle Jansson, coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “The city, museums, businesses and community members make a magnificent effort to preserve and share local history. The coordinated effort by these individuals and organizations has made local heritage a contributor to the economy and livability of Astoria.” The city is required to maintain at least 15 of the criteria to maintain the Heritage All-Star status. Technical assistance will be provided to Astoria and five other all-star communities to maintain, sustain and expand the heritage offerings and facilities. “Preserving and developing our local historical resources is very important to our community. The designation as a Heritage All-Star community not only recognizes us for our efforts but will help us continue to improve our preservation efforts,” said Astoria Mayor Arline LaMear. Assistance is available for communities seeking to acquire Heritage All-Star Community status. Oregon Heritage of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which houses the Oregon Heritage Commission, offers technical support, workshops, grants and other resources for all heritage projects in the state. To learn more, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.Gill@state.or.us or 503-986-0685.