The Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded the Astoria Scandinavian Heritage Association a grant of $20,000 towards the construction of Astoria Nordic Heritage Park. The Heritage Commission is comprised of nine people representing Oregon’s heritage who have been appointed by the Governor. Rosemary Johnson, former City Planner for the City of Astoria and former consultant for the Nordic Park Project, is a member of the Commission but recused herself from the grant decision process regarding this project.
The Oregon Heritage Commission’s mission is to secure, sustain, and enhance Oregon’s heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and private organizations. Kuri Gill, heritage grants program coordinator, said, “We encourage the documentation, preservation and exploration of all aspects of Oregon’s heritage. Our goal is to support organizations of all sizes all over the state in their valuable work.” The commission was especially pleased with the already strong support shown for Nordic Heritage Park by both public and private donors.
Judi Lampi, chair of the Nordic Heritage Park project, is pleased with the progress of the park effort. Landscape design and engineering plans are completed and paid for. The group plans to hire an owner’s representative to start on January 1, 2020, to guide the project through the pre-construction phase. Current fundraising totals over $660,000 with a goal of $1,200,000. Lampi states, “We are thrilled at the recognition the Oregon Heritage Commission grant gives to our project and hope it encourages other donors to step forward now to help bring our project to completion.”
Architectural images of the park design are available online at www.AstoriaNordicPark.org. The website has the storyline of the park and information about how to donate.