Star of the Sea building resurfaces as new Astoria recreation center

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy and healthy are the two things that serve as the goal for the room in which Astoria Mayor Willis Van Dusen was standing Tuesday morning. 

Both were true when the room once held first- and second-graders.

Both remain true as new paint, hardwood floors and athletic equipment grace the room now.

The St. Mary Star of the Sea School on 15th Street and Grand Avenue now serves as the Astoria Recreation Center, or ARC, for tweens, teens and adult fitness classes, as well as child care for parents using the facility and a program for children when school is not in session.

“We’re absolutely delighted with this facility,” said City Councilwoman Arline LaMear, who is also a member of the parks board at the Tuesday opening. “I just couldn’t believe all of the things that were going on in Gray School and now, things have just tripled by the opening of this.

“We are so grateful to Father Ken (Sampson) and to everyone in the city that has worked so hard to make this come to fruition. This is just a very exciting day for the city and a very exciting day for all of us.”

Norma Hernandez, the director of the?Lower Columbia Hispanic Council and member of the city’s parks board, also commented on the way in which the city has transformed into something “hip and cool,” while also integrating and connecting Hispanics in the community.

“All of you are doing great things for this city, all of you,” she said.

She thanked the city and wished the Recreation Center good luck.

From kindergarten to fifth grade, 35 children are enrolled at the Recreation Center.

Additionally, adults who hold passes to the Astoria Aquatic Center are now welcomed at the Recreation Center, as well as drop-ins. Tweens and teens can hang out in the rec room with a pool, beanbag chairs, a Wii and Xbox Kinect, or in the gym for basketball, roller skating, Hula-Hooping or other activity.

Adults can take a spin, yoga, bosu or zumba class, and then relax in the new adult lounge.

Other activities include kickboxing and boot camp classes, as well as a stretching room.

Laser tag for teens on Fridays, and science and art classes for kids are also available.

Recreation Center director Pam Pierce said that it is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to a space. She commented that there is now a safe place for children, teens especially, to go after school until 8 p.m. where they can have fun and be with each other in a safe environment.

Each room where activities are held used to house school children at the private Catholic school with a 115-year history.

Van Dusen said he spent eight years attending school as a member of the parish and they were very memorable years of his life.

“This is a perfect example of a partnership,” Van Dusen said. “It’s kind of a bittersweet deal for those of us that were involved in the school. This was a big part of my life and my early education. But unfortunately, we don’t control a lot of things in our lives, it was an empty spot. This is no longer an empty spot. This is a great alternative if we couldn’t have the school.”

Although it is sad for some that the doors have closed at Star of the Sea, the windows have opened and the city and church are making lemonade out of lemons, with the city leasing a portion of the building for the Recreation Center program, an extension of the city’s Parks and Recreation, when – because it was running at a budget deficit of $100,000 to $250,000 per year – Star of the Sea closed its doors in June.

With the spot vacant, the city has leased part of the building for the Recreation Center program.

“The partnership that made this thing happen is just amazing,” City Manager Paul Benoit said. “With Father Ken (Sampson) and the Parish and the city and the maintenance staff, working together has transformed this place. … It’s amazing what we can do.”

Sampson added, “It’s so wonderful what the city has done with the place. It’s amazing and it represents a lot of hard work and a lot of partnership with the city and our parish, so I hope everyone enjoys it.”