THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015
Life’s Super Bowl
I
was thinking about tell-
ing people about God as
a young Christian, and how
when as a much younger
man I was too intense and
went overboard at times.
Then a thought came to me,
the Apostle Paul in the Bible
said, “Some people preach
Christ from the attitude of
love and others out of con-
tention, I rejoice that Christ
is preached.”
So I’m very sorry for
any toes I stepped on, but
this game ends in eternity.
Most people are not only
on the wrong team, they’re
not in the right sport and
are playing for the wrong
coach.
We’re not in danger
of losing out on a ring or
a trophy, but our souls.
Please read and consid-
er these words. Take this
message to heart. I love
you, Astoria, and Clatsop
County, because life is not
a game.
ROBERT REGISTER
Warrenton
No to bullying
T
here are mean spirited
people. The Nazis culti-
vated a lot of them. Maybe
they constitute 20 percent
or less of a population. I bet
that 70 to 80 percent of the
population don’t like bullies,
much less torturers, human
experimenters, war crimi-
nals, mass murderers, crimes
against humanity, etc. — es-
pecially religious Americans
of all denominations and
faiths.
Americans were intim-
idated into a war against a
country that had no connec-
tion to Sept. 11, 2001, by an
oppressive, unconscionable
Bush/Cheney regime, when
fear dominated expression
and the media. Lack of ex-
pression at that time did not
imply consent, though many
were duped.
The first and second
elections of Cheney/Bush
were rigged. The second
was stolen electronically at
the tabulation level by com-
puter manipulation of the
Ohio state election comput-
er, and other states had sim-
ilar computer manipulations
in that election. So those
elections did not imply con-
sent.
No to bullying. No to
torture. No to human exper-
imentation. No to, and trials
for, war criminals and mass
murderers, and no apologet-
ics for crimes against hu-
manity.
MONICA TAYLOR
Astoria
Good question
A
s a citizen follow-up to
the published editorial
on Jan. 27 in The Daily Asto-
rian (“At what cost?”): The
position taken by the publi-
cation is spot on.
Good question: Who in
the world is going to pay
for the massive renovation
of the Waldorf Hotel? The
mere fact that the building
has been an empty ghost
for about 20 years speaks
loudly to the lack of demand
for such a building. If it is
scrubbed up and offering
comparatively
expensive
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
5A
Don’t spoil what draws people here
O
pen letter to the Astoria Planning
Commission: First of all we want
to express our appreciation to the city
of Astoria’s Planning Commission for
providing for the public’s participation
in this very important issue of water-
front development, and thanks to all
who are volunteering their time and
expertise to add perspective to preserve
Astoria’s heritage.
With respect to the ongoing discus-
sions regarding the city of Astoria’s
options for development of the Astoria
riverfront, we would like to strongly
endorse the concept of doing as little
as possible to negatively impact Asto-
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water views, not to mention the very
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of wildlife in the marine shoreline en-
vironment. These are the very aspects
lease space, who or what
will absorb that??
I get that the preser-
vationists want to see the
building saved. And, the ed-
itor asked a good question.
Are those people going to
pick up the tab? Further, if
the process takes 20 years or
even 10 to raise the funds,
what happens to the library
during that prolonged peri-
od?
Look at the library. I
have. It is well-utilized by
the citizenry of Astoria.
They like it and use it. It is
worn out. It is soiled and
needing a new life. While
the preservationists or those
of differing opinions argue,
the poor library and the
poor citizens who want and
use it suffer with a substan-
dard facility. Libraries are
important to communities.
A proper library is key to
Astoria’s viability.
Which is more critical?
Trying to save an old hotel
from ages past that is pres-
ently a boat anchor, or pro-
viding the citizens of this
community a viable and ac-
tive and clean library? As
The Daily Astorian has al-
ready pointed out, I thought
this question has already
been decided by our local
government.
HARRY GRASS
Astoria
Roots
C
urious as to the roots of
the Arabic Islamic prob-
lem that plagues our modern
world? Try this on: “And
he will be a wild man; his
hand will be against every
man, and every man’s hand
against him; and he shall
dwell in the presence of all
his brethren.”
The name of the “wild
man” who is fighting every-
body and everybody is fight-
ing is Ishmael. His mom-
ma’s name was Hagar, as in
“Hagar the Egyptian” which
informs the wild man Ishma-
el was of Arab decent.
Ishmael was progenitor
of Arab children with his
Egyptian (read Arab) wife as
in “And he (Ishmael) dwelt
in the wilderness of Paran:
and his mother (read Hagar)
took him a wife out of the
land of Egypt.”
The foregoing written in
the hopes your heart may be
pricked by these words and
you come to the knowledge
that attract untold numbers of visitors
and residents alike.
It is important to consider the fact
that there is already very little left of
an unobstructed view of the river from
U.S. Highway 30, being approximately
from First Street to Seventh Street. Per-
haps we should consider using what is
left of the undeveloped areas between
Highway 30 and the river for addition-
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parking congestion in the downtown
area, especially during the tourist sea-
son. This would improve ridership of
the waterfront trolley, another major
attraction. Riders that the trolley can-
not handle could be accommodated by
a free or low-cost shuttle service to the
downtown area.
While it may appear to be true from
a short-term perspective that building
of the truth, for now is just
the “beginning of sorrows.”
GARY MAURO
Astoria
Spraying danger
W
e urge thoughtful at-
tention to Tom Bend-
er’s guest column “It’s time
for new forestry laws” (The
Daily Astorian, Jan. 22), and
particularly to his remarks
concerning the danger from
herbicide use on clearcuts.
Anyone who has watched
the death of a person from
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) or a similar neurolog-
ical disease — afflictions
currently suspected of be-
ing related in some cases to
pesticide and herbicide use
— will share the sense of ur-
gency that informs this part
of Bender’s article.
Please tell state represen-
tatives that the application of
herbicide to clearcuts, with
the inevitable poisoning of
water and of the wider envi-
ronment that this involves,
is not a matter of choosing
something relatively right
on the basis of cost-benefit
analysis. Rather it involves
an absolute — avoidable hu-
man suffering.
Please also tell members
of the Astoria City Coun-
cil that, until state laws are
changed, the city’s water
must be tested every year for
herbicide, no matter how ex-
pensive that is or how care-
fully local spraying is or is
not done.
ROBERT AND
KERSTIN ADAMS
Astoria
Keep Port vote
T
here is a current move
afoot to reorganize the
Port of Astoria Commission,
whereupon candidates would
be put forth by various may-
ors and then ultimately se-
lected by the governor.
This scheme was devised
by former commissioners
whose tenure coincided with
the financial low ebb of the
100-year Port history. Their
slogan was, “Broke and
proud of it.” This is also the
group who rubber-stamped
the back-door lease of the
valuable Port of Astoria/Ski-
panon property, for which
the Port derives not one
dime, yet saddles the Port
with enormous liability. This
is just the tip of the iceberg
more hotels and other commercial in-
terests would bring more jobs to Asto-
ria, from a long-term perspective we
should realize that building on top of
historical artifacts like the old pilings,
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the process, is like biting the hand that
feeds us. We would literally be burying
our maritime heritage and obstructing
the views that attract countless visitors
and residents.
The trolley and Riverwalk, the
views of the river and Astoria’s histor-
ical maritime artifacts should not be
compromised, as this would only be to
the detriment of all concerned by de-
grading the very aspects that make As-
toria unique.
ED WERNICKE
RHONDA GEWIN
Astoria
on their past mismanage-
ment, and speaks volumes
on their capacity to advise
on Port matters.
At this juncture, every
voter in Clatsop County has
a vote on all Port Commis-
sion seats — wonderfully
democratic. But in the view
of the malcontents, the voter
is too apathetic, too ill-in-
formed or just plain not
smart enough to make good
choices — how wonderfully
arrogant and elitist.
What is never mentioned
in this debate is the underly-
ing financial interest several
individuals have in seeing a
change of direction of Port
management.
Finally, if you, the voter,
think the governor knows
what is best for Clatsop
County (the gillnet ban
comes to mind for me), then
by all means get on the band-
wagon. If, however, you feel
as I do, that we now have a
solid commission, a great
new executive director, and
that the Port is like a phoenix
rising from the ashes of hor-
rible past mismanagement,
then see this movement for
what it is: a back-door at-
tempt to co-opt the process
by a vocal minority.
Keep the Port Commis-
sion an elected position,
open to any candidate — not
a political appointment —
with you, the voter, having
the final decision.
CHRIS CONNAWAY
Astoria
Flag’s dark side
N
ow another year has
passed, as have the many
holidays on which we enjoy
displaying our colorful na-
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to remember, however, that
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ple, whom we have sent to
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earth where our military forc-
es cannot prevail. So why do
we keep sending them there?
Over years?
In one of The Daily Asto-
rian’s editorials last year, we
were reminded of President
Eisenhower’s warning about
a developing military-indus-
trial complex. It might be that
we have ignored that warning
for too long, and that this in-
terdependency has already
become a necessary part of
our broken economic system.
We should take note that
even with millions of people
engaged directly and indi-
rectly in what we call our de-
fense industry, we still have
high levels of unemploy-
ment. We should also note
that there are no viable candi-
GDWHVIRUSROLWLFDORI¿FHZKR
campaign on a promise to
end our military involvement
in the Middle East, thereby
increasing the number of our
unemployed.
I grow more concerned that
we Americans seem to be no
longer shocked by reports of
our young people being killed
or maimed in these wars, at
least so long as the wars are
kept small, and so long as it
is a war against “terrorists.”
My concern has caused me to
search for some device more
graphic than newspaper col-
umns to reawaken us to the
futility of continuing these
wars to nowhere.
I thought of an imaginary
portrayal of our killed young
people lying side by side in a
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cupying burial space of about
3 feet along one of our busy
streets. Using the odometer
of my car, and traveling east
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on the comer of Eighth and
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half-mile mark would place
us opposite the Maritime
Museum. That distance on
one side of the street would
accommodate only 880 dead
soldiers of the 4,493 recently
reported by AntiWar.com
An equal number would
occupy another such distance
as far as the Mill Pond devel-
opment project. That land-
mark is a full mile from the
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space could accommodate
only about one-half of the
dead soldiers from our un-
successful Mideast wars.
The reader could drive out
the full distances required for
the full casualty count. Mile
posts would serve our subur-
ban neighbors. Then what of
those even greater casualty
lists of the “terrorists” and
their families?
We need to develop an
economic system which
doesn’t require continu-
ous small wars to keep un-
employment levels down.
Wouldn’t you rather have
your taxes spent on mainte-
nance of roads and bridges,
parks, dikes, education, arts,
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our young and those of our
“enemies” to no purpose?
DON MATTHIES
Rosburg, Wash.
“Advertising in
Coast River
Business Journal
really does work!”
Est. 1980
ANDREW MARC
239 N . H em lock • C an n on B each • 503.436.0208
PUBLIC NOTICE
CMH ENT/Cosmetic Surgery Clinic to close Feb. 20, 2015
After two years of dedicated service, Dr. Christopher Nyte
will be leaving Astoria and the CMH ENT/Cosmetic Surgery
Clinic will be closing.
Dr. Nyte will continue to keep scheduled appointments until
Feb. 20, 2015, and will ensure that his patients have alternative
options if they have been under his care. Any patients who
have seen Dr. Nyte in the CMH ENT/Cosmetic Surgery
Clinic in the past 2 years will be able to access their records
through the CMH Medical Records department; the phone
number is 503-338-7528.
My shop was featured in the December
2014 CRBJ and I also placed a display ad
in that issue. Wow, did we have a great
response to both! I’m very happy with
the feedback and results and have
decided to advertise monthly in CRBJ.
Sandra Ward
Owner, Cannon Beach Leather
Ads that
work.
Contact Wendy Richardson or your sales representative today
about all your advertising needs
503-791-6615
