OPINION
6A
T HE
D AILY A STORIAN
Founded in 1873
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
SAMANTHA MCLAREN, Circulation Manager
Water
under
the bridge
Compiled by Bob Duke
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
10 years ago this week — 2005
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015
Our nightmare has begun
P
OLITICS DOES NOT
bring human happiness.
Oregonians are learning that lesson.
‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
‘To talk of many things;
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing wax —
Of cabbages —and kings —’
An economics professor told me
that elections only allocate power;
they do not promise policy outcomes.
The November election re-elected
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become a walking apparition.
For those of us who believe in
unmarked boundaries, it seems clear
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spiritual demarcations when he
tempted fate by seeking an unprece-
dented fourth term.
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himself by insisting that his girl-
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lady.” The New York Times referred
to then-New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s girlfriend Diana Taylor
as the mayor’s “companion.” That’s
what Cylvia Hayes was. By elevating
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it center for Hayes and he baited the
trap for the rest of us.
Through the Looking-glass
of Cabbages and Kings
AP Photo/Don Ryan
Oregon and Washington gillnetters may be allowed to snare more wild,
threatened steelhead this season, to make more room for commercially valu-
able Columbia River Chinook salmon this spring.
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endangered salmon and steelhead runs return to the Columbia from the ocean.
Boaters docked at the West Mooring Basin could have new
bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities next year, in a build-
ing that also houses 3ort of Astoria marina of¿ces and other ma-
rine-related business.
Glenn Taggart of C.A. Taggart Construction has proposed
building a 20,000-square-foot building at the northeast edge of Pier
I, bordering the West Mooring Basin. The project is valuable for
both the company and the port, said Taggart, who is also a port
commissioner.
Speakers Tuesday decried the way in which the Port of Astoria leased War-
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and create a “climate of fear.”
People for Responsible Prosperity, which is opposed to Calpine Corp.’s
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explain its position and hear from people concerned about the project’s im-
pacts on the community.
50 years ago — 1965
Flood the rivers with heavy rains, jam smaller ones with logs
and throw in other various obstacles, but the wily steelhead still
will ¿ght their way to the spawning areas.
Unique demonstration of this was observed by Warren Knis-
pel, Warrenton, biologist for the Oregon Game Commission.
Knispel reported that during recent high waters he was check-
ing tributaries of the Necanicum River and at one point watched
two 9-pound steelhead slithering up a muddy, rutted logging road.
Knispel’s report, released through the Game Commission, said
the nearby stream had been blocked by debris, so the ¿sh appar-
ently Àipped out of the banks and found enough water in the road-
way to keep going.
Water in the rutted roads was only about three inches deep at
the time, Knispel said.
I would cost about $500 million to build a ship canal from Puget Sound
to Grays Harbor and from Grays Harbor to the mouth of the Columbia River,
Col. C.C. Holbrook, Seattle district engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of En-
gineers, has estimated.
Holbrook said Congress could be expected to put up $300 million of the
cost but the state would be required to come up with the other $200 million.
Holbrook said the proposed legislation was desirable. But he said addition-
al bills must be passed to assure the federal government that the state would
pay its share of the cost of the proposed canal.
Holbrook said the $200 million state expenditure could be “spread over
the period of construction of the canal.” He said that would be several years.
The Corps of Engineers is now studying the proposed canal. The state must
keep the Canal Commission in operation if it wants the study to continue, Hol-
brook warned.
75 years ago — 1940
The eastbound S.P.&S. Freight train plunged into tons of mud
and trees about 1,000 yards west of the Ivy station 12 miles east
of Astoria at 1:30 a.m. today, throwing the locomotive, tender and
the freight car from the tracks and stalling rail traf¿c on the Asto-
ria-Portland route.
From a high, steep slope that reaches up south of the tracks,
tons of earth bearing 2-foot trees plunged over the right-of-way
when loosened from the lip of an old slide that occurred some time
previously. The westbound freight had passed the spot only a few
minutes previously and it is thought possible the train’s tremor
hastened the slide.
The eastbound locomotive cut a swath in the wall of mud, which
left its mark half-way up on the derailed engine’s boiler, tore away
the pilot and smashed cylinders along the front. The tender was
wrenched from the track and from the engine and the ¿rst freight
car was likewise derailed. No one was hurt.
ILWACO — A 1942 international exposition commemorating the discov-
ery of the Columbia River 150 years ago and the completion of Grand Coulee
and Bonneville dams was projected today by three small southwestern Wash-
ington towns — Ilwaco, Long Beach and Seaview.
Plans for the exposition — tentatively titled “The Columbia River Interna-
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the three communities.
Mayor Norman A. Howerton of Ilwaco said the fair would be held at the
mouth of the Columbia River, and that all Columbia valley cities and towns
would be invited to participate.
The city of Astoria today issued a call for bids for 300 or more
parking meters and their installation in one or more districts with-
in the city. One of the speci¿cations provided that 20 meters may
be placed on Taylor Avenue, west of Columbia. Streets on which
the other meters are to be located are not identi¿ed, but they will
be in one “compact district.”
The call for bids states that the city is interested in dealing with
only those meter manufacturers which have made one or more
successful installations. Bidders are asked to name the locality
where its meters have been put in use and also to mention if any
were removed after being found unsatisfactory.
źźź
WHILE KITZHABER LEAKS
blood as he walks the halls of the state
Capitol, the rest of us are condemned
to live through a bad dream as
investigations creep forward.
State Attorney General Ellen
Rosenblum has begun an investiga-
tion. But Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette
Week on Monday night noted the
AG may lack full statutory authority
to conduct a criminal investigation.
(see wweek.com for “Gov. John
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disagree on scope of investigation.”)
WW has reported that the FBI
has opened an investigation into
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similar investigation of the governor
of Virginia and his wife took years to
reach prosecution.
The Oregon Ethics Commission
is a fairly toothless tiger, with no his-
tory of aggressive investigation. And
the commissioners were appointed
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When a group approached Sec-
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ed out that recall cannot be mounted
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least six months.
If the momentum of investigative
journalism continues at the current
pace, by June there should be con-
siderable residue on which to launch
a recall election. At that point, how
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fund his defense?
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber kisses fiancee, Cylvia Hayes, after he
is sworn in for an unprecedented fourth term as governor in Sa-
lem, Jan. 12. Big political scandals are rare in Oregon, but there’s a
huge one swirling around Kitzhaber and Hayes as she faces alle-
gations that she used her access to the governor’s office to secure
contracts for her consulting business and that she hasn’t report-
ed all of her income to tax authorities.
Oregonians are
condemned to
watching Gov.
Kitzhaber leak blood
as he walks the halls
of the Capitol.
źźź
KITZHABER’S DIMINISHED
stature is already showing.
When a statewide education
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I asked whether they were suffering
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their advocate, as he was in the 2013
Legislature. “Yes,” was the answer I
received.
anticipation of a Brown administra-
tion. As secretary of state, Brown has
been underwhelming. During her
2012 re-election campaign, Brown
was not endorsed by a single Oregon
newspaper.
źźź
ALL OF THIS WILL SET UP A
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which Treasurer Ted Wheeler will
take on an incumbent Gov. Kate
Brown.
The smart money will be on
Wheeler.
— S.A.F.
źźź
AT THE END OF THIS
process is the prospect that Brown
will become governor before the end
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Except for her die-hard Portland
constituents, I doubt there is great
The act of rigorous forgiving
By DAVID BROOKS
New York Times News Service
T
here’s something sad in Brian
Williams’ need to puff up his
Iraq adventures and something
barbaric in the public response.
The sad part is the reminder
that no matter how high you go
in life and no matter how many
accolades you win, it’s never
enough. The desire for even more
admiration races ahead. Career
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Public love always leaves you
hungry. Even very famous people
can do self-destructive things in an
attempt to seem just a little cooler.
tion for everything, regard-
less of right or wrong. But
many writers — ranging
from Hannah Arendt and
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
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like Jeffrie Murphy and L.
Gregory Jones — have tried
to think hard about rigorous
forgiveness, which balances
accountability with compas-
sion.
They’ve generally de-
scribed four processes in-
volved in forgiveness:
David
Brooks
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only by slowly reweaving
relationships. Some sins like
vanity — Williams’ sin —
can be treated only by ex-
treme self-abasement.
During the judgment
phase hard questions have
to be asked so that in for-
giving we don’t lower our
standards.
Confession and
Penitence
At some point the offender has to
get out in front of the process, being
Pre-emptive Mercy
more self-critical than anyone else
King argued that forgiveness isn’t around him. He has to probe down to
an act; it’s an attitude. We are all sin- the root of his error, offer a confession
QHUV:HH[SHFWVLQHPSDWKL]HZLWKVLQ more complete than expected. He has to
and are slow to think ourselves superior. put public reputation and career on the
The forgiving person is strong enough back burner and come up with a course
The barbaric part is the way we to display anger and resentment toward that will move him toward his own
respond to scandal these days. When the person who has wronged her, but emotional and spiritual recovery, to be-
somebody violates a public trust, we she is also strong enough to give away come strongest in the weakest places.
WU\WRSXUJHDQGRVWUDFL]HKLP$VRUW that anger and resentment.
Reconciliation and Re-trust
of coliseum culture takes over, leaving
In this view, the forgiving person
After judgments have been made
no place for mercy. By now, the script PDNHVWKH¿UVWPRYHHYHQEHIRUHWKH
it familiar: Some famous person does offender has asked. She resists the natu- and penitence performed, both the of-
something wrong. The Internet, the ral urge for vengeance. Instead, she cre- fender and offended bend toward each
most impersonal of me-
ates a welcoming context other. As King said, trust doesn’t have
diums, erupts with con-
in which the offender can to be immediate, but the wrong act is
When
no longer a barrier to a relationship.
tempt and mockery. The
confess.
The offender endures his season of
offender issues a paltry
somebody
Judgment
shame and is better for it. The offended
half-apology, which only
A wrong is an oc- are free from mean emotions like ven-
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casion to re-evaluate. geance and are uplifted when they offer
The pounding cry for res-
What is the character of kindness. The social fabric is repaired.
ignation builds until ca-
public trust,
the person in question? Community solidarity is strengthened
pitulation comes. Public
we try to
Should a period of stu- by the reunion.
passion is spent, and the
I guess I think Brian Williams
pidity eclipse a record of
spotlight moves on.
purge and
shouldn’t have to resign, for the rea-
decency?
I’ve only spoken with
It’s also an occasion to VRQWKDW'DYLG&DUUHPSKDVL]HGLQThe
Williams a few times,
ostracize him. investigate
each unique Times: Williams’ transgressions were
and can’t really speak
circumstance, the nature not part of his primary job responsibil-
about the man (although
I often appear on NBC News’ Meet the of each sin that was committed and the ities. And because I think good people
Press), but I do think we’d all be better implied remedy to that sin. Some sins, are stronger when given second chanc-
off if we reacted to these sorts of scan- like anger and lust, are like wild beasts. es.
But the larger question is how we
dals in a different way. The civic fabric They have to be fought through habits
would be stronger if, instead of trying to of restraint. Some sins like bigotry are build community in the face of scan-
sever relationships with those who have like stains. They can be expunged only dal. Do we exile the offender or heal
done wrong, we tried to repair them, if by apology and cleansing. Some like the relationship? Would you rather be-
we tried forgiveness instead of exiling. stealing are like a debt. They can be come the sort of person who excludes,
Forgiveness is often spoken of in UHFWL¿HGRQO\E\UHSD\LQJ6RPHOLNH or one who offers tough but healing
sentimental terms — as gushy absolu- adultery, are more like treason than like love?