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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Democratic values 11,000 or so birds who dare to WDNH¿VKIURPKXPDQPRXWKV (ONZKRXVHGWRURDPWKLV area in the thousands and now number in the dozens, search for some place out of reach of VODXJKWHUHUVDNDKXQWHUV¿QG- LQJ UHIXJH LQ *HDUKDUW 8QIRU- tunately, herds of idle people who drive little carts on perfect- ly manicured paths and grass in search of their balls do not want to share their green space with QDWLYH DQLPDOV 7KH\ ZDQW WR cull them. Is it possible that we can solve the problems we created in an intelligent and humane way without resorting to vio- lence and bloodshed as usual? 0$5*$5(7+,1(6 Warrenton I t was shocking and dismay- ing to see the partisan attack letter to the editor, “Dems elect despot,” from Jason Kost, a Republican, printed in the Feb. 20 edition of The Daily Asto- rian. First of all, John Kitzhaber was no despot. Secondly, the Clatsop County Democratic Central Committee has been a role model in the state for safe- guarding democracy. Over the past decade, they have worked tirelessly and successfully to in- crease voter participation and to recruit and support candidates WRUXQIRURI¿FHWKDWUHSUHVHQW the majority of residents in Clatsop County. Political parties embody a set of values rather than actions RI VSHFL¿F LQGLYLGXDOV 7KH Democratic Party represents the values of equality and fair- ness, which are embedded in the party platform (see www. '32RUJ 7KH 'HPRFUDWLF Party can be easily joined on- line, and the Clatsop County Democrats welcome anyone who shares these values, rather than the values of hatred, deri- sion and contempt. /$55<7$</25 Chairman, Clatsop County Democratic Central Committee rooms, set with 80 rounds of Astoria 10 tables, could hold 800 for a plated dinner. What’s typical of one event Center capacity may be unrealistic for another. everal questions have been Does a group require break- asked of the Seaside Civic out sessions (where a large and Convention Center since group splits into several small- WKH UHOHDVH RI D ¿QDQFLDO IHD- er groups)? Perhaps a group sibility study for the possible will not be using the center expansion of the center. In for meals, choosing instead to response to a couple of items only host its meetings and trade that appeared in a story Feb. show functions inside the facil- 16 in The Daily Astorian and ity. A group of 500 could meet Feb. 20 in the Seaside Signal WRJHWKHU LQ WKH ODUJH 3DFL¿F (“Seaside businesses object to Room and then split into break- proposed sales tax”), we felt out sessions, in the smaller it was important to clarify ac- 1HFDQLFXP 6HDPLVW 6HDVLGH cordingly. Riverview, Seahorse and Hay- Although the article stated stack rooms. that the center “can handle only However, a group of 500 200 people,” this is not 100 would not be able to assemble percent accurate, and there are as one large body in multiple actually many scenarios that rooms (and thereby allow for impact total volumes much an immediate transition from, larger than that. A theater-style say, a meeting space to a meal XVHRIWKH3DFL¿FDQG1HFDQL- space). cum rooms (main level rooms 7KHERWWRPOLQHLVWKDWWKHUH at the center) could hold up are numerous scenarios and WR SHRSOH 7KRVH VDPH caveats that affect the size ca- S 5A Light at the library I am certainly in favor of a new- er, updated Astoria Library. It ZRXOGEHJUHDWLILW¿WWKHDPEL- DQFHRIRXUKLVWRULFWRZQ7KHUH is nothing so important to the nucleus of a community as a library — for research, reading, some soundproof listening and viewing rooms, community meeting rooms and the equal education of humanity. It seems a simple matter to SDFLWLHV RI D VSHFL¿F JURXS$ %DFN KRPH , JRW D GRFWRU shape. We have Life Flight keep the look of the shell of the complete list of room capacities and got blood pressure medi- coming for you. You could die Waldorf with modern insides, and sizes can be found at sea- cine. After about two weeks, ZLWKRXWLW´,WROGWKHP*RGKDV but I have always disliked the sideconvention.com design of our current library I took the test, passed easily me alive for a reason. 58669$1'(1%(5* and went back to work. After I was told after a short time building. It is gray in color, *HQHUDOPDQDJHU6HDVLGH around two months, the job I’d had blood on my brain, a dirty-looking to me, with little Civic and Convention Center ended, and the pills ran out stroke and my blood pressure light, not a beautiful building about the same time. I don’t re- ZDV , WKDQN *RG , to look at, and just because it call anyone telling me to keep drove myself to Astoria when might be a historic period, it is Under pressure not the look we are famous for taking these blood pressure I did. ive years ago, I was work- pills for the rest of my life, so I Please, everyone, get your — Victorians. ing a construction job on let them run out. Seaside did a fantastic job blood pressure checked. If you the jetty on the Washington side Recently, I almost passed take medicine for blood pres- raising monies and creating a of the Columbia River. After out in my driveway and my sure, take it, and don’t stop. I whole new structure, so it can three weeks, my boss told me I bedroom, was dizzy and felt almost found out the hard way be done. We don’t want to get QHHGHGWRWDNHD¿WQHVVWHVWWR strange. It was bedtime, so I why they call high blood pres- rid of the Waldorf image, so I am not advocating that we start keep working for the company. WKRXJKW,MXVWQHHGHGVOHHS7KH sure the Silent Killer. I thought, no problem, seems next morning I told my daugh- 52%(575(*,67(5 new like Seaside, but that we I’m always hyper, with lots of ter I was going to the hospital Warrenton raise private and public funds for whatever is decided for our energy. — something wasn’t right with community. 7ZR PLQXWHV LQWR WKH WHVW my body. Culling Frankly, I vote for lots the instructor asked me if I felt In Astoria, they told me I did ormorants and other sea- of light internally, a corridor all right. Did I need to sit down? not look right, and to please sit birds thrive on an island that runs vertically through Did I feel dizzy? I asked why. down. Shortly I was heading He said, “Your blood pressure down the hallway in a wheel- in the Columbia River creat- DOO ÀRRUV RXW RI RXU IDPRXV is extremely high. You cannot chair to the far end of the hospi- ed by the U.S. Army Corps of weather, and air conditioning to take this test. You can’t work tal. I asked, “What is going on (QJLQHHUV,QDEDWWOHRYHUZKR make it more inviting in sum- for this company till you pass with me? What are you doing?” gets to eat the most salmon, mers as they heat up. 6$/,',$021' WKHWHVW´7RVD\,ZDVVKRFNHG After my blood pressure the corps has decided to cull Astoria puts it mildly. test, they said, “You are in bad (euphemism for kill/slaughter) F C Know the facts about mayor’s recall I am writing this letter to eliminate confusion and high- OLJKWWKHWUXWKUHJDUGLQJWKHHIIRUWWRUHPRYH*HDUKDUW 0D\RU'LDQQH:LGGRSIURPRI¿FH As some of you may know, a petition was circulated GRRUWRGRRULQ*HDUKDUWDVNLQJIRUVLJQDWXUHVWRUHFDOO RXUPD\RU7KHUHDVRQLQJWRUHPRYH'LDQQHZDVVKHYL- RODWHG D *HDUKDUW EXVLQHVV RZQHU¶V ULJKW WR IUHHGRP RI VSHHFK1RWHSHRSOHVLJQHGWKHSHWLWLRQDQGLWLVSXE- OLFUHFRUGDWWKHRI¿FHRIWKH*HDUKDUWFLW\PDQDJHU 'LDQQHKDVVHUYHG*HDUKDUWIRUDOPRVW\HDUVDVD city councilor and mayor. She has worked all these years WRNHHS*HDUKDUWDJUHDWSODFHIRUDOORIXVWROLYHDQGVKH does this without pay. She is being accused of violating DEXVLQHVVRZQHU¶VIUHHGRPRIVSHHFK%XWGLGVKHUHDOO\ do that? It is our responsibility as voters to ferret out the truth before casting our ballots. *HDUKDUWEXVLQHVVRZQHUVLQWKHSDVWKDYHQRWSXWRXW FDPSDLJQ VLJQV 7KH VHQWLPHQW KDV EHHQ WKDW EXVLQHVV owners do not want to politicize their business. A new business owner, however, did put up a sign for candidate Kevin Willet. Willet is not the issue here. Dianne used to work in that store. Dianne reached out to the owner with advice as she was opening her new store earlier in spring 2014. Dianne thought of her as a friend. On Oct. 17, Dianne talked to this friend about the campaign sign in front of her store. Dianne, per tran- scripts on record with the city, stated that she told the business owner “…it’s a bad idea to put out campaign VLJQVDWVKRSVLQ*HDUKDUWDQGWKDWQRQHRIWKHPHUFKDQWV put out signs, as it is a no-win situation.” 7KH EXVLQHVV RZQHU VDLG &UDLJ:HVWRQ KHU ODQGORUG had said the same thing, but she could put up a sign if she wanted to. Dianne stated (per transcripts) she never told WKH EXVLQHVV RZQHU VKH KDG WR WDNH GRZQ WKH VLJQ 7KH EXVLQHVVRZQHUGLGOHDYHWKHVLJQIRU:LOOHW2Q1RYDW D&LW\&RXQFLOPHHWLQJWKHQHZEXVLQHVVRZQHUFRQ¿UPHG that Dianne neverWROGKHUWRWDNHWKHVLJQGRZQ7KLVFDQ EH IDFWFKHFNHG E\ *HDUKDUW &LW\ &RXQFLO PHHWLQJ PLQ- utes. At some point after Dianne talked to the business RZQHUWKHRZQHUDSSDUHQWO\WDONHGWRDIHZ*HDUKDUWUHV- LGHQWVDQGEXVLQHVVRZQHUVDERXWWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQ7KHVH people included Joy Sigler, a past city councilor, and shop RZQHU LQ *HDUKDUW DQG DERXW VHYHQ RWKHU SHRSOH ,W LV these eight people who asked for the recall petition. 7KH VWUXJJOH WR UHPRYH WKH PD\RU KDV FRVW XV DOO PRQH\WLPHDQGHQHUJ\7KLVKDVEHHQJRLQJRQIRU¿YH months, a period of time where the people we all elected could have been getting other things done. We are now being asked to deal with their claim of a freedom of speech violation by a mayor who has worked hard for us for almost 20 years. Suggesting that someone take down a sign as a matter of business protocol, but not saying they had to, does not mean legally or logically that DSHUVRQ¶VIUHHGRPRIVSHHFKZDVWDNHQDZD\%XWLQWKLV case, unless we all understand and react to the truth, it could unfairly affect all the good that Dianne Widdop’s long public legacy has been about and send the message WKDWWKHYRWHUVRI*HDUKDUWFDQHDVLO\EHGHFHLYHG :,/6210$5. *HDUKDUW Get your remodel rolling today. Introductory rate for 5 months Home Equity Line of Credit 1.50 % APR* Rate available 2/14/15–4/24/15 Rates are subject to change Rates as low as 3.99 % APR* Variable rate after Introductory Period With competitive rates and flexible terms, a U.S. Bank Home Equity Line of Credit may help you make your dream kitchen a reality. Branch usbank.com/lowrate 800.209.2265 * 1.50% Introductory Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is available on Home Equity Lines of Credit with an 80% loan-to-value (LTV) or less. 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