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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2015)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015 Honor:µ+HZDVDWRXJKQXW¶ Continued from Page 1A EHHUV JHQWO\ URDVW 0RUULV and drink a few more. &KLHIWKHROG$VWRULDEDVHGVDO- Wesley “Geno” Leech, a vage ship involved in some of ¿VKHUPDQLQ&KLQRRN:DVK WKH PRVW PHPRUDEOH RSHUDWLRQV who worked on the Salvage on the West Coast, including &KLHI DQG LV D FHOHEUDWHG the Exxon Valdez that ran ¿VKHUSRHW UHDG D SRHP WKDW aground and gushed oil into GHVFULEHV WKH SRZHUIXO VKLS Prince William Sound off as “a steel saint, with a Fair- $ODVNDLQ EDQNVEHDWLQJKHDUW´ Timed for the same week- (The Salvage Chief, now end as the annual FisherPoets moored at Swan Island in Port- Gathering, the reunion gave ODQG KDG )DLUEDQNV0RUVH the former crew — known HQJLQHV 7KH IRRW YHVVHO as “chieftains” — and their ZDVEXLOWDVDPLOLWDU\ODQGLQJ family and friends a chance VKLSEXWFRQYHUWHGIRUSULYDWH to swap stories, drink a few VDOYDJHRSHUDWLRQVLQ Riutta, who grew up in Astoria and now lives in Redmond, Wash., said he has always looked up to the Salvage Chief as a “sym- ERO RI VHDPDQVKLS DQG VNLOO as a mariner, literally in the world.” 2Q D EUDZQ\ WXJ NQRZQ for strong men, Morris stood out as an imposing ILJXUH +LV QLFNQDPH ² RU at least one them — was “Nasty.” ³+HZDVDWRXJKQXW´VDLG 'RQ )OR\G ZKR ZRUNHG RQ the Salvage Chief and lives LQ6YHQVHQ³+HGLGQ¶WNQRZ what pain was.” Floyd and others who or- JDQL]HG WKH WULEXWH WR 0RUULV VRXJKW WR NHHS LW TXLHW EH- IRUHKDQG EHFDXVH WKH\ IHDUHG Morris might not show up if he NQHZKHZDVEHLQJKRQRUHG 1RZ0RUULVZKROLYHV in Astoria, politely thanked WKH&RDVW*XDUGEUDVVDQGKLV fellow chieftains. “If I knew all of this was JRLQJWRJRRQ,¶GKDYHSURE- DEO\NHSWRQUXQQLQJZKHQ, ZHQWE\KHUH´KHVDLGDIWHU- ward with a laugh. JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Mike Phillips, the commander of the American Legion post, presents Albert Morris with a replica of the legion’s Gold Medal of Valor during a tribute at the Clatsop Post 12 American Legion. Morris received the Medal from Bal- timore Post in 1949. Fishing for dreams $VWRULDQRSHQVKLVERDW Cold Stream, for tours People gather in the Asto- ria Event Center to listen to a story circle hosted by Jay Speak- man Saturday. By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian JOSHUA BESSEX The Daily Astorian FisherPoets: Several of the poets at the event came out of Clatsop County Continued from Page 1A “And, not surprising, I’m studying work passion and ‘workaholism,’” said Pickett. “So, you can take the girl out of WKH¿VKLQJEXW,GRQ¶WWKLQN\RX FDQ WDNH WKH ¿VKLQJ RXW RI WKH girl.” Several FisherPoets came out of Clatsop County, including Broderick, his son Max, Speak- man and Seaside resident Austin Tomlinson. Astoria turned out Nancy Cook, a writing instructor at Clatsop Community College DQG IRUPHUO\ D ¿VKHULHV REVHUY- er and a roe technician on the Bering Sea; folklorist, historian, songwriter and Salmon for All PHPEHU +REH .\WU DQG 'DYH 'HQVPRUHDOLIHWLPHFRPPHUFLDO ¿VKHUIURP$ODVND So long Each FisherPoet took the VWDJH 6XQGD\ WR VD\ JRRGE\H LQ WKHLU RZQ ZD\ ZKHWKHU LW EH D poem, a song or thank you to the audiences. Pickett shared some choice UDGLRGLVSDWFKHVE\¿VKHUPDQRQ the water during her time in Alas- ND 5RQ 0F'DQLHO WKH FRZER\ from northwest Arkansas, shared DSRHPDERXWWKHIHDUIXOH[SHUL- ence of a prostate exam. Lloyd Montgomery from Wasila, Alas- ka, ended his performances at FisherPoets with a monologued, PXOWLDFWSOD\DERXWKXQWLQJFDU- LERXDQGZKDOHSOD\LQJSDUWVDV ERWK D 1DWLYH $ODVNDQ SOD\LQJ GUXPVDQGDWXVNDQGDQDERULJL- ne playing a didgeridoo. “Whenever I decide to leave, ,¶OO EH WKH RQH ZKR KDV WKH VD\ not some jumped-up John- ny-come-lately that may think ,¶P LQ KLV ZD\´ VDLG 'HQVPRUH in “Old Sea Story,” his closing poem for FisherPoets. “And re- PHPEHU EHIRUH \RX VKRZ GLV- respect to someone with more years than you, that same spot in the trail is waiting there for you.” +DQGLQKDQGZLWKWKHVSRNHQ word art and hands-on work- shops of FisherPoets was advo- cacy for the environment, and E\ H[WHQVLRQ FRPPHUFLDO ¿VK- ing, with presentations on ocean DFLGL¿FDWLRQ DQG SRWHQWLDO DQG current threats to the health of the &ROXPELD5LYHU $WWKH&ROXPELDQ7KHDWHULQ the documentary ”The Breach,” ¿OPPDNHU 0DUN 7LWXV H[SORUHG the effects of pollution, salmon hatcheries and a the proposed 3HEEOHFRSSHUPLQHRQZLOGUXQV from Johnson Creek, Portland, to Bristol Bay, Alaska. “In the Same %RDW´E\$ODVNDJLOOQHWWHU(OLMDK Lawson, promoted the sustain- DELOLW\RIWKH%ULVWRO%D\¿VKHU\ )LVKHU3RHWVKDVEHHQFRYHUHG E\7KH1HZ<RUN7LPHVDQGUD- dio specials on the BBC Radio 4. )LVKHU3RHW 3DW 'L[RQ KDV FRP- piled a collection of FisherPoetry at www.inthetote.com. /DVW VXPPHU 'L[RQ UHOHDVHG ³$QFKRUHG LQ 'HHS :DWHU 7KH Fisherpoets Anthology,” a sev- HQERRN VHW ZLWK PDWHULDO IURP 40 American, Canadian and Japanese FisherPoets. The sepa- UDWHERRNVRUWKHVHWFDQEHSXU- chased at www.inthetote.com, at the Cannon Beach Book Co. or DW WKH &ROXPELD 5LYHU 0DULWLPH Museum. (DFK \HDU $VWRULD¶V 'DYH 'HQVPRUH RSHQV &ROG 6WUHDP KLV ZRRGHQ \HDU ROGSLHFHRIFRPPHUFLDO¿VKLQJKLVWRU\WR YLVLWRUV DW 3LHU GXULQJ WKH )LVKHU3RHWV Gathering. ³7KLVERDWLVDQH[WHQVLRQRIWKHSHR- SOH´ VDLG 'HQVPRUH D ¿VKHUPDQ IRU PRUH WKDQ \HDUV UDLVHG LQ .RGLDN Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands chain. “It’s my identity, I guess.” 'HQVPRUH VDLG KH ¿UVW VWHSSHG IRRW RQDERDWDVD\HDUROGLQ3RUW$QJH- les, Wash., playing on a skiff in the play- ground at his school, looking out over the Puget Sound and daydreaming. By KHHDUQHGDIXOOPDQVKDUHZRUNLQJ RQERDWVDQGE\KH¶GSXUFKDVHGKLV own vessel. +LV ZRUNLQJ ERDW WKHVH GD\V LV WKH 'UHDPHU KRPHSRUWHG LQ /DUVHQ %D\ $ODVND &ROG 6WUHDP ZKLFK KH ERXJKW LQLVWKHSURMHFW'HQVPRUHXVHVWR give visitors a glimpse of what it’s like for the people catching the seafood. “This is what’s called a West Coast FRPELQDWLRQ ERDW´ VDLG 'HQVPRUH ³7KH\ ZHUH EXLOW WR GR DQ\WKLQJ 7KH\ came pretty close to perfection with this ERDWDVIDUDV,¶PFRQFHUQHG´ 7KH:HVW&RDVWFRPERVZHUHDOOVHLQ- ers, he said. The purse seine net hangs YHUWLFDOO\ LQ WKH ZDWHU WKH WRS EXR\HG E\ ÀRDWV DQG WKH ERWWRP ZHLJKWHG E\ sinkers, a line going through rings along WKHERWWRPLQRUGHUWRSXUVHLW7KHVNLII HQFLUFOHVDVFKRRORI¿VKZLWKWKHQHWDQG returns to the main vessel, which then SXOOVWKHERWWRPOLQHSXUVHVWKHQHWDQG FDSWXUHVWKH¿VK 7KH &ROG 6WUHDP FDQ WUROO FUDE ORQJOLQHVDLG'HQVPRUHDQGFDUU\XSWR SRXQGVRIVHDIRRG%XWZDV WKHODVWWLPH'HQVPRUHVDLGKH¶G¿VKHG ZLWKWKHERDWWUROOLQJIRUVDOPRQ 'HQVPRUHHQWHUWDLQHGJXHVWVDQGROG ¿VKLQJEXGGLHVLQWKHIR¶F¶VOHIRUHFDVWOH 6DWXUGD\PRUQLQJZKLOHKLV¿VKLQJSDUW- ner for the past few years, Renee Ruscoe, Oscar B:3HUPDQHQWODQGLQJVKRXOGEHFRPSOHWHE\0D\ Continued from Page 1A Construction work started the Oregon side of the river, where crews are replacing the Westport Ferry landing with a permanent steel landing. A tem- SRUDU\GRFNLVEHLQJXVHGLQWKH meantime. The permanent landing is H[SHFWHG WR EH FRPSOHWH E\ 0D\ The Oregon work costs near- O\ PLOOLRQ $ERXW million is coming from the IHGHUDO )HUU\ %RDW 'LVFUHWLRQ- ary Program. Clatsop County, which applied for the federal funding, is covering the remain- ing costs. “The permanent landing has a ways to go yet,” Ringen said. ³7KH\KDYHDVLJQL¿FDQWDPRXQW of work to do.” Crews spent the weekend pulling old pilings used for the old Ferry Wahkiakum, and PDNLQJVXUHWKH2VFDU%¿WVLQ its landings. On the Washing- ton side, Ringen said, crews still need to change out the end of the ramp, reconstructed in WR EHWWHU FRQQHFW ZLWK the Oscar B. The ferry service shut down Friday through Monday for the ferry captains to take practice runs across the river. The Coast Guard is scheduled WR LQVSHFW WKH ERDW 0RQGD\ PRUQLQJEHIRUHLWFDQEHFRPH operational. Once it starts operating next week, the Oscar B will have a weight limit to only handle cars DQG WUXFNV XS WR WRQV ZKLFK will not allow semitrailers. The ZHLJKW OLPLW ZLOO EH LQ SODFH until the Washington-side ramp work is completed in April. Crews will shut down ser- vice the third week in April to JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Renee Ruscoe, left, gives a tour the Cold Stream, a fishing boat owned by fisherpoet Dave Densmore, Sat- urday. The tours of the boat, which was docked on Pier 39, were avail- able to the public Saturday morning. was on deck offering tours. ³3HRSOH GRQ¶W WKLQN VR PXFK DERXW where their food comes from,” said Ruscoe, ZKRPHW'HQVPRUHWKURXJKSRHWU\UHDGLQJV LQ &DQQRQ %HDFK LQ TXLW KHU ZKLWH FROODUMREPRYHGWRWKHFRDVWIURP3RUWODQG DQGVWDUWHG¿VKLQJZLWK'HQVPRUHLQ$ODV- ka. &ROG6WUHDPZDVWKHODVWZRRGHQERDW EXLOW DW 6HDWWOH¶V 6DJVWDG 6KLS\DUGV VKH VDLG,W¶VDOZD\VEHHQDEOHWR¿VKKHVDLG EXWRYHUWKHPLOGZLQWHUKH¶VEHHQ¿[LQJLW up. Inside the cramped fo’c’sle is a kitch- HQVWDWHURRPDQGEXQNVHQRXJKWRVOHHS HLJKW7KH ERDW FDQ EH PRVWO\ VHOIVXV- WDLQLQJIRUIRXUWR¿YHPRQWKVH[FHSWIRU fuel and water. “We don’t spend a whole lot of time LQ KHUH \RX¶UH RXW WKHUH´ VDLG 'HQV- PRUH ZKR ¿VKHV ZLWK D FUHZ RI DERXW IRXURU¿YH³%XWHYHQLQJVZKHQ\RX¶YH dropped anchor, it’s nice to have a warm place. And during storms and during the FORVXUHV ZKHQ \RX FDQW¶ ¿VK WKLV LV D FRPIRUWDEOHOLWWOHERDW´ 'HQVPRUHVHHVKLVERDWDVDQH[WHQ- sion of his identity and a point of pride, the same as a trucker might see his truck. )RU861DY\YHWHUDQ'XDQH1DUUDQG KLV ZLIH$UOHHQ 1DUU RI 1HZEHUJ LW ZDV WKHLU¿UVWWLPHRQDFRPPHUFLDO¿VKLQJERDW ³, ZDV UHDOO\ WDNHQ EH WKH ZD\ LW VHHPV WR EH LQ SHRSOH¶V EORRG´ VDLG 'XDQH1DUU³0\IDPLO\¶VIURP0LQQH- sota and did farming in kind of a similar way. It’s what they did.” Burr: She has worked LQSXEOLFVDIHW\IRU WKHSDVW\HDUV Continued from Page 1A JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian A worker from Legacy Contracting directs the Oscar B ferry to the Westport dock during a test run along the Columbia River Friday. The Oscar B ferry arrived Friday from Whid- bey Island, Wash.. The Oscar B will carry 23 passenger cars, nearly double the size of the original ferry. COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Wahkiakum County will host the celebration of the Oscar B at 1 p.m. March 14 at the Wahkiakum Ferry Terminal, 785 SR 409, Cathlamet, Wash. ¿QLVKWKHFRQVWUXFWLRQZRUN Legacy Contracting Inc.’s ELG IRU WKH :DVKLQJWRQ VLGH ZRUNZDV Ringen said he is still plan- ning how to handle semi-trucks on the ferry, which the original IHUU\FRXOGQRW¿W+HLVFRQVLG- HULQJ D SRVVLEOH WLPH VFKHGXOH for semitrailers and a higher cost WKDQWKHSHUWULSIRUFDUVDQG trucks. “We have to come up with a game plan on how all that works,” Ringen said. The ferry crew of three cap- WDLQV WKUHH PDWHV DQG ¿OOLQ deckhands are pleased with the new ferry’s features, includ- ing hydraulic steering instead RI FDEOH DQG FKDLQ VWHHULQJ D captain’s chair, updated elec- WURQLFV DQG $'$DFFHVVLEOH restrooms. 7KH 2VFDU % ZLOO FDUU\ SDVVHQJHU FDUV QHDUO\ GRXEOH the size of the original ferry. The extra room will eliminate extra runs throughout the day since PRUH SDVVHQJHUV ZLOO EH WUDQV- ported each trip. Commuters, in- cluding employees at the Wauna Mill in Westport, regularly rely on the ferry service. The Wahkiakum County Commission started discussions DERXW FRQVWUXFWLQJ D QHZ IHU- U\ LQ 7KH SURFHVV VWDUW- HG DURXQG 6LQFH WKHQ Ringen said, the project passed multiple hurdles of the ferry’s construction, waiting for permit approvals on the river and other paperwork. 1RZDIWHUD\HDUFDUHHU Ringen is looking forward to riding the ferry into his retire- ment. “There is always another SURMHFWEXW,GRQ¶WNQRZLIWKHUH ZLOO EH RQH ZLWK WKLV OHYHO RI challenge,” Ringen said. SDUHGQHVVFRPPLWWHHPHPEHU 'RXJ :RRG ² FKRVH %XUU IURPDSRRORIDSSOLFDQWV 7KRVH ZHUH LQLWLDOO\ VKRUWOLVWHGWR¿YHFDQGLGDWHV who underwent hour-long interviews over a two-day period in mid-January. It ul- timately came down to Burr and one other applicant. Af- ter lengthy discussion, Burr EHFDPH WKH JURXS¶V XQDQL- PRXVFKRLFH.XFHUDVDLG “I think she’s going to EH H[WUHPHO\ KHOSIXO´ 9HW- ter said. “She’s very knowl- HGJHDEOH6KH¶VYHU\SHUVRQ- DEOH6KH¶VLPSUHVVHGXVDOO as a go-getter.” At minimum, Burr is re- quired to attend the month- ly emergency preparedness committee meetings and twice-monthly container FRPPLWWHH PHHWLQJV EHJLQ- ning this month. She plans to commute from Eugene, she said. .XFHUD HVWLPDWHV WKDW %XUUZLOOSXWLQEHWZHHQ DQGKRXUVSHUPRQWKRU “whatever it takes to get the MREGRQH´KHVDLG 6KHZLOOEHSDLG IRUKHUZRUNWKLV¿VFDO\HDU which ends June 30; how- ever, her salary may change ‘True collaboration’ ZKHQ LW LV UHEXGJHWHG IRU Burr said the hiring pro- QH[W\HDUEHJLQQLQJ-XO\ cess was “one of the more .XFHUDVDLG forward-thinking” she’s ever A ‘go-getter’ experienced. Burr has worked in Usually, “I just sit down SXEOLF VDIHW\ DQG GLVDVWHU with the city manager,” she management for the past said. But this time she faced \HDUV GHYHORSLQJ HPHU- ³TXLWHDUREXVWJURXS´RIGL- gency response plans spe- saster stakeholders. FL¿FDOO\ IRU PDVV VKHOWHULQJ And, quite often, “you and mass care. She has lent HLWKHU KDYH FLW\ RI¿FLDOV her expertise to the cities of that are really on point with Eugene and Florence; Lane, disaster management and Linn and Benton counties; they’re dragging the com- the American Red Cross of PXQLW\ EHKLQG WKHP RU LW¶V 2UHJRQWKH5HJLRQDO7ULEHV the opposite,” she said. of the Northwest; and the Or- ,Q &DQQRQ %HDFK ERWK HJRQ'HSDUWPHQWRI-XVWLFH the city and the community A hiring committee — VHHPWREHRQWKHVDPHSDJH FRPSRVHG RI .XFHUD 0XVK- she said. en, Vetter, Mayor Sam Steidel, “It’s so refreshing to have 3XEOLF :RUNV 'LUHFWRU 'DQ WKLVVWFHQWXU\FRQFHSWRI Grassick, Capt. Matt Gardner WUXHFROODERUDWLRQ´VKHVDLG of Cannon Beach Fire and “That rarely happens.” Rescue, and emergency pre- — Erick Bengel