GRAB BAG book shelf • glimpse • wildlife • fun
Photo by Matt Love
The Arc Arcade in downtown Astoria boasts a selection of old-school video games
as well as newer peer-to-peer games.
A G LIMPSE I NSIDE
An occasional feature by MATT LOVE
The Arc Arcade
I can’t seem to help myself. Every
time I walk by the Arc Arcade on Com-
mercial Street in Astoria, I duck inside for
a quick free play on Missile Command,
my favorite arcade game as a teenager
and the only one I was pretty good at.
And why not play? Why not take five
minutes to instantly transport yourself to
a time in your life that was far less com-
plicated and probably more enjoyable?
Until the Arc opened last year, I
NW
word
nerd
By RYAN HUME
Breaker
>EUHNܬU@
noun
1. one who breaks, de-
stroys, dismantles, subverts,
transgresses, as in RULE-BREAK-
ER or DEAL-BREAKER
2. Circuit breaker: Also
called a breaker, a switch set
to disrupt the flow of electric-
ity in case of a short circuit
3. Citizen Band Radio:
Operator slang to alert any
listener that the speaker has
hadn’t played Missile Command in over
30 years, and was pleasantly surprised
when I wandered in one afternoon and
found the familiar console.
When I decided to play on that initial
visit, I momentarily forgot how to begin.
Then I placed my right hand on the track
ball and all the ancient knowledge re-
turned. A few seconds later, I was firing
away with gusto and was shocked to
learn that my muscle memory for the
something to say
4. the violent white spill of
a large wave either where it
foams out on shore or against
an embankment in the water
5. The Breakers: A 144-
room beachfront resort about
a mile north of downtown
Long Beach, Washington. The
current hotel is the fourth
iteration on this location
Origin:
The compound of break,
v.,+ the suffix –er can be
traced back to Middle English
around 1200 as breker. The
first known maritime use of
the word, meaning “a heavy
wave,” is recorded in the
1680s. On the Long Beach
Peninsula, the original The
game still existed! I recorded the high-
est score!
The Arc boasts a wonderful selec-
tion of old-school video games, includ-
ing classics like Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac
Man, and Joust. They still cost only a
quarter to play. The arcade also offers
the new-fangled flat-screen and peer-
to-peer games, but I haven’t tried of
any of them yet. I wouldn’t know what
to do.
On my most recent visit, the Arc
was teeming with people of all ages,
and there was a palpable happiness
floating through the space. The scene
reminded me just how much hanging
out in arcades is a community-minded
activity that creates unique social inter-
actions among participants, many of
whom are completer strangers to one
another.
It also struck me as fascinating to
observe parents showing their children
the video games they grew up playing.
It’s even more fascinating to watch a
few minutes later when the kid beats
the parent at the parent’s beloved
game.
Matt Love is author/
editor of 13 books
about Oregon. They are
available at all coastal
bookstores or through
www.nestuccaspitpress.
com. He lives in Astoria.
Breakers Hotel was named
by Joseph M. Arthur in 1900
on account of the land’s ex-
cellent view of the surf from
a grassy ridge that pushed
up against the beach. Prior
to the incorporation of the
city of Long Beach in 1922,
Breakers (minus the definitive
article) was officially its own
town, with its own U.S. Post
Office. Arthur kept a cattle
herd, a poultry ranch and a
garden to ensure his guests
had access to the freshest
meat and produce available.
“The Breakers Hotel is located at Breakers Sta-
tion, a regular ticket office, where all trains stop. It is
one and a half miles north of Long Beach Station.”
—Advertisement, “‘The Breakers’ Where to
stop at North Beach,” Daily East Oregonian, Tues-
day, July 21, 1903, P. 6
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April 30, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 23