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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015 Girl Scout helps animals What a Goondoggle feeling so disappointed with several of the re- I voted ’ve cent to been decisions made by the Astoria City Council. They pass the Bridge Vista Plan (with the exception of I am a member of Girl Scout Troop 10136, and we had to complete an award which is called the Bronze Award. Here are some things about what the Bronze Award is, and how we completed it. The Bronze Award is when Girl Scouts think of a prob- lem that you can solve. Our project was to help the Clat- sop County Animal Shelter. We held a pet supply drive for them, and also donated some of our Girl Scout cookie money we earned. We chose the Clatsop County Animal Shelter because we all voted to help out the animals. If you would like to help the animals at the shelter, you can bring in pet food donations, volunteer time, or donate money online. You FDQ ¿QG PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ DW www.dogsncats.org NEVAEH MIEHE Astoria Councilor Drew Herzig), despite the objections of a room full of citizens who all spoke against it. That they brushed off the concerns of those who of- fered comments by implying that the rest of town (not in DWWHQGDQFHZDV¿QHZLWKWKHSODQVHHPHGOLNHDVOLJKW to those who had taken the time to be there, and sent the message that the council’s decision had already been reached before the meeting began. That they even considered — let alone approved — the reimbursement of a large consulting fee taken on by the Friends of the Column was equally troubling. The Friends would like to relocate the cell/emergency re- sponder tower from the c olumn to Shively Park, so they took it upon themselves to hire a consultant to schmooze with Verizon to get the project moving forward more quickly (which apparently costs $70,000), and later hand- ed the city the bill. Besides the fact that the whole thing is totally unnec- essary — claims that the tower was responsible for the slow response time during the 2007 storm are bogus — I feel like this sets a dangerous precedent. As someone who’s had friends marry at Shively Park, and have often used it as a refuge during our busy summers, I consider it a beautiful and sacred place; can I be a Friend of Shively 3DUNKLUHDQDWWRUQH\WR¿JKWWRNHHSLWIUHHIURPD foot monopole, and then expect the city to pay for it? It is so frustrating to watch our leadership waste tax- payer dollars on projects that improve the experience of tourists, and those seeking to make money off the town, when there are so many unaddressed needs of the people who actually live here. I keep thinking of the term “boondoggle” to describe these projects, but since Astoria seems intent on cash- ing in on its Goonies fame, perhaps we could call them “Goondoggles.” As the town rushes to sell itself off to the highest bidder, it seems sadly ironic that the actual plot of “The Goonies” was that a group of concerned citizens ¿JKWVWRVDYH$VWRULDIURPJUHHG\GHYHORSHUV I guess this is the point where those of us who care about this town should never say die; I wonder, though, if anyone will listen? TERESA BARNES Astoria Build sea lions a ÀRDWLQJGRFN A reasonable alternative to sea lions occupying the FLW\GRFNVLVWREXLOGDÀRDW ing dock away from the area, but also somewhat close (sim- ply because a sea lion’s nature puts them in your locale). The sea lions want to do their thing — rest, hang out — and people have taken up the space the sea lions have used over hundreds of years. Sea lions don’t actually want to be so close to you, either. Learn to live with nature, not against it. Maybe Hollywood might be interested in the robotic orca. SASHA FINLEY Boise, Idaho Go Sanders! F or the last 30 or 40 years I have voted for the “least worst” candidate for presi- dent. Many people do this: You’ve got to vote for so and so because the other guy is so much worse. Right? This explains how we have come to where we are, and I am sorry to say that, being a lifelong Democrat, I have now become an Independent. Neither the Democratic P arty or the Republican P arty are what they used to be. Neither one serves the people any- more. If you want things to change, leave your party. Maybe they will wake up. But meanwhile, look at other candidates. Vote for who you think is the best, even if you are told they can’t win. Win- ning with the “least worst can- didate” isn’t winning — is it? How about a woman for president? Is it time? So, elect any woman because it is time? If I voted for Elizabeth War- ren, it wouldn’t be because she is a woman, but how she has taken on the banks. She is not running. I heard a popular talk show host say that Hillary Clinton is now starting to talk the talk of a progressive. Well, how unique. Now that she is running for president she will say what she thinks you want to hear. I am going to vote for a person who I have listened to for the last 10 years. He has been talking about the prob- lems in this country and how WR¿[WKHP7KLVSHUVRQLVVWLOO talking the same talk. He will be running on the Democratic ticket. The Democratic party doesn’t want him because he is too Democratic. He is not for big banks or these terrible trade deals favored by Demo- crats like Clintons and Obama 7UDQV3DFL¿F 3DUWQHUVKLS 70,000 more jobs lost). He is for the middle class. Remember them? Probably the Democratic Party will not let him debate — he is too much of a challenge. You will hardly hear his name men- tioned in mainstream media. But he is what we need, even if I have to write his name in, I will vote for him. Go Sen. Bernie Sanders! DIXIE GAINER Nehalem FRIDAY EXCHANGE A concrete contradiction I n the May 22 issue of the Cannon Beach Gazette, there is an article, “New side- walk project could improve ADA accessibility on Spruce Street.” This article states, “Councilor George Vetter said he wondered if there were a more aesthetically appealing way to handle the problem than ‘just throwing concrete down. We’re a town that prides itself on aesthetics, and concrete is not part of that.’” We agree with Councilor Vetter. However, we wonder why the council didn’t have any concerns about concrete before granting the property located at 532 N. Laurel St. to build four single residenc- es on a half-acre lot. Typical- ly a minimum of three acres are required for this type of development. This prop- erty design included a very industrial-looking concrete retaining wall/driveway, ap- proximately 10 feet high and 125 feet long. Throwing down concrete? Wow. The project also means the removal of many trees. And this from a town that “prides itself on aesthetics”? Council, please reconsid- er before allowing this much concrete to be thrown down in our neighborhood. DALE AND LINDA HINTZ Cannon Beach Women composers deserve festival VSRWOLJKW T here are hundreds of classical composers who are women now document- ed in books, on television, in recordings, and in the press. Historical detectives and scholars have unearthed them from ancient libraries, discarded sheet music, and record bins over the past 70 years. The New Yorker Maga- zine featured an article re- viewing a musical event in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (“Eyes and Ears” by Alex Roth). They have been featuring concerts in front of various paintings and sculptures, which com- pliment each other. Recent- ly, in front of a Caravaggio, two 17th century composer compositions, by Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi, were featured. Caccini is the daughter of Giulio Caccini, one of the pioneers of the opera genre. Strozzi is the adopt- ed daughter of poet Giulio Strozzi. She was a prolific and well-documented com- poser who moved in lofty intellectual circles in Ven- ice, collaborating often with several early opera com- posers. The Medici fami- ly sponsored much of her work. In the U.S., Clara Schuman is well known, due to her brother, a composer also. Amy Beach was one of the most prolific and suc- cessful classical composers of the early 1900s. Born in England and emigrating to the U.S., Rebecca Clarke is known most for three com- positions; “Morpheus for Violin and Piano,” “Sona- ta for Viola and Piano” and “Passacaglia on an old En- glish Tune.” I could name 50 more, but these three will do to represent. For 300 years the Catholic Church maintained Ospidali, orphanages in Venice and Florence. Jane Bauldauf- Berdes book, “The Women Musicians of Venice,” opens a door long closed on an important era in the history of Venice — three centuries of music at the four major foundations of the former Republic of Venice, the Os- pedeli Grande. It provides a comprehensive account of the institutional, social, re- ligious, civic and most im- portant, the musical subsid- iaries, or cori. Girls in the Ospidali were trained in all aspects of music (the cori), com- position, playing, singing, and even making instru- ments in shops. Hundreds of compositions written by these women, spanning 300 years, were discovered in Venice and Florence in the 1980s. Of note is a one of these composers, Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen. There is a popular CD of six vio- lin concertos by the Allegri String Quartet on Calla Re- cordings. In the effort to make this entreaty brief, I have only provided you with a first course in a feast of com- posers worth highlighting in the future festival. This is a timely proposal on a sub- ject long overdue — include woman composers in the As- toria Music Festival. PAMELA MATTSON MCDONALD Astoria 5A The Delusions of Dolezal in that sense. She was She also told the commandeering and MSNBC host Me- concocting a biogra- lissa Harris-Perry, “I phy of burden to ob- achel Dolezal, a woman have really gone there scure the shift and lay with no known black with the experience, claim to authenticity. in terms of being a heritage, has apparently, mother of two black According to a re- through an elaborate scheme sons and really own- port in The Washing- ton Post, however, the of deception and denial, ing what it means to transracial-adoption experience and live claimed for years to be a (“when a child of one blackness.” Charles product of black heritage. race is adopted by the Yes, but she did so Blow This has sparked a national by choice and with a family of another”) conversation about how race trap door. She was always aware community has not taken kindly is constructed and enforced, to than she could remove her weave to being linked to Dolezal’s de- what extent it is cultural and and stop tanning (assuming that’s ception. Kimberly McKee, the true) and return to what society assistant director of the Kore- experiential, and whether it is registers as whiteness. People an-American Adoptee Adoptive mutable and adoptable. of actual black heritage don’t Parent Network and a professor If this were simply a matter have that option. Her sons don’t at Grand Valley State Universi- of a person appreciating, emu- have that option. And make no ty where she studies transracial lating or even appropriating the mistake: Having that option is a adoption, told The Post, “You’re presentation and performance of privilege. turning something that is a his- a race other than the one society The whole notion of “tran- torical experience into something prescribes to her based simply on sracial” as it has been applied to that’s almost being made a joke.” her appearance, it wouldn’t be a 'ROH]DOLVÀDZHGLQSDUWEHFDXVH A letter signed by McKee story. and 21 other scholars and advo- it isn’t equally available to all. But this isn’t simply that. This Whiteness in this country has cates made the point even more is about privilege, deceitful per- historically been incredibly nar- IRUFHIXOO\ ³:H ¿QG WKH PLVXVH formance and a tortured attempt rowly drawn to protect its purity, of ‘transracial,’ describing the to avoid truth and confession by and this was not simply enforced phenomenon of a white woman co-opting the language of strug- by social mores, but also by assuming perceived markers of gle, infusing labyrinthine logic law. Conversely, blackness was ‘blackness’ in order to pass as with the authority of the acad- broadly drawn, serving as some- ‘black,’ to be erroneous, ahistor- emy, and coat-tailing very real thing of a collecting pool for any- ical, and dangerous.” Indeed, one would be hard struggles of transgender people one with even the most minute and transracial adoptees to de- detectable and provable Negro SUHVVHGWR¿QGVFLHQWL¿FVXSSRUW fend one’s deception. ancestry. If you weren’t 100 per- for transracialism, as it is being applied for Dolezal’s deception This is a spectacular exercise cent white, you were black. LQKXEULVQDUFLVVLVPDQGGHÀHF This meant that society be- and identity, as a legitimate area tion. came accustomed to blackness of serious inquiry beyond a so- And we have been distracted SUHVHQWLQJYLVXDOO\LQDQLQ¿QLWH ciological phenomenon. How can one be born discor- from real conversation about real spectrum of possibilities, from things in order to try to contextu- pass-for-white lightness to obsid- dant with a racial identity if race alize a false life based on a false ian darkness lacking all ambigu- is a more socialized construct than rigid, biological demarca- premise. For a moment, black- ity. face seemed to matter more than This means that the way tion and determinism? In other actual black lives. Dolezal was able to convincing- words, how can one be born dis- On this issue ly present and cordant with an experience one of appearance, perform black- has yet to have? This is a At best, this appears to be an Ezra Dolezal, her ness as a light- adopted brother, skinned black LVVXHRIKDYLQJDQDI¿QLW\IRUD has described spectacular woman is a form culture that grows around a so- her transforma- of one-direc- cial construct. That is because, to exercise tion as a form tional privilege my sense of it, cultural race iden- of “blackface.” that simply isn’t WLW\KDVPRUHVFLHQWL¿FJURXQG in hubris, When Matt available to a ing than biological race identi- narcissism black person ty, and those cultures of racial Lauer asked, “Have you done starting at the identity are in fact a response to and something to other end of the the structure itself. Some peo- darken your spec- ple perform in response to their defl ection. melanin privilege and others to their lack complexion?” trum. she responded, Racial pass- thereof. In that regard, one cannot only “I certainly don’t stay out of the ing has been a societal feature sun.” (TMZ reported Wednesday probably for as long as race has like and want to emulate the look that according to their “tanning been a societal construct. But of another racial group (though, sources,” Dolezal was a “loyal it was more often practiced by one must be ever-questioning of customer at Palm Beach Tan in a person who was not purely oneself as to what motivates this, Spokane” and “was a fan of Mys- white by heritage passing herself making sure that it isn’t the out- tic Tan ... a brand of spray tan.” or himself off as such. In some growth self-hatred), but one can Make of all that what you will.) ways, this may have been under- even prefer the culture that devel- Dolezal added: “This is not standable, even if distasteful, as oped around that look. But changing appearance and some freak ‘Birth of a Nation’ WKHVH SHRSOH LGHQWL¿HG DV ZKLWH mockery blackface performance. in a society that privileged white- even cross-cultural immersion This is on a very real, connected ness and devalued, diminished or doesn’t alter the architecture of level.” attempted to destroy — both spir- race that gave birth to and rein- forced those differences in the Full stop. Let’s just marvel itually and physically — others. DW WKH HI¿FLHQW FDWFKSKUDVH VDW Choosing a life of privilege ¿UVWSODFH Dolezal’s performance of uration in those sentences. She over one of oppression must takes the whole universe of pos- have seemed particularly attrac- blackness may have been born sible attacks and issues them in tive to some, particularly to those RI DI¿QLW\ EXW LW ZDV EDVHG RQ her own tongue as a method of whose parents are different races DOLH²RQHVKHKDVQHYHUVXI¿ neutralizing them. It is a clever, if and who, one could argue, could ciently recanted — and her fee- calculated, bit of argumentation, make the most compelling case ble attempts to use professorial the kind that one might practice to identify with whichever par- language and faux-intellectual obfuscations only add insult to in a mirror. ent’s heritage they chose. But Dolezal didn’t stop there. But Dolezal wasn’t passing the cultural injury. By CHARLES BLOW New York Times News Service R THE DAILY ASTORIANʼ S 2015 WHO’S WHO The North Coastʼs Business Guide Pub lished for m ore tha n a QUARTER OF A CEN TURY b y the Da ily Astoria n. 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