OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015
GUEST COLUMN
Where’s The Way to Wellville?
Founded in 1873
By SUE CODY
For The Daily Astorian
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
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
Humpbacks
to the rescue
I
Whales become part of our economy
and biological diversity
n one of the more implausible movies of the late-1980s,
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Capt. Kirk and crew
travel back in time to rescue a pair of humpbacks that are
about to harpooned by venal whalers.
Transported by spaceship to
the year 2286 when humpbacks
are extinct, the whales save hu-
manity by using their ethereal
song to ask others Àying in a vast
“spacewatertank” to spare us.
Conceived and directed by
Spock actor Leonard Nimoy,
the popular film undoubted-
ly played a part in convinc-
ing nations to more strongly
enforce a ban on whale hunt-
ing. Compared to a prewhal-
ing population estimated at
120,000, there are now thought
to be a still-healthy number of
80,000 humpbacks worldwide,
with perhaps 20,000 of these
in the North Pacific.
Because of their myste-
rious songs and a practice
of throwing their massive
80,000-pound bodies out of
the water in displays of awe-
some exuberance, humpbacks
are among the rock stars of the
whale world.
When it became apparent
during Buoy 10 salmon season
this August that they were en-
tering the Columbia estuary in
pursuit of schools of bait fish,
it was both newsworthy and
somewhat worrisome. There
is ongoing concern they might
have been forced into the riv-
er by this year’s warmwater
“Blob” and El Niño, or by a
vast bloom of algae that some-
times produces a potent toxin.
One researcher offers a much
more positive view — that they
have ventured into river waters
simply because there now is a
robust humpback population
that is exploring new habitats.
Because they remember good
feeding grounds and pass this
information on to their young,
it’s possible humpbacks might
visit the waters around the
Astoria Bridge year after year.
ward bump in tourist traf¿c
in what should now be a dis-
tinctly slowing season. Even
before print publication of Josh
Bessex’s outstanding whale
photos, online humpback cov-
erage in The Daily Astorian
and Chinook Observer attracted
more than 270,000 viewers.
Exciting as it is to have dra-
matically huge new wildlife in
the neighborhood — biolog-
ical diversity is a key benefit
of living here — it would be
hard to overstate how much
this could mean for the Lower
Columbia’s economy.
Efforts at the Oregon Coast
Aquarium in the 1990s to
nurse Keiko the killer whale
back to health poured mil-
lions into Newport’s economy.
Well-wishers and school chil-
dren came to see Keiko, who
had starred in Free Willy, a
movie partly based in Astoria.
I
t’s important that we act
responsibly with respect to
the humpbacks. This means
boaters should give whales
the right of way and main-
tain a significant distance to
avoid disturbing them. NOAA
publishes a complete set of
guidelines and rules at www.
nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/
viewing.htm.
Whale watchers should park
in turnouts along U.S. Highway
101 and motorists must keep an
eye out for distracted drivers
and pedestrians — the miles
between the McGowan Church
and Dismal Nitch reportedly
have been something of a cir-
cus at times in recent days.
How amazing it is to have
humpbacks in our neighbor-
hood, easily observable from
shore. This is a rare privilege
and there is no certainty it will
be repeated. Let’s appreci-
heir presence has already ate these enormous and enor-
brought a noticeable up- mously appealing guests.
T
The editorials on this page are written by Steve Forrester, editor of The Daily
Astorian (sforrester@dailyastorian.com) and Matt Winters, editor of The Chi-
nook (Wash.) Observer (mwinters@chinookobserver.com).
FYI
Clippings from the press of the
Paci¿c Northwest and the nation
0RUHPRQH\IRUZLOG¿UHV
W
ild¿res that have burned
more than 8million acres
and are still raging in the West
are draining the budgets of
federal agencies and forcing
them to divert money from es-
sential environmental and land
conservation programs to ¿ght
the ¿res. That is why Congress
needs to start budgeting for
forest ¿res in a different way,
treating them more like natural
disasters rather than a continu-
ing expense. The Agriculture
and Interior Departments have
been making this case for some
time, and it’s a good one.
Those members of Congress
who reject or belittle the sci-
ence of climate change should
pause for a moment and try
to imagine a future with even
more devastating ¿res than the
ones they see now on the eve-
ning news.
— The New York Times
T
he Way to Wellville started as
a nationwide competition to
choose ¿ve communities to spend
¿ve years improving the health of
their populations.
Clatsop County was one of the
chosen ¿ve.
,n its ¿rst
year, the Health
Initiative Coor-
dinating Council
(HICCup) is fo-
cusing on form-
ing a strategic
council, creating
community part-
nerships, iden-
tifying Clatsop
Sue Cody
County’s health
and wellness needs, then building a
business plan to support those needs.
The other Wellville Five commu-
nities are Lake County, Calif., Niaga-
ra Falls, N.Y., Spartanburg, S.C. and
Greater Muskegon, Mich. Representa-
tives from each area attended a meeting
in Florida, where it was decided that it
would no longer be a competition, but a
cooperative enterprise where the com-
munities could share ideas and strate-
gies.
“The whole point of The Way to
Wellville is to help communities apply
well-known techniques in sustained
initiatives that are accountable, measur-
able and ultimately fundable,” initiator
and investor Esther Dyson said.
Columbia Paci¿c Coordinated Care
Organization (CCO) and CareOregon
sponsor The Way to Wellville Clatsop
County. They offer resources, such as
training, communications and staf¿ng.
“Clatsop County had built-in infra-
structure through the CCO, so we could
implement changes and hire Sydney
Van Dusen as coordinator,” said Deb-
bie Morrow, a member of the strategic
council.
Among the 14 council members are
educators, business people, health care
professionals, and others.
“We have a solid cross-section of
leaders at the table who are working on
identifying goals for our focus areas.
The end goal is to connect the people
who are doing similar work and pro-
mote collaboration to create a healthier
society,” Morrow said.
Strategic Council Chairman Jeff Ha-
zen said the council is meeting monthly
and creating a business plan from the
ground up.
The council re¿ned four focus areas
• Emotional Health,
• Community Wellness,
• Health Care Access,
• Economic Opportunity.
Within each category, there are nu-
Sue Cody/The Way to Wellville
From left, Way to Wellville Coordinator Sydney Van Dusen, Gail Galen
and Tessa Scheller pose at The Way to Wellville booth at the Sunday
Market Aug. 16. The booth was shared with the Northwest Coast Trails
Coalition, where all three serve on the board. The coalition has ex-
panded from what was formerly the Warrenton Trails Association.
merous sectors to be addressed.
community’s health. The Way to Well-
For example, Seaside Heights’ re- ville sponsors are working with local
tired Principal Dan Gaffney is leading clinics to improve health delivery and
the Economic Opportunity team. He offering “pay for performance opportu-
presented studies to the strategic coun- nities. They reward providers who meet
cil about the direct correlation between the state and federal metrics for ensur-
reading pro¿ciency in the third grade ing their patients receive needed care.
and high school graduation rates. Clat-
In 2015, Columbia Paci¿c CCO
sop County’s high school graduation allocated $1 million to improve access
rate in 2014 was 70 percent and the per- and clinical quality in their service ar-
centage of children who were Àuent in eas, Tillamook, Columbia and Clatsop
reading by third grade was 69 percent. counties.
Those Àuent in reading by third grade
Currently, 88 percent of health care
have more economic opportunities in spending goes to medical services.
the future.
With the pay for per-
In light of that in-
formance model of
formation, the council Supporters
funding, government
opted to focus on early
resources are direct-
help find
childhood education.
ed toward social pro-
Five years won’t be
grams that provide
ways
of
long enough to mea-
positive results. The
sure change in gradua-
model taps private
investing
tion rates, but it will get
funders to cover up-
us started, said Gaff- in upstream
front costs of social
ney, who is leading the
programs.
supports
Clatsop Kinder Ready
The Way to Well-
program.
Clatsop
ville provides an op-
Kinder Ready is a partnership focused portunity to develop investment pro-
on preparing children for kindergarten cesses with the support of HICCup
and being Àuent readers by third grade. and other interested entities. Supporters
Sample goals to reach by 2020
help ¿nd ways of investing in upstream
• Reduce substance abuse by 50 per- supports and services that prevent poor
cent in Clatsop County children (from health outcomes in the future without
33.9 percent in 2014 to 17 percent in taking away from existing resources.
2020.
“We need to make a paradigm shift
• Improve mental health of children away from archaic social programs that
by reducing childhood trauma.
do not address the current issues of this
• Increase the number of quality generation and instead make strate-
preschools using the quality rating and gic investments into programs that we
improvement system.
know work,” Morrow said.
• Improve the high school gradua-
See more reports on local projects,
tion rate of children in Clatsop County such as Northwest Parenting, Clatsop
(from 70.5 to 90 percent).
Community Action Regional Food
• Improve the third-grade reading Bank, early childhood education pro-
pro¿ciency (from 68 to 90 percent).
grams, exercise, events and more on
• Increase the community mentoring Facebook, http//bit.ly/W2Wfacebook
programs (from 42 participants to 200 and our website www.waytowellville.
participants).
net
Sue Cody is communications lead
Pay for Prevention
for The Way to Wellville Clatsop Coun-
Ensuring patients get the best pos- ty. She is the former deputy managing
sible care is a key part of improving a editor of The Daily Astorian.
So long, House Speaker John Boehner
worse things in the world.
We should spend more
Then there’s the major-
time quoting Nancy Pelo-
ity whip, Steve Scalise of
si. Also noting that in re-
Louisiana. He’s a red state
arewell, John Boehner, fare- cent years, the nation has
avoided
a
raft
of
political
guy, which seems appropri-
well.
cataclysms because Pelosi
ate. And he has no memory
These departures are a little wea- has delivered crucial votes
of giving a speech at that
rying.
whenever Boehner could
white power convention.
Or what about Paul
It was not long ago that we said not get his own majority to
Ryan? No, wait — take
adieu to Rick Perry. And then Scott behave in a minimally re-
Paul Ryan back. The for-
Walker. And of course we are gearing sponsible manner.
Gail
Anyway, under normal
mer vice presidential nom-
up for the moment when the political
Collins
Boehner
inee declared he was inel-
world says goodbye forever to Donald circumstances,
would have used the Democratic votes igible since he is the father of young
Trump.
to keep the government funded. Then children.
Good times, all.
“This is a job for an empty nester,”
Boehner’s leave-taking is a bit more the right wing would have descended
of a mixed bag. The surprise announce- on him like a band of vicious wombats. he told reporters.
No more. The speaker may still
It was a grand moment of gender
ment came the day after he sat proudly
in the background while Pope Francis need the Democrats, but once it’s all progress. Someday, perhaps, ambi-
gave his address to Congress. You will over, it’ll be ... all over. Boehner is tious women will be allowed to say
not be stunned to hear that crying oc- retiring and everybody loves him. stuff like that. Maybe even under cir-
There’s nothing like an imminent de- cumstances that do not involve trying
curred, none of it involving Francis.
And there was a private meeting, parture to make a politician popular.
to dodge a politically disastrous as-
(“A patriot,” President Barack signment.
in which reliable sources said the pope
admired Boehner’s tie. But there is Obama said. “To say that I will miss
Boehner claimed he had always
no indication he grabbed the speaker John Boehner is a tremendous under- been planning to retire at the end of the
by the shoulders and cried “You’re statement,” the Senate minority leader, year. He was going to announce it on
surrounded by crazy people! Get out Harry Reid, said.)
his birthday, Nov. 17. But then he sud-
OK, not popular with totally ev- denly decided it might be better to do it
while you can, my son!”
erybody. The right-wing ... Friday. To end “leadership turmoil.”
Not that it couldn’t have
Value Voters Summit burst
happened. The pope is in-
The bottom line is that the next
We
into applause when Sen. time the Freedom Caucus decides it
fallible.
Rubio announced cannot support any legislation that
Maybe Boehner fell on
should Marco
the resignation news.
his sword to keep the gov-
fails to defund Planned Parenthood,
“I’m
not
here
today
to
ernment from being shut
repeal Obamacare and eliminate the
spend
bash anyone,” Rubio said, Department of Homeland Security, it
down. We’ll probably nev-
slightly inaccurately. “But will be somebody else’s problem.
er ¿gure that one out, since
more
the time has come to turn
it’s impossible to discuss
John Boehner won’t be around to
time
the page ... and allow a worry about continuing resolutions.
the question without using
generation of leader- Or the coming crisis over how to keep
the term “continuing reso-
quoting new
ship in this country.” Ru- highway construction going. Or fund-
lution.”
is always promising ing the national debt. And after that
The Republicans want
Nancy bio
to usher in an era of fresh it’ll be Thanksgiving and time for the
to defund Planned Par-
enthood. There are many,
Pelosi. new ideas, which appear to next government shutdown.
involve lowering taxes on
many reasons that idea is
Boehner won’t care. No sirree,
the wealthy.
not going anywhere. We
he’ll be back in Reading, Ohio, peace-
So who would you like to see as fully carving the turkey. Or maybe
will not enumerate them, since it would
require the mention of the term “budget the next speaker of the House? (Re- in his Florida condo. Soon, he won’t
reconciliation process.” However, the ally, you don’t need a reason. People even have to set foot in Reading, Ohio,
minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, had ex- will just be impressed you have an again unless he feels like it.
pressed con¿dence that Planned Parent- opinion.) Majority Leader Kevin Mc-
He hung out with the pope and
hood would be safe even if the Republi- Carthy of California is the favorite. now he’s hanging up his hat. Canny
Some say he’s a little dim, but there are fellow.
cans “vote their alleged hearts out.”
By GAIL COLLINS
New York Times News Service
F