THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2015
NORTH COAST
Astoria Column
reopened Saturday
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A Sunday ritual ends for the season
The Friends of the Astoria
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The Astoria Column, the project and will contin-
closed since May for a $1 ue fundraising to pay for the
million restoration project, remainder of the project, in-
reopened to the public on cluding improvements to the
Saturday.
plaza and landscaping and
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The Column, built in
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1926 to honor the region’s
“The Astoria Column, in history, attracts more than
and of itself, is an historic 400,000 visitors a year.
treasure unique to the entire
Vandals broke into the
nation,” Marie Laibinis, the Column earlier this month
Portland conservator who led and knocked over primer that
the project, said in a state- caused some damage near
ment. “What makes the As- WKH WRS EXW GLG QRW VLJQL¿
toria Column so incredibly cantly delay completion of
special is its original artwork the work. Scaffolding came
by Italian painter Attilio Pus- down over the past few days.
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The Column is being
nique was very similar to that lighted in pink at night in Oc-
used in Italy to adorn exterior tober to mark breast cancer
building facades.”
awareness month.
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Linh DePledge/For The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Sunday Market ended its scheduled run on Sunday. The downtown attraction, now in its 15th year, is held
from May to October. Betty Stutznegger, of Astoria, arrived early to beat the crowd.
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Column renovations became clearly visible
as crews took down scaffolding last week.
City to update progress
on Heritage Square
The Daily Astorian
The city and an envi-
ronmental consultant will
offer an update on the envi-
ronmental assessment and
cleanup of Heritage Square
Tuesday night.
The public meeting,
which starts at 6 p.m. at City
Hall, will outline how con-
taminated dirt stockpiled on
the property will be removed.
A hole on the property
has been an eyesore since
the foundation of the for-
mer Safeway collapsed after
heavy rains in 2010.
The City Council has di-
rected city staff to study a
mixed-use redevelopment
project at Heritage Square
that could include a new pub-
lic library and housing.
Mary Altieri and her 4-month old goat, Summer, greeting a young customer.
Eugene artist Eliot retires daily ‘Stone Soup’ comic strip, will continue on Sundays
‘Phoebe and
Her Unicorn’
to take its place
The Daily Astorian
Fans of “Stone Soup” are
saddened to hear that its cre-
ator, Jan Eliot of Eugene, will
retire the daily comic strip
Saturday. She will continue
her Sunday comic panel.
“Every Monday morning,
there it is, the blank paper that
represents the seven comic
strips that need to be creat-
ed,” Eliot explained. “I have
reached a point in life where
I’d like to be free of these dai-
ly deadlines — free to travel
more, spend more time with
family and friends, pursue
other creative projects.”
Taking her spot on The
Daily Astorian Features page
is “Phoebe and Her Unicorn”
by Seattle-area artist Dana
Claire Simpson. It tells the
story of an unlikely friendship
between Phoebe, a precocious
10-year-old, and Marigold,
a vain unicorn. Their paths
cross in the woods one day,
and nothing will ever be the
same. This is a comic about
childhood, friendship, magic
and humor.
Simpson grew up in and
around Seattle. She drew her
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called “Boo,” and was about
easily frightened, narcoleptic
ghosts.
While attending The Ever-
green State College in Olym-
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nalist for the Scripps-Howard
Charles M. Schulz College
Cartoonist Award. During
those years, she created one
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“Ozy and Millie,” which she
would draw for 10 years,
amassing a devoted cult fol-
lowing. She also worked as a
freelance editorial cartoonist
In 2009, she won the Am-
azon/Universal Uclick Comic
Strip Superstar Contest, which
landed her a contract to devel-
op what would become “Phoe-
be and Her Unicorn” for syn-
dication.
She lives just outside Seat-
tle, in Lakeland North with her
husband and her cat.
Stone Soup was created in
1990 and syndicated by Uni-
versal Uclick since November
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worldwide with a dedicated
following.
“For 20 years, I have held
the most wonderful job in the
world — making a living in art,
creating a daily comic strip that
I’m privileged to see published
in newspapers,” Eliot said. “As
someone who grew up fascinat-
ed by newspaper and magazine
cartoons, it is hard to explain
the private thrill I get seeing my
strip on the funny page, hearing
someone comment about it, re-
ceiving fan mail.”
Once a single working
mom herself, Eliot feels a spe-
cial empathy for women strug-
gling to raise their children and
make ends meet with too little
time, money and patience. She
NQRZVRQO\WRRZHOOWKDW¿QG
ing the humor in life’s chal-
N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
IN SU P P O RT O F
A w areness
Providing live a nd loca l new s covera ge every da y
Y ou could see it ton igh t, rea d a bout
it tom orrow or h ea r it live N O W !
lenges is often the only way to
survive, and she conveys this
idea through her work.
Eliot began cartooning
when she was a single mom
trying to raise two daughters,
stay fully employed, pay the
bills and still have a little fun.
Eliot works from her home
studio in Eugene. She has re-
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
B reast
C ance m r onth
NEWS TALK FOR THE COAST
Jan Eliot
W A NTED
Visit us online at
www.DailyAstorian.com
Dana Simpson
Fo r every a d w ith a p in k b a ckg ro u n d , The Da ily Asto ria n w ill
d o n a te a ll o f the ea rn ed p ro ceed s a n d w ill b e sha red b etw een
o u r lo ca l ho sp ita ls, Co lu m b ia M em o ria l a n d Pro vid en ce S ea sid e.
The proceeds w ill be a pplied to their
brea st-hea lth progra m s. O ur goa l is to ea rn
$1,000 during the m onth of O ctober.
CALL 503-325-3211 TO PARTICIPATE
P lea se join us w h en pla cin g your a d a n d h elp us pa in t th e pa per pin k!
married, and her two daugh-
ters are grown with families of
their own.
See samples of “Phoebe
and Her Unicorn” at http://
bit.ly/1jUmiSc or http://bit.ly/
1je58y2.
M E D IC ARE
OP EN EN R OLLM EN T
Q u estion s or w an t
to E n roll?
W e ca n h elp!
S teve P u tm a n
Lo ca l In su ra n ce Agen t
O ffice: 503-738-7181
Cell/ Text: 503-440-1076
C a ll now - End of Enrollm ent Dec 7th
Environmental Assessment & Cleanup
Heritage Square Project Update
Plea s e join u s for a p res en ta tion a bou t the com p leted
en viron m en ta l a s s es s m en t a n d u p com in g en viron m en ta l
clea n u p of Herita g e S q u a re, u s in g ou r EPA Brow n field s
G ra n t. City s ta ff a n d the con s u lta n t tea m w ill be on ha n d
to a n s w er q u es tion s .
This u p d a te is p a rt of a 30-d a y p u blic com m en t p eriod
(for the p rop os ed clea n u p ) tha t is s ched u led to en d by
Novem ber 3rd , 2015, a n d w hich ca n be exten d ed if
n eces s a ry.
Tuesday, October 13th
Open House 6:00-7:30pm; Presentation 6:00pm
Astoria City Hall Council Chambers
1095 Duane Street
For m ore in form a tion con ta ct: Brett Es tes
or Jeff Ha rrin g ton Phon e: (503) 338-5183
Em a il: bes tes @ a s toria .or.u s ,
jha rrin g ton @ a s toria .or.u s
w w w.a s toria .or.u s / p a g e/ 400