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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2015)
OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 GUEST COLUMN Music’s favorite son Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher By DENISE REED For The Daily Astorian 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 The Daily Astorian/File Photo Jessica Knorzer happily shakes hands with Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge Phil Nelson after completing the county’s Drug Court program in 2011. Nelson brought the adult drug court to the area. 3Kil 1elson Kas serYed us well Judge ran his drug court on a shoestring and sometimes his own funds U nless you are a lawyer or you end up in court, judges are little understood, distant ¿gures %ut we do elect tKeP &latsop &ounty Yoters KaYe elected 3Kil 1elson Iour tiPes to a judgesKip -udge 1elson Kas announced Ke will not run again, putting Kis position into play :Ken Ke won an open judge- sKip in , 1elson put togetK- er tKe Post creatiYe political ad puElisKed in tKis newspaper oYer tKe past years $gainst a wKite Iull-page EacNdrop were a Yast array oI signatures oI Yoters wKo supported KiP ,t was a draPatic sKow oI support &ourtrooP draPa is Pore pro- saic tKan teleYision portrays it 3Kil 1elson Kas Eeen tKe essence oI an anti-teleYision judge ² Àat in Kis dePeanor and plain in Kis deliYery :Ken 1elson Kas ren- dered strong judgPents, Ke Kas not Pinced words 7Ke %eYerage and +arris sentencing Iol- lowing a Korri¿c Purder Ey aEuse case drew stern language IroP tKe judge 1elson Kas Iaced Kis sKare oI ugliness on tKe EencK ,n , -year old $sKley &arlson was Purdered Ey -year old 3atricN /ee +arned 8nder 2regon law +arned could not Iace a deatK sentence ,n an unusual PoYe, tKe two deIense attorneys cKose to waiYe tKe rigKt to jury EotK in tKe guilt and penalty pKases *enerally speaNing, a judge wKo deIense lawyers are willing to )<, waiYe juries in Iront oI is KigKly regarded 1elson Iound +arned guilty and sentenced KiP to liIe witKout parole ,n Kis own liIe, 1elson Kas en- countered consideraEle adYersity +is daugKter was tKe YictiP in a se[ aEuse case <ears later sKe was Nilled in a traI¿c accident, to wKicK 1elson was a witness 1elson is especially proud oI tKe adult drug court, wKicK Ke ErougKt to tKe coast 7Kat court taNes people cKarged witK drug and soPe drug-related Ielonies and giYes tKeP direct superYision Ey tKe judge 7Key are reTuired to Iollow tKe directions oI a special proEation oI¿cer, engage in treat- Pent and appear weekly EeIore tKe judge 1elson ran tKe drug court on a sKoestring and soPetiPes witK Kis own Iunds +e clearly cares deeply aEout people in tKe grips oI addiction and is willing to giYe tKeP second and tKird cKances 7Ke court Kas produced genuine success stories 2ur dePocracy depends on Pany tKings, Eut especially on tKe proEity oI its judges 3Kil 1elson Kas Eeen an e[aPple oI tKat, and we are grateIul Ior Kis judicial ca- reer in our Pidst &lippings IroP tKe press oI tKe 3aci¿c 1ortKwest and tKe nation The grown-ups take the stage I t was iPpossible not to Ieel a sense oI relieI watcKing tKe DePocratic debate aIter PontKs doPinated by tKe 5epublican circus oI Katers, ranters and tKat Yery special group oI Ning Nillers in &ongress )or tKose despair- ing about tKe Iuture oI $Perican politics, Kere was prooI tKat it doesn¶t KaYe to reYolYe around candidates wKo pride tKePselYes on Nnowing notKing or belieYe tKat goYerning is all about de- stroying goYernPent &iYility was a big winner on 7uesday nigKt, and tKe discus- sion oI real issues was reIresK- ing %ut wKat stood out Post was tKe DePocratic 3arty¶s big tent, capable oI containing a spectruP oI reality-based Yiews $ll ¿Ye candidates ² including two reIugees IroP wKat Kad been tKe 5epublican 3arty, /incoln &KaIee, a IorPer 5epublican senator, and -iP :ebb, secretary oI tKe 1aYy in tKe 5eagan adPinistration ² KaYe real records 7Key also KaYe real diIIerences on iPport- ant issues ² national security, Ioreign policy, gun saIety, ¿nan- cial reIorPs 7Kose diIIerences illuPinate tKe cKoices tKat KaYe to be Pade in goYerning, soPe liNely to be successIul, soPe ineIIectiYe — The New York Times A storia¶s IaYorite son, not just oI Pusic, Eut as a coPPunity Pinded Pusician and college instructor is Deac *uidi :KetKer you are a new or long-standing PePEer oI tKis coP- Punity, , Kope you KaYe e[- perienced one oI Kis perIor- Pances ,t¶s ratK- er unusual to KaYe a con- cert reYiew tKree weeNs aIter tKe eYent Denise ² tKe coP- Reed plete opera, Don Giovan- ni — Eut Py tKinNing aEout it was jogged into writing aIter seeing a perIorPance oI tKe saPe concert in (ugene 2n tKis past 6unday, 1ortK &oast &Korale PePEers participated in a perIorPance oI Don Giovanni at tKe )irst 8nited 0etKodist &KurcK in (ugene 7Ke principal perIorP- ers and cKorus PePEers are part oI &ascadia &oncert 2pera wKicK PaNes e[ceptional and iPaginatiYe opera in (nglisK, accessiEle to audi- ences tKrougKout tKe 3aci¿c 1ortK- west %y Iar, our $storia Yenue pre- sented tKe Pore accurate perIor- Pance 7Ke 3erIorPing $rts &enter is a jewel in our coPPunity tKat needs your support 7Ke si]e and acoustics oI tKe Kall support a pro- duction sucK as tKis perIectly 7Ke sound is clear and instant, so you are iPPediately drawn into tKe ac- tion 7Kere is no delay in tKe sound, wKicK Kappened in tKe (ugene Yen- ue 6o EacN to our IaYorite son and Kis inYolYePent in EotK oI tKese perIorPances , don¶t Nnow anyone wKo can enunciate tKe (nglisK lan- guage, wKile singing, as e[pertly as *uidi +e and tKe entire troupe KaYe Yoices tKat can PatcK tKose oI tKe Pajor opera Kouses EotK Kere and aEroad Submitted Photo Astoria’s Deac Guidi sings at the Astoria Music Festival in 2014. Guidi Kas Eeen in tKis coPPu- nity Ior a nuPEer oI years , Iirst Pet KiP in , wKen tKe 1ortK &oast &Korale considered perIorP- ing Elijah :Ken , contacted KiP and Keard KiP speaN, , Nnew Ke was tKe one to perIorP tKe role oI (lijaK +e is one oI tKe Post tal- ented and e[pressiYe indiYiduals , Nnow wKo liYes and worNs in tKis coPPunity 7Ke &ascadia 2pera oI (ugene and tKe 3ortland 2pera recogni]e and support Kis talent and aEility Guidi is perIorPing tKis weeN- end at tKe 3$&, our Iantastic Yenue, supporting tKe &latsop &oPPunity &ollege )oundation 6upport tKe 3$& Ey your attendance and con- triEute to tKe &ollege )oundation <ou will also Ee supporting Gui- di and Kis worN as a proIessional concert artist +e sings Pusic oI Pany genres and tKis weeNend Ke is joined Ey otKer talented singers oI our coPPunity 7Ke ticNet prices are lower tKan wKat you would pay in 3ortland Eut tKe Tuality oI tKe perIorPanc- es is oIten PucK Eetter and tKe perIorPers are your neigKEors, to wKicK you can address your con- cerns and coPPents /ets Neep our IaYorite son 6upport tKe 3$& and otKer groups and indiYiduals wKo loYe tKis coPPunity and desire to Ering you Tuality perIorPing arts Ior your enjoyPent Denise Reed is the North Coast Chorale director. Clinton stands her ground in debate :ill sKe eYer, eYer ¿nd 7Ke subject oI ,raT language tKat taNes Iull caused Ker less grieI tKan ownersKip oI Ker PistaNe 6anders suIIered on gun and tKat puts real ÀesK on neYer douEted tKat +illary control, wKen not only Ker continued claiP tKat &linton but also 0ar- &linton Kad Pany talents tin 2¶0alley, tKe IorPer sKe is being as transpar- , just didn¶t Nnow tKat seaPstress 0aryland goYernor, reject- ent as possible" was aPong tKeP ed Kis e[planation oI Yotes ,t was possibly Ker 7Kere were PoPents in tKe ¿rst in tKe 6enate against Yari- worst PoPent DePocratic presidential deEate ous bills and Kis insistence ,t was perKaps 6and- 7uesday nigKt wKen sKe tKreaded tKe tKat Ke was representing ers¶ best 6urprisingly, Ke Frank needle as delicately and perIectly as rural areas witK gun cul- called Ior an end to talN Bruni a politician could tures, not a nationwide about tKe ePails, saying 7Ke deEate¶s Poderator, $nder- electorate ,t was cluPsy, because tKere were Pore iPportant issues son &ooper, noted tKat sKe Kad told Ke presents KiPselI as a creature oI to Iocus on +igK-Pindedness Pet soPe audiences tKat sKe was a pro- pure principle, iPPune to political unusual caPpaign-trail generosity gressiYe Eut e[tolled Ker Poderation conYenience and gallantry &linton laugKed and in Iront oI otKers :asn¶t sKe just a %ut on 7uesday nigKt an odd sort beaPed 7Key sKooN Kands, and , cKaPeleon, ÀasKing wKateYer colors oI role reYersal occurred )or PucK KalI e[pected a Kug suited Ker at a giYen PoPent" oI tKe debate, 6anders soPeKow 7Ke debate isn¶t going to cKange ³,¶P a progressiYe, Eut ,¶P a pro- caPe across as tKe ePbattled incuP- tKe Iortunes oI /incoln &KaIee and gressiYe wKo liNes to bent, targeted by tKe -iP :ebb, wKo were at tKe edges Iour candidates, oI tKe stage and will rePain on tKe get tKings done,´ sKe She mixed otKer wKile &linton caPe edges oI tKe race 2¶0alley PigKt said strongly but not as tKe energet- bene¿t an iota and grew bolder as tKe stridently ³, Nnow confidence across ic upstart Kow to ¿nd coP- nigKt progressed +e seePed bowed, Pon ground, and , 6anders grew redundant, return- and irascible 6Ke seePed ing witK Tuestionable IreTuency to Nnow Kow to stand moments buoyant, eIIerYes- a single issue ² greed and incoPe Py ground´ ,t was ,t was as poised ineTuality ² tKat Pade KiP sound a practiced line ² of passion cent a perIorPance as sKe liNe a one-note candidate +e is so practiced tKat sKe Kas ¿nessed in a long percent rigKt to Tuestion corpora- used it, soPewKat with tiPe, and wKile ,¶Ye tions and truPpet tKe pligKt oI tKe awNwardly, a sec- ond tiPe an Kour lat- instances of just about giYen up Piddle class %ut Ke does so as Pore er %ut it was also a PaNing predictions oI a ¿rebrand, calling Ior a ³political humor, and about tKis conIound- reYolution,´ tKan as soPeone wKo well-craIted line /iNe Ker Pain ing election ² , neY- can be trusted to PaNe PeaningIul riYal onstage, 86 her manner er tKougKt Donald progress 6en %ernie 6anders 7ruPp would last so &linton Kad Ker own redundan- was less oI 9erPont, sKe Kad long, and , neYer saw cies, saying twice iI not tKrice as oI- coPplaints about our %en &arson coPing ten as was necessary tKat sKe would didactic country 8nliNe 6and- ² , tKinN &linton be tKe ¿rst IePale president 6Ke Kas ers, sKe coPPuni- and robotic bene¿ted Pore IroP gone IroP sidestepping Ker gender cated an unsKaNable stage tKan in to roaring about it now than it can 7uesday¶s $part IroP tKat, sKe was PuP pride in it nonetKe- 6anders did wKen silence serYed Ker best and less 6Ke Pi[ed con¿- often be. 6anders said dence and PoPents ¿ery wKen tKat was tKe rigKt call $Perica sKould looN oI passion witK in- ² Ior instance, wKen sKe Yowed to to DenParN &linton countered ³:e stances oI KuPor, and Ker Panner ³taNe tKe ¿gKt to tKe 5epublicans´ $nd sKe bene¿ted IroP tKe Yisu- are not DenParN , loYe DenParN was less didactic and robotic tKan it :e are tKe 8nited 6tates oI $Peri- can oIten be )roP &ooper and IroP al contrast wKen sKe stood side by tKe Iour Pen booNending Ker at tKe side on 79 ne[t to 6anders, witK Kis ca´ (Yen wKen sKe was conIronted lecterns, sKe Kad eYerytKing tKrown sligKt KuncK, Kis soPewKat garbled anew by Ker Yote in tKe 6enate long at Ker ,raT, %engKa]i, Ker co]i- style oI speecK, and a PoPent wKen ago to autKori]e tKe inYasion oI ,raT, ness witK :all 6treet, Ker personal Ke cupped Kis Kand beKind Kis ear, signaling tKat Ke Kadn¶t Keard tKe sKe was neitKer de¿ant nor apologet- wealtK ic, steering a sPootK Pidcourse by re- %ut sKe was seldoP rattled, al- Tuestion +e eYoNed yesterday Despite calling tKat at debates in , %aracN tKougK tKe discussion oI Ker use oI a 2baPa Kad attacNed Ker Ior tKat KoPe-brewed serYer Ior Ker ePails Pany decades in tKe political trencK- ³$Iter tKe election,´ sKe pointed out, as secretary oI state did proPpt a es, sKe didn¶t ,t was a niIty tricN ³Ke asNed Pe to becoPe secretary oI Yisible stiIIening oI Ker posture, 7urns out sKe¶s a bit oI a sorceress a conspicuous strain in Ker sPile as well state +e Yalued Py judgPent´ By FRANK BRUNI New York Times News Service I