Author to recount daring Coast Guard rescue Book a great getaway with winter reading
Maritime museum hosts Michael Tougias for slide presentation It’s time once again for TRL’s Adult Winter Reading Contest
ASTORIA — Author Michael
Tougias will appear at the Co-
lumbia River Maritime Muse-
um at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2
to give a slide show presenta-
tion on his book “The Finest
Hours: The True Story of the
U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Dar-
ing Sea Rescue.” The Disney
Corporation is making a mov-
ie based on the book, which
will star Chris Pine and Casey
AfÀeck and be released in Jan-
uary of 2016.
The program is sponsored
by the Columbia River Mar-
itime Museum and is includ-
ed with museum admission.
Members are free. The muse-
um is located at 1792 Marine
Drive. For more information,
call 503-325-2323.
Tougias, co-author of “The
Finest Hours,” will use slides
of the storm, the sinking tank-
ers, the rescues, the victims,
the survivors and the heroes
to tell the story of this historic
event.
Tougias will describe the
harrowing attempts to rescue
the seamen, especially fo-
cusing on four young Coast
Guardsmen who must over-
come the odds to save the
lives of 32 crewmen stranded
aboard the stern of the Pendle-
ton. Standing between the men
and their mission were tow-
ering waves that reached 70
feet, blinding snow, and one
of the most dangerous shoals
in the world, the dreaded Cha-
tham Bar. The waters along
the outer arm of Cape Cod are
called “the graveyard of the
Atlantic” for good reason.
“I enjoy doing these pro-
grams,” says Tougias, “be-
cause I like to transport the
audience into the heart of the
storm so that they ask them-
selves, ‘What would I have
done?’ I don’t like to do au-
thor readings because I think
they are boring, but with a
slide presentation, the viewer
can visually relive the adven-
ture.”
Tougias goes on to say,
“This event was — and still
is — the greatest and most
Submitted photo by Alison O’Leary
Michael Tougias will give a presentation about his book “The Finest Hours” Jan. 2 in Astoria.
daring sea rescue ever per-
formed by the Coast Guard,
and it happened off the New
England coast. I felt this ep-
isode of heroism and tragedy
needed to be told in its entire-
ty because it’s an important
piece of overlooked history.”
A book signing will follow
the program, and the presen-
tation is suitable for all ages.
New York Times bestselling
author James Brady (author of
“Flyboys” and “Flags of Our
Fathers”) says, “‘The Finest
Hours’ recounts incredible
heroism … a gripping read.”
“The Finest Hours” has
been the No. 4 bestselling
non-¿ction book in New En-
gland according to the New
England Booksellers Associ-
ation.
Tougias is also co-author
of “Rescue of the Bounty.”
The tall ship Bounty, featured
in the Marlon Brando movie
“Mutiny on the Bounty,” sank
during Superstorm Sandy in
2012. The captain and a crew-
member perished in the acci-
dent, but the Coast Guard per-
formed harrowing helicopter
rescues to save the other 14
sailors.
Tougias is the author and
coauthor of 24 books includ-
PACIFIC COUNTY, Wash. — It’s
January, so it must be time
for Timberland Regional Li-
brary’s Adult Winter Reading
Contest.
Gather up or download
all those books you’ve been
meaning to read. The more
books you read by March 15,
the more chances you have to
win an overnight getaway for
two.
Here’s how it works:
• Between Jan. 1 and
March 15, read or listen to a
minimum of ¿ve books.
• Pick up entry forms —
one for every ¿ve books you
read or listen to — at any Tim-
berland library, or download
from the website at www.TRL.
org; hover over “Programs”.
• On each form, write the
titles, the authors’ names, a
brief review of each book,
and a ranking of ¿ve (e[cel-
lent) to one (would not rec-
ommend).
Submitted photo
Timberland Regional Library invites you to
read as many books as possible between
Jan. 1 and March 15 as part of the Adult
Winter Reading Contest. The more books
you read, the better chance you have of
winning prizes.
• Turn in the forms at any
Timberland library. Each
form serves as a contest en-
try.
You can’t lose with this
contest; you’ll have the bliss
of reading great books and
you might get to book a great
getaway too.
The grand prizes in-
clude getaways at local bed
& breakfasts and resorts,
including the Shelburne
Inn, Tokeland Hotel, Lake
Quinault Lodge and Alder-
brook Resort & Spa. Other
prizes include Adult Winter
Reading book bags contain-
ing reading material and
specialty foods as well as a
variety of prizes from local
merchants throughout the
library district. The grand
prize drawing will take place
March 20.
Participants must be 18
years of age or older and be
current TRL cardholders.
Only one grand prize and one
local prize per person. TRL
employees, Board of Trust-
ees and their immediate fam-
ily members are not eligible
to enter.
T
he Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa is a
luxury boutique hotel built on the
former site of a historic cannery
600 feet out into the Mighty
Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon.
The Hotel offers guests an
unparalleled experience in a real
working river... with diverse and
exciting ship traffic to and from the
Pacific Ocean.
• Private riverview balconies
in all rooms
• Fireplace, Complimentary
Wi-fi throughout hotel
• Clawfoot Tub with views,
Terry Robes
• Complimentary Continental
Breakfast
• Wine and appetizers each afternoon
• Full service Day Spa on site
• Fitness Room, Hot Tub,
Finnish Sauna
Submitted photo
“The Finest Hours” by Michael Tougias and
Casey Sherman.
ing “Fatal Forecast: An In-
credible True Tale of Disaster
and Survival at Sea,” which
the Los Angeles Times called
“breathtaking … a marvelous
and terrifying tale.” Tougias’
previous book “Ten Hours
Until Dawn: The True Sto-
ry of Heroism and Tragedy
Aboard the Can Do During
the Blizzard of ‘78” received
an Editor’s Choice Selection
from the American Library
Associatio,n which selected
it as one of the top books of
the year.
Telephone 503.325.4996
Toll Free 888.325.4996
Facsimile 503.325.8350
www.cannerypierhotel
No. 10 Basin Street • Astoria, Oregon 97103
December 2015
January 2016
“Locals Only Special”
*
$
Limited Space Available
Excludes New Year’s Eve
1 09
Please call hotel direct 503-325-4996
Per Night
One Coupon per Stay Required
Must Present Original Coupon at Check-in
Deluxe King or Deluxe Double Queen
Rates subject to change without notice.
*Plus Applicable Tax
December 31, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 9