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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016
Highway becomes a memorial to Middle East vets
‘Never going to forget’
Latest sign
unveiled at
Camp Rilea
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — When
Oregon House Bill 2036 be-
came law last spring, U.S.
Highway 101 became a
338-mile-long memorial to
the veterans who served in the
Gulf War, the War in Afghani-
stan and the Iraq War.
But the highway signs
honoring the state’s youngest
veterans have only just started
appearing.
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bound and six southbound —
went up last month near the
south end of Warrenton.
And the second sign —
soon to be installed near Arch
Cape — was unveiled Satur-
day morning during an indoor
dedication ceremony at Camp
Rilea headquarters before
a roomful of veterans, their
families, local dignitaries and
supporters.
“Oregon is a great state for
honoring veterans,” said Dick
Tobiason, a Vietnam War vet-
eran and chairman of the non-
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tion, which has led the charge
to designate the state’s scenic
highways as veterans memo-
rial highways.
Erick Bengel/The Daily Astorian
Retired Lt. Cmdr. Marc Warren, left, and Andrea Larson Perez, right, assisted by service
members, unveil the latest U.S. Highway 101 sign honoring the U.S. veterans who have
served in wars since 1990. Perez, who wrote a book on Camp Rilea, paid for the first sign,
installed last month.
Honoring the living
The state law also desig-
nated U.S. Highway 395 as
World War I Veterans Memo-
rial Highway, and Interstate 5
as Korean War Veterans Me-
morial Highway and Purple
Heart Trail. They join U.S.
Highway 97 and Interstate
84 — known as World War
II Veterans Historic Highway
and the Vietnam Veterans Me-
morial Highway — as a way
to recognize veterans from
border to border.
Of the 331,600 veterans liv-
ing in Oregon — almost 1 in 12
Oregonians — nearly 90,000
served in the Persian Gulf, Af-
ghanistan or Iraq wars, includ-
ing more than 4,000 now living
in Clatsop County, according to
the Oregon Department of Vet-
erans Affairs.
The idea behind the High-
way 101 signs — which read
“Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and
Iraq Veterans Memorial High-
way” — is to honor the veter-
ans who served in the Middle
East while most of the men and
woman are still alive.
However, “these are not just
Oregon veterans we honor with
these highway signs,” Tobiason
said. Rather, the signs belong to
any U.S. soldier who fought in
the great wars of the last century.
“That’s for everybody.”
Ten years ago, Tobiason and
Bob Maxwell — a 95-year-old
WWII veteran and the nation’s
most senior living Medal of
Honor recipient, who now re-
sides in Bend — set out to create
a war memorial highway for ev-
ery war from WWI onward, rep-
resenting the roughly 480,000
Oregonians who served in them.
After meetings with three
governors, working with leg-
islators and partnering with the
state Department of Transporta-
tion and other veterans organiza-
tions, the vision is almost fully
realized.
“We’re never going to for-
get any veteran in Oregon that
served during war,” Tobiason
said. “These highways will
make sure that they’re honored
and (let) the public know we
care about them.”
Though veterans groups
have donated to the signage
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dation wants county commis-
sioners to publicly support the
signs.
“County
commissioners
speak for their citizens,” Tobi-
ason said. “We’d rather have
citizens honoring veterans than
veterans paying to honor them-
selves.”
The signs — each one 4
feet high by 8 feet wide — cost
$900 to fabricate and install.
The foundation needs between
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signage for highways 101 and
395.
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sop County sign came from
Andrea Larson Perez, wife of
former Camp Rilea Post Com-
mander Dean Perez and author
of a book on the camp’s histo-
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Post 10580 and Astoria resident
Gordon Treber Sr., the father
of Sgt. James Treber, who was
killed in Afghanistan in 2008,
paid for the second.
Public thanks
State Sen. Brian Boquist,
R-Dallas, the chairman of the
Veterans and Emergency Pre-
paredness Committee, wrote
for the occasion: “Dedicating
roadways in honor of veterans is
a small gesture with a large pur-
pose: it is one of the most public
ways a society can remember its
veterans and say ‘thank you.’”
Veterans who served during
both wartime and peacetime
are memorialized on Oregon’s
highways by the Blue Star Me-
morial Highway signs posted at
rest stops.
Rob Walker, a veteran of Iraq
and director of the Bend Heroes
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project in Salem. When he va-
cations at the Oregon Coast
with his wife and 7-month-old
son, Jack, the signs will remind
him and his family that the state
cares about his service, he said.
“I’m going to be extremely
proud when (Jack) sees it and
understands what it means, not
only to me but to him as well,”
Walker said.
Project Homeless Connect serves
as a crucial lifeline for homeless
Annual event
connects
homeless, near-
homeless to
resources
By KATHERINE
LACAZE
EO Media Group
SEASIDE — How does
a homeless person cash a
check, get immunizations or
stay fed?
Clatsop Community Ac-
tion is hosting the seventh
annual Project Homeless
Connect Jessica Maclay
Memorial from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. on Jan. 29 to help those
in need get connected to in-
formation, resources and
services. Assistance will be
available to connect partic-
ipants to housing, mail ser-
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tion, Social Security, mental
health services, employment,
education and legal aid.
More than 40 nonprof-
it, governmental and faith-
based agencies will attend
the event at the Seaside Con-
vention Center and provide
services including medical
screenings, hearing tests,
eye exams, immunizations,
haircuts, personal care items,
clothing vouchers and a hot
meal.
“It’s a venue to make it
easy for people who are look-
ing for services to get them,”
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Kallie Linder, from Salon Boheme, cuts Mark Jenkin’s
hair during the Project Homeless Connect event at the
Seaside Convention Center last year.
and to recognize her dedica-
tion and compassionate ser-
vice to others.
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ty Action, winter is the best
time to host the event be-
cause the organization gets
the most participation from
those needing and seeking
services, Bruce said. In fact,
she added, “it seems like the
worse the weather, the better
the participation.” People
have more urgency to seek
resources during the winter,
when the weather is rainy
and cold.
Different stations
About 200 people attend
Clatsop Community Action which is becoming more the event seeking at least one
common among youth in service.
Director Elaine Bruce said.
The Sunset Empire Trans- the county. In 2015, Clatsop
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portation District designated County recorded 517 home- and have a preliminary dis-
Jan. 29 as a Ridership Appre- less families and 1,005 indi- cussion with Clatsop Com-
ciation Day. All bus services viduals. Of those, 278 people munity Action staff about
in Clatsop County will be at were younger than 18.
what they’re looking for.
no cost to riders for the entire
Volunteers then lead the par-
day, making it easier for peo-
Nationwide initiative ticipants to different stations
ple to access the event even
Project Homeless Con- where they can talk to staff
if they are not from Seaside. QHFW IRXQGHG LQ 6DQ )UDQ- members from the various
“Homeless and especial- cisco in 2004, is now a na- agencies and organizations
ly near-homeless people — tionwide initiative that takes or receive the services they
those at imminent risk of place in a numerous cities. need,
becoming homeless — are The individual events vary in
“It’s a real fun event,”
encouraged to attend this free size, content and frequency, Bruce said, adding it also
event,” according to a news but have the same goals.
provides a chance for the dif-
release from Clatsop Com-
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ferent community partners to
munity Action.
30-year-old Jessica Maclay, network. “Not one single en-
There are many ways to the originator and organizer tity can do everything.”
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Clatsop Community Ac-
said, and it includes people Project Homeless Connect tion is in need of 100 vol-
living with others or at mo- events, died from injuries unteers to help with the pro-
tels or hotels because they sustained in a car accident gram. To sign up, contact
lost their own housing or near Seaside. The local event Viviana Matthews at 503-
those who are doubled up, was renamed in her memory 325-1400, ext. 1031.
Call for supplies as standoff enters second week
from many local residents
and from Oregon’s governor,
among others. He has said the
group will leave when there
is a plan to transfer control of
federal land to locals.
So far, the authorities have
By RICK BOWMER
not moved in to remove Bun-
Associated Press
dy’s group. Ammon Bundy
BURNS — The occu- is the son of rancher Cliven
pation of national wildlife Bundy, who was involved in
area by a small, armed group a 2014 Nevada standoff with
upset over federal land poli- the government over grazing
cies stretched into its second rights.
On Saturday, Ammon
week as the mother of the
group’s leader asked sup- Bundy’s mother, Carol Bun-
porters to send supplies — dy, sent an email to support-
everything from warm blan- ers asking them to send her
son’s group supplies from a
kets to coffee creamer.
The group that seized the list of more than 80 items, in-
Malheur National Wildlife cluding sleeping bags, wool
Refuge in Oregon’s high des- socks, cigarettes, toiletries,
ert country on Jan. 2 planned IRRGFRIIHHDQG³)UHQFK9D-
QR PHGLD EULH¿QJV ,W ZDV nilla Creamer.”
An Oregon state legislator
quiet at the entrance to the
met with the group on Satur-
refuge Sunday.
The leader of the occupa- day, despite requests from lo-
tion, Ammon Bundy, has re- FDORI¿FLDOVWKDWKHQRWGRVR
State Rep. Dallas Heard,
peatedly rejected calls to leave
buildings at the refuge despite a Republican from Roseburg,
pleas from the county sheriff, talked with the group, The
Militants
decline local
calls to leave
Oregonian reported. Heard’s
legislative district is in west-
ern Oregon, outside the area
where the standoff is occur-
ring. Rep. Cliff Bentz, the
Republican state representa-
tive whose district includes
the wildlife refuge, told
Heard not to come because
it would be “inappropriate.”
Harney County Judge
Steven Grasty, another lo-
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vised Bentz against the visit.
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other out-of-state elected
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state, Idaho and Nevada ac-
companied Heard. It wasn’t
clear who the other elected
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return a call Sunday from
The Associated Press.
Also Saturday a separate
group of armed men ar-
rived but left several hours
later after occupation lead-
ers told them they weren’t
needed.
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work showed up Saturday in
a convoy of about 18 vehi-
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guns and dressed in military
attire and bulletproof vests.
They said they were there to
help with security. They de-
parted the refuge area after
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work’s help was appreciated,
but “we want the long guns
put away.”
The standoff is the latest
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eral management of Western
lands.
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Katherine Lacaze/EO Media Group
Nina Cervantes and Garrett Haskins, of Astoria, welcomed
their son Gregory Michael Haskins to the world at 1:01
a.m. Jan. 4. Gregory was the first baby born at Providence
Seaside Hospital in 2016.
Astoria couple
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of 2016 at Providence
therapist at the hospital, was
there to support Cervantes
during the delivery, along with
Haskins.
January already was a busy
SEASIDE — Providence
Seaside Hospital welcomed month for the couple. They
LWV ¿UVW EDE\ RI WKH QHZ \HDU moved apartments in Astoria;
when an Astoria mother deliv- +DVNLQV ¿QLVKHG VHWWLQJ XS
the new place while Cervantes
ered her son early last week.
Nina Cervantes, 19, ar- took care of delivering Grego-
rived at the hospital at noon ry.
Cervantes said 2015 was
Jan. 3 and about 13 hours lat-
er, at 1:01 a.m. on Jan. 4, she “a really great year,” and 2016
gave birth to Gregory Michael promises to be so, as well.
Haskins, an 8-pound, 13-ounce She was attending Clatsop
Community College part time
boy.
Gregory was born about in the fall of 2015 and was
three weeks prior to his Jan. scheduled to start new classes
26 due date. Cervantes said for the winter term this week.
she hoped he might arrive Jan. Gregory’s early arrival, how-
3, the day Alaska was granted ever, will delay her return until
statehood, as Gregory’s father, the spring term, which gives
24-year-old Garrett Haskins, is her three months to enjoy her
originally from Alaska. None- son and start getting him on a
theless, she said, she is “very schedule, she said.
relieved he’s here now.” As an
The couple chose the name
expecting mother, she added, *UHJRU\VRWKHLUVRQ¶V¿UVWLQL-
“you’re always worried” about tial would match his father’s;
complications with the preg- Gregory also assumed his fa-
nancy and other things. Now ther’s middle name.
she can rest easy, and focus on
Haskins, who works at Sa-
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hara Pizza in Astoria, said he
“I feel so enveloped in anticipates Gregory, who is “a
love,” she said.
big boy already,” will be a bas-
Dr. Dominique Greco at- ketball player someday.
tended the birth. Stephanie
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Cervantes, Cervantes’ mother time father, he said, “I’m so
and a registered respiratory stoked.”
By KATHERINE
LACAZE
EO Media Group
The On-Air Radio
Auction is
January 23rd,
9am to 1pm
NEWS TALK FOR THE COAST
Providing live a nd loca l new s covera ge every da y
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