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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2016)
COMMUNITY THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016 1B THEY’RE BAAAACK HITTING THE HIGH NOTES WATCH YOUR BACK L ong Beach, Washington, photographer Janelle Hux certainly has amazing timing when it comes to capturing images of Northwest wildlife. It’s almost as if they know she’s coming, so they put on a show for her. This time, seven humpback whales appeared near the North Jetty, cavorting around in the river at noontime on Sunday. One of her photos of the festivities is shown. While on the subject of humpbacks, the Ear cannot resist pass- ing along an interesting tidbit from the American Cetacean Society (http://tinyurl.com/whalesing). Did you know that all of the Atlantic whales population sing the same song, and all the Paciic whales sing the same song, but the Atlantic and Paciic songs are different? The 10 to 20-minute songs, which are sung by the males, are repeated continuously, but change gradually over the years. However, the whales spotted Sunday were far more interested in feeding and splashing than singing, it would seem. “So entertaining on the water today …” Janelle noted. NO SHEETS TO THE WIND ‘R H ave you ever wondered what is on the backside of the iconic Twin Rocks in Rockaway Beach? Shawn Leon- ard alerted the Ear that there is drone footage of Twin Rocks’ backside, which provides an interesting surprise: What you see from the beach is actually like a Hollywood set, it’s all front — the formation itself is actually not very wide, and sits on the landward side of a wide ledge. Shown, a screen shot from the video by Keepingitbasic, which can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/keeptwin In case you’re wondering, RockawayBeach.net provides a couple of interesting little factoids about Twin Rocks (http:// tinyurl.com/twinback1), including that they were two sepa- rate sea stacks that became connected after millions of years. The peak of the rock is 88 feet tall, and the hole is 35 feet across, wide enough to ly a helicopter through, although the Ear wouldn’t suggest trying it. And last, but not least, before 1925, the twins were called the Proile Rocks, but the name was changed because it was the same as some other formation in the region. It appears that Mr. Google has never heard of any other Proile Rocks in the area, though, so the name change is a bit of a mystery. Any- one know the answer? A lternative energy fans might be interested in learning about the Solar Voyager, a solar-powered self-sailing boat that’s head- ing across the Atlantic from Glouchester, Massachusetts, to Portu- gal. Launched in early June, the 3,000 mile voyage is expected to take about four months, according to Wired.com, which reports that if Solar Voyager makes it to Portugal, it will be the irst autonomous surface vessel to cross an ocean on solar power (http://tinyurl.com/solarsolo). The little vessel is only 18 feet long and 2.5 feet wide, made of aluminum, and can hit a maximum speed of less than 5 mph. A photo is shown, courtesy of Isaac Penny of the Solar Voyager team. The whole upper surface contains solar panels, and it is run by a computer that follows pre-programmed GPS waypoints. Want to track the boat’s progress? You can track it through its website, www.solar-voyager.com Penny told Wired that because the Solar Voyager is powered by the sun, in theory it could sail on forever, or at least until “something breaks or it gets swallowed by a whale.” FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE F rom the Around Town section of the June 24, 1899, issue of The Daily Astorian: • Jens Peterson, brother-in-law of the Anderson boys who were drowned by falling off the old Goss trestle around Smith’s Point three or four weeks ago, was walking on this trestle Wednesday when he fell off in nearly the same spot where the Anderson boys were drowned, and had it not been for an old skiff near at hand Mr. Peterson would surely have illed a watery grave. This trestle seems to be a dangerous place for Mr. Peterson and his relatives, and deserves to be avoided by them. • Judge Nelson is an expert chess player and James Hansen is something of a player himself ... Yesterday these two redoubtable players of the royal game inished the 101st game of a series, which has been on the docket for some time ... • Capt. R. J. Christie yesterday found to his dismay that some person who thought more of a piece of canvas than they did of the Ten Commandments had stolen the sail to his small boat. Though all was lost save honor, Capt. Christie secured a piece of chalk and some canvas, and shortly afterward was seen cutting out a new sail on the Telephone dock. The result of the operation was quite a nice sail, fully as good as the one he lost, and Capt. Christie swears by all the gods at once that if this sail should disappear also, there will be work for the coroner. A RARE SIGHT ussian-born cellist Sergey Antonov (pictured) lives life with gusto and is a popular feature of the Astoria Music Festival,” Patrick Webb told the Ear. “He and his Astoria home-stay host, Bill Armington, share a passion for hiking and climbing. Together they have climbed Mount Hood and Mount Shasta. “This year, to enjoy the summer solstice sunrise, it was Mount Hood again. Antonov actually took a cello along, so he could play at the summit. North Coast musician Israel Nebeker (pictured inset) went along with his ukelele to join in the high-altitude fun.” Patrick added that Israel (of Portland-based indie band Blind Pilot) “recorded some of their impromptu notes.” Will their lofty duet be released for all to hear? Stay tuned. THE PRODIGAL HEN II O pod of killer whales — probably ive — was spot- ted and photographed as it traveled north this week- end at Yaquina Head (in Newport) on the Oregon Coast!” the Oregon Bureau of Land Management posted Tuesday on its Facebook page. “Tourists and BLM staff at the lighthouse quickly gathered Saturday at the Yaquina Lighthouse to wit- ness the rare sight.” The photo shown is by Mitch Rohse. “The entire passing lasted about 10 minutes — long enough to be a ‘truly wonderful experience,’ according to BLM staffer Meredith Matherly. ‘It was a irst for some of us and deinitely made our evening — week — lives?!” With ingers crossed, the Ear hopes it’s time to break out the binoculars. n April 1, a story ran in this column about a chicken wan- dering around near Duane and Ninth streets, and before you ask, no, it wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke. Photos of the delinquent hen are shown, taken by Dave Nelson and Debra Angus. So here it is, almost three months later, and the hen is still liv- ing the life as Astoria’s midtown free-range chicken. Many have tried to catch her, including Sharon Wilson. “When it was irst missing, I drug (my husband) Jim up here, and we looked all over the U.S. Bank parking lot — and around — at night, with lashlights, thinking she might be roosting,” she told the Ear. “We looked like we were casing the place. Jim said cops are not going to believe that we are looking for a chicken.” In the last couple of weeks, the hen has been spotted hang- ing around on the corner of 10th and Exchange streets, near the library, but she’s as cagey and evasive as ever. The bird belongs to Chase Pettit’s mother in Rosburg, Washington. “She hitched a ride in my mom’s truck when she went to work,” Chase told the Ear, which is how the hen wound up in Astoria. If you’re able to catch her, please give the fam- ily a call at 360-465-2734. It’s way past time for Chicken Lit- tle to go home. WHO DONE IT COMING HOME ‘A ‘W e drove by King Street in Warrenton recently, and were surprised to see that public access to the would- have-been site of Oregon LNG has been cut off by a concrete barrier, no trespassing signs and a cyclone fence,” Roger Rocka wrote. “Why? Who done it? Even OLNG did not shut off access to the site.” Roger’s photo of the site is shown. It was news to the Ear, who wrote to Henry Balensifer on the Warrenton City Commission to see if he had any idea what it’s all about. “I don’t have any oficial notice of what is happening, and I cannot recall any formal documentation from the city of Warrenton suggesting it was us,” he replied, but noted that there had been some ongoing problems in that area of late. Henry contacted Mark McGrath, director of operations at the Port of Astoria, who solved the mystery. “After discussions with the police chief in Warrenton,” Mark wrote, “we have decided to block King Street access due to the issues (Henry) mentioned: underage drinking, homeless camps, trash accumulation, et cetera. Warrenton Police will patrol and enforce trespassing ordinance(s).” So there you have it, folks. For now the sign is temporary, but a larger 3-foot by 3-foot permanent sign will be installed soon. A local group has bought the old Astoria ferry Tourist 2 (pic- tured), which is in Bremerton, Washington. The ferry went to our neighboring state after the Astoria Bridge was built, and her services were no longer needed here. She has been missed by many ever since. (See feature story on Page 1A today.) “Holy Cow, the ferry has gone to dry dock ive days early!” was posted on the Astoria Ferry Facebook page on Tuesday. “What does that mean? Well, she hauls out Wednesday a.m. and they will clean and check her underbelly for any problems, clean those barnacles off, do some repairs, do some caulking and maybe even some new paint while she is out. Then, weather per- mitting, she makes her way down the coast to Astoria.” But all of this costs money. You can donate at www.asto- riaferry.com or by mailing a check to The Astoria Ferry, P.O. Box 261, Astoria OR 97103, to help bring some Astoria his- tory home. COMMUNITY NOTES SATURDAY SUNDAY Angora Hiking Club — 9 a.m. at Sixth Street parking lot, or 10 a.m. at trail head, for Phyllis Dubb Memorial Saddle Mountain Flower Climb. For information, call Michael Dubb at 503-791-5325. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Group — 2 to 3:30 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway. Family to Family Support Group, for anyone with friend or loved one suffer- ing from a serious brain (mental) illness. For information, contact Myra Kero at 503-738-6165, or k7erowood@q.com, or go to www. nami.org Sit and Stitch Group — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Custom Threads, 1282 Commercial St. Knitting, cro- cheting and needle work. For infor- mation, call 503-325-7780. Columbia Northwestern Mod- el Railroading Club — 1 p.m., in Hammond. Group runs trains on HO-scale layout. For information, call Don Carter at 503-325-0757. Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m., Astoria Fiber Arts Academy, 1296 Duane St. Bring a spinning wheel. For information, call 503-325-5598 or go to http://astoriaiberarts.com Authentic Spiritual Conver- sations — 3 to 4:15 p.m., Seaside Public Library conference room, 1131 Broadway. Exploring spiritual questions, doubts, practices and longings in a space where every- one’s needs are respectfully held. All faiths, including “spiritual but not religious,” agnostic and atheist are welcome. For information, email info@cgifellowship.org or call 916- 307-9790. Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m., Seaside American Legion, 1315 Broadway. For information, call 503-738-5111. No cost; suggested $5 tip to the instructor. MONDAY Chair Exercises for Seniors — 9 to 9:45 a.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Exchange St. For in- formation, call 503-325-3231. Scandinavian Workshop — 10 a.m., First Lutheran Church, 725 33rd St. Needlework, hardanger, knitting, crocheting, embroidery and quilting. All are welcome. For information, call 503-325-1364 or 503-325-7960. Mothers of Preschoolers — 10 to 11:30 a.m., Crossroads Com- munity Church, 40618 Old Highway 30, Svensen. MOPS group is a time for moms to relax and enjoy each others’ company. For information, call 503-502-3118. Senior Lunch — 11:30 a.m., Bob Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Suggested do- nation $3 for those older than 60; $6.75 for those younger than 60. For information, call Michelle Lew- is at 503-861-4200. Columbia Senior Diners — 11:30 a.m., 1111 Exchange St. Cost is $6. For information, or to have a meal delivered, call 503-325-9693. Warrenton Senior Lunch Pro- gram — noon, Warrenton Commu- nity Center, 170 S.W. Third St. Sug- gested donation of $5 for seniors and $7 for those younger than 60. For information, or to volunteer, call 503-861-3502 Monday or Thursday. Astoria Rotary Club — noon, second loor of the Astoria Elks Lodge, 453 11th St. Guests always welcome. For information, go to www.AstoriaRotary.org Knochlers Pinochle Group — 1 p.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A, Seaside. Cost is $1 per regular session per person. Players with highest and second highest scores split the prize. Game is designed for play- ers 55 and older, but all ages are welcome. Mahjong for Experienced Players — 1 p.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Exchange St. For in- formation, call 503-325-3231. Diabetes Class — 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Providence Seaside Hospital, Education Room A, 725 S. Wahan- na Road, Seaside. Free help man- aging diabetes from certiied diabe- tes educators. The topic is: “What’s New in Diabetes Technology and Medicines.” All are welcome. For information, go to www.providence. org/diabetes or call 503-215-6628. Line Dancing for Seniors — 3 to 4:30 p.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Exchange St. Not for begin- ners. For information, call 503-325- 3231. Clatsop County Democrats — 6:30 to 9 p.m., Astoria Yacht Club, 300 Industry St., Suite 201 (at the West End Mooring Basin, above Tiki Charters). For information, call 503-717-1614 or go to http://clat- sopdemocrats.org TUESDAY Stewardship Quilting Group — 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., First See NOTES, Page 2B
