THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016
FRIDAY EXCHANGE
Mouth makeover
respect, compassion and love
as we would with our clos-
est. Even Mr. Mauro’s bigotry
must be tolerated, as distaste-
ful as that is.
Perhaps it is time that he
review the Golden Rule: Do
unto others as you would have
them do unto you.
ROD DAWSON
Seaside
F
our and a half years ago, I
moved to Clatsop County
via Seaside and managed to
ind work in the service indus-
try, which was nothing short
of miraculous, considering
December is a very dificult
time for many restaurants in
Seaside.
Soon after, I read my
irst Mouth of the Columbia
review. It concerned a restau-
rant in Seaside, and ended
with the Mouth stating some-
thing to the effect that there
was no reason for any local
to go eat in Seaside, because
the restaurants were nothing
but tourists traps serving bad
food.
I couldn’t believe that
a local restaurant reviewer
would write such a scathing
review, affecting the inancial
well-being of an entire indus-
try in a tourist-based town
during the slowest part of the
slow season, or that a commu-
nity newspaper would print
that review.
Since then, years have gone
by, and every week brings yet
another review by the Mouth.
During this time, the Mouth
has switched mouths several
times. This Mouth seems to
write only for self-gratiica-
tion, testing the limits of the
language with pompous and
absurd restaurant critiques.
Reviewing eateries that
have just opened, review-
ing restaurants that are obvi-
ously struggling, reviewing
vegetarian options in sport
bars, reviewing drive-through
coffee shops, reviewing the
patrons of a restaurant with a
condescending tone, review-
ing servers in derogatory
fashion, reviewing the decor
with arrogance, reviewing
the food and suggesting alter-
nate preparations or ingredi-
ents according to the Mouth’s
preferences, reviewing known
“bad” restaurants and then
complaining that they are bad
restaurants … why? Why is
the Mouth published?
The Mouth’s reviews are
like kicking a dying dog. A
struggling or new restaurant
cannot afford the Mouth’s
cutting and harsh criticism.
The jagged and ripping cri-
tiques seem out of place with
the tone in rest of The Daily
Astorian, a forward-thinking,
pro-community newspaper.
I am not suggesting elim-
inating the Mouth of the
Columbia altogether. Neither
am I suggesting to make every
review a glowing review.
However, mindfulness of
language and awareness of
the repercussions and peo-
ple affected by the Mouth’s
reviews are desperately lack-
ing in the column.
The Mouth, and the editors
of The Daily Astorian, need
to think beyond the Mouth.
Our community is not being
served by the Mouth. Only
the Mouth is being served by
the Mouth.
Please consider chang-
ing the tone of the Mouth of
the Columbia. The snarki-
ness and smarminess of the
column don’t it in with The
Daily Astorian, with our tour-
ism, with Clatsop County, and
with the well-being of our
community.
SHARON COLLYER
Astoria
Asking a favor
s you may be aware, Vin-
tage Hardware, in the old
Englund Marine building, has
been given 90 days to move
out to make way for a Mo’s
restaurant.
The Englund Marine fam-
ily and employees are just the
best, and are such a great asset
to Astoria. The investment in
the new Englund store has
proven to be a less good busi-
ness decision because of the
lack of follow-through on the
marine industrial park by the
city and the Port.
The Englunds certainly
have a right to sell their prop-
erty and use their assets to
best advantage, but I hope
some arrangement can be
worked out to keep Vintage
Hardware, a renter, in such
an ideal location for the type
of business asset it is to the
downtown area, and a beneit
to their customers.
The Englund family is
often asked to donate services
and the time of their employ-
ees. They have done so, and
we Astorians appreciate all
that they have done. Here
we are again, asking the
A
Remodel thoughts
M
Celebrate the nation’s
independence proudly
W
hen you greeted others over the holi-
day weekend, you should have wished
them a Happy Independence Day. We do not
celebrate the Fourth of July, as it is not the
holiday. We celebrate Independence Day, the
memorial of the birth of our nation. Please
remember why this is an important date and
celebrate what makes our country great: It’s
freedoms.
I feel at times, that as a country, we have
become apologists for our own indepen-
dence. In the vein of severe political correct-
ness, we have diminished our own pride for
being great. I, personally, refuse to shrink
into obscurity. My pride for our country runs
strong, and I express it with ferocity. I will not
diminish the fact that we have the grandest
celebration of the season on the fourth day of
July to celebrate who we are as a nation.
If anyone inds offence in this, I would
Englunds for some accommo-
dation. I feel selish in asking,
but I hope an alternative can
be found.
Mo’s is a successful busi-
ness and has a following for
travelers. The local restau-
rants, already challenged by
the economy, will be hurt by
additional competition from a
chain operation. A new food
service operation will require
a large makeover of a historic
waterfront building. Vintage
Hardware uses the building
as it is. Parking for a high vol-
ume restaurant is not available
in the Englund location, and
will displace parking access
to all of the surrounding busi-
nesses and the museum.
Vintage Hardware is a
unique establishment in Asto-
ria. Mo’s is just another restau-
rant. Please urge the Planning
Commission to reject another
chain restaurant, displacing a
valuable business in Astoria.
CARROL and ROY
HACKETT
Astoria
Wonderful show
e are so lucky to have
had a magniicent per-
formance July 3 in our Liberty
Theater. The concert, with the
North Coast Jazz Ensemble
and North Coast Symphonic
Bands’ program, “American
Heroes,” with soloists Andy
and Rachel Becker, was like
watching “The Capital Fourth
Annual Concert” in Washing-
ton, D.C.
The slide show of the
bridge and the light show
were great added features.
I hope all those talented
performers know we appreci-
ate their dedication and time
spent putting a show like that
together, and all the time in
rehearsal, to give us a mas-
terful and delightful evening.
Thank you.
A. DIANE FINUCANE
Astoria
W
the Constitution does it spe-
ciically mention the god of
Abraham, nor does it mention
Jesus Christ?
I only wish that certain
individuals who spout “Chris-
tian values” could pull them-
selves away from listening
to the hate monger Michael
Savage’s radio talk show for
a few minutes, and actually
read the Bible, so they could
learn what Jesus really taught.
Jesus summed up the law with
the words “so, whatever you
wish that men would do to
you, do so to them; for this
is the law and the prophets”
(Matthew 7:12).
At least one of your read-
ers believes that John F. Ken-
nedy was assassinated in 1963
because that was the same
year that prayer was removed
from the public school system,
so I’m sure he also believes it
was divinely ordained “man-
ifest destiny” that justiied
taking land from the Native
Americans. If you think this
is what Christ taught, you are
sadly mistaken.
On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S.
dropped an atomic bomb
over Hiroshima, and a few
days later dropped another
over Nagasaki, killing at least
100,000 people and leaving a
million homeless. Jesus said,
“But I say to you who hear:
love your enemies, do good
to those that hate you, bless
those who curse you, and pray
for those who spitefully use
you” (Luke 6: 27, 28).
Few people practice true
Christian values (Mother
Teresa comes to mind), let
alone countries. This nation
was founded and built on
blood, sweat, and many tears.
Not Christian values. For
those who believe, that king-
dom has yet to come.
ELLIS DEE
Portland
WWJD?
cannot recall the last time I
felt such a feeling of loath-
ing in my heart as when I read
the letter from Gary Mauro in
The Daily Astorian (“Orlando
and truth,” June 24). Is this
really the way he deines
Christianity? Such a total
intolerance of humanity’s dif-
ferences that he uses scripture
to justify the Orlando massa-
I
Christian values
n the past few months I’ve
been reading letters in The
Daily Astorian Open Forum
column about Judeo-Chris-
tian values and the founding
of this country. Must I point
out that nowhere in the Dec-
laration of Independence or
I
have asked them to kindly stile their opin-
ions until the celebration wanes. It is our right
c and privilege to show that we are a great
nation and to stand together in strength and
unity. It is not offensive in its own nature,
and it does not serve to demean others
by its own expression.
We do not travel to other lands and ask
other nationals to reserve themselves, or
restrain their celebrations in order to appease
our feelings. I would never expect them to.
We do not rail at the site of a national ensign
waving in the breeze over a foreign capitol.
I would never imagine that. So let us not see
others in that way as they visit our lands. Let
them see us for what we are — a proud nation
standing together to celebrate the creation of a
new country, in a new land.
MATTHEW STOLBERG
Seaside
cre? I can’t imagine anything
so terrible as to go through
life carrying such hatefulness.
I am not a Christian but,
every now and again, when
faced with an ethical dilemma,
I ask myself, “What would
Jesus do?” And the answer
always comes back as toler-
ance. Jesus would have us
reach out to all with the same
ore thoughts on our
Astoria Library: I saw
the options for the library’s
future, and at irst I thought
Option E was best, but after
much consideration, I think
we really need to ignore the
“big buck spenders” and go
out to the commercial remod-
eling folks state-wide.
My opinion, as a retired
contractor, is that the amount
of money quoted for things
like a roof re-do are way off
base. We must hire a non-lo-
cal person to research the true
costs involved. Unless this
happens, our library will lose
support.
I personally think our
existing building has good
“bones.”
DICK DARBY
Astoria
Please donate
he Bob Chisholm Com-
munity Center in Sea-
side is in the process of rais-
ing $80,000 for the Main Hall
Refresh Project.
The building is an essen-
tial part of our community
and we are keeping the beau-
tiful glulam beams, as well
as the tongue in groove ceil-
ing. This old girl desperately
needs updated lighting, loor-
ing, wall coverings and win-
dow treatments, so she will be
able to accommodate the next
generation of events, meet-
ings, classes, parties and wed-
dings — big or small.
We are reaching out to
our generous community for
their help. Your donation is
tax-deductible, and checks
can be made payable to Sun-
set Park & Recreation Foun-
dation, P.O. Box 514, Seaside,
OR 97138. Donors of $500
or more will have their name
engraved on a bronze leaf on
the Donor Recognition Tree
T
5A
that will be permanently dis-
played in the main hall after
the renovation.
I have had the privilege
of serving on the nine-mem-
ber community center com-
mission since 1991, with our
last update to the building in
1995. This building deserves
to be a compliment to our
community and the surround-
ing rental facilities.
Please stop by today and
see what is in store for this
grand old building, and thank
you in advance for being
a part of such an exciting
project.
PIPER O’BRIEN
Seaside
Library reality
uch has been said about
the building of a new
library in Heritage Square in
downtown Astoria, and how
it will be more cost effective
than a renovation or expan-
sion of the current library.
Presently there is not
enough money in the library
budget to staff the existing
library appropriately (cur-
rently closed on Sunday
and Monday, and open 41
hours per week), and add
more books and resources
to the shelves. How, exactly,
is a building of a new “cost
effective” library going to
produce the primitive fund-
ing to provide these essen-
tial necessities, plus pay for
the added costs of a larger
building?
I request our rational and
forward thinking city council
members seek succinct deini-
tion in the inancial budget of
building and the added oper-
ational costs of a new library
before considering a motion
to approve. More consider-
ation is needed, as a good
business plan does not include
the words “hope,” “or” and
“if.”
Let us not create a library
that may become another
empty building in downtown
Astoria with the “hope” of
someone developing it into a
restaurant or brewery. As I see
it, we can currently afford the
hole that is in Heritage Square
until all budgetary dreams
have been addressed.
JAMES B. RANDALL
Astoria
M
June 25, 10 AM -3 PM
Warrenton Kia
801
Warrenton
Join Marlin
us and Ave,
Relay
for HOPE
Relay For Life of Clatsop County
We
need your
he CMH Relay for
Seaside
High help!
School
Life team is hosting a fundraising Car Wash
July 9-10, 2016 | 10am-10am
at 1901
Warrenton
Kia. Grab a hot dog and
N Holladay Dr., Seaside, OR 97138
get your car washed for a good cause! All
proceeds will go to Relay for Life. Please
join
us!
RelayForLife.org/clatsopcountyor
1.800.227.2345
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