A STORM OF ARTS
COAST WEEKEND • INSIDE
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016
144TH YEAR, NO. 90
ONE DOLLAR
SHAKE, RATTLE, READY?
GOV. BROWN IS IN TOWN AFTER SMALL EARTHQUAKE
Bruce
Jones
Cory
Pederson
Jones,
Pederson
in fi nal
stretch
Astoria candidates
agree on much
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
Days before the election, the two candi-
dates for Astoria City Council’s east side seat
are refl ecting on their door-to-door conversa-
tions with neighbors they hope become their
constituents.
Again and again, Bruce Jones, a retired
U.S. Coast Guard commander, and Cory
Pederson, a symphony conductor and music
teacher at Jewell School District, heard the
same themes:
See CANDIDATES, Page 5A
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Gov. Kate Brown, center, chats with Clatsop Community College President Christopher Breitmeyer, right, and Clatsop Com-
munity College head of maintenance Greg Dorcheus while touring the construction of Patriot Hall on Wednesday at Clatsop
Community College in Astoria. Brown visited Clatsop Community College and Camp Rilea in Warrenton Wednesday afternoon.
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
T
he minor earthquake that originated
west of Warrenton Wednesday morn-
ing was serendipitous for Gov. Kate
Brown, who had already planned a
visit to see what Clatsop County is doing to
get prepared for a disaster.
The governor , followed by crews from
several television stations, learned how Clat-
sop Community College has been retrofi tting
its main campus in Astoria. She toured the
new, seismically stable Patriot Hall before
heading to the county’s Emergency Opera-
tions Center at Camp Rilea in Warrenton.
“The jolt was a wake-up call for us to take
every moment we can to work at prepared-
ness — not just at the coast, but throughout
the entire state of Oregon,” Brown said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the
earthquake was 3.5 in magnitude after at one
point putting the severity at 3.8.
The quake is a reminder to families to
have 14 days worth of water and nonper-
ishable food ready, Brown said, and to have
a plan to connect with family and friends.
The governor said the earthquake was also
a reminder of why the state needs to pass a
new transportation package that allows for
the seismic retrofi tting of the state’s roads
and bridges, more than 100 of which she said
are expected to be severely damaged on the
coast.
See GOVERNOR, Page 7A
‘The jolt was a wake-up call for us to
take every moment we can to work at
preparedness — not just at the coast, but
throughout the entire state of Oregon.’
Gov. Kate Brown
Columbia
Crossing
canceled
First time bridge run
has been called off
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Gov. Kate Brown talks with Clatsop Community College staff and emergency man-
agement officials Wednesday during a t our .
Calling it an “incredibly diffi cult deci-
sion,” the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of
Commerce announced Wednesday that it
will not reschedule the 35th annual Great
Columbia Crossing, which was postponed in
October because of stormy weather .
This marks the fi rst time that the race has
been called off.
About 2,800 people had registered to
participate in the 10 K trek over the Astoria
Bridge.
Originally scheduled for Oct. 16, the
chamber chose to postpone the event when
weather forecasts predicted hurricane-force
winds for the North Coast . It was the fi rst
time a postponement had ever happened.
Apart from safety considerations, many
runners and volunteers were expected not
See CROSSING, Page 5A
Ilwaco to Hollywood: ‘Perfect’ portrait of local’s dad
Movie opens as
local man basks
in father’s role
By DAVID PLECHL
EO Media Group
ILWACO, Wash. — There
have been many surreal chap-
ters in the life of Desmond
Doss Jr., but perhaps none
so strange and beautiful as
the latest. Ever since the day
he made an online discovery
that Mel Gibson was making
a movie about his father, Doss
had more or less watched
from the sidelines as the $40
million epic was crafted with-
Lionsgate
A movie poster for “Hack-
saw Ridge,” which opens
tonight at 7 at Astoria Gate-
way Cinema.
out his consultation or con-
sent. Not that he would have
said “No. ” He’d just seen his
father’s story misunderstood
and massacred so many times
before.
All that changed last week
when Doss was able to look
the world -famous fi lmmaker
straight in the eye and tell him
exactly what he thought about
the fi lm — essentially, that it
was “perfect.” The relieved
look in Gibson’s eyes told
Doss everything.
“To have him respond like
that, I felt like I had done
something good,” Doss said.
“I didn’t think my opinion
matters that much, but it turns
out that it did.”
See FILM, Page 7A
“Hacksaw
Ridge” director
Mel Gibson and
Pacific County
resident Des-
mond Doss Jr.
share a private
moment during
the Hollywood
premiere of the
movie about
Doss’ father,
a legendary
World War II
medic who was
awarded the
Congressional
Medal of Honor
by President
Harry Truman.
Submitted Photo