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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2016)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2016 COMMUNITY 1B WHOSE WRECK IS IT? WATCH OUT FOR TURTLES ‘I T he Westport Maritime Museum contacted the Maritime Archaeological Society (MAS) (http://maritimearchaeo- logical.org), which is headquartered in Astoria, about a recently exposed shipwreck on a southwest Washington beach near Wil- lapa Bay, according to a post on the society’s Facebook page. In case you don’t know, the MAS documents shipwrecks and other maritime archaeological sites. So, on Nov. 21, a group of MAS volunteers organized to record as much information as possible about the wreck before it was reburied or swept out to deeper water. “We set up a base- line, captured detailed measurements, collected GPS locations, and took hundreds of photos, which can be used as a photogram- metry tool to create a 3D model,” the post noted. The data can be compared to shipwrecks that are already known to be in the area. A photo of the shipwreck, courtesy of MAS, is shown. “There isn’t much of the ship left to be able to make an iden- tification,” Chris Dewey of MAS told the Ear. “The folks from the Westport Maritime Museum are looking for more information that might help us identify it some day. I’ll make a drawing from the measurements we took, and see what comes out.” The Ear will keep you posted. TOWER OF POWER A fter the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the Japa- nese are taking disaster preparedness very seriously, accord- ing to a recent News18.com story (http://tinyurl.com/talltowers). Getting ready for the 100-foot tidal wave that will likely occur in the next few decades is high on the agenda, and to that end, work has begun on building seawalls and shelters and erecting 90 evac- uation towers in Kochi prefecture. Pictured, “The Great Wave of Kanagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai. Why so many towers? There are no mountains or elevated areas or buildings around to rush to for protection. The latest two-story building is about 65 feet high and can hold more than 350 people. It comes with a floating tsunami capsule, and a warning bell on the roof, where there are also supplies. What makes the structure so unusual, though, is the foundation, which is 47 feet deep. Other survival towers have been known to have foundations that run as deep as 127 feet — deep enough, it is hoped, to keep the towers stable when facing a giant tsunami. “What makes the difference is whether one is or isn’t prepared for disaster,” Kochi governor Masanao Ozaki observed. No one is likely to argue the point. S nippets of the North Coast in the news: • Five stars: Trivago.com, an Internet service used to search and compare hotel prices, and its digital magazine, Room5, have announced the 2017 Trivago Awards. The 10 best U.S. properties in four different categories were ranked based solely on guest reviews of the hotel’s customer service and performance (http://tinyurl.com/CPtrivago). So, without further ado: In the category of best five-star hotels, Robert “Jake” Jacob’s vision, the Cannery Pier Hotel, was rated No. 6, receiving a score of 94 out of 100, based on 506 reviews. Very impressive, indeed. • Lock those doors: ProtectAmerica.com has created a rather unfortunate list of the 10 cities in Oregon with the highest burglary rates, or “Burglary Hot Spots,” based on data submitted for a recent FBI Uniform Crime Report (http://tinyurl.com/burglbad). Sadly, three cities on the North Coast are hot spots. At No. 1 is Rockaway Beach (population 1,310, burglaries 32); No. 2 is our very own Astoria (population 9,533, bur- glaries 145); and, coming in at a somewhat safer No. 8, Sea- side (population 6,501, burglaries 53). If it’s any consolation, the No. 1 Oregon “Burglary Safe Zone” is a city aptly named Amity. • Foodie destination: Professional travel blogger and offi- cial Travelocity Gnational Gnomad Mike Shubic recently shared his “favorite small city foodie destinations” on Trav- elocity.com, and Cannon Beach was one of the spots that tickled both his palate and his fancy, particularly EVOO and Sweet Basil’s Café (http://tinyurl.com/CBshubic). Shubic’s credentials are solid. A few years ago he and a partner crisscrossed the country from coast to coast for Travel Channel’s “Best of the Road,” racking up 4,700 miles, 97 restaurants and more than 400 meals. Since then, he’s been dining at 75 to 100 restaurants a year, “in a search of restaurants that will outdo the last.” (Insert gentle burp here.) ‘JOY AND WONDER’ t’s that time of year again, when cold stunned sea tur- tles start showing up on local beaches,” Tiffany Boothe of the Seaside Aquarium wrote. “We had our first turtle come in on Nov. 26, however by the time we got to the animal, someone had already picked it up.” “Not only is this illegal,” she noted, “but sea turtles that are cold stunned may appear to be dead, but oftentimes are not. A sea turtle’s heartbeat can slow to one beat per minute when hypo- thermic. It is very important that we be able to get to these turtles as soon as possible.” Last year, the Seaside Aquarium responded to five stranded sea turtles. If you find one on the beach, call the Oregon State Police, or better yet, call the aquarium at 503-738-6211. A photo of an Olive Ridley turtle, courtesy of Tiffany Boothe/Seaside Aquarium, is shown. “Strong south, southwesterly winds drive warm currents further north; sea turtles often follow these warm water currents, and when they dissipate, the sea turtles find themselves in water that is too cold for them,” Tiffany added. “The quicker these turtles are found and taken off the beach, the better their chances are. In the next few weeks, people walking the beaches of the Oregon and Washington coast should keep a look out for these guys.” And be sure to call for help if you see one. ALL ABOARD! H ow’s this for a Christmas treat: A steam train ride with Santa Claus. And luckily, here on the North Coast it’s doable, thanks to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad’s Candy Cane Express. Running for two weekends only, the train goes from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach, then right back again, about an hour for the round trip — and providing hot chocolate, lots of time with Santa and Mrs. Claus for the kids, and stunning views of Tillamook Bay for those in Santa-denial. The train departs from 306 American Ave. in Garibaldi at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, and Dec. 10 and 11. It costs $20 for adults, $19 for seniors 62 and older, $15 for children age 3 to 10, and its a free ride for little ones younger than 3. You can buy tickets at www.oregoncoastscenic.org For you railway buffs, a story in Oregon Coast Today revealed that the train is pulled by a 1925 Alco steam locomotive that for- merly operated on the McCloud Railroad near Mount Shasta (http://tinyurl.com/stnicktrain). “Everyone on board this train is doing it because they love it,” Scott Wickert, the railroad’s founder and chief mechanical officer, told Oregon Coast Today. “It’s a labor of love.” DO YOU REMEMBER ARVI OSTROM? PICTURE THIS N ‘I ’m one of the co-owners who helped re-establish Custard King a little over a year ago,” Greg Glover wrote. “Portland art- ist Ronnie Werner created a mascot or so-called Custard ‘King’ for us, and just a few weeks ago we had it turned into a mural by painter Stefan Ways (pictured, left). “The Custard ‘King’ greets travelers from the east side of our building as they enter downtown Astoria from U.S. Highway 30. We encourage patrons to send us their photos — and I’ve attached one of my dog, Biscuit — with the Custard ‘King’ for a chance to win a gift certificate. They can be posted on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/custardking, emailed to custardkingastoria@ gmail.com or by using #custardkingastoria on Instagram.” Well, what are you waiting for? ow here’s a cheery thought for a winter day: Lots of butterflies filling the air in a tropical garden. It’s actu- ally a possibility, right here on the North Coast, but you’ll have to help make it happen. “We are again working to open a permanent live butter- fly exhibit/conservatory,” Astorian Debra Hazelett wrote. She and her husband, Howard, are the co-founders of the nonprofit Butterflies Forever. “The main display will be 5,500 square feet of tropical gardens in which a thousand live butterflies from around the world will fly, plus a netted summer display of U.S. butterflies.” Butterflies Forever already created a temporary exhibit/ conservatory in Seaside from 1999 to 2001 (pictured). Now the couple are looking for a spot for a permanent location in the Astoria/Warrenton area. The project also includes a classroom, small theater and a lab for raising native species and research. “We are looking for sponsors, board members, volun- teers, etc. who are interested in seeing this one-of-a-kind Oregon landmark, tourist attraction, children’s field trip des- tination become a reality.” Donations are needed, as well, and can be made at www.oregonbutterflies.org “Fancifully fluttering butterflies flitting from flower to flower inspire joy and wonder,” the business plan says. “If we can inspire just a few children each year to learn and study the insects that run our world, we will have done our job.” T he Clatsop County Historical Society is seeking stories about artist and saloon operator Arvi Ostrom for an upcom- ing exhibit at the Heritage Museum. He was the owner of the Snug Harbor Beer Parlor in Uniontown from 1934 to 1970. The late Rae Goforth, unofficial mayor of Uniontown described The Snug as “a man’s tavern, where Finn was spoken and fishermen gathered.” She bought the place in 1970 and turned it into Fiddler’s Green Family Pub. It eventually became the Uniontown Café. During his ownership of the bar, Arvi produced more than 10,000 drawings, paintings, and carvings, only a tiny portion of which will be featured in the exhibit next year. One of his drawings is shown, courtesy of the historical society. “While his prolific works of art have been collected, the stories of the man and his tavern have not,” Sam Rascoe of CCHS wrote. “Arvi’s grandson, Ken Carlson, is creating a documentary about his grandfather, and is working with the Historical Society to gather personal stories and remembrances of Arvi and the Snug Harbor.” Can you help? If you remember Arvi or the Snug Harbor, email cchs@cumtux.org or call 503-325-2203.
