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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 2016)
18 // COASTWEEKEND.COM BOOK SHELF // GLIMPSE // WILDLIFE // POP CULTURE // WORDS // Q&A // FOOD // FUN NW word nerd By RYAN HUME Navy [ne•vi] Ilix aquifolium Holly By LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS Although nearly 600 spe- cies of holly exist worldwide, Ilix aquifolium, commonly known as “English holly,” or “Christmas holly,” is the species that grows most prolifi cally in the Pacifi c Northwest. A native to southern Europe, northern Africa, and southwest Asia, this holiday favorite may not have originated here, but it certainly has gone wild. Introduced in Oregon in 1874, the plant was popular with European settlers lonely for home, and sold well at nurseries in Portland and Seattle. Recognizing its holiday allure, farmers also began to grow and harvest holly commercially, and today, more than 90 per- cent of the holly sold in the United States comes from the Pacifi c Northwest. A hearty shrub, with beautiful, glossy evergreen leaves and bright red berries, this ancient plant continues to be revered by many, while scorned by some. An easy propagator, aided handily by birds who love to eat the fruit (which is poisonous to humans), the plant has proven to be a ready escapee from urban gardens and ru- ral farms, turning up in second-growth forests throughout the region. Study and debate over the plant’s possibility as an invasive species is ongo- ing, but no matter where one falls in that argument, there’s no denying that I. aquifolium — which has fl ourished on Earth for at Holly grows prolifi cally in the Pacifi c Northwest. least 66 million years—is likely here to stay, along with the great many human traditions that have mor- phed around it. Pagan rites made use of holly during all rituals that dealt with death and rebirth — its evergreen leaves a simple and fi tting metaphor. Ancient Ro- mans gave holly as gifts during Saturnalia — the late December festival that celebrated the deity Saturn and the passing of the win- ter solstice. Druids brought holly into the home during Yule, or Midwinter, with the belief that faerie folk could live in its protec- tive branches during the coldest, darkest days of the year (note: the holly had to be burned by the festival of Imbolc, or Feb. 2, now Groundhog Day, in order to get the faeries to leave and not cause mischief). By Medieval times, Christian traditions used the plant’s characteristics to symbolize everlasting life, with the berries representing the blood spilled by Christ. More practically, holly has been cultivated for use as winter fodder for sheep and cattle, as a traditional materi- al for the making of Scottish bagpipes, and, perhaps most importantly, as the wood used to fabricate the magical wand of Harry Potter. noun 1. a group of ships; a fl eet, or a nation’s assem- bled ships of war and asso- ciated yards and facilities 2. a very dark blue 3. Navy Heights: an unin- corporated community on the east end of Astoria that shares the same zip code. Navy Heights began as a World War II-era housing development back when Tongue Point was a U.S. Naval Air Station Origin: Navy comes from the Latin navis, meaning “ship.” It enters late Middle English by way of the Old French navie; navy is the plural form of the word and liter- ally means “ships.” It is not hard to imagine how the housing devel- opment got its name due its relationship with the Looking for a fun hobby? A way to make new fr iends? B RIDGE L ESSONS -R-U S Learn as a Beginner or Improve Your Skills B EGINNING L ESSONS J ANUARY 17 TH T UESDAYS | 9:30 AM STARTING 5/L ESSON $ CARRUTHERS 1198 Commercial Street Astoria, Oregon 97103 503.975.5305 Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday 4pm-6pm and 8:30-Close t Firs on s Les ee! Fr I NTERMEDIATE L ESSONS J ANUARY 12 TH T HURSDAYS STARTING American Contract Bridge League Certifi ed Teachers Astoria Senior Center 1111 Exchange Street 503-861-1133 503-738-0782 Ann Marie Sandra 240 11 TH STREET ASTORIA, OR 97103 nearby Naval Air Station at Tongue Point. “War-related housing projects at Guild’s Lake and Ardenwald in the Portland area survived for some years, as did Navy Heights in Astoria.” — Richard H. Engeman, “World War II Opens New Doors,” The Oregon History Project, https://oregonhistoryproject.org, 2005 “Fifty years ago this week: Four- year-old Billy Gregory, whose father is stationed at Tongue Point, caught a ride on the school bus from Navy Heights and made like he was going to go to class at John Jacob Astor School today. Principal Bob Parnell said young Billy apparently thought the bus was picking up picnic passengers, so unbeknownst to his parents, climbed aboard. G. T. Arrington, of the city police force, was called to the school to arrange to return the youngster to his home.” —“Water Under the Bridge” The Daily Astorian, Sept. 14, 2015
