OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2017
Founded in 1873
DAVID F. PERO, Publisher & Editor
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
Water
under
the bridge
Compiled by Bob Duke
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
10 years ago this week — 2006
Giving alcohol to minors is a crime and carries a fine of $350.
Seaside High School students Melissa Sofge, 18, and Shina Saxton, 17,
put 2,000 tags with that message on alcohol containers Thursday to remind
adults not to give alcohol to minors during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Saxton doesn’t like underage drinking. “I find it stupid,” she said. “Not
very fun.”
Seaside Police Chief Bob Gross pointed to the Diego Colin drinking
fatality in April as an example of what underage drinking can lead to.
A New York bankruptcy court approved the $4.25 million
sale of Calpine Corp.’s property lease with the Port of Astoria to
Leucadia National Corp. this morning.
As a result of the sale, Calpine’s liquefied natural gas project
manager Peter Hansen will move to the helm of LNG Develop-
ment C., the subsidiary of Leucadia that will take over the lease
of 94 acres on Warrenton’s Skipanon Peninsula previously held
by Calpine’s Skipanon Natural Gas Co.
The Klootchy Creek Giant remains standing, but for how much longer
no one can say.
County officials will likely convene in a week or so to discuss the fate of
the landmark Sitka spruce, which suffered serious damage in last month’s
windstorm.
North Coast residents awoke to a winter wonderland this
morning, after a quick blast of weather dumped up to 10 inches
of snow on some areas of the Oregon Coast.
50 years ago — 1966
This was the scene Wednesday afternoon as SP&S salvage crews
began clearing the wreckage of a freight train that derailed near
Svensen Tuesday night after plowing into a mud slide. The slide
can be seen at the left rear and center. The engine hit the mud
and two large trees, causing it to careen off the tracks and into
a slough. Driver wheels from the engine are seen at lower right.
Today’s issue of the Daily Astorian is printed on the first newsprint
paper produced at the Crown-Zellerbach mill in Wauna. All future issues of
the Astorian will be printed on paper from the new, modern mill.
An exodus of Job Corps trainees from Tongue Point to other
urban centers was on in full force this week.
Trainees will be bused to Portland and then fly by commer-
cial airliners to their new centers. Each group will be accompa-
nied by a group life supervisor or cadre official.
KNAPPA — Newest housing development in this burgeoning commi-
nity is Knappa Terrace, developed by Clarence Barendse a short distance
northwest of Knappa crossroads and on a knoll overlooking the valley of
Big Creek.
Barendse has laid out 16 lots, none smaller than a half acre, has installed
water lines, power, natural gas and streets.
75 years ago — 1941
City police today closed commercialized vice establishments
in Astoria and warned bootleggers to get out of business.
Chief of Police John Acton informed the city council Monday
night that the action to close houses of prostitution would go into
effect Tuesday. The city council heard the report without com-
ment, but after adjournment, informally discussed the commer-
cialized vice condition here.
George T. McClean said the police were “closing” the town
on their own decision and not because military authorities have
complained of the existence of commercialized vice here, and
have intimated that unless the situation is taken care of, the
army will “clean up” the town under authority of the May act.
In the course of attempting to “clean up” vice conditions,
which have thrived without any control around many enlarged
and new army posts over the country, high military authorities
have adopted a policy of stepping in to suppress prostitution in
the vicinity of army posts unless civilian authorities did not ban
it. This general plan for suppressing prostitution by the army has
been held in abeyance here for some time because local military
officials have recognized the remarkably effective way in which
Astoria has controlled prostitution in this community.
Tucker creek and various sloughs in Clatsop County Sunday attracted
skaters although the ice was thin. Despite the fact that skating is not an
annual sport here many people had their shoes shod for the occasion. Some
of the skates were from pioneer days.
The Pacific Northwest today kissed a $173,000,000 annual
tourist business goodbye.
Faced with tire rationing, halted automobile production, and
possible gasoline rationing, leading tourist agencies of Montana,
Idaho, Oregon and Washington, summer playgrounds were
relaxing their drive for the tourist dollar.
Seaside City Council to continue in
former Mayor Larson’s tradition
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
hange came quickly in Sea-
side. Don Larson presided
over his last meeting only two
weeks before his death on Dec. 11.
Now that is dedication to service.
The day after he died, the council
swore in a new mayor, Jay Barber.
Larson would have applauded the
efficiency and the devotion to civil
service. He was dedicated to it the
moment he began service after mov-
ing to Seaside on his retirement from
the National Guard civilian team.
In 2006 he won
re-election unop-
posed and proudly
supported a $4.65
million water tank,
which succeeded
with 75 percent of
voters.
In 2008, his role in bringing a
new library building to Seaside was
so significant the Seaside Public
Library is now called the Don Larson
Building. In 2009, Larson won the
Small City Award from the League
of Oregon Cities.
Larson ran unopposed in 2010,
but in 2014 he found himself with
two challengers. Larson gained 62
percent of the vote against Angela
Fairless and John Dunzer. At the
time, he urged expansion of the Sea-
side Civic and Convention Center,
a goal he saw to fruition earlier this
year.
In the years to follow, he also
undertook the North Holladay Drive
improvement project, recently com-
pleted and an aesthetic transforma-
tion for the roadway. Mayor Larson
was there with the ceremonial scis-
sors for the ribbon-cutting, despite
the obvious impediments of his own
medical hookups.
Larson wasn’t afraid to cast a dis-
senting vote, as he did earlier this
year in a land dispute involving a
proposed hotel plan. Larson was the
sole councilor to side with the hotel
owner in that decision. During a lot-
line dispute, Larson was the lone
vote for a homeowner on the basis of
precedent.
Yet, he could change his opin-
ion on an issue, becoming a strong
advocate of the passage of this year’s
bond to move Seaside’s schools out
of the tsunami zone.
Concerned about the impacts of
cannabis legalization, he and coun-
cilor Dana Phillips voted against
medical marijuana facilities in 2015,
but ultimately joined council mem-
bers in permitting its recreational
licensing in Seaside. Their opposition
led to restrictions keeping pot shops
out of the city’s downtown core.
The ability to “get out and talk
with people” was an aspect that car-
ried him through his entire political
career in Seaside. “I’ll just try to do
my best,” Larson said after his first
mayoral election in 2002.
Councilor Don Johnson was
awarded with recognition from
the community and his fellow
councilors.
“We were lucky to have the foun-
dation of our past councilors,” John-
son said. “Don (Larson) and the
councilors were able to implement
their plan, their foundation.”
Johnson described it as an
“honor and privilege” to serve the
community.
C
Longtime friend
Larson’s longtime friend and fel-
low councilor Barber, a pastor, for-
mer college president and seasoned
public speaker, movingly eulo-
gized Larson in City Hall and in the
church. In an emotional meeting held
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
Seaside councilors applaud Don Larson for his service in November.
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
Councilors Don Johnson and Jay Barber at a council workshop in
November.
the day after Larson’s death, council-
ors unanimously endorsed Barber to
fill the city’s top spot.
Barber promised to continue Lar-
son’s legacy and commitment to the
city.
“It’s a great honor to be the mayor
of any city, but particularly of a city
as well-managed and run as this
city,” Barber said.
‘I want to
continue the
legacy Mayor
Larson has
started over the
last 14 years.
His model of
civility and
community
service is one
we can all work
to preserve.’
Jay Barber
Seaside mayor, speaking at his first
meeting as mayor
His words were both a eulogy
and a state of the union, in which
he praised the community and its
volunteerism.
Barber said he seeks to main-
tain the parity among the mayor and
board members.
“I want to say no single one of us
has more power than the other,” he
said. “Not the mayor, not the coun-
cil president — we work as a body.
When we make decisions we support
that decision. We may not always
agree, but when we make a decision,
we move forward.”
Six priorities
Barber laid out six priorities.
“The No. 1 priority that I would
like to continue: Mayor Larson’s leg-
acy of civility, his love for our city
and his openness to our citizens,” he
said.
Barber urged support for Sea-
side’s police and fire departments,
important ingredients of the city’s
quality of life.
Looking ahead, he gave a nod to
Tom Horning, the Seaside geologist
who won election to his first term, on
a platform of tsunami preparedness.
Barber said he is concerned that
the next urban renewal project has
an opportunity to find funding for
bridges, many of which are vulnera-
ble to flooding or collapse in a Cas-
cadia Subduction Zone event.
Part of the tsunami protection will
begin with the new Seaside High
School campus in the Southeast
Hills. In order to start the project, the
city will need to expand the urban
growth boundary to provide utilities
and roads.
Barber indicated he may seek
to bring more land into the urban
growth boundary not only for emer-
gency shelter, but to open buildable
areas buildable areas for low-income
and affordable housing. “It’s a high
priority for the people who live and
work here in our tourism industry,”
Barber said.
It is a tribute to the spirit and col-
legiality of Larson that he was able
to preside over such a board of like-
minded civic leaders. There will be
plenty of shake-ups through natural
events, but having a steady hand at
the helm is something to be valued at
all levels of government.
“I want to continue the legacy
Mayor Larson has started over the
last 14 years,” Barber said at his first
meeting as mayor. “His model of
civility and community service is one
we can all work to preserve.
“I have no more power than the
other six members of the council, we
have to work together to get things
done, and that will be my goal to pro-
vide leadership in the two years we
have left to get things done.”
R.J. Marx is The Daily Astori-
an’s South County reporter and edi-
tor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon
Beach Gazette.