Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2017)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Just share ur union fishermen broth- ers in Salmon for All have the full support of the local International Long- shore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in their battle to maintain a just share of the salmon quota. This is not an us vs. them debate until the sport inter- ests tried to co-opt the whole main Columbia River stem resource. Most reasonable people understand that there are enough fish for all inter- ests to share. This is econom- ically disastrous to Clatsop County in its current posture. Yes, there is some mortal- ity to salmon, but this occurs plenty on sport caught fish. A salmon that bleeds dies upon release, as well as many from stress and exhaustion. The idea that this is cleaner than commercial fishing is ludicrous. CHRIS CONNAWAY Astoria O Experienced nurse am running for Position 3 on the Clatsop Health Dis- trict Board. I have over six years experience as a licensed nurse. My opposition, Micheal Aho, has no healthcare back- ground. I care about vulner- able people in our commu- nity, and I pledge to advocate for the district’s residents and staff. JACQUELINE DeVANEY Astoria I Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian The Eighth Street Dam in Warrenton is the subject of a clash between the city and the Skipanon Water Control District. Eighth Street Dam ‘antiquated, dangerous’ C an we just cut through all the right-fighting, mudslinging, name-shifting (it’s not really a “dam,” it’s a “flood control structure”), legal drama and, ka-ching, resulting legal bills, and get down to brass tacks? You, the city of Warrenton, are about to slap some tide gates, if given the green light, on an outdated, obso- lete 53-year-old dam whose shelf-life expired in 2014. After reading “A Report To Con- gress On Aging Water Infrastruc- ture,” a damning fiscal year 2000 U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Resources Conservation Service study, which includes our beloved Eighth Street “structure” in its study group, Man cave hy doesn’t Stephen Ful- ton do the citizens of Clatsop County a favor and build his own “man cave,” retire to it, and never be heard from again. PRESTON DEVEREAUX Gearhart W it is clear that the Skipanon Water Control District is guilty of trying to inform and protect the citizens along the Skipanon River, and within the city limits of Warrenton, from this out- moded sham dam. Page 1 of this report, “Time Takes Its Toll,” and Page 5, “Potential For Loss Of Life Caused By Dam Fail- ures,” detail why old earthen dams, such as ours, should be decommis- sioned after 50 years, and how truly dangerous they are. Indeed, this report indicates that the failures of these small- to medium-sized dams have resulted in the majority of dam-re- lated fatalities in the U.S. Our particu- lar dam was inspected by the Oregon Water Resources Department in 2012, five years ago, and the dam hazard then was rated between “significant” and “high.” So, citizens of Warrenton, before we take on this potential public safety hazard and legal liability, and dig deeper into this money pit for the sake of “flood control,” let us first ask: Why? Why are Mayor Mark Kujala, the Warrenton City Commission and the Nygaards so suddenly and com- pletely fixated over seizing control of, and operating, this antiquated, danger- ous structure? It just doesn’t pass the sniff test. KATHLEEN ZUNKEL Warrenton Tsunami warning ’d like to see The Daily Astorian localize the five- part “Cascadia Day” series that ran in The Daily Asto- rian Feb. 20 through Feb. 27. I don’t think enough is being done locally. I live in Warren- ton, and the city is moving at a snail’s pace to address a siren system. We don’t have “go to bag” containers. A tsunami on the coast is going to be deadly. DUGAN JENNINGS Warrenton I Sanctuary cities hile so many of our pol- iticians are hoping to create an image of being kind hearted by supporting the ille- gal aliens, they probably are hoping that we don’t know, or care, what these aliens are doing in regard to our local and federal deficits and crime. The fact is that this is not only aiding and abetting ille- gal aliens, but it is also doing the same thing for enemy combatants, including Islamic terrorists, with the sanctuary city and state policies. Are we to believe that many of our politicians don’t really know what they’re doing by sup- porting the sanctuary policies? It’s probably not a good idea for the Democrats to sup- port our enemies with sanc- tuary policies. They just want to try to stop Trump from looking good, because I would think that would prob- ably cause a lot of their vot- ers to switch parties. But then maybe this is some good that can come from this stupidity. Are we going to eliminate all of our other laws that were established to protect our great country? JIM ELVIN Salem W Beyond Vietnam ifty years ago, on April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr., perhaps best known for his “I Have A Dream” speech, gave what is considered the most controversial sermon of his brief career: “Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence,” in front of 3,000 people at New York’s River- side Church. In a powerful indictment against the actions of the U.S. government, King spoke of how the triple evils of racism, militarism, and extreme mate- rialism must be overcome in order for our country to sur- vive. In this sermon, King repeatedly reminds us of the F connection between Ameri- can government violence in the world and how it impacts everyone, especially the poor, the vulnerable and people of color. King was murdered in Memphis exactly one year to the day after he delivered “Beyond Vietnam.” King’s words are a cau- tionary tale for us today, as we plunge deeper into the void of endless war, and the need to develop “beloved commu- nity” is greater than ever. The problems we face in 2017 are essentially the same as those in 1967, only with fewer resources and far more people in the world. Although King’s 1967 delivery of “Beyond Vietnam” is an historical event, if you substitute “Iraq,” “Afghani- stan,” “Syria,” ”Yemen,” etc., for “Vietnam” throughout the sermon, you will find it to be presciently topical. In commemoration of its 50th anniversary, an audio presentation of King deliver- ing “Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence” will be presented at Grace Epis- copal Church, 1545 Frank- lin Ave., on Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Following the sermon, we will sing a cou- ple of King’s favorite hymns. Those attending are encour- aged to stay after the event, and sit quietly or meditate in the candlelit church. Admis- sion is free, and childcare is available. For information, con- tact Janet Weidman at 503-325-1306. SUE SKINNER Astoria Kindness in Astoria his is just a shout out to the kind Astoria stranger who found my cellphone in the washroom at McDonald’s in Astoria while we were on vacation on the glorious Ore- gon Coast. Many thanks, too, to the staff at McDonald’s, for their kindness and securing the phone until we returned. MARIANNE GARRISON Maple Ridge, British Columbia T Voice of reason hen the Clatsop County commission was dom- inated by pro-growth-at-any cost zealots, Dirk Rohne was the sole voice of reason. The people of Clatsop County W came to Dirk’s aid, and voted in a new commission that was more responsive to the wishes of the people. We now have a dysfunc- tional Port commission that is in danger of becoming a sim- ilar entity. The difference in Dirk Rohne and his oppo- nent are marked. Dick Hell- berg has never met a develop- ment proposal he did not like. Dirk Rohne will consider the merits of any proposal with a discerning eye that has seen many issues over the years as a member of the Clatsop County commission and the board of Clatsop Community College. We urge all voters to cast their ballot for Dirk Rohne, the most qualified and reason- able candidate for the position of port commissioner. NED and LULU HEAVENRICH Astoria Quilt show he Peninsula Quilt Guild would like to say thank you to everyone who made the 22nd annual Quilting at the Beach quilt show an amaz- ing success. First, we would like to thank all of you who attended, it was fun for all of us to meet all of you. Thank you to all of you who purchased tickets for our beautiful raffle quilt; the funds made from their purchase will be going to local chari- ties soon. Then we want to thank the Columbia Pacific Heri- tage Museum, all the mer- chants who let us hang our posters and get the word out about this fantastic event, the Chinook Observer, The Daily Astorian, Cannon Beach Gazette, Seaside Sig- nal and the The Daily News of Longview, Washington. We especially want to thank all the guys who volunteered their time and muscle, and worked so hard setting up and taking down the show it. Is a big job, and we couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you again so very much to all of you. MERRI JOHNSON and the Peninsula Quilt Guild Ocean Park, Washington T Extra mile s a lifelong Astoria res- ident, my family and I have spent a significant A amount of time at Colum- bia Hospital, now known as Columbia Memorial Hospital — 98 years to be exact. Every department we have dealt with has exceeded our expecta- tions, and has gone the extra mile to provide excellent care. We have been fortunate to work with and meet outstand- ing human beings and pro- fessionals at CMH, includ- ing Dr. William Armington and his staff in the Radiol- ogy Department; Dr. Michael Lewis and his staff in the Pul- monology Department; Dr. Rachel Van Dusen and her nurse, Katie Bogh; the Cardi- ology Department; and espe- cially Allison Hall and Les- lie Claterbos, among others; and volunteers Peggy Person, Berit Madsen and Carol Ray, who give us their time weekly. The friendly gift store staff is welcoming, and does such a wonderful job keeping spir- its high with their beautiful merchandise. Our family truly appreci- ates all the professionals and staffs at Columbia Memorial Hospital who strive to make a difference in our commu- nity. We are so grateful to call Astoria our home. Keep up the excellent work, Erik Thorsen. KIM TINNER-SUPPLE Astoria A chilling trend uring the infamous Kristallnacht of 1938, D 5A non-German Jewish fathers were suddenly extracted (without legal representa- tion) and sequestered by Ger- man police from their German wives and children. The wives and children had limited, if any, access to their husbands and fathers, who were the family breadwinners. Even at 10 years old in 1938, I was aware of this kind of cruelty. Shift now to Portland, Oregon. It was reported two weeks ago on local televi- sion that a Mexican father had been extracted without legal representation by ICE from his family — the chil- dren are American citizens — and sequestered near Tacoma, Washington. It was also reported that the mother was not permitted to visit him, and only was allowed to contact him every three days. If this television report was accu- rate, it is every bit as chilling as the events in Nazi Germany of 1938. The fear and unfairness being generated by Donald Trump and his appointees are unforgivable, and not at all characteristic of the U.S., into which I was born of an immi- grant Dutch mother (1928) raised, educated and became subsequently a father, grand- father and great-grandfather. I am ashamed of the character into which the U.S. seems to be developing. J. KAREL LAMBERT Hammond Well prepared rank Spence is running for a seat on the Port of Asto- ria Commission. My support for Frank couldn’t be stronger. Frank has a work history as a city and county manager over a 45-year career. He moved here to be closer to his family, and immedi- ately involved himself in a dozen groups over his four years, including Kiwanis, the North Coast Chorale, Colum- bia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Senior Center, Astoria Downtown Historic District Association, Cruise Hosts, and the Astoria Planning Commission. He has served on the Port’s Budget Committee for two years, and understands their complicated organization. He has focus, intelligence and energy. He knows how to work collaboratively with oth- ers. I’ve served on the Plan- ning Commission and county charter review with Frank. He shows up well prepared, asks good questions, and is able to take principled stands. The Port of Astoria needs him as a commissioner. JAN MITCHELL Astoria F A PRIL 6 Pulitzer Prize Winning Author and Journalist Buzz Bissinger A Columbia Forum Presentation Buzz Bissinger is among the nation’s most honored and distinguished writers. A native of New York City, Buzz is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Livingston Award, the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award and the National Headliners Award, among others. He also was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He is the author of the highly acclaimed nonfi ction books: Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City, Three Nights in August, Shooting Stars and Father’s Day. Buzz has been a reporter for some of the nation’s most prestigious newspapers; a magazine writer with published work in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine and Sports Illustrated; and a co-producer and writer for the ABC television drama NYPD Blue. Two of his works were made into the critically acclaimed fi lms: Friday Night Lights and Shattered Glass . Three more are in active development. Friday Night Lights also served as the inspiration for the television series of the same name. TO ATTEND: LIMIT E SEAT D For Members: Dinner & Lecture: $25 each; Lecture only: no charge RESER ING SPACE VE YOUR For Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture: $35 each; Lecture only: $15 ea. TODA Y! Appetizers will be available at 6 p.m. • Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The speaker will begin after the dinner service is complete and non-dinner members and guests of the audience take their seats. Forum to be held at the CMH Community Center at 2021 Exchange St., Astoria. ColumbiaForum FOR RESERVATIONS OR TO JOIN COLUMBIA FORUM CONTACT: Holly Larkins at 503.325.3211 ext. 227 or forum@dailyastorian.com by April 3, 2017 Columbia Forum is sponsored by: The Daily Astorian • Craft3 • OSU Seafood Laboratory • KMUN-FM Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa