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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2017)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 FRIDAY EXCHANGE Embrace the spiders and replace the law, forcing a vote of the people in November. Measure 4-188 will revoke the right to live in neighborhoods free from commercial activity; peo- ple who bought or rented homes in a residential zone will find them- selves potentially surrounded by dwellings that are more like motels than houses, with all the atten- dant noise and profound disrup- tion. Profit, not community, will be the rule. Ironically, one of those spear- heading the drive for Measure 4-188 is a member of the Clatsop County Commission, a public body supposedly committed to finding solutions for the current housing crisis. Let’s hope that this anom- aly doesn’t reflect the position of a majority of commissioners, and that Clatsop County will, like Gearhart, take action to limit the scourge of short-term rentals. BILL BERG Gearhart I call October in Astoria the month of the spiders. This precludes the fact that I know little about spiders. But I do know this — in late sum- mer and early fall the maturing spi- ders come out in showy force, dis- playing their ability to spin webs, to be graceful and to be a thing of beauty and style. To me, what is most beautiful is the classic wheel-like webs which seem to be spun overnight. These are some of the webs that can catch, annoy and frighten people as they walk outside or on their porch in the morning. Not only are the webs beautiful, but also are the spiders who spin them. Maybe there is a common pho- bia against spiders. It can be scary when you run into a web which has you floundering around, slapping at it and shrieking. But it’s just a web. The spider often runs the other way. I am told by those more knowledge- able that there are many species of spiders in the U.S., including those established in Oregon, and that spi- ders are not bound by human terri- torial lines. Two in Astoria that spin the wheel-like web are the cross orbweaver and the black and yellow garden spider. The cross orbweaver has white spots on the abdomen that form a cross in most species. The female black and yellow garden spi- der is large and intimidating with its bold pattern. Most spiders here are not poisonous to humans, and pose no threat except being bothersome. They go away after the season. So I say, embrace the spiders and enjoy them and their beauty before the harsh days of winter. NORM HOOGE Astoria Let’s use clean energy M any thanks to the folks who clean up the beaches and the highways of the most beautiful place on earth, the Northwest Coast (“Beach cleanups in Gearhart, Sea- side and Cannon Beach,” The Daily Astorian, Sept. 24). We also need to reduce the invis- ible airborne litter — carbon diox- ide from burning oil, coal and nat- ural gas that is threatening coastal industries. Today’s students test emissions from burning things and find car- bon dioxide. They add carbon diox- ide to a bottle of air, and see it holds more heat than a bottle of plain air. They add carbon dioxide to water, making carbonic acid and watch it soften oyster, clam and crab shells. Students see heat melts ice and expands the volume of water, so rising sea levels make sense. Science is just observation and measurement. The decision by the Washing- ton State Department of Ecology to deny a water quality permit for a coal terminal is a signal to inves- tors that clean energy will be a good choice The renewable energy indus- try grew by 18 percent last year, and employed almost 400,000 more people than the fossil fuel industry. Polls show that over 70 per- cent of voters want more solar and wind energy. A transition to a clean energy economy is a smart choice. LOUISE STONINGTON Seattle Investing in food co-op M y wife and I are excited about the new Astoria Co-oper- ative store to be built on Marine Drive near the Mill Pond Village. We have been shoppers at the co-op since the late 1970s, and have been impressed with the changes that have come about since it became a co-operative about eight years ago. Last week we bought shares in the co-operative and are enthusias- tic about its future prospects. The growth in membership — 4,000 members and counting — has been incredible, and we are excited to have a larger store to shop in that is still located in Astoria. Living east of town in Brownsmead makes the site very attractive for avoiding the traffic issues in the Warrenton area. We have always valued the excellent produce and organic prod- ucts that the co-operative has to offer. The idea of food for people above food for profit, and the sup- port of local growers and food pro- ducers, is key to our shopping val- ues. The fresh produce offered there is of much better quality than one can find in the other markets in the area, and the prices are competi- tive. I know that expanding the size of the store will give the Astoria Co-operative the chance for more offerings and lower prices that we will take advantage of. It will also create many more local jobs in our area. If you are living in Oregon, you have the opportunity to invest in this new and bigger Astoria Co-op- erative. I urge everyone who likes shopping at the Astoria Co-opera- 5A Really disgusted tive to stop by and see what invest- ing in the future can bring to us all. If you’ve never experienced shop- ping at the co-operative, I encour- age you to do so and see what the store has to offer. NED HEAVENRICH Astoria Send bills to NRA A bout the horrible tragedy in Las Vegas: It makes me wonder why the poor victims have to post GoFundMe accounts on the internet to somehow help with their medical expenses. In my humble opinion, I think all of their bills should be sent to the National Rifle Association (NRA), along with all the senators and congressmen who have voted against logical gun control. JOYCE C. HOFFMAN Warrenton Don’t be fooled T he supporters of Measure 4-188 want unlimited, unregulated short-term rentals. They talk as if they’re doing something great for Gearhart. These big-money absen- tee landlords and vacation rental companies care little about our community and neighborhoods. They care only about making easy money, packing as many people as possible into as many houses as possible. They don’t care our City Coun- cil, with the support of Gearhart residents, established Short-term Rental Ordinance 901. They don’t care that the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) upheld our ordi- nance. They don’t care that it cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees just to have LUBA uphold the ordinance with no changes. They don’t care that many rental permit holders support Ordinance 901. They don’t care that Mea- sure 4-188 will destroy our family neighborhoods and our town’s res- idential character. As Gearhart res- idents we should be concerned, not fooled. Look at a few of their demands: • Unlimited number of rentals. To keep Gearhart special, we need a residential balance. This balance includes rentals of more than 30 days (long-term) available for hous- ing in our family neighborhoods. As residents we are, and should be, the backbone of our special town. • No septic inspections. They show no concern that rentals filled to capacity will overload septic sys- tems. This could force all residents to pay for an expensive sewer sys- tem. They are not concerned that some short-term rentals have cess- pools. Do you want this? • No parking or garbage regula- tions. This will lead to over-parked neighborhoods with renters’ gar- bage in your street. Show you are concerned. Vote “no” on Measure 4-188. WILSON MARK Gearhart Witches M any years ago, a picture appeared in The Daily Asto- rian of a witch someone made and put up high on a power pole at the east end of town. The witch looked like she had been riding her broom and crashed into the power pole. Everyone thought is was clever and funny. For all the years since then, the witches have appeared on every power pole, all at the same height, throughout downtown Astoria. None of them ever were clever or funny. They are like telling the same knock-knock joke over and over, year after year, which is just not funny any more. They are not a beloved tradition. Last year the witches all appeared in bright rainbow colors. What’s with that? Everyone knows witches wear black. Please don’t put them up again. As an Astorian, I’m embarrassed by them. How about decorating down- town in a harvest theme, with pumpkins and corn stalks and col- ored leaves and some Halloween decorations? ROGER McKAY Astoria Vote for library S oon Warrenton voters will have the opportunity to support Mea- sure 4-189, which, if approved, will fund the Warrenton Community Library for the next five years. The library recently moved to its new location at 160 S. Main Ave. from the old Hammond Town Hall build- ing. In a few short months, mem- bership has increased dramatically, as has computer access and use. New programming for chil- dren has been started that includes story time and crafts. The summer lunch program met there this past summer. There are now even more enthusiastic volunteers who assist the part-time site manager and part- time assistant. Please support the Warrenton Community Library and its abil- ity to serve Warrenton residents, which complements other develop- ment work as the city and its resi- dents work hard to grow businesses and develop residential housing. A library is an absolutely fundamen- tal component when we measure livability. It’s important to remember that if the levy doesn’t pass, the library will close within months. Let’s keep the momentum going. Vote “yes” on Measure 4-189. Please go to https://savethewar- rentonlibrary.com for more information. EILEEN PURCELL Secretary, Warrenton Community Board Library Board Keep Oregon residential I n response to David Townsend’s letter (“Other side of rentals,” The Daily Astorian, Sept. 29): Let’s get the facts straight. David Townsend is an out-of-state owner of a Gearhart short-term vacation rental, and owner of a political con- sulting company representing other short-term vacation rental owners. His company is working to con- vince Gearhart voters to repeal and replace the current city regulations with a measure which would result in an unlimited number of short- term vacation rentals in Gearhart. Townsend says our property val- ues are being affected under the current city regulations. He is try- ing to scare Gearhart homeowners. He says you may not be able to sell your home if we don’t allow unlim- ited vacation rentals. That is not the truth. Here are the facts. Since the implementation of the current Gear- hart short-term rental regulations, there has been a boom in the sale of Gearhart homes to people looking for full-time residences. Houses in Gearhart have recently sold at full price after being on the market for just one day. There’s so much new construction that local contractors are booked out for over a year. Yes, you can easily sell your house today under the current short-term rental regulations. Townsend is also selling the notion that his short-term rental measure will be good for the Gear- hart economy. What really is good for the Gearhart economy is more full-time residents who patronize local businesses all year, instead of having to rely on visitors during the summer, and then trying to survive the winter months. Vote “no” on Measure 4-188. Keep Gearhart residential. RANDY WILTGEN Gearhart Nation should repent I would like to address the author of the Opinion page article “No way to make sense of the senseless” (The Daily Astorian, Oct. 3). Actu- ally, I would like to strongly dis- agree with this idea that there isn’t any way to understand this kind of behavior where a very rich, mature adult commits mayhem by pur- posely murdering 59, and injuring countless others as well. In a way, he was expressing what our humanistic teachers, pro- fessors, politicians and other lead- ers have been espousing as “truth” for many years in this modern soci- ety of ours: That is, the philosophy of the humanists, which ultimately declares “life is meaningless.” If we had crawled out of some mud hole, grew limbs and hair, eventually becoming truck drivers, lawyers, etc., then who in heaven (if it exists) are we answerable to? If there is no heaven to gain and no hell to shun, then life is meaning- less. And, there is no reason to fear killing as many as you can, for who will punish you? Our forefathers certainly didn’t believe this, nor did they found this nation on such principles as: Do your own thing, and nothing mat- ters except to get all the pleasure out of life that you can, no matter who you step upon along the way. They knew (even if we have forgot- ten) that the more individual free- doms one has, the more responsibil- ity he has. Or put another way, if the Ten Commandments are not written upon men’s hearts, bringing about self-control, then more serious external controls are needed. Con- sequently, those more tyrannical modes of governing societies are undoubtedly coming our way if we do not repent as a nation, and seek the kind of meaningful change from God Almighty that we as a people so desperately need. CARL YATES Seaside Short-term rental scourge F aced with a crisis in hous- ing availability that affects the economy of the entire county, and advised by the county manager that “the vacation rental industry will continue to grow for the foresee- able future” (“Clatsop County ready to tackle vacation rentals,” The Daily Astorian, Sept. 26), the Clat- sop County Commission is choos- ing, paradoxically, not to limit, but merely to regulate, short-term rent- als of less than 30 days — with full knowledge that the conversion of a growing number of dwellings into vacation rentals is a major source of frustration not just for prospective employees, desperate for a place to buy or rent, but for their potential employers as well. By enacting legislation aimed at keeping short-term rentals to a min- imum, Gearhart, now celebrating its centennial as an independent city, has taken a major step toward alle- viating the shortage of homes to buy or rent long-term. But Gearhart now faces a fateful election that will determine whether the dates 1918- 2018 will be inscribed on a mile- stone or on a tombstone. Failing their attempt with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals to find flaws in Gearhart’s law upholding the zoning ordinance and limiting short-term rentals, absentee owners and vacation rental agencies have now resorted to a public ref- erendum, Measure 4-188, to repeal I read the story the other day about the tragic fight between two peo- ple that led to the life-changing and life-ending decision to jump into a 3,000 pound automobile, allegedly under the influence, and try to flee the police, and ending in the hor- rific crash that, at this writing, ended one innocent life and caused horrible damage to the other vic- tim (“Woman in fatal Seaside crash charged with manslaughter,” The Daily Astorian, Oct. 2). The whole episode is really gut-wrenching. One mistake led to another, and then another, and ends in blood and death. I feel terrible for all concerned; victims of the crash, the driver, who’ll surely relive this day in agony the rest of her life; parents of the driver and parents of the victims, and all who know and loved these people. But to tell you the truth, I was really disgusted with The Daily Astorian. Of course you must state the name of the driver, but what kind of newspaper then sets forth to name the parents of the driver, and go into detail about the father’s recent law- suits and disagreements with Josh Marquis, the district attorney? Were her parents in the car with her? Were they leading the get- away? No, they weren’t involved at all, nor were the parents of the vic- tims. What a tawdry little ending to this story. I can’t help but think The Daily Astorian holds some kind of grudge against this family, and decided to pile on. Check your back issues. Rarely, if ever, have I read of this kind of story that refers to past legal deal- ings on the part of the parents, who were not involved at all in the story. Boy, remind me not to get on your bad side, you might bring up my ter- rible Little League batting average. I hope you get a lot of letters, because this was crappy journalism at its worst. GEORGE GIDEON Seaside Stop glorifying violence T his nation has just experienced a record-breaking mass shoot- ing. I see that the forces for gun control are basking in its glaring spotlight. May I respectfully remind my readers that thousands of laws: federal, state and local, have been written in vain. Should one examine the statis- tics, one might conclude that gun control laws actually increase the frequency and extent of these mas- sacres. I would hope that intelli- gent people would realize that it is impossible to cure a sick society by laws. Laws are written by lawyers, who are a contentious lot, and make their livings through contentions. Would we, at the cradle, stop exposing ourselves to glorified vio- lence and mayhem, by way of tele- vision, and motion pictures, and to a lesser extent in all media, the love for this inhumane action might be reduced. Observe closely how vil- lains, criminals, malcontents and depraved individuals are made over into sympathetic heroes, often car- rying firearms, sometimes grossly enlarged and fantastical; how through violence and man-made catastrophe a panacea of sorts may be achieved, in these fictions. Terrorists, too, have their heroes exploited on the news. Public- ity is what they yearn for. See how a few craven souls with box cut- ters can bring down the economic giant, at least for a few weeks. See the planes crash, the buildings fall, again and again, for weeks, months, years, perhaps forever. Building another World Trade Center, at least here in the U.S., is not the best idea to come to my attention. What more can a terrorist want? … Well, there are those 40 virgins, I suppose. BENJAMIN A. GREAVES Seaside
