Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2017)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2017 FRIDAY EXCHANGE A couple of things ast week, after the Hallow- een massacre in New York, there was a press conference at One Police Plaza. The governor was there, and the mayor was there, and various representatives of the New York Police Department. A lot of people. Many of them took turns offer- ing condolences, encouraging cit- izens to be strong, to not be fear- ful. There was something odd to me about the conference. Then I real- ized what was wrong. No women were represented. No women spoke. Not one. How could this be? Decades ago, the traditional fish- ing villages on the Columbia were flooded out when three dams were built. The tribes were promised that the villages would be rebuilt, and they never were. In 2016, with the encouragement from former President Obama, the feds finally acknowledged that responsibility to the Warm Springs, Yakama, Uma- tilla and Nez Perce, and the initial planning began. The Army Corps of Engineers then made a request for the promised $1.6 million that was needed to finish the planning, and was abruptly denied by the admin- istration (read President Donald Trump). I can still remember going by the old tribal villages when I was a little girl. Sometimes we could get a glimpse of the fishing, and some- times we saw the very poor condi- tions the tribal members lived in. There were shacks beside the river that were in shambles. And still, the housing has never been replaced as promised. It was, and is, an outrage against humanity. We are certainly not the greatest nation in the world. Trump has shown that he has lit- tle interest in helping minorities. This is just another example. The feds could easily pay for the next planning of this much-needed tribal housing if Trump would donate the millions of dollars that it costs to fly back and forth to the White House and Mar-A-Lago a few times. MARY TANGUAY WEBB Astoria L Let Gearhart heal t’s time for the healing process to begin. The citizens of Gearhart have had a tumultuous couple of years. Measure 4-188 pitted neigh- bor versus neighbor, short-term rental owner versus citizen, and business owners versus the city. Our citizens voted overwhelm- ingly to keep Gearhart residential, and we all need to honor the will of our voters. But that doesn’t mean our work is finished. When we give our current regulations a chance to work, over time we will be able to identify parts that are working well, and parts that need fixing. I very much look forward to hearing com- mon sense ideas from all sides that benefit our citizens, while following the guidelines in our comprehen- sive plan. I encourage folks who have con- structive ideas to come to our City Council meetings, stop by City Hall and pick up a copy of our cur- rent regulations and comprehensive plan, or contact me and other coun- cilors at any time with suggestions. Protecting our residential zones, empowering our businesses and current business zones, and being welcoming to the influx of new full-time residents moving back to Gearhart, while welcoming our seasonal visitors, are not mutually exclusive ideas. With a near-record number of nightly rentals still oper- ating in Gearhart, and our new cit- izens finding available housing to make Gearhart their permanent home, we are primed for excellent economic conditions going into the next decade. Let’s all take a deep breath. We’ve all been through a lot, and now it’s time to come together and celebrate 100 years of this amaz- ing city next year. I look forward to continuing reaching out to folks with different opinions than my own, and help promote what we all love about Gearhart. There’s nothing we can’t solve if we respect each other, and work together. Cheers to 100 years of Gearhart, let the celebration and healing process begin. MAYOR MATT BROWN Gearhart I trates the brilliance of the Native American people who inhabited this area and built sustainable lifestyles, particularly through their ingenious use of cedar. Cronin calls Astor a pioneer. Pioneer is a term that refers to the first person to open or settle a region. The Clatsop-Nehalem and Chinook tribes were already here. Our vision for Clatsop County, and the cities within, needs to be based on an inclusive history that recog- nizes contributions of all peoples, not just Europeans. MARIAN DERLET Astoria Library access for kids read the article “Why every child needs a library card” (The Daily Astorian, Oct. 30) by R. J. Marx with great interest, but I found that I missed one very important point that Warrenton Library Director Nettie Calog filled in for me. The Reading Outreach in Clat- sop County program, commonly called ROCC, ensures that any child living in our county, in any of the five school districts, can get a library card from one of the three libraries in the program: Warrenton Library, Astoria Library or Seaside Library. It was not clear in the arti- cle that any child can ask for a free library card, no matter where they live within the county. I would hope that The Daily Astorian would do a little more to clarify that through the ROCC pro- gram, every child in our county has access to our libraries. This is a great program that needs promot- ing. Thank you to the librarians for coming together to make this pro- gram work. RICK NEWTON Warrenton City Commission I Water runs downhill y father quit school before he graduated from the eighth grade. Before this epiphany, he learned water runs downhill. There- fore, he went into the civil engineer/ land surveyor business. While thus employed he set the county line. You might think whoa, surely the county lines in New York state had been set before your father’s time. Probably that would have been the case, if that line didn’t directly cross a precipice rock that climbers come from miles around to practice their skills on. Shortly after my father’s accom- plishment, the state of New York decided, unilaterally, to require civil engineers/land surveyors to have a college degree in civil engineering/ land surveying. If perchance an employee, or employees, of my father had pro- duced a plan such as this, he would have kicked them out the door and redone the plan himself, so that a bus shelter did not serve as a conve- nient leak off for a major highway intersection (the southwest corner of U.S. Highway 101 and Ensign Lane in Warrenton). BENJAMIN A. GREAVES Seaside M Another Astoria vision More cooperation was puzzled and saddened by Kevin Cronin’s article, “My vision for Astoria” (The Daily Asto- rian, Oct. 31). The second objective dealt with empowerment, and sug- gested that along with a John Jacob Astor volunteer day, all should read “Astoria” by Peter Stark. The goal, as I understood it, was to cre- ate a sense of pride for the area we inhabit. A more appropriate initial read- ing would be the book “Cedar” by Hilary Stewart. Her research illus- I I have known Lianne Thompson for several years, and supported her election as commissioner in District 5. She has not disappointed me in her commitment to the needs of Clatsop County. Her work has been steadfast and exemplary. Rarely has there been a county commissioner more dedicated to service for the well-being of all in Clatsop County and beyond. She has done hours of volun- teer work, attended meetings, and has been receptive to the ideas from the communities she serves. Lianne studies issues from all angles, and is not beholden to any specific inter- est group. That she attends meet- ings and training outside of Clatsop County for knowledge and other perspectives is a plus. The number of assignments she has accepted, and her attention to them, is remarkable. In reading the numerous letters written in her sup- port, obviously she has made an impact in helping constituents in the county as a whole, which has been noted not only by state Rep. Deb- orah Boone, but by commissioners from other counties, and from those holding, or who have held, signifi- cant positions in Clatsop County. District 5 is large and diverse. The issues affecting coastal areas can be very different from those in rural areas. Commissioner Thomp- son works diligently to help find solutions to everyone’s needs: fam- ily-wage jobs, affordable housing, environmental impacts affecting regional livelihoods, and prepared- ness to deal with catastrophes and recovery. In the future, I would hope that the commission would find ways to address the challenges facing Clat- sop County with more coopera- tion, and less castigation. There is, indeed, value in listening to other perspectives on issues. No one has all the answers. I will, indeed, support Lianne Thompson for another term repre- senting District 5. KAREN HOYT Cannon Beach Patriot Hall thanks latsop Community College would like to say thank you to everyone who participated in the Veterans Day ceremony and reded- ication of Patriot Hall. So many thanks go to the American Legion Clatsop Post 12, Cory Pederson, band director of Jewell School and organizer of our 100-plus com- munity band representation at the event, CCC student veteran volun- teers, and facilities services crew who prepped Patriot Hall for the event. CCC Veteran Services was present to offer information, and Bandit Café made a delicious light lunch for all. We appreciate everyone who attended, and all the musicians and singers who gave us their time and talent. We cannot say enough about the Jewell School Wind Ensemble and the amazing members who per- formed “Taps” on bugles. The event was filled with song and ceremony, and Patriot Hall is now officially rededicated to honor those who have served. JULIE KOVATCH Astoria C Thompson earned respect latsop County Commissioner Lianne Thompson has earned our respect, gratitude and admi- ration. I have observed her work tirelessly on a variety of projects that benefit the citizens of Clatsop County, including economic devel- opment, affordable housing and community emergency response preparations. My experience is that she always presents herself very profession- ally and passionately. I particularly appreciate her emphasis on com- munity service built on trust, hon- esty and integrity. She strives to understand a situation thoroughly, and another’s point of view, before effectively communicating her own, resulting in meaningful and reward- ing collaborations. Commissioner Thompson has truly embraced her responsibilities to the county and its constituents by C helping to emulate the proper roles we should expect from our elected representatives. She holds herself, and therefore the county, account- able for their actions, and has always sought to involve stakehold- ers rather than exclude them from the public process. I appreciate how she respects the diversity within our county with relation to us as individuals, and within the various business sectors of our community. Commissioner Thompson’s inclusiveness and compassion for a diverse group of stakeholders is a trademark of her interactions, a sign of her strengths and wisdom as a trailblazer, and the type of leader that makes our com- munity a special place to live, work and show pride. MARK MORGANS Cannon Beach Thompson’s behavior am troubled by recent letters sup- porting Commissioner Lianne Thompson that suggest that Chair- man Scott Lee, and the com- missioners asking for her res- ignation, are the ones acting unprofessionally. For the better part of a year I attended Clatsop County Commis- sion meetings in order to make reg- ular public testimony on the Linn County timber lawsuit. I can say unequivocally that during that time I never observed any behavior, or heard comments made by Chair- man Lee or the other commission- ers, that were in any way unpro- fessional. Regrettably, I cannot say the same about Commissioner Thompson. At one of the meetings, I pointed out that Commissioner Thomp- son’s husband serves as the busi- ness manager for Linn County, and was integral to the filing of the tim- ber lawsuit. I suggested that she recuse herself on the lawsuit vote. I made this suggestion after confer- ring with someone who had served on various boards who agreed that recusal would be the professional thing to do. Thompson’s reaction to my suggestion was one of defiance, because I was bringing up her “per- sonal life.” At another meeting, Thomp- son claimed that she had not been on the commission when the vote was taken to approve the Clat- sop County Vision 2030 Together plan, which demonstrates the pub- lic’s support for conservation of for- est lands. A review of the record showed that Thompson was on the board at the time, and had voted to approve the plan. When confronted with the misrepresentation of her voting record, Thompson said she had “a senior moment.” That’s a difficult excuse to accept, considering the importance of that vote. In her efforts to keep Clatsop County in the class of the lawsuit, Thompson discredited the Vision Plan because the meetings held by the research firm conducting the study were only attended by “activ- ists.” Having attended one of those meetings myself, I can say that was not the case. Finally, when the over- whelming majority of public com- ments, along with many emails and letters sent to the commission called for opting out of the lawsuit, Com- missioner Thompson chose to go against the public with her vote. ROGER DORBAND Astoria I What’s going on? live in the Coast Range of Clat- sop County where, for the most part, we require few county ser- vices. We rely on our volunteers for fire suppression, motor vehi- I 5A cle rescue and traffic control, emer- gency medical services, removal of downed trees on state and county roads and handling all manner of high winds, flooding and landslides. We worked hard to see that our representative to the Clat- sop County Commission, Lianne Thompson, was duly elected to speak for us as a commissioner about rural housing, jobs and envi- ronmental protection. When she educates herself within county guidelines and is then publicly excoriated under the guise of “reviewing travel/expenses pol- icy,” told repeatedly that her atten- dance at seminars has “no value,” and subjected to a PowerPoint pre- sentation containing inaccurate information and exaggerated graph- ics, it gets my dander up (“Lee calls for Thompson’s resignation,” The Daily Astorian, Oct. 26). What’s going on? Why does my commissioner have to ask the chair- man to stop members of the gal- lery from repeatedly displaying her campaign T-shirt with an X across it? Where did respect at public meetings go? Why have there been five commissioners (with four-year terms) in our rural district since 2009? Where can I get these dis- turbing questions answered? DIANE JETTE Elsie Politics in church he Johnson Amendment — named for Lyndon Johnson, when he was a senator — prohib- its all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi- zations, including churches from endorsing, opposing or fundrais- ing for political candidates. It does not prohibit churches from talking about the issues of an election, or politics in general. There is currently a movement in Congress to repeal this amend- ment by those churches that want to endorse or oppose candidates or fundraise for candidates. Under the guise of “religious freedom” this action will allow churches and non- profits to funnel money, which is given to them with a tax deduction for donors, to candidates of their choice. Churches and clergy still have freedom of speech, just not to fundraise or advocate for or against candidates. The Episcopal Church opposes this repeal, along with almost 100 other denomi- nations. This repeal is in the tax plan now. Write your senators and representative. REV. ANN FONTAINE Cannon Beach T The wall am totally disheartened with the way our government has taken respect for ourselves and thrown it out with the trash. Americans have children in the military who are being killed in action almost daily. God forbid we make it pub- lic, and give respect to one of our own for making the ultimate sacri- fice. The least we all need to do is publish that service person’s name, and cherish their actions for as long as we live. Today less than one-half of 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the military. That is 1 out of 200 people. No one knows we are losing an average of five service people a week. Yes, severe conse- quences may happen if you sign that dotted line, but without risk there can be no reward. Let me put this in context for way too many “Americans” to understand. A television show called “Game of Thrones” has knights and dragons. Besides all the drama there is “the wall,” a gla- cier cliff manned by very few to defend the realm against an army of ice zombies. Only those who are slaves or duty-bound serve at the wall. With so few having the honor to serve for others, the ice wall is blown apart. Now, as someone who has put his own life on that dotted line, I can tell all who may read this: Not making a public ceremony for a fallen hero, someone who has put your way of living ahead of their own, is the biggest disrespect that can be done to that soldier, sailor, Marine, airman, guardsman and their families. Wackos who murder people get much more “script” than my family in arms. That is pathetic. It’s time to stop taking the priv- ileges and freedoms 200 of you take for granted because of that one poor neighbor kid who will stand at the wall for you. Not for himself, as much as for his understanding that freedom is not free. So pretty please, let us get back to showing respect wherever and whenever a service person dies. It may help to burst the bubble too many Amer- icans are living in for freedom’s sake. TROY HASKELL Astoria I