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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2017)
CHRISTMAS GOES TO THE DOGS (AND CATS) COAST WEEKEND • INSIDE DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 145TH YEAR, NO. 114 Health advisory lifted for Coffenbury Lake algae ONE DOLLAR PEARL HARBOR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE Toxin levels are still dangerous for dogs By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Coffenbury Lake in Fort Stevens State Park is safe for people again, but the water is still dangerous for dogs. The Oregon Health Authority lifted a health advisory on Wednesday that it had issued in July over blue-green algae and the toxins they produce. Tests showed lev- els have fallen below state guidelines for human exposure. Toxin levels remain above the very low exposure levels established for dogs, said Rebecca Hillwig, a state natural resource specialist. The large harmful algae bloom was a first for Coffenbury Lake. Rangers posted signs warning people away from the water and plan to keep a close eye on conditions at the lake in the future, Park Manager Jus- tin Parker said. This summer, rangers were tipped off that something was wrong when they saw the greenish color of the water and the appear- ance of a thick scum on the surface of the lake. “If it’s a gray area, we could close it or not,” Parker said. “We tend to err on the side of public safety.” The health advisory at Coffenbury Lake didn’t seem to discourage visitors during the park’s busy summer months. People still held picnics and parties and hiked around the lake, Parker said. “Some folks chose to ignore the ‘avoid contact’ warnings and went in (the water) anyway,” he added. Only a handful of lakes and waterways across Oregon are monitored for blue-green algae, Hillwig said. “You’re your own best advocate,” she said, recommending people pay close atten- tion to water they plan to enter or let pets or children play in. The Oregon Health Authority says peo- ple, especially small children and pets, should avoid areas where the water is foamy, scummy or thick like paint, and pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red in color. Some- times a thick mat of the algae is visible, or bright green cells are suspended in the water column. In such cases, people should avoid any activities in or around the water that could lead to them accidentally inhaling or ingesting droplets. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Warnings were posted around Coffen- bury Lake near Fort Stevens State Park last summer because of the presence of blue-green algae. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Spurgeon Keeth, center, visits with people at a ceremony at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center to honor the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Keeth is the last living Clatsop County survivor of the attack. Ceremony marks 76th anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian S EASIDE — Before the Pearl Har- bor Day of Remembrance began this morning, Maurie Hendrickson of Clatsop Post 12 American Legion sat waiting with a box filled with his friend’s hat, yearbook and personal notes. His friend, Ray Lukenbill, died last September. He was a survivor of the Japanese attack in Hawaii, and the notes in the box detailed his time as a Navy man on the USS Tennessee. “You can see sometimes his writing was concise, but others the handwriting is hard to discern — from fatigue,” Hen- drickson said. Hendrickson was one of the doz- ens who gathered to remember the 76th anniversary of Pearl Harbor at Seaside Civic and Convention Center. The military strike by Japanese air- craft against the naval base at Pearl Har- bor killed more than 2,400 military per- sonnel on Dec. 7, 1941. The remembrance, sponsored by Sea- side American Legion Post 99, featured a Coast Guard flyover and wreath-lay- ing ceremony at Pearl Harbor Memo- rial Bridge. It was conducted by Spur- geon D. Keeth, who was stationed at Veterans salute during a wreath-laying ceremony in Seaside on the 76th anni- versary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. the Army’s Schofield Barracks on Oahu during the attack and is the county’s last remaining survivor. Seaside’s Pearl Harbor remembrance was driven by Bill Thomas, a seaman on the USS Medusa who died earlier this year. In the 1970s, Thomas moved to Seaside, where he rallied for veterans and proposed a Pearl Harbor memorial on the First Avenue Bridge in 2000. Steven Gibson, the Seaside Ameri- can Legion Post 99 commander, thanked those who served and called upon the audience to never forget the history that brought them together. “I don’t want to make this a history lesson, but I think it’s really important to understand what really happened,” Gibson said. Hendrickson, an Army veteran him- self, remembers history through the memory of his friend. “After the war he really wanted to put it all behind him,” he said. “He was a humble man, a quiet man — but you knew he had steel underneath.” Locals get credit for investing in downtown landmark Property tax break helps with renovation By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Marcus and Michelle Liotta knew the dire condition of the Mary & Nellie Flavel Build- ing when they purchased the expansive property last year for $135,000. The 93-year-old, 8,000- square-foot building, named after the late Capt. George C. Flavel’s wife and daugh- ter, had been an eyesore for decades, one of the last hold- ings of the famous Astoria family. Restore Oregon had added the structure to a list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places. The Liottas submitted a plan to the State Historic Preserva- tion Office to spend upward of $1 million — including their own sweat equity — restor- ing the M&N Building. They recently secured a 10-year property tax abatement to hold down the assessed value while they bring the ailing down- town landmark back to life. “We’re both just really excited to just see this end goal of having it fully restored and bringing life to this part of downtown,” Marcus Liotta said. One of the first steps was to stabilize the uneven build- ing. Bergeman Construction installed more than 20 earth anchors around the base, some digging down 60 feet through the sandy bottom under the city to reach more solid ground. See LANDMARK, Page 7A Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Michelle and Marcus Liotta discuss progress to the fa- cade of the Mary & Nellie Flavel Building in downtown As- toria with new tenant Robert Seitz.
