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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017
CONTACT US
ewilson@dailyastorian.com
(503) 325-3211 ext. 257
COMMUNITY
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IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON
GREGORY AND SARA
“Gregory (pictured, right) and Sara (pictured, left) were left
behind after their owner passed away a couple of years ago,”
Rita Smith of the River Song Foundation wrote. “They have
had a caregiver, but Gregory is fairly tame, and should have been
put into a home right away. He came in with bad dental issues
and had obviously suffered a long time.
“Sara is his semi-tame offspring. Gregory has been neutered,
tested, immunized and had dental care. He may need manage-
ment for mild arthritis. He would like to be adopted into a loving
home where he can adjust to pet status again.”
Interested in adopting him, or in donating to help Rita con-
tinue the good work she’s doing rescuing cats? Call her at 503-
861-2003 or go to riversongfoundation.org
The immediate need is put a happy ending on Gregory’s sad
tale, and find him a forever home. “Sara will need a home as
well,” Rita added. “Maybe they could stay together?”
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
WHERE ARE YOU, OSKER?
n Oregon Coast Aquarium staff member, Jason King,
made an unusual find near Boiler Bay State Park,
which was jokingly referred to as a UFO, in this case
meaning an Unidentified Floating Object (aquarium.org/
tag/osker). It is pictured, courtesy of the Oregon Coast
Aquarium.
“I was beachcombing along the wrack line when I spot-
ted what looked like a Frisbee under some driftwood and
bull kelp,” King recalled. “When I went in for a closer
look, it appeared to be a floating portable speaker because
of the Bluetooth symbol. After retrieving it and clearing
some debris, I realized that it was a scientific instrument of
some kind.” But what kind?
The letters OSKER were visible, and it took some
research to find out the object was an Iridium Surface
Tracking System. There was also contact information, so
King sent off an email. Stephen Page, Oceanographic
Monitoring Coordinator for the Institute of Ocean Sci-
ences in Sidney, British Columbia, replied.
“The drifter you found is part of our (ocean) surface
circulation studies on the West Coast,” he wrote. It’s used
to “calibrate oceanographic circulation models, understand
surface drift and to give insights into where spills, debris or
any floating item may end up.”
This particular OSKER was deployed Sept. 1 at the
mouth of the Juan de Fuca Strait, and transmitted data via
satellite until its battery died Sept. 21. King found it 300
miles south of its last transmission. “I immediately felt
a sense of joy and accomplishment,” he noted, “as after
many years of searching beaches for treasures, I had never
found anything like it!”
OSKER is being sent home to be refurbished for, what
Page calls, “another adventure at sea.”
A
M
itch Eckhardt moved to Astoria from Livingston, Texas,
because he understandably “fell in love with its charming
feel and beautiful scenery.” Now he wants to get to know Astoria,
and Astorians, with his Tell Me Astoria project (facebook.com/
TellMeAstoria or @tellme.astoria).
“Most photographers shoot the gorgeous scenery around here,
and I will too,” he wrote, “but I also want to photograph the peo-
ple who were either born here, ended up here or chose to be here,
just like me. The goal is to get to know this town from the peo-
ple who are here year-round, not just visiting in the summertime.
Although I’m not averse to including visitors in the project.
“I also hope that by getting to know those around us by read-
ing their stories, we can be a part of sparking real relationships
and get away from the cursory shallow conversations that we
normally share with one another. The statement for this project
is, ‘It’s hard to love people unless you get to know them.’
“So let’s get to know each other, love one another better, and
make Astoria as beautiful to live in together, as it is to see from
the eyes of those who visit for the first time. I’m looking forward
to getting to know you!”
Interested? Email him at mitcheckhardt@gmail.com
HAPPY NEW YEAR?
E
ver wonder how Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and
their Corps of Discovery spent New Year’s Day 1806 on the
North Coast? Their journals tell the tale (tinyurl.com/lcnewyear).
“The year commenced with a wet day; but the weather still
continues warm; and the ticks, flies and other insects are in abun-
dance …” Sgt. Patrick Gass wrote. Of historical note: “We gave
our fortification the name of Fort Clatsop.” (Shown, a soil paint-
ing of the fort by Jan Lang.)
“This morning I was awoke at an early hour by the discharge
of a volley of small arms,” Lewis recalled in his journal, “which
were fired by our party in front of our quarters to usher in the new
year; this was the only mark of rispect which we had it in our
power to pay this selibrated day.
“Our repast of this day, tho’ better than that of Christmass,
consisted principally in the anticipation of the 1st day of January
1807, when in the bosom of our friends we hope to participate in
the mirth and hilarity of the day … At present we were content
with eating our boiled elk and wappetoe (a tuber), and solacing
our thirst with our only beverage, pure water.”
THE REAL DEAL
E
ver wonder what happened to the two women, Tasha Fuiava
(pictured, left) and Jennifer Appel (pictured, right), and their
two dogs, who were “lost at sea”? They were rescued in October
around the same time as Astoria’s drifting sailor, Rimas Meleshyus.
A few days later, their story was questioned by almost every
media outlet on the planet, and few believed their tale. Well, the
ladies have been busy since coming home. And are very angry about
how their story was handled. They started a GoFundMe campaign,
“Truth in Media,” “to pursue the media who omitted and obfuscated
the facts surrounding our excursion in the Pacific Ocean.”
Unfortunately, nobody seems to be jumping on their band-
wagon, as in a month they have only received $15 of their $50,000
goal. They may be short on donations, but Appel says the hate
emails have been pouring over the transom at a steady rate.
To be fair, if you want to hear what the ladies consider to be
an accurate account of their travails, check out their podcast inter-
view with “Mr. Clean” on the Sailing Anarchy forum, “Two Girls,
One Mess” (tinyurl.com/2girls1mess). As Appel insists, “you can
only get the real deal from them.”
BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND
LOCAL BREVITIES
ong Beach Peninsula photographer Nellie Hux caught this
intriguing shot from Ledbetter Farms in Ocean Park, Wash-
ington, one recent (and rare) clear day. At first, the Ear was perplexed
by the sight of four windmills off the Washington coast, and won-
dered how they could have suddenly popped up, seemingly out of
nowhere.
Well, the answer is, of course, they didn’t; it’s an optical illusion.
The windmills are actually across Willapa Bay, up on a hill in Gray-
land, Washington. She took the photo on the ocean side of the penin-
sula, from the beach. An enlarged version of the photo can be found
at tinyurl.com/NellieHux
In fact, the 6 megawatt wind farm, a Coastal Energy Project of
the Coastal Community Action Program (CCAP), is not new to
the area at all. It was, in fact, installed in June 2010, and produces
around 13.5 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually (tinyurl.
com/CCAPwind). Better yet, the energy is then sold to the local pub-
lic utility district, and the revenue is used to fund CCAP programs
that help Grays Harbor and Pacific county low-income families.
“This project isn’t there to put money in stockholders’ pockets,”
Craig Dublanko, CEO of CCAP explained. “This project is here to
help the community succeed.”
L
F
rom the Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1885 edition of The Daily
Morning Astorian:
• The electric lights will not be lit till the arrival of the
new lamps, which are expected on Thursday’s steamer.
• Pilot Gunderson reports that while on the Gleng-
aber on Christmas Eve, about 50 miles west of Cape
Hancock they passed the wreck of a schooner, bottom
upward. She was about 50 feet in length; the rudder was
gone …
Note: Lt. William P. McArthur (pictured, left), sur-
veyed the West Coast in 1849 for the U.S. Coast Survey.
In June 1850, he dubbed the Cape Disappointment head-
land as Cape Hancock, according to us-lighthouses.com,
who thought the name was only used until 1870. Appar-
ently not.
• Clarence Whistler (pictured, right), the renowned
wrestler, died today from the effects of a big spree.
Note: He actually died Nov. 6, 1885, but the news of
his demise was likely delayed because he was in Austra-
lia at the time, according to the Pro Wrestling Historical
Society. After a championship bout Down Under, Whis-
tler, 29, went on a three-week binge. It’s widely specu-
lated he died either of alcohol poisoning or an infected
cut in his mouth caused by “chewing champagne bot-
tles and/or glasses.” The official cause of death was
pneumonia.
• It begins to look as though Dawne would make a
good starter for the proposed penal colony in Alaska.
Note: Sitka Judge E. J. Dawne fled Alaska to evade
arrest for forgery and embezzlement (tinyurl.com/badD-
awne). Apparently the penal colony was never built,
even though it was championed by several newspapers
around the nation as an ideal location since the 1870s.
• Upon the arrival of the Idaho at Port Townsend,
from Alaska on the 26th, the vessel was searched by cus-
tom house officers and $5,250 worth of opium was found
aboard.
Note: About $128,000 now. “The more things change,
the more they stay the same.” — Alphonse Karr
NO MITTENS REQUIRED
W
ant to go whale watching while gray whales are trav-
eling south to the Baja peninsula — but don’t want to
stand out in the wet and cold for hours just to hopefully catch
a glorious glimpse of a whale breaching?
Problem solved. Oregon State Parks has set up a live-
stream video camera at the Depoe Bay Whale Center for
Winter Whale Watch Week. You can get cozy and watch those
whales in the warmth of your own home at tinyurl.com/Depo-
eLive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday. You won’t even
need mittens.
COMMUNITY NOTES
SATURDAY
Sit & Stitch — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
Homespun Quilts & Yarn, 108 10th St.
Bring knitting, crochet or other nee-
dlework projects to this community
stitching time. All skill levels welcome.
Columbia Northwestern Mod-
el Railroading Club — 1 p.m., in
Hammond. Group runs trains on
HO-scale layout. For information,
call Don Carter at 503-325-0757.
Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m.,
Astoria Fiber Arts Academy, 1296
Duane St. Bring a spinning wheel.
For information, call 503-325-5598
or go to astoriafiberarts.com
33324 Patriot Way, Warrenton.
Group discusses issues facing re-
ligious faith in the modern secular
world. All are welcome. For informa-
tion, call 503-861-2421.
SUNDAY
Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m.,
Seaside American Legion, 1315
Broadway. For information, call
503-738-5111. No cost; suggested
$5 tip to the instructor.
Seekers Group — 6 to 7:30
p.m., Pioneer Presbyterian Church,
MONDAY — NEW
YEAR’S DAY
Grace and Encouragement
for Moms — 10 to 11:30 a.m.,
Crossroads Community Church,
40618 Old Highway 30, Svensen.
GEMS group is a time for moms to
relax and enjoy each others’ com-
pany. Free childcare is provided.
For information, call Rachael Bid-
dlecome at 503-458-6103.
Senior Lunch — No lunch is
served today.
p.m., Hotel Elliot conference room,
357 12th St. Visitors welcome. For
information, go to toastmasters.org
or call Christa Svensson at 206-
790-2869.
TUESDAY
Columbia Senior Diners — No
lunch is served today.
Warrenton Senior Lunch Pro-
gram — No lunch is served today.
Astoria Toastmasters — 6:30
Warbirds — 8 a.m., Labor
Temple Diner, 934 Duane St. All
air crew members and maintainers
welcome.
theran Church, 725 33rd St. All are
welcome. Donations of material al-
ways appreciated. For information,
call Janet Kemp at 503-325-4268.
Do Nothing Club — 10 a.m.
to noon, 24002 U St., Ocean Park,
Wash. Men’s group. For informa-
tion, call Jack McBride at 360-665-
2721.
Senior Lunch — 11:30 a.m.,
Stewardship Quilting Group
— 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., First Lu-
See NOTES, Page 2B