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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Water
under
the bridge
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
DEBRA BLOOM
Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
The Japan Azalea docked here Friday night and
began loading logs Saturday at the west side of Pier
2.
Compiled by Bob Duke
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
10 years ago
this week — 2008
History. With its 2011 bicentennial approaching, Astoria
has a lot to offer.
Speaking to the Clatsop County Historical Society’s annual
meeting, Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham, a professor of history at
Lewis and Clark College, offered guests a glimpse of possibil-
ities for a bicentennial celebration.
Beckham, a contributor to “Eminent Astorians” — a book
recognizing the city’s bicentennial that will be published ahead
of the anniversary — said celebration has been an important
part of Northwest life.
He said Native Americans held potlatches to display
wealth and personal prowess, using feasts, gifts and dancing.
Scandinavian Days filled the city’s streets for the midsum-
mer festivals with parades, picnics and dancing.
The erection of the Astoria Column was complete — but
the application of the sgraffito mural around its outside by a
capricious Italian artist from New York wasn’t — when its
dedication took place July 22, 1926.
But, one particular Fourth of July celebration bore partic-
ular scrutiny.
Beckham read an 1856 excerpt from James G. Swan, who
wrote several books, describing the celebration.
“It was proposed to close the performances of the day by
going on top of the cliff opposite and make a tremendous big
blaze. This was acceded to, and some six or eight immedi-
ately crossed the creek and soon scrambled to the top of the
hill, where we found an old hollow cedar stump about 20 feet
high. We could enter this on one side, and found it a mere shell
of what had once been a monster tree.
“I had with me a little rifle, which measured, stock and all,
but 3 feet long. With this I measured across the space, and
found it was just six lengths of my rifle, or 18 feet, and the tree
— undoubtedly when sound — must have measured — with
the bark on — at least 60 feet in circumference.
“We went to work with a will and soon had the stump filled
with dry spruce limbs which were lying about it in great quan-
tities — and then set fire to the whole.
“It made the best bonfire I ever saw. And after burning all
night and part of the next day, finally set fire to the forest,
which continued to burn for several months, ‘till the winter
rains finally extinguished it.”
50 years ago — 1968
The 564-foot freighter Japan Azalea, newly build
for the log trade between Pacific Northwest ports
and Japan, is here this week on its maiden voyage,
loading approximately 8.2 million board feet of logs
for Shimizu, Japan.
The Oregon Supreme Court today cleared the way for
construction of a huge aluminum reduction plant at Warren-
ton financed by tax-free revenue bonds for the plant, to be
built by a combine of Japanese and American firms.
The court ruled there was nothing in the proposed agree-
ment with Northwest Aluminum Co. that would make tax-
payers liable in the event of default on the bonds.
Forty occupants of John Jacob Astor hotel were
vacating the establishment Thursday, following issu-
ance of an order by the city government Wednesday
condemning the eight-story hotel building.
Leon Overbay, city building inspector, said the
order was issued because of long-standing reg-
ulations and because of failure to meet sanitary
standards.
Overbay said that succeeding owners of the hotel
have been on notice since 1962 that they must make
various improvements required by the state fire
marshal, but that these improvements have never
been made.
75 years ago — 1943
State Civilian Defense Coordinator Jerrold Owen today
warned the people of Oregon to be on their toes. The dan-
ger of enemy attack coming from the west, the north or even
from the east, he said, is definitely in the realm of possibility.
Commenting on the numerous carefully worded state-
ments by leading military and government officials which
in recent weeks have drawn attention to the increasing men-
ace of enemy attacks, Owen agreed the greatest danger to the
coast was that of Jap carriers moving in unnoticed.
“But,” he pointed out, “Land based planes from Kiska in
the Aleutians could fly south over the sparsely settled Cana-
dian wilds and sweep in on Portland or Seattle from the east.”
The secret is out! The call for hunting knives
broadcast over KAST last week was to equip sea-
men on a Liberty ship leaving from the port docks
here. The knives are essential, for the men use them
to open ammunition cans and also to cut loose life-
boats in the event their ship is torpedoed.
The call sent out by the Clatsop County Red
Cross chapter was successful as 18 knives were
turned in. One woman sent in two from Gearhart
by special delivery.
The Red Cross also wishes to thank Billie’s
appliance store and Dahlgren, McCartney and Sny-
der for the new phonograph records which they
donated.
Ration Chief D.J. Lewis is certain that the fuel oil rationing
can be worked out without hardship and all necessary adjust-
ments in allotments made if “the public will only bear with us
for a week or so until we get our machinery set up.”
Lewis is asking particularly that the public cease the
stream of questions which has reached the point of abuse at
times against volunteer workers on the fuel oil program and
members of the office staff. “These men and women,” he
explained, “have had no part in determining the allotments.
They’re only carrying out instructions.”
The Daily Astorian
Mark Lund, 19-year-old resident of 136 Lexington,
caught this 24 1/2-pound Chinook upriver from Astoria.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK
We value different opinions
N
obody reads the newspaper anymore.
If you believe that, come sit in
my chair for a day.
The phone rings at The Daily Astorian all
day long from people who read the news-
paper. Readers who want
to pay their subscription so
they keep receiving local
news daily. Advertisers who
want to place a help-wanted
ad because they know that
job seekers read the paper.
KARI
Community organizers
BORGEN
pitching news stories so that
the North Coast will learn
about their cause. Government officials
answering questions from reporters because
they’re accountable to voters who get their
local news from the newspaper.
Then there are the calls from the readers
who hold us accountable.
“I didn’t get my newspaper today.” (By
the way, we have a staffer devoted to taking
those calls until 6 p.m. every night so that
they can answer questions about missed or
late delivery.)
“You got it wrong.” We hate to make
mistakes, but love the chance to correct
them. Even small things count, and we
appreciate the readers who let us know
when we need to make it right.
“I don’t agree with that _________.”
Fill in the blank: opinion, letter to the editor,
meeting coverage, story position, photo
placement, cartoon.
I don’t mind those calls, either. All of
us have unique perspectives based on our
experiences. I think that a lot of the dissen-
sion we see now is a result of not listening
or respecting differing points of view.
Whether we agree or disagree at the end of
the call — or agree to disagree — listening
to a different opinion makes us think about
the other guy’s perspective. It makes us
smarter about the people we serve on the
North Coast.
Of course, everyone’s favorite call:
“Thank you!”
We have a lot of terrific readers and
advertisers who take the time to call and
let us know that their carrier does a great
job, that the reporter got the facts right,
that the ad worked. And to you I want to
say “thanks” for making an employee’s day
when they get your call.
As I mentioned in my last column, we
provide work for nearly 80 local people
here. And they are busy every day produc-
ing the content, printing, uploading, deliver-
ing … and answering the phone.
Don’t get me started about the volume of
emails we all get daily.
So when someone says, “Nobody reads
the newspaper anymore,” I’d challenge
them to tell that to our employees who are
busy serving the over 15,000 nobodies that
read The Daily Astorian in print and online
daily.
As always, if you have ideas on how you
think we can improve our service to you, let
me know at kborgen@dailyastorian.com
Kari Borgen is the publisher of The Daily
Astorian.