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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher Founded in 1873 JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager Water under the bridge JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager jeep route for hours awaiting their turn in the Army vehicles and that between $3,000 and $4,000 worth of war bonds were sold as a result of the attraction in Astoria and other Clatsop County communities. Compiled by Bob Duke From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers 10 years ago this week — 2008 The sale of the 423-acre DeLaura Beach property to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is nearly complete. The parcel will be added to Fort Stevens State Park. The on-again-off-again sale cleared one of its historically biggest hurdles Tuesday when the city of Warrenton signed off on it. Wednesday night, the Clatsop County Board of Commis- sioners unanimously approved selling the parcel to the state for $1.32 million during its regular meeting at the Judge Guy Boyington Building in Astoria. But OPRD will also be paying $220,000 to Warrenton to help pay for construction improvements to city trails adjacent to the property. “I’m obviously enthused for all the right reasons,” said Mike Stein, OPRD North Coast manager. “We’ve got a long working relationship with Warrenton Trails Association and a much more focused relationship with Oregon Equestrian Trails. If not for those relationships, I wouldn’t have started this process.” The December storm was not all bad news for the North Coast. At Sunset Beach, near the southern trailhead of the Fort-to-Sea Trail, an effort to clean up the downed shore pines is underway. Mike Stein, dis- trict manager of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, said it was Mother Nature’s way of taking care of a project he had hoped to do over sev- eral years. He described the shore pine as a transplanted forest, meant to stabilize the dune, that had not been properly thinned and thus was “well past maturity” when the storm hit. The Daily Astorian Much of DeLaura Beach is made up of broad expanses of beach grasses and sand. Clatsop County sold the property to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Depart- ment in 2008. 50 years ago — 1968 The once unwanted ferry M. R. Chessman will begin a jour- ney into federal service Monday or Tuesday when Knappton Towboat company tows it from the 14th Street ferry slip to a Portland dry dock. Elwyn Griffith, manager of Astoria Marine Construction company, said his firm had received a signed contract from the Northwest Procurement agency, Oakland, for overhaul of the Chessman. Clatsop College has already had more than 300 inquiries from prospective students for next fall term, college officials reported Wednesday. This is by far the greatest number of such inquiries the col- lege has ever received so far ahead of school opening. Oregon Seafoods Laboratory’s $180,000 plant at 36th and Lief Erikson was opened officially to the public at 2 p.m. Tues- day at a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted by two represen- tatives of the sponsoring agencies. The ribbon cutting climaxed an all-day series of talks by representatives of various agencies interested in the fishing industry. 75 years ago — 1943 Expected home shortly is Charles Drury, Warrenton, skip- per of a Portland-built Liberty freighter that was torpedoed recently in the north Atlantic. The entire crew was saved when the ship remained afloat 42 minutes after the torpedo hit, according to Kenneth Leatherman, Coquille, ship’s carpenter on the vessel. It was thought possible that two twin brothers from Astoria, Keith and Kermit Kinkade, 23, may also have been on the tor- pedoed vessel. Both hold the rank of seamen first class in the Navy and had been serving on Navy gun crews put on mer- chant vessels. It was known that a while back they were serv- ing on Capt. Drury’s ship, and a letter from the boys received recently gave rise to beliefs they had been rescued recently from a torpedoed vessel. Both graduated from the Astoria High School and enlisted together in the Navy in March, 1942. Their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Kinkade, reside at 427 14th St. About 1,000 cases of food, stored for emergency purposes at the county farm since last July, will be released for general use shortly, according to orders received Monday from the state public welfare com- mission. The canned food was stored in Astoria as well as 11 other places in the state to serve as emer- gency rations, in the event of air raids, invasion or other disaster. Plans to mobilize teenage boys and girls for farm work in Clatsop County during the summer were outlined today by County Agent A. Zundel. Cooperating in the venture will be various schools in the county and the U.S. employment service. Out of 452 farmers who signed up in the food production program in 1942, 167 indicated they would need additional help, outside their own families, and told the time of year the help would be needed. The results of this survey are tabulated in the county agent’s office, thus furnishing a guide on the amount of additional labor needed, and the time when needed. A check is being made in all the schools of boys and girls, from the seventh grade and up, who are willing to do farm work and whose parents are willing that they should. From far and near Astoria and Clatsop County, youngsters were on hand Saturday for their jeep rides at Gyro field. It is estimated that more than a thousand boys and girls crowded the sidelines of the Actual rebuilding of the Astoria-Warrenton ship- yard plant, extensively damaged by fire two months ago, began this morning and will be rushed to com- pletion, according A.J. Roberts, manager of the plant. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vote Orr for state representative I join respected supporters of John Orr to represent the people of our district in the Oregon House. I’ve known John for years in his public life as an earnest man of vision, principle, and persistence. For decades at his local law practice, John helped families, workers, and small busi- ness owners, and took time and care for those needing special help, like the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) foster kids he rep- resented in court — while raising two loving and competent daughters. An observant person, he “gets” District 32 from living here, and also has the long view of a student of history and the law. Trained in environmental law, John champions our river, ocean, forest, and land sustainability over short-term financial gain. His current work passion is recycling systems. An independent thinker guided by fair- ness, and a confident speaker, he is not buf- feted by superficial arguments, special inter- ests, endorsements or financial contributions. Having been a courtroom judge, John listens well, gathers information, considers, and takes fitting action. A long-term progressive Democrat, John intends to jump right into work in Salem on matters that concern us, like homeless- ness, the shortage of low-income housing and needed services, drug problems, health care as a right, workplace fairness, getting schools sufficiently funded, the arts encouraged, and keeping Oregon green. John is a personable, friendly, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and talented man who will keep in touch with his constituents and repre- sent us capably in the House. FLORENCE SAGE Astoria Vote ‘yes’ for health district levy lthough people are living longer and healthier, families are still concerned about health care for their loved ones, espe- cially for the really elderly. Coming up in the May 15 primary election, the Clatsop Care Health District will ask voters to approve a 5-year operating levy. It will appear on your ballot as Measure 4-192. The health district oversees Clatsop Care Center on 16th Street in Astoria, the Clatsop Retirement Village on Olney Avenue in Asto- ria, and the Clatsop Care Memory Commu- nity in Warrenton. The levy will raise about $600,000 each year for many projects: • Providing costs for training new certified nurses aides. • Introducing a Montessori-type program for dementia at the Memory Community facility. • Technology upgrades in recordkeeping at all three facilities, and improved internet A access for residents • Adding a bus to improve resident trans- portation to activities and appointments • Undertaking deferred maintenance at Clatsop Care and at the Retirement Center. The levy will assess property at 23 cents per $1,000, which amounts to $46 each of the five years on a $200,000 property. Because health care has become a priority in American society, please vote in favor of Measure 4-192 in the primary election. JUANITA PRICE Astoria Vote Mitchell for state representative I couldn’t be more excited that Tiffiny Mitch- ell is running to be our state representative in District 32. She’s smart, hardworking, and passionate about our community. State fund- ing for public education has not kept pace with local needs and aspirational state man- dates. Our board of directors recently, if reluc- tantly, voted to raise tuition at Clatsop Com- munity College. Tiffiny has pledged to work tirelessly in Salem to support education as a primary issue of importance to all Oregonians, especially those of us who live on the Oregon Coast. She knows that affordable access to CCC is of critical importance to us, because it offers our students the best local opportunities to prepare for rewarding future careers. Tiffiny also advocates for affordable hous- ing and access to health care for all, clean air and water, and equal pay for equal work. Let’s send this compassionate woman to the state Legislature. TESSA JAMES SCHELLER Warrenton ability, and is a good fit for the district. He understands how things work in Salem. His financial contributions come from many sectors including health care, agricul- ture, business, labor, housing, building trades, forestry, small business, local residents, and members of the current Legislature. He’s endorsed by dozens of advocacy groups. He is intelligent, ethical, and has the experience necessary to get things done for House Dis- trict 32. DEBORAH BOONE State representative, House District 32 Vote Josi for state representative Most aren’t getting rich off PERS W I hen I decided to finish my 32 years of public service, I felt compelled to have some input into my successor. I wanted to see a local citizen who knew the district and its people well win this seat. The job is not easy. Whoever wins the seat must understand how things work in Salem. They must be able to set aside partisanship and work collaboratively with both sides of the aisle, and they must be an independent thinker who represents all of the constituents in this diverse district. The candidate who is best prepared is Tim Josi. I have known him for more than 30 years, and I trust him. He has served four terms as state representative, and was reelected several times, indicating his constit- uents thought he was doing a good job. When term limits ended his time in Salem, he went home to Tillamook County and won a seat on the county commission, which he has held for five terms, again proving his elect- n response to the letter “PERS sucking communities dry” (The Daily Astorian, April 19): We are lucky to have a transparent Oregon Public Employees Retirement Sys- tem system. Each member is online by name, with their ending salary and present monthly salary. The true picture is that PERS members making $100,000 comprise less than 1 per- cent of the system’s retirees. There is a siz- able chasm between the system’s top earn- ers and the rank and file. About 68 percent receive $3,000 or less a month — $36,000 or less a year. Only 17.6 percent earn more than $50,000 a year. To someone who did not contribute their maximum salary annually to a 401K in the private sector, this might sound like a lot, but remember that most of us had the maxi- mum taken out of our paychecks whether we wished to invest it differently or not — for many of us, an average of 20-30 years. Most PERS members agree that fair and equitable changes need to be made. We are, after all, also community members who worry about the same things. But we aren’t strangers who are getting rich. We are who you want to see paid and treated fairly. We are the com- munity members who fight your fires, police neighborhoods, teach your kids, and more. KITTY PAINO Astoria Vote Wev for county commissioner am Wev is running for Clatsop County commissioner in District 3. I live out in Lewis & Clark, which is her district, as is downtown Astoria. Pam is the best candidate for the office because she listens and will do what is best for our community. Her previous government experience helps her understand how to get things accomplished. Her opponents, on the other hand, are big talkers but with little to show for it. They will tell you how great they are and the won- derful things they have done, but be wary. Notice when they talk about their time on City Council they will say that they alone did great things … never using the word “we.” If you want a big talker, someone who promises they will get the job done but, in the end, won’t do the work, then vote for them. If you want someone who will get the job done, and not talk about how great she is, vote for Pam Wev. I am. Remember, the ballots are due May 15. JAN COUGHLIN Astoria P
