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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2018)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2018 Kennedy: Was presented with a replica of the Astoria Column Continued from Page 1A hopped into two chartered vehicles to head to the beach. Maintaining public beaches — the Oregon Beach Bill had passed the previous year — was a major topic of Kenne- dy’s speech later that day, and his campaign had scheduled a film session of him walking along the shore. The senator decided to walk 1 1/2 miles, which fur- ther delayed his schedule for the day. He even jumped in the ocean for a swim at one point before eventually leaving for Astoria. After waiting about two hours, a swarm of roughly 3,000 people watched the Kennedy caravan pull up to the former Safeway parking lot near Duane Street between 11th and 12th streets. In attendance, as expected, were plenty of young people. High school students came from as far as Clatskanie and Ilwaco, Washington, and about 500 absences left Astoria High School “virtually abandoned,” according to an account in The Daily Astorian. ‘He seemed nervous’ Kennedy’s speech — in which he was presented with a replica of the Astoria Col- umn — lasted 20 minutes. He touched on, among other things, education and job pro- grams and pitched tax incen- tives for private companies to provide jobs and housing. “He seemed nervous,” Ler- wick said. “I think he knew Oregon was just a tough state.” Competing with Kennedy in the primary were U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy of Minne- sota and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who was not on the ballot in Oregon but even- tually secured the Democratic nomination. A noticeable group of McCarthy’s support- ers also attended the speech in Astoria. Lerwick recalled see- ing a Volkswagen covered in McCarthy stickers. “I remember saying, ‘What are they doing here?’” she said. “I felt like he wasn’t wel- comed as much as I would’ve liked him to be.” Vying for the Republi- can nomination was former Vice President Richard Nixon. After securing the GOP nod, Nixon won Oregon during his general election victory over Photos by Clyde Keller/clydekellerphoto.com Robert F. Kennedy meets with Bumble Bee seafood cannery workers. Humphrey that November. “We weren’t really popu- lar,” said Lerwick, who can- vassed for Kennedy through- out the campaign. “We got the door slammed in our face plenty of times.” Kennedy took a share of jabs at Nixon in the speech in Astoria, at one point poking fun at the “Nixon’s the One” campaign slogan. “I often wonder, what’s the rest of that sentence? Nix- on’s the one what?” Kennedy asked. Kennedy was scheduled for a cannery tour that day, but — due to the flight delay and lengthy beach excursion — settled for a meet-and-greet with Bumble Bee seafood workers. After a few hours on the North Coast, he went south. Narrow loss Kennedy made more stops along the coast but eventu- ally lost the Oregon primary to McCarthy, who also won Clatsop County. Despite los- ing narrowly, he hinted in Larson: ‘The Chief’ organized annual picnics for longshoremen Continued from Page 1A Larson was, however, as passionate a vacationer as he was a worker. Camping trips, ski excursions and jet skiing were common. He earned the nickname “The Chief” after organizing annual picnics for longshoremen. “He was a big guy on tradi- tion,” said Tia Van Slyke, his granddaughter. In recent years, Van Slyke started taking over prepara- tions for family outings. She would often call him at the last minute for a family meal, and he rarely missed one. “He called me his pro- moter,” Van Slyke said. One of Larson’s favorite traditions was a Sunday fam- ily meal at Stephanie’s Cabin, which switched to the Uptown Cafe in Warrenton when the former restaurant and inn in Astoria closed. Every time he went, Larson would greet between 10 and 20 people. “My grandma used to get so frustrated,” Van Slyke said. “He would strike up conversa- tions with total strangers.” His son, Dennis Larson, had similar experiences. “He thought a smile and a small conversation could save the world’s problems, and I agree with him,” Dennis Lar- son said. The family will hold a viewing at Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, as well as a celebration of life June 9 at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. Dennis Larson, as he has done throughout the week, will enjoy speaking to a host of people about his dad. Those conversations serve as a tribute. “Whenever there was some sort of tragedy, he was always the calming factor, and he always had an answer for it,” Dennis Larson said. What then, would be Lar- son’s answer to Tuesday’s crash? “He knew it was his time, I guess,” his son said. “I think he’s already told me that, and that’s why I go on.” Robert F. Kennedy wades through water along the beach near Fort Stevens State Park with his dog, Freckles. news reports after the May 28 vote that he would likely drop out of the race if he lost California. His final campaign stop came in Los Angeles, where he was shot and killed after delivering a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel shortly after midnight June 5. Those who had recently seen Kennedy on the North Coast were shocked. “Lights shone through the night in many houses as citi- zens stayed up to watch the Port: ‘We’re paying for those mistakes in the past’ Further adding to the airport’s challenges are a dwindling supply of grant revenue the Port relies on to improve infrastructure. Knight has raised alarm bells about the state’s recent decision to close compet- itive bidding for its Con- nectOregon infrastructure grant program. The state has focused the program through at least 2019 on several spe- cific transportation projects. The move takes away valuable local matches for larger Federal Aviation Administration grants and could lead to the Port’s and other airports becoming fed- erally decertified, Knight said. The airport has so far received about $12 million worth of FAA funding, he said. More than $4 million is expected in the next cou- ple of years for runway and taxiway work. Continued from Page 1A director, but that doesn’t take into account all the deferred maintenance on the aging hangars that past lease language has made the Port’s responsibility. “We are hamstrung because of the Lek- tro lease,” Knight said during a recent budget hearing. “We’re ham- strung because the Coast Guard uses our facilities, and we don’t get com- pensated for it.” The airport has also lost money from multiple rows of hangars added in the mid-2000s but never fully occupied; faces issues with sewage and intruding groundwater; and lacks direct access from U.S. Highway 101 to make the facility more attractive to business. COMING! 1 P.M.- 3 P.M. • SUNDAY, JUNE 3 AT ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL ! P LEASE , NO EARLY DROP - OFFS Items must have the 10 cent, OR redemption label in order to benefit the band programs The Band Boosters are the primary source of funds to keep Astoria’s school band programs functioning. Please help by dropping off your empties or making a donation. Call (503) 791-8134 or email i_want_to_help@astoriabands.org for more information. Volunteer Ocean Commotion Diving into Noah’s Flood RD l of the industrial park into wetlands surrounding an environmental research station the agency would lease out to other groups. If the Port could earn even 2.5 cents per square foot each month off the land, that would increase annual revenues at the airport by $65,000 annually, Knight said. “We’re paying for those mistakes in the past,” Knight said at a recent budget hearing. “But we’re slowly but surely making headway toward making the airport get to a break-even point.” BIG IS CAN & BOTTLE DRIVE k th e L a b e Knight recently laid out his staff’s plan to increase the airport’s annual reve- nue by $51,000 in the near future from increased han- gar rentals; two new execu- tive hangars for Life Flight and an undisclosed pri- vate party; and a significant increase in an existing lease to the Columbia River Bar Pilots after the expiration of prior rent credits. The Port has also strug- gled since 1990 to develop the Airport Industrial Park on the approach to the air- port. The Port recently sub- mitted a grant to study the feasibility of turning much SOMETHING Astoria Band Boosters Ch ec night’s events on television,” a Daily Astorian caption read under a photo of Kennedy speaking on the airport tar- mac days earlier. “Kennedy moved freely about in big crowds during his local visit and would have been an easy target for a madman’s bullet.” Politically active teens were especially distraught. “We were kind of trauma- tized after that,” Lerwick said. “We were idealistic teenagers and it looked like we would win.” Lerwick compared the assassination to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. months earlier, as well as the shooting of Kennedy’s brother — Pres- ident John F. Kennedy — in 1963. “Millennial kids now say they’re the school shooting generation. We were the polit- ical assassination generation,” she said. For many years after Ken- nedy’s visit and death, Ler- wick did not vote. She appar- ently was not alone, as 1968 was the last time voter partic- ipation in a presidential elec- tion reached 60 percent. “I was so disillusioned with politics. I thought, you work so hard, and what’s the point?” Lerwick said. “It just changed the way, at a young age, how I viewed politics in the world.” Lunch included, cost $15 per student $25 per family, scholarships available. Register online at fpcastoria.org by June 15th or in person at VBS at 1076 Franklin Pick of the Week Sparky For more info call (503 ) 325-1761 Astoria Central City Vacation Bible School June 25-June 28 10 am- 2 pm Ages 3 - Grade 6 3 year old Aussie/ Blue Heeler Blend Ready to give humans another chance, he believes it’s never too late to live happily ever after. (More on http://Petfinder.com/ ) Sponsored By C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat
