3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018
An iconic light
shines brightly
North Head
fans glimpse
restoration
By DAMIAN MULINIX
Chinook Observer
CAPE
DISAPPOINT-
MENT, Wash. — For the first
time in a few years, visitors to
the annual anniversary event at
the North Head Lighthouse last
weekend had the opportunity to
tour not only the grounds and
the residences, but also view the
light itself.
And due to a delay in begin-
ning the next phase of resto-
ration work, the 120-year-old
sentinel will be open through
the summer.
“This is a great year, because
this year the lighthouse is open
for tours. It hasn’t been open
for two or three years because
they’ve been working on it,”
said Janet Easley, secretary of
the Keepers of the North Head
Lighthouse.
The event, which is hosted
by the Keepers, who were
formed in 2009, and Wash-
ington State Parks, was origi-
nally going to offer only a brief
window to tour. That has been
expanded due to delays in the
arrival of materials that will be
used for phase three of the res-
toration project, which will now
start in the fall.
That work will include the
stone base of the lighthouse,
installation of windows in the
work room, and interior stucco
and painting. According to the
Keepers recent newsletter, future
projects will also include an
Americans with Disabilities Act
compliance upgrade of the south
pathway and stabilization of the
lookout area to curb erosion.
“So the lighthouse will be
open for tours all summer,
which is good news,” she said.
A tour through history
“A visit to North Head
should include the entirety of
what we have to offer,” said
Cape D interpreter Steve Wood,
who noted that this lighthouse
has a lot more to see than many
others.
“A big thing that separates
North Head from other North-
western lighthouses is we’re
the most intact,” he said. “We
have all of the buildings from
the lighthouse, the attached
work room, oil houses, keeper
residences, the barn, you name
it. You can go to other light-
houses, who — maybe —
have a more dramatic view, but
you’re not going to see all of the
buildings.”
But it’s more than just the
structures that make North
Head special, said Wood. “The
structure of North Head, while
it has its elegant design facets, is
‘So the
lighthouse
will be open
for tours
all summer,
which is
good news.’
Father drowns,
son missing off
Rockaway Beach
Associated Press
ROCKAWAY BEACH
— A Colorado man appar-
ently drowned off the Ore-
gon Coast after attempting to
rescue his son, who is miss-
ing after being hit by a wave
while boogie boarding in the
ocean.
The Oregonian reported
that a search is ongoing for
Samuel Vicente Allen, 17,
from Fort Collins, Colorado.
Oregon State Police say
the teen was visiting Rocka-
way Beach Wednesday with
his father, Robert Joseph
Allen, 50, and other family
members.
Police say the teen was
riding his board when he was
knocked off by a wave. His
father went into the water
when relatives couldn’t see
the boy from the shore.
Another family member
called 911 around 2:20 p.m.
after losing sight of the father.
A Coast Guard helicopter
found the father dead about
45 minutes later.
Janet Easley
secretary of the Keepers of
the North Head Lighthouse
a very simple structure. It’s the
people that have really given life
to the history here. If we didn’t
have those little stories, it would
just be a lighthouse that people
guess upon. We have that acces-
sible history here, which really
stands out to me.”
Wood said he likes that North
Head really attracted “the best
of the best,” including the archi-
tect Carl Leick, a well-known
“master of his trade,” who also
designed the Flavel House in
Astoria. The very first light-
house keeper at North Head,
Alexander Pesonen, came from
Tillamook Rock, where he rose
through the ranks up to princi-
pal keeper in just two years.
According
to
Wood,
Pesonen went though some
pretty harrowing experiences
at “Terrible Tilly” and when
he transferred to North Head,
it was like he was coming to
a place where he could settle
down for the remainder of his
career. He was later awarded
the Lighthouse Efficiency Star,
which was given to the very
best light stations, for four con-
secutive years.
“Those two really speak to the
history here,” said Wood. “They
not only gave birth to it but also
gave it life.”
Limited time to visit
This summer will be the first
time the lighthouse has been
regularly open for visits and
tours since 2015.
“We will be open through
Labor Day for tours, so we’re
going to have a full summer out
here,” said Wood. “I know the
attraction this lighthouse is, and
we’ll keep it open as much as
we can.”
Wood said that having the
lighthouse open to tours is a big
draw for the park.
“Oh, absolutely. If they
know they can go to the top,
you bet.”
Wood noted though that
once the work begins this fall,
it is uncertain how long it will
take.
“That’s a good question,
and it’s anyone’s guess,” he
said. “They’ll cease operations
in the wintertime. The condi-
tions are just not conducive (to
work), and restart as early as
Oregon to require testing
for cyanotoxins in water
Associated Press
Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer
Visitors toured the lamp room of the North Head
Lighthouse Saturday.
Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer
Visitors to the North Head Lighthouse lamp room got a
good look at the lantern Saturday afternoon. The light-
house will be open for tours throughout the summer,
thanks to delays in the delivery of restoration materials.
mid-March.”
Wood said that people
should really take advantage
of the lighthouse being open
this summer, because they’re
not certain when it will be open
again in the near future.
“So it’s pretty safe to say that
all next year we will be closed.
It might be tough, so this sum-
mer is the option for the foresee-
able future,” he said.
Clatsop Post 12
Cajun Nite
File’ Gumbo, Chicken &
Sausage Jambalaya, Salad
and Cornbread
Friday,
June 8 th
SALEM — The Oregon
Health Authority is preparing
to start requiring routine test-
ing of water sources for tox-
ins after contaminated water
was discovered in Salem.
The new rules aimed at
major drinking water sys-
tems in the state will be
stricter than current federal
guidelines, the Statesman
Journal reported.
State health officials hope
to install temporary rules by
the end of the month that
will require local officials
to notify the public of test
results.
The move comes after
toxins were discovered in
Salem’s drinking water. The
amount of cyanotoxins in
the water was high enough
to potentially harm children
under 6 years old and some
adults with compromised
immune systems.
While testing for cyano-
toxins has not previously
been required in Oregon,
Salem officials do test for the
toxins.
The city issued a do-not-
drink notice May 29, which
was eventually lifted Sat-
urday. The city reissued
the notice Wednesday after
another round of tests. City
officials have been criti-
cized for not revealing that
they had positive test results
earlier.
An
Oregon
Health
Authority official had recom-
mended city officials delay
the advisory citing guidelines
from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
“The Salem experience
helped us understand that
the guidelines from EPA on
cyanotoxins are voluntary
guidelines, not regulations,”
Oregon Health Authority
Director Patrick Allen said.
The guidelines may be
insufficient in a situation that
could be getting worse in
Oregon and requires a regu-
latory approach, Allen said.
Toxic algae blooms are
become increasingly com-
mon in Detroit Lake —
but until now they haven’t
entered Salem’s water sys-
tem at dangerous levels.
The temporary rules will
get the state through the cur-
rent algae-bloom season,
Allen said.
Please join us in a
Celebration of
Dale Larson’s life
Saturday, June 9, 2018 at the
Clatsop County Fair Grounds
at 11:00 am
We will have a coned off area for those who want to bring their Ford Trucks. We
also ask of those who wish to, please bring a written memory or thought of Dale
to be gathered and shared with family and friends in the days ahead. We have
heard from so many of you and find this to be comforting. He was a humble,
kind and generous man that will live on in our hearts for years to come.
4 pm until gone
$
8. 00
6PM
“Karaoke Dave”
WANTED
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA
Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500
ASTORIA
AMERICAN LEGION
Clatsop Post 12
1132 Exchange Street
325-5771
AMAZING AWAITS.
Come visit our newest location at the corner of Sunset and
Hemlock in Cannon Beach. You can also find us at our orignal
S UMMER R EADING
Books, Prizes, Performers!
Pacific City brewpub right on the beach or at our Tillamook
brewery and tap room to see where the magic happens.
J UNE 9 – A UGUST 31
Astoria Public Library
Warrenton Community Library
Seaside Public Library
Hilda Lahti Elementary
Jewell School
P E L I C A N B R E W I N G .CO M
Ask about free library cards for kids!
Family Friendly
Patio Seating
Brewery Tours
Fresh Beers on Tap
Growler Fills