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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager Water under the bridge CARL EARL Systems Manager included in “Moods of the Columbia,” a book just published by Archie Satterfield, former news man with the Seaside Signal and Longview News, now of Seattle. Satterfield has compiled a slick-paper book, 13 inches square, containing 56 pages of photographs by some of the top photographers of the Northwest, all devoted to the Columbia in its various moods. Compiled by Bob Duke From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers 10 years ago this week — 2008 Astoria has earned national recognition for its efforts to promote “a sense of place” at the mouth of the Columbia River. It was announced Monday that it will be the focus of a new initiative from the Ford Foundation, the New York-based institution which is one of the world’s leading philanthropic organizations, with an endowment of more than $12 billion. Mayor Willis Van Dusen revealed the details at a press conference attended by Astoria City Council members Pete Roscoe, Russ Warr and Blair Henningsgaard, City Manager Paul Benoit, Community Development Director Brett Estes and other key leaders. “It’s my privilege to be here with the City Council” to announce that the Ford Foundation has selected Astoria as one of four cities that will participate in a “very exciting visioning plan that will help our community meet the challenges of the future,” Van Dusen said. This photograph of Sen. Robert Kennedy was taken at Clatsop airport when he arrived May 24 on a campaign visit. The shooting of Kennedy, so recent a visitor here, shocked Clatsop residents early the morning of June 6. Lights shone through the night in many homes as citizens stayed up to watch the night’s events on television. Kenne- dy moved freely about in big crowds during his local visit and would have been an easy target for a madman’s bullet. The historian Chet Orloff has said there is his- tory on every street corner in Astoria, if you know what you’re looking at. The same can be said of the forests, rovers and streams that define Clatsop and Pacific counties. A thousands-year-old native cul- ture was flourishing when the American explor- ers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their expedition down the Columbia River. Last weekend’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Fort Clatsop National Memorial was a celebration of an aspect of the history that makes the Columbia-Pacific region a special place. The 44-year-old, recently remodeled club house of Astoria Country Club burned to the ground early Saturday morning in a fire of unknown origin. George Abrahamsen, country club president, said the building will be rebuilt. Tempers flared at the Port of Astoria commission meeting Tuesday as board members argued over Bornstein Seafoods’ request to lease parking space on Pier 1 for the Oregon Fish Factory tourist attraction. Commissioner Bill Hunsinger traded barbs with Andrew JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager and Jay Bornstein, and Commissioner Floyd Holcom laid blame on the Port for being disorganized. But eventually the board agreed 3-1 to allow Port interim Executive Director Ron Larsen to negotiate a three-year park- ing lease of 26,720 square feet of land on Pier 1. 50 years ago — 1968 Latest word from Big Creek hatchery is that fish will have pierced noses this year. At least, that will be true for 86,000 tiny silver salmon now being processed at the hatchery through an unusual device which implants a minute sliver of coded wire in the nose of each fish. “It’s all part of a study in genetics,” explained Jim Gray- bill, a graduate student at Oregon State University, who super- vises the process. A collection of noteworthy photographs of the Columbia River, from its source to its mouth, is There is a great deal of confusion about ownership of beach lands that needs to be cleared up. Bill Hay, Cannon Beach, whose fencing of beach property he claims he owns was one of the things that stirred up all the hullabaloo inland about saving the beaches, is proposing to file suit to establish his title. This should result in a court deci- sion that will help materially to clarify the situation. It seems quite probable that the courts are going to find some private titles to beach property are valid and that the state, if it wants to save the beaches, must spend some money to buy up such titles. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, felled like his president brother by an assassin’s bullet, died early June 6. 75 years ago — 1943 One thousand dozen crabs, believed to be the largest haul in the history of Pacific coast fishing, were caught at Destruc- tion Island and delivered to Lars Andersen, Westport fish buyer, by the 45-foot Lucin, captained by Roy Furfiord of Westport. At $2 a dozen, the price now being paid for crabs, the 12,000 crabs brought in $2,000 for Furfiord and his crew, Even Sharp and Alex Peppin, both of Westport. The catch was the largest Andersen has ever seen in 20 years as a buyer and fisherman. The crabs were the largest Andersen had ever seen. A cluster of compact, little homes — rolled into Astoria on wheels and plunked on stilts where once surged the waters of Scow Bay — will be opened late this month to tap off the pressure of home-hungry people due to arrive in this growing defense area. The trailer village, built by the federal public housing authority, now contains 50 units. One hun- dred more are to arrive. They were assigned here, some coming from Tillamook, as result of local appeals for housing help. And it is expected they will be filled soon by war workers, construction employ- ees, and civilian personnel at army and navy centers who are working and being recruited to work at a dozen spots in this county. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Redo the election, fair and legal n May 14, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee released its bipartisan report on the 2016 presidential election, stating “the Russian effort was extensive, sophisticated, and ordered by President Putin himself for the purpose of helping Donald Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton.” That’s unfair, and if it’s not illegal, it darn well should be. Put politics aside, and think objectively. In the kindergarten sandbox, we learned when a contest is conducted unfairly, or illegally, a do-over is ordered. Remember? Shouldn’t the same thing apply to adults? Yes. Redo the election, fair and legal. I can hear the naysayers: “Well you can’t, impossible, costs too much, etc.” In my opin- ion, we can’t afford not to. If we are who we say we are, the beacon of hope, the shin- ing light on the hill, the rule of law, then one powerful way to show the world that we take democracy seriously, is to go back and fix this mess. “Next time” doesn’t cut it. Some will say I’ve lost my mind, but if there aren’t serious consequences to foreign intervention, we not only become like those we criticize, but it will be repeated; we will surrender our democracy, and the freedoms we cherish will be next. The price tag for this would be, how much do we value our democratic principles? Fairness and law are as American as apple pie, right? Think about calling your Congressional representatives. There is a good chance they will listen. The midterm elections are com- ing up. CARL DOMINEY Astoria O There is an ugliness permeating our nation R egarding the letter “Trump’s policies are actually working” (The Daily Astorian, May 29): I disagree strongly. I see nothing but chaos. President Trump feels that his erratic behavior keeps everyone guessing, and himself in control. He is in con- trol of, and central to, what is going on in the media, but everything else is out of control. Countries around the world that counted on America’s leadership are looking for a steady hand at the helm elsewhere. Tariffs and trade polices change on a whim. Con- tracts we made with other countries are meaningless. Confusion may have worked for Trump in his business deals, but it is not going to work with the savvy leaders of our former allies. Sure, tax cuts for the wealthy brought the stock market up, and employment up, but not wages. There is nothing here for the aver- age citizen except destruction of the envi- ronment and continued deterioration of our infrastructure. There is an ugliness permeating our nation, spurred on by Trump’s racism, intoler- ance and crudeness. We are not great again, and will not be, until we get real leadership that is going to carry us into a tomorrow that has us respect- ing one another, and where there is real opportunity and health for all. JEAN HOOGE Astoria Why do so many people tolerate President Trump? his past week President Donald Trump declared himself above the law, assert- ing that he could even pardon himself for any crime. Charles Stuart II of England sim- ilarly declared himself above the law in the 17th century, though he asserted his right stemmed from the Divinity. Perhaps, Mr. Trump will declare himself to be divine in his next elevation. I do not want to remark further on this foolishness in a democracy, but to wonder out loud why so many people —Trump’s so-called base — have tolerated this terri- ble example in a U.S. president. For the very same people who ignore the daily litany of his bad behavior, his lies and his studied and complete lack of understanding in matters (on T which all of our lives depend) would not tol- erate such behavior in their own everyday lives and interactions. Who among his base would find it accept- able for a child to bully or subvert a friend, or to lie about one’s school grades, etc., etc.? Why, then, are such allowances made for King Donald’s very own despicable and/or ignorant actions? One wonders, given the human capacity to defend vigorously one’s own deeply felt deci- sions, whether lack of reflection in King Don- ald’s base has not led to the current risk to everyone on this planet. K LAMBERT Hammond We expect commissioners to ask tough questions here has been discussion lately over how county commissioners should conduct their duties in relation to the county manager. The Daily Astorian has framed it as a contro- versy, an “Us vs. Them” argument. If the issue is framed this way, we get caught in an unwinnable argument. All agree that elected officials haven’t been hired to run daily operations or to micromanage. We do expect our commissioners to ask tough ques- tions, listen to their constituents, and make hard and unpopular decisions when needed. T We don’t want our elected officials to exhibit group think, fearing civil discourse. If we allow county managers, or any leader for that matter, to shape the narrative of a business, and we don’t ask questions or stay abreast of the information from all sources, then we allow that person to manage our tax monies without guidance or proper oversight. The philosophy of being super hands-off allows poor leaders to run organizations into the ground. Often, I think good board mem- bers have an inkling something is wrong, but don’t know what to do about it, mistakenly thinking their hands are tied. We must change this philosophy, because it benefits the leader who is unaccountable, and we taxpayers pay the price. MINDY STOKES Astoria Thanks for sprucing up Ocean View Cemetery hat a delight it was to go to the Ocean View Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend and see the grounds looking so good. Thank you so much to all the people who came out and spruced it up. BARBARA DUNN Ocean Park, Washington W
