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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2018)
1B THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2018 CONTACT US ewilson@dailyastorian.com (503) 325-3211 ext. 257 COMMUNITY FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorian IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON MAKE A DAY OF IT T he Ear is giving you plenty of warning so you can be ready for Tuesday, which is Cow Appreciation Day, Don’t Step on a Bee Day and Teddy Bear Picnic Day. Fortunately, it’s also Piña Colada Day, which you will probably need after an inter- lude spent appreciating bovines, dodging bees (and cow flops) and communing with teddy bears. Carry on. A NEW STANDARD T he largest container ship ever built in the U.S., the MV Daniel K. Inouye, was christened June 30 at Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, where it was built for Honolulu-based shipping company Matson Inc., gCaptain reports (tinyurl.com/mvinouye). The ship is pictured, courtesy of gCaptain.com The 850-foot long, 3,600 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) capacity vessel has a top speed of almost 24 knots, and uses “environmentally friendly technology,” including a “fuel effi- cient hull design.” While it is dwarfed by the new 20,000 TEU ships being built for the Asian market, it is important in its own right. “This new vessel, designed specifically to serve Hawaii and built with LNG-compatible engines, is the next generation of vessel,” Matt Cox, Matson’s chairman and CEO, said, “and sets a new standard for cargo transportation in Hawaii.” ‘IT’S ME!’ A TYPICAL LITTLE BOY H eather Jenson wrote that her uncle, Ken Swanson of Knappa — who served in the 129th Assault Heli- copter Company — went to the Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Association reunion in Sparks, Nevada, June 14 to 16, and got the surprise of his life. The jaunt did not have an auspicious beginning, when he collapsed on the first day and wound up in the hospi- tal, but things improved dramatically from there. Ken was going through some vendor booths once he got back to the convention, and happened upon author John Brennan, who was there with his book, “Vietnam War Army Heli- copter Nose Art.” Ken picked up the book, which was open to page 95, and he was utterly shocked to see his photo on the page, standing next to a helicopter with “Windy City” nose art. He was listed as “unknown door gunner.” “‘It’s me, it’s me!’ I screamed,” Ken recalled. “They must have heard me all over the Nugget.” And he immedi- ately showed the author his tattoo, which matches the one in the photo. “I never saw a guy react that way,” the writer confessed. “It blew me away,” Ken said. “It’s a picture that was totally unknown to me. I had no idea this picture even existed.” It turns out the photo was taken by a pal, Bill Whelan, who submitted it for the book, but forgot to include Ken’s name. The photos shown are courtesy of John Brennan and Samantha Swanson (more at tinyurl. com/KenSwanson). “I was beside myself,” Ken added. “I still am. Being published in a book like that. Who’d think, after 50 years, at the end of my life, I’d see my picture in a book.” F he Astoria fire of July 2, 1883, racked up damages of around $250,000 (about $6 million now), but it was the lawsuit of ne’er-do-well John Boyle, who sued the city for $25,000 (about $600,000 now) that provided an interesting footnote to Astoria’s history. At the time of the fire, the city was described by reporter A.L. Bancroft, as “ … full of people, more or less transient and doubtful in their character, connected with the fisheries, and the riot and dissipation which seems to be incident to that season (tinyurl.com/boylesuit).” The opportunities provided by the fire excited the rabble, who looted the burning buildings with impunity — well aware that there were only six exhausted regu- lar policemen. The roadway connecting upper and lower town was partially destroyed in the blaze, complicating things further. Consequently, a vigilante committee was formed to restore order and drive out the troublemakers, and Mr. Boyle just happened to be one of them. Boyle’s lawsuit claimed he was unlawfully arrested and jailed, endured a mock trial, and sentenced to 25 lashes. The vigilantes then blindfolded and gagged him, took him from jail at night and threatened him with hang- ing and 200 lashes. Actually, he was given 25 lashes with a cat-o’-nine- tails, put on his knees, sworn to secrecy, and brought back to jail. In a “good riddance” move, the next morn- ing he was taken in irons to a steamboat and shipped to Portland. The court agreed that the vigilantes were at fault in Boyle’s lawsuit. The problem lay in how much Boyle should be paid. There were no medical bills, so what compensatory damages should there be when the per- son suing is, at the very least, of highly questionable character? Boyle didn’t get $25,000, according to the 1903 Oregon Historical Quarterly Volume 4 (tinyurl.com/ fire1883), but the jury did award him a little vindication in the amount of $1,000 (about $23,000 now), which was “raised by general subscription, $20 being the usual indi- vidual contribution.” T e has joined the majority” The Daily Morning Astorian headline read on July 4, 1893, referring to the death of one of Astoria’s most illustrious citizens, Capt. George Flavel, who died at home the night of July 3, 1893, after a long illness, at the age of 69. Capt. Flavel is believed to have received the first Columbia River pilot’s license issued by Oregon Territory, and he used it to start a lucrative piloting business, creating a monopoly. He invested in saw mills, coastal trading, an Australian coal mine, and large chunks of Astoria real estate, and also owned a lucra- tive wharf and towing business. Capt. Flavel’s estate was esti- mated at around $2 million (about $53 million now). Several years after he died, in an interview, his wife, Mary Christina, said, “One of the reasons why my husband made a success as a pilot on the Columbia River bar was that he was not only an able navigator, but he was fearless and was willing to put out in any sort of weather to assist vessels in need of help.” Case in point: For rescuing passengers and crew on the Gen- eral Warren, which wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia in 1852, he received a medal from the citizens of Portland. On the back was the image of a whaleboat leaving a sinking ship and the words, “If I live I will return.” “Captain Flavel was noted as an energetic, shrewd business man, and always popular with those he employed,” The Daily Morning Astorian eulogized. “He was very frank, strong in his likes and dislikes, a faithful friend and lavish in his generosity to those who enjoyed his confidence and friendship.” His funeral procession was said to be one of the largest ever seen in Astoria. (tinyurl.com/GFla1, tinyurl.com/GFla2, tinyurl.com/GFlav3, tinyurl.com/GFlav4) TOO MUCH FIERY FOOTNOTE ‘HE HAS JOINED THE MAJORITY’ ‘H yder Ford is 12 years old. He is sweet and funny,” fam- ily friend Drea Frost wrote. “Ryder is in 4-H and proudly shows his chickens and pigs. He loves reading books, building models and dioramas. He loves fishing with his uncle and step- dad. … He is your typical little boy.” For the past year, Ryder has been very ill. He was experienc- ing pain, nausea and weakness, and he lost a lot of weight. His parents, Jeff Jackson and Shara Ford of Seaside, kept taking him in for testing, but no one could figure out what was wrong until he went to a specialist in Portland. He spent more than a month in the hospital; a spinal tap, four MRIs and a biopsy — “a lot for a kid to go through!” Drea noted — finally revealed that Ryder’s symptoms were caused by an astrocytoma glioma, an inoperable brain tumor. The treatment is a low, steady dose of chemotherapy through a port put under Ryder’s skin — which means his family will have to travel to Portland once a week, for 48 weeks, for Ryder’s treatments. He’ll also be scanned every three months to monitor the tumor. “Nobody can plan for this unwelcome event … not emotion- ally, and not financially,” Drea said. “This has taken a toll on the family, and they have a long road ahead.” A fundraiser to help with medical bills has been set up at tinyurl.com/HelpRyder “We thank you so much for your love and support,” she added. “Thank you for any amount you can spare at this time. From the bottom of our hearts, we are very grateful!” ‘R rom the Thursday, July 6, 1882 edition of The Daily Astorian: • Geo. M. Rowe is in the city. The government has finally accepted his resignation, and he says he doesn’t want to see or hear of Tillamook any more. The sad sea waves are all very well for a while, but to be out on a basalt crag away from all sight or sound of life for months at a time, is too much. Note: George Rowe was the second head keeper at Tilla- mook Rock Lighthouse (pictured in an 1891 Library of Congress photo), and he only lasted a year (1881-1882). In May 1881, he was spotted on the rock wearing “a pair of breeches with a seat to them that looked as though he had sat down on a buzz saw.” His situation had clearly not improved by 1882. ‘SKYSCRAPER’ AND THE PLASTIC PERIL ome do more than just worry and wring their hands about that ocean full of plastic out there. StudioKCA of Brooklyn, New York, constructed an almost four-story tall sculpture that appears to leap out of a Belgian canal — “Skyscraper (The Bruges Whale)” — out of five tons of plastic ocean debris for the 2018 Bruges Triennial. The whale is pictured, courtesy of Alejandro Duran, Mathias Desmet and Chuck Choi of StudioKCA. The sculpture is a “reminder of the 150 million tons of plastic waste still swimming in our waters,” StudioKCA says, and weighs several tons, is 38 feet high, 38 feet wide from fin tip to fin tip, and 12 feet in diameter. It contains 4,000 square feet of plastic, including toi- let seats, kids’ toys, hangers and car bumpers. The design firm part- nered with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund and the Surfrider Foundation Kaui Chapter to collect the beach debris, which took four months. “Skyscraper is a physical example,” Lesley Chang of Studio- KCA said, “of why we need to change how we use and dispose of plastic in the world today.” (tinyurl.com/plastiwhale) S COMMUNITY NOTES SATURDAY Angora Hiking Club — 9 a.m., Sixth Street parking lot. Willapa Bay Nature Trail/Teal Slough hike. Membership is not required to par- ticipate. For information, call Arlene LaMear at 503-338-6883 or go to angorahikingclub.org Seniors Breakfast — 9 a.m. to noon, Astoria Moose Lodge, 420 17th St. Cooked to order from menu, includes coffee. Cost is $5 for seniors 62 and older, $7.50 for those younger than 62. Breakfasts are open to the public. Proceeds af- ter expenses help support local and other charities. Sit & Stitch — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Homespun Quilts & Yarn, 108 10th St. Bring knitting, crochet or other nee- dlework projects to this community stitching time. All skill levels welcome. Detachment 1228 Marine Corps League — noon, El Compa- dre, 119 Main Ave., Warrenton. For information, contact Lou Neubecker at 503-717-0153. Columbia Northwestern Mod- el Railroading Club — 1 p.m., in Hammond. Group runs trains on HO-scale layout. For information, call Don Carter at 503-325-0757. Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m., Astoria Fiber Arts Academy, 1296 Duane St. Bring a spinning wheel. For information, call 503-325-5598 or go to astoriafiberarts.com SUNDAY Seniors Breakfast — 9 a.m. to noon, Astoria Moose Lodge, 420 17th St. Cooked to order from menu, includes coffee. Cost is $5 for seniors 62 and older, $7.50 for those younger than 62. Breakfasts are open to the public. Proceeds af- ter expenses help support local and other charities. Blacksmith Enthusiasts Meet — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Camp 18 Black- smith Shop, 42362 U.S. Highway 26, Seaside. Participants can bring own forge and anvil setup. Metal available to experiment with; coal provided. No charge; donations to Camp 18 Loggers Memorial Muse- um welcome. For information, con- tact Mark Standley at 503-434-0148 or Herman Doty at 971-306-1043 or ringinganvildesign@gmail.com National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Group — 2 to 3:30 p.m., Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway. Family to Family Support Group, for anyone with friend or loved one suffer- ing from a serious brain (mental) illness. For information, contact Myra Kero at 503-738-6165, or k7e- rowood@q.com, or go to nami.org Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m., Seaside American Legion, 1315 Broadway. For information, call 503-738-5111. No cost; suggested $5 tip to the instructor. See NOTES, Page 4B
