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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
DEBRA BLOOM
Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK
A chance to meet your local candidates
Y
our daily newspaper should be like
your friend next door who knows
some things that you don’t, and shares
with you important stuff about where we live.
After all, a newspaper isn’t a thing — it’s
the shared work of people who live here, your
neighbors. We pay property taxes, send our
kids to school, attend events, buy groceries
and worry about our future just the same way,
and in the same places that you do.
Some of the most
important information for us
to share with you is about
local issues and candidates
on the ballot. Our taxes,
land use, development and
environment are impacted by
KARI
the decisions we will make
BORGEN
in the upcoming election.
How you choose to vote
is your business. Our business is to make
sure that you have as much information as
possible about how each candidate intends to
lead on issues, or how your tax dollars will be
spent for bond levies.
That’s why we’ve partnered with other
local organizations to host candidate forums
in Astoria, Seaside and Cannon Beach. You
should have the opportunity to see and hear
each candidate, and ask questions.
The Seaside forum has passed, but join us
at the Astoria voters forum on Wednesday at
7 p.m. at Astoria High School. Candidates for
Astoria mayor and City Council, Warrenton
mayor, Clatsop County commissioner and
state House District 32 are expected to attend,
as well as Patrick Starnes, the Independent
candidate for governor.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Trish Garner, left, of the American Association of University Women, will reprise her role
as moderator of Wednesday’s candidate forum at Astoria High School.
UPCOMING ELECTION EVENTS
• Candidate forum: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Astoria High School.
• Candidate forum: 7 p.m. Thursday, Coaster Theatre, Cannon Beach.
• Astoria mayoral debate: 7 p.m. Oct. 10, Room 219, Columbia Hall, Clatsop Community College.
All events free and open to public.
The Cannon Beach forum for city
candidates is at 7 p.m. Thursday at Coaster
Theatre.
There will also be an Astoria mayoral
candidate debate at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Clatsop
Community College, moderated by President
Chris Breitmeyer.
The Astoria events are co-sponsored by
the American Association of University
Women, Coast Community Radio, Clatsop
Community College and The Daily Astorian.
Go. Listen. Ask questions.
Daily Astorian Editor Jim Van Nostrand
and I are also interviewing local candidates
lege days? All the while the Left’s closet —
heck their whole house — is practically full
of skeletons.
These “leaders” are pointing their fin-
gers at someone for a speck in his eye while
a log is in their own. Do we forget so easily
Bill Clinton and their defense of him? What
about some of their less-than paradigms of
virtue like Congressmen Anthony Weiner,
John Conyers, Gerry Studds, John Edwards
and Sen. Al Franken, and don’t let us miss
reminding you of the Kennedys.
The point is that sex scandals among the
influential and powerful are nothing new. Of
course they shouldn’t be taken lightly when
it comes to either political party, which I
admit has often been the case. But, come on,
this is not about some fling in college Judge
Kavanaugh had. It is obvious they hate him
because of his conservative stance.
CARL YATES
Seaside
• Are we to believe that the party of Don-
ald Trump will serve to “unite us” when he
and his supporters have done so much, and so
often, to divide us?
• Are we to believe that this Republican
will oppose the offensive immigration poli-
cies of her party because she immigrated as a
child?
• Are we to assume that this Republican
nominee is going to be different, because she
does not include the “Republican” label in her
commercial?
We do need our leaders to be truthful with
us — and that is perhaps the most critical
aspect of this fall’s elections.
Particularly at the local level, we need to
select our government representatives based
not on what lip service they give to platitudes,
but on what we truly can expect of their real
service in the Legislature. That’s why Tiffiny
Mitchell will have my vote.
DANIEL J. SEIFER
Arch Cape
for contested positions for this election. We
are spending time and asking questions to
determine candidate positions on issues that
are important to us on the North Coast. We
will then form our recommendation to you
for which candidate we would choose in each
race — an endorsement.
The purpose of an endorsement is to share
our thoughts on these personal interviews
with candidates — something most readers
don’t otherwise have time for or access to.
We define what we think represents the best
interests of Clatsop County. Then we recom-
mend the person we think sees that vision for
the future.
There are many newspapers now that
don’t publish endorsements, because they
may anger their readers. The Daily Astorian
has never been afraid of voicing an opinion.
Endorsements stimulate thought and con-
versations that invigorate debate. And unlike
much of politics these days, we don’t mind
differences of opinion. If your opinion differs
from ours, send us a letter to the editor. Your
opinion helps inform your neighbors of other
points of view.
If you’re not registered to vote, you have
until October 16 to register. It’s easy to do
online — just search for “Oregon voter
registration” and follow the links. Or drop
into the Clatsop County elections office in the
courthouse at 820 Exchange Street. All you’ll
need is your Oregon drivers license.
Read, attend a forum, become informed.
And most importantly, when that ballot
comes in the mail, vote.
Kari Borgen is publisher of The Daily
Astorian.
LETTERS
What do you value?
Y
our vote matters. If you care about
affordable health care and housing,
access to quality education, and clean air and
water, then be sure to vote in the Nov. 6 mid-
term election.
The people we elect to federal, state, and
local offices will make decisions that affect
you. Be sure to vote by Nov. 6 for candidates
who share your values. Information about
candidates and ballot issues is at incovotethe-
future.org and at incoregon.org
The deadline to register to vote in Oregon
is Oct. 16. If your name, address, or signature
has changed, be sure to update your registra-
tion by Oct. 16. You can register and update
at bit.ly/2N5ju7K or at the Clatsop County
Elections Office, 820 Exchange St. in Astoria,
second floor.
Remind your friends and neighbors to reg-
ister and vote. The strength of our community
and our democracy depends on you.
STEVE BRONSTEIN, LAURIE
CAPLAN, CAROLYN EADY,
JOAN HERMAN, WENDELA HOWIE,
MONICA PEARSON
Indivisible North Coast Oregon
Vote Rocka for
Astoria City Council
R
oger Rocka once joked that folks who
know both him and Don Haskell might
become confused if Don supports Roger for
Astoria’s City Council. After all, Don’s an
enthusiastic Republican supporter of Pres-
ident Donald Trump’s policies and judi-
cial nominations. And Roger’s an active
Democrat.
Although Roger and Don are at opposite
ends of the political spectrum, they’ve always
managed to be good-natured about their polit-
ical differences. Besides, everybody knows
Astoria’s City Council is a nonpartisan gov-
erning body. And it needs to remain so, if it’s
to stay effective and respected governance for
everybody living here.
We’ve known Roger Rocka for around 20
years. We’re confident the decisions Roger
Rocka will make in representing Ward 1,
where we and Roger live, will be well thought
out and representative of our area of town.
Younger folks might not know Roger
Rocka is a successful businessman, in addi-
tion to heading up our local Chamber of
Commerce a few years ago. His life experi-
ences and knowledge of local problems make
him well-suited to a seat on the City Council.
We hope the folks in Ward 1 will join us
and vote for Roger Rocka.
DON HASKELL
CAROL HASKELL
Astoria
How bizarre can Kavanaugh
confirmation get?
H
ere we go again. The Left’s hypocrisy
is out there for all to see and wonder
at. How bizarre can it get, that a good man
is being judged by unsubstantiated rumors
from his college days? Even if they were true,
who didn’t do something stupid in their col-
Vote Mitchell for
state representative
T
he campaigns have scarcely begun to
replace retiring District 32 State Rep.
Deborah Boone, and already one candidate’s
advertisements are deeply offensive.
The Republican candidate has regularly
been running a commercial on cable TV that
begins with video of boisterous street demon-
strations in Portland, and then intones that we
need to elect leaders who unite us instead of
dividing us. This is really troublesome to me
on several levels:
• Are we to become afraid that street
demonstrations in Portland will cause riots
in District 32? If not, what is the point of this
video?
Astoria remembers
Walldorf mayor
O
pen letter to Astoria’s sister city — Wall-
dorf, Germany: We have just learned of
the sad death of Dr. Jurgen Criegee, burger-
meister of Walldorf. We cannot express the
sadness we feel at this time. We remember
Dr. Criegee as a fine and kind man who was
always eager to listen and respond thought-
fully with humor.
In 1993, our town unanimously declared
Burgermeister Dr. Jurgen Criegee an “Hon-
orary Citizen.” In 1997, Walldorf and Asto-
ria citizens will be proud to know the Asto-
ria City Council dedicated Criegee Circle in
his honor, located on the plateau of Coxcomb
Hill, circling one of our most famous monu-
ments, the Astoria Column.
Burgermeister Criegee leaves behind
two legacies in Astoria: his dedication to
the Deutsch-American Freundeskreis Club,
spearheaded by him during Mayor Willis Van
Dusen’s first visit to Walldorf in 1993, and the
Student Exchange Program, both of which
thrive to this day.
A fond memory during one of Dr. Crie-
gee’s visits to Astoria is the time he was offi-
cially deputized as an Astoria police offi-
cer. Later that day, he was heard suggesting
to friends, “I now have the authority to arrest
people, and you will need to behave.”
Today in Astoria we celebrate his life,
friendship and remarkable achievements, and
embrace our companionship with all Wall-
dorf citizens, due to his dedication. Today we
remember Burgermeister Dr. Jurgen Criegee.
Finally, we express our heartfelt condo-
lences to the family and all Walldorf citizens.
In deepest sympathy; he will be sadly missed
by many Astoria citizens.
BRUCE CONNER
Astoria
Vote Wev for
county commissioner
I
’m voting for Pam Wev as a best choice for
county commissioner because:
• she has spent a career understanding
and helping to implement good planning
concepts.
• as a private contractor she learned what
good government policy is and how to use it.
• she knows that collaborative efforts pro-
duce good results.
SARA MEYER
Astoria