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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANuARY 23, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Time to end the gamesmanship
This should never
have been necessary
T
he support from the North
Coast community for
Coast Guard personnel
still waiting for a paycheck during
the longest government shutdown
in history is laudable. Businesses
and individuals have lined up to
provide food and services to our
Coast Guard neighbors while they
continue to wait for their pay.
They’ve been caught in the
middle of the political theater
that President Donald Trump is
directing — the now 32-day gov-
ernment shutdown. Instead of
depositing a paycheck this past
weekend, more than 1,300 local
residents went to a makeshift food
bank instead.
This should have never been
necessary.
The temper tantrum our pres-
ident is throwing over a border
wall is a spectacle worthy of a
reality TV star — a lot of inflated
drama and show to entertain the
fans. Well, we aren’t laughing.
Progressives in this country
were reminded the hard way in
2016 that elections matter. Trump
is learning that now, having lost
the House of Representatives to
the Democrats. He has to bar-
gain, not dictate. We expect him to
negotiate in good faith on border
security and keep the government
lights on at the same time.
It is inexcusable for the United
States to make beggars of our
armed forces. We hope that even
the most ardent Trump supporters
can agree with us on that.
The Coast Guard continues to
perform dangerous and critical
work to keep our maritime econ-
omy moving. They are not shirk-
ing rescue of fishermen or tourists,
or patrol of our rivers and oceans.
The greatest nation on earth?
Not if we don’t make caring for
the military personnel who protect
it a priority. Our credibility with
the world and within our nation
sinks as the shutdown drags on
with no compromise on immigra-
tion policy in sight.
The president has made hos-
tages out of the people of
this country. It’s time to end
the gamesmanship. Stop the
shutdown.
Water
under
the bridge
Compiled by Bob Duke
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
10 years ago
this week — 2009
Ken Aiken’s view of the presidential inaugural parade
Tuesday won’t be great, but at least he’ll be there in person.
The Astoria resident will see the parade from behind the
business end of his trumpet and a music sheet as he marches
down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Aiken has been invited to march in the parade, which fol-
lows the swearing-in of President Barack Obama, with 101
other members of Get a Life Marching Band.
WASHINGTON — Stepping into history,
Barack Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power
as America’s first black president today, saying the
nation must choose “hope over fear, unity of pur-
pose over conflict and discord” to overcome the
worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Members of Seaside’s Tsunami Advisory Group are
thinking large. And rightly so, says Mayor Don Larson.
After all, they’re planning for a large event — an earth-
quake and tsunami that could wipe out most of Seaside.
But while Larson admits that the committee’s recom-
mendations — to rebuild five bridges, install five foot-
bridges, expand the existing cache of supplies and stock up
on cots and sleeping bags to take care of a summer popula-
tion of 20,000 to 50,000 people — are worth considering,
he’s not sure where the $28 million the group estimates the
plan may cost will come from.
The Port of Astoria Commission approved an
air service revenue guarantee with SeaPort Air-
lines Tuesday night.
Pending approval from the Newport City
Council and review by the Oregon Department of
Transportation, SeaPort will begin offering pas-
senger flights from the coast to Portland on March
15.
50 years ago — 1969
New showers of powdered snow fell Monday morning
on streets already coated with ice, closed all schools in Clat-
sop County and made driving hazardous on all highways in
and out of the city.
Astoria’s city manager said Monday night the
State Highway department’s proposed rerouting
1969 — This crossover switch was installed between double tracks at Pier 2 of the Port of Astoria as part of a $3 million
facelifting job for the pier which has taken much of the past four years.
of Highway 30 between Tongue Point and Fern-
hill indicates to him that the state will bring the
upgraded highway through downtown Astoria
“first.”
Dale Curry told the City Council he thinks the
highway will eventually be rerouted south of the
Astoria hills but not in the immediate future.
A Portland dock official said Monday that the 40-foot
channel depth of the Columbia River will enable Portland to
handle major container and cargo vessels.
John Fulton, chairman of the Commission of Public
Docks, said Gov. Tom McCall’s “Project 70’s Task Force”
made a fictitious report when it said the focus of ocean ship-
ping activity may have to shift from Portland to Astoria.
A barrage of letters to Oregon congressmen
may be the deciding factor in retention of Tongue
Point Job Corps Center, retiring president Bill
Van Dusen told members of the Clatsop Commu-
nity Relations Council Tuesday night in the cen-
ter’s library building.
75 years ago — 1944
The 75-foot deep-sea fishing two-masted schooner Elec-
tra, of Seattle, ran aground on Clatsop spit about 8 p.m.
Wednesday with eight men aboard and today is high and
dry, with no better than an even chance of getting off at high
water slack in the morning.
The big boat, which had been fishing shark and was
inbound for Astoria, hit the spit about due south of buoy No.
14 at the river mouth, and piled ashore west of jetty sands.
Captain Ness and his crew of seven were removed from
the grounded craft early this morning by Coast Guardsmen
from the Point Adams station.
Emmett D. Towler, principal of Astoria High
School, announced today that he had received
word from representatives of the Northwest
School Crediting association, placing the local
high school again on the list of educational insti-
tutions whose graduates are eligible to enter uni-
versities and colleges without qualifying examina-
tions. Astoria High School has been on the favored
list of the crediting association since 1918.
Last Friday afternoon, a very sad-eyed sailor from the
Astoria Naval Air Station entered the Astorian-Budget. He
was low. He wanted to run an ad. He was beginning a fur-
lough in the worst possible way. He had lost his wallet con-
taining $100 on the eve of his departure for his home in
Memphis, Tenn.
The boy left for Memphis anyway, and is en route now.
An Astoria woman, who prefers to remain anonymous,
appeared at the newspaper office. She had, she said, found a
wallet on the street. In it was $100. It belonged to the heart-
sick sailor.
He has been notified of the “find” and its safekeeping
until his return.
From his navy station “somewhere in the southwest
Pacific,” J.R. “Bob” Burns, pharmacist mate third class,
sends “thanks a million” for a gift of cigarettes he recently
received bearing the card of the Astoria Kiwanis club and
the Astorian-Budget.