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THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2019
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2019 • B1
WATER UNDER
THE BRIDGE
COMPILED BY BOB DUKE
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
10 years ago
this week — 2009
P
ast and present joined together Wednesday in War-
renton to honor the man whose camp has infl u-
enced the lives of roughly 6,500 Oregon children
during the last 39 years.
The Garden of Gratitude at the Camp Rilea Armed
Forces Training Facility in Warrenton was dedicated
in honor of Brig. Gen. Fred M. Rosenbaum, 83, who
founded Camp Rosenbaum at the facility in 1970 for
“at-risk” youth ages nine to 11. More than 100 people
marked the occasion.
There weren’t enough chairs at the ceremony and
many people stood in a half-circle on the wet lawn out-
side the original Camp Rosenbaum clubhouse. Former
Oregon governors Barbara Roberts and Vic Atiyeh gave
speeches, as did Maj. Gen Raymond F. Rees, adjutant
general for the Oregon National Guard, and Arnie Lep-
pert, former camp director.
They spoke of Rosenbaum’s perseverance, his dedi-
cation, and his love.
“Fred M. Rosenbaum, Oregon hero,” Roberts said.
IN ONE EAR — “So many volunteers at the
July 5 beach cleanup reported they fi nally ‘just
go down on my hands and knees to pick up all
the small pieces’ that we decided to just call in
that, wrote Ellen Anderson of the Grassroots
Garbage Gang’s “Hands and Knees” commu-
nity beach cleanup on the Long Beach (Wash-
ington) Peninsula.
“A total of approximately 600 volunteers
swept the beach and initial reports have 18 tons
of garbage from the beach that morning after a
record crowd celebrated on Saturday night July
4 bonfi res and fi reworks,” Anderson added.
“We had 16 ham radio operators to coordinate
needs with resources, beach approach coordi-
nators at every major approach, and a handful
of general coordinators making it happen. Our
sincere thanks to all!”
2009 — Reba Strickland, one of the fi rst kids at Camp Rosenbaum years ago, hugs the founder, retired Brig. Gen Fred
Rosenbaum, and tries to tell him just how much his camp changed her life.
ELSIE — For many of the customers who attended
Oney’s grand opening over the weekend, it was like com-
ing home.
And owner Steve Pitkin was ready to welcome them
back, with 1,000 oysters, 200 steaks and 100 pounds of
ribs, plus drinks, live music and lots of memories.
Although the roadhouse had a “soft” opening over
the July 4 weekend, the offi cial open house occurred last
weekend. Old friends, who hadn’t seen each other since
the restaurant burned down May 7, 2008, hugged and
caught up with each other’s lives.
“There was an empty spot here for a year,” said Herb
Olstedt, whose family — from his great-grandmother to his
sons — worked at the old Oney’s. “It’s good to get it back.”
Sometime during the weekend, glasses were raised in
honor of Lenore “Oney” Camberg, who opened the restau-
rant on U.S. Highway 26 in 1938. The feisty restaurateur
and the restaurant became mainstays in the community.
1969 — Miss Oregon Margie Huhta signs an autograph
for an admirer.
James W. Mott — important member of the U.S. House
of Representatives’ public roads committee — and oth-
ers were due here today for start of a western Oregon tour
checking on secondary highways and shaping up postwar
plans to supplement a previous survey.
50 years ago — 1969
And what does the man on the street think of the man
on the moon? Varied as the opinions are during an extem-
poraneous canvass, the consensus was always, fi rst off,
one of wonderment and awe.
Col. Arthur Fertig, veteran of World Wars I and II,
Warrenton: “It is the most marvelous thing that ever hap-
pened to the world during my lifetime. I remember when
Wilbur Wright made his fi rst airplane fl ight. THAT was
awesome enough. But this is even more so. I only wish
that I could live another 60 years to witness what will
happen next.”
Acting on a suggestion by an Astoria resident, Mayor
Harry Steinbock has asked Rep. Wendell Wyatt, R-Ore.,
to see whether all or part of the lunar command ship
Columbia could be obtained for an Astoria museum.
Steinbock said today that Joe Ewald, of Astoria, had
made the suggestion to him because of Astoria’s identifi -
cation with the Columbia River.
The lunar command ship was named Columbia
because of that word’s attachment to the United States
after the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
The most thrilling ride she ever took was
Miss Oregon 1969’s tour of her home county
Saturday, but not until Margie Huhta, with her
jeweled crown and regal composure, reached
Knappa crossroads did she lose her “cool.”
Tears coursed down the most beautiful face in
Oregon as the Knappa girl saw the dense crowd
2009 — Garbage gang
fi lls the bin.
2009 — The iconic Oney’s sign on U.S. Highway 26 shows
Paul Bunyan, wielding his ax. Although the sign was the
only thing that remained after last year’s arson fi re, it
had to be touched up, too.
of people assembled, cheering her arrival. The
fi re truck and telephone company trucks were
emblazoned with “Welcome home Margie.” All
along the roads leading into Knappa, children
waved homemade banners, crowds cheered,
horns blew and those working in fi elds and
farmyards came running to cheer.
Slated to visit Astoria late in August as part of the 1969
Regatta fl eet is the Canadian naval vessel HMCS Porte
de la Reine.
It will be here with a number of other ships for the
Aug. 21-24 festivities.
The craft was built at Victoria Machinery Depot Co.
Ltd. and commissioned in October 1952.
The 457-ton gate vessel, originally designed to work
harbor approach nets, or “gates” (submarine defense
measures), was taken out of active service in 1956.
75 years ago — 1944
The state highway commission, members of the state
and federal highway engineering staffs, Congressman
Activity in the processing of albacore tuna
moved into high gear Monday and today among
some lower Columbia canneries, as boats beat
in from a north Pacifi c — described as “ideal”
at present for the albacore hunt — loaded to
the gunwales with the $325-a-ton blueblood of
ocean fi shing.
Two of the canneries, Columbia River Pack-
ers Association and Union Fishermen’s Co-op,
said that average deliveries appeared to be in the
vicinity of 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. New England
Fish company reported one 11,000-pound deliv-
ery. One industry authority offered the opin-
ion, although admittedly without confi rmation,
that Monday’s returns were as heavy as those
during any comparable early-season period in
the albacore picture, since it took on bright col-
ors in 1939.
A message from the war department telling of the
death of John Henry “Bim” Elfving, son of Mr. and Mrs,
Henry Elfving of Astoria, was received here Monday
night. The telegram, addressed to the former well-known
Astoria boy’s wife, read:
“Regret to inform you that Pvt. John Henry Elfving
was killed in action on July 7. Letter will follow.”
COPALIS, Wash. — Two Tahola Indians,
Stanley Charlie and Sam Pickernell, are cred-
ited with the rescue of fi ve Oregon and Wash-
ington fi shermen whose boat sank about
three-quarters of a mile west of Taholah, the
Coast Guard announced today.
Using a dugout canoe, Charlie and Picker-
nell made three trips to the 80-foot drag fi shing
craft, a reconverted oil tanker, which had struck
a rocky reef in dense fog Tuesday.
Astoria albacore packers, either already underway
in the canning of tuna or ready to start their lines next
week, today ran up the appeal for cannery labor and
announced they would be unable to operate at any
appreciable degree of effi ciency unless the labor force
is enlarged soon.
The packers pointed to existence of the Asto-
ria playground system, which throughout the city is
geared to handle youngsters under capable leadership
while parents are employed at peak seasonal work
here. They appealed to those in Astoria who in the
past, and during the more recent labor crises, have
volunteered for work in the canneries, at substantial
wages — to permit the all-out production and pro-
cessing of fi sh.
Five feminine aviation machinists are
among the newest addition to the Tongue
Point naval air station Wave detachment. All
tell of their work with enthusiasm and inter-
est lighting their eyes, although this is their
fi rst duty and they have been here only from
three to six weeks.