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THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, OcTObER 1, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Celebrate a milestone, then get to work
A
fter the party, Jane Sweet
has a lot of cleaning up to
do.
Sweet is Warrenton’s harbor-
master. And her latest project is to
maintain and improve the Ham-
mond Marina.
It’s a substantial challenge, but
one she and the city’s leaders have
been wanting for many years.
The important facility has
always been a key element of the
community’s economic prosperity,
not just during the bustling Buoy
10 salmon season, but year-round.
However, it hasn’t been dredged in
more than a decade, which means
about half its 180 slips aren’t regu-
larly available for use by boaters.
Behind the scenes, a series of
leaders have been working to
restore ownership to what many
consider its rightful place. Inevita-
bly, changes in personnel and the
often snail’s-pace progress of fed-
eral bureaucracy has meant every-
one has been waiting a while.
Along the way, the city missed
out on an Oregon Marine Board
grant to help dredge the marina,
a project estimated at $1.3 mil-
lion, in part because it lacked
ownership.
That criteria changed — hence
the reason for a party — when the
Edward Stratton/The Astorian
Only half the slips are regularly usable at the Hammond Marina, which hasn’t been
dredged in at least a decade.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
handed over the marina keys to the
city Wednesday.
It was a day for celebrations,
best summed up by buoyant War-
renton Mayor Henry Balensifer.
“The marina has historically
been the lifeblood of the Hammond
heritage district, and I believe with
a vision, investment and a stream-
lined development process, we can
revitalize this area to its former
glory and more,” he said.
The basin is a key landmark
with a storied history. It was
designed way back in the 1940s,
then transferred to the Army Corps
in 1954 to help with that agency’s
crucial maintenance of the mouth
of the Columbia River. The old
city of Hammond managed it for
decades, with Warrenton taking
over in 1991.
Congress approved a transfer of
ownership a short while ago, but
the i’s needed to be dotted, the t’s
crossed. The trust between officials
involved in this careful process
was very evident.
While all this was happening, a
city task force offered four accom-
panying recommendations:
• expand campgrounds nearby
• improve Seafarers Park
• build a public fishing pier
• create more event space.
Those will go hand in hand with
waterfront enhancements.
It is worth mentioning the other
pleasing element. That is a com-
mitment, voiced by Balensifer at
the ceremonial handover, that the
design of new developments at the
pier will fit in with surrounding
historical architecture.
That’s a cause we have long
championed — and frankly one
where some communities have
fallen short on past projects.
For Sweet, it will be a day-to-
day challenge to move things for-
ward now the city has responsi-
bility for maintaining the channel,
dredging the marina and repairing
the docks.
Her expanded workload on
behalf of the community is proof
that perseverance pays off. And it
is one more sign that Warrenton
is charting a positive course for a
brighter future.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Encouraged
attended the movie “From Paris
to Pittsburgh” on Sept. 22 at the
Columbian Theater in Astoria. It is a
2018 documentary film about climate
change that explores how Americans
from the heartland to coastal communities,
rural communities and cities are
responding to the climate crisis with real
solutions, creating thousands of jobs along
the way.
The purpose of the afternoon was not
to convince climate deniers that human-
caused climate change is real, but to
inspire those who do not need convincing
to action.
Thank you, Clatsop County Commis-
sioners Kathleen Sullivan and Lianne
Thompson for attending. Thompson
encouraged citizens to participate in the
Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan pro-
cess as one way to strategize how we can
reduce our carbon footprint on a local
level.
And, thanks to Indivisible North Coast
Oregon for putting on this event. I came
away more encouraged and hopeful than
I’ve felt in a long time.
JULIA HESSE
Astoria
I
Furniture and cows
’m still reading the U.S. Constitution,
and still haven’t found any loopholes,
but I’ve come to the conclusion that the
Founding Fathers were excellent furniture
makers, specializing in three-legged stools
— like for milking cows.
For a stool to work properly, it requires
three legs of equal length. If one leg is lon-
ger, the stool tips over, and you can’t milk
the cows. If any legs are shorter, the stool
crashes — poor cows. Little is absolute
any more, but physics law is. America is a
nation of laws, right?
In the kindergarten sandbox, I learned
the founders built the “awesomest” stool
ever. The executive, judicial and legisla-
tive legs — all equal.
Early on, many immigrants (your/my
ancestors), tired of dictator, despot, king
or tyrant rule, came here. The idea of three
equal branches of government checking
each other was refreshing.
People wanting their leg of the stool to
be the longest is, unfortunately, an age-old
recurring theme called greed. Forget the
cows.
One of the beautiful characteristics of
democracy is each leg has the authority,
and obligation, to keep all the legs equal.
This results in contented cows.
If one leg goes rogue, who is more at
fault? The rogue, or the two who failed
to keep the stool level? Huh? Democracy
only works if people care enough to make
it work. Wouldn’t you agree? I do.
Dang, those founders sure could build
stools, and you can bet the farm that if the
big stool falls, there will be a lot of con-
I
LETTERS WELCOME
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fused cows.
CARL DOMINEY
Astoria
Support our nurses
attended the town hall hosted by the
nurses of Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal. They want and deserve a fair contract.
They want to work with the CEO Erik
Thorsen, and not be shut out. I heard their
voices.
I also saw posted displays showing the
nurses’ names, and how much income they
have lost. They’re asking for, and deserve,
I
two letters per writer are allowed each
month.
Letters written in response to other
letter writers should address the issue
at hand and, rather than mention-
ing the writer by name, should refer
to the headline and date the letter was
published. Discourse should be civil
and people should be referred to in a
consistent scheduling and economic sta-
bility. The board of trustees need to step in
and get the CEO back on track to sit down
with our nurses, and work to reach a fair
contract.
The board members are Constance
Waisanen, Nancy McAllister, Mike Autio,
Bill Landwehr, Doug Kaup, Heather
Seppa, Dr. Kevin Baxter, Dave Nygaard,
Dr. Robert Holland, Jean Danforth, Dr.
James Heilman and Mark Smith. I know
some of the trustees are local business
people with employees. I am sure they
know how to bargain with their employees
in good faith.
Please help our nurses. I support our
respectful manner. Letters in poor taste
will not be printed.
Send via email to editor@dailyas-
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ria, OR 97103.
local nurses.
A. “DIANE” FINUCANE
Warrenton
Moscow Mitch
oncerning U.S. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell: When
only one person elected by only one part
of only one state acts as exclusive gate-
keeper for all congressional legislative
activity, we are no longer a representative
democracy.
DONNA LEE ROLLINS
Astoria
C