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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2019)
A4 THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, OcTObER 24, 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 Columbia Forum a cultural asset C olumbia Forum is a remark- able cultural asset for the communities of the lower Columbia River but may be over- looked, particularly by those who have moved here in recent years. Celebrating its 30th season, Columbia Forum was started in 1989 as a way to provide our then-remote area with access to interesting speak- ers, including many from the “out- side world” who would otherwise be unlikely to make public appearances here. Its guests have included our region’s top writers, artists, politi- cians and newsmakers. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and top his- torian Stephen Ambrose headlined Columbia Forum during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial period, while more recent guests have included Vanity Fair magazine contribut- ing editor Buzz Bissinger, the Pulit- zer Prize-winning author of “Friday Night Lights” and other books. Patrick Webb, of Long Beach, Washington, a retired managing editor of The Astorian, said he has always enjoyed going to the Colum- bia Forum because of the variety of topics that broadened his and the audience’s education. Webb recalls that Knute Berger from Seattle’s Crosscut online news magazine was among memorable journalist speakers. Oregon Con- gressman Peter DeFazio’s expert dis- section of the astonishing things he uncovered in the federal budget was a true eye-opener, Webb said. An important aspect of the Columbia Forum is the opportunity to engage in conversations with people like Berger, Bissinger and DeFazio — getting to ask them questions in a COLUMBIA FORUM For dinner reservations, to become a member or be added to the contact list: Call: 503-325-4955 Email: forum@dailyastorian.com RSVP: By Friday E-ticketing: https://tinyurl.com/Co- lumbia-Forum-Tickets Reservations are not required if you want to attend the talk but not have dinner. Danny Miller/The Astorian The audience at a Columbia Forum presentation by journalist Nigel Jaquiss in 2017. thoroughly relaxed setting. The 30th season is shaping up to include a roster of compelling guests. • It starts Tuesday with Phil Mote, former Washington state climatol- ogist and current head of the Ore- gon Climate Change Research Insti- tute at Oregon State University. He’ll be speaking about some of the many myths surrounding climate change with candor that will be illuminat- ing to everyone, no matter what their opinions may be on the subject. • November’s guest will be Tom Hallman, Pulitzer Prize-winning fea- ture writer for The Oregonian and part-time resident of the Long Beach Peninsula. Hallman has remarkable gifts for telling the stories of ordi- nary people in ways that enrich his readers’ lives. His talk may elicit tears and laughter, and will cer- tainly leave attendees grateful to live in the region where he practices journalism. • In January, the forum hosts Sea- side native Karl Marlantes, author of “Deep River,” a novel deeply grounded in the immigrant experi- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lie t seems that it is getting harder and harder to lie for this president. MONICA TAYLOR Astoria I Smear campaign orporate media has waged a smear cam- paign against presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, claiming she is a Russian asset and an Assad apologist. Hillary Clin- ton has jumped on that bandwagon, smear- ing Gabbard and also Jill Stein, 2016 Green Party presidential candidate, as Russian assets. In response, Gabbard called Hillary “the queen of warmongers, embodiment of cor- ruption and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party …” Yes, I voted for Jill Stein in 2016, because Hillary is exactly that, much like Donald Trump. In the Oct. 15 Democratic debate, Gab- bard called U.S. intervention in Syria a regime change war. Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg claimed U.S. involvement was only about defeating ISIS, but eight years of reports from journalists prove them wrong. In 2011, the CIA began arming the al-Nusra Front, jihadist rebels linked to Al Qaeda, to join the Syrian rebels in fighting the Assad government. In 2017, Congresswoman Gabbard, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Commit- tee, visited Syria for a fact-finding mission to understand the conflict. After returning, she sponsored the Stop Arming Terror- ists Act because the U.S. is arming danger- ous terrorists in Syria, whom we should be fighting. Gabbard is standing up to the military-in- dustrial congressional complex by speaking out against wasteful regime change wars. These wars are not about defending our country. They are about U.S. imperialism. It is despicable to smear Gabbard, who served in Iraq in the Army National Guard. The U.S. corporate media manufactures consent with lies and propaganda. MARK ROLOFSON Gearhart C Navigating the negatives guess that it’s only natural for most of us to have a time when our spirits are down. Perhaps a pain that won’t I ence on the lower Columbia. This will be Marlantes’ second time at Columbia Forum, where a discussion of his award-winning 2010 “Matter- horn: A Novel of the Vietnam War” was one of that season’s most popu- lar and memorable events. • February’s talk features Colum- bia Forum co-founder Steve For- rester discussing his section of the forthcoming history “Eminent Ore- gonians.” Forrester will highlight his multiyear study of Richard Neu- berger, who in 1954 became the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat from Oregon since 1914, and the first Jewish Oregonian to ascend to such a lofty office. Forrester’s land- mark effort explores previously unknown facts about this amaz- ing politician, journalist and author whose life richly deserves to be hon- ored by today’s Oregonians. • In March, Tom and Sherry Eck- ardt of the Oregon Psilocybin Soci- ety will speak about the Psilocybin Service Initiative, an effort to legal- ize the therapeutic use of “magic mushrooms” in the state. In widely publicized news, including on CBS’s “60 Minutes” earlier this month, psi- locybin is gaining acceptance as a powerful antidepressant and tool for enriching mental wellness. This pro- gram may stir special local inter- est in light of our area’s quiet under- ground reputation as home to some of the world’s most potent psilocybin mushrooms. These and other Columbia Forum guests yet to be finalized promise to make the 2019-20 season a perfect time discover this unique program, or become active in it again. Anyone may attend individual talks for $15, or $35 with a delicious prediscussion dinner provided by Chef Chris Holen at Baked Alaska. Columbia Forum members attend lectures for free, or $25 including dinner. Individual memberships are $60; couples $95. Columbia Forum is sponsored by The Astorian, Coast River Business Journal, KMUN, Cannery Pier Hotel and Spa, Craft3 and Oregon State University’s Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station. CRBJ/Chinook Observer Publisher and Editor Matt Winters is this season’s host. LETTERS WELCOME Letters should be exclusive to The Astorian. Letters should be fewer than 250 words and must include the writ- er’s name, address and phone num- ber. You will be contacted to con- firm authorship. All letters are subject to edit- ing for space, grammar, and fac- tual accuracy. Only 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 mentioning the writer by name, should refer to the headline and date the letter was published. Dis- course should be civil and people should be referred to in a respectful manner. Letters in poor taste will not be printed. Send via email to editor@dai- lyastorian.com, online at dailyasto- rian.com/submit_letters, in person at 949 Exchange St. in Astoria or 1555 North Roosevelt in Seaside, or mail to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. go away, a troublesome relationship or any difficult situation we may be in. It traps us into thinking, “There’s no way out.” The psalmist gave us a clue to a solution. He said, “O’ my God, my soul is lost down in me,” and then, “therefore I will remem- ber thee.” So no matter what you may be going through, never, never give up. Remember the living, loving Lord that promises, “Lo, I am with you always,” and that we, by his grace, are given the strength to go through, overcome and be more than conquerors in all that we face. JIM BERNARD Warrenton Heroes n Oct. 10, I fell down in the Columbia Memorial Hospital parking lot. To say “thank you” and “my profound gratitude” are inadequate words for those who immedi- ately helped me. The people I remember are the woman who secured the emergency room staff, the man who moved my car for the gurney, those who helped get me onto the gurney, O WHERE TO WRITE • State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell (D): State Capitol, 900 Court St. NE, H-285, Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1432. Email: rep.tiffinymitchell@oregonlegislature.gov. Web: oregonlegislature.gov/mitchell • State Rep. Brad Witt (D): State Capi- tol, 900 Court St. NE, H-374, Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1431. Email: Rep. BradWitt@oregonlegislature.gov. Web: ore- gonlegislature.gov/witt • State Sen. Betsy Johnson (D): State Capitol, 900 Court St. NE, S-209, Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1716. Email: sen.betsyjohnson@oregonlegislature. gov. Web: oregonlegislature.gov/johnson. District Office: P.O. Box R, Scappoose, OR 97056. Phone: 503-543-4046. Astoria office phone: 503-338-1280 • U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D): 2231 Rayburn House Office Building, Washing- all those who stayed with me, Emily Bri- zendine, Dr. Shannon Berry, the other emer- gency room staff and the wonderful nurses. ton, DC 20515. Phone: 202-225-0855. Dis- trict office: 12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 220, Beaverton, OR 97005. Phone: 503- 469-6010. Web: bonamici.house.gov • U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D): 221 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Web: wyden. senate.gov • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D): 313 Hart Sen- ate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Phone: 202-224-3753. Web: merkley. senate.gov • Port of Astoria: Executive Director, 10 Pier 1 Suite 308, Astoria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-741-3300. Email: admin@portofasto- ria.com • Clatsop County Board of Commission- ers: C/O County Manager, 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-325-1000. To all: Thank you! SALLY HUGHES Astoria
