B1
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019 • B1
WATER UNDER
THE BRIDGE
COMPILED BY BOB DUKE
From the pages of Astoria’s daily newspapers
The USS High Point, back when it was operational, crossing the Columbia River Bar. The ship is docked at Pier 3 at North Tongue Point and in need of renovation.
10 years ago
this week — 2009
I
n its heyday, the 115-foot USS High Point could
track submarines and launch a torpedo while fl ying
above the water at up to 50 knots.
It was the fi rst in a series of four U.S. Navy hydrofoil
vessels — “the lady of the fl eet.” And in 1974, it was the
fi rst of its kind to launch a harpoon missile, secretly test-
ing and proving advanced anti-submarine technology.
After it was decommissioned in 1989, it quietly
changed hands several times before coming to languish
at Astoria’s North Tongue Point around 2000.
Portland resident and military artifact collector Ter-
ence Orme rescued the ship from being scrapped in a
2005 lien sale. He has spent the past four years cleaning
it out and drumming up support to revive the relic.
“They wanted to scrap it,” said Orme. “I just thought
that was a tragedy because it has such a great legacy. We
had different ideas on preservation. Things have been
slowly falling into place ever since then.”
Orme and about a dozen volunteers — including
three Navy vets who once served on board the ship —
are working on weekends to restore the High Point and
turn it into a fl oating museum.
After a six-decade vigil, the Clatsop County
Courthouse cannon is receiving some overdue
TLC.
On Thursday the County Board of Commis-
sioners gave its approval to allow a local group
of history-minded citizens to remove the his-
toric weapon for a volunteer-driven restoration
project.
The Japanese-made howitzer, a war trophy
from World War II, has stood sentinel at the
northeast corner of the courthouse since the
1940 s. But time, the elements and vandals hav-
en’t been kind to the old landmark.
Astoria High School’s High-Q team, which tests quick recall of knowledge in several fi elds, reportedly did quite well in
its third and fi nal television match this week, against Columbia River High School, of Vancouver, Washington, in 1969.
Pictured from left, Robbie Law, Harry Antoniou, Blair Henningsgaard and Bill Niska.
of its kind in Astoria, to Rudolph “Rudy” Planting and
Alf Dahl was announced today by Fred Thiel, opera-
tor and owner of the place until recently for 25 years
with his brother Henry Thiel, now in California. Thiel,
prominent in Clatsop County political and business cir-
cles since coming here a quarter century ago from Ritz-
ville, Washington, said that he would retain a one-third
interest in the business and “most certainly” continue to
make Astoria his home.
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to
enhance and protect riparian areas while improving the
safety along a 10-mile corridor of U.S. Highway 30
when it begins a tree removal project.
The trees targeted for removal create safety prob-
lems during winter storms by hanging over U.S. High-
way 30, a primary transportation link between Astoria
and Portland.
SEASIDE – A jump into the icy waters of
the Necanicum River just in the “nick of time”
saved the life of Henry Gust Friday evening at
6:30 p.m.
Gust was walking east on 12th Street at
the bridge when a car approaching him sud-
denly jumped to the sidewalk and he was
forced to leap over the side of the bridge. Two
men nearby, Fred Meyers and Andrew Semen,
heard his cries for help and pulled him from the
river with a rope.
50 years ago — 1969
Crab fi shermen in the Astoria area apparently are
holding off on fi shing until quality improves despite the
Oregon Fish Commission’s decision last Monday that
the season would remain open.
Crab caught in test fi shing off the Columbia River
prior to the Dec. 8 meeting was more than 80% soft
shell.
Lambs long since have ceased to follow
“Mary” to school, but not dogs. With this in
mind, the Clatsop Humane Department this
morning reminded students not to let their dogs
follow them to school.
This warning is made since dog control
recently went into effect in Astoria and other
municipalities. The department also reminded
that current dog licenses expire Dec. 31.
Margie Huhta, Miss Oregon in 1969, has found truth
in the idea that Christmas can be a happier time of year
when the gifts that you have can be shared with others.
Looking for a way to be of service to others, she
started with the premise that there are many who need
a little light-hearted happiness during the holiday sea-
son. Huhta could offer moments of pleasure by sharing
her musical talents with them. Next came an idea. Why
not produce a show that could travel easily and be com-
pact enough to play in any type of room that could be
made available.
A show needs a cast, but where do you fi nd a group
of young people willing to give up their holiday season
to spend their time entertaining others?
The girls at Tongue Point Job Corps Center are all
a long way from home. Using the c orpswomen from
Miss Oregon Margie Huhta, right, and members of her
Christmas season entertainment troupe took over costume
making in the Tongue Point Job Corps Center sewing room
in 1969.
the center would not only answer the need for talent, it
would also provide a way for a group of lonesome girls
to fi ll their holidays with the pleasure of serving others.
The result: “Soul Christmas,” an hour of Christmas
musical entertainment, which will play a total of 15 per-
formances during the holiday season.
Some 150 persons stood silently around the
front steps of the Astoria branch of the U.S.
Post Offi ce Monday night, clutching lighted
candles tightly, in a vigil for peace in Vietnam.
For the most part, Astoria residents had cho-
sen the night to “mourn” the U.S. involvement
in Vietnam, and to sow support for an “immedi-
ate end to our military operations in Vietnam.”
Some carried American fl ags, as Astoria
homemaker, Kristina Berrey, explained, “to
assert our patriotism in ending this war.”
75 years ago — 1944
Transfer of management and sale of one-third inter-
est each in Thiel Bros. Store, the largest establishment
A new sanitation ordinance governing the operation
of Astoria restaurants will become law in 30 days fol-
lowing the passage by unanimous vote of city commis-
sioners at their meeting Monday night. There were few
revisions in the law as fi rst presented.
Nearly all of Astoria’s 65 restaurant operators
appeared before the city fathers to have their say on the
controversial provisions of the law, but despite numer-
ous suggestions and an attempt to table the entire pro-
ceedings for the war’s duration, the vote was taken.
SEASIDE – One business establishment
was practically destroyed and a second was
seriously damaged by smoke when fi re broke
out in the Log Cabin restaurant early Friday
morning.
The restaurant, owned by G.E. Arestad, is
located in the center of the business district and
had there been any wind, the entire district on
Broadway would have been threatened.
The war department’s order rescinding the measure
that excluded persons of Japanese ancestry from resi-
dence on the W est C oast early in 1942 contains the fol-
lowing statement: “The revocation order provides that
any person of Japanese ancestry about whom infor-
mation is available indicating a pro-Japanese ancestry
whose records have stood the tests of A rmy scrutiny
during the past two years will be permitted the same
freedom of movement throughout the United States as
other loyal citizens and law-abiding aliens.”