B1
THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, JANuARy 4, 2020
CONTACT US
FOLLOW US
Lucy Kleiner
lkleiner@dailyastorian.com
facebook.com/
DailyAstorian
SHARING PENINSULA STORIES
Writer looks back on his year covering community
Photos by Patrick Webb
Kite Museum leader Jane Holeman is pictured with a horse kite during the refurbishment of the Long Beach museum.
By PATRICK WEBB
A
fter four decades in the newspa-
per business, I am supposed to
be an idle beach bum, enjoying
a leisurely retirement, drinking Tet-
ley tea and eating Walkers shortbread
cookies.
Except that pesky editor of the Chi-
nook Observer keeps finding things for
me to do.
It has become my duty to tell the
stories of my neighbors on the Long
Beach Peninsula and Naselle — and
the good work they are doing in our
community.
This past year was no exception.
As we enter 2020, I thought I would
look back at 2019. Being a profes-
sional editor for so many years, stuck
inside a newsroom directing opera-
tions, I had forgotten the joy of meet-
ing people and telling their stories; it is
where I started when I was 19.
Remarkable
My year began talking with Nan-
sen Malin about the rejuvenated Sea
Resources and ended checking in with
Herlet Padilla about the enthusiastic
Naselle High School cheerleaders. In
between, there were many other mem-
orable folks on my agenda.
Malin is remarkable in that she
packs so many different thing into her
life. She’s one of those classic exam-
ples of, “If you need something done,
give it to a busy person.”
Brandy Meisner’s care putting
together the astonishing holiday dis-
play at Harbor Grille in Long Beach
was an early highlight for 2019, fol-
lowed by meeting Gary Lukens, who
led a bunch of positive projects all
year, not least creating the Ocean Park
Community Garden.
Next I joined Jim Sayce and Jane
Holeman at the Kite Museum, which
was undergoing a renovation. You
will find Sayce just about everywhere,
always doing good deeds. Hole-
man has been a stalwart for the Kite
Museum and festival for as long as
anyone can remember. Delving into
the international history and tradition
of kites is eye-opening; that landmark
sure is worth a visit.
Marge and Don Cox of South Bend
celebrated their 75th wedding anniver-
sary in 2019, a feat that few achieve.
The couple, who created a pharmacy
empire in Pacific County, were delight-
ful. Their life was essentially a history
of the Peninsula. The family mem-
bers who guided me on that important
story were like unpaid research assis-
tants. They mailed me a card afterward
thanking me for our story. Now that’s
class!
Brilliant
Early in the year, three Ilwaco High
School students, Tristan Trudell, Alex-
andrea Carper and Brendan Chabot,
talked about their excitement for their
planned trip to Germany with Astoria’s
long-running exchange program. This
trio is remarkable. They kept cropping
up in my viewfinder all year, demon-
strating commitment in cross-country
running, track and appearing in plays
or musical performances. People who
slag off our nation’s youth should stop,
take a deep breath, and instead take a
look at the fine example these three
young people set. One day they will
be running the world (if my generation
has left any world for them to run).
They are a true credit to their families.
Three other Ilwaco students, Katie
Glasson, Wylie McHale and Mada-
lynn Yates, impressed me, too. My
wife is a school teacher who tells her
students: have a passion. This trio’s
passion is horses, and they were pre-
paring for state competition. McHale
was especially eloquent: “I’ve ridden
horses since before I could remember.
It’s like breathing for me — it’s some-
thing I couldn’t live without.”
See Stories, Page B2
Wylie McHale, pictured with her horse, ‘Faith,’ was part of a trio from Ilwaco
participating in state competition.
‘I’VE RIddEN HORSES SINCE BEFORE I COuLd
REMEMBER. IT’S LIKE BREATHING FOR ME.’
Wylie McHale | Ilwaco student