Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2020)
A4 THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, July 7, 2020 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 Saving a community resource I t was a joy last week to report the sale of the Performing Arts Center. For more than a decade, Clat- sop Community College leaders have been seeking to find a suit- able buyer for the converted Peace Lutheran Church building on 16th Street. The college bought it for classes and performances as it expanded in the 1970s, but discontinued a drama program many years ago and has moved away from hosting significant musical and other public events to focus on the core mission of providing community and aca- demic education. Maintenance issues as the build- ing’s interior deteriorated also meant it was no longer available for college classes, although it could still be used by community groups. In recent years, a coalition called Partners for the PAC has helped partner organizations make good use of the facility for concerts, plays and guest speakers while seeking a long-term solution to ownership. Many of the events were fund- raisers for the PAC, paying for some repairs and enhancements. The Astoria Music Festival used the stage as an alternate venue for some of its smaller-scale concerts and operatic performances. The Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian After unfurling the banner in a big reveal, Charlene Larsen learns the new name for the venue — the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts. North Coast Symphonic Band has graced its stage frequently and for the past two years the folk commu- nity has hosted a Pete Seeger birth- day concert there. As college leaders continued to seek a buyer, many in the arts com- munity worried that the facility would be lost as a performing arts center. These fears were ramped up with an outside investor’s approach to the college in 2016. When North Coast arts supporters learned the prospective buyers wanted to use the site for housing, they lobbied the college board to reject the offer. College leaders agreed, but urged the Partners to find a workable solution. As discussions continued, up stepped Constance Waisanen, a local financial adviser and arts sup- porter. Her organization, Trinity LLC, has bought the building with the sole intent of eventually hand- ing it over to the partners. “This is the win-win scenario we were hoping for,” said Chris Breit- meyer, the college president. “The college can let go of a building it couldn’t utilize and the community gets to keep the beloved gathering space.” While preserving the performing arts center is good news, there was a bonus cause for celebration as the small, socially distanced crowd assembled last week discovered. Warm applause greeted the unveiling of the new name of the facility — the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts. Larsen has been a fixture in the leadership of the Partners, a stal- wart performer with more than one musical group, and a leader with the Astoria Regatta, Astoria Scan- dinavian Midsummer Festival and Lions Club. When she was chosen for the George Award in 2011, the citizen-of-the-year honor was long overdue. Her work for the PAC has included leading the Partners, but also considerable hands-on main- tenance and refurbishing of the building — even the mucky stuff. The one cloud on the horizon is the one affecting all arts organi- zations. The necessary health and safety requirements of the coro- navirus mean that performing arts facilities may be among the last to reopen when health risks of public gatherings begin to diminish. Still, the Partners for the PAC board and supporters combine the energy and enthusiasm of some of the most creative minds on the North Coast. We have confidence they will continue this united drive to keep the facility alive. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Inspiring M arches, civil unrest, a pandemic … not just today’s news, but almost a century ago these same events ushered in the 19th Amendment. There were meetings, marches, rallies and rage taking place for 72 years. Ore- gon can thank Abigail Scott Duniway for mobilizing Oregonians to pass suffrage earlier in 1912, eight years ahead of the 19th Amendment. I just previewed “The Vote,” airing on PBS’ “American Experience.” It is history coming alive with stunning original histor- ical film footage, a compelling true story and one we should all know. Beginning Jan. 3, 1917, women silently picketed the White House six days a week, in the cold of winter, enduring jeering, jail and hunger strikes for months. The sheer dedication of many thousands of women to gain the right to vote is astounding. Did you know the 19th Amendment passed Aug. 26, 1920? Finally the other half of American citizens could vote. “The Vote,” an inspiring PBS program, is one you will want to share with your family and friends; it will open up conver- sations relevant to today’s issues. Hope- fully it will encourage everyone to register to vote and vote, your vote is your voice for our environment, our health care, our education and the security of a better life for our future. As we are approach the 100th anniver- sary of the 19th Amendment in August, I urge you to tune in for this remarkable story, one not taught when I was in school. It is not “his-story” but our story. LaREE JOHNSON Astoria Very low interaction I wish to respond to the letter to the edi- tor, “Dangerous Cycle” (The Astorian, June 30). I am a senior citizen in my late 70s, who has had very low interaction with police personnel all of my life. It has been my personal experience that any time an officer of the law wanted to interact with me, I made every effort to be cooperative with the officer, and answer any question in a nonhostile manner if an officer wished to talk to me, or instruct me to move off in a different direction if they were dealing with an issue. My observation of most of the pro- tests I have seen this year is that there is the appearance of substantial belligerence between protesters and police trying to maintain order during many of these pro- tests. I suspect that there are police that are overly aggressive when they sense that a large group of protesters is actively bait- ing these police, and I deplore their lack of self-control. However, I see very little effort by many protesters to be cooperative with police, or to make an effort to avoid con- frontation. I see confrontation as a goal by an unusually large number of protest- ers in many of the protests I see on TV, and it breaks my heart that being a citi- zen these days seems to make these pro- testers believe they can get away with almost anything because they are in a large uncontrolled group that enjoys baiting the police. SCOTT WIDDICOMBE Warrenton A question P resident Donald Trump famously claimed he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, and he wouldn’t lose any voters. His lawyer even used the same argument in federal appeals court last fall, while declaring that a sitting pres- ident has absolute immunity from criminal indictment or investigation. Here’s a question: Would Donald Trump lose any voters if he allowed Rus- sian President Vladimir Putin to shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Ave- nue? How about American soldiers in Afghanistan? This November, will you be voting for Trump, or for America? ERIC HALPERIN Gearhart Bleed red I feel sad and incensed when I see or hear hateful diatribe against others, and worse, systemic racism. First, we must confront the violence and terrible inequities against Black peo- ple for the past 400 years, beginning with slavery. What happened to 40 acres and a mule? Never happened. Also, Black people must receive repa- rations for continuing inequity in oppor- tunities, medical care, justice, commu- nity assistance and broken promises by the white-dominated majority. By 2050, Caucasians are on the way to becoming a minority, unless climate change, disease, stupid warfare, ignorant fascists and hate- filled mongers don’t cause extinction of all humans. First, though, let’s focus on providing real help to our most vulnerable population — Black Americans. No more institution- alized slavery in our prison systems. No more violence and death caused by police officers; or disgusting actions and words at the hands of ignorant, unhappy, hate-filled groups that somehow have these violent fascist and racist agendas. I live in Clatsop County, and near my home an unhappy person flies a Confeder- ate flag. It shatters the beauty of this area to see that flag, and I wonder what kind of sick, afraid and dangerous people live at that home. Isn’t it inconceivable that many people don’t think all humans bleed red? SUSAN WILLIAMS Astoria Inspirational leadership K udos to Clatsop County Commis- sioner Pam Wev for her inspirational leadership and willingness to call a spade a spade at the June 24 commission meeting. Her insistence on keeping Robert Stricklin and Chris Farrar on the Clat- sop County Planning Commission was the right call. Both men have been thoughtful and fair minded in their positions, which have consistently upheld local values. The commissioners voting in the minority tried the old “Moscow” Mitch McConnell tactic of not allowing an important vote, even though the change of majority rule on the commission is months away. In deference to the new composi- tion of the commission after Jan. 1, the minority tried to postpone the vote, which Commissioner Wev courageously called a “cheap trick.” Commissioner Mark Kujala and Com- missioner Lianne Thompson said they were just trying to avoid the wholesale replacement of the new Planning Com- mission that took place in 2011, after a progressive majority took control of the county commission. Time will tell if Kujala and Thompson are willing to live up to that standard, and let the rightful democratic appointment of Stricklin and Farrar stand. More likely, they will conveniently forget about it, and lead the charge to replace the full planning commission after January. When Courtney Bangs and John Toyooka join the county commission, it will usher in preferential treatment for big business and corporations, under the guise of giving voice to rural communi- ties, rather than the environmentally sensi- tive, slow growth values upheld by Strick- lin and Farrar. ROGER DORBAND Astoria
