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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2017)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper October 20, 2017 503-861-3331 Vol. 1, Issue 42 House comes alive with historic spookiness B y C inDy y ingst The Columbia Press Mike Adelmann’s holi- day decorating passion is so strong it helped him and his wife decide which house to buy when they moved to Warrenton three years ago. They rejected a house in Lewis and Clark because it was too far off the road. “It was one of the require- ments when we bought the house,” admits Teale Adel- mann, 46, who has grown to love her husband’s desire to give the community some fun each Halloween and Christmas. “I’ve been doing Christ- mas lights for 30 years and Halloween lights, probably only six or seven years,” said Mike Adelmann, 53. “I like to do it for the kids. I like to hear the kids. When we go to the bedroom at night, we can see and hear the kids.” But “lights” doesn’t quite describe the event that oc- See ‘House’ on Page 3 Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press Mike and Teale Adelmann elaborately decorate their home -- built in 1885 by town namesake Daniel Warren -- each year at Halloween and Christmas. The house at 107 N.E. Skipanon Drive is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a must-see at the holidays. More chills and thrills Harvest festivals, spook houses and cemeteries take center stage this time of year and there are several family friend- ly activities open this weekend and next to celebrate Halloween. • Haunted Tunnels is a haunted house-style walk-through activity put together by the Astoria-Warrenton-Sea- side KOA, 1100 N.W. Ridge Road, Ham- mond. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Sat- urdays through October. Admission is $3 per person or three nonperishable food items. Proceeds benefit Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank and KOA Care Camps. There is a black-light carnival and sev- eral routes through the tunnels, with one suitable for ages 6 and younger who don’t want to be scared. Visitors should stop at the KOA en- trance and get directions to the Haunted Tunnels. • Sunset Thriller and Fall Fun Fest sponsored by Sunset Empire Parks & Recreation includes a carnival and haunted house. The carnival is from 5 to 8 p.m. Satur- day, Oct. 21, at Bob Chisholm Commu- See ‘Chills’ on Page 8 When Martians threaten, Clatsop County hams are ready for action B y D.B. L ewis The Columbia Press Martians landed in Oregon Saturday, causing local county officials to activate Emergency Operation Centers across the state. That was the premise for the training exercise, which gave local emergency leaders an opportunity to practice for crucial radio communications when other modes aren’t sufficient. As in the December 2007 hurricane here, military and police radio systems were knocked out by electrical fail- ures. Even the Internet, landlines and cellphones wouldn’t work. Roads were blocked with no way for crews to com- municate with each other, and even the Red Cross couldn’t know where the needs were. So, once again, it was up to local li- censed amateur radio operators – aka “hams” - to get the word out using bat- tery-operated gadgets. Saturday’s statewide training event was dubbed “Mars Attacks! – The Se- quel.” It simulated emergency radio procedures by local volunteer hams in an “incident,” FEMA’s term for any- thing that suddenly impacts a commu- nity’s well being. When the chips are down, practiced hams like Frank Van Winkle will be ready for The Big One. He supervised Saturday’s simulation at the EOC with a half dozen other local volunteers. “If we don’t practice continually, we’ll See ‘Emergency’ on Page 6 To learn more Information about Amateur Radio Emergency Service or becoming a licensed amateur operator is available at www. clatsop-ares.org. The Sunset Empire Amateur Radio Club, or SEARC, will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday in Room 219, Columbia Hall, Clatsop Community College.