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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper 503-861-3331 March 9, 2018 Vol. 2, Issue 10 Model train hobby is on the right track B y d.B. l eWIs The Columbia Press Dick Wagner remembers when passenger and freight trains were everywhere. Wagner recorded his knowledge many years ago by creating a scale model layout in his ga- rage, showing railroading as he remembers it. “It’s fun,” said Wagner, 90, of Warrenton. He is a member of the Columbia Northwest- ern Model Railroading Club, a local group that’s been around for more than two decades. The club meets at Columbia members’ homes Northwestern Model so they can help Railroading Club build and improve The club meets most each other’s train Thursday afternoons in “boards,” complete club members’ homes. with scenery, roads, There are no club dues telephone lines, or fees, and everyone buildings and, of is welcome, even if just course, several loco- to visit. motives, each pull- For more information, ing half a dozen rail call Don Carter at 503- cars over lots and 325-0757. lots of track. The model railroad hobby brings ongoing satisfaction to hundreds of thousands of young and old worldwide. Despite the rapid decline of railroads since the early ‘60s, enthusiasts love to commemo- rate historical machines, places and methods. It’s long been a favorite of hobbyists from 8 to 80, delighting participants and onlookers with See ‘Trains’ on Page 5 Former Mayor Kujala files for county seat He faces challengers from Astoria in May 15 election B y c iNdy y iNgst Above: Don Carter ad- justs a rail car on the track while Steve Kellow looks on at a club meeting last week. Right: Dick Wagner plays locomotive engineer for a session in his garage. D.B. Lewis The Columbia Press The Columbia Press Former Warrenton Mayor Mark Kujala is among the three contenders running for Clat- sop County Commissioner, hoping to take over the District 1 seat that will be vacated by Chair- man Scott Lee. Kujala faces George McCartin and Andy Da- vis, both of Astoria, in the May 15 election. Dis- trict 1 includes Warrenton, Hammond and the western portion of Astoria. Whoever is elected will take over in January, replacing Lee who has chosen to step down af- ter eight years on the panel. All three men vowed to help solve a problem plaguing some elected bodies: the inability to get along. “I have a pretty good ability to get along with people and would try to find bridges for all the members and the staff,” Kujala said. “It’s re- ally what our constituents demand. You’re not elected to go on a board and harden yourself against each other. I would hope I could be a conduit for good communication.” The ability to consider the opinions of Clat- sop County’s diverse population is essential for any elected person, Davis said. An example of his willingness to get along: He made com- ments to a reporter about the role of the county See ‘County race’ on Page 5 Lake sediment cores offer 1,500-year watershed time capsule bances dating back 1,500 years. Like chapters in a book, the annual layers provide a glimpse into the natural and human factors that have affected Loon Lake since it was created by a landslide on Lake Creek in the coastal range. Left: Students and research- Scientists have documented the earthquakes and region- ers from Oregon State Uni- versity take a core sample at al climate cycles -- as well as fires and storms -- that swept Loon Lake. B y N ick H outmaN Oregon State University Researchers have analyzed layers of sediment at the bot- tom of a southwest Oregon lake to get a better under- standing of watershed distur- through the watershed in the 1700s and 1800s by using a 23-foot-long core sample tak- en from the deepest part of the lake in 2013. Starting in the 1930s, human activity, such as land clear- ing, development, logging and road-building, replaced natural events as a major source of the eroded soil and bits of leaves, wood and other material that gradually settled onto the lake bottom. The rate of sediment accumu- lation declined in the 1970s after the adoption of erosion-control practices in logging operations. The scientists reported their results in Earth Surface Pro- cesses and Landforms, a pro- fessional journal. The lead au- thor was Kristin Richardson, See ‘Sediment’ on Page 6