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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2019)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper www.thecolumbiapress.com Aggressive mother elk prompts police action in Hammond The Columbia Press A neighborhood was cordoned off after a cow elk began charging at cars and people in an attempt to protect her newborn calf. The first call came in about 7 p.m. May 29 in the 500 block of Seventh Street in Hammond. The elk had giv- en birth in heavy grass in an open lot at Seventh and Fleet streets. As Offi- cer Alfonso Fontana arrived, the elk charged his patrol vehicle, forcing him to back away. Residents reported that the elk was charging at them when they attempt- ed to leave home or drive through the area. “We shut down Seventh Street … to assure citizens’ safety,” Sgt. Jim Pierce wrote in a report. “After the roadway was shut down, a female came out of her residence to check her mail and the elk charged at her. Neighbors were able to get her back June 7, 2019 Vol. 3, Issue 23 Beach may be best way to prepare for worst B y C indy y ingst and P eggy y ingst The Columbia Press Scott Wintermute watches Photo by Scott Wickham with Eddy, who’s sporting A military crew and VIPs walk off the hovercraft after supplies noise-blocking headphones. are unloaded. See ‘Elk’ on Page 2 Photos by Peggy Yingst/The Columbia Press Emergency workers and the public watch at Sunset Beach as an air-cushioned landing craft brings in supplies from a Navy ship anchored 3.6 nautical miles offshore. It’s how emergency help could arrived should a disaster block other means of access to the coast. An experiment to ensure Clatsop County’s residents can survive a cat- astrophic event brought the latest in military technology to Sunset Beach on Monday. Two unusual amphibious landing craft, which use powerful turbines to ride above the ocean on a cushion of air, carried supplies to the beach from a Navy ship anchored 3.6 nau- tical miles off shore. Each LCAC (landing craft/air cushion) can carry 60 tons of emergency equipment. On Monday, the two hovercraft carried trucks and road equipment. Once on shore, they quickly deflat- ed, cargo doors opened, the ramps went down and the supplies were brought off to waiting emergency workers. Then each returned to the mother ship. “This is one more opportunity to bring awareness for the need to pre- pare for an eventual emergency,” said Monica Steele, interim county manager, who was watching from the shore with about 200 other peo- ple. “While there are systems that See ‘Hovercraft’ on Page 11 Dig up some dirt at Warrenton’s community gardens B y e mma e dwards and C indy y ingst The Columbia Press Photo by Chasity Harris An aggressive cow elk and her newborn make themselves at home before police closed off the area. Sometimes, spring is hard to spot on the North Coast. Yet would-be gardeners should heed the calendar, not the conditions, and get those flowers and veggies in the ground. Bell pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, potatoes and some squash are slow growers. Many seeds and bulbs require 60-degree soil to sprout, which has been challenging this year, to say the least. For those with green thumbs but no garden space, Warrenton, Hammond, Seaside and Astoria have community gardens. Space still is available, with rent ranging from $20 to $40 for the sea- son. That includes water, a plot ready to work and community gardening tools. “Absolutely I would recommend” renting a space, said Lisa Halicki, a nurse who rented a bed in the Ham- mond Community Garden last year. “I had quite an abundance of green beans and I canned them. Everything else we just enjoyed fresh.” She grew cherry tomatoes, winter and summer squash, carrots, cab- bage and broccoli. Tom Myers, the volunteer in charge of the garden at Warrenton Com- munity Center, said there are some See ‘Gardens’ on Page 7