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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2020)
April 3, 2020 T he C olumbia P ress 7 DHS target of successful phishing attempt An ode to my reclining chair I heard a story about three frogs sitting on a log and one of them made a decision to jump in. How many were left? (I’ll tell you at the end of the col- umn.) Recently, I called my friend, Betty, who’s 97, to see how she was doing. “About the same,” she said. “Well, when I got up this morning, I did not feel so good. But I did not feel so bad either, so I just went back to bed.” Some days are like that! If we can make the choice to return to bed, we must realize we do have more freedom as we age. Myrna, another friend I knew serveral years ago (when she was about the same age as Bet- ty is now), had a full-length mirror in her bedroom and did stretches and other exercis- es every morning. That was a choice she made. I’m not that old yet, but if I were asked what is dear to me, I would have to say my recliner. With the use of a panel of but- tons, it can lay me back and/ or my feet can be lifted up and extended. Or, forget those con- trols and it turns into a rocker. Off to the side I have a set of pockets that contain my life controls. No, they didn’t come with the chair, but they give me delight. There is my TV remote, along with my Fire Stick, which I talk to without getting off my chair and which speeds me to hun- dreds of movies and programs. Also there is a remote for the portable heater and fan along with a remote for my Bose ra- dio. And there is a lamp with no switch on it. Just touch it! Then there is my house phone, my iPhone with a built- in alarm clock and my iPad with lots of games in it. And a stack of books and magazines where I learn important things like “What do you call a sad cup of coffee?” Answer: De-presso. I also have my hand sanitizer, Tylenol, Kleenex, and my wa- ter bottle. In case I fall asleep, there is an extra blanket to the side along with a heating pad, if needed. I have a bit of candy, cough drops and even two Al- mond Joys in the drawer of my little table next to the chair. If only I had facilities I could remain in that chair 24/7. Ad- mittedly, I have spent the entire night with my beloved chair more than once. Choices! What if I moved my chair across the room and took noth- ing with me but the chair. Ev- ery time I needed something, I’d have to get up and walk across the room to get it (and, of course, take another walk to return it)? Fantasy land? Maybe it’s time I made some healthier choices. About those three frogs on a log: the number of frogs left on the log is still three; he only made a decision. He took no action. Special columns in The Columbia Press Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards Week 1: History in the Making Week 2: Financial Focus with Adam Miller Week 3: Off the Shelf by Kelly Knudsen Week 4: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer III Oregon Department of Hu- man Services has uncovered a phishing incident that af- fected one staff member’s e-mail earlier this month. A spear-phishing email was sent to a DHS employee who opened it and exposed their credentials to an outside en- tity. The incident was discov- ered March 6. “The agency cannot con- firm that any client or em- ployee’s personal infor- mation was copied or used inappropriately,” according to a media release. DHS is in the process of thoroughly reviewing the in- cident and the information involved. DHS plans to con- tract with an outside entity to clarify the number and identities of any individu- als whose information was compromised, and the spe- cific kinds of information in- volved. “While there is no indi- cation that any protected health information was cop- ied or used inappropriately, DHS will notify any individ- uals whose information was compromised,” according to the agency. History in the Making A look at Warrenton’s top stories from The Columbia Press annals School board comes under fire over contract a priL 2010 t en yearS ago • A group calling itself Concerned Citizens in Support of Warren- ton Schools contends the school board’s decision to not renew Superintendent Craig Brewing- ton’s contract violates state law and local policies • George Lanning is hired as interim superintendent at an annual salary of $95,000. a priL 1997 t Wenty - three yearS ago • Warrenton High School student Carole Chase will represent the city in the Astoria Regatta court. • The city is experiencing a build- ing boom. Nineteen new homes and four duplexes were built in the first three months of 1997. Dairy Queen and Les Schwab Tires both plan expansions and J&S Appliance will move its Astoria operation to a site on Marlin Avenue. • Warrenton receives a $1.1 million grant from the Oregon Economic Development Depart- ment to extend water and sewer services to the North Coast Business Park, where the new Oregon Youth Authority facility is under construction. • The city receives a $260,000 grant to purchase and install 1,300 residential water meters, a task expected to take two years. • John Greisen is hired as chief of Warrenton Police Department. • The city takes bids for removal of the Quonset hut adjacent to City Hall. • The Oregon National Guard will tear down Warrenton High School’s wooden bleachers and erect new metal stands to hold 395 people. a priL 1996 t Wenty - four yearS ago • Clatsop County hires Britt Fer- guson as its new county manager at an annual salary of $72,000. He replaces Bill Barrons. • Warrenton’s water rates will go up 10 percent with another hike expected in about a year. Residential water accounts are not metered and it’s likely every residence will be required to install one within a year. • Warrenton High School stu- dents travel to Vernonia to help the high school clean up after a flood. Vernonia’s gym was buried under 27 inches of mud and water and 80 percent of the high school’s textbooks were destroyed. • C.J.’s Speedy Mart at Highway 101 and Marlin Drive is robbed of $200 by two men who knock the clerk unconscious and bind his hands, feet and mouth with duct tape.