The Columbia press., April 23, 2021, Page 7, Image 7

The Columbia Press
April 23, 2021
7
Panel will delve into impact of timber practices
Senior Moments
with Emma Edwards
Our dream world can help
us with real-world issues
I’ve been hearing a lot
about how real dreams can
be, especially for seniors.
I remember many of my
dreams and have never had
a spam or telemarketer call
in a dream.
My dreams solve some of
what I once called problems,
but sometimes they pres-
ent others. We older people
remember when we used to
say, “Sweet dreams, sleep
tight and don’t let the bed-
bugs bite.”
That little line originated
in 1896 in New England. In
a book about signs, sayings
and superstitions, we learn
that, back then, mattresses
were often filled with straw
and feathers and set on a lat-
ticework of ropes. The first
draft of “sleep tight” referred
to the ropes, which were
drawn tight so they didn’t
sag or drag on the floor, in-
viting bedbugs.
More than half a century
ago, Dr. Martin Luther King
gave his famous “I have a
dream” speech.
Most of us older folk
will vividly remember that
speech. It might be good to
go to the internet to listen to
it or read it again.
I may not be that eloquent,
but my dreams have their
way of speaking to me.
We all dream. Sometimes
I jump up and write down a
dream so I can remember to
share it when appropriate.
The scary dreams I keep to
myself.
I do find that generations
get jumbled up in my dreams
and, perhaps, someone born
in the 1800s is with some-
one who’s 6 years old now. I
seldom see faces, especially
those who are or were close
to me, but I know it is them.
The essence of them is un-
mistakable.
And, contrary to what
some may believe, I eat very
well in my dreams and my
dreams are mostly in Tech-
nicolor.
Have you noticed that
when we “sleep on a prob-
lem,” we can more easily
process data or situations
without the interference of
prejudice and social interac-
tion. Dreams usually rid us
of bias.
When making a large pur-
chase, it’s not a bad idea to
say, “Thank you, but I think
I’ll sleep on it.”
We are reminded in the
Bible that God spoke again
and again, although people
didn’t always recognize his
voice. “He whispers in their
ears and speaks in dreams,
in visions of the night when
deep sleep falls on people as
they lie in their beds.” (Job
33:14-16).
That same God speaks to
us now.
There are few “work”
dreams (if any) in my reper-
toire of dreams; I may dream
of a clean house, but I never
actually dream I’m doing the
cleaning.
It’s been said that a dream
touches your heart and soul,
uniting fantasy and reality.
Now how can I resist say-
ing, “nighty-night, sweet
dreams, sleep tight and don’t
let the bedbugs bite.”
Oregon Shores Conserva-
tion Coalition hosts a panel
discussion on the impact of
forestry practices on coastal
communities and environ-
ments at 6 p.m. Thursday,
April 29.
The online event is part of
the coalition’s yearlong cel-
ebration of its 50th anniver-
sary.
The panel will be moderat-
ed by Ernie Niemi, president
of Natural Resource Eco-
nomics, a consulting compa-
ny in Eugene.
He also is co-director of
the Forest Carbon Coalition,
a group that promotes cli-
mate-smart management of
forests.
Others on the panel are
John Talberth, president and
senior economist for the Cen-
ter for Sustainable Economy
and co-director for the Forest
Carbon Coalition; Shreeji-
ta Basu, a water scientist at
Sustainable Northwest; and
Michael Paul Nelson, chair
of Renewable Resources and
professor of Environmental
Ethics and Philosophy at Or-
egon State University.
Their topics include a re-
view of environmental and
economic damage associat-
ed with conventional logging
practices, a look at Arch Cape
water agency issues, and in-
teractions of science and
ethics in environmental de-
cision-making and manage-
ment practices.
To register, contact Ed
Joyce at 503-468-0995 or
edjoyce1590@gmail.com.
History in the Making
A look at Warrenton’s top stories from
The Columbia Press annals
Treatment plant upgrades land on city’s radar
April 2011
10 years ago
• David Yuill is named Fire-
fighter of the Year, Steven
Zamora is EMS Provider of
the Year, and Flint Carlson
and John Shepherd Jr. were
given the Chief’s Award at
the annual Warrenton Fire-
fighters Association awards
banquet.
• SeaPort Airlines, which
has offered a regular Port-
land-Astoria flight since
2008, stops serving the coast.
• Local businesses and vol-
unteers are working together
to raise money for construc-
tion of a new softball field at
Warrenton High School.
• Mark Jeffery is named
superintendent of the War-
renton-Hammond
School
District to replace Craig
Brewington.
• Five Clatsop County girls
are named to the Astoria
Regatta Court. They include
Meg Dowaliby and Bethany
Workman, both of Warren-
ton.
April 2001
20 years ago
• The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
tells Warrenton that it can’t
add any new sewer exten-
sions until the city upgrades
its sewer treatment plant.
• New Mayor Jeff Hazen
says infrastructure, especial-
ly water and sewer capacity,
plus a lack of money is War-
renton’s biggest challenge in
the years ahead.
•
Warrenton
Planning
Commission approves a zone
change on 250 acres owned
by the state and the Port of
Astoria along Harbor Drive.
A private developer has pro-
posed building an 18-hole
golf course.
April 1996
25 years ago
• A joint project of the city
and Nygaard Logging is un-
der way at Tansy Point to
build a 440-foot steel and
concrete dock. The property
is owned by the city and is
leased to the company.
• June Spence of Hammond
resigns her seat on the Clat-
sop County Commission after
serving just one year of her
four-year term. She previ-
ously had served as a Port of
Astoria commissioner.
Special columns in The Columbia Press
Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards
Week 1: Financial Focus with Adam Miller
Week 2: Here’s to Your Health from CMH
Week 3: Off the Shelf by Kelly Knudsen
Today: History in the Making
Next week: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer