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4A • December 18, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Views from the Rock Would Donald Trump send families from their homes? F or a preview of what our country might look like if Donald Trump had his way, let’s go back to 1942 Oregon. In Seaside, the Signal reported in April 1942: “Seaside’s Lone Japanese leaves for Hood River.” “Mason Akiyama, Seaside’s lone Japanese national and a res- ident of Seaside for the past 20 years, left with his family late Saturday night for Hood River, where he will meet other mem- bers of his family and join them as evacuees under the order evac- uating enemy aliens from the Pa- ci¿ c coast,” the Signal wrote. Akiyama was the proprietor of the Red Gate Curio shop. Akiyama had been in the Unit- ed States for about 20 years, the Signal wrote. “His father has been in the United States for about 35 years and his mother for nearly as long. Mrs. Akiyama was born in the United States. Their children were born there and attended Seaside schools.” Akiyama’s wife and two children had already left Sea- side to live with his parents, who ran an orchard near the Hood River. “Eventually, however they will have to move still further inland and he had made no plans for the second move, an- ticipated within a few weeks,” the 1942 Signal reported. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered the evacuation of all Japanese Americans to intern- ment camps. Hood River not only had a sizable Japanese popula- tion, but when internment of Jap- anese Americans began, became a hub for rail traf¿ c to camps throughout the West. Evacuation of 111,000 people was completed by Aug. 12, 1942 to 10 inland camps. Each block contained about 20 barracks, and each barrack housed ¿ ve to sev- en families. There was a short- age of toilets, showers, curfews, 100-degree temperatures and bit- ing scorpions. Sentries in towers held watch with searchlights over families. In the weeks in Seaside be- fore Akiyama was sent to Mount Hood and points beyond, he was busy packing up stock, storing some goods in Portland, while former competitors and shop owners in Seaside purchased ad- ditional items. CANNON SHOTS R.J. MARX Not until Dec. 18, 1944, did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that loyal citizens cannot be held in detention camps against their will. The Mount Hood Cultural Cen- ter and Museum has a monument to these Japanese Americans, and an exhibit in their honor. After the war, in 1945, Hood River Valley Japanese Americans were ¿ nally permitted to return to their farms and homes. But only 186 out of 462 pre-war Japanese Americans returned to the Hood River Valley by the following year. R.J. MARX PHOTO/CANNON BEAC H GAZETTE Proclamation ordering the evacu- ation of Japanese Americans from their homes during World War II. As for Mason Akiyama, from records at the Mount Hood His- torical Museum, it does not ap- pear that he ever returned to Sea- side. There is a record of a Mason Akiyama who died in Salt Lake City in 1985 at the age of 81. In Cannon Beach, Elaine Trucke of the Cannon Beach Mu- seum and History Center said historians have determined more than 100 Japanese Americans lived in Clatsop County in 1940. Of those 60 people were interned ¿ rst at the Portland Assembly Center, and then sent on to either Tule Lake or Minidoka intern- ment camps. In years to come, the intern- ment of Japanese Americans be- came a source of national shame. Even while more than 100,000 citizens were in camps, many Japanese Americans served our nation valiantly, including the formation of a combat team by FDR himself. Despite the in- congruity of his order on the camps, Roosevelt said, “The principle on which this coun- try was founded and by which it has always been governed is that Americanism is a matter of mind and heart. Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ancestry.” By the end of the war, 2,355 second-generation Japanese, or Nisei, from the camps en- tered the U.S. armed forces. They served with Military In- telligence Service as linguists, translators and interrogators and, “would become the eyes and ears of the Allied forces.” By the end of the war, Nisei linguists in the South Paci¿ c had translated two million doc- uments with more than 20 mil- lion pages, interrogated 14,000 Japanese prisoners, and worked with front-line troops in every Paci¿ c campaign.” General Charles Willoughby, General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff for intelligence, said these soldiers “shortened the war by two years.” “Never before in history,” General MacArthur said, did one army know so much con- cerning its enemy prior to actual engagement as did the American army during most of the Paci¿ c campaign.” If Republican president can- didate Donald Trump’s words on the segregation and isolation of Americans of Islamic faith chill us today, it is because they res- onate with the worst of human instincts throughout history. Mason Akiyama had done no wrong, committed no crime. Substitute “Muslims” for Japa- nese and we will soon ¿ nd our- selves casting out our neighbors, including those who valiant- ly served their nation. If 9/11 should have taught us anything, it is that blind national rage is far worse than sound interna- tional policy. Perhaps the hardening of our hearts is the ultimate goal of our nation’s enemies. R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Memorial outside the Hood River Museum, a poem read at the annual poetry-reading ceremony at the Imperial Palace in January 1974. Belongings of Japanese Americans on display at the Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum. Japanese Americans were forced from their homes to internment camps with limits on how many personal items they could transport. R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Exhibit casts light on internment In Cannon Beach, Elaine Trucke of the Cannon Beach Museum and History Center said histori- ans have determined more than 100 Japanese Americans lived in Clatsop County in 1940. Of those, 60 people were interned fi rst at the Portland Assembly Center, and then sent on to either Tule Lake or Minidoka in- ternment camps. The center has been hard at work chronicling local experiences. The Cannon Beach Museum and History Center recently hosted artist Cathy Erickson’s solo show, “What Remains: Japanese Amer- icans in Internment Camps,” an exhibit on display through February. For more than a de- cade, Erickson has focused her artwork on the hardships that Japanese Americans faced when they were interned in camps during World War II. Much of the work was done in collabo- ration with Margaret Chula, an internationally known haiku poet. Photographs, letters, and historical documents were used as background information, as well as visiting with people who took part in this piece of Amer- ican History. The exhibit is part of a series of events relating to the “World War II on the Oregon Coast” exhibit, on display now through February. The museum is located at 1387 South Spruce St. in Cannon Beach; cbhistory.org; 503-436- 9301. Presenting the annual ‘top 10’ regional wines for 2015 E very December, all of the major wine magazines re- lease their “Wines of the Year” list. Since taking over the Wine Shack in 2012, we’ve named our top wines as well. The annual list creates discussion among our winemaking friends, distributors and staff, but most importantly, it creates discussion with our customers. They want to know why these wines are so spe- cial and why they made the list. Here’s how we select our “Wines of the Year.” First, the Wine Shack staff makes a list of their favorite wins from the more than 1,000 wines they’ve tasted during the year. We then consid- er the wines which were super- stars from our most recent sum- mer winery series, the wines that generated rave reviews and big smiles from customers. We take those lists and then begin to pare it down to the 12 wines we feel represent the ¿ nest of 2015. Here they are. 1. Reustle Prayer Rock’s 2013 “Masada Bloc” syrah. The Wine Shack’s “2015 Wine of the Year”. This syrah is packed with aromas and À avors of of vio- let, black cherry, pepper, cedar and savory bacon. Winemaker, Stephen Reustle, is doing amaz- Publisher Steve Forrester Editor R.J. Marx Reporter Dani Palmer Advertising Manager Betty Smith UNCORKED RAMBLINGS STEVE SINKLER ing things in Roseburg and he is poised to be the next superstar from Oregon. How good is this wine? Each Wine Shack staff member named this their “Wine of the Year.” High praise. 2. Elk Cove 2014 pinot blanc. This delicious wine from Gaston delivers green apple, strawber- ry and of honeysuckle À avors. A very food friendly wine, this pi- not blanc would be a wonderful match with Dungeness crab or ra- zor clams. This wine single-hand- edly turned a lot of customers into white wine fans. 3. Sleight of Hand 2012. “The Illusionist” cabernet sauvignon. Last year’s “Wine of the Year” stays on the list and retains its status as Washington’s best cab- ernet sauvignon. Packed with big red fruit À avors and tannins that provide just the right amount of structure, Wine Spectator gave this wine 93 points and we weren’t surprised. We are proud to have locked onto this wine be- fore the Wine Spectator score. 4. Bergstrom 2014 Cumber- Production Manager John D. Bruijn Circulation Manager Heather Ramsdell Advertising Sales Laura Kaim Wendy Richardson land Reserve pinot noir. This wine was just released and if it’s a precursor to the 2014 pinots, we’re going to be very happy. This pinot noir delivers classic red cherry and earthy À avors with a softness usually not seen until after the wine ages for a couple of years. Enjoy this with grilled salmon tonight. 5. Sokol Blosser 2012 Dundee Hills pinot noir. This wine offers dark cherry and spice combined with an earthiness that separates pinot noir from any other grape. This Sokol Blosser pinot noir has a slightly bigger mouthfeel than your typical Willamette Valley offering, which makes it a favor- ite. . Puf¿ n 2012 pinot noir. Yes, it’s a “homer” pick, but this wine deserves to be on the list. Puf¿ n was one of only three Oregon pi- nots to receive a “double gold” rating at a major wine competi- tion this fall. Puf¿ n pinot delivers brooding À avors of black cherry and plum combined with À avors of toast, earth and bramble. As this wine has aged, it has really become special. This is the Wine Shack’s best-selling wine and it’s easy to taste why. 7. Angel Vine 2012 Colum- bia Valley zinfandel. Ed Fus has CANNON BEACH GAZETTE The Cannon Beach Gazette is published every other week by EO Media Group. 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, Oregon 97138 503-738-5561 • Fax 503-738-9285 www.cannonbeachgazette.com • email: editor@cannonbeachgazette.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Annually: $40.50 in county, $58.00 in and out moved his winery from Carlton to downtown Portland, but he continues to deliver incredibly delicious wine! This zinfandel is packed with À avors of blackber- ry, cocoa with a hint of smoki- ness. We poured this wine several times during the year and each time it sells out. . Puf¿ n 2014 pinot gris. Puf- ¿ n pinot gris is the best-selling white wine in our store for a rea- son, it’s delicious. A Gold Med- alist at the 2015 Oregon Wine Awards, Puf¿ n offers the À avors you expect from an Oregon pinot gris: apple, pear and citrus. Enjoy with a cheese plate. 9. J Scott 2012 sauvignon blanc. The rise in popularity of sauvignon blanc was one of the big surprises of 2015. J Scott’s sauv blanc is loaded with deli- cious À avors of apricot, apple and nectarines. I enjoy sauv blanc ice cold, with goat cheese, salads and seafood. 10. Coe Cellars 2013 san- giovese. New winemaker, Aaron Coe hits a homerun with his latest release. I love the way the À avors of cherry, currant and cocoa blend together. Aaron visited the Wine Shack’s tasting room twice this year and each time, this wine was the superstar. This wine is ready for a bowl of pasta or a stone baked pizza. 11. Pudding River 2013 mal- bec. Yum. This malbec is full of dark fruit À avors with a hint of raspberry, spice and pepper. Sean Driggers is one of my favorite winemakers in Oregon and I am of fan of everything he makes, but this wine is amazing. Enjoy with grilled foods. 12. Stoller Reserve 2013 chardonnay. Stoller is quickly becoming known for their in- credible chardonnay. This wine offers classic chardonnay À avors of apple, pear with notes of spice. Aged in French oak, this wine has a soft mouthfeel that makes it a perfect accompaniment to salads, chicken or creamy dishes. That’s our list and we’re stick- ing to it. For those of you who don’t get to Cannon Beach reg- ularly, we offer these wines for sale as our “Wines of the Year” case on our online store at www. beachwine.com. Whether you agree or disagree on our selec- tions, we look forward to talking to you about them. My advice is to give them a try, you might ¿ nd a new favorite. Please drink responsibly. Don’t drink and drive. We’ll see you again soon at The Wine Shack. of county. Postage Paid at: Cannon Beach, OR 97110 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cannon Beach Gazette, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Copyright 2015 © Cannon Beach Gazette. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. THE NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING