4A • June 12, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com Finding wonder in the commonplace I t’s refreshing to hear a speaker who doesn’t use a PowerPoint presentation and marks his place in a book by sticking Post- its on the page. At the Seaside library in late May, educator, naturalist and pho- tographer Neal Maine delivered WKH¿QDOOHFWXUHIRUWKH³:KDW'R :H +HDU"´ VHULHV DW WKH 6HDVLGH Public Library. Maine, a science WHDFKHU DW 6HDVLGH +LJK 6FKRRO IRU WKUHH GHFDGHV WKH ¿UVW H[HF utive director of the North Coast Land Conservancy, guided the au- dience to re-discovery, turning the commonplace around us into an illumination of nature. +HUHLVVRPHUDQGRPO\VHOHFW ed wisdom from Maine’s words that night: 4XRWLQJ76(OLRW³:HVKDOO QRW FHDVH IURP H[SORUDWLRQ DQG WKH HQG RI DOO RXU H[SORULQJ ZLOO be to arrive where we started and NQRZWKHSODFHIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH´ 2QWUDVK³7KHUHLVQRµDZD\¶ ZKHQ \RX VD\ µWKURZ WKDW DZD\¶ %HFDXVHµDZD\¶LVKHUH´ ³:H QHHG WR ORRN WR QDWXUH more to see how we can solve problems and what their solutions DUH´ ³,Q , ZURWH DQ DUWLFOH suggesting that teaching high school biology was a really bad idea, that biology is something that might work later, but people VKRXOG EH JHWWLQJ HFRORJ\ ¿UVW which is the integrative process of living things in their environ- PHQW´ ³<RX FDQ VWXG\ R[\JHQ DQG study hydrogen, but there would be no clue that when you link them they would make something IDLUO\ VLJQL¿FDQW 7KH LVRODWHG VWXG\ GRHVQ¶W SUHVHQW WKH µHPHU gent property,’ in this case, doesn’t make water. It’s the cake theory: \RXFDQVWXG\ÀRXU\RXFDQVWXG\ baking soda, all their properties — but you couldn’t ever make cake from that. Those emergent prop- erties are so fundamental to every- WKLQJWKDW¶VJRLQJRQ´ ³(DFK JUDLQ RI VDQG KDV LWV RZQHFRORJ\´ ³7UHHVDUHMXVWDWLQ\SDUWRID forest. And yet the forest has been translated into trees. The forest is VRPHWKLQJ HOVH DQG LW MXVW KDS S EEN FROM S EASIDE thing you don’t like. It’s a function of the whole system itself —land, water, air, the whole bit. Being a community member means stay- ing out of harm’s way, but also celebrating the natural phenome- QDRIWKHSODQHW´ B Y )URP DXWKRU *HRUJH 3HUNLQV R.J. 0DUVKZKRZURWH\HDUVDJR MARX LQ ³0DQ DQG 1DWXUH´ ³,Q WKHVH pages, it is my aim to stimulate, not to satisfy curiosity. And it is QR SDUW RI P\ REMHFW WR VDYH P\ readers the labor of observation It’s refreshing to hear a or of thought. Labor is life, and death lives where power lives un- speaker who doesn’t use a used. The self is the schoolmaster PowerPoint presentation and whose lessons are best worth his marks his place in a book by wages. The power most important to cultivate and hardest to acquire sticking Post-its on the page. is seeing what is before him: sight LVIDFXOW\VHHLQJLVDUW´ 'UDZ\RXURZQFRQFOXVLRQV² pens to have trees as one of its I’m sure that’s what Neal Maine HOHPHQWV´ would want you to do. As our ³*HW D SLHFH RI JURXQG IRO climate and atmosphere become low it for a year, and see what hap- more chaotic, as natural forces SHQV´ rule human decisions, his tutelage ³%HLQJDFRPPXQLW\PHPEHU may be lead us to a response that goes beyond attending city coun- is both sane and secure. Listen to FLOPHHWLQJVRUSURWHVWLQJWKHQH[W the land. R.J. MARX PHOTO Neal Maine and North Coast Land Conservancy Executive Director Katie Voelke at the Seaside Public Library. The event was presented by the North Coast Land Conservan- F\DQGWKH1HFDQLFXP:DWHUVKHG Council in partnership with the Seaside Public Library and sup- ported by the Seaside Chamber of Commerce. To them we are grate- ful! Scene and Heard CLAIRE LOVELL Meeting friends — old and new — in the community *DU\ VHQW PH DQ DUWL cle from the San Francisco Chronicle about the battle- ship USS Oregon. It was reminding us that she was instrumental in getting our country to build the Panama &DQDO 'XULQJ WKH ZDU ZLWK Spain, the Oregon sailed IURP %UHPHUWRQ :DVK LQJWRQ DURXQG &DSH +RUQ to Florida, a distance of PLOHV ZKLFK ZRXOG KDYHEHHQPLOHVZLWK the Canal. I remember as a teenager when brother Rudy took me to see that ship on the Portland waterfront. It was impressive. One Friday, I took a cab WR WKH SRVW RI¿FH EXW ZDV too cheap to ride both ways, VR , ZDONHG KRPH *RLQJ EORFNVPRUHRUOHVVZLWK plantar fasciitis is physically challenging, and took a long time. I found that when I’m walking, old buildings are easier to identify. Just touch- ing their edges makes them familiar, like the Seaside JULOOHQH[WWRWKH6WUDQG7KH ater, for instance. I met two ladies from &DQDGD ZKR ZHUH HQMR\LQJ the sea breeze and found it invigorating while I was cold! Cold! Cold! I met three RWKHUVWUDQJHUVRQP\MDXQW too; one Lady who recog- nized me and lives with her husband, I think in the for- mer Ballhorn house. They KDYHDÀRZHUJDUGHQIDFLQJ +ROODGD\ , PHW 0U )XOWRQ SUHVHQW RZQHU RI WKH +DJ PHLHU *HRUJH *UD\ -RKQ Jandrall house, which has contractor working for her who interested me. It was an informative though tiring walk. The recognizability of the path came back to me as I avoided familiar depres- sions in the pavement and spots where it grabs the soles of my shoes and threatens to throw me over. Thursday night was fortu- itous. My friend Emmy and I went to Kentucky Fried &KLFNHQIRURXUGLQQHU1H[W CLAIRE LOVELL GD\ ZDV WKH .HQWXFN\ 'HU by where American Pharaoh XQGHUJRQH VRPH VLJQL¿FDQW won and everybody sang FKDQJHV +H KDG VRPH ÀDW ³0\ 2OG .HQWXFN\ +RPH´ tering things to say about ² QRW ³0\ 2OG .HQWXFN\ having read my column for )ULHG &KLFNHQ´ ,W ZDV D 25 years. great day. Near my home, I met a Can you imagine thou- former British nurse Jen- sands of turkeys having nifer, because she had a their temperatures taken and JHWWLQJ WKHLU ³QRVHV´ ZLSHG somewhere in the middle west or wherever they hang RXW"7KDQNVJLYLQJLVDORQJ way off, but we hope they ELUG ÀX ZLOO EH DOO FOHDQHG up by then. If you’re talking WXUNH\KRZGR\RXVD\³DK FKRR"´ May 7, I walked to 'RRJHU¶VWRDWWHQGDERXWWKH WK DQQXDO SUD\HU EUHDN fast. It was our usual enthu- siastic program with heart- felt singing, prayers from almost every pastor in town RQYDULRXVVXEMHFWVUHOHYDQW to today’s living plus a solo RI ³+RZ *UHDW 7KRX $UW´ 'DUUHQ'XQQLVWKHQHZRU ganizer, replacing Carroll 9DQ'\NHZKRGLHGODVW\HDU Carroll was recognized for her faithful role in previous service for the prayer break- fasts. I think it’s a wonderful WKLQJ 'RXJ :LHVH GRHV IRU XV HYHU\ \HDU :H DOZD\V have a great, stick-to-you- ribs breakfast, though, for me, there’s never enough time to eat, but we need to be through in two hours for regular business. Thank you 'RXJ IRU \RXU JHQHURVLW\ ZLWK WLPH DQG WDOHQWV :H all appreciate it. I’m sure the prayers were helpful to heal our land as well. I met sev- eral new people and a nice tablemate, Renee, who gave me a ride home. Laugh line: P.S., have you heard about the cross-eyed teach- er who couldn’t control her SXSLOV" Obituaries Courtney Ostlund Scandinavian Court Feb. 22, 1957 — June 1, 2015 &RXUWQH\ 'UDOOH 2VW lund passed away peace- fully at his home in As- WRULD RQ -XQH DW the age of 58. Courtney ZDVERUQ)HEWR /W &RO 'RQDOG 3DXO DQG Cynthia Qualey Ostlund in Camp Pendleton, Calif. As a young teenager, he went overseas with his dad to Japan twice. In high school he restored a 0HUFHGHV ZKHUH KH first developed his enthu- siasm for cars. Courtney then moved to Reno, Nev., where he learned to make MHZHOU\DQGZDVPRVWQR WDEOHIRUWKH::)FKDP pionship belt buckles he car salesman, he was able to make a lot of friends, including his wife Brita. Courtney and Brita got PDUULHGRQ)HE +H LV VXUYLYHG E\ KLV wife, Brita Ostlund, and VRQ :LOOLDP 2VWOXQG +H was preceded in death by KLV WZR EURWKHUV 'RXJ DQG*UHJDQGKLVSDUHQWV A celebration of life service will be held on 6DWXUGD\ -XQH Courtney Ostlund DW SP DW +XJKHV5DQ som Mortuary in Astoria, with a reception to follow. made. Please visit www. +H HYHQWXDOO\ PRYHG to back to Astoria, Ore., hughes-ranson.com where he got back into his leave memories and sign love of cars; as an avid the guest book. Steven Thompson June 7, 1965 — July 18, 2014 R.J. MARX PHOTO Senior Miss Sweden Kristina Kjellberg, Senior Miss Denmark Meisha Boettcher, Miss Scandinavia Abbie Johnson, Senior Miss Norway Leah Talen and Bev Hoofnagle of the 2015 Scandinavian Court at the Twisted Fish Chamber of Commerce breakfast Friday, May 29. They are participants in the Astorian Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, from June 19 to June 21. A year ago this July we lost our beloved son, 6WHYHQ +H ZDV 6WH ven was a son, brother and uncle to us. +LVDVKHVZHUHODLGWR UHVWDWWKH:HVW%D\0D ULQD LQ 2O\PSLD :DVK RQ :HGQHVGD\ -XO\ DPRQJ ORYLQJ friends and family. A fit- ting resting place. It was the place where he was the happiest, working on boats and being close WR WKH ZDWHU +H OHIW EH hind his mother, Mar- ga Mueller; his father, 'HQQLV 7KRPSVRQ 5LFN Thompson his brother; and his niece, Chelsea :HEHU :H ZLOO VRUHO\ PLVV him until we are ulti- mately reunited again in +HDYHQ 5HVW LQ SHDFH Steve, until we meet DJDLQ:HORYH\RX Steven Thompson \HDUV , DP VKRFNHG and dismayed when I see the Seaside Safeway su- permarket now display- LQJ DQG VHOOLQJ ³6HDVLGH´ screen-printed shirts. :H KDYH VHYHUDO ORFDO owners of good quality shirt stores who make their living being in the souvenir shirt business. These stores offer quality merchandise at very competitive pric- HV 'RZQWRZQ %URDGZD\ KDV VHYHUDO H[FHOOHQW VKLUW stores owned by locals who live and work in our FRPPXQLW\ SD\ ORFDO WD[ es, support our schools and make generous contribu- tions to our city. :H DUH D UHVRUW EHDFK town of local business owners who live here year- URXQG:K\ZRXOG³WKHJL DQW 6DIHZD\ &RUSRUDWLRQ´ decide to be in competition ZLWK ³WKHLU RZQ FXVWRP HUV´ULJKWKHUHLQ6HDVLGH" 6DIHZD\LVD¿QHVXSHU market. I would suggest to their local and corporate management to rethink their decision to sell sou- YHQLU ³6HDVLGH´ VKLUWV LQ our community. Marty Gill Gearhart Letters to the Editor Seaside, pick up your butts To the Editor: Oregon Revised Statutes VWDWHV A person commits the crime of offensive litter- ing if the person creates an REMHFWLRQDEOHVWHQFKRUGH grades the beauty or appear- ance of property or detracts from the natural cleanliness or safety of property by in- tentionally: D'LVFDUGLQJRUGHSRV iting any rubbish, trash, gar- bage, debris or other refuse upon the land of another without permission of the owner, or upon any public way or in or upon any pub- lic transportation facility. 'LVFDUGLQJFLJDUHWWHVRQ the ground is considered offensive littering and is VXEMHFWWRGD\VLQMDLORU ¿QH 7KH FLJDUHWWH EXWWV I picked up this morn- LQJ DQG MXVW DERXW HYHU\ morning) had the possibili- W\RIJHQHUDWLQJLQ ¿QHV:KDWDUHYHQXHJHQ erator! The City of Seaside SD\V D FRQWUDFWRU per year for litter removal. They will walk the streets of Seaside this summer and pick up thousands of butts. Fines for the butts I picked up this morning would cover the cost of contract- ed litter removal for over a year! Cigarette butts are not only an obvious eyesore, but they get washed into the storm drains and out into our waterways. Re- VHDUFK VWDWHV WKDW RQO\ percent of cigarette butts are disposed of property DQG SHUFHQW RI OLWWHU DW storm drains is tobacco products. I’m not advocating that every cigarette tosser be ¿QHG,MXVWDVNWKDW smokers be more diligent about disposing of their butts. It’s our town, let’s keep it clean! Patrick Duhacek Seaside Support local businesses To the editor, Let’s support locally owned businesses. As the former owner of a Sea- side tee shirt and sweat- shirt store for more than