4A • July 24, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
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“
View of The New Yorker, from a New Yorker
S EEN FROM S EASIDE
he Earthquake That Will
Devastate Seattle.” The
New Yorker piece by
Kathryn Schultz terrifyingly chron-
icles the all but inevitable fate of
those of us living in the Cascadia
subduction zone: “When the giant
fault line along the 3aci¿ c North-
west ruptures, it could be our worst
disaster ever.”
“Worst … ” “Disaster … ”
“Ever.”
Even Steven Spielberg wouldn’t
use that tagline without thinking
twice.
“Is that you?” a friend Face-
book-messaged from the East
Coast.
Ummm, yeah. Seaside. Cannon
Beach. Gearhart. The cities we cov-
er. The city where I live. We’re at
ground zero.
When the big one hits, “anything
indoors and unsecured will lurch
across the À oor or come crashing
down,” Schultz wrote. “Houses
that are not bolted off their foun-
dations will slide off — or rather,
they will stay put, obeying inertia,
while the foundations, together
with the rest of the Northwest, jolt
westward. Unmoored on the undu-
lating ground, the homes will begin
to collapse.
“Among natural disasters,”
Schultz concludes, “tsunamis may
be the closest thing to being com-
pletely unsurvivable.”
Lest you think this is East Coast
hysteria, Schultz’s sources are Or-
egonians.
Quoted are Seaside School
District 10 Superintendent Doug
Dougherty, Seaside City Planner
Kevin Cupples, Jay Wilson, Chair-
man of the Oregon Seismic Safety
Policy Advisory Commission and
Ian Madin, who directs the Oregon
Department of Geology and Miner-
al Industries.
It’s not that this is “new” news
here: in 1964 a wave spread over
Seaside and environs, À ooding
basements and streets. “Tsunami
smashes coastal communities,”
read the Signal’s headline after the
March 27 magnitude 9.2 event.
“No one hurt when wave damages
homes, bridge.”
“Striking with no warning,
the tidal wave resulting from the
Alaskan earthquakes hit the Sea-
side-Gearhart area Friday night
before anybody could leave his
home,” wrote the Signal’s Archie
Satter¿ eld more than 0 years ago.
Below the fold, a headline from
further south read: “Cannon Beach
declared disaster area by governor.”
Mrs. Rose Emery wrote: “The
seismic wave poured down the
streets of the city, carrying logs, de-
bris and sand everywhere between
buildings and littering streets.”
As if the area needed a reminder,
Asian tsunamis in 2004 and 2011
sent ripples — and warnings —
across the Paci¿ c. “Sirens pierced
the air in Seaside,” wrote USA Today
in 2011. “Restaurants, gift shops and
other beachfront businesses stayed
shuttered. Some residents moved to
the hills nearby.”
Geologists and authors mined
this material with scienti¿ c rigor.
Along with Bonnie Henderson’s
magni¿ cent “The Ne[t Tsunami,”
which meticulously chronicles our
region’s geologic history, those
seeking more thrills and potential
spills can ¿ nd them in “Cascadia’s
Fault,” by Jerry Thompson and
B Y
R.J.
MARX
The irrepressible Rex Amos
of Cannon Beach sent us
this note: ‘If you haven’t
read The New Yorker piece,
you are missing a real
good chance of getting the
bejesus scared out of you.’
“Full-Rip 9.0: The Ne[t Big Earth-
quake in the Paci¿ c Northwest.”
The number of quake-disaster titles
is growing faster than the Hal Lind-
sey bookshelf.
But before you sell the house and
head for the Plains, it may be im-
portant to realize that doomsayers
always get a lot more ink than those
predicting a mild winter.
In New York City after 2001,
when the World Trade Center’s
Twin Towers fell, there was an im-
mediate awareness of the dangers
around us. In late 2001, nothing
seemed more imminent or to hold
greater potential for catastrophe
than the 40-year-old Indian Point
nuclear reactor situated on the shore
of the Hudson River, miles north
of Midtown Manhattan and the 11
million people living in the metro-
politan area. The reactor was deter-
mined to be outdated, unsafe, with
leaky pipes spilling radioactive tri-
tium into the river and contaminat-
ing local water supplies. Fuel rods
were stored in “swimming pools on
the roof” of buildings “no sturdier
than your average Kmart building,”
wrote the environmental watchdog
group Riverkeeper.
“More than 20 million people
live within ¿ fty miles of the plant,”
Elizabeth Kolbert wrote in the same
New Yorker magazine in 2003. “A
1982 analysis by a congressional
subcommittee estimated that, under
worst-case conditions, a catastro-
phe at one of the Indian Point reac-
tors could result in 0,000 fatalities
and more than 100,000 radiation
injuries.”
Manhattan and the Bron[ would
be “uninhabitable” if the acci-
dent-prone Indian Point nuke plant
suffered a Chernobyl-like disaster,
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., represent-
ing the National Resource Defense
Council, said in 2011. That same
year Indian Point was labeled the
reactor with the “highest risk rat-
ing” in the nation.
But millions of people in New
York City are staying put, despite a
working reactor at Indian Point, the
outmoded facilities, leaks, growing
stockpile of radioactive fuel rods
and an increasingly unworkable
evacuation plan than e[isted more
than a decade ago.
In the best case, the assiduous-
ly written and researched New
Yorker story validates the number
of hard-working and dedicated
scientists and engineers who have
tracked the tsunami risk in the
Paci¿ c Northwest for decades. It
gives a gold star to those visionary
county planners and city of¿ cials
seeking to safeguard our county
and implement safety protections
for the North Coast’s vulnerable
communities.
The story can inspire a national
awareness to what the North Coast
has known for decades. It provides
solid ground for legislators and an
emphatic wake-up call for residents
and responders alike. Preparedness
and public education are two things
everyone can agree on.
But for those caught in the
sneaker wave of the headline,
don’t be shocked if The New
Yorker abandons us. If the “Earth-
quake that could devastate Seattle”
doesn’t, the national media will
quickly turn to the ne[t “worst”
natural disaster.
Topics of which there are no
shortage. Take the current drought
as an e[ample. The New Yorker is
already on it, with “Drought City,”
April 6; “California runs dry,” May
4; and “The disappearing Colorado
River,” May 2. In one of those, a
source warns the author: “Beware
apocalyptic journalism.”
We agree. Prepare for the worst,
but greet every new day.
The irrepressible Re[ Amos of
Cannon Beach sent us this note: “If
you haven’t read The New Yorker
piece, you are missing a real good
chance of getting the bejesus scared
out of you.”
When you’re looking at the po-
tential for a tsunami, “scared” is
a good thing. But if you’re going
to run, just make sure you know
where you’re running to.
Between the Covers ESTHER MOBERG
Enticing beach reads and cool breezes on the coast
Some may ¿ nd it hard to
believe, but by the time you
read this, we are well over
the midpoint of summer
reading here at the Seaside
Public Library. Our last big
performer for the kids, Jug-
glemania, performed today,
and now it is time to keep
reading, reading, reading and
turning your reading logs in
up until the end of August
Don’t forget, the last day to
turn in those reading logs
for prizes is Aug. 31 This
includes all kids, teens, or
adults that are participating
in the Seaside Library sum-
mer reading program. As
of July 18 we had 207 kids
signed up for summer read-
ing, 47 teens, and 19 adults
and many of our voracious
summer readers have turned
in reading logs already
We do have an adult
summer reading program
because we believe that
even adults like a little mo-
tivation to keep reading on
those beautiful sunny days
here on the coast I feel like
this summer has been one
that makes me keep running
to the beach just for those
cool breezes off the ocean.
Just because some of
our biggest events for kids
and teens are over for the
summer, that doesn’t mean
you can’t keep coming in
to the library all summer
ESTHER MOBERG
long. In fact, storytimes
will continue as have all
year long on Wednesdays
every week with a start
time of 10 a.m. Don’t for-
get to check the library cal-
endar for the theme of the
day; whether it’s a puppet
show, letter of the alphabet,
or tied in to our summer
“heroes” theme, each story-
time is fun, interactive, and
helps kids up to age with
pre-reading skills that are
crucial for being successful
later on in school
We will also be continu-
ing our teen Tuesday events
at 3 p.m. throughout August.
In September the time will
change to better serve teens
after school. We will also
be starting a teen advisory
board this fall so that teens
have input in the events and
programs that are put on
just for them at the library
If you are a teen interested
in joining the library Teen
Advisory Board, please let
Marian the youth librarian
know. Some fun things that
are coming up will include
teen craft and teen gaming
events. We are also adding a
new handheld gaming sys-
tem to the teen area of the
library in August.
For those who love
Legos, we will also be start-
ing a monthly re-occurring
Lego club this fall. These
things and more will be
coming your way, so check
in at the library for upcom-
ing events for kids and teens.
Don’t forget, we also
have a full complement
of adult programs every
month as well. This month,
we will have a class on how
to create your own journal
with Darota Haber-Lehigh
on Aug. 8. Space is lim-
ited so signing up is re-
quired. Our ever popular
trivia night will be on Aug.
12. Finally, in celebration
of the annual salt maker’s
re-enactment, we will have
Gary Moulton speak at the
library on Aug. 12. Rumor
has it that the annual cele-
bration will be a little dif-
ferent than past years, so
come to the library to ¿ nd
out what it is all about
Scene and Heard CLAIRE LOVELL
Thank you for the patriotic display in Seaside
Why do people always
say, “no pun intended”
when intention is the name
of the game?
A “raisin reserve” has
been declared in the news
lately. Maybe it’s the small-
er crop, ha, that causes
companies to short change
us when we buy them at the
store. I know it’s not “set-
tling in transit” that causes
the level of fruit to be two
inches short, but rather,
not enough of the product
— sort of like 13 ounces
of grounds to a pound of
coffee. I know we’re being
taken advantage of because
there have been times when
raisins were immediately
under the lid of a new can.
These comments may bore
you but I do like to get my
money’s worth and raisins
are e[pensive
A family on the corner
of 7th St. and Lincoln has
really decorated their home
to honor the Fourth of July.
There are always at least
two À ags À ying — a testa-
ment to citizenship every
day. There are emblems,
pennants and À ags all over
the place — in À ower pots,
in the eaves and on fences.
They represent a tremen-
dous amount of work. I
don’t know this family be-
cause neighbors often keep
to themselves these days.
Buddy Walk at the Beach
registration opens
CLAIRE LOVELL
They live behind a big
hedge, occasionally ¿ lled
with birds. There is a dog
that woofs sometimes as
we go by — doing his job
to give warning. I have no
idea of its breed, only hav-
ing heard, not seen, but I’m
sure we could be speaking
friends in any encounter;
although I often send out
vibes of fear to strange an-
imals. I’d just like to say
thanks for this patriotic dis-
play. Today, so much that
we revere is under assault.
It seems, much like Dorothy
in Kansas, we’ve ridden a
tornado that put us down in
a strange country. It’s scary.
I watch a lot of televi-
sion when I’m alone. Too
much, actually. Saturday
night there was an informa-
tive special on TBN. I wish
everyone in positions of au-
thority in Oregon had seen
it. It was about marijuana,
told by a former addict to
a bunch of high school stu-
dents. In the not to distant
future, I’m sure we’ll be
sorry for the stand we’ve
taken — which has every
chance of dragging our
country further down.
There were so many
pretty contestants in this
year’s Miss Oregon con-
test, judges would be hard-
pressed to choose a win-
ner. So much tap dancing
should shiver their timbers
although some of the other
dances might be energetic
as well. Though I’ve at-
tended only once, I prefer
Obituaries
Martha (Scriven) Daniels
March 11, 1946 — July 3, 2015
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Last year’s “Buddy Walk” helped to raise funds for
young people with disabilities.
This year’s Buddy
Walk at the Beach, one
of more than 20 Bud-
dy Walks nationwide,
seeks to raise $30,000 to
support Sammy’s Place
on Oregon’s north coast,
to establish a living and
working community for
adults with special needs.
The walk will promote
awareness about devel-
opmental disabilities and
the vision Sammy’s Place
has for those with special
needs.
The walk takes place
at Quatat Park, Seaside,
Saturday, Sept. 19, at 9:30
a.m. To register or become
a fundraiser for prizes visit
www.sammysplace.info.
Martha A. Daniels (Miss
Martha), 69, of Seaside,
Ore., passed away on July
3, 201. No funeral ser-
vices will be held. A cel-
ebration of her life will
be held at 123 Seventh
Ave. in Seaside on July 26,
201, at 2 p.m.
Martha was born in New
Smyrna, Fla., on March 11,
1946.
Martha worked as a phar-
macy technician for Kaiser
Permanente for 20 years
before retiring to Seaside.
She enjoyed art, a good
book and spending time
with her grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
She
was also actively involved
in South County Food Bank
before her illness.
Martha is survived
by her children, Wil-
Martha Daniels
liam Scriven, Ruth Sw-
enson, Ron Richardson,
Bob Daniels Jr., Bonita
Daniels;
grandchildren,
Ashley Swenson, Jale-
na Montrond, Dominique
Montrond, Luca Daniels,
Johnathon Oswald, Saul
Daniels, Ja[on Oswald;
and great-grandchildren,
Keegan Bailey, Nia Stone
and other family and
friends.
Martha is preceded in
death by Anita and Rich-
ard Scriven.
In lieu of À owers, me-
morial donations may be
given to the South County
Food Bank.
The families of Dan-
iels, Oswald, Richardson,
Scriven and Swenson wish
to thank Providence Hos-
pital, Clatsop County Hos-
pice and Rose Adult Foster
Care.
Caldwell’s Funeral &
Cremation Arrangement
Center in Seaside is in
charge of the arrangements.
An online guest book may
be signed at www.cald-
wellsmortuary.com
vocalists or those who play
an instrument of some sort.
Music is more our thing —
and marketable.
It’s dif¿ cult to miss so
much because I no longer
drive.
That little dab of rain
we had on Sunday was a
refreshing moment. Others
said they had heard thun-
der earlier. I didn’t hear
anything though I did “see”
wind in the trees.
Laugh line:
Now that I’m older,
here’s what I’ve discov-
ered: I’ve ¿ nally got my
head together and now my
body is falling apart.
Death
July 7, 2015
THOMAS, Pauline S.,
96, of Seaside, died in
Seaside. A gathering will
be planned at a later date.
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary
in Seaside is in charge of
the arrangements.
Obituary Policy
The Seaside Signal publishes
paid obituaries. The obituary can
include a small photo and, for vet-
erans, a À ag symbol at no charge.
The deadline for all obituaries is 9
a.m. the business day prior.
Obituaries may be edited for
spelling, proper punctuation and
style. Death notices and upcoming
services will be published at no
charge. Notices must be submitted
by 9 a.m. the day of publication.
Obituaries and notices may be
submitted online at www.dailyastori-
an.com/obituaryform, by email at ew-
ilson@dailyastorian.com, placed via
the funeral home or in person at The
Daily $storian of¿ ce, 99 E[change
St. in Astoria. For more information,
cal --, e[t. .
