History was in the spotlight at the midweek “business after hours” event of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce at The Cellar on 10th in Astoria with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in MICHAEL

FOSTER’s building marking the achievements of HERMAN LEONARD and JOHN GREEN, who opened a mercantile operation in 1850 one block west of the locale. Their brothers, WASHINGTON IRVING LEONARD and HENRY GREEN, arrived two years later to help them operate the store. In 1859, the Green brothers and Herman Leonard created a natural gas company in Portland. That company, NW Natural, is the second-oldest locally-owned business in Oregon. Allen Geertz, NW Natural’s North Coast district manager and a past president of the chamber, was among those beaming with pride at the accomplishment. He mentioned that the pioneers, who came east from New York, actually passed up a chance at cashing in on the California Gold Rush and headed north believing business would be more lucrative in Astoria.

The Seaside Corps of Discovery II event was a great success, drawing 2,700 people during the Nov. 19 weekend and another 1,000 school children during the week, Chamber President BOB EWING said. Thanks were given to government officials, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Association, Lewis & Clark Bicentennial of Oregon, the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office, Seaside City Promotions Committee and city officials, Rotary of Seaside, National Parks Service staff, Legacy Transportation staff, DICK BASCH, JOEL HAWLEY, JEANNE CLARK and the Chamber of Commerce Corps II Committee: Ewing, STEPHANIE and RICHARD HOMER, TROY JASMIN, DAN JOHNSON, SANDY MCDOWALL, GLYNNIS VALENTI, SUE KRAUSHAAR and LESLE PALMERI.

The fame of JUDY SKIRVIN, Knappa School District’s deputy clerk, is spreading wider. She was featured in an article by The Daily Astorian’s KARA HANSEN about the school’s biometrics program, which allows students to pay for their lunches by using a fingerprint (actually “finger-point”) system. Now the Northwest Regional Education Service District has reprinted the article in its newsletter “Outlook,” which is being distributed this week throughout the region.

Anyone who’s had the privilege of seeing Astoria ballet dancer SINA FASTABEND perform knows this is one local girl who’s going far. Fastabend danced the demanding role of the Sugar Plum Fairy at the age of 12 in the Little Ballet Theatre’s 2001 “Nutcracker” and has since performed with LBT and the Astoria Civic Ballet.

Pointe magazine interviewed Fastabend for a December 2005 article on The School at Jacob’s Pillow, an intensive summer dance program in Becket, Mass. The program is renowned in the world of dance for its yearly festival and professional school.

“It was also nice to see the Astoria Civic Ballet’s name in print only a year after Artistic Director MAGGIE WALL founded the company,” said NATHAN SANDEL, ACB Board coordinator.

Fastabend attends Walnut Hill School in Natick, Mass., where she is continuing her ballet aspirations.

A St. Mary, Star of the Sea School student won a statewide contest for an illustration of what Astoria would look like if he were mayor.

Kyle Overbay, pictured above, a seventh-grader, took first place in his age group in the League of Oregon Cities and state Mayors Association’s 2005-06 annual essay and poster contest. His drawing included the city’s hillside, the Columbia River and the Astoria Bridge.

In addition to first-place honors, Overbay won a new computer, flat-screen monitor and printer at an award ceremony in Eugene.

Word is spreading about the treasures awaiting visitors to the North Coast region. Astoria’s Cannery Pier Hotel was featured as “Hotel of the Week” in The Week magazine of Dec. 9. Editors at The Week comb media around the world for the best news stories, and reprinted excerpts from RICHARD FENCSAK’S story in The Oregonian on the Cannery Pier Hotel. The brief story includes a photo of the hotel built on pilings over the Columbia River and focuses on the beautiful river views from every room.

Newshound HELEN ROSENBERGER of Warrenton alerted The Ear to the hotel’s honor. She is a faithful subscriber to The Week, and worked for The Astoria Daily Budget during World War II.

In the “where-are-they-now?” category, the Ear and others have been wondering about the whereabouts of Chinook, Wash., author Al Venter. Word arrived that he is ensconced on a Scottish island finishing his two latest books. Venter is known around the North Coast for his walking exploits, as well as stories from his native South Africa. He lives rather dangerously, writing about mercenaries and even diving with sharks – not everyone’s cup of tea, as they say. His most recent books have been about the causes of the Iraq War and the shenanigans that enabled Iran to obtain nuclear secrets. Venter tells the Ear from the island of Bute off western Scotland he is finishing revisions of “War Dog,” his book on mercenaries, before moving on to “Cheating Death,” a book about an American police officer who has pioneered bulletproof body armor for law enforcement personnel. “I do a lot of serious walks on the island, on top of which, we’re blessed with some incredible autumnal weather,” Venter reports.

Corrie Falleur, of Gearhart, is a new junior member of the American Angus Association, reports John Crouch, executive vice president of the national organization in Saint Joseph, Mo.

Junior members of the Association are eligible to register cattle in the American Angus Association, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association and take part in association-sponsored shows, national and regional events. The association is the largest beef registry association in the world, with more than 34,000 active adult and junior members.

Speaking of “where-are-they-now?” folks, unsuccessful Congressional candidate GOLI AMERI, pictured right, has been nominated by President George Bush as one of three U.S. public delegates to the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Past delegates include author William F. Buckley and U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Readers will recall that the Iran-born Ameri, a Stanford University graduate who founded a high-tech company in Portland, ran a particularly sleazy campaign to unseat the North Coast’s U.S. Rep. DAVID WU, which voters rejected.

It is the second time Ameri has been appointed by Bush to represent the United States. She was nominated as a public delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, held earlier this year in Switzerland. She has also traveled recently to Tunisia and The Philippines on government business.

The Ear has received word from Aslak Tronrud in Norway about a search for relatives. Tronrud is looking for relatives of Anton and Nikoline Gregersen who emigrated from Lofoten, Norway, to Astoria. Anton Meyer Gregersen was born Feb. 19, 1878, in Kvalvika and arrived to the U.S. in 1900. Nikoline Gregersen, whose maiden name was Johannesen, was born in 1859 in Heroy. She arrived in the U.S. In 1903. She brought with her three children, Herlof Kornelius, born July 3, 1896, Gerda, born April 21, 1898, and Erling, born May 11, 1900. Nikoline was called “Stor-Nikoline.”

Anyone who can help is asked to contact Tronrud at Dalbakkveien 3A, Oslo, Norway 0682 or by e-mail to tronrud@bbdo.no

Send us your ears! If you have an item for In One Ear, send it to Patrick Webb, Managing Editor, The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria OR 97103 or e-mail pwebb@dailyastorian.com. Include a daytime phone number for follow-up calls.