10 years ago this week – 2012

On Sunday afternoon, Greenwood Cemetery was alive with dead people. The cemetery, just east of Astoria on Oregon Highway 202 was the site of the ninth annual Talking Tombstones, “Stone Cold Stories,” sponsored by the Clatsop County Historical Society and Astoria Granite Works.

Actors portrayed the lives of 10 past citizens of this area who were buried in the cemetery. Their stories were the subject of the actors’ portrayals.

“I was amazed at the variety of the lives of the people they chose,” said Susan Harper, of Portland. “This is a great event to have in a community. I’ve learned a lot about the history of Astoria today.”

CANNON BEACH – It’s a party at Helen Feldmeier’s house and the guests are already there.

There’s Agatha Ipswich, who stirs up brew; Twiggy, who stands on her stick legs, and Manzanita, who just hangs out. Meanwhile, Granny Weatherwax rocks out, while Princess Hokah watches over the others with her green-eyed glare.

It’s a witch party, and each of the 300 has a name. “Come on honey, turn yourself on here,” Feldmeier says to a life-sized witch in the corner, trying to get her to dance. But that witch didn’t feel much like dancing and stayed put.

Feldmeier has been collecting witches for years. But she didn’t look for the witches – the witches came to her.

“It’s one of the craziest things,” she said. “I never intended to have a witch collection, never intended to. But I always like Halloween. And when I grew up, we did a lot of stuff with Halloween and when I had my own children, we did the same thing.

“And then I realized when my kids were gone that I had a number of witches, and there probably weren’t more than half a dozen or so, so I invited some friends over to have brunch and they brought me a witch.”

And that’s where the collection started.

NEMAH, Wash. — A semitruck carrying a “soupy” load of chopped, dead fish waste spilled Friday morning, dumping fish guts and other parts across northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101.

Thousands of fish heads on the road between Ilwaco and South Bend caused the highway to be blocked as crews cleaned the smelly mess. A front-end loader scooped up some of the mess, while gulls took care of the rest.

ILWACO, Wash. — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four boaters after the 27-foot recreational vessel Cathy Gail washed up against Jetty A at Cape Disappointment Friday.

The Coast Guard received the report at 12:41 p.m. from a good Samaritan who was unable to assist the Cathy Gail because of its location.

A 25-foot response boat crew and a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Cape Disappointment responded and arrived on scene at 12:54 p.m. The response boat crew took the Cathy Gail, with the four members onboard, in tow away from the rocks and toward the Ilwaco pier.

50 years ago – 1972

A Highway Division official said Friday that slide-prone terrain between Fernhill and Astoria might force the agency to route U.S. Highway 30 to the south so that it bypasses downtown Astoria.

He also said improvements of U.S. Highway 101 between Camp Rilea and Seaside might be eight years away.

Jay Bruce Boyd, in charge of the region including Clatsop and parts of seven other counties, told Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce members that tests of the terrain between Fernhill and Astoria, along the river, have shown bad slide conditions.

He hinted strongly that trying to bring a widened U.S. Highway 30 on into Astoria in the present alignment might be out of the question.

Boyd said one alternative in an attempt to avoid slides is to build the highway out in the tide flats next to the river, but he said he doubted if that would be acceptable.

He said the only other choice is to re-route U.S. Highway 30 over the hills and around Astoria to the south, joining state Highway 202. Traffic then would come into West Marine Drive and hook up with the Youngs Bay bridges, the Astoria Bridge and downtown Astoria.

A Highway Division official said a couple of years ago that constructing a new route such as that probably would cost a million dollars a mile.

The highway official said the average time for a new stretch of highway to be built is eight years, including time for buying right of way, holding hearings, making out environmental impact statements and construction.

A milking vignette, complete with cow, milk maid, cat and milk pail, was prize-winner for the largest entry in KAST’s milk carton contest.

Mrs. Ron Schwarz, who made it, has no idea how many milk cartons she used, but she had relatives and neighbors save their cartons for her. Olney schoolchildren contributed 50 half-pint containers, which went into the milkmaid.

The House of Many Ways, a nonprofit corporation started in Astoria during the last month by Peter and Rita Huhtala to help people, is an ambitious undertaking to say the least.

“Regardless of our wealth or poverty, we promise to try to help everyone who asks for assistance,” Huhtala said. The kind of assistance isn’t limited to just providing temporary housing or a hot meal.

“Our objectives are to work toward meeting basic human needs and to provide a catalyst for intellectual and spiritual growth,” Huhtala explained.

Peter and Rita, who both have lived in Clatsop County most of their lives, came up with the idea of the House of Many Ways after they returned from a trip to Colorado and saw many people without a place to stay.

However, they wanted to do more than just organize a hostel, because they felt that people have more needs than that.

75 years ago — 1947

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Balsam will prove an adequate replacement for the decommissioned cutter Onondaga, Commander J. H. Wagline, skipper of the Balsam, predicted in a talk to Chamber of Commerce directors at their weekly meeting at noon Friday in the Astoria hotel.

At least, said Wagline, he and his crew will do their utmost to make it so and to “earn their keep” here.

The Secretary of the Navy has approved a new increased wage schedule for per diem civilian Navy employees in the Astoria and Tillamook areas, according to word received Friday by Capt. T.J. O’Brien, Tongue Point Naval Station commandant.

The average increase is about 9%. The complete schedule of increases has not yet been received at the naval station.

Halloween pranksters did comparatively light damage Friday night as police checked additional nuisance reports from various parts of the city Saturday morning.

Over a dozen “no parking” signs were torn down on Irving Avenue and other streets. Pranksters put one washtub on a telephone pole. They broke a light post glass at 16th Street and Niagara Avenue.

All of the caps were taken off the fire plugs at Fifth Street and Lexington Avenue. A false fire alarm sent firemen to Fifth Street and Klaskanine Avenue Friday night. Several street lights were broken and garbage cans misplaced and overturned.

Some premature Halloween celebrations began Thursday night. Mrs. Elmer Hauke reported that youngsters had twisted the windshield wipers off her car at 29th Street and Grand Avenue.

Dec. 26 has been set definitely as closing date of the United Service Organizations operation here, according to Brewer Billie of the USO board of management.

Furniture of the USO building’s lobby will be split into three groups: the part owned by the USO, the state and the federal government. The USO-owned property will be sold. Disposal of the federally-owned property has not yet been determined.

When the organization passes out of Astoria, full control of the USO building’s use will go into the hands of Lt. John Bjork, commanding officer of the local National Guard.

The Point Adams Coast Guard station Monday said that the Ella Marie was a lucky boat.

It was spotted adrift off the lightship by a U.S. Coast Guard plane Saturday afternoon. Two days before, the 24-foot fishing vessel, a converted lifeboat, had put out of Depoe Bay.

Aboard were Herschell Conklin, skipper, and Howard Lanegan, crew, both Portland youths. The Coast Guard said the skipper and crew were not familiar with handling a boat in severe weather. Luck saved them, said the Coast Guard.