10 years ago this week — 2013

WARRENTON — Big plays, a quick strike offense and a solid defense. Yes, the Seaside Seagulls are building a new reputation for themselves, and it’s a nice one to have.

The Gulls scored seven touchdowns in Friday’s 46-0 win at Warrenton — and every single score was from 35 yards or more.

CANNON BEACH — Here’s one way to ride out an earthquake and subsequent tsunami that could one day lay waste to the North Coast: Hop into your own personal escape pod while hoping that after the worst is over, the pod is not (1) adrift at sea, (2) wedged under a brand new saltwater lake, (3) trapped under a fresh heap of rubble, or otherwise unable to deliver you to the outside world.

Such a scenario came under discussion at Friday’s Cannon Beach Emergency Preparedness Committee meeting. Members considered whether Survival Capsule LLC, a company based in Mukilteo, Washington, would be invited to present its patented tsunami escape pods to Cannon Beach residents as part of the town’s ongoing effort to fortify itself against “the big one.”

“I don’t think we should be recommending something like this, or even endorsing it,” said Les Wierson, a committee member.

SEASIDE — As the school bus rolled into the Seaside Heights parking lot before school Tuesday morning, Kim Meyer prepared for that familiar parental ritual: the first day of school photo.

Meyer snapped a picture of her 8-year-old twin daughters, Grace and Lauren, as they emerged from the purple route bus, which carried dozens of new students from Cannon Beach to the Seaside elementary school.

The Seaside School Board closed Cannon Beach Elementary School this year because of $1.55 million in districtwide budget cuts.

Cannon Beach students like the Meyers and their brother, Lauchlan, 5, now attend Seaside Heights Elementary School.

On Friday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Ironwood WLB-297 will move from Tongue Point Job Corps Center to Astoria’s Pier 17, where it will be berthed until Saturday evening.

The Job Corps will honor the U.S. Coast Guard and commemorate the Ironwood’s 70 years of service.

During the 57 years between the commissioning of the Ironwood in 1943 and its decommissioning in 2000, it has seen three wars and eight homeport changes. Since 2002, the Ironwood has served as the main training vessel for the seamanship training program at the Tongue Point Job Corps Center.

“The Ironwood has a rich history in supporting the missions of the Coast Guard,” said Capt. Len Tumbarello, director of Tongue Point’s seamanship program. “That tradition of support has continued during the 11 years she has served Job Corps in producing quality merchant mariners for the maritime industry.”

50 years ago — 1973

Astoria police have asked citizens to return any road signs they have or know about to their rightful owners.

“These signs are placed for a purpose,” said a department spokesman, “to control and direct traffic, and although their removal might seem to be just a childish prank, there can be more serious consequences, causing accidents and disruption of traffic.”

SEASIDE — Burglary is the No. 1 crime problem in America, and the Seaside Police Department is beginning to feel the strain.

This month alone, Seaside Police Chief Ron Willis said 11 burglaries and two attempted break-ins (compared to six last year) were reported and more are under investigation.

And Willis isn’t optimistic about the coming winter. “I’m afraid the burglaries this summer are only a drop in the bucket compared to what we’ll get in the winter,” he warned in a recent interview.

“What did you do this summer?”

That might well be one of the questions Knappa youths will be asking — and answering — as the 1973-1974 school year gets under way Tuesday in Knappa.

For many youngsters, ages 14 to 18, summer jobs were easier to come by this year compared to the summer of 1972.

Housework, babysitting, lawn-mowing and collecting empty bottles and clothes hangers were some of the jobs traditionally landed by the younger boys and girls, while those who were slightly older were challenged by a wide variety of jobs.

Lynn Zurcher, for example, gave horseback riding lessons. As a result, her young charges — like Dawn Smiley — are showing progress in her riding skills. Zurcher is a 4-H championship horsewoman, so those who know her won’t find that surprising.

Partygoers downed 68 kegs during a four-day Government Island blast. Possibly the year’s biggest beer party on the North Coast went off without major problems this weekend, according to people who attended.

Nobody counted, but estimates of the number of partiers ranged from 50 to 1,500 for the four-day party.

Rumors of a rock festival on Government Island were untrue, but a couple of music groups did play during the weekend.

Wouldn’t you know it, but as soon as the sun comes out and the temperatures start soaring into the high 80s, it’s time to start school for Astoria students.

They come on foot, on bikes, in buses and in cars — and motorists should get back into the habit of watching out for them during the morning and afternoon rush, now that summer vacation is over.

75 years ago — 1948

Both sides of Commercial Street from the post office to the Astoria Hotel are virtual showcases of Astoria and Clatsop County history this week.

Nearly every show window is displaying historical exhibits which have been collected and distributed by the Clatsop County Historical Society in observance of the salmon derby and Regatta, as well as the Oregon territorial centennial.

The displays have been distributed to conform with the line of merchandise sold in each of the stores wherever possible.

One of the most interesting exhibits is featured in the window of the First National Bank. This display is made up largely of a number of objects made by the Indians who inhabited this area.

Several tools and devices of the Indian medicine man are included in the display, including a medicine ball, pestle and clay bowl and a noisemaker which the Indians believed was capable of driving away evil.

School officials in Astoria are busy this week preparing for a record influx of pupils when school opens for the fall term next Tuesday.

Registration is expected to be well over the 1,560 total registrations in Astoria public schools last year. From the Navy Heights housing project alone, 240 children will enter the system.

A total of seven vessels called on Coast Guardsmen for help Tuesday, raising the total since Sunday morning to 27.

Three vessels, two of which were commercial trollers, ran aground in the new west channel to Ilwaco, Washington, Tuesday. Coast Guardsmen said Wednesday that the new channel is not yet completely marked with buoys.

Astoria longshoremen went on strike at 10:14 a.m. today after meeting at 10 to hear the final offers made by the Waterfront Employers’ Association to the CIO union negotiating committee in San Francisco.

U.S. Sen. Guy Cordon was here Thursday to take part in the salmon derby and spent the day on the river, failing to catch a salmon.

Sen. Cordon was accompanied by Frank Sever, a Douglas County attorney who was his law partner before he entered the Senate and gave up private practice.

The skies cleared in the Astoria area Friday and sports fishermen took to the river again, but most commercial fishermen tied up at the docks as heavy swells were reported in off shore waters.

Thursday’s storm apparently blew over without any serious mishaps in the area. Coast Guardsmen at Cape Disappointment had to help three pleasure yachts over the bar with a motor lifeboat yesterday afternoon because of the heavy swells, but no vessels got into serious difficulties.

The story of an inebriated salmon fisherman in a small outboard-powered skiff who negotiated the channel into Chinook, Washington, in his sleep was told here Friday by visiting residents.

It seems the angler evidently imbibed too much and went to sleep on his boat, with the engine running and his fishing gear in action.

The boat ran in through the channel into Baker Bay and onto Chinook. On the way, the plug and weights of his line were snapped off by a piling. Finally, the boat ran ashore, high and dry, with the fish line trailing off into the water. The boat’s occupant kept right on sleeping.

With the completion of the flagpole at the Fort Astoria site at 15th and Exchange streets, Dr. Walter Hay said this morning that everything is ready for the parade and dedication ceremonies of the site this afternoon.