Several days ago, I was getting ready to head out to the Astoria Aquatic Center for my daily chlorine fix when I noticed that my swim bag was not in the vehicle.

I placed my cellphone and wallet on top of our electric town car and got the bag. Since I was going alone that day, I just tossed it into the back seat. I stopped at the Astoria Senior Center and when I was walking back, I noticed my cellphone on top, but no wallet.

I called home first to have my wife see if it was in the yard or down our one-block long dead end — no such luck. Since we live in such a friendly town, I was going to give it two days before I canceled everything.

The second morning, I raised my garage door to get my Oregonian — and yes, we also subscribe to The Astorian — my wallet was laying next to my paper!

I wished that this kind person would have left a note or something so I could thank them for saving me the mess of replacing everything. Again, thank you!

CHUCK MEYER

Astoria

Let’s face the raw truth: the absurdity in handling the cormorant situation in our region is at an all-time high.

A few years back, the genius idea of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was to mass slaughter these birds, kicking them out of East Sand Island. All the while, legit research screamed that the plan was a bird-brained disaster waiting to happen.

Spoiler alert: it bombed.

Now, there’s chatter about shuffling cormorants off the Astoria Bridge back to East Sand Island. Round two of mind-numbing decisions, courtesy of The Astorian’s Oct. 19 piece. Why not loop in real-deal ornithologists for once and craft a plan that balances both salmon and cormorant interests?

Stop making these birds the villains of the story. Their right to life is just as legit as ours. If the move does play out well, it’s high time we learn: steer clear of the Army Corps and their so-called “strategies.” Their track record? Thousands of birds dead for no darn reason.

DON ANDERSON

Roseburg