10 years ago this week — 2014

More than 80 FisherPoets came ashore this weekend from at least 12 states and three countries, from around the block in Astoria and across the pond in the United Kingdom, entertaining thousands with stories, songs and other musings of a life and a living made on the high seas.

“It’s a reunion, is what it is,” said Jon Broderick, a Bristol Bay salmon fisherman and main organizer of the speakers at FisherPoets. “Originally, the idea was we’d be able to see some people we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Broderick said it’s difficult to find time for all fishers. The southern reaches of the Dungeness crab fishery run November through February, and work doesn’t stop for FisherPoets. But the commercial salmon fishery, which starts in May and runs through September, was well represented.

Eight seconds. It seems like such a short time. Except when you are a rodeo cowboy perched on the back of a bucking bull — and trying to stay on.

The Challenge of Champions event attracted an enthusiastic crowd at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds Saturday. Dozens of cowboys from around Oregon took part in the event — the second of 13 stops on the professional bull riding tour.

Brian Marshal was the winner, with an 87.5-point ride. He was awarded a bottle of Pendleton Whisky and a silver buckle.

Did you know there’s light sweet crude oil regularly floating down the Columbia River?

Columbia Riverkeeper, a nonprofit environmental group focused on protecting and restoring water quality on the river, presented on the company Global Partners’ oil export terminal at Port Westward, along with other potential fossil fuel exports, such as coal coming from the Midwest through the Columbia watershed on trains. Port Westward is located near Clatskanie in Columbia County.

The presentation was part of “Caring for the Columbia,” one of six presentations and workshops Friday and Saturday on environmental issues, writing and knot tying during the 17th annual FisherPoets Gathering.

The Tillamook band and the Cheesemaker fans definitely brought the decibel level up a few notches Monday night at the Brick House.

But ultimately, it was the Astoria girls basketball team that rose above the noise and raised the roof in a Cowapa League playoff game.

The Fishermen had the Brick House rocking Monday, to the tune of a 48-32 victory over Tillamook — a third win over the Cheesemakers this season, and their second in less than a week.

A 75-foot specially designed pilot boat is headed to Astoria bearing the city’s name on its bow and destined for use on the rough Columbia River Bar.

The new boat was named Astoria by the organization to honor the city it calls home and which is historically linked with the Columbia River maritime trade.

Capt. Robert Johnson, a bar pilot, said it’s likely this will be the first pilot boat named Astoria.

50 years ago — 1974

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Yocona returned to Astoria Monday after two weeks of training at the Treasure Island Naval Base in San Francisco.

The training consisted of one- to four-day sessions of instruction in firefighting and damage control involving all of the eight officers and 65 crewmen aboard the Yocona. Later this week, the 213-foot cutter will start another season of law enforcement patrols to make certain no U.S. fishing treaties are broken along the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Members of the Astoria chapter of the American Field Service plan only one major fundraising event each year.

And they go all out.

The results are a growing reputation for sponsoring one of the area’s most festive evenings, and the ability to finance two exchange student programs.

One brings a foreign exchange student to Astoria High School every year. This year he’s Koichi “Joe” Okamoto, of Japan. The second is Americans Abroad. Last summer, high school students Kathy O’ Brien and Annette Hallaux were selected for that program, with O’Brien going to Japan and Hallaux staying in Turkey.

The three of them, as well as exchange students from other North Coast high schools and some talented Astoria High School performers, will entertain guests at the Thursday event. Mike Foster will be the emcee.

Bruce Berney is Astoria’s librarian, but he may be headed for a new career as an entrepreneur of worthless antiques, or at least antiques most think are worthless.

The prospect of a new career has come about because Berney is selling the city’s old penny parking meters. Since the city government doesn’t deal in pennies any longer, the meters have been deemed worthless.

Berney is selling them because he is the only one who thinks they are worth something to somebody. Evidence so far proves Berney is right, even though the fine for one of the parking meters is $5.

“Since we put them on sale at the library last week, we have sold five of them,” Berney said. “In a field like this, we consider that selling like hot cakes.”

Reader’s Digest has published a new book titled “Treasures of America,” which features Astoria and many of its historical sites.

The sites pinpointed are the Astoria Column, the Flavel House, the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Fort Clatsop National Memorial and the Pioneer Finnish Home.

The book divides the country into nine regions and singles out some 550 treasures in each.

To put together the book, Reader’s Digest wrote to more than 5,000 state, county and city officials asking for information about what they considered to be treasures in their areas.

Extra gas ordered by the federal government for Oregon began arriving Tuesday in Seaside, but most Astoria gas dealers remained in the dark about what, if anything, they would receive.

Dealers already suffering from an end-of-the-month gas squeeze said the extra allocation wouldn’t amount to that much anyway.

“If you break down the 7 million gallons Oregon will supposedly receive, it amounts to an average of four gallons per car per month” claimed Al Simonson, who operates the ARCO station in Astoria.

75 years ago — 1949

A southwest storm continuing through Monday forced closure of the Columbia River Bar, according to bar and river pilot officials Monday morning.

Winds hit 50 miles an hour shortly after 8 o’clock. Conditions at the bar were described as rough, with a number of ships awaiting entry or departure from the river.

ASTORIA — Twirling majorettes and the roll of snare drums featured the presentation of band uniforms at the Armory Saturday night between the halves of the Astoria-Central Catholic game.

Rotary club members started the drive to outfit the band in purple and gold uniforms last September, and aided by the liberal contributions of the townspeople, bought 33 band uniforms and three majorette outfits.

Gusts of wind reported by the Point Adams Coast Guard Station reaching 72 mph last night lashed at Astoria, causing excessive damage to telephone communications at scattered points throughout the area.

The problem of a worn-out bridge on Franklin Avenue across the 38th Street valley brought the entire 1949 street program of the city into focus before the city commission Monday night.

The commission postponed a decision until after a conference next Monday night with residents of the district beyond the bridge.

City Manager J.O. Convill submitted a report calling attention to the results of a city engineer’s investigation showing the bridge so far gone that its virtual reconstruction will soon be necessary.

Convill said, however, that the cost of the bridge is so great that its construction would block several other vital street problems that need attention. He recommended the commission study the situation thoroughly before acting.

Columbia River fishermen have been called to attend a special meeting at the union offices in Astoria Friday to consider reports from the Legislature regarding the two-year moratorium on traps, seines and fixed appliances, Henry Niemela, executive secretary, said Thursday.

The fishermen have previously stated that they could not support the moratorium and the facts learned in the early week Salem conferences will form the discussion for the special Friday meeting.

Astoria drivers in the age group 25 to 34 are the most liable to traffic accidents — and their favorite day for them is Saturday.

These facts, along with several other interesting ones, have developed from a series of traffic accident graphs covering the year 1947-48 in Astoria.

Frogs began croaking Wednesday afternoon in Tapiola Park for the first time this year, housewives in that neighborhood reported.

“Spring is coming for sure now,” one housewife reported. “You can’t fool a frog.”