10 years ago this week — 2014

When it comes to birthday parties, kids are the experts.

Naturally, a 238th birthday party to celebrate our nation’s independence is no different. For some kids in Warrenton, celebrating the Fourth was like riding a bike.

Literally.

Thirty-five kids drenched their bicycles and scooters in red, white and blue during the first organized decorating party to prep for the parade’s Decorated Bike Show. The troop of patriotic bikers pedaled behind the dignitaries in Warrenton’s annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July Parade Friday afternoon.

It is profoundly sad that a girl drowned in the surf at Long Beach last week. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of grief.

There must be few longtime residents who have not had close calls from sneaker waves, crab holes and riptides on this deceptively beautiful stretch of coastline. Even on dry sand on a perfect summer day, you can never afford to turn your back on the Pacific.

Far less can you be truly safe in anything more than ankle-deep water. Surging waves turn the beach’s “kiddie pool” into the “deep end” in a matter of moments. Suddenly deeper water, a strong rip current and amateur swimming skills are recipe for drowning.

With 30 American white pelicans and counting, the Wildlife Center of the North Coast is a little overcrowded right now.

The center wasn’t quite prepared for the influx, but the young birds keep showing, hungry and some badly injured.

Wildlife biologists say a relatively small colony 10 miles upriver of Astoria was recently disturbed, causing adults to flee and their 4- to 6-week-old chicks to fend for themselves. The young birds floated downriver and have been rescued from East Sand Island, at the West Mooring Basin and especially near the Alderbrook neighborhood.

“When we have an incident like this, it sort of throws our center out of balance,” said Sharnelle Fee, director of the Astoria-based wildlife center.

“If there are disturbances at the nest site from humans, then they’ll abandon their eggs and chicks,” Fee said.

Unlike California brown pelicans, which have begun breeding on East Sand Island, white pelicans are not considered an endangered species in Oregon, but are listed as one in Washington. They are, however, protected under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Treaty Act and it is unlawful to harm or disturb their nesting sites.

50 years ago — 1974

The old white house is the last one on the block. It is simple in design, yet the bushy but well-kept yard surrounding it gives it an air of complexity.

Behind the house several boxes contain topsoil for a few tomatoes and cucumbers. The soil already in the yard is too sandy to grow vegetables.

Within a few years from the back of the house, the Columbia River quietly rolls to the shore.

The river stops at the shore, but the river’s influence does not. One place where it strongly reaches is to the inside of the house.

The house belongs to Georgia Maki, and the influence of the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River on her life is evident in every room.

Born the daughter of a fisherman in Clatskanie, Maki has lived close to the water for nearly all of her 64 years.

“I just love the water, and I want to be out on the river all the time,” she said with a grin. “I guess I’m just a river rat.”

In her home, paintings of the sea, pictures of fishermen and pieces of driftwood sit atop a piano in the front room. In the kitchen, a nook faces the mouth of the Columbia and candles and knickknacks abound on the shelves surrounding it.

Proof of Maki’s love for water extends beyond artwork though. At an age when many women would be content to knit or crochet, Maki spends her spare time making fishnets — by hand.

She is thought to be one of the few persons still constructing nets by hand, a trade that has been virtually wiped out with the coming of modern technology.

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has retained a Seattle consultant firm to prepare a master plan of development and land use at five sites at the mouth of the Columbia River.

The Corps said the plan will serve as a guide for development, management and conservation of land and water resources on its property at Fort Canby, Clatsop Spit, Sand Island, Fort Stevens and South Jetty.

WARRENTON — A drive by Bob Hendirckson and various other patrons of the Warrenton-Hammond School District to secure a covered playground for the elementary school met with success today.

Hendirckson told the school board his group had raised enough in cash and was willing to secure all labor and equipment for the project if the board would kick in the $2,900 still owned for materials.

The board decided if the levy passed Tuesday, it will allow the administration to enter into contingency for project.

The levy passed, so the administration may proceed.

CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States has agreed to recognize the right of coastal nations to control fishing, undersea oil drilling and other economic exploitation for 200 miles off their coasts. The concession is pleasing to U.S. East Coast fishermen and Latin American nations but upsetting to West Coast tuna men.

75 years ago — 1949

The Port of Astoria experienced one of its busiest weekends in a month as a total of 11 craft either visited or were berthed at the Port docks over Saturday and Sunday, Port officials said today.

Further complicating docking problems at the Port was the loading of two barges with logs for transport to the Grays Harbor area. Port officials said the log hauling was being done by the Sause Tug Boat Co.of Garibaldi and the work was continuing today.

Attempts to identify the wreckage of a boat brought to the surface recently by the dragger Oakland were continuing today.

Harry Spencer, an investigator from a Portland firm of attorneys, was in Astoria Sunday and today attempting to identify the wreckage, one thought to be a piece of the long-missing tuna boat Zarembo III.

Forest fire danger is at the highest peak it has been in three summers, Harold Tonole, of the Jewell subdivision forestry station, reported today.

“All of our crews are alerted and standing by for immediate action,” Tonole said, adding that within the past 10 days at least one fire call daily has been received by the station.

The most serious of recent fires was reported Saturday in the John Day area. Forestry workers fought all night Saturday to control the blaze, which swept through 20 acres of slash timber and destroyed some full length logs belonging to A.E. Grimstad.

LONG BEACH, Wash. — Fire of undetermined origin swept through the Sherwood cannery at Oysterville Monday night despite efforts of firemen from three nearby communities.

The cannery, owned by Edwin and Randolph Sherwood, was listed as a total loss by the owners, who said they plan to build a new cannery in time for the opening of the oyster season at the end of this month.

Three separate studies of traffic problems in Astoria were inaugurated at a traffic conference Tuesday night, called by Mayor Orval Eaton.

Two of the studies were aimed at the parking situation, the third at congestion of moving traffic on downtown streets.

The conference involved the mayor’s traffic safety committee, chamber of commerce merchants’ committee, police department and City Council.

The troller Fairwind was reported to have swamped off Tillamook early this morning, according to reports received by Point Adams coast guardsmen today.

The U.S. Coast Guard said reports received said the crew had been taken off the boat by the troller Wasp, which also had the Fairwind in tow in an effort to get the swamped craft to port.

A third troller, the Delores, was also standing by to lend assistance, the Coast Guard said.

The three boats were reported to have left Tillamook last night and the Fairwind got in trouble early this morning.

The field of home building knows no limits in the ways of originality and new innovations as can readily be concluded by viewing the widely varied designs, architecture and ideas incorporated in old and new homes right in Astoria.

Those who have long held that the only type of house capable of withstanding the long rainy season of Astoria is one with a steeply sloped roof may be somewhat concerned by the recent trend in many of the city’s new homes toward more gradual slanting and flatter roofs.

Another example of this type of home is the low, long and flat home of Gene Ettro’s, 265 Clatsop.

The home is not of frame construction, but is built on concrete blocks. The floors are concrete and all of the interior of the building is plastered. Mrs. Ettro said that the only wood in the construction of the building is in the laundry and storage room.