10 years ago this week — 2014

GEARHART — When Gearhart Elementary School’s 9-year-old McKenna Roberts took a field trip with her class to the formerly unnamed loop trail in southern Gearhart, “There was birds on it, and it was by the beach, and it was a trail,” she said. Thus, her winning name, “Birdy Beach Trail,” was born.

The fourth grader was one of more than 30 Gearhart students who participated in the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s recent “Name the Trail” contest, which started in early October when park ranger Brian Fowler visited the school with his friend, Tilda, the snowy plover. He challenged students to take ownership of the project.

SEASIDE — A tobacco-free policy won’t be pursued by the Sunset Empire Park & Recreation District board until the district receives cooperation from the city.

During the district’s recent board meeting, Clatsop County health promotion specialist Steve Blakesley discussed why agencies and districts are going tobacco- or smoke-free. He was invited to speak after the district board began considering a tobacco-free policy in November.

The Astoria Planning Commission and city staff are creating guidelines on how to improve building facades and landscaping in the Astor West Urban Renewal District — and discussing possible urban renewal funds to help building owners finance it.

“We want design that matches Astoria’s historical character,” said Matt Hastie, a project manager with the Angelo Planning Group, which is working with the city on the Astoria Riverfront Vision Plan, during a Wednesday work session focusing on recommendations for facade improvements.

Wednesday was the third of three work sessions addressing various code, zoning and other issues in the Bridge Vista area, stretching from the western edge of downtown to the Port of Astoria’s West End Mooring Basin. It largely overlaps with the existing Astoria West Urban Renewal District running from the roundabout to the Astoria Victory Monument (the Doughboy) at the intersection of W. Marine Drive and Columbia Avenue.

The bulk carrier Ken Rei steamed out of the Port of Astoria Sunday with nearly 5 million board feet of timber destined for Lanshan, China.

Bringing the load of one of Clatsop County’s most valuable commodities together is an interplay of employees from the Port of Astoria, Astoria Forest Products, longshoremen and the crew of the Ken Rei.

Logs are a main breadwinner for the port, which earns around $100,000 per ship through moorage, wharfage, security and other fees. Twelve log ships have called at the Port, and that’s just the beginning.

50 years ago — 1974

Letters to Santa:

“Dear Santa,

“I didn’t believe in you but now I do. Santa you’re nice. Rich people have a lot of presents but poor people do not. Christmas is one of my best holidays. What I wish I had a pair of skates and Legos to. I like Legos. Good bi. Thank you. Bi Santa. Bruce.”

“Dear Santa,

“I am 12 years old and I am in the Seventh Grade. I would like you to bring me a 300 savage or a knife or some binoculars or hip boots for clam digging, and if you bring me a 300 savage I will leave some carrots for the reindeer and a glass of milk for you. Thank you, Mike Helmersen”

“Dear Santa Claus,

“My name is Lynnetta Price.

“I am 3 years old. I have been a good girl this year. Please bring me some toys. What I would really like is: 1. Rub A Dub Dolly; 2. Shirley Temple Doll; 3. Dresses; 4. Pants; 5. Play make-up; 6. Nighties; 7. PJ’s with no feet; 8. Play wrapping paper; 9. Slippers – red; 10. Stroller.

“Also please bring my little brother Scott some toys. He would like: 1. Trucks; 2. Bouncing ball; 3. Play tools; 4. PJ’s – with feet; 5. Shirts.

“When you come to my house I will leave for you some milk, cookies and some carrots for your deer. Please come in to my bedroom and kiss me ’cause I was good. Love, Lynnetta.”

“Dear Santa,

“I want three things for Christmas: Sand blaster _ 49N21101 — $12.77, Evel Knievel cycle 49N58224 — $8.97, Scramble Van — 49N22853 — $2.99. Drag Strip Set — $5.66, Treasure Detector — 49N22509 — $14.97 I will leave cookies and milk for you on Christmas eve. From Paul.”

“That oughta make a few of us happy and that would make me happy,” she says with a whimsical grin.

If one didn’t know better, it would be easy to believe she was Mr. Santa Claus, down from the North Pole to make Christmas much brighter and better for several little girls in Clatsop County.

Connie Hansen, “Miss Minnie” to those who know her, has for several years created complete wardrobes for dolls and given both the dolls and the wardrobes to children’s services and volunteer services for distribution at Christmastime.

75 years ago — 1949

It will be an un-merry Christmas for Clatsop County residents who take indiscreet measures to obtain their own Christmas trees, Sheriff Paul Kearney warned Tuesday.

The sheriff’s office and state police are cooperating in a patrol to stop the illegal and harmful chopping of trees, Kearney said.

Need for patrol was shown by reports that trees on various pieces of private property, county-state lands and even in the reforestation area south of Fort Stevens have been cut recently by unauthorized persons.

SEASIDE — Plans for the construction of a 400-car capacity open-air drive-in theater on a 10-acre tract near Gearhart were completed this week by Cecil Wright, attorney, Robert Henningsen, Gearhart, and Harold Wright, advertising representative for the United Film Co., Portland.

The theater to be located on the highway near the Gearhart junction will cost approximately $75,000 and will be completely modern in every detail.

Last-minute gift shoppers in Clatsop County have a homemade answer to their problems easily at hand. Judging by the comments of a federal agency, the local answer also is original and distinctive.

“Exploitation of the holiday ‘gift’ market with specialty fishery products seems like a good merchandising bet,” the Market News Service issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Seattle suggested early this month.

Federal game authorities and state police have closed all the Youngs Bay shore from the east side of the Skipanon River to the Clatsop Airport to duck hunting, according to F. Boomhauer, Portland, federal game warden for Oregon, who is in Astoria.

Boomhauer said the area has been posted as a result of a discovery that someone has planted wheat in the tract.

Macco Construction Co. is starting to drive piling for the wing walls of the new fishermen’s mooring basin in Uppertown, Don Shupp, superintendent here for the company, announced Wednesday.

A 50-mile-an-hour gale was blowing from the southwest at 10 a.m. Friday, U.S. Coast Guardsmen reported from Cape Disappointment, and southwest storm warnings were up from Cape Blanco to Tatoosh Island.

The Columbia River Bar was passable all night, but a tanker which tried to leave without a bar pilot Friday morning turned back to anchor inside.

Five men went on trial in justice court Tuesday morning on charges of violating the state game code by distributing wheat as “lure and enticement” to draw wild ducks within range of their guns.

The Columbia River got the thrashing of its life as a twister-producing southwest storm flashed in across the coast last night, halting shipping, smashing fishing boats and delaying long-distance phone service with its 63 mph winds.

LONG BEACH, Wash. — One of the few twisters of wind ever seen in this region left a narrow path filled with wreckage here after suddenly striking the beach near the rodeo grounds and flashing back out to sea shortly before noon Friday.

The freak wind, arriving during a southerly storm, took the roof off a summer cottage and tossed it 50 feet away.