Aislin looks back at 2025

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, December 30, 2025

During my time at the Astorian, starting the last week in July, I have covered the environment, restoration efforts, hatcheries, K-12, South County and public safety. This is a collection of excerpts from my favorite pieces. 

“Daughter seeks — and gets — full honors for veteran father’s funeral,” Aug. 28

Lauri Lavender contacted 15 military institutions on a quest to get funeral honors at her dad’s funeral – she nearly gave up before officials at Joint Base Lewis-McChord honored her wish. 

Lavender’s father, Oscar “Rick” Rickers,  passed away on Aug. 8 at the age of 92. Since then, Lavender had reached out to military installations in Oregon and Washington — and eventually, all the way to Delaware. 

“Daughter launches letter-writing campaign to keep father’s killer in prison,” Sept. 6

One of Sandra Bierscheid’s fondest memories of  her dad is riding with him on the back of  his Honda Goldwing motorcycle. 

“When I was young he would take me on his bike on his day off – we would meet up at Clatskanie,” Bierscheid said. “… he’d buy me a cinnamon sugar donut and a milkshake and I would sit there like I was so important with all these policemen.”

 Sergeant James D.  Shepherd was killed on May 22, 1980. Bierscheid was just 14 years old. Almost 45 years have passed since that day —  and Bierscheid has dedicated her life to keeping her father’s murderer, Michael E. Sture, behind bars. So far, she’s been successful, orchestrating letter-writing campaigns prior to Sture’s parole hearings.

“Forestry in their hands,” Sept. 30 

With small shovels in hand and boots planted firmly in the soil, sixth-grade students from across Clatsop County spent two days immersed in the world of forestry — learning not from textbooks, but from the land itself.

The Oregon Department of Forestry hosted its annual Forestry Day on Sept. 24- 25, bringing nearly 400 sixth graders into the forest for a hands-on exploration of Oregon’s natural resources. Spread across 10 interactive stations, the event introduced students to everything from tree planting and wildfire suppression to mushroom identification and salmon migration.

Brad Catton, operations coordinator for the Astoria District and one of the event organizers was excited to bring the forest to the students. “I was in reforestation for the majority of my career, so tree planting is always my favorite,” he said. “I know I’m biased, but it’s really great.”

“Welding a new life: CCC program sparks a second chance,” Oct. 5

With a black helmet shielding her face and boots planted firmly on a steel floor, Sara Ruscetta stood steady as sparks flew around her.

The Clatsop Community College student spent her summer welding an outrigger rack at the Port of Astoria, a hands-on experience that represents far more than a school project — it’s the foundation of a new life.

Ruscetta, 44, is a former landscape contractor and chain-saw sculpture artist. In recent years, she faced homelessness and the emotional aftermath of losing the father of her 3-year-old daughter. Then one day, she saw a photo of a CCC welding student in the college catalog — and something clicked.

“Drums, songs and community: Astoria marks fifth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” Oct. 16

The drumbeats rolled like distant thunder across downtown Astoria Monday, calling people to the plaza outside the Astoria Post Office. Voices lifted in song, laughter rippled through the crisp fall air and the scent of cedar smoldered in small prayer bundles held by attendees. Occasional car horns punctuated the gathering, mingling with footsteps on the plaza’s concrete and the murmur of conversations. About 30 people gathered for the fifth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day rally, a moment to honor Native heritage, resilience and the living presence of Indigenous people on Oregon’s North Coast.

Observed nationwide on the second Monday of October, Indigenous Peoples’ Day offers an alternative to Columbus Day, celebrating the histories and cultures of Native peoples. In Astoria, the observance has grown into a grassroots tradition — organized not by a single tribe but by local residents seeking visibility, connection and healing.

For Cliff Taylor, a member of the Ponca Tribe, the day carried personal resonance. He remembered the first Indigenous rally he attended in Astoria years ago — a moment that planted the seeds for what has grown into a community tradition. 

“Federal cuts threaten Columbia Basin fish hatcheries, raising alarm for tribes and coastal fisheries,” Oct. 18

Federal funding shortfalls and staff vacancies are putting the Columbia River Basin’s fish hatcheries — and the salmon and steelhead they produce — at risk, experts warn. The potential fallout could hit the Pacific Northwest’s fishing economies, tribal treaty rights and decades of salmon recovery work.

The stakes are high: the hatcheries produce millions of juvenile fish each year that support treaty and non-treaty fisheries from Astoria to Idaho and beyond. Without stable funding, aging facilities risk reduced production, premature fish releases, or even facility failure, threats that could ripple through commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries along the Columbia River and the Oregon coast.

The concerns come as Congress debates appropriations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the two agencies overseeing federal hatcheries and salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin. Both face hiring freezes, deferred maintenance backlogs and aging infrastructure.

“These hatcheries currently provide the only meaningful harvest opportunities for treaty and non-treaty fisheries in the Columbia River and along the coast,” said Zach Penney, director of strategic initiatives for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. “Every hatchery mitigates the impacts of dams and river development.”

“Tony A. (naschio) Johnson: A legacy of resilience,” Oct. 27

Tony A. (naschio) Johnson, chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation, was recently honored with the 2025 Indigenous Leadership Award. For Johnson, this recognition goes far beyond personal accolades. It serves as a powerful symbol of the Chinook Indian Nation’s enduring struggle for sovereignty, a battle that has spanned generations and shaped the history of the Nation. 

“When I reflect on receiving this award, I don’t think of it as my recognition alone,” Johnson said. “It’s for the generations of Chinook people who have carried our sovereignty forward, despite the federal government’s repeated failure to honor it. This award honors those who came before me, the elders and warriors who fought to protect our land, our rights and our way of life.”

The battle for federal recognition has been long and arduous. Despite the Nation’s deep roots at the mouth of the Columbia River, where their culture, language and traditions thrive, the Nation has been denied the recognition afforded to other tribes. Johnson, who has served as chairman since 2014, remains steadfast in his leadership role, working relentlessly to ensure the Chinook people’s rightful place within the framework of the U.S. government.

“Everyday People: Local author Peter Marsh writes book on Oregon’s WWII legacy,” Nov. 4

Former teacher, sailboater and boat builder, newspaper and mariner reporter, current director of the Hanthorn Cannery Museum and author, Peter Marsh never meant to stay in Oregon. But when he first arrived more than half a century ago, something about the gray light on the river and smell of salt in the air reminded him of home. 

Marsh will discuss “Liberty Factory: The Untold Story of Henry Kaiser’s Oregon Shipyard” — and his lifelong connection to the sea — during a free talk from 2 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Seaside Public Library, 1131 Broadway. A Q&A with the author will follow.

“Astoria superintendent says families in crisis as district prepares for possible midyear cuts,” Nov. 24 

Astoria School District Superintendent Craig Hoppes told the school board at their meeting on Wednesday that rising family instability, chronic absenteeism and a looming statewide budget crisis are converging at a difficult moment for schools — and may soon force districts across Oregon to brace for midyear cuts. 

Hoppes began his report by highlighting efforts inside school buildings, saying staff have been
“really working hard in the classroom with kids and engaging them in learning at times when it can be difficult.” And the work has increasingly extended beyond academics. 

Over the past several weeks, Hoppes said, administrators, counselors and other staff have been meeting with families facing significant hardships, including immigration concerns, food insecurity from federal cuts of SNAP and other stressors affecting student safety and attendance. 

“Euthanized humpback whale spurs debate,” Dec. 5

A young humpback whale washed ashore in Yachats on Nov. 15 and was euthanized following two days of being stranded on the beach. 

Marine officials determined the animal had been entangled in crab pot lines with a buoy tag from the 2023-24 commercial Dungeness crab season.

After its death, scientists, veterinary students from Oregon State University collected samples from the mammal and members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians disassembled the whale, conducting a necropsy and collecting artifacts. 

The People for Ethical Treatments of Animals, a nonprofit animal rights organization, issued a statement urging coastal states to phase out commercial fishing gear after the whale’s passing. 

“ADHDA meeting highlights concerns over city leadership, holiday events and more,” Dec. 9

Calls for stronger civic engagement, a packed calendar of winter events and growing demand for community aid took center stage at Friday’s Astoria Downtown Historic District Association meeting, where attendees filled the room with both urgency and optimism. 

At the meeting, ADHDA leadership reminded the community of the Livability Response Team, founded in 2023 by City Manager Scott Spence. It can be contacted with concerns regarding illegal camping, public safety, trash and abandoned items in public spaces. 

“Downtown Astoria businesses, a shelter and its clients strive to find a way forward,” Dec. 10

Concerns over safety and public behavior near a downtown low-barrier shelter have escalated into a wider dispute involving business owners, homeless service providers and law enforcement in Astoria. 

The issue was first raised at the Sept. 5 monthly Astoria Downtown Historic District Association’s meeting by Roger Nikunen, owner of Gizmo’s Retrocade & Eatery. Nikunen said foot traffic and sales at his business have fallen sharply over the past year, which he attributes in part to behavior he has witnessed near the shelter and that he said has spilled over into his store. He said his employees and customers have been harassed and that his family members have been threatened. 

“Surfing the North Oregon Coast in winter? Use winter wisdom,” Dec. 18

When winter arrives on Oregon’s North Coast, the waves change and so does the challenge of riding them. For surfers like Lexie Hallahan, the season offers both exhilaration and risk.

Hallahan has been an instructor since 2005 and is now the executive director of Northwest Women’s Surf Camps, which normally offers lessons to beginner surfers during the summer months. 

“Winter swells are different from summer swells,” Hallahan said. “They’re bigger, stronger and come from much farther away. It’s like the ocean is on steroids compared to summer.”