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Water Under the Bridge Compiled by Bob Duke The Daily Astorian, February 24, 2010

From the pages of Astoria's daily newspapers

10 years ago this week - 2000

J.W. "Bud" Forrester, the former editor of The Daily Astorian and one of the last of Oregon's old-school newspapermen, died this morning in Portland. He was 85.

Forrester and his wife, Eleanor, shared a newspaper career that spanned the 1930s to the 1980s, working together in what Forrester called a "remarkable relationship" running the news and business departments at newspapers in Coos Bay, Pendleton and Astoria.

Forrester's career was characterized by forceful editorials, community-minded news pages and active public service, traditions continued by his two sons, Mike and Steve, who edit the Forrester family's newspapers in Salem and Astoria.

SEASIDE - The city is off and running to refine major improvements to U.S. Highway 101 at the north end of town.

But traffic management, fish passage and construction timing issues are shaping those plans and could affect other city road and bridge projects, according to City Manager Gene Miles.

City officials have long sought improvements to the highway near its intersection with 24th Avenue and the bridge crossing Neawanna Creek. Traffic safety and congestion problems there pose concerns about accommodating the crowds expected for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, which begins in 2003.

After standing alone for five days as the only elected official to support breaching the four lower Snake River dams, Gov. John Kitzhaber got some company Tuesday night from Astoria.

The Astoria City Council voted unanimously to urge the federal government to "right the mistakes of the past" and "choose the only option that will restore wild Snake River salmon" by removing the dams.

The city will send a letter to Vice President Al Gore outlining concerns about the loss of salmon runs, economic and cultural hardships and the need to remove the dams to help revive struggling fish populations.

50 years ago - 1960

There will be more gunfire at Camp Rilea Sunday afternoon than in a hatful of TV westerns. Company C of the 162d Engineers, Oregon National Guard, plans to celebrate the guard's annual Muster day with a bang. The unit's open house display will include a 12-man combat squad in a firepower display using individual and automatic weapons.

Demolition teams will use live explosives in an explanation of their work to be given Sunday afternoon. Lt. William R. Anderson, Astoria, commanding officer of the unit, announced.

City police, spurred by several complaints in recent months, checked five private clubs in Astoria in simultaneous raids at 7 o'clock Friday evening.

Police found and confiscated five slot machines in the Eagles lodge hall and three in the Moose lodge hall, Chief G.T. Arrington said. No machine was found in the Elks lodge hall, American Legion hall and Veterans of Foreign Wars hall.

The Oregon Game commission's new half million dollar steelhead hatchery on Gnat Creek is completed, manned and ready to operate as soon as it gets some fish eggs to raise.

The hatchery, built with funds from the federal government, has a production capacity of 300,000 steelhead a year, according to Arne Shannon, who has come here from the McKenzie River hatchery to manage the Gnat Creek plant.

The British freighter Loch Avon smashed into a dock at Astoria's port docks Monday evening and before coming to a stop had torn away a section of the pier 150 feet long and about 10 feet wide, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

The freighter struck the east side of Pier 2 port docks as it was coming in to tie up before delivering a small cargo of frozen tuna.

75 years ago - 1935

LONG BEACH - Mrs. Roy Gray reached into a sack of potatoes. She brought out a panfull and along with them came a queer shiny coil.

The coil began to unwind. Mrs. Gray yelled and dropped it, as the convolutions developed into a live and potent 10 inch rattlesnake. As Mrs. Gray ran out to find a club, the Grays' housecat attacked the snake and managed to keep it occupied by some cautious lunges while Mrs. Gray struck and killed it.

The potatoes came from Grandview, Wash., Mrs. Gray reported.

Fear felt last week that all SERA (State Emergency Relief Administration) projects and relief work might be shut off this week was dispelled Tuesday when word was received of an allocation which will allow continuance of the work on a 75 percent basis to the end of the month.

An effort will be made to hold down the minor projects and those involving the less needy and concentrate on the more important projects, according to local relief officials.

Approval of an $8,000,000 project deepening of the Columbia River channel between Vancouver and the Bonneville Dam in order that ocean steamers may come to The Dalles was asked of the U.S. Army engineers at a hearing today in the Wasco County court house.

An invasion of the Columbia River off the north shore between Megler and Point Ellice by sea lions numbering as many as 500 is reported by Captain Fritz Elfving of the Astoria-North Beach ferry. The daily visitation of the sea lions began about three weeks ago and is now apparently reaching a climax as far as numbers are concerned.