Family reunion sparks return home

Posted: Friday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am

As of today, EDDIE SEEBORG, pictured, bottom, 95, is in Astoria for the Seeborg family reunion. A little bird (actually his son, LARRY SEEBORG) called to tell the Ear about it. Eddie, who attended the Taylor School, was in the first class of seventh graders at Capt. Robert Gray Elementary School and graduated from Astoria High School in 1931, has seen a lot of Astoria history first-hand. He told his story to Larry who, with LIISA PENNER's help, published the story in CUMTUX, "Edward F. Seeborg: A Uniontown Boy from Astoria" in 2007.

Born in Astoria, Eddie was one of 14 children of Finnish immigrants Victor and Fanny Seeborg, who owned a three-story house at 249 Columbia Ave., which is now W. Exchange Street. The house is still in the family, owned by Vic and Fanny Seeborg's granddaughter, VICKI GASSER, and her husband, DAVE.

The Cumtux story mentions Eddie's family being on the fringe of the great flu epidemic of 1918-1919, when a man who rented a room later died of the flu. Eddie recalled that the ambulance couldn't make it up the steep road, so the roomer had to be carried out, and then the house had to be fumigated by burning sulfur in every room.

Eddie also witnessed the Astoria fire of 1922, and scavenged the ashes for "anything useful at home or for play." He also recalls the reconstruction after the fire, filling in the areas of the city that had been built on pilings, and the dedication of the Astoria Column on July 22, 1926.

He married fellow AHS student LAURA TERHO in 1934. She died in February, two months before their 75th anniversary.

After working for many years in the Foreign Agricultural Service division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eddie retired in 1974. He currently lives in Sandy, Utah.

When Eddie was 92, Larry said, "He passed a full driver's test just a month or so before his 93rd birthday on Oct. 22, 2006. He was so happy about passing the test that he bought the car (a Toyota Camry hybrid) as a birthday present to himself," pictured above, top

Larry says Eddie would greatly enjoy having old friends contact him while he's here. He is staying at Astoria's Holiday Inn Express through Monday. The number is (503) 325-6222.

Elleda Wilson

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

No clowning around: Fastest man on stilts crosses bridge

Posted: Friday, October 16, 2009 12:00 am

JOE KERBRAT of Astoria, pictured right, stopped by to show the Ear the medal he won for participating in last Sunday's GREAT COLUMBIA CROSSING race across the Astoria Bridge. The medal, presented to Kerbrat by the ASTORIA-WARRENTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, said, "FASTEST ON STILTS." Huh?

Yes, it's true, he did the whole bridge walk on stilts. He showed the Ear the backs of his calves, and it still hurts to think about it. The stilts are held on with rachet-type straps and can be tightened to make a snug fit so the stilts don't slip.

Pictured above left, in a photo courtesy of Jonathan Lingel/Westwind Graphics, you can see Kerbrat, on stilts and dressed as DO DO THE CLOWN. He towered above the crowd at about 8-feet-2-inches-tall, as he and his three sisters headed down the bridge ramp in the last leg of the race. His time was 1:21:09.

Kerbrat, a member of the ASTORIA CLOWNS and the president of the group this year, says he is the only member who does the bridge run. After all, the bridge has a special place in Astoria Clown history, since they led the way for the bridge to be built. When the bridge opened, the Astoria Clowns drove the first car to cross the bridge, Kerbrat said, and also drove the last car to go through the toll.

This is the seventh year Kerbrat has participated in the bridge crossing event. He has been sponsored for the last three years by the Chamber of Commerce, who gave him the No. 1 bib to wear this year for the race. Kerbrat is very thankful for both the sponsorship and the medal. "The event was such a joy," he said. "It is an honor. It is fun. I'll be back next year."

Elleda Wilson

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Local artist is revealed in full color

Posted: Friday, January 15, 2010 12:00 am

Back in October 2009, the Ear ran a story about local artist JO BROWN's attempts to rescue a sign at the Astoria Senior Center painted by the late ARVID WUONOLA, who had a sign painting business in town for 56 years (The Ear was curious, and wanted to know more about him).

JON WESTERHOLM called about the story, and recalled that his mother graduated from high school with Wuonola , and was "well known in Knappa, could draw like mad and enjoyed doing it."

Pictured above, top left, Arvid Wuonola in 1985; bottom left, during World War II; and bottom right, painting a window in Astoria.

Out of the blue, EDITH UUNILA TAYLOR of Texas wrote to the Ear and sent contact information for MARK WUONOLA, Ph.D., pictured above, right, Arvid's son, who lives in Massachusetts. In an e-mail, Mark graciously wrote about his father, whom he "loved, respected and admired greatly."

"It was unusual growing up in a small town with the added feature of one's father being recognized by all, and known and beloved by many," Mark wrote. "He was a businessman, but his first love was the people he worked with. He was one of those people with the blessing that he loved his work. He had struggled when he started his business in the depth of the Great Depression, 1932, after an apprenticeship at Oregon Sign and Neon in Portland. Before that, he had practiced and learned brush lettering during high school at Knappa-Svensen High School."

"He never took shortcuts," Mark said. "If the piece of wood for a sign would have looked good enough for most sign painters to letter the sign onto, 'good enough' wasn't good enough for him. An extra coat of paint it was. I worked for him Saturdays and summers during junior high, high school and the first few years of college, and remember how he scrutinized my work. And, I should add, his own.

"He enjoyed working with the film crews when they were in town ... he liked meeting the people. He was a people guy, and generally ended up being introduced to the stars because he was larger than life himself - his warmth, his smile, his genuineness."

"His business was very successful," Mark added. "He loved to work," and "greatly admired the 'Abraham Lincoln of legend.' Even though some of the stories of 'Honest Abe' were probably more fiction than fact, Arvid Wuonola believed them as if they were gospel. And what is important is that he lived them. He gave his customers 150 percent."

Elleda Wilson

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Fishermen never forget

Posted: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 12:00 am

The mystery is solved. SCOTT HOLMSTEDT, technology director for the Astoria School District, e-mailed the Ear to say the incredible historic fishing photo site, (WWW.BESTHISTORICFISHING.NET), belongs to JON NORGAARD, a former fisherman who was born and raised in Astoria.

Pictured above, two photos from the Web site. The top photo is Astoria's Elmore Cannery in 1908; bottom, a group of men seine for fish.

The Ear called Norgaard, who now lives near Longview, Wash. Calling the Web site his "labor of love," Norgaard says he's "loved boats, fishing and fishermen all my life." He got his inspiration for the project when he was driving back to Astoria one day and realized that "if I had grandchildren, I had no way to show them them what I love." There were "too many good things, and a way of life - people were positive and joyous - it's all gone." With the Web site, he hopes to "bring it all back, preserve the history of the industry and make sure that everybody is remembered."

Where did he get all those photos? Norgaard fished the West Coast for years, and has conversed with old timers from Alaska to San Diego. "It fed itself," Norgaard said. Once fishermen found out another fisherman was doing this project, more and more photos came rolling in.

"We have had many requests for photos from the History Channel, Discovery Channel, people writing books, families putting together family histories, etc." added Holmstedt, who built the site and has been working with Norgaard for six or seven years. "It really has blossomed into quite a project."

When the project started, Norgaard didn't even know how to turn a computer on. The Ear asked him how many images have been scanned and are online right now, and he said, "It's still 11, 245 - but who's counting?"

Elleda Wilson

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Jean-Marie Chapman creates a painting of Elliott Hearing and his favorite horse, Midnight, from a photo.

Elliott's portrait is a gift of love

Posted: Friday, May 8, 2009 12:00 am

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Last November, Jean-Marie Chapman, a Lake Oswego portrait artist (www.jeanmarieportraits.com), met Cannon Beach resident Cynthia Elliott, who lost her 16-year-old son, Elliott Hearing, in a drowning accident in 2007. Cynthia wanted Chapman to do a portrait of Elliott, but since such a commission was beyond her means, Chapman generously decided to do the painting as a gift.

"Elliott and Midnight Remembered" was inspired by a photo of a moment shared by Elliott and the horse he loved, Midnight, owned by the Sea Ranch RV Park & Stables in Cannon Beach. Born at midnight, the horse was jet black, but turned white as he got older. Elliott worried when the horse went out to winter pasture, so he would go check on him. The photo was taken on one such visit. Sadly, Midnight also died in 2007, during the Great Coastal Gale.

The portrait was unveiled last Saturday at the Cannon Beach Hotel to a large group that included Cynthia, Elliott's sisters, Maria, Faitha and Valeena Hearing, his grandparents, Don and Grace Elliott, his father, Merrit Hearing, an aunt, uncle and cousins.

"I will just tell you that I was greatly relieved and moved by the reaction of the family to the portrait," Chapman said. "The family sat up close as I told the process of creating the portrait of Elliott. I knew they were hoping for something, an essence of Elliott, and I was wanting that for them with all of my heart. I spent six months with the portrait of Elliott prior to the unveiling. I'd never met this boy, but when I finished the portrait I felt I'd known him for many years."

Everyone was crying at the unveiling, Cynthia said, but she was so amazed she couldn't cry. "I looked at him with wonderment," Cynthia said. "I think it's stunning."

Cynthia says she goes to visit the painting, which will be on display for a month, all the time. "It's like he's standing in the room with me," she said. "It's a joyous portrait, and not what I was expecting at all."

Elleda Wilson

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Huge squid baffles North Coast beachcombers

Posted: Friday, October 17, 2008 12:00 am

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Nadine Patterson and Gary Culp were strolling on the beach about 1,000 yards south of the Peter Iredale shipwreck Oct. 9 when they discovered four large Humboldt squid (three feet long) that had washed up on the sand about 100 feet apart.

The couple called the Ear from the beach, then started sending photos from Culp's cell phone (two of them are above) every few minutes. Culp said he had never seen squid that large in more than 40 years of fishing.

The Ear spoke to Tiffany Boothe at the Seaside Aquarium, alerting her to the couple's find, and hoping for some answers to the squid mystery. The next day, Boothe e-mailed the Ear with some details about what she thinks happened:

"Humboldt squid are not native to this area; they live in warmer waters off of the California coast," Boothe wrote. "Every once in a while a warm water current that is running off shore brings these guys up north. At some point, this warm water current dissipates, leaving the squid in water that is far too cold for them. They get hypothermia and wash in. In 2004, we had quite a few wash ashore. Some were still alive."

Of the episode last week, she said, "All together we counted 15 squid from the Peter Iredale to Gearhart."

You can read more about the Aquarium's findings at (www.beachconnection.net/news/squid101208_1023.php)

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Cookbook comes with killer recipes

By Elleda Wilson
The Daily Astorian

Posted: Friday, April 8, 2011 11:07 am

By Elleda Wilson
The Daily Astorian | 0 comments

If you ever decide to go “Borgia” and start poisoning people, how would you disguise the poison? It would be a difficult choice if you’re a creative chef like DOROTHEA PUENTE, pictured above, right.

She recently died in prison after being convicted of murdering her Sacramento, Calif., boarders by poisoning their food with the sleeping drug Dalmane, burying them in her backyard, and cashing their Social Security checks.

SHANE BUGBEE, pictured above, left, of the Long Beach (Wash.) Peninsula, co-authored a cookbook with her while she was incarcerated, “COOKING WITH A SERIAL KILLER, Recipes from Dorothea Puente” (2004). The recipes are simple but quite tasty.

He contacted “Thea” because he was interested in doing an article about female serial killers, but the article turned into a book. “I recall she was very interested in talking,” Shane told the Ear, “and once we started chatting, well, she sort of took the place of my dear old dead mum ... Thea jumped at the idea of a cookbook because it wasn’t a book detailing her crimes.”

Naturally, she was a great cook. Dorothea told Shane that one of her (lucky to be alive) boarders told an investigator that eating at her house was “like having Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July and Labor Day every single day of the month.”

The book also has correspondence between Shane and Thea, transcripts of their conversations, poems and drawings, and can be found at Amazon.com andLulu.com (where it is also available as a free download). One reviewer noted, “The lady may be a serial killer, but her recipes are first rate.”

Dorothea, of course, proclaimed her innocence, claiming her boarders all died of “natural” causes. “I loved my people too much ... Why would I spend money fattening them up if I was going to kill them?” A rhetorical question, to be sure.

“Try her favorite salsa,” Shane advised wryly. “It’s killer!”

Shane also published a book with serial killer JOHN WAYNE GACY. But that’s a story for another day.

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Chaos hits the streets of San Francisco

Posted: Friday, January 14, 2011 12:10 pm

By Elleda Wilson
The Daily Astorian

Some of you might have seen the fascinating film clip, “A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET,” by the MILES BROTHERS, shot in the early 1900s from the front of a moving cable car from Eighth Street down to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The film even made “60 Minutes” in a truncated form.

The Ear found the full-length work, which is almost 14 minutes long, online at http://tinyurl.com/trolleymkt, and an in-depth story about it at http://tinyurl.com/maxgblog

If you think traffic is bad now, give the film a good look. A still shot from it is pictured. Pedestrians are wandering helter skelter all over the place, weaving around all the moving contraptions that are criss-crossing the street, such as horse-pulled carriages and carts, bicycles and early motor cars. When they’re not dodging the cable cars, they’re jumping on them. It’s total chaos.

“This film was originally thought to be from 1905 until DAVID KIEHN, with the NILES ESSANAY SILENT FILM MUSEUM, figured out exactly when it was shot,” said RENA DEIN of the museum (www.nilesfilmmuseum.org).

“From New York trade papers announcing the film showing, to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall, and shadows indicating time of year, and actual weather and conditions on historical record ... even when the cars were registered,” she added, they realized “it was filmed only four days before the 1906 earthquake, and shipped by train to New York for processing. Amazing, but true!”

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Astoria man awarded Carnegie Medal for saving his captain

Curtis Dawson

ELLEDA WILSON - The Daily Astorian
The back face of Curt Dawson's Carnegie Medal.

Posted: Friday, December 12, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

Astoria resident Curtis Dawson has been awarded the Carnegie Medal in recognition of his "outstanding act of heroism" in rescuing his captain, David M. Schmelzer, from drowning three years ago.

The medal is awarded throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree to save the lives of others.

Dawson was also recognized by the Coast Guard in a ceremony last year when he was given the Silver Lifesaving Medal, one of the highest awards for civilian valor. Rear Adm. Richard Houck, USCG 13th District commander, said "I've been in the service 32 years and I've never seen these awards presented."

The night of the incident, Dec. 3, 2005, Schmelzer was on the tug Tiger in the Columbia River, while crew members Dawson and Leroy "Splash" Schlecht of Warrenton were on a barge being towed by the tug.

Suddenly the Tiger capsized, throwing Schmelzer into the river. Unconscious, he floated toward the surface of the water alongside the barge. Dawson jumped into the water, grabbed Schmelzer's jacket, and lifted his head above the water. A rope was tossed to Dawson, and he and Schmelzer were pulled to the side of the barge.

Dawson says the rescue could not have happened without the help of several people. Dustin Everson of Warrenton and Brian Dodge of Milwaukie helped Dawson out of the water. They were both from the tug Howard Olsen, which stopped to assist.

Schlecht hung upside down "for what seemed like an eternity, holding on to the captain's fleece vest (not a flotation device) until the bar pilots' helicopter arrived," Dawson said. Ian Peterson, also of the Howard Olsen, put all of his weight on Schlecht's legs to keep him on the barge.

Dodge climbed down the rope line Dawson had just climbed up to help John Ivanoff of Astoria, from the Foss launch Arrow 2, and Schlecht, put the harness from the helicopter over Schmelzer's head and under his arms.

Dawson is also grateful to Capt. Billy Davis of Warrenton and his cousin, Capt. Jim Davis who heard the emergency on the VHF radio and raced to the scene from the Astoria Pilot station.

"Without them, I would not have been able to do what I did that December night," Dawson said. Both Dawson and Schmelzer recovered.

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Popping the question is an elaborate ritual

Emily Tschiegg and David Burkhart hug after the proposal.

ELLEDA WILSON - The Daily Astorian
The boat bearing David Burkhart's proposal banner, in the NorthWest Natural Gas parking lot Tuesday.

Posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

People were wondering why there was a boat with a sign on it saying, "Emily, will you marry me?" in the parking lot of NorthWest Natural Tuesday morning.

Carl and Dianne Burkhart had the explanation.

On Saturday, the Burkharts' son, David Burkhart, proposed to Emily Tschiegg.

It was during a family vacation in Altoona, Wash., when Burkhart took Tschiegg for a walk on the beach.

As he finished reading her a letter professing his love, a boat with his grandfather and aunt aboard cruised by, coordinated by walkie-talkie, with the large proposal banner draped along the side of the boat.

When the banner came into view, that was Burkhart's cue to get down on one knee and give Tschiegg a box with a key in it, saying it was the key to his heart. She wondered where the ring was - but not for long.

They lifted a string that was tied to the house on the cliff, and a lock came down to the beach. The ring was on the lock.

'Simply amazing'Tschiegg, impressed and thankful for Burkhart's creativity, says the ring is "simply amazing."

For the record, she said "yes."

The couple, who are seniors at George Fox University, plan to get married next summer.

The couple's blog can be found at (www.dbandet.blogspot.com)

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Take the challenge

ELLEDA WILSON - The Daily Astorian
Gary Benedict approaches the Washington shore after crossing the Astoria-Megler Bridge on foot.

Posted: Friday, August 8, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

Last Thursday, the Ear got a phone call from Gary Benedict, pictured above, 73, who, at the time of the call, was walking to Astoria from Cannon Beach, and would be walking across the Astoria-Megler Bridge Saturday morning on his way to Canada.

Steve Carter of the Oregon Department of Transportation arranged for a special permit for Benedict to walk across the bridge, where pedestrians are normally forbidden. The Ear met Benedict on the Washington side to find out what is going on.

It turns out Benedict lives in a suburb of Denver, and he got tired of sitting at a computer all day. He is concerned because young people these days don't seem to respect their elders, and he wanted to prove that elderly people "can do things." So he decided to walk from Mexico to Canada.

On April 4, he touched the metal fence at the Mexican border from the California side, and started walking. He has no sponsors, and is doing this with the help of his business partner of 23 years, Sandy Cummings, who drives the recreational vehicle they stay in at night. She picks him up when he's done walking for the day, then drops him off at the same spot the next morning.

He carries a card on him "like a first-grader" with Cummings' cell phone number so someone can call her in case of an emergency. So far, he says, he hasn't met anyone who "wasn't nice." Benedict is on his third pair of shoes, and covers 15 to 22 miles a day. He expects to reach the Canadian border around the end of August. Then, he said with a smile, he'll just go home.

The can-do man's mission on this border to border trek is to inspire older people to walk more. "No matter what your health is - beer belly or TV tush - take my challenge and pick a road or street near you on a nice day and start walking. Hopefully, the street is straight. Walk for up to 20 minutes, or as much as you can take.

"Do not look back while you're walking. When you stop walking, turn around and look back. You'll be surprised at how far you came. It's symbolic of what you can do."

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Tall tales become a reality

Back row, from left, Helen and Andy Rosenberger, son Tom Rosenberger and daughter Kathy Buttron. Front row, from left, sons Andy and Jim Rosenberger.

Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

From Gwen Angstrom, an author who lives in Grays River, Wash., a happy birthday story:

"For years, Andy Rosenberger of Warrenton has been telling stories about his life in 'Saragosa,' not believing that the town actually existed anywhere except in his imagination. He's told wonderful tales of being sheriff there and fishing the lakes surrounding the desert town, and riding his horse westward when he left. March 15, surrounded by more than 125 family and friends at his 90th birthday party, he learned the truth: Saragosa, Texas, is a real town, with real people who have come to love Andy as one of their own."

After a series of e-mails and letters back and forth between June Pedigo, a feature writer for the Pecos Enterprise (Saragosa's local newspaper) and Angstrom, a good friend of Andy and his wife, Helen Rosenberger, last December the Pecos Enterprise printed "I'm From Saragosa," Angstom's story about Rosenberger's Saragosa tales.

"At his birthday celebration," Angstrom wrote, "Andy received a document, signed by Reeves County Judge, Sam Contreras, making Andrew 'Andy' Rosenberger Honorary Mayor for the Day because of all the wonderful stories he had told about their town over the years. Andy's 90 years old now, and his Saragosa stories will be told with a ring of truth in the future knowing the good folks in Reeves County may be listening."

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Lum was a pretty sharp man

From left, Dave Lum, Tom Baker and John Lum share a laugh.
KARI PETERSEN - The Daily Astorian

Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

Tom Baker, owner of Seaside Pocket Knives, came in to see the Ear in early February to talk about an Astoria native who was a famous knife-maker and designer, the late Bob Lum (www.boblumknives.com), son of John and Clara Lum. Most Astorians, including Lum's family, were unaware of how celebrated he was for his knives until after his death.

Baker, who admires Lum's knives, called Kelly Williams, sales manager at Spyderco Inc. (www.spyderco.com), a custom knife design and manufacturing company, to try to obtain a Bob Lum knife to give to Lum's father, and she was able to find one for him. On Feb. 8, Baker went over to Lum's Auto Center to present the engraved knife to John Lum, while his brother, Dave Lum, looked on.

"This knife is actually a knife that Spyderco collaborated on with Bob Lum quite some time ago [in 2000]," Williams told the Ear. "Tom called and explained that he would really like to honor Bob's knife-making skills by presenting one of these knives to the family.

"I spoke with the owner of our company, who had the knife in his historical collection of our products. Tom suggested that we engrave it, and he left it up to us; we did engrave the product at our facility in Golden, Colo."

The knife, pictured, is engraved with, "To My Dad."

Spyderco had also planned a limited edition of the same Bob Lum knife, with a black handle, but, Williams says, "these are already sold out, so even though we haven't delivered them, we have no more."

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.

Bowsprit has a weight problem

Posted: Friday, February 22, 2008 12:00 am

By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant

The Ear has heard many tales about where the missing bowsprit of the Peter Iredale Shipwreck might be. As it turns out, none of them were right. Or even close, for that matter.

Dick Mattson of Warrenton called the Ear last Friday to say he had found the bowsprit in Fort Stevens State Park. He was horrified that such a significant chunk (literally) of maritime history is outdoors, exposed to the elements. Would the Ear go photograph the bowsprit? Of course.

The Ear was sad to see that the bowsprit, between 15 and 20 feet long, has rusted badly, has holes in it and is generally in poor shape.

Mattson thinks that the bowsprit should be moved, preserved and put on display out of harm's way so everyone can see it. A good idea, but problematic. There's the expense to consider, for one thing. No one knows how much it weighs, but it's solid metal, so there's also a weight factor to consider. More troubling yet, there is reason to worry that it will fall apart if moved. And even if all of those problems were solved, where should it go?

Anyone out there have the means and/or a method to save the bowsprit? If so, contact the Ear, and the information will be forwarded.

Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.