Columns

Every year, I’m struck by the powerful — and often, opposing — emotions that Memorial Day stirs.

Earlier this month, thousands of teachers across Oregon walked out of classrooms and rallied both in their communities and on the state Capitol steps with one laudable request: that we take bo…

Current management at the Port of Astoria has suggested selling off taxpayer-owned and supported assets. An advisory committee tasked with helping management address port finances has come to …

PRO: Allowing prisoners to vote would reform America’s outdated prison policies

Astoria has had more than a few pivotal moments in its nearly 200-year history, and we’re embarking on yet another, involving renewed interest in development. A bunch of us are following the a…

PRO: It’s time to close the pay gap between men and women

Today marks the last issue of the last week in which The Daily Astorian will publish under that name, and five days a week.

Daily life for Oregon teachers and students shows the desperate need to invest in schools.

The need is ever growing, Darren Gooch, executive director of the Food Bank said on a recent tour of the building in Seaside.

PRO: Voting at 16 is nonpartisan and shores up a healthy democracy

What’s in a name?

It’s hard to write a farewell column when I’ve only been here four years. That’s less than the lifespan of some razor clams.

Pro: U.S. must never be complacent about ISIS threat

Years from now, Astorians will still be telling stories about a daring visionary and iconoclast, Robert “Jake” Jacob. With matinee idol good looks and piercing green eyes, Jake was a force of …

With spring break behind us, Astoria School District staff and students are turning the corner and heading towards the end of the school year. Students and staff appear to be refreshed and rea…

North Coast Family Fellowship celebrated Pastor Dan Dunn Day on April 7, a special gathering to celebrate the legacy of Dunn, and Patty, his wife of 54 years, and their work with the community…

PRO: Change or abolish Electoral College to ensure equal voice for all

Following our March 19 announcement that The Daily Astorian will become The Astorian, with a three-days a week, mail-delivered publishing schedule as of May 7, I’ve heard from readers with que…

Succession is the most critical factor in the success of nonprofit organizations as well as in family businesses. Without a clear path to a new leader or the next generation, nonprofits lose t…

By R.J. Marx

PRO: America needs a bigger NATO to stymie Russia’s ambitions

Voters in House District 32 gave me the responsibility of representing their best interests in Salem. I spoke with thousands of you during my campaign, and I know a big priority for you is pro…

‘The report of my death was an exaggeration,” Mark Twain famously proclaimed in an 1897 letter to a newspaper reporter who had inquired about rumors of his failing health.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Maddie Dickerson Moore was photographed many times by local photojournalist Damian Mulinix, who died March 30 after suffering a stroke on March 18 at age 42. Maddie was mentored…

Kerri Rosenblatt and Doug Forbes are the owners of Music 101 in Gearhart.

PRO: Climate science needs critical review by skeptical experts

By R.J. Marx

PRO: In a Democratic race with mostly progressive candidates, Biden clearly is the best

Firefighters are great at saving lives, but they’re not always as good at promoting on their own behalf.

PRO: Sanders’ high energy level and loyal followers make him the Dems’ front-runner

It is a story of corruption that will stay secret, politicians who will need fewer votes to win, even dangerous communicable diseases that will spread faster as our best scientists struggle to…

By R.J. Marx

PRO: Medicare for all is doable; most Americans want it. CON: Americans are in no mood for another health care upheaval.

As if Deepwater Horizon never happened.

As the president of the United Steel Workers, Local Union 1097, I work alongside 600 hardworking union members at Georgia-Pacific’s Wauna paper mill. We are proud of what we do, how we do it a…

Gearhart isn’t underwater, but new maps swathed in shades of blue delineate degrees of submersion.

PRO: Telling truth about Columbus helps us navigate today's progressive waters. CON: Covering up paintings of Columbus imprisons history.

I’ve always felt that as elected officials, it’s our job to engage the public and allow our residents to guide the decision-making process. And I’ve always had great faith in the citizens of G…

For well over a decade, Oregon has considered legislation to cap carbon and put a price on pollution. As a business whose survival depends on the natural environment, we at Fishpeople urge pol…

I had something of a jarring journalistic moment the other day.

PRO: Tariffs are hurting American families and workersCON: Trump’s targeted tariffs have boosted many key industries

When I read the Chinook Observer article about the KKK posters that had been posted around Astoria, I was nervous. The KKK? Here?

Karen Kenyon was a stickler for grammar and especially for punctuation. Since she and her husband, Ralph Wirfs, lived less than two blocks from The Daily Astorian, I suggested that if she woul…

Seaside’s surfers are upset about camera and drone operators at the Cove.

PRO: Ignoring climate change far exceeds the price of dealing with it. CON: Green New Deal will be all pain and no gain

Gearhart needs a new fire station. The existing building is antiquated and constructed of unreinforced masonry that will not perform well in an earthquake.

Is Cannon Beach a getaway or a place to tune in? For many of us it’s a little of both.

PRO: Uncle Sam plays taxpayers for suckers by subsidizing the ultra-rich

The New York Times recently published a special section devoted to the women of the 116th Congress — all 131 of the current female U.S. representatives, senators and delegates. The article hig…

The hallways of the state Capitol are buzzing with lobbyists, activists, citizens and legislators all pursuing good intentions for the 2019 legislative session.

Amidst an abundance of quality Pacific Northwest fiction, Don Berry presents the most vivid naturalism: bringing to mind the scent of the woods, the hollow of a log or the whisper of a dream.

Wyn Berry, the former wife of Don Berry, lives on Vashon Island, Washington. She looks back on the writing of “Trask,” and the shaping of its emotional conclusion.

PRO: Maduro must go: Venezuelans deserve a functioning democracy

Like all of us, I have been extremely troubled over the last several weeks to watch as our hardworking federal employees, especially Coast Guard members, have been used as pawns in a fight goi…