Our View: About to sail & dragging anchor

About to sail: Kudos to the some 200 volunteers who prepared and served a free Thanksgiving meal to our county's neediest at the fairgrounds Thursday. The annual Del Norte Community Thanksgiving Dinner continues a long tradition associated with the holiday: Sharing our bounty with those who are not so fortunate. Indeed, about 700 local residents – low-income families, the homeless and the disabled – enjoyed the meal.

Dragging anchor: It's now clear that federal officials missed the boat on the Nov. 15 tsunami. While an early morning message warned of a small tidal surge, no notice was sent to county or Crescent City Harbor officials about a follow-up shock despite that it was given to other coastal regions. The result was smashed docks and $1.1 million in damage. Granted, predicting tsunamis isn't a perfect science, but not being overcautious and issuing the proper warning marks a problem in policy and communication.

About to sail: Del Norte Historical Society volunteers and members spent several hours stringing hundreds of lights on the Battery Point Lighthouse for the holidays. The lights are a great way to get into the holiday spirit – and to present a positive image for our city when visitors come through. Battery Point is an icon for our town, easily visible from stretches of Hwy. 101. Showing it off makes good economic sense – and is a matter of community pride.

Dragging anchor: The National Marine Fisheries Service apparently doesn't think cutting off the arm to save a finger is a bad idea. The service ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to require that local companies receive a mining permit for taking aggregate from the Chetco River. The goal is worthy: to protect Coho salmon. But the solution may very well hurt what few Coho there are. If the two companies can not mine aggregate for three or four years, that sediment will flow downstream, piling up in the river's already steep mouth. The Corps doesn't have the money to dredge it, ultimately creating an greater obstacle for the salmon to enter the stream from the ocean.

About to sail: Congratulations to two youth athletic programs: the Ponies football team and the Ponies, Mavericks and Mustangs cheerleading squads. Consisting of elementary and junior high kids, those fall sports programs taught kids the value of teamwork and practice while helping them stay in shape. Earlier this month, the Ponies football squad won the single A championship game while the Mavericks cheerleaders took home two trophies from a competition in Fortuna.