The Human Beat

When Duncan Law was a baby, his aunt and his single mother launched their beauty parlor by serving as beauticians to Astoria’s bordellos.  He worked his way through school in Astoria’s canneries under the old Chinese Contract Labor system.   The Chinese lived at the cannery bunk house, and in the cannery dorms he learned...

An interview with Clatsop Community College President Chris Breitmeyer about adapting to the effects of the pandemic on the college, about plans for new courses of study and about support from the community.

Roger talks about next week’s reopening of the Astoria Warming Center in the face of COVID-19, with Executive Director Kathleen Sullivan, Center Manager Cheryl Paul, and board president Rick Bowers.

Candy Yiu is a software engineer for Intel in Portland.  She’s also a partner in a Portland restaurant called Malka.  After falling in love with Astoria, she became the owner of a boutique hotel called Near the Pier, the former Franklin Street Station.  And she has launched a pilot project in Astoria and Warrenton to...

Today’s program focuses on Consejo Hispano, formerly the Lower Columbia Hispanic Council. In a wide ranging conversation – edited here for time – we talked about the one stop, range of help provided through Consejo Hispano, which has expanded services in Clatsop, Tillamook, Columbia and Pacific counties. But our conversation also led us to immigration, to hate and...

Astor Street Opry Company will be doing a tribute to Shanghaied in Astoria… outdoors this Friday in the parking lot of its playhouse.  The idea is to provide some theatrical fun, safe from COVID-19.  You’ll find details on the Facebook page for Astor Street Opry Company.   This would have been Shanghaied’s 36th year.  In...

The Human Beat, with your host Roger Rocka.

Host Roger Rocka features Astoria City Planner, Barbara Fryer.

On this episode of The Human Beat, Roger talks with Nelle Moffett and Rick Bowers of Astoria and how they started advocating for the homeless.

Roger Rocka interviews Brett VandenHeuvel and Kate Murphy.