The Human Beat

In this first part of a two-part series, Willis Van Dusen talks Astoria history and his own transition from protesting citizen to Council member and long-time Astoria mayor. Part two will air October 13.

Astoria’s population has hovered around 10,000 for a very long time. But it grew to 25 thousand during WW II. I wondered where all those thousands of extra people lived so I headed to the Clatsop County Historical Society at the Heritage Museum. I talked with Liisa Penner and Julie Burpee to learn about that, and other bits of local history. Liisa is something of a local legend for her knowledge of our past. and I asked her how she came to that…

Part 2 of Roger Rocka’s conversation with Paul Benoit

Part One of Roger Rocka’s conversation with Paul Benoit

Roger Rocka speaks with Jeff Burright, who is leading development of the Offshore Wind Roadmap.

Through the magic of radio, we take you back to a Sunday evening in 1983 – high atop the Gunderson Building in downtown Astoria – when KMUN began it’s very first broadcast. Then, hear from Paxton Hoag, Doug Sweet, Susie McLerie, Carol Newman and Rebecca Rubens.

Our country is struggling over issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s a struggle that recurs throughout our history. Here’s a look back at a Human Beat interview from 2011, the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders.

We’re talking today with Steve Forrester, former editor and publisher of The Astorian and the former president and CEO of the family company, EO Media Group with its two dozen newspapers and magazines across Oregon and Washington. As of November 1, EO Media Group was sold to the larger Carpenter Media Group, which operates more than 160 publications. The sale included The Astorian.

A discussion of the continuing overload at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter with Justin Dersham, Clatsop County Animal Control Supervisor and Lily Tollefsen, Clatsop Animal Assistance.

Astoria Chief of Police Stacy Kelly and Communications Center Manager Jeremy Hipes discuss the years-long effort to fully staff the 911 center, and how its larger staff now includes 2 dogs from the Animal Shelter.