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"Loving Oregon…" (2/12/04)

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About this page…
The exploding whale is a favorite topic of Register-Guard columnist Bob Welch. It was mentioned in the following column in February 2004. Excerpts can be viewed in the thumbnail and transcriptions below.

Page 1D:
Welch Feb 2004

Check out books by Bob Welch.

By Bob Welch
American Nightingale : The Story of Frances Slanger, Forgotten Heroine of Normandy
(click for info)

Thursday, February 14, 2004

On its birthday, loving Oregon even at its worst

By BOB WELCH
The Register-Guard

Each year, around Valentine’s Day, I write something about Oregon to commemorate our birthday.

Now, to celebrate our 145th on Saturday, a twist: the 15 worst decisions made by Oregonians, with the reminder that if you love a place, you have to love it even at its worst:

[elided]

  • The then-Oregon Highway Division blowing up a whale with dynamite in Florence, the blubber-splatting, window-shattering ultimate in “seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time” thinking (1970). The video images of the explosion still attract so many Web surfers that, earlier this month, high volumes jammed the site (www.hackstadt.com/features/whale/1).

[elided]

© 2004 Register-Guard

Note:
1 The URL cited by Welch is no longer valid. It appears as it did in the article, but it links to the new address for that website.

Books by Bob Welch
A Father for All Seasons Where Roots Grow Deep The Things That Matter Most: Choosing Family, Faith and the Simple Life Stories from the Game of Life
(click for info)