On Monday, August 11, the Port of Vancouver USA received a
300 lb. gift from the Port of Portland: a table made from a piston from the
dredging vessel Oregon, which has
been keeping the Columbia River deep enough for the ships that ply its waters since
1965.
The Port of Portland completed overhaul of the 49-year-old Oregon earlier this year, replacing its
generators with smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, updated electrical
equipment and replacing the main engine, pump and control systems. The Port of
Portland says it expects the updates to reduce the Oregon’s carbon emissions by
88 percent and keep the vessel in service for many years to come.
To commemorate the Oregon’s
service, the Port of Portland salvaged 15 pistons from its old engines, and working
with local artist Juno Lachman, crafted each table with a hand-etched glass top
showing the navigation channel from Astoria to Portland with the names of ports
along the way.
Vancouver USA and Portland, as well as other ports, have
worked together for decades to keep goods flowing on trade routes along the
Columbia Snake River System.
The Port of Vancouver’s table has been temporarily placed in
the port headquarters lobby so visitors can see it. An image of it has also
been posted on the port’s website: http://www.portvanusa.com/assets/POV-pistontable-08152014-web.jpg.
