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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2020)
OUR 113th Year January 1, 2021 $1.00 SEASIDESIGNAL.COM Park district strikes deal on middle school Gearhart delivers virus relief to 24 small businesses By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Gearhart invited businesses to apply for COVID-19 fi nancial relief, distributing $2,000 of $40,000 available to each of the fi rst 20 businesses that qualifi ed. With 24 applications, the city raised that amount, voting to pull an additional $8,000 from the city’s general fund to distribute $48,000. Each business will receive $2,000. “Since they are all in Gearhart, and all affected by COVID-19 we should accept all 24 and divide the money accordingly,” City Councilor Kerry Smith said. Relief fund money was to be used for unbudgeted virus-related expenditures incurred between March 1 and Dec. 30. Businesses must have spent the money before year’s end. The money is part of funds delivered to the state by the federal government during the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act, signed into law in late March, provides fi nancial assistance to individuals, busi- nesses, community organizations and state and local governments. In November, the City Council allocated $40,000 in grant funds to businesses and $10,000 to the city to pay for personal pro- tective equipment and ventilation upgrades at public buildings. Last week , the council approved the fund transfer and distribution. City Coun- cilor Dan Jesse abstained as his business was among those to receive grant money. “Two thousand dollars is better for a small business that’s been struggling than $1,600,” City Councilor Brent Warren said. “They’ve been tightening belts for the last year and we can come up with $8,000 somewhere in the budget.” Gary Henley/The Astorian Farewell, Coach Lyons By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Stubby Lyons, a former coach and civic leader in Seaside who led the Gulls to a football state title in 1994, died on Christmas Day. Lyons, 86, was a com- munity leader as a teacher, coach, city councilor and volunteer, advocating for downtown improvements, a skate park for teens, a new public library, a city parks master plan and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. Elected to the City Council in 2000, Lyons served until stepping down in 2014. “He was the Pied Piper of the youth of GEARHART SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF FUND RECIPIENTS The Sunset Empire Park and Recre- ation District will buy the former Broad- way Middle School for $2.15 million. “It’s a historic day for the district and the community,” said Michael Hinton, a park district board member, at a meet- ing on Monday. “I believe they will see the benefi t of this in the not-too-distant future.” Hinton, the district’s longest-serving board member, made the motion to pur- chase the former school. Board presi- dent Katharine Parker and Su Codding- ton, Celeste Bodner and Erika Marshall joined in the unanimous vote. “I truly believe that park and rec pro- vides a crucial service to our commu- nity,” Parker said. “By adding indoor play space and indoor recreating space, we create the heart of Seaside right there.” In September, the board authorized Skyler Archibald, the park district’s executive director, to work with a real estate agent and deliver an offer to the Seaside School District. The park district and school district agreed to a price of $2.25 million in October. Following inspection reports, the park district issued a bid of $1.25 million which was rejected without a counteroffer. The park district revised their offer upward to $1.75 million. After a counteroffer of $2.15 million, the park district board authorized Archibald to meet the price. The offer has been presented to the school district already, Archibald said after the meeting, with a fi nal closing date See Broadway, Page A3 See Lyons, Page A2 YEAR IN REVIEW 4 Great Wall Restaurant Park district gets new board, middle school purchase 5 The Sweet Shop Seaside Signal 1 Dan Jesse Construction Inc 2 Matt’s Window Tinting 3 Gearhart Iron Den 6 Studio 620 7 Gearhart Indoor Dog Park 8 Watch Me Grow 9 The Trophy Case 10 Borland Coastal Electric 11 Gearhart Bowl & Fultanos Pizza 12 J.L. French Construction Inc 13 Pacifi c Crest Cottage 14 Three Treasures Acupuncture 15 Pacifi c Mini Storage 16 Terry Bacon LLC 17 Gearhart Contract Postal Unit (aka Gearhart Post Offi ce) From top to bottom: Stubby Lyons fi res up kids on his return to coaching in 2010. Stubby Lyons in 2009. Stubby Lyons returned to coaching in 2010. Sharee and Stubby Lyons at their Seaside home. 18 Coast Family Law LLC 19 Blossoms by the Sea 20 The Hair Shoppe 21 Mane Connection 22 El Trio Loco 23 Sunshine Teriyaki R.J. Marx 24 The Natural Nook In a normal year, Sunset Pool, the fi t- ness center, youth center, Bob Chisholm Community Center, Mary Blake Play- house and Broadway Field would be busy with spring activities. But 2020 was anything but normal for the Sunset Empire Park and Recre- ation District. Sunset Pool was closed for parts of the year because of the corona- virus and events were put on hold. Fifty of 57 employees were laid off. The Bob Chisholm Community Center limited activities to the city’s senior meal pro- gram, and child care was reduced to serv- ing only emergency child care needs, for fi rst responders and essential workers. At the same time, the district looked to the future, developing a new strategic plan, updated policies and procedures and a proposed purchase of the former Broadway Middle School from the Sea- side School District, which the park dis- trict is set to buy for $2.15 million. The See SEPRD, Page A3 New school campus debuts as learning went digital By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal The Seaside School Dis- trict reinvented itself in more ways than one in 2020. A new high school and middle school campus and renovation of the former Seaside Heights Elemen- tary, a new superintendent, and new ways of educating students marked a season of personnel change, con- struction and response to the coronavirus pandemic, which closed schools to in-person classes and intro- duced distance learning. Pacifi ca Projects, tradi- tionally a rite of passage for seniors, were canceled. Team sports never hap- pened, and extracurricular activities were limited. This was also the fi rst time Seaside seniors ever participated in a gradua- tion ceremony in their cars from the Turnaround and the parking lot of the Sea- side Civic and Convention Center. New superintendent Heading into the 2020- 21 school year, the district’s board of directors offi cially handed the reins to incom- ing superintendent Susan Penrod on July 1, while transferring former super- intendent Sheila Roley to administrator for special projects for the fi nal six months of her 30-year ten- ure in the district. A graduate of Willamette University, Penrod’s past experience included pre- kindergarten work, career and technical education, and various educational jobs throughout the state. Penrod, formerly K–12 curriculum administrator at the Eugene School District, joined the Seaside School District in 2019 as assis- tant superintendent to sup- port Roley until the offi cial transition. Jeff Ter Har See School, Page A3 Gavin Rich opens his arms to embrace the future at Seaside High School’s Class of 2020 graduation.