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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2020)
OUR 113th Year January 31, 2020 $1.00 SEASIDESIGNAL.COM ODOT plan could fund Highway 101 improvements By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal • Nearly $8 million for construction of a new center turn lane and enhanced bicy- cle and pedestrian facilities along Avenue A to Avenue K along U.S. Highway 101 in Seaside. • Repaving on U.S. Highway 26 from Necanicum Junction to Jewell Junction, at $1.2 million. • Designs to rehabilitate and replace fi ve small culverts and one large culvert along Highway 101 at a cost of $360,000. These are among local projects in design through the Statewide Transporta- tion Improvement Program from 2021-24, also known as the STIP , the Oregon Depart- Seaside students get a free ride Fare system gives county kids access to transit R.J. Marx U.S. Highway 101 northbound in Seaside. The state plans work to improve the roadway, with bids starting in 2021. ment of Transportation’s capital improve- ment program for state and federally funded projects. The Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT developed the program in coor- dination with a wide range of stakeholders and the public, including the city of Seaside and its Transportation Advisory Committee. Goals are to increase safety, reduce con- gestion, provide accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, among other priorities. A list of projects both completed and in the design phase was delivered on Jan. 23. “We’re already starting to take public input,” said Don Hamilton of ODOT. “We hear from local governments, counties, cit- ies and different highway departments, the public and private sector: ‘We need this improvement.’ We’re listening to all of that.” Hamilton said the program list will be fi rst narrowed down to “150 percent of what we think we can afford,” before narrowing that list to 100% of sustainable, funded projects. Under an enhanced funding scenario, ODOT will see highway funding increase from $124 million in the 2018-2021 STIP to over $700 million in the 2021-2024 state transportation program — a nearly six-fold increase in highway funding. A portion of that money, $51 million, could be headed to non-highway discre- tionary funding in fi ve areas, including bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, preservation projects, off road trails and Americans with Disabilities Act accessible curb ramps. The projects included in the draft trans- portation plan focus on maintenance, and congestion relief, Seaside Public Works Director Dale McDowell said. See ODOT, Page A6 A LOVE OF THE ARTS By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal Any student in the county with a school ID card can now ride the buses free. A new program from the Sunset Empire Transpor- tation District provides transportation for students to jobs, after-school programs or other activities. During a presentation to the Seaside School Board on Jan. 21, the district’s executive direc- tor Jeff Hazen STUDENTS described the WELCOME program, which kicked off at the Rides are free start of the year, as ‘anytime, any- a “win-win.” where they need “A lot of our to go within funding is based our system,’ the on ridership and transit district’s miles,” he said. Jason Jones said Because the at Project Home- district’s fl eet is less Connect fi lled with buses in Seaside on large enough to Tuesday. ‘It’s not meet demand contingent on during peak sea- anything.’ sons, there is often plenty of seating available on them. “If we can fi ll those empty seats up with kids, we’re going to get some more money down the road,” Hazen said, adding it takes about two years for that cycle to occur. “More importantly, it takes away the trans- portation barrier for the kids.” In 2017, the Oregon L egislature passed a robust transportation bill that guaranteed public agencies a stable funding source. During the short legislative session in 2018, they added a component about stu- dent transportation, asking agencies to commit up to 1% of funding to young rid- ers, with a focus on grades nine through 12. Since then, the Sunset Empire Transporta- tion District has been exploring ideas for better serving students in the county. “It’s a great time in Oregon to be a part of transportation,” Hazen said. “It’s the fi rst time we’ve had a solid source of money and it’s a huge game-changer.” Last summer, the district planned to provide bus transportation to students in Knappa and Jewell doing paid intern- ships with the Clatsop WORKS Program. No students in those outlying areas were in need of the service, but Hazen said the agency will revisit the idea this summer. During the Oregon Transit Association Conference in October 2019, Hazen and his colleagues had the opportunity to learn Katherine Lacaze Students display their artistic side at annual event Members of the Seaside High School jazz band at the Tillamook Head Gathering. By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal n Sunday, more than 100 commu- nity members and educators gath- ered for an evening of live music, celebrating arts and culture, and, most importantly, supporting arts enrich- ment for Seaside High School students. At the sixth annual Tillamook Head Gathering, held at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center, Lindsey Mizell-Wal- lace, one of the group’s board members and event organizers, described the fund- raiser as “a wonderful way to reinvest in the community and reinvest in the kids.” The evening kicked off with a lively performance of jazz and blues standards by the high school’s j azz e nsemble, led by band director Terry Dahlgren. The jazz band — performing at the fundraiser for the fi rst year — features students who are not only part of the high school’s sym- phonic band but also dedicate extra time to study and perform jazz compositions of various styles. O Katherine Lacaze Luca Carney, 4, dances to the live music at the Tillamook Head Gathering on Sunday. The gathering, in its sixth year, is a fundraiser to support arts enrichment activities for Seaside High School students. GROWING THE ARTS ‘Every member is absolutely essential to making this grow.’ — Terry Dahlgren “Every member is absolutely essential to making this grow,” Dahlgren said. As the Tillamook Head Gathering raises funds for the high school, organiz- ers try to to involve teachers, students and programs, such as the band or choir, in the live performances each year, accord- ing to Mizell-Wallace. This year, the Sea- side Acapella Choir was scheduled to perform but unable to do so. Headlining the event was The Orbitronz band, a small group of Ore- gon Coast musicians whose collaboration grew organically from friendships and community ties. When asked to perform at the gathering, lead singer Alex Gloria said they were eager to oblige. “We couldn’t think of a better cause,” he said. “This really represents who we are.” The Tillamook Head Gathering was conceived by longtime Seaside educator Mark Mizell, who articulated a plan to fund cultural opportunities for high school students and enrich their lives through the arts, Chambers said, adding, “It was the beginning of something really special.” The event has been sustained, how- ever, even with Mizell’s retirement in 2018, with the help of several individuals, See Arts, Page A6 See Rides, Page A6 Downtown association aims to keep starfi sh lights bright Fundraiser set for Wednesday By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Starfi sh need your help. No, not just the ones in the ocean. We’re talking about the sea star lighting along Broadway in down- town Seaside. The iconic lights, which have proved a distinctive seasonal hallmark of the Sea- side visitor experience, came to town in the late 1990s. Members of the Sea- side Downtown Develop- ment Association are seek- ing funds to maintain the bulbs and keep them shining bright. Stephanie Stevenson of the Cotton Club and Rascals announced the fundraiser at the Jan. 23 downtown devel- opment association’s break- fast meeting. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 50% of the proceeds from any of the handcrafted drinks — coffee, tea, shakes — at Cafe Latte in the Seaside Carousel Mall, owned by Julie Jesse, will go to star- fi sh bulb replacement. The lighting is in place along Broadway and Holla- day between the third week in September to the third week in May. Along with the fl ower basket program, the starfi sh lighting is one of two beau- tifi cation projects sponsored by the downtown develop- ment association. “We’ve always done fundraisers for the fl ower baskets, but never the star- fi sh,” Stevenson said. Aquarium owner and downtown development association chairman Keith Chandler said the starfi sh idea fi rst came to the city in 1998. The lights now need replacing. “They just burn out,” he said. “When one Seaside Downtown Development Association See Lights, Page A6 A fundraiser for starfi sh lighting takes place Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Caff e Latte in the Carousel Mall.