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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 NORTH COAST 3A Hotels have ‘mixed emotions’ about tsunami plan porates directing people to the facility’s parking structure, said Jon Rahl, director of tourism for the Seaside Visitors Bureau. By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group SEASIDE —The city of Seaside is making an effort to inform visitors about the risk of a tsunami and arm them with instructions for how to respond. One of the means for dis- seminating that information is through sleeves for hotel room keys, a method that has been met with mixed responses from guests, according to several ho- tel managers. Each sleeve states, “If you feel an earthquake, a tsunami may follow” and gives instruc- WLRQV WR ¿UVW GURS FRYHU DQG hold on during the earthquake; second, move inland quickly or use a local, evacuation route; DQG ODVWO\ ZDLW IRU DQ RI¿FLDO “all clear” before returning to the beach. The city started distributing the key sleeves during Seaside Fire Department safety inspec- tions late last fall. Facilities have the option to incorporate the sleeves into their safety plan. Among the hotels using them so far are the Hi-Tide Re- sort, the Rivertide Suites, the Ebb Tide Resort and the Sand & Sea Condominium. Some businesses have to- tally embraced the program and the idea of the key sleeves, while others have expressed concern and have mixed emo- tions, Seaside Fire Division Chief Chris Dugan said. The big picture Debra Hudson, manager of the Hi-Tide Resort, agreed. While she appreciates the city offering the key cards at no charge, the response from hotel guests has been most- ly negative. For out-of-town customers who are unaware of the risk, being greeted up front with a tsunami warning while on vacation can be unnerving, she said. The patrons often will gasp or respond with anx- iety, she said. No one has been appreciative of the warning, although she believes the key cards are effective for increas- ing awareness. “It’s kind of a catch-22,” Hudson said. She’s gone through two cases of the sleeves and has requested more, but with busi- ness picking up for the late spring and summer months, she is unsure whether she’ll contin- ue to use them. Mary Vellutini, general manager of Sand & Sea, said they haven’t experienced a sim- ilar negative reaction. “Basically, I think the pub- lic is informed enough about Seaside and the chance of the tsunami,” she said. Finding a balance between Clatsop CASA needs volunteers Training starts next week Community members who have a few hours a month to improve the life of a child, and are able to be objective, make commitments and speak out on behalf of vulnerable chil- dren, are needed to become Clatsop Court Appointed Spe- cial Advocates (CASAs). Vol- unteer training, which takes place at Clatsop Community College, is from 6 to 9 p.m., starting April 15, and contin- ues for six weeks. Participants will gain un- derstanding of the law and child welfare system deal- ing with child abuse and ne- glect; child development, attachment, permanence and resiliency; substance abuse; domestic violence; and other issues which affect children’s safety. Upon successful comple- tion of training, participants will be appointed by the court to advocate for the best inter- ests of one or more children in foster care, with the sup- port and guidance of CASA staff. Volunteer application packets are available for download online at www. clatsop-casa.org. Call 503- 338-6063 or email casa@clat- sopcasa.org for information on CASA and its services to children. enticing visitors to come to Seaside and enjoy their va- cation and also spreading the word about potential hazards, such as earthquakes and tsuna- mis, “is something this commu- nity is always going to have a challenge with,” Dugan said. Over the slower winter months, Sand & Sea has not distributed that many key sleeves, but with business pick- ing up, Vellutini believes they’ll start using more. She thinks they will be effective in bring- ing more attention to a potential tsunami event and helping visi- tors feel prepared. “Any little bit of informa- tion will help them in case we do have a tsunami,” she said. The hotel also has binders in each unit with a page about tsunamis that provide evacu- ation instructions and maps. Additionally, staff is trained to direct people toward appropri- ate evacuation routes. Some hotels decided not to use the key sleeves. Best West- ern declined, citing a corporate policy that prohibits using any other key envelope but the ones corporate approves. World- mark by Wyndham already has an evacuation plan that incor- The key sleeves are the main feature of the Seaside’s new awareness initiative for hospi- tality industries, which started last spring when the Clatsop County Emergency Manag- er told the city funds from the 2UHJRQ 2I¿FH RI (PHUJHQF\ Management were available. 7KH FLW\ LV XVLQJ WKH ¿UH department to distribute the sleeves, Rahl said, because the agency already has regular safe- ty contact with hospitality work- ers during annual inspections. Other products have been developed by the state as part of a separate Oregon Coast Vis- itor Tsunami Awareness proj- ect. Those products, which are available free of charge to hos- pitality groups, include Living on Shaky Ground magazine in English and Spanish, a two-sid- ed poster on earthquakes and tsunamis, a printable table tent with information and an Ore- gon Tsunami Waves video that can be played on in-room tele- vision channels. “I think not just this one thing is going to be a cure all, but I think it’s a cooperation or coalition between all entities,” Dugan said. “At least it gets people talking about it.” For information, call the Seaside Visitors Bureau at 503- 738-3097. Student choreographers show off talent The Little Ballet The- atre Choreographers Show- case, featuring Little Ballet Theatre company members who are presenting their own creative choreography, takes place at 7:30 p.m. Fri- day at the Liberty Theater. The dancers, ranging in age from 10 to 18, have the opportunity each season, to create their own danc- es, selecting music of their choice, and designing their own costume. They appear before a panel of adjudi- cators the week before the showcase, who critique them on the staging, tech- nique, music and costume in relation to the choreog- raphy. There are 15 choreogra- phers on the program, plus some selected faculty-cho- reographed pieces, includ- ing a medley from “Cats,” lyrical dances and hip-hop, with choreographers Car- leta Lewis-Allen, Emily Madsen and Alice Thomp- son. Tickets are available at the door, starting at 7 p.m., and cost $10 for general admission or $5 for seniors and children younger than 12. For information, call 503-861-1971. Bank Mergers & Acquisitions Happen %XWLV<RXU0RQH\6WLOO³/RFDO´" Make The Switch Now *Earn Up to $90 Cash! And Maybe One of Our Limited Edition soft & fuzzy Bald Eagles! Your 5HDOO\ Local Credit Union waunafcu.org 800-773-3236 *Membership with Wauna Credit Union is required to qualify for the special rewards and bald eagle. 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