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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Neal Maine
These visitors are in treacherous territory near Gearhart’s Little Beach.
Personal lessons from life in Seaside
S
easide’s Neal Maine stopped in the
Signal offi ce recently with some
words of warning. The naturalist,
wildlife photographer and former sci-
ence teacher at Seaside High School
slipped an 8X10 photo from a plain
brown envelope.
One of a series, the photo shows vis-
itors on a dune near Little Beach scram-
bling on an uneven sand shelf to keep
from sliding and drop-
ping into the icy water
below.
“Somebody’s going
to get hurt,” Maine said.
My wife and I hiked
the Gearhart dunes near
R.J.
Little Beach on New
MARX
Year’s Day. With Ter-
rible Tilly in the long
view, footing became
more uncertain.
Heavy rains from the days before had
shifted the river’s fl ow, undermining the
dunes like a sculptor chiseling the chin
of a statue.
Thanks to Maine and the region’s
many stewards of the land, I have
learned to watch my step, to give wild-
life wide berth and to keep my dog on
a leash — far from the nesting western
snowy plover.
I’ve learned to avoid high tides, rip
tides and sneaker waves and to listen for
the rustle of the elk herd.
I know to watch for crevasses, cracks
and slippery footing, and fi nd toeholds
and grips on mountains carved by nature
and poked by treasure hunters.
And to be ready when the Big One
hits.
Troy Podoll
A Steller sea lion corpse in Seaside’s Cove. Don’t get too close to stranded marine animals.
PORTLAND TO SEASIDE
IN ONE HOUR — NOT
Oregon State Police reported on Dec.
26, 5:05 p.m., the driver of an Audi A8
stopped for doing 100 mph on High-
way 26 near Milepost 28 westbound
from the rest area. Conditions at the
time were pouring rain and heavy
holiday traffi c. Driver cited for reckless
driving, driving with a suspended or
revoked license and speeding.
Personal lessons
My wisdom is nothing as weighty as
all this. But I have gleaned a few hard-
earned personal lessons during four
years on the coast.
• The food bank won’t take your
fresh-baked cookies.
• Don’t even think about exceeding
the speed limit in Gearhart.
• Those white “Ts” painted on the
roadway in downtown Seaside designate
parking spaces. Park inside them.
• When anyone asks you: “How’s
your day going so far?” don’t overthink
it.
• Be kind to your library books.
• Those gas pumps on the west side
of Highway 101 near the high school
aren’t for you.
• Gearhart has the best doggie
cleanup bags. They’re available in front
of the post offi ce and at beach entrances.
• There is a “secret” tennis court in
Gearhart.
• Don’t drop your doggie cleanup bag
in someone else’s garbage can.
• Buy an American Legion poppy.
• The Red Cross installs free smoke
alarms.
Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian
Signs in Seaside warn beachgoers of the potential danger posed by sharks.
• Always wear a helmet at construc-
tion sites.
• Do feed the seals — at the Seaside
Aquarium.
• Ken’s Market has everything you
need.
• If they don’t, try Trucke’s.
• Wherever you shop, bring your own
bag(s).
• Don’t sit on the visitors’ side during
Gulls games.
• Give surreys plenty of room.
• Let the other guy go fi rst.
• Don’t let anybody tell you “it’s an
hour to Portland.”
• Dallas, Albany, Detroit and St. Paul
are cities in … Oregon.
• Learn how to pronounce “Yach-
ats” (YAH-hots). It’s derived from the
Chinook Indian word, Yahuts, mean-
ing “dark waters at the foot of the moun-
tain,” according to the Oregon Coast
Visitors Association.
• If you don’t like the weather, wait a
few minutes.
• Yes, there are sharks on the North
Coast.
• If an eagle eyes your beloved pet,
bring your pet inside.
• And remember, it’s “easy to
Seaside.”
R.J. Marx is editor of the Seaside Sig-
nal and Cannon Beach Gazette, and cov-
ers South County for The Daily Astorian.