A marvel at the Mill Ponds
Seaside event promotes local
art and nature
BY RAY GARCIA
After the coronavirus pandemic can-
celed last year’s festivities, the much-an-
ticipated Art in the Park ... Naturally and
Virtually event will make its debut on Sat-
urday at the Mill Ponds in Seaside.
The event will feature two parts: An
educational outing at the historic Mill
Ponds and a lively auction at the Sunset
Empire Park & Recreation District.
Mary Blake, a member of the advisory
committee, said participants are invited out
to the ponds to enjoy the natural setting.
Attendees will be given free tote bags and
ready-to-plant trees.
“(The event is a chance) to get outdoors.
But the neat thing about our auction is that
the live auction items are all about local art-
ists and also local experiences. So, there are
some one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork and
one-of-a-kind adventure trips,” Blake said.
The event is hosted by the City of Sea-
side, North Coast Land Conservancy, Sun-
set Empire Park and Recreation District
and the Necanicum Watershed Council.
The auction
To kick off the event, attendees can
place in-person bids at the auction starting
at 1 p.m.
Event workers will be taking guests’
temperatures and enforcing social
distancing.
For those who can’t make it to the auc-
tion in person, there will be a live auction
at 2 p.m. but virtual attendees must register
online beforehand.
Auction items includes dozens of art
pieces created by local artists; and an
adventure trip led by geologist Tom Horn-
ing. He is also the council liaison to the
Seaside Parks Advisory Committee.
Horning will take the auction winners
on an adventure around Seaside, teaching
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THAN
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IMAGINED
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A blue heron, photographed by Neal Maine.
them about its rich geological history. The
auction winners will discover how large
tsunamis from the past impacted the region
and see where the Lewis and Clark Expedi-
tion established their salt works.
“It is a bit like peeling an onion, unrav-
eling history layer by layer, the story bring-
ing tears to one’s eyes,” Horning said. “I
am looking forward to people getting out
on the land, discovering nature and fi nding
special meaning from it.”
‘Salmon in the Trees’
In 1999, the North Coast Land Con-
servancy acquired the Mill Ponds, trans-
ferred ownership to the City of Seaside and
began extensive wetland restoration eff orts
to conserve the ponds and the surrounding
wildlife.
Since the eastern pond connects to the
Neawanna Creek, which gets its fair share
of coho salmon, the advisory committee
plans to use some of the event’s proceed-
3D Theater
Lightship Tour
Gift Store
‘Coastal Solitude’ by Clayton Rippey.
If You Go
Art in the Park ... Naturally and Virtually
1 to 4 p.m., Saturday at the Seaside Mill
Ponds and online
Auction
2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Recreation Cen-
ter, 1120 Broadway Ave., Seaside, and online
Register at Facebook: facebook.com/artin-
theparkseasideoregon/
Online auction link: bit.ly/3dKFU8Y
ings to install an art piece called “Salmon
in the Trees.”
According to the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game, studies have found that
See Page 9
‘Miriam and the Moon’ by Marcus Lundell.
OPEN DAILY 9:30 TO 5:00 • 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria
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