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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2021)
A4 THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, MAy 13, 2021 OPINION editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher DERRICK DePLEDGE Editor Founded in 1873 SHANNON ARLINT Circulation Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Misleading am a citizen member of the Clatsop Community College Budget Com- mittee, and have served on the college’s foundation board since 2012. A new political website has appeared making various misleading comments about the college. Two are outright lies. The college is not raising tuition and fees for the coming year, and did not raise them last year. Students are not now, and never have been, required to pay a COVID-19 sur- charge. The college does not require saving. Ample scholarship funds are available for direct college costs, and for living expenses, as well. The application deadline has been lengthened to May 31. If you or some- one you know is thinking about attend- ing CCC, lack of money to pay for edu- cation need not stand in your way. DAVID OSER Astoria that, following a sound plan that will be in our community’s best interests. Check out ProgressForSEPRD.com. Join me in voting for our current board; get your mail-in ballot by the May 18 due date. MARY BLAKE Seaside I Experience am supporting David Zunkel, who is running for election to the Clatsop Community College Board. In addition to already serving on the board since 2019, he has also served on the college’s foundation board, which provided experience and insight to the needs of the college and its students. I worked with David when he was president for three years of the con- tinuing education for seniors organiza- tion called Exploring New Concepts of Retirement Education, which has been under the continuing education depart- ment of the college, and is now a 501(c) (3) organization. His commitment to the pursuit and furtherment of education for all ages has been evident by his continued involve- ment in any organization that can fulfill that goal. I urge you to vote for Zunkel for the CCC board. FRANK SPENCE Astoria I Changes y dad was on the first Clatsop Community College Board over 50 years ago. They wanted someone from South County, and he was a farmer and logger and local school board mem- ber from Jewell. Three of my broth- ers and one of my sisters went to school there, and I took some classes later on. My dad would not be happy today, seeing the college with lots of new buildings and hardly enough students to keep going. Something’s gone wrong — and it started well before COVID-19. I think some changes are in order. I’m voting for Patrick Preston, Trudy Van Dusen Citovic and Suzanne Iverson for the college board. JEAN M. HERMAN Astoria M Insight s a very experienced licensed cap- tain and general contractor, I would like to share some insight about issues at Clatsop Community College and the college board. The proposed expansion at the Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station campus is a com- plete waste of money. The expensive design and materials were not what the design committee recommended (I was on the committee), and the $8 million of available funds were exceeded to $22 million. I have presented the concerns of design, cost and materials to the full board on several occasions, with only one board member, Tim Lyman, being concerned and researching the issues. Please go to saveccc.com for more information about the issues at CCC. Please join me in voting for Trudy Van Dusen Citovic, Patrick Preston and Suzanne Iverson. Also, please write in Michael Balensifer for Zone 3, Posi- tion 5. If the college and board continue to waste money and build this build- ing, it will severely cripple the mari- time program and the college. I am a maritime instructor at CCC, and would enjoy talking to anyone wishing more information. Ask the board how much money they have wasted on this project. ELDON RUSSELL Astoria A Scare tactics was dismayed to see the “Save CCC” website’s misrepresentation of facts and the murky picture it paints of our unique Clatsop Community College I Transparency n the question of transparency in the Sunset Empire Park and Rec- reation District Board election: In real estate, you must move quickly if an opportunity presents itself, especially if other buyers have offers in hand. The SEPRD board used the Spe- cial Districts Association of Oregon’s low-interest loan program for the pur- chase of Broadway Middle School. SEPRD has used these loans twice before for structural improvements. With approval of the loan by the board, the district followed all legal steps to fund the purchase through SDAO, not taxpayers. One of the challengers said at the candidates’ forum that the building’s issues can be overcome. Board members also clarified that the child care program is in the portion built in 1994, after Oregon had banned asbestos and lead paint. With asbestos areas encapsulated, keeping our children safe from exposure, consultants are now advising for best uses of the entire space for future patrons. Four incumbents were appointed in the last year. They have transformed meetings from chaos into consensus building. The cohesive team has ded- icated, long-term residents with broad skills: grant writing, international human resources, banking, nursing and a national youth foster club. The board’s vision, with commu- nity input, is for a hub of commu- nity preschool and child care, sum- mer camps, senior social activities, well-being through exercise and of eco- nomic growth through scaled-up sports tourism. Transparency is there, if you look. Board minutes are at sunsetempire.com/ board. Elect the incumbents to make our community richer through good health — let’s build for the future. VICTORIA DAGGATT FULLER Seaside O landscape. It blames the current lead- ership for things over which it has no control. Take a look at the agendas and min- utes of recent college board and bud- get committee meetings, and you will see: No tuition increases, no “COVID- 19 surcharge,” no faculty position cuts. Instead, you’ll find a detailed picture of the complex issues facing the col- lege this year, and the point-by-point response to those challenges. I welcome competition in these local elections — it sharpens our focus on the issues we care about most. But if Sue Iverson, Patrick Preston and Trudy Citovic truly feel called to serve the col- lege, why are they using scare tactics to get there? No board is perfect, but Rob- ert Duehmig, David Zunkel and Sara Meyer are committed to the hard, some- times tedious work of serving our com- munity’s college. JENNIFER ESTNER Astoria Diminished latsop Community College has become a diminished community institution. Enrollment has declined to an alarming low. Morale for both stu- dents and staff is very low. The needs of our community are not being met. We need new blood for the college board. We need change. Please vote for Trudy Van Dusen Citovic, Patrick Pres- ton and Suzanne Iverson. These three people will bring fresh ideas and new life to the college board. These three candidates have positive ideas for growth, marketing and remak- ing our community college an activity entity for our community. Their com- bined backgrounds, varied life experi- ences and accomplishments will pro- duce the desired facelift for the college. Vote for Iverson, Preston and Van Dusen Citovic. VICTORIA KERIN Astoria C Cart before the horse he current Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board really needs to be refreshed. The park district had no business spending $2.15 mil- lion to purchase the rundown Broadway Middle School without a vote of the res- idents of Seaside. Just shameful. And yet still in the tsunami zone for possible child care. Where is the logic in that? I agree and applaud citizens who choose to serve our community, how- ever, changing horses in midstream is not the issue. The bigger picture is our current SEPRD board putting the cart before the horse from the get-go. CAROL PARKIN-HANISCH Seaside T Transparency revisited ince fall, sunsetempire.com has had a dedicated tab: Sunset Recre- ation Center (BMS). You can listen to the webinar topics: The financial plan, community input process and the stra- tegic plan, supplemented with written information and responses to questions. The building inspection report (due dili- gence), and a community input category are there, also. The Community Needs Assessment Survey, conducted over 10 weeks, was posted in the Seaside Signal, on Sun- set Empire Park and Recreation Dis- trict sites and discussed with community organizations. The survey results slides represent feedback from everyone who responded to the survey, and is not limited to counting only those respondents who made additional comments. Comments help us understand rea- S sons for a survey response, but not everyone chooses to make additional comments — their vote counts, too. Patrick Duhachek’s posted response, on Transparency for SEPRD Taxpay- ers, to the question of what process he would use to approach a major pur- chase in respect to taxpayers: “I under- stand that some taxpayers may not agree with the ultimate decision, but I will be sure they have the opportunity to weigh in …” We are not at the mercy of that approach. The quality of the incum- bents’ stewardship has been recognized by the survey sample of the community, who support: the purchase of Broad- way Middle School, 65%; expansion of youth programs in support of work- ing families, 66% to 71%; expansion of indoor recreation options for all, 68%; and driving economic growth by scaling up sports tourism, 61%. Please vote to keep our winning team — Progress for SEPRD. DIANE SOMERS Seaside Your vote is your voice ince 2019, the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Board of Directors has seen several resignations, leaving four appointed and one elected member, Michael Hinton. The previous board voted not to pur- sue purchase of Broadway Middle School. Hinton and Katharine Parker voted to pursue; Su Coddington voted to table the purchase. As soon as the last two elected members resigned, these directors voted unanimously to pursue purchase. Coddington changed her vote. They chose Celeste Bodner and Erika Mar- shall Hamer to fill the empty board seats. This decision attracted a group of people concerned about the board of directors pursuing this major purchase — with a $4.5 million price tag to reme- diate, and no money for remediation. We scolded, implored, bargained and pleaded to take this purchase to a vote of the people. We felt our voices were heard, but they didn’t listen. Now it’s election time. Every mem- ber of the current board is up for elec- tion and being challenged by citizens who deeply care for the district and its citizens. Al Hernandez, John Huismann, Patrick Duhachek, Jackie Evans and Stephen Morrison have excellent cre- dentials and experience. It’s time for a change. They will lis- ten to you. Make an informed decision. Let your voice be heard. Please vote. DIANE WELLS Seaside S Join me am asking you to please join me in voting for the election of the current board members of the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District: Su Cod- dington, Celeste Tuhy Bodner, Mike Hinton, Erika Marshall Hamer and Katharine Parker. Having had the privilege of serving as the general manager of the district from 1984 to 2012, and the pleasure of swimming almost every day for the past 37 years, I know the critical importance of good leadership. This group of qualified directors brings with them deep connections to our community through decades of par- ticipation and outstanding service. Each one brings their unique life and profes- sional skills to benefit and guide our beloved district. You can trust in their commitment to ethically and strategically collabo- rate with our community to best serve all. The community engagement process has set the bold vision for the district to continue to improve the quality of life through inviting us all to play. Your current directors are doing just I Joke keep seeing election posters say- ing “reelect” Su Coddington, Celeste Bodner, Erika Marshall Hamer, Katha- rine Parker and Mike Hinton to the Sun- set Empire Park and Recreation District Board of Directors. What a joke. The only member of the board that could be reelected is Hinton. You can’t be reelected if you weren’t elected in the first place, and it just so happens that the remaining four board members were all appointed to their positions to complete the terms of board members who resigned. Speaking of jokes, in an online chat box during the April 29 election forum, executive director Skyler Archibald’s wife said if Skyler leaves the district, staff would, too. I doubt that those indi- viduals would leave their well-paying jobs in a show of loyalty to Archibald, especially in light of the pandemic we’re facing right now. I ask voters to cast their votes for the following candidates to fill those board positions: Al Hernandez, Steve Morri- son, Jackie Evans, Patrick Duhachek and John Huismann. These candidates will do a much better job of protecting our tax dollars. MARTI WAJC Seaside I Expenses xpenses are rapidly accumulating for the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District’s recent acquisi- tion of Broadway Middle School, now renamed the Sunset Recreation Center. The district falsely claimed the debt payments would nearly equal the pre- vious loan utilized for the warm-wa- ter therapy pool addition. The proposed budget indicates debt payments for Sun- set Recreation Center exceeding the pre- vious loan of $112,000 per year by 56%, at $175,000 per year. The district also expects to pay $75,000 in contracted services this year in a desperate search for revenue sources. Utility costs, insurance and maintenance for the recreation center are proposed at nearly $140,000 this year. The center’s expenses far outweigh its revenue. It’s time for a change. PATRICK DUHACHEK Warrenton E
