September 23, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 9A
Cannon Beach torn
over school purchase
Elementary
school closed
because of
safety concerns
Roden’s death
penalty trial
could last up to
two months
By Kyle Spurr
EO Media Group
Clatsop County’s fi rst
death penalty trial in 15
years started last week in
Circuit Court.
Randy Lee Roden, 28,
is on trial for allegedly
murdering his girlfriend’s
2-year-old daughter and
abusing her two sons while
they all lived together in
a Seaside apartment. The
gruesome scene discovered
in December 2014 is de-
scribed as among the worst
child-abuse cases in the
county.
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
For sale: Former school
property in a tsunami zone . To
build or renovate.
C ity councilors are close
to deciding whether or not to
purchase the former elementa-
ry school that closed in 2013
due to student safety concerns .
The property , which is
owned by the Seaside School
District, is on the north end
of town, south of Ecola Creek
and about one-fourth of a mile
from the ocean.
While most of the campus
is unusable, the gymnasium
offers promise for future com-
munity activities like concerts
and other events.
“The bottom line is the
building is in pretty good
shape,” said City Manager
Brant Kucera, noting the harsh
weather the gymnasium has
endured. “That is good news
if you’re looking to save and
restore that building.”
An August report from
Amodeo Structural Engineer-
ing on the gymnasium was
delivered to the City Council
earlier this week.
According to the assess-
ment, the wood-framed gym ,
built in the early 1950s, ap-
pears to be in good condition.
The observations “did not
reveal any locations of signif-
icant damage, distress, deteri-
oration, dry rot or excessive
defl ection,” the engineering
report stated.
Coaster Construction gen-
eral contractor John Nelson
quickly walked through the
gymnasium on behalf of the
city to roughly estimate the
cost of making it habitable
and up to code . The cost of
interior and exterior renova-
tions, including a 25 percent
contingency, would be about
$371,000.
“We know very rough-
ly what it would potentially
Seaside toddler
murder trial up
Evidence
SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
An engineering analysis showed the former Cannon Beach Elementary School gymnasium
is in good structural condition.
cost,” Kucera said. “It’s yet
another thing for you to con-
sider as we move forward
with this.”
The $450,000 cost to
purchase the property, and
$250,000 to demolish the
building and restore the lawn,
were included as placehold-
ers in the city budget. Instead
of demolition , restoring the
gymnasium could be an op-
tion.
The estimate does not in-
clude other costs, such as
operating the building, add-
ing restrooms and making
aesthetic improvements. Op-
erating costs could be about
$50,000 a year.
“For this project, I would
envision probably spending
the contingency plus, ” Public
Works Director Dan Grassick
said.
Despite costs and the
building’s location in the tsu-
nami zone, Kucera said there
might be value in investing in
the space for the community.
Mayor Sam Steidel said
the city could decide what to
do with the gymnasium after
purchasing the property.
Councilors, who should
decide by the end of the year,
discussed how the building
could become a viable asset
for the city and the possibility
of residents raising funds for
a project .
“Once it becomes occupia-
ble, then you have the poten-
tial for fundraising,” Steidel
said.
The District Attor-
ney’s Offi ce believes it has
enough physical evidence
and expert opinion to con-
nect the crimes to Roden.
The state will present evi-
dence showing the 2-year-
old, Evangelina Wing, and
her brothers were tortured,
burned, bitten and caged in
the Seaside apartment their
mother, Dorothy Wing,
shared with Roden.
Evangelina Wing appar-
ently died of battered child
syndrome with blunt force
trauma to her head. Blood
spatter was found in almost
every corner of the apart-
ment, staining holiday dec-
orations and the wall behind
a Christmas tree.
Roden’s defense is
that he did not commit the
crimes. His lawyer, Conor
Huseby, is adamant that
someone else is to blame,
possibly the children’s
mother.
Dorothy Wing, 26,
pleaded guilty in January
to fi rst-degree manslaughter
and two counts of fi rst-de-
gree criminal mistreatment.
She was sentenced to more
than 15 years in prison, con-
tingent on her truthfully tes-
tifying at Roden’s trial.
Witnesses
Roden’s trial could last
up to two months. Trial days
will be Tuesday through Fri-
day, with occasional time
off of those days if a session
fi nishes early or the court
has an emergency hearing
in another case.
Multiple witnesses for
the prosecution and defense
will testify . Many are trav-
eling from Georgia, where
Roden grew up.
The prosecution will
call two of Roden’s ex-girl-
friends, who can detail a
pattern of violence against
women and children.
One ex-girlfriend, who
dated Roden from March to
July 2014, will testify that
Roden was very controlling
with her and the children,
threatened to move out and
warned he would commit
suicide in order to control
her behavior, according to
court documents.
Roden is serving an
eight-year prison sentence
for violating probation from
a domestic violence convic-
tion in 2013 Roden, accord-
ing to Chief Deputy District
Attorney Ron Brown in a
court document.
Th e art of Stirling Gorsuch
On Saturday, Oct. 8, at
6 p.m., Stirling Gorsuch’s
exhibit “Oregon Visions”
debuts at the Cannon
Beach History Center and
Museum. Gorsuch is a
Cannon Beach native. The
exhibit will be on display
through November.
The pieces for “Oregon
Visions” span the last few
years of his work, which
was inspired by the land-
scapes of Oregon. x
The museum is open
from 1 to 5 p.m., Wednes-
day through Monday at
1387 South Spruce St. For
more information about
this exhibit visit cbhisto-
ry.org, or call 503-436-
9301.
MONTHLY LECTURE SERIES
History and Hops
tells saga of Seaside
The next History & Hops
Lecturer Esther Moberg
free local history lecture
is the Seaside Public Library
takes place Thursday, Sept.
director. She grew up in As-
29, at 6 p.m. at Seaside Brew-
toria and has a master’s de-
ing Co., 851 Broadway.
gree in library science and
Attendees will be trav-
a bachelor’s degree in orga-
eling back through the ages
nization administration.
to 100 years ago, circa early
She has accumulated
1900s, as the program skims
more than 16 years’ expe-
the headlines from bygone
rience through her work in
Esther Moberg six public, school, and ac-
days in Seaside.
The saga of Seaside, from
ademic libraries. Moberg
its humble beginnings as east and west is the current vice chair of the Or-
Seaside will be told through anecdotal egon Digital Library Consortium.
history and headlines from the Seaside
History & Hops is a monthly se-
Signal and Seaside Historical Society. ries of local history discussions hosted by
One hundred years ago, the talk of the Seaside Museum at Seaside Brewing
the town ran the gamut from bear-hunt- Co. For more information, contact Steve
ing and trash-dumping to ladies’ “so- Wright, President, Seaside Museum, at
ciable and genteel entertainment.”
503-738-7065 or 503-984-5324.
If you go
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Miss Clara Gilman as librarian (behind the desk), circa 1919 in the old
soldiers and sailors club reading room.
Pelican
Brewing
Company is
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WHAT: History &
Hops free local
history lecture
WHERE: Seaside
Brewing Co., 851
Broadway
WHEN: Thursday,
Sept. 29, at 6 p.m.
COST: Free
CALL: Steve Wright,
President, Sea-
side Museum, at
503-738-7065 or
503-984-5324
History & Hops is
a monthly series
of local history
discussions hosted
by the Seaside Mu-
seum at Seaside
Brewing Co.
CANNON BEACH
LIBARY
F ALL
F ESTIVAL
Saturday, September 24 th
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• S HOP F OR •
Handmade Crafts
Yummy Baked Goods
Local Merchant Gift
Certificate Drawing
Quilt Drawing
Hotel Stay Silent Auction
131 N. Hemlock St. • Cannon Beach
503-436-1391
