SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 109th YEAR • March 6, 2015
Gearhart recall election slated for March 26
Voters have option to
remove mayor from offi ce
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
Gearhart Mayor Dianne
Widdop’s fate will be up to
Gearhart voters in a special
election March 26.
The election was called af-
ter Widdop refused to resign
after learning that enough
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to warrant a recall election.
The Clatsop County
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108 petition signatures,
more than the 102 required
to schedule a recall election,
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either a letter of resignation
or a written statement of no
more than 200 words to be
printed on the election bal-
lot. She submitted the state-
ment two weeks ago.
In her statement, Widdop
writes, “In almost 20 years as
a city councilor and mayor, I
have consistently made deci-
ing with other mayors and
state representatives, inviting
Port of Astoria and Clatsop
Community College repre-
sentatives to speak at coun-
cil meetings and attending
League of Oregon Cities and
Mayors Association meet-
ings.
“I do this as a volunteer
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PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
said.
Less than a block away from a sign in sup-
A sign on Cottage Drive in Gearhart
Some Gearhart residents
port of Gearhart Mayor Dianne Widdop on
offers support for Mayor Dianne Widdop,
have started putting up signs
Cottage Avenue, a resident has placed a sign
who is the subject of a recall election
and wearing buttons in sup-
urging voters to recall Widdop from offi ce.
March 26.
port of Widdop, which she
said is gratifying. Other
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On Wednesday morn- increase transparency in gov- signs supporting the recall
the city’s comprehensive plan. ings, she said, she is at City ernment, she said.
also are going up.
My goal has always been to Hall from 9 a.m. to noon for
“I wanted people to feel
Harold Gable, the chief
preserve and enhance the liv- “Coffee With the Mayor,” like they could come in and petitioner who is leading the
ability of our community.
which is an opportunity for talk,” she said. “In the event recall effort, submitted 113
“As mayor, my focus has people “to ask questions, ex- I’m recalled or when I leave signatures to the clerk and
been to increase the transparen- press concerns or just chat.” RI¿FH , KRSH ZKRPHYHU elections department Feb.
cy and accessibility of the city At that time, citizens also can takes my place will initiate 11, according to elections
government. The city’s website meet with the Gearhart police the same kind of thing.”
technician Sheryl Holcom.
has been improved to provide FKLHI ¿UH FKLHI FLW\ DGPLQ
In her statement, Widdop The number of signatures
more information. Residents istrator and other city staff. also talked about her atten- was previously reported as
now can access the same infor- Since she was elected to of- dance at Gearhart Home- 114.
mation packet provided to city ¿FHVKHKDVPLVVHGRQO\RQH owners Assocation meetings
Ballots will be mailed
councilors. The city blog allows Wednesday, she said.
and her effort to “increase out March 6. The outcome
citizens to receive notices and
Widdop started the week- Gearhart’s presence beyond of the election will be de-
information automatically.”
ly meetings in an effort to purely city affairs” by work- termined by a simple ma-
jority. Voters will have until
8 p.m. March 26 to submit
their ballots either through
the mail or at one of two
drop sites: Gearhart City
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in Gearhart or the Clatsop
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at 820 Exchange St., Suite
220, in Astoria. Postmarks
are not considered.
INSIDE:
Statements made
by petitioners
and mayor
page 6
ONLINE:
To view Widdop’s full
statement or the statement
from Gable’s petition for
recall, visit www.co.clatsop.
or.us/clerk/page/march-
26-2015-special-recall-
election-city-gearhart-0.
Locals show
support for
medical
marijuana
dispensaries
Seaside Planning Commission
considers potential zoning
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
Kindergarten through second-grade students adorned in dragon masks participate in a pa-
rade to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Gearhart Elementary School. The students marched
through the school chanting, “Gong Hey Fat Choy” and then sat down to eat Chinese food
donated by the Great Wall Restaurant.
Gearhart Elementary School students, from left,
Nathan Bohn-Cleveland, Bridgette Duncan and
Dallas Hughes carry red paper decorations and
chant, “Gong Hey Fat Choy” in a parade held at the
school last week in celebration of Chinese New
Year. The celebration has been a tradition at the
school for about 12 years.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Gearhart students explore Chinese customs
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
A
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
thread of kindergarten through
second-graders wove its way
through Gearhart Elementa-
ry School, zealously chanting,
sometimes shouting, “Gong
Hey Fat Choy,” the Cantonese phrase for
“happy new year.”
The parade grew in length as more groups
of students, decked out in dragon masks,
continually joined in to celebrate the Chinese
New Year Feb. 19.
The holiday, based on the Chinese lunar
calendar, marked the end of the year of the
horse and ushered in the year of the goat for
2015.
Celebrating the Chinese, or lunar, new
year is not typical at elementary schools in
the area. The tradition started at Gearhart El-
ementary School about 12 years ago when
a Chinese student was attending the school.
Since then, it’s been something the children
enthusiastically look forward to.
The teachers use it as an opportunity
to whet the students’ appetites for cultural
awareness and education.
“I do really feel like (encouraging cultural
awareness) is something our teachers strive
for because we don’t have as much diversity
here as some places in the country; it’s some-
thing the teachers bring to the kids,” said
Principal Juli Wozniak.
In the week leading up to the celebration,
the teachers infused their classes with lessons
on Chinese cultures, languages and customs.
They also helped the students create calen-
dars containing the Chinese zodiac signs, pa-
per dragon masks and tiny red paper dragons
to be waved during the parade.
The students learned to write Chinese nu-
merals and other signs, which they used to
embellish some of the dragon banners.
See Chinese, Page 12A
Cutler leaving job as general
manager of recreation district
updates. My family and I will miss
our friends and colleagues.”
The board members accepted
the resignation, expressing their
By Katherine Lacaze
regret that Cutler is leaving.
Seaside Signal
“We’ll miss you. You know
we’ll miss you,” board member
After nearly three years as the Carol O’Donovan said.
Sunset Empire Park & Recreation
Board Chairman Michael Hin-
District general manager, Jus- ton said Cutler’s recently complet-
tin Cutler has resigned, effective HG HYDOXDWLRQ LGHQWL¿HG WKH ZRUN
March 18, to take a position in he’s done as “highly commend-
Colorado.
able.”
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“I am proud of what the district
letter of resignation at the district has been able to accomplish un-
board’s meeting Feb. 18.
der Cutler’s leadership,” he said.
JUSTIN CUTLER
“This is a bittersweet move for “He has proved himself a valuable
me and my family,” Cutler said. member of our community, and we
“I am proud of what our team and will miss him and his family.”
in the recruiting and replacement
board have accomplished the last
The board voted to use the process. The board will pay the
three years, from grants to growth Special Districts Association of
See Cutler, Page 12A
of programs and a focus on facility Oregon for support and guidance
Board to begin recruiting
candidates immediately
Discussion about medical mari-
juana dispensaries involved the shar-
ing of personal stories during a Sea-
side Planning Commission meeting
Tuesday.
Several people who spoke in
favor of medical marijuana and its
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facilities when the moratorium ex-
pires in May.
“Open this up please, for the peo-
ple. There’s a lot of people who need
this,” said Oscar Nelson, co-owner
of Sweet Relief Natural Medicine in
Astoria. “I think this could be a great
thing for Seaside if it’s done well and
done right.”
The planning commission will
meet with the City Council at 6:30
p.m. March 30 for a work session on
marijuana.
Potential zoning or use regula-
tions for medical marijuana dispen-
saries are being considered by the
planning commission. The city’s
business license ordinance prohibits
the licensing of such facilities, but
the public testimony was to help the
commission consider various restric-
tions for the location, time and man-
ner for the facilities to be run should
the Seaside City Council lift the
licensing restrictions, Seaside Plan-
ning Director Kevin Cupples said.
Nelson noted that a majority of
local voters look favorably on mar-
ijuana. In the November General
Election, 8,251 people in Clatsop
County voted yes on Measure 91,
the bill to legalize recreational mar-
ijuana, and 6,361 voted no. In Sea-
side’s precincts, 1,249 people voted
yes and 838 voted no.
Steve Geiger, owner of Highway
420, the only facility in Seaside that
has been licensed by the state to op-
erate as a dispensary, talked about the
role dispensaries play in offering a
variety of products for patients. With
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are 25 to 30 different strains of mar-
ijuana available, with each one more
appropriate for addressing certain
ailments. Employees at dispensaries
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best products for their conditions.
Seaside resident Angela Fairless
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medical marijuana, she has been to
the emergency room for migraines
once in 10 years; that’s compared to
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going from ages 10 to 23. There are
nearly 600 medical marijuana card
See Pot, Page 3A