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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2015)
4A • May 1, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com Side Rail JON RAHL 'H¿QLQJZKDWWUDYHOPHDQVWRPHDQGWKHEHQH¿WV Going to the beach. Re- laxing. Meeting new busi- ness partners. Discovering history. Supporting small businesses and jobs. These are just a few examples of what travel means to peo- ple and to communities like Seaside, Oregon. This year, to celebrate National Travel and Tour- ism Week (NTTW) 2015, May 2-10, the travel in- dustry is underscoring how travel affects us all with the theme: “Travel is...” Travel is enriching. Travel is exploring places you’ve never been before. Travel is spending time with family and friends while sometimes making new ones. There are many ways to complete that sen- tence, but no matter how you draw it up, travel is extremely vital to our com- munity. Whether you trav- el yourself or have a job in the travel industry, you know that travel and tour- ism can be impactful to people all over our county, state and country. I’ve written something similar in the past, but without travel in Seaside, I don’t have this job and my family probably never moves to the great state of Oregon. It’s as simple as that. Without the travel and meeting industry, there would be other employ- JON RAHL ment to be found by ap- proximately 5,000 people that are supported by travel and tourism jobs in Clatsop County. Those jobs had direct earnings of $134.9 million in 2013, while overnight stays contribut- ed more than $8 million in local transient tax receipts for Clatsop County during the same time period. Take that a step further and you’ll learn that Oregon’s tourism industry generates $10.3 billion in economic impact and directly em- ploys more than 100,000 Oregonians. Pretty easy to take that last paragraph and sum up travel in one word. Trav- el is impactful. One out of nine jobs in the Unit- ed States is dependent on travel and tourism. That number shrinks to about one in four jobs in Clatsop County. In hindsight, im- pactful may be selling the GH¿QLWLRQ RI WUDYHO D ELW short. The theme —“Travel LV´² QRW RQO\ DPSOL¿HV the call of an entire indus- try, but it customizes the unique impact of the U.S. travel industry on the fab- ric of America. Destina- tions, including ours here LQ 6HDVLGH DUH GH¿QLQJ WUDYHODVLWVSHFL¿FDOO\FRQ- tributes to our local econo- mies, businesses and lives. Did travel bring you to Seaside or have you had a job in Seaside that allows you to say what travel is to you and your cur- rent relationship with this popular spot on Oregon’s North Coast? If you have a “Travel is...” story, I’d love to hear it. I don’t get much email related to this monthly column, but I’d love to share a few oth- HU PHDQLQJIXO GH¿QLWLRQV of travel, so please let me know if you have one. Have other thoughts or a question about tourism in Seaside, or maybe an idea for a future column? Drop me an email at jon@sea- sideor.com. Jon Rahl is the director of tourism for the Seaside Visitors Bureau and assistant general man- ager of the Seaside Civic & Convention Center. Scene and Heard CLAIRE LOVELL ,W¶V0D\'D\WLPHWRZHOFRPHVSULQJKDSS\GD\V May Day! May Day! May Day! No, it isn’t a distress call, only a reminder for \RXWRKDQJWKDWOLWWOHÀRZ- er basket on your neigh- bor’s doorknob as a wel- come to happy days. Just knock and run. 7KLVDQGWKDW Continuing last week’s story, Smoke, the wild Ger- man shepherd was discov- ered by Chris, the protag- onist, who befriended him and eventually became his owner. It was an interest- ing, well-written story and afforded my discovery of a gifted author. He’s writ- ten stories about horses as well, one called “A Horse in the House,” which may be my next read. A few days ago, I was invited for lunch to Hi- mani, an Indian cuisine restaurant on Marine Drive in Astoria. The meal was served buffet style with everything labeled, but of course, I couldn’t remem- ber those names. Let me just say I had basmati rice, potatoes and broccoli and VRPH NLQG RI ÀDW EUHDG which looked like a not- quite done pancake. There was rice pudding cooked with nuts and raisins and curry sauce wherever you wanted it. It left a nice hot sensation in my throat but the ice water helped. They also had chicken. I CLAIRE LOVELL wouldn’t try it because it was red and I thought it might burn, too. Adding much to the ambience were Indian women in pretty sa- ris — a scene from another world. Easter Sunday, after taking a small part in the church service, I went as a dinner guest with friends to Surf Pines. We had a very nice meal, after which we talked for a couple of hours. I mostly listened because that’s the best way to learn. Seeing a herd of elk in a ravine on the way to their home was an extra bonus. They have a regular route they travel there. Our host said they have taken over the underpass of the Lewis and Clark Trail on High- way 101 near Camp Rilea. Guess that puts the kibosh on any hikes through there. I know everyone wants to get on the marijuana bandwagon, but I’m sor- ry we’re thinking about it. I doubt that we can stay within the medical guide- lines and not spill over into public recreational use with the possibility for ac- cidents. Anything mind-al- tering can cause serious problems. Do we have to go along to get along? Sounds like a cop out to me. I’m writing this on April 20. If my brother Tommy had lived, this would have been his 100th birthday. Egad! He was just a year younger than Freida John- son. I really admire Neal Maine’s photography skills, especially with birds. His capture of the courtship of Caspian terns is fantas- tic, showing the interplay among three of them, shar- LQJ ¿VK , JXHVV RQH JRRG “tern” deserves another. /DXJKOLQHV Two athletes were dis- cussing whether or not they would play baseball in heaven. They conclud- HG WKDW ZKRHYHU GLHG ¿UVW would come back and let the other one know. Soon one guy did cross over and ÀHZGRZQZLWKDZRUGIRU his friend. “About base- ball in heaven,” he said, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is there is baseball in heav- en. The bad news is you’re pitching next Thursday.” Gardner’s Art of Surfing school to give free lessons for Veterans Surf Day /RFDOVXU¿QJLQVWUXFWRUSURPRWHV the healing quality of the sport Kajukenbo, Wun Hop Kuen Do,- Judo, Karate, Kendo and Siu Pak Pai Kung Fu. /RFDOVXU¿QJDQGPDUWLDODUWV His martial arts experience is instructor Tony Gardner believes tied to his appreciation of Jap- there is something restorative anese language and culture as SEASIDE SIGNAL about being out in the ocean that a whole. He was immersed in CAMEO is abstract yet actual. both as a student in Japan start- “It’s very therapeutic, being ing in 1989. He was originally out there with the sun and the of achievement and improved intrigued by Japanese language waves,” said Gardner, a Seaside self-esteem, he added. He plans and culture, though, when he saw native and founder of the Art of to make Veteran Surf Day an an- a white writing exhibit by Mark 6XU¿QJ ³,W¶V D WUDQVIRUPDWLYH nual event. Tobey at the Asian Art Museum “If I can just help one veter- located inside Volunteer Park in experience and it brings peace.” That sensation can be hard an ... or one veteran can receive the Capitol Hill neighborhood WR GH¿QH ± VXUIHUV MXVW FDOO LW some relief from what they’re of Seattle. He was 7 at the time. ³VWRNHG´ KH VDLG ± EXW JLYLQJ going through, then I’ve accom- That experience was followed veterans a chance to experience plished something,” he said. up by him attending a few of it is the goal behind his inau- PDUWLDODUWLVWDQG¿OPVWDU%UXFH gural Veteran Surf Day event, 2WKHUXSFRPLQJ Lee’s Jeet Kune Do classes, as scheduled May 22, over Memo- HYHQWV Gardner’s uncle was a student of rial Day weekend. He is offering Lee’s at the time. Gardner also will be holding IUHH VXU¿QJ OHVVRQV WR DERXW “That really started me, drew veterans, and Josh Gizdavich, Grom Day on June 20 and a Fam- me in, pulled me in,” he said. owner of Cleanline Surf Shop, is ily Surf Day on June 26. Grom “It’s like gravity.” is slang for a young surfer, and donating surfboards and gear. After obtaining an associate Together, the men hope to on Grom Day, Gardner will give of science degree from Portland give veterans an opportunity to free instructions for children as Community College, he went to take a break from overwhelming old as 16. This is the second year Japan, where he taught English emotions that may be triggered he’s offered the event. His desire and got an associate of Japanese by Memorial Day observances is to help children experience language degree in Nagasaki in and focus instead on the water. nature and sojourn away from 1991. While living there, he de- Participants also can interact the “technology-satured” culture veloped an appreciation for sev- with other military members in a for a day. eral aspects of Japanese culture, community setting and, perhaps, “You can still have fun out- from the residents’ sense of unity ¿QG FRPIRUW DQG HQMR\PHQW E\ side without a screen in front of and ability to work together har- swapping stories and sharing an you,” he said. moniously to achieve a goal, to experience. As for Family Day, he en- their emphasis on mental focus, ³, ZDQW WR KHOS WKHP ¿QG courages families to share a hob- determination and meditation. health and healing, and I think E\DQGVXU¿QJLVRQHRSWLRQ+LV He traveled back to Kyoto the ocean does that,” Gardner GH¿QLWLRQRIIDPLO\LVDVVLPSOH several times over the years, but said. “I think their participation as “at least one parent and a the trips became less frequent would be healing, both physical- child.” Instructions are free both during the past decade. Nothing, ly and mentally.” days, and Cleanline is again do- he said, helps a person stay cur- He originally generated the nating equipment. rent in a language in the same idea of helping veterans through “Sometimes it’s hard for par- way as visiting or living in a for- VXU¿QJ EHFDXVH KH KDV D FORVH ents to pay for lessons and gear, eign country. family member who is a veter- so this is a nice opportunity for “It’s just one of those skills an, has been deployed overseas them to try it and see how they you have to do by living,” he said. and has developed post-traumat- like it,” Gardner said. After returning to the states ic stress disorder. He thought in 1991, he taught Japanese at VXU¿QJZRXOGEHDJRRGZD\WR 3DVVLRQDWHDERXWWKH Clatsop Community College in help his family member cope OHDUQLQJSURFHVV Astoria and also gave private with the stress. Unfortunately, Japanese instruction in Can- Teaching has played a large QRQ%HDFKIRUDERXWWKUHH\HDUV he said, it did not work out that way, but he has seen it be a suc- role in Gardner’s life for many starting in 2002. He got a bache- cessful positive outlet for other decades. He has taught martial lor of arts degree with a focus on veterans dealing with the same arts for more than 40 years, both Japanese language from Ever- problem. informally to friends and for- green State College in Olympia, Teaching veterans to surf has mally through classes. He be- Wash., in 1998 and then went to been a way to help them over- came a mixed martial arts black Maui, where he taught a math- come their challenges and to belt in 1976 and now is a sev- ematics at Kalama Intermediate focus on their abilities, not their enth-degree black belt. He has School in Makawao. disabilities, Gardner said. It of- experience with Jeet Kun Do, +H KDV WDXJKW VXU¿QJ VLQFH ten is accompanied with a sense Tae Kwon Do, Modern Arnis, 1985, when he was Seaside’s By Katherine Lacaze Seaside Signal KATHERINE LACAZE PHOTO Tony Gardner, right, the founder of Art of Surfing, and Josh Gizdavich, owner of Cleanline Surf Shop, are partnering together to offer free rental gear and surf lessons for a Veterans Surf Day on May 22. They also will be offering a Grom Day on June 20 and a Family Surf Day on June 26. Gardner is a master surf instructor with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He also teaches martial arts. head lifeguard on the beach. He continued teaching professional- ly after school and on weekends when he was in Maui. In 2002, he took his teaching to the next level by establishing Art of Surf- LQJ KLV RZQ VXU¿QJ VFKRRO WKDW offers lessons year-round. Gardner incorporates several of the techniques and principles he acquired from practicing mar- tial arts into the way he teaches VXU¿QJDQGWKDWJLYHVKLVPHWK- ods a distinction, he said. He lays a foundation for students that contains similar principles, VXFKDVÀH[LELOLW\EDODQFHDQGD VSHFL¿FW\SHRIVWUHQJWK+HEH- lieves it’s important to be patient and take time laying a strong foundation, so students know the answers to basic questions about movement and body me- chanics, such as why, how and when. From there, he introduc- es techniques, takes the students through gradient steps and helps them work through problems as they practice their skills. “When you put all these things together, after a few years, WKHUH¶VDÀRZ´KHVDLG³<RX¶UH not thinking, you’re reacting.” He works with all level of stu- GHQWVIRUVXU¿QJIURPEHJLQQHUV to advanced learners. He also teaches martial arts classes at WKH 0DU\ %ODNH 3OD\KRXVH +LV philosophy is that “as a teach- er, you’ve got to be in love with what you do,” and he is passion- ate about the learning process. “I have this chance to introduce people to this wonderful world out there and introduce them to what they can do,” he said. For more information, visit ZZZDUWRIVXU¿QJQHW RU FRQWDFW Gardner at 503-440-5017 or to- Q\JDUGQHU#DUWRIVXU¿QJQHW