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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2015)
August 7, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A New Yorker story stirs fears, provides dubious advice I just want to thank The New Yorker magazine for letting us all know that a hugely de- structive earthquake and tsunami could hit us at any time. If it hadn’t been for that story, we on the North Coast might never have realized the danger we are in. It’s not like I and other local journalists — including author Bonnie Henderson, who wrote the book, “The Next Tsunami: Living on a Restless Coast” — haven’t been writing about this for many years. Entitled “The Really Big One” with a subhead, “The earthquake WKDW ZLOO GHYDVWDWH WKH 3DFL¿F Northwest,” the story, written by Katherine Schulz in the July 20 New Yorker, is accompanied by a topographical map of the west coast of North America in red. At the coastline, from south of the California border extending to beyond Canada, the map looks like it has been ripped apart; a wide jagged band of white — resem- bling a huge wave — covers all of the west coast and heads east. The caption next to the illustra- tion says, “The next full rupture of the Cascadia subduction zone will spell the worst natural disaster in the history of the continent.” Scary, huh? I have followed the Cascadia subduction zone earthquake and tsunami story for over eight years. 0\ ¿UVW VWRU\ LQ WKH VSULQJ RI 2007 included an interview with Rob Witter, formerly of the Ore- gon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (now with the U.S. Geological Service in Alas- ka), who had just discovered that sand originally from the beach in Cannon Beach had been thrown about a mile east of what is now U.S. Highway 101 during a past tsunami. Witter made the discov- HU\ DIWHU ¿OWHULQJ VRLO DQG GHWHU mining its properties and age in several areas between the beach and forest east of town. State geologists created a new map for Cannon Beach, showing that land higher than 30 feet in el- evation wasn’t as safe as experts originally thought. The tsunami inundation zone now reached 80 feet high. With that news, the research in- WHQVL¿HG2UHJRQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ Coastal and Ocean faculty, along with staffers from DOGAMI, roamed the coast, seeking clues revealing the potential intensity and destructive path of the next Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. They wrote reports about the sturdiness of local schools and other buildings. They created a model of the city of Cannon Beach in OSU’s wave research laboratory, knocked it down with model tsunami waves and stud- ied their effect, then recreated the I MPRESSIONS B Y NANCY McCARTHY The potential Cascadia earthquake and tsunami isn’t news to us. town and started all over again. They created a computer sim- ulation of Seaside, showing how long it would take a tsunami to reach shore, then Necanicum Drive, then the highway and Wah- anna Road and how many people would die as the waves washed over them. A similar computer simulation was done for Cannon Beach, as well, showing how many people might make it across the Fir Street Bridge and to high ground on the north side, as well as to other ele- vated areas in town. A year after the 2011 tsunami hit Japan, the principal from Kes- ennuma Junior High School in 5 Minutes with… Michael Soprano there was another retail bakery in Seaside? A: No. We moved here in 2006 and I believe they all had already closed down since then. Talking with the locals here, I heard many stories of Harrison’s Bakery that was here forever and a lot of the reminiscing about the old baker- ies here. And the entire commu- nity is so excited to have another one again. It’s been too long. You know I grew up in the South, so even though this is a busy town, it’s still a small town and every small town needs little small- town, homey businesses, like a small bakery. When I put this place together, that’s the kind of the vision I had. As you can see, there’s the old-school display cas- es, and a lot of the history is still here. The built-ins behind the cas- es on the wall there are actually original to the building. They’ve been here forever. The old safe next to the cash register has been here for who knows how many decades, used over the years. I just wanted this to look like it’s always been here and I wanted when people walked in for them to have a nostalgic feeling. Between the decor and the atmosphere and then tasting all the stuff I have in The City of Gearhart Community Emergency Response Team will host an informational work- shop, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the ¿UH VWDWLRQ 7KH FLW\ ZLOO transcend it from simply following a recipe or mixing ingredients and transform it into a true culinary art? Q: How long has this been something A: It is an art form, just like any- thing else. I’m not classically you wanted to do? trained. I’m self-taught, but still A: I’ve baked on the side, on my there has to be that creativity be- own, just about my entire life. hind it, and that passion behind When I was pretty young, my it, just like if you were painting mother used to do it a lot for family a piece of art to hang in a gal- and friends. And I was the young- lery. Anyone can kind of connect est son, so I was always in the the dots and make it look like kitchen helping out. That’s where something else, or make it taste the love of baking started. And like something else, but I enjoy I’ve always enjoyed it. I actually pairing unique combinations, I have a background in electronics, enjoy recreating the stuff I re- and this isn’t really a technology member enjoying as a kid. And driven area. So that necessity for then as far as with the custom a career out here kind of rekindled cakes, I really enjoy that side that love of baking and enough too. I was always an artist grow- people said, “My goodness, you ing up. I love doing that kind of need to sell this. It’s amazing.” I thing. And I’ve said before, this ¿QDOO\OLVWHQHGWRWKHPDIHZ\HDUV is just kind of artistry with icing. ago, and it’s just grown faster than I enjoy creating those and peo- I thought imaginable. ple seeing them and enjoying them. If there was no such thing as bills, I would probably do it Q: What do you think it takes for a for free. I love watching people person to take baking or cooking, and enjoy it that much. highlight countywide alert systems, personal and fam- ily safety and preparedness including demonstrations and displays. Countywide tsunami maps will be available. Encore Dance Studio to host open house Encore Dance Studio will hold an open house and customer appreciation barbecue to kick off the studio’s 20th anniversa- ry celebration. Festivities take place at 3631 High- way 101 North in Gear- hart, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 4 to 6 p.m. Instructors will be avail- able to answer questions, give studio tours and help students choose classes for the fall. Dancewear will also be available for purchase. Online registra- tion is open now at www. getyoudancing.com. This fall encore is offer- ing more than 70 classes per week in two locations. Classes are available for all ages from 2 1/2 to adult. School bus drop-off and transportation is available from Seaside Heights. For more details, visit www. getyoudancing.com or call 503-717-1637. Q: What are some of your favorite Probably the biggest thing is just doing things outdoors with my family. This is a great place to live to be able to do that kind of stuff. A: I enjoy it all. Some of the spe- the cases — I wanted it to take them back to their childhood. And so far I think we’ve been pretty successful. I get a lot of, “Oh, this reminds me of my grandmother’s house,” or, “Oh, this reminds me of what my aunt used to make.” I get a lot of that, which is what I love. Gearhart to host CERT workshop But we already knew that, didn’t we? Well, at least the rest of the nation knows now. My question is this: Will The New Yorker story make any dif- ference in our urgency to prepare for an event that, geologically speaking, could happen any time? I hope so, because, to be honest, no matter how much we local journalists covered it, our stories never garnered as much attention as this one story has. But what’s going to be inter- esting on a whole other level is the local fallout from the July 28 New Yorker’s follow-up story to Schulz’s original article. Schulz answers several ques- tions that arose following her ini- tial story. This is what she advises tourists: “If you are an out-of-town- er planning to spend a night in the tsunami zone: don’t....Go to the coast by day, for sure. But if you’re staying overnight, book a vacation rental, hotel room or campsite outside the inundation zone.” For the coastal towns that de- pend on overnight visitors, this New Yorker story might portend another, immediate disaster. Nancy McCarthy recently retired as editor of the Seaside Signal and the Cannon Beach Gazette. Her column appears monthly. things to make? Or do you have specialties? Get to know Michael Soprano, the owner of Three Little Birds Bakery, which recently opened a retail store on North Holladay Drive. Soprano originally is from Asheville, N.C., but moved to Seaside in 2006 with his family. He baked and sold custom-made cakes wholesale for about three years before opening his retail store in late June. Q: Do you remember a time where the Tohoku region told the story of how his school, at an elevation of 150 feet, became a shelter for six months. At least 16,000 peo- ple died in the 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami, considered to be the most devastating natural disaster ever to hit Japan. Locally, residents in Seaside, Cannon Beach and Gearhart cre- ated committees and prepared for the Big One. They conduct- ed drills, stored supplies, trained Community Emergency Response Teams and continued to perform myriad other tasks to ensure the public’s safety. State geologists drew new tsunami maps for all of the Oregon coast. And at each step, I and other reporters were there, updating our readers and listeners on the latest developments. Some people paid attention and prepared. Others ignored it. Until The New York- er writer discovered that the west coast faced potential, overwhelm- ing disaster. “When the next full-margin rupture happens,” Schulz wrote, ³WKDW UHJLRQ WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWK west) will suffer the worst natural disaster in the history of North America.” It will kill 13,000 peo- ple and injure another 27,000, she says, citing the Federal Emergen- cy Management Agency’s esti- mates. Shelter will be needed for 1 million people. cialties that, since we’ve been open, have really stood out: my Almond Joy bars, or my version of an Almond Joy bar. Those sell out daily. I can’t make enough. I probably sell about 50 of those per day. I also do a raspber- U\¿OOHG FLQQDPRQ UROO WKDW VHOOV out daily, as well. That was one I actually just tried as a variation on the standard cinnamon roll and it’s become a hit and I have to do them every day now to keep up with demand. Q: You were once involved in the electronics industry. Do you miss it at all? Seaside City Council Meeting, 7 p.m., Seaside City Hall, 989 Broad- way, Seaside, Council Chambers. Sunset Empire Park & Recre- ation District Board Meeting, 5:15 p.m., Bob Chisholm Commu- nity Center, 1225 Ave. A. Thursday, August 13 Monday, Aug. 24 Gearhart Planning Commis- sion, 7 p.m., Gearhart City Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way. Seaside City Council Meeting, 7 p.m., Seaside City Hall, 989 Broad- way, Seaside, Council Chambers. Wednesday, Aug. 19 Tuesday, Sept. 1 Seaside Tourist Advisory Committee, 3 p.m., City Hall, 999 Broadway. A: I do. I have three girls. They’re the “three little birds.” The bak- ery is named partly after them and partly after the Bob Marley song. Q: Have any of your daughters shown an affi nity for baking? A: All of the kids love helping out, especially the taste-testing part. Q: What are some of your favorite outdoor, recreational things to do? A: We do a lot of small road trips. There are too many to mention times that we’ve just said, “Hey, A: Honestly, no. About three we’ve never been down that road. years ago, when I transitioned to Let’s see where it goes.” We do custom cakes, was one of those that a lot with the family. The kids mid-life epiphanies. I realized VHHP WR ORYH LW:H ¿QG D ORW RI that I was good at electronics, neat, interesting, out-of-the-way but I didn’t enjoy it. So it was places that way. Just pack a picnic WLPHWR¿QGVRPHWKLQJ,GLGHQMR\ and pile in the van and just drive. doing. Opening up a bakery here is very hard work. I mean, I fall Q: What is your favorite part of asleep quickly when my head hits Seaside? the pillow. But at least now I fall A: Growing up in the South, I re- asleep with a smile on my face. ally love the Southern hospitality. And here it’s a lot the same, just Q: What sort of things do you like to without the accents. I love the do in your free time? fact that this community is really A: Right now I don’t have much. involved with bettering itself and I do have a family with kids. I everyone here is friendly. It’s re- love spending time with them — ally helped me transition to move doing barbecues, things like that. from the East Coast and not be I enjoy woodworking. As a matter so homesick. I mean, this is my of fact, the cases here, I built my- home now. I really love it here. — Katherine Lacaze self. So I enjoy that kind of thing. PUBLIC MEETINGS Monday, Aug. 10 Q: So you have kids? Seaside Planning Commission, 7 p.m., Seaside City Hall, 989 Broad- way, Seaside, Council Chambers. DEATH July 17, 2015 HALFORD, Nathaniel ‘Nathan’ Bradley, 30, of Sea- side, died in Seaside. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary in Sea- side is in charge of the arrangements. 2I¿FLDOVFHOHEUDWH)RRG%DQNGHEXW The South County Com- munity Food Bank celebrat- ed its successful community driven campaign during an ice-cream social and rib- bon-cutting ceremony July 25 at the food pantry’s new facility on North Roosevelt Drive. The site opened in Janu- ary after volunteers moved equipment and food from the pantry’s temporary loca- tion, at the former Coastal Research & Maintenance building, to the new location, north of the Seaside School District’s bus barn. For more information, visit www.southcountyfood.com. PHOTO SUBMITTED/KATHLEEN PETERSON South County Community Food Bank board member Neal Wallace, right, and Seaside Mayor Don Larson prepare for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. pow ered b y Ro b ert Ca in , LD 45 yea rs of experience FREE C ON SU LTATION • D en tu res for a ll a ges • N ew , pa rtia ls & cu stom d en tu res • D en tu res for im pla n ts • Relin es a n d repa irs D en tu re repa irs don e sa m e da y! Person a l service a n d a tten tion to deta il OPEN W ED N ESD AY & FRID AY 9-4 :3 0 | 5 03 -73 8-7710 m u s ic firs t TW O LO C ATIO N S • SEASID E & HILLSBO RO 74 0 Ave H • Ste 2 • Sea sid e | 23 2 N E Lin co ln • Ste B • Hillsb o ro