October 30, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 9A
Looking for Radio
Shack? It’s called
Kennell’s now
R.J. MARX PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Dan Kennell and Nathaniel Keck of Kennell’s Electronics.
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
When you’re driving
Highway 101 in Seaside
looking for Radio Shack,
you won’t ¿ nd it. That’s be-
cause Radio Shack is gone,
replaced by the longtime
Seaside franchise owners,
Van, Dan and Mary Ken-
nell. While a “formerly Ra-
dio Shack” sandwich board
sits in the driveway, the
Kennells want the commu-
nity to learn their new name,
Kennell’s Electronics.
“People drive around
and they’re looking for Ra-
dio Shack. We want them
to know we have the same
merchandise at lower pric-
es,” Mary Kennell said.
“I’m a native Astorian,
retired teacher, taught 30
years in Warrenton, and we
own a business in Seaside,
so I’m very much a part of
the Clatsop County commu-
nity,” she said.
The Kennells took over
the Seaside Radio Shack
franchise about 10 years
ago. When a corporate re-
structure came about, deal-
ers were offered the chance
to opt-out. A corporate de-
mand to limit franchisees to
Sprint mobile products was
the clincher for the Ken-
nells.
“Our customers are Veri-
zon users,” Kennell said.
About a third of the
private Radio Shack fran-
chisers took similar opt-out
deals.
The Kennells signed up
with STEREN, an interna-
tional electronics wholesal-
er, and continue to sell Veri-
zon plans and products.
The name change was
of¿ cially made June 30.
“After that date we opted
not to sign on with Radio
Shack/Sprint,” she said.
From household name
to a symbol of an industry
whose time had passed,
Kennell said Radio Shack’s
shortcoming was “getting
away from what they did
best.”
“They did too much fo-
cusing on cellphones,” she
said. “They didn’t do what
they did best, the everyday
electronics.”
Kennell’s will continue
to provide Verizon plans
and products.
Kennell said STEREN
provides better value for
customers. “It’s the same
product, but a better deal
for us and the consumer,”
Nancy she said. “Auxiliary
cable, old price because of
high cost from Radio Shack
was $19.99. Now, $9.99.
We’re competitive now be-
cause we’re getting a better
price.”
Kennell’s will also be
able to sell products with
local interest. “For exam-
ple, we have several types
of metal detectors because
tourists come in and they
want to search for treasures
on the beach,” Kennell said.
“Radio Shack would not al-
low that.”
Kennell’s Electronics is
located at 1219 S. Roosevelt
Dr. in Seaside; 503-738-
8836.
‘Wild Edge’ draws
conservancy supporters
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
More than 250 people
celebrated the release of
“The Wild Edge: Free-
doP to 5oaP The 3aci¿ c
Coast” Friday night at the
Red Loft building in Asto-
ria.
The event, sponsored by
the North Coast Land Con-
servancy, honored “heroes
of the coast,” including the
land conservancy’s Katie
Voelke. Proceeds bene-
¿ t NCLC’s conservation
work on the Oregon Coast.
,t was the ¿ rst event
the conservancy has held
in Astoria, Voelke said in
introductory remarks, and
the ¿ rst event to have an
admission fee, in this case,
$10 per person. Funds will
be used to support the con-
servancy’s Coastal Edge
initiative, designed to pro-
tect lands between Tilla-
mook Head and Nehalem
Bay to create a corridor
of ecological connectivity
along the Oregon Coast.
In her opening remarks
to the capacity crowd,
Voelke described having
her “breath taken away” by
natural wonders and wild-
life, describing the head of
a whale as it majestically
dove into water near Can-
non Beach.
“I feel so grateful to be
doing this small work in
this small community that
I live in,” Voelke said. “I
had the humbling experi-
ence of being in this book
as a conservation hero. The
only reason I made it in that
book is because you have
made it possible. All of you
are cultural heroes from
this coast also.”
The gala celebrated
coastal conservation from
Baja to the Arctic, marked
by the release of the land-
mark book “The Wild
Edge: Freedom to Roam
the Paci¿ c Coast,” a pho-
tographic journey from the
deep ocean to the summit
of coastal-fronting moun-
tains. The book is pub-
lished by Braided River
and was available for sale
and signing to bene¿ t the
conservancy.
Images were displayed
as author Bruce Barcott
read portions of his intro-
ductory essay, among a col-
lection by naturalists and
conservationists including
Barcott, Philippe Cousteau,
Exequiel Ezcurra, Bonnie
Henderson, Jon Hoekstra,
and Eric Scigliano.
“The Wild Edge,” cel-
ebrated as the ¿ rst book
on the ocean-based North
American wildlife corri-
dor, describes in words and
photos the “great Paci¿ c
seam of North America
that reveals the great Pacif-
ic seam of North America
from the Baja Peninsula to
the Beaufort Sea of Alaska.
High school ventures into the land
of ‘The Bold, Young and Murdered’
Seaside High School Dra-
ma presents the murder mys-
tery comedy, “The Bold, the
Young, and the Murdered,”
by Don Zolidis. Performances
take place Nov. 6, 7, 12, 13 and
14 at 7 p.m. each night at Sea-
side High School cafetorium.
The setting is the televi-
sion set of the long-running
soap opera, “The Bold and
the Young.” The show is in its
last days and its hunky hero
has self-esteem issues, its vil-
lainous old man is more inter-
ested in soup, and its heroines
are slightly psychopathic. The
executive producer gives the
squabbling cast an ultima-
tum: Complete one episode
overnight or the show dies.
But when the director ends
up murdered, and other cast
members start dropping like
À ies, it seems like his threat
might actually come true.
Can these mis¿ ts discover the
murderer before the show is
literally killed off?
Eight actors play the parts
of eight characters inside the
long-running Soap Opera,
while the other characters are
playing the production team.
In essence, this is a play with-
in a play and the “soap opera”
SUBMITTED PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL
On the set of “The Bold and The Young,” from left to right, sitting is Jake Malone and Joseph
Harkins, kneeling is Bridgette Malone. Standing from left to right: Phoenix Miller, Bekah Cox,
Fiona Bonn, Jack Stapleton, Annie Staff ord, Isabella Curcin, Chloe Kincaid, Ryanne Sunnell,
Ethan Taylor, Kelsi Leer, Sabrina Anderson and Kelsie Crider.
actors are challenged to pres-
ent two distinctly different
characters. It’s a challenge
the students have been hav-
ing a lot of fun with and are
excited to bring to the stage.
The eight soap opera char-
acters are played by Joseph
Harkins, Jack Stapleton,
Jake Malone, Chloe Kincaid,
Bekah Cox, Sabrina Ander-
son, Ethan Taylor, and Fiona
Bonn. The “production crew”
players are Ryanne Sunnell,
Phoenix Miller, Isabella Cur-
cin, Kelsi Leer and Annie
Stafford. The cast is assisted
by Bridgette Malone, Mad-
dy Quicke, Shayla Tsuji and
Kelsie Crider.
Lenore Morrisson directs
and Linda Anderson is pro-
duction manager.
Tickets are $5 general ad-
mission and $3 for Seaside
High School students who
present their ASB card. Tick-
ets are available at the door.
Doors open at 6:30.
“The Bold, The Young,
and The Murdered” is pro-
duced by special arrange-
ment with Playscripts, Inc.
For more information, call
503-738-5586 and ask for
Lenore Morrisson.
5 Minutes with…
Denise Fairweather
Fairweather House & Gallery owner Denise Fairweather talks about the upcoming “Vino
Van Gogh” event, described as a paint and sip experience. The event will be held Friday,
Nov. 6,from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fairweather House & Gallery, 612 Broadway.
KATHERINE LACAZE/SEASIDE SIGNAL
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the
upcoming instructional painting event?
A: This was created by an artist here,
Katherine Taylor. She has a gallery in
Bend and we display her oceanscapes
here. She went through the summer
— which would be their off-season
— and came up with this idea of of-
fering adults a painting experience.
You bring your wine and she gives
you all the products to do a painting
and then we provide a snack. So we’re
hosting it. She did that in Sisters and
had a great response. She contacted
me and said, “Do you have a space
available?” I said, “How many do
you think?” and she said, “Up to 14.”
I asked “How much room do you
need?” She said “I need white walls.”
I said, “Let me think.” I didn’t want to
rent a room, because it loses the ex-
perience of being out on the street or
receiving the vibes of everyone. Then
my landlord offered me an open space
and it’s all white. It’s right around the
corner next to the North Coast Distill-
ing tasting room.
Q: Have you been to one of these types
of these events?
A: No. But we started with the Sea-
side First Saturday Art Walk. The art
walk has been around 11 years. I’ve
been involved with it for 10 years. In
2008 we started events called “Sea-
side Painting Live,” where you come
into the art walk experience and in-
stead of being overwhelmed with the
art, you’re actually seeing an artist
paint. Generally it is a demonstration;
sometimes it’s a quick ¿ nish; some-
times we have had a duel where one
artist was painting with a palette knife
and another artist was painting with a
toothpick. Whenever an artist is paint-
ing, quite a lot of the activity is over in
that area. Many of our artists our edu-
cators who actually have taught paint-
ing and art. Katherine is an educator;
she’s a retired teacher, so she’s versed
in teaching. She was the one I selected
to do this. It’s a debut. We’ve never
done it before, but we’ve heard about
these events where people come in
and paint. And I thought it was clever
for her to name it “Vino Van Gogh.”
Denise Fairweather, owner of Fair-
weather House & Gallery, displays some
artwork from Katherine Taylor, an artist
who will serve as instructor for Vino
Van Gogh, the gallery’s debut wine and
paint night.
each guest.
Q: Tell me a little bit Katherine Taylor.
Q: People have to bring their own
A: This is her portfolio, and she does
wine, correct?
anything from nudes to still life paint-
A: Yes. And they don’t have to drink. ing, old world and landscapes. And
We’re just trying to get them loose, so
they feel comfortable. Most of us re-
member painting or drawing when we
were in second grade, you know, stick
people. So we hope the spirits will
loosen up the artistic abilities, or just
being with friends will loosen up the
painters. It’s a two-hour event. At the
end of the two hours, they will have
a painting to take home. It will be a
complete painting. We’ll hopefully do
a show and tell.
Q: How many people can participate?
some pretty unusual pieces. We elect
to bring in artists that do destination
work.Her choice was, “Do we do a
still life or something else?” And I
said, “You know, in November. It’s
our Paci¿ c À y-away time, when all
the birds are ¿ nishing their migra-
tions. And there’s such a huge event
for birding here.” I said, “Perhaps, we
can do a shorebird.” So she’s giving
people the choice of doing a still life,
which would be a bottle of wine and
a rose and some cherries, or a shore-
bird.
A: We hope to keep it under 10. In Q: How does the instruction work?
the event that we have a waiting list,
we are able to move it into another
weekend. In our gallery we have 14
educators that are ready to do this.
Our thought is to continue it through
spring break, so every month we’ll do
another event. It might be a collage
artist, it might be ¿ ber artist. Who
knows? We want to just open the
doors without someone having to take
a class and being tied to six weeks of
commuting in the off-season weather.
This is a one-night event. A party with
art.
Q: This was planned specifi cally for the
off season?
A: To me, it’s going to be similar to
Bob Ross. She’s going to have a ¿ n-
ished oil painting so people can see
what they’re leaning towards, but we
want it to be improvised. So people
say, “I want a seashell,” or, “I want
a butterÀ y on my wine bottle,” and
we’ll be open to that. Because we’re
going to have fun with it, too.
Q: As a business owner, is your
purpose in bringing these types of
experiences to promote Seaside, the
Gilbert District or art?
A: I think it’s all of them. Mostly it’s
art. I think we live in a “coast land.”
A: Yes. I don’t think we could handle As one artist says, we live in paradise.
it during the high season, and that was
Katherine’s statement; because it’s a
wild card, what’s going on. She said
this gives her one-on-one time with
So many of the artists paint that and
the patrons purchase that art. This
brings it closer, that they can create it
themselves.
Head Start gets a hand from Seaside Elks
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Seaside Elks members recently assisted Head Start with vision and hearing
testing. Pictured, from left, Linda Morlan, holding a Plus Optics Vision
Screener, Jeannie Moorhead, Anne Cook, Jeannie Uzelac and Raedetta
Castle.
On Oct. 12, Seaside Elk members as-
sisted with the eye screening of Seaside
Head Start students, when almost 50
children ages 3 to 5 were screened for
eye problems. Any child showing a need
for further testing is being referred to the
Elks Children’s Eye Clinic. An infrared
camera, the Plus Optics Vision Screener is
used to test for problems including “lazy
eye.”
Elks volunteers also tested the hearing
of the young children using the Pilot Au-
diometer, purchased by Seaside Elks and
donated to Head Start. The donation was
made possible by an Elks National Foun-
dation grant.
On Oct. 14, Elks volunteers barbe-
cued hot dogs and hamburgers during the
Seaside Head Start Block Party. The free
event was open to all as a celebration of 50
Years of Head Start.
For information about other communi-
ty projects or membership, call 503-738-
6651 or email seasideelks@yahoo.com.