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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2016)
January 8, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Change in 2015 creates new opportunities in Seaside appy 1ew <ear, Seaside Many of us will, or have already, set resolutions for the upcoming year. I’m not much into it personally, but what has become commonplace for me is this ¿ rst column of the year. For the ¿ fth straight -anuary, I’ll take a “look back and look ahead.´ It’s a perfect time of year to reÀ ect on the past and look forward to the future, so without further ado, let’s do just that with Seaside tourism. Let’s take a look back at 2015. H Visitors Bureau changes Change can be dif¿ cult, but it can also be exciting and help cre- ate new opportunities. Through- out 2015, we experienced a bit of both. In May, we hired Port- land-based MEDIAmerica as the publisher of our annual vis- itor guide (set for release in ear- ly February). One feature of the new guide will be an all new look shaped by the rebranding proj- ect we kicked off in September. Weather and events SIDE RAIL JOHN RAHL We spent the fall working on that project and capped it off by hiring a new web developer in early De- cember. When it comes to creative marketing development, this year was a blast. Video explosion The use of video continues to get more engagement than most anything posted on social media these days. We experienced great success with a kayaking video (announcing the new ADA launch at Broadway Park) in March and subsequent videos — including a storm video posted in December that reached more than 113,000 people organically were staples for a good chunk of promotion we did in 2015. Who could have predicted the crazy things that happened with weather and events in 2015? From very little rain, to sun-drenched skies, many people will tell you it felt like we didn’t have a winter on the coast this past year. They might be right. It probably wasn’t a surprise that we closed out the year with record rainfall in De- cember. Sandwiched in between the dry and wet weather was a freak power outage on the Fourth of -uly and a bizarre August wind- storm during Hood to Coast that halted the annual race festivities on the Seaside Beach. Through it all, residents, employees and visi- tors weathered it in a way that can only be described as another great year in Seaside tourism. Incorporating visitors bureau changes The changes mentioned above were just the beginning for what lies ahead. The great part about the development of all this new creative is the unveiling that will come with it. We’ll launch the ¿ rst part of our new website by late -anuary and our 201 9isitor Guide will hit the street the ¿ rst week of February. Throughout early 201 we’ll be incorporat- ing new advertising creative and making sure all of our communi- cation assets align with our new brand. Preparedness becomes more commonplace The city of Seaside and the 9isitors Bureau helped launch a hotel keycard program, raising awareness about earthquakes and tsunamis in late 2014/early 2015, that started to catch on a bit this past year. The state of Oregon has since launched a hospitality program for preparedness and I see it be- coming a topic that is easier for people to talk about and subse- quently prepare themselves ac- cordingly. Convention Center expansion This was a hot topic in 2015, but due to its magnitude, it bears re- peating for 201. In the late 10s and early 10s, Seaside city lead- ers made a controversial decision to build a convention center in town. It wasn’t always the most popular idea, but can we imagine our community without it today, 45 years later? Sometime later this year, city leaders will decide whether or not an expansion of the current 22,000-foot facility makes sense for future generations. Have a thought or a question about tourism in Seaside, or may- be an idea for a future column? Drop me an email at jrahl@ cityofseaside.us. Jon Rahl is the director of tourism for the Sea- side Visitors Bureau and assistant general manager of the Seaside Civic & Convention Center. Writer believes Pacifi c Northwest has stories to tell Entrepreneur makes a home in Gearhart By Katherine Lacaze Seaside Signal GEARHART — Entre- preneur and writer Gideon For-mukwai was a bit un- certain when he moved from Singapore to Gearhart in late August, but over the months, he became intrigued by the stories to be told of sailors, shipwrecks, indigenous peo- ple and other local interests. “I’m very fascinated by the 3aci¿ c 1orthwest,´ he said. “Cape Disappointment, the Graveyard of the 3aci¿ c — all these things are new to me, and they’re very, very in- triguing to me.´ He moved to Clatsop County because of his wife, Dr. Pamela Soh, who works as a pharmacist at Providence Seaside Hospital. For-mukwai, founder of Business Storytelling Acade- my, is a native of Cameroon, OUR NEW NEIGHBORS HIGHLIGHTING PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE COMMUNITY He speaks several languages, including his mother tongue, a Bantu language; French; English; and some Mandarin, Malay and German. He’s also learning Spanish. Writing craft Africa. From humble begin- nings, he used the power of storytelling to plot a journey that took him to undergrad- uate school in South Africa, to Singapore for specialized studies, to Reno, 1evada, for a master’s degree in new me- dia journalism and then back to Singapore . For-mukwai has visited at least 20 states and 18 countries as “a story- telling warrior,´ or “someone that helps businesses to ¿ ght business wars using the pow- er of stories,´ he said. He started a different ver- sion of his company while in Singapore the ¿ rst time. :hen he moved to 1evada for graduate school, he kept the same concept but changed the name to Business Sto- rytelling Academy and the company evolved. Struggling with job prospects in 1evada, he moved back to Singapore, where he became a resident. Even now, about 40 percent of his company’s operations remain in the Asian country. He uses coaching, writing and training to help busi- nesses craft engaging and audience-friendly stories for different forms of communi- cation. His goal is to help em- ployers engage employees; help employers engage busi- ness prospects, customers and stakeholders; and help employers engage the com- munity for public relations campaigns . Sometimes he will be a keynote speaker or lead work- shops at conferences and business training seminars. While he is willing to help write stories for others as part of his job, he also enjoys writing for himself. For-muk- wai’s interest in writing was sparked as a young teenager after reading Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.´ “That book inspired me so much,´ he said. “I felt like Tom was my brother from a different mother.´ In addition to enjoying others’ tales, he decided to write his own. His ¿ rst pub- lished work was an autobi- ographical book titled “Fac- ing Adversity with Audacity.´ It was published in 2008. In May this year, he published a second book, titled “The Science of Storytelling: How Win the Hearts and Minds of <our Prospects for Pro¿ t.´ They found happiness in the city of their dreams A new move and a career transition By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal For Chris and Alexa An- derson, the chance to relo- cate to Seaside seemed like a dream come true. Chris was offered a chance to con- tinue his 15-year career as an insurance adjuster in a city they both had fallen in love with. They purchased a condo in Seaside, loaded up the truck and moved from Lo- gan, Utah, in February 2014. All ready to start his new job here, corporate head- quarters threw him a cur- veball. “They said, ‘Chris, we’ve just moved our ¿ eld jobs in-house. You can ei- ther move to Des Moines or Columbus.’´ Today, he sees it as a blessing in disguise. “I wasn’t shocked, but I was hurt,´ Chris said. “They could have handled it a whole lot better.´ In love with the Oregon coast, Chris decided to stay. It was the right decision. He soon forged a new career as a property manager and real estate broker. Alexa, who ran a salon in their former home of Logan, Utah, found a new role at Shear Pleasures in the Gilbert Building, where she is now cutting hair (full disclosure: including this re- porter’s.) Paige Anderson, 1, at- tends Seaside High School, and Michael, 18, attends Astoria High School. A vi- olist, pianist and composer, Michael plans to attend mu- sic school after graduation. Paige sings in the choir and recently performed in the school’s ’80s musical. R.J. MARX PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL Alexa and Chris Anderson relocated to Seaside from Logan, Utah. Alexa was a stylist and salon owner in Utah, but after 20 years, was ready to retire the scissors. In Seaside, she went for a manicure at Shear Plea- sures, happened to mention her prior experience and promptly received an invite to cut hair in Seaside. “If you ever want to know anything about where you’re living, cut hair,´ Al- exa said. “Sometimes wom- en can get catty, but not in this shop.´ She now cuts hair four hours a day, four or ¿ ve days a week. Alexa loves the “whole feel´ of Seaside. “It’s magical,´ she said. The Andersons ¿ rst visit- ed the coast in 2012, when they drove from Seattle to San Francisco. “One of the places we stopped was Sea- side,´ he said. “We pitched a tent at Fort Stevens. The ¿ rst day, we drove down the Promenade. We said, ‘We love this place’ I still have the map, I circled it.´ “Everyone was happy here,´ Alexa added. They took a second trip in September 2013, drawn by ¿ shing, the ocean, restaurants, golf and shops. That tipped their decision to make the move. Members of the Church of -esus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, they found a small but welcoming community in Seaside. “There are a lot of good friends you have with the church,´ Chris said. “I can’t think of anyone I don’t like.´ They share the church’s commitment to volunteer- ism and community, Alexa added, volunteering with the homeless shelter, beach cleanup, Seaside Kids, and always ready to help a neighbor in need. “We’re very happy to be here,´ Chris said. “We’re amazed at the sense of com- munity. You go into the con- venience store next door, and they say, ‘Oh, you’re here for your Grape Crush.’ They know what you want.´ KATHERINE LACAZE PHOTO /SEASIDE SIGNAL Author Gideon For-muk wai Since moving to Gearhart to be with his wife, who has lived in Oregon several years, For-mukwai has felt mixed emotions. “My ¿ rst impression was positive, especially the fact that it wasn’t too crowded,´ he said. “But I was very un- certain and worried the long rains . The fact that most of the day is cloudy, would take a toll on me.´ He still feels that way at times, but he tries to not let it bother him and to continue with his meetings and activi- ties as usual. “I’m liking it now, so I think I will like it even more over time, especially as summer comes,´ he said. He looks forward to kay- aking and continuing his hobby of running outdoors along trails. He said there are times he misses Singa- pore — “especially when it gets too cold´ — and he will travel back there every couple of months for work. He especially is excited to learn the history of the Paci¿ c 1orthwest. He loves visiting places like Cape Disappointment and reading about the area’s indigenous people and the early sailors and explorers who visited. He plans to interview area residents, including native people and ¿ shermen, to capture and share stories of the Paci¿ c 1orthwest. “This is a new chapter that allows me to interview people that live in this area, ¿ nd out what they do, and I think that will end up in a book,´ he said. Meanwhile, he will use the stories he gathers here to keep his clients and blog followers aware of what he is doing . BUSINESS DIRECTORY F LOORING Randall Lee’s 2/3 of Showroom ALWAYS ON SALE! Window Treatments, Fabric, Wallpaper, Flooring and Interior Design 2311 N. Roosevelt Dr., Seaside, OR 97138 • 503-738-5729 rlfl ooring @ yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756 Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding L ANDSCAPING Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix Soil Amendments YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no Scotch Broom) 503-717-1454 34154 HIGHWAY 26 SEASIDE, OR Laurelwood Farm C ONSTRUCTION B OB M C E WAN C ONSTRUCTION , INC . E XCAVATION • U NDERGROUND U TIITIES R OAD W ORK • F ILL M ATERIAL S ITE P REPARATION • R OCK OWNED AND OPERATED BY M IKE AND C ELINE M C E WAN 503-738-3569 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR S ERVING THE P ACIFIC N ORTHWEST S INCE 1956 • CC48302 102.3 fm The On-Air Radio Auction is January 23rd, 9am to 1pm the Classic Rock Station BUSINESS DIRECTORY
