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12A March 4, 2016 Seaside Signal seasidesignal.com Onward to Miss Oregon Contestants take the stage at Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Program By Katherine Lacaze Seaside Signal Five contestants will ad- vance to the state stage after winning titles at the Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Program Saturday, Feb. 20, in Seaside. Ryen Buys of Seaside won the Miss Clatsop County crown and Tess Rund of Asto- ria is Miss North Coast. Pageant weekend started Friday night with a bene¿t dinner, which was a chance for the 20 contestants to relax and “have some fun” with fami- ly and friends before starting competition in full force, pro- gram Director Sandy Newman said. The dinner, attended by about 200 people, also raised money for scholarships. The contestants gave two-minute speeches on their platforms. Interviews in front of judg- ing panels were held Saturday afternoon, ahead of the main event that evening. During the pageant, the contestants competed in various catego- ries, such as formal wear and talent. About 700 people attend- ed the event, which normally sells out at 500. This year, “I have added 250 (seats) because of the number of contestants and the caliber of the contestants,” Newman said. The pageant is the prelim- inary competition of the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program and is part of the Miss Ameri- ca Organization. For 13-year-old Taryn Miller, of Scappoose, who won Miss Columbia-Paci¿c¶s Outstanding Teen, the oppor- tunity to compete in Clatsop County was a pleasure, as Co- lumbia County does not have its own pageant. “I¶m super happy I can compete here,” she said. Miller said she enjoys the whole pageant experience, from gaining con¿dence to be interviewed by several adults to making friendships with the other girls that endure be- yond the end of the night. Most importantly, the pag- eant is an opportunity for her to promote her platform, “Lu- pus — Raising Awareness.” Miller¶s mother has the auto- immune disease. “I just want everyone to know what lupus is,” she said. “It¶s not curable, so by spread- ing awareness and other peo- ple helping out, I¶m hoping we will ¿nd a cure later on.” The winners are … The three girls from out of county competing in the teen pageant were eligible to win the Miss North Coast¶s Out- standing Teen and Miss Co- lumbia-Paci¿c¶s Outstanding Teen titles, but not the Miss Clatsop County¶s Outstanding Teen title, which was reserved for Clatsop girls and won by Caitlin Hillman, 13, of Gear- hart. JOSHUA BESSEX/EO MEDIA GROUP Ryen Buys walks out into the spotlight after being crowned Miss Clatsop County 2016 at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. JOSHUA BESSEX/EO MEDIA GROUP Miss North Coast Tess Rund is crowned at the Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Program. Teen contestant Isabella Clement performs during the talent competition at the Miss Clatsop County Scholar- ship Program. Nikkole Sasso, 14, of As- toria, won Miss North Coast¶s Outstanding Teen. Sasso started in the non- competitive Princess program when she was 5 years old. This was her second year competing in the program at the teen level. She enjoyed the interview process and “learn- ing more about myself and ¿g- uring out that what I¶m saying, people want to hear,” she said. Hospital for Children: The Importance of Diagnosing Scoliosis.” The Miss North Coast title was won by Rund, 21, of As- toria, who attends the Univer- sity of Oregon. Her platform is “The Ideal Body is Your Own.” Of the 20 contestants competing for the Miss or Outstanding Teen titles at the pageant, nine started in JEFF TER HAR/FOR EO MEDIA GROUP Sasso not only promotes her platform, the “Astoria Wishing Tree Program,” but also volunteers with it, as well. “It de¿nitely helps get across the point if you¶re very active with (your platform),” she said. Buys, 17, of Seaside, won Miss Clatsop County. Buys, a senior at Seaside High School, did a cheer routine for her tal- ent; her platform is “Shriners the Princess program. Miss Clatsop County Scholarship program is about mentorship, said Newman, who started volunteering with the pro- gram in 2000. Just as the con- testants are required to have a personal platform, she said her own “personal platform is mentoring to young wom- en and the future leaders of tomorrow through the Miss American Organization.” The teenagers and young women who competed in Clatsop County this year are “just a great group of girls,” according to Newman. From the start, they have been prompt, engaged and dedi- cated. Yet Newman has seen growth and development in con¿dence and skills, as well, she said. “For those lucky few who actually win a title and do a year of this, the growth is in- credible,” she added. With the ¿eld of coun- ty representatives narrowed from 20 to ¿ve girls, Newman and others now will help the contestants prepare to take the stage at the Miss Oregon Scholarship pageant this sum- mer at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. Playing safe at the beach Be beach smart. Even though the beach is fun, you need to play safe. The Oregon Coast is a great place to visit. Whether you are looking for seashells, building sand castles or exploring tide pools, the beach can be a lot of fun. Remember, the ocean has dangerous waves, logs, rocks and cliffs. Talk to your family and friends about how to play safe on the beach. Beware of rip currents. Rip currents are strong currents of water that rush out to sea. They can form on any beach that has breaking waves. If you look closely, you can see a rip current. It will have dark muddy water and be very choppy. You might see foam and other debris floating out to sea. If you see a rip current, stay away! They are very dangerous. If you are ever caught in a rip current, don’t panic. Try to relax and swim parallel to the beach. Don’t try to fight the current. If you have trouble swimming, tread water and call for help. Parents: Be sure always to watch your children closely when they are playing in and around water. Don’t climb on drift logs. Logs on wet sand or in the water are especially dangerous. The ocean is strong enough to pick up even the biggest log and drop it on top of you. If you see a log on wet sand, stay off of it. Be aware of incoming tides. Tide pools can be so interesting that you might lose track of time. Make sure you know when the tide is coming in so that you don’t get stranded. Free tide tables, available at state park offices, information centers and many shops and motels, list the times of high and low tides. Be careful on cliffs and rocks. Ocean spray and heavy rains can make rocks and trails slippery and unsafe. Stay on marked trails and behind all fences. They are there for your safety. When hiking, make sure you wear the right type of shoes. Stay away from cliff edges. Don’t stand under overhanging cliffs, which can be dangerous. Beware of sneaker waves. Watch out for “sneaker waves.” These are waves that appear suddenly and are unusually large. They rush up on the shore with enough force to knock you down and drag you out to sea. Keep your eyes on the ocean. Understand tsunamis. There are two types of tsunami warnings that you need to be aware of: a distant event and a local event. With a distant event, you will be alerted by sirens located throughout the city. Proceed by foot and follow the posted evacuation route signs to higher ground. With a local event, you will feel a powerful earthquake. Take immediate cover until the earthquake subsides, then go immediately to higher ground on foot, following the posted evacuation routes. Know who to call when you need help. In an emergency, call 911. • Providence Seaside Hospital 725 S. Wahanna Road, Seaside, OR 97138 503-717-7000 • Providence Medical Group-Seaside with walk-in availability 727 S. Wahanna Road, Seaside, OR 97138 503-717-7060 • Providence Medical Group-Cannon Beach with walk-in availability 171 N. Larch, Suite 16, Cannon Beach, OR 97110 503-717-7400 • Providence Medical Group-Warrenton with walk-in availability 171 S. Highway 101, Warrenton, OR 97146 503-861-6500 For Providence Medical Group appointments or to check walk-in availability, call the nearest north coast clinic listed above. Providence.org/northcoast