6A March 18, 2016 Seaside Signal seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Oregon’s RepuElican Party
discovers the way to µpivot’
Come as you
are, no matter
the occasion
T
hen I was at the Eeauty shop one
Saturday, Kathy’s son Ed Tomlin,
who is a trucker in the east, had
told her aEout the pile up of 5 cars in the
Philadelphia area. It was kind of dpMj vu to
actually
see it later
on the
SCENE & HEARD
news.
CLAIRE LOVELL
Though
we often
yowl
aEout our
weather, we live in a Eanana Eelt compared to
some regions of the country.
We drove through Lewis and Clark
recently to revisit farm country. +omes,
which used to Ee thriving, are Eurned out or
Eroken down. I recogni]ed one place where
my friend Evelyn Redkey and I used to go
with her father Duncan Stewart to Euy eggs. I
was glad when the lady’s voice on Jeff’s GPS
spoke of Wahanna Road and rhymed it with
Eandanna in the proper way. RegrettaEly, a
lot of people have taken to the mispronunci-
ation.
Sometimes I can’t make it to the phone
Eefore it cuts off. On one of those occasions,
daughter RoEin thought I might Ee in trouEle
and called the police for a welfare check.
Two of¿ cers came to the door at 3 p.m.
when I don’t usually answer it. In look-
ing Eack, I Eelieve one of them was Jason
Goodding Eecause of the friendly smile I
rememEer. Both men were so personaEle and
reassuring. I felt safer. We have a great police
department. Jason Goodding was one of our
¿ nest and those who protect us everywhere
deserve our honor, respect and loyalty.
One thing Eesides death and taxes that is
certain is that over the years fashions will
change. I can rememEer Eack in the day when
women wouldn’t go to church or to a social
function without wearing a hat and gloves.
Today, it seems more like come as you are.
+eck, it’s Eeen a long time even, since I put
Vaseline on my patent leather slippers. One
custom I don’t like is that many professional
guys on TV have adopted a too casual open
shirt for all their appearances. $s usual, I’m
proEaEly alone in oEMecting.
I was really disappointed to learn that the
annual Kiwanis Pancake Feed had already
Eeen and gone. +ow come we didn’t know
aEout it" It’s something I’ve looked forward
to every year. When Mayor Joyce Williams
and +erE Schlappi were vying for ticket
sales a long time ago, we knew weeks ahead
when it was coming. $h, well, I shouldn’t eat
pancakes anyway.
W
here’s the “N” word again. “New
York.”
I was hanging out at lunchtime
at the convention center Saturday.
The Dorchester Conference was
meeting for the 52 nd time, most of those in
Seaside.
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
In a disSlay area ¿ lled with candidates
and causes, we sidled over to the National
5iÀ e $ssociation Eooth. 8nfortunately,
the N5$ gals couldn’t sSeak on the record
Eecause only the national organi]ation is
authori]ed to communicate with the Sress.
Shoot.
:e steSSed uS to 8.S. Senate candidate
0ark Callahan’s taEle. +e was standing
alone while participants in the main area
were eating turkey sandwiches, tangelos and
chocolate chip cookies.
Originally from Eugene and now residing
in East Portland, Callahan calls himself a
“cando person” and a “trouEleshooter.”
+e was one of the 5epuElicans 2 pri
mary seeking to challenge Jeff Merkley.
During that election, he called out
free-wheeling alt-press reporter Nigel Jaquiss
for writing “Elah, Elah, Elah” on a notepad
during a candidate interview with the Willa-
mette Week.
Callahan told Fox News he took the
conservative ¿ ght “directly to the heart of
Portland’s liEeral media estaElishment.”
Callahan is continuing the ¿ ght, Eack
among the four 5epuElican 8.S. Senate
candidates (along with Sam Carpenter, Dan
/aschoEer and Faye Stewart vying for Sen.
5on Wyden’s seat. Wyden’s Eeen in the
Senate 35 years and “spends most of his time
in New York,” Callahan said.
We heard that Wyden had a place in Gear-
hart. Gearhart residents are proud of it. +e’s
got a place in Portland, too. +is wife Nancy,
whom he married in 25, has a place in
New York. That’s where she’s from. +er
family owns the city’s most famous Eook-
store, The Strand.
But those words — “New York” — are
anathema to some 5epuElicans, despite it
Eeing the Eirthplace of one Donald Trump.
Just like Portland. “Keep Portland weird,”
is the cry. Just keep it in Portland.
When we asked Callahan if he was a
social, political or economic conservative, he
said “$ll of the aEove.”
Sam Carpenter of Bend makes Callahan
look like +arry 5eid.
“I’m kind of a Constitutional guy,” Car-
penter said at the Signal of¿ ce last Friday.
“I’m a limited government, grassroots kind
of guy.”
Carpenter said he likes to go Eack to the
“original documentation,” the 8.S. Consti-
tution.
“I’m a Eusinessman, and most Eusinesses
don’t have documentation,” Carpenter said.
“Try to keep it simple. Things have gotten
too complex.”
“Government’s in our face everywhere,”
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
The NRA maintained a presence at the Dorchester Confer-
ence.
Carpenter said. “People can’t move side-
ways. It’s the sea lions on the Coast, wolves
over here. … I’d like to see the federal
government pull out their tentacles from the
poor ¿ shermen.”
Faye Stewart’s campaign stresses a
“common sense reform agenda” to promote
individual freedoms, expand economic
opportunity and protect $merican security at
home and aEroad.
Fifth Congressional District candidate
Seth $llan, whose motto is “Send a conser-
vative to D.C.,” urges a “steadfast defense of
religious liEerty.”
We liked Tom Simpson, the president of
this year’s Dorchester Conference. We could
almost hark Eack to the halcyon days of BoE
Packwood, Mark +at¿ eld and Gov. Tom Mc-
Call, all Oregon 5epuElicans, in an era when
the GOP owned the state. It was McCall, a
5epuElican, who fought to keep the Eeaches
... puElic.
‘I’d like to see the
federal government pull
out their tentacles from
the poor fishermen.’
Sam Carpenter, U.S. Senate primary candidate
Dorchester keynote speaker Tucker Carl-
son of Fox News provided insight, Simpson
told us.
“Carlson was faEulous,” Simpson said.
“+e really unpacked Donald Trump and
Bernie Sanders.”
Trump and Sanders are tapping into the
same emotions, Simpson said, descriEing
Carlson’s message. “There’s an underlying
anger people get Eehind at the estaElishment.
I think that’s the same on the left as on the
right.”
“It used to Ee the 5epuElicans who were
the superrich,” Simpson added. “Now, the
Democrats are the superrich, and the poor.”
The poor, he said, are Democrats Eecause
they Eene¿ t from federal policies.
On the 5epuElican side, “it’s sort of a Eig
mess,” Simpson said. “You have the 5epuE-
lican elite who are completely out of touch
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Dorchester President Tom
Simpson.
with the people, and they’re not only out of
touch Eut they’re saying different things.”
Trump’s success is the candidate’s aEility
to “pivot on his positions.”
“+e’s a negotiator, so he pivots on his
positions pretty regularly,” Simpson said.
“+e doesn’t say, µThis is the way going to Ee
and I’ll send you Eack in the corner.’ +e’ll
pivot off that and say µYou’ll like this way
Eetter.’ So you think of Trump as a nego-
tiator instead of as a politician. That kind
of explains why you can’t nail him down.
+e’s Must trying to ¿ nd a place he can get to
agreement.”
In Dorchester’s straw poll, John Kasich of
Ohio, considered the most moderate of GOP
presidential candidates, was the Eig winner
with votes. Trump came in third with 33.
Nationwide, the divide Eetween left and
right is getting wider and the differences
more extreme. Yet at Dorchester, the con-
versation ultimately represented a degree of
moderation. The Daily $storian’s Edward
Stratton wrote, “Even +illary Clinton and
Bernie Sanders managed three votes Eetween
them.”
If national races remain competitive, Or-
egon could Ee among deciding Eattleground
states for the national primaries on May .
I think Carlson and Simpson are right.
The GOP is at a crisis Eetween elites and
grassroots. Between ranchers and Eankers.
Between Constitutionalists and neocons.
Between Portland money and rural poverty,
high-tech versus vanishing manufacturing.
Mitt Romney in contrast to Sarah Palin.
George +. Bush could get elected as an Ivy
Leaguer from Connecticut. George W. Bush
had to move to Texas to win. The “liEeral
media estaElishment” pivots to “fair and
Ealanced” to win ratings.
“Pivoting” in this election year will Ee
no easy strategy for memEers of the GOP
seeking good governance in our state.
$nother New Yorker, Joe Franklin, was a
pioneering radio and TV talk-show host for
decades. +e was what they call a “schmoo]-
er,” someone who co]ies up to someone
— anyone — and wins them over with a
friendly word, a clap on the Eack, praise for
their kids and grandkids.
“Sincerity,” he used to say, “Once you can
fake that, you’ve got it made.”
Trump and Franklin were pretty good
friends.
Laugh Lines
$ woman went to the hospital with a heart
attack and woke up in heaven. It’s not your
time yet, God told her. This is an out of Eody
case and you’re going to live 2 years longer.
Well, thought the woman. Since I’m living
longer and am already in the hospital, I’ll
have a few things done. She had a tummy
tuck, facelift and lipo suction. $s she left the
hospital, she was struck Ey an amEulance and
died. In heaven she protested to God.
“Why am I here" You said I had 2 more
years to live.”
God answered: “I’m sorry, I didn’t recog-
ni]e you” — courtesy of John Hagee
$ time of dance cluEs, skating rinks and card parties
Life in Seaside faced big
changes during World War I
When World War I started in
Europe, Seaside seemed very much
removed from war. In fact, life
continued as normal here in our
little coastal town for the next few
years from -. The city
council of that time was primarily
focused on street improvements and
sewer development for the city. $ll
of the local civic groups and cluEs
(of which there were many, at least
eight or were having their usual
parties and regular meetings.
Every summer for three months
the vacationers would descend
from Portland and Seaside would
Ee a hopping place with places
to go including a skating rink,
natatorium, dance cluE, and card
parties going on weekly Eoth at the
puElic restroomliErary and Catholic
Church. The Seaside LiErary at that
time was a reading room located
in the puElic Eathrooms in town.
The Civic cluE which instituted
the liErary and restroom, met at the
restrooms monthly and the Seaside
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER MOBERG
Women’s cluE also held weekly card
or other events at the restroom. Of-
ten a dollar of the amount raised at
these events would go to support the
liErary and restroom. Clara Gilman
was one memEer of the women’s
cluE who was often called on for
“literary” readings. Later she would
have the distinction of Eeing the ¿ rst
liErarian on record in Seaside, hired
in Ey the city council.
Some of the more unusual
cluEs in seaside during the ’s
included the $ngler’s cluE (which
supported local commercial ¿ sh-
ing as well as sport ¿ shing, the
canal cluE, which was working
on creating a canal from Gearhart
to Warrenton, and the hiking cluE
which was formed Ey young people
for the purpose of getting together
and hiking around Seaside. There
was also a regular Dahlia Fair and
parade, an annual event put on since
ADVERTISING
MANAGER
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Steve Forrester
R.J. Marx
that included a day long À ower
show and a parade of children with
small À oats or Eikes. In 5 at
least three new groups and cluEs
were formed including a Com-
mercial CluE which was formed to
help improve and promote Eusiness
endeavors in Seaside. Many of the
people living in Seaside were mem-
Eers of multiple cluEs and the front
page of the Seaside Signal was ¿ lled
each week with activities and events
Ey the socialites of Seaside along
with the capturing of Elack Eears
and cars getting stuck in the sand on
the Eeach.
$t the end of 5, a reading
room and recreation room was
created in City +all for the Seaside
volunteer ¿ re department. It was
thought that with the renewed inter-
est in ¿ re¿ ghting, having a place of
recreation and reading “in the long
winter months” would help recruit
younger men to Moin the volunteers
who fought ¿ res for the city. Their
goal was to make the Seaside ¿ re
department the “Eest volunteer
company on the Paci¿ c Coast.”
With this addition, there were now
two reading rooms or tiny liEraries
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Betty Smith
John D. Bruijn
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
SYSTEMS MANAGER
Heather
Ramsdell
ADVERTISING SALES
Claire Lovell
Jon Rahl
Esther Moberg
Katherine Lacaze
Eve Marx
Carl Earl
Laura Kaim
Brandy Stewart
SUBMITTED PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL
In the beginning the library was open to civic club members only.
in Seaside. One required a small
memEership fee and the other was
for volunteer ¿ re¿ ghters.
$s I reÀ ect Eack on the humEle
Eeginnings of the Seaside PuElic Li-
Erary, I can’t help Eut see the similar
patterns of culture and industry that
Seaside Signal
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Seaside, OR 97138.
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continue to mark Seaside today. $
lot has changed, including the si]e
of the Seaside LiErary, Eut here in
Seaside, we still enMoy a good party
and a good Eook
+istorical information courtesy
of the Seaside Signal.
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