Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2016)
10A • April 1, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com Ghostly gathering comes to Seaside Occult fans bring conference to Seaside By Eve Marx For Seaside Signal You don’t have to be a be- liever in spooks and spirits to enjoy the Oregon Ghost Conference, coming to the Seaside Civic and Convention Center April 1-3. 7he event, noZ in its ¿fth year, got its start in Oregon City, but grew so large, its or- ganizer, Rocky Smith, had to secure a bigger venue. It didn’t hurt that Seaside had a rich occult history. Seaside, Smith allowed, is known to be haunted. “For the past year I’ve been researching Seaside,” he said. “There are a couple of places people talk about being haunt- ed. I had to weed through the old stories to ¿nd out what’s accurate. After talking to vari- ous business owners and com- ing back here for research a few times, I’ve learned some new ghostly stories.” There’s a strong connec- tion between Oregon City and Seaside, through the industri- alist and larger-than-life char- acter Ben Holladay, Smith said. Smith is a local historian and paranormal investigator, featured on local radio and television. In 2006 he com- bined his love of history and knowledge of the paranormal founding Northwest Ghost Tours offering paranormal tours in Oregon City and Port- land. “Oregon City has a lot of the Oregon Trail and it was the ¿rst capital in the state of Oregon,” Smith said. “I grew up there learning the local his- tory; I worked at the local mu- seums, which were in historic houses.” Smith worked at Ermating- er House, built by Francis Er- matinger in 1845, the oldest house in Clackamas County. “I believe the City of Portland was named there,” Smith said. Numerous stories are as- sociated with that house, he said. One is about a little girl who loved ribbons. Her spir- JOHN DUDLEY/SEASIDE SIGNAL An injured male bald eagle looks forlorn and droopy on a small log after a fight with another eagle Friday, March 18, in Gearhart. SUBMITTED PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL Vendors at the 2015 Oregon Ghost Conference. it is believed to still be in the house. People visiting ¿nd lit- tle pieces of ribbon hidden in various places. Smith leads ghost tours in Oregon City, which he has been doing for about 15 years. Through his involvement, he met different paranormal groups and took part in sever- al events around the Portland area, smaller conferences and conventions. “This tour started in 2012 and I did it for four years in Oregon City,” he said. “I re- ally didn’t want to move it. Then the Seaside Convention Center approached me, asking if we’d like to move our con- vention to Seaside. So this is our new home.” General admission is $5, which affords access to the vendor area and all confer- ence speakers and panel pre- sentations throughout the weekend. Conference speakers will delve into the scienti¿c study of paranormal phenomenon; past lives; what it’s like to live in a haunted house, and more. Celebrated speakers from pre- vious conferences include Jay Verburg from the SyFy show, “Ghost Mine,” animal com- municator Karen Anderson; Aaron Collins of “Paranor- mal Crossings,” and Nicole Strickland from the San Diego Paranormal Research Society. Eagle dies after attack by mating rival Despite efforts, rescuers can’t save injured bird By Lyra Fontaine and R.J. Marx Seaside Signal SUBMITTED PHOTO Conference Director Rocky Smith leads a ghost tour. Ghost hunters The 2016 Oregon Ghost Conference, presented by PartyLite by Tina Ford, is the Northwest’s largest para- normal convention. Featuring guest speakers, authors, and paranormal investigators from throughout the West, special events include ghost tours, main stage entertainment, paranormal investigations, classes, live radio shows, social events, and more. For more information about the conference, visit oregonghost- conference.com. A bald eagle injured in a ¿ght with another eagle did not survive the weekend. The ¿ght, possibly over a mate, took place at Gear- hart’s Necanicum Estuary Friday morning, March 18. “Sadly, the eagle didn’t make it through his ¿rst night with us,” Josh Saran- paa, director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast said Saturday. At about 11:30 a.m. Friday, Gearhart resident John Dudley was washing the windows of his Little Beach home when neighbor Brian Fennerty called out, “Are you watch- ing this?” Dudley, a photographer, followed Fennerty toward the shore where two adult eagles were brawling. “One was attacking the other on the ground,” Dudley said. The ¿ght began in the shallow water of the chan- nel, he said. The injured ea- gle attempted to ¿nd safety on the sand, but the attack continued. When Fennerty and Dudley approached, the attacking bird “peeled off and left the other one,” Dudley said. The injured eagle “really looked in bad shape.” Through binoculars and the long lens of his camera, Dudley could see the injured eagle sitting on the sand. Its wings were listless and hanging on his side and his head was down. “He was in bad shape,” Dudley said. “He looked dirty, waterlogged and bloody.” Fennerty called the Wildlife Center of the North Coast. Josh Saranpaa, the center’s director, headed to Gearhart. In the intervening time, Dudley and Fennerty screened the injured eagle from gawkers and dogs. “In the space of an hour, the eagle did seem to recov- er,” Dudley said. “It started walking up toward the bank, and then it took a few short Àights, so we could tell that the wings were apparently all right.” A necropsy per- formed on the eagle by Sa- ranpaa and veterinarian Lisa Lewis of Bayshore Animal Hospital in Warrenton was inconclusive. V ELAZQUEZ L AWN C ARE M AINTENANCE hedges • fertilizer • flower beds • bark soil • storm clean up • all year • low rates Pelican Brewing Company is coming to Cannon Beach and we want YOU on our TEAM! 503.739.2942 N OW HIRING Saturday, April 2 nd & April 9 th • 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Pelican Pub & Brewery, 1371 SW Hemlock, Cannon Beach Monday, April 4 th • 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Clatsop Community College South Campus 1455 N. Roosevelt Dr., Seaside Tuesday, April 5 th • 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Clatsop Community College, 1651 Lexington Ave, Astoria (Towler Hall Rm. 310) Fill out an application, interview with a manager, meet our Team Pelican! Assistant Kitchen Managers, Line Cooks, Dishwashers, Front of House Managers, Servers, Bartenders, Hosts, Bussers. Don’t Wait! Apply today: Employment@Pelicanbrewing.com www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/employment Questions? Call Stephanie 503-965-7779 ext. 307 free IN-HOME CONSULTATION! Shutters, Wood Blinds, Cellular Shades, Soft Shades, Vertical Blinds, Valances,Woven Wood & more! Oregon Coast 503-738-5242 SAVE 25% MEET THE BANK THAT’S INVESTING IN SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ITSELF on Select Signature Series Lincoln City 541-994-9954 Financing Available Invest in your home with us, and you’re investing in Seaside. We are leaders in home loan lending and local banking. While our name may be new in town, our people and commitment to building communities are anything but. Unlike the national banks who send your money across the country, we reinvest back into Seaside to help people buy homes, grow businesses and create jobs. We offer a full range of home loan programs and banking services, and we believe things like great rates, fast decisions and quick closings are what you should expect from us. Where you bank matters. Please stop by our Seaside branch so we can make it matter for you and our community. SW Washington 503-738-5242 www.budgetblinds.com *Offer not valid with any other offers. Offer good at time of initial estimate only. Offer good at participating franchises only. Each franchise independently owned and operated. botc.com CCB#177717 Call For A MEMBER FDIC Seaside | 300 S Holladay Dr | 503.738.8311 Serving Communities Throughout The Northwest