4A • April 1, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Will my sandwich card be
honored at the brew pub"
Exclusivity
has no place at
the Dorchester
Conference
E
very town should
have one.
In L.A., a city
of neighborhoods,
we lived on Mar
Vista’s Beetho-
ven Street. The Beethoven
Market was the place to go.
Whenever our then 5-year-old
son wanted candy, chips or
simply got bored, we would
stroll down the hill. It was the
place to go for coffee, smokes
if you smoked, milk, half-
and-half and everything else
you would need in a pinch. A
terrifying moment came when
SUBMITTED PHOTO/SEASIDE SIGNAL
I was teaching Sam to ride a
The Gearhart Grocery in an undated photo. From “Gearhart Remembered: An Informal
bike. Lesson learned: never
teach a kid to ride a bike going History.”
downhill. At breakneck speed
delivered an
I tackled him and the bike onto the grass before heading into
impassioned
traf¿ c on Las 3almas. But we went to that grocery every day
Facebook plea
and never came away empty-handed.
Thus I can understand the poignancy of the closing of the
Monday:
Gearhart Grocery.
“All of us
Gearhart residents
at Gearhart
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
received the news
Grocery love
their beloved
our communi-
R.J. MARX
market would
ty members,
be giving way to
whether they
Will the sandwich card be transferable?
another barrel-and-
frequent our
oak establishment,
store or not,”
a brew pub and smoked-meat deli, a sudsy version of the
Logan wrote.
venerable Oregon jerky shop.
“While we know that a brew pub will not replace grocery
Although we’ve been here a little less than a year, we go
needs, we do believe it would be a great asset to the commu-
to the Gearhart Market every day. I love getting Buoy Beer
nity. The fact of the matter is, that although people love us,
&]ech 3ilsner in the big bottles and the fact that they have
they do not shop here nearly enough for us to be a successful,
Lange pinot noir. Along with turkey sandwiches, egg salad
pro¿ table business. This is what community members need to
and more, all on your choice of breads. My favorite is “Dave’s keep in mind when weighing the idea of a new business. As a
Killer.” Their desserts never disappoint, with a small but deli- store, we provide beer, wine and hard sodas — exactly what a
cious selection of pies and cakes.
brew pub would offer.
The grocery store, owned by Molly and Terry Lowenberg
“While Gearhart is notorious for its tight restrictions, I do
of Sum 3roperties, has been for sale for over two years, strug- not believe that the potential brew pub violates any of these,”
gling unsuccessfully to compete with Safeway, Costco and
Logan continued. “Every complaint we have heard, whether
Fred Meyer.
it be negative or positive, has been emotionally charged and
If their plans move forward, the grocery would close
inconsiderate of the business owners and buyers. By appeal-
and the interior remodeled. Meats will be smoked and beers
ing or being unsupportive of this transition, you are also being
brewed on-site. Families will be served at the nine tables,
unsupportive of your fellow community members.
separated from a brewing area visible through a glassed area.
“While we appreciate the community’s concern, we hope
“It’s really more deli than beer,” engineer Mark Mead of
that this open letter will give community members a fresh
Mead Engineering Resources, representing the owners, told
perspective and enough additional information to allow sup-
Gearhart planning commissioners at a March meeting.
portive attitudes and decrease the negativity while we move
The owners have “been trying to ¿ gure out what to put in
forward.”
place of the store, and this is what they came up with,” Mead
Clam shovels
said.
Mead said the owner felt the brew pub was needed “be-
Maybe the little corner store is the part of us that has never
cause there wasn’t one in Gearhart itself.”
changed since we were little and ¿ rst stretched out our arms to
“I would love to have some place, to get dinner,” 3lanning
put a nickel on the counter. It is the world slipping away.
Commissioner Virginia Dideum said. “This would be good for
We love Ken’s Market in Seaside. We go there when we
the community.” Dideum was joined by Richard Owsley, Russ
don’t even need anything and always buy something.
Taggard and Carl Anderson in supporting the plan.
Cannon Beach Hardware, aka Screw & Brew, is one of my
Commissioners David Smith, Terry Graff and Jeremy
top ¿ ve destinations in midtown Cannon Beach. You’ve got
Davis voted against the brew pub, citing the comprehensive
your brew, but you’ve also got your hardware and supplies.
plan’s dictum: “The city will prevent the city from becoming a
I stopped by Bud’s on 101 in Gearhart last week, and could
tourist destination.”
buy a quart of milk and a clam gun. Longtime residents may
take that for granted, but I sure don’t.
For or against?
My friend Chris Anderson tells me he loves going into the
Opinions were divided: Baby Ruth and Snickers bars ver-
Stop & Go on Highway 101 because they automatically ring
sus a growler re¿ ll. Bottom line was, opponents couldn’t ¿ nd
up a grape soda for him the minute he walks in the door.
a compelling enough reason to stop it, at least not according to
It’s not just markets — it’s the way we live.
the report submitted by 3lanner Carole Connell.
David Smith remembered a time so civilized in Gearhart,
In weeks and days to come, the market became topic num- landlords would lower or waive rent during winter months
ber one in Gearhart, supplanting the Neacoxie Barn and even
for businesses in town to help them survive the slow times.
the short-term rental debate. It was clear: You were either for
“During the winter landlords would waive the rent while the
us, or against us.
tenant went hunting and ¿ shing during the winter, and then
A postcard questionnaire was mailed to homeowners and
came back and when the season returned, opened up the busi-
asked:
ness again,” Smith said.
“Do you want Gearhart Store to be a Beer 3ub" NO. Yes.”
John Allen at 3aci¿ c Way is so old-fashioned he doesn’t
“Reverse the comprehensive plan so Gearhart becomes
have wireless Internet at his cafe — for the sole reason of
more like Seaside" NO. Yes.
encouraging people to talk to each other. Now that’s a novel
“Do you want overnight vacation rentals in our R-1 resi-
idea.
dential ]ones" NO. Yes.”
Bob McEwan still drives a donkey cart around town,
It’s pretty clear where that one is headed.
some days. It’s nice that the grocery has carrots for his be-
3assions run so high grocery employee Alyssa Logan
loved 3ancho. Will the new brew pub"
D
id you know there’s a large grease spot on our chest"
April Fool!
And, happy
birthday to Debbie.
SCENE & HEARD
One upon a time
CLAIRE LOVELL
when Bob 3ack-
wood was leading
Dorchester, a local
person could go to the
conference on a Friday night and hear the keynote speaker.
There was excitement for us low-on-the-totem Republicans
to be close to the big shots and hear what was going on in the
party. Today, one has to be a paying delegate to get in on the
speeches. I think it’s a mistake, there’s an exclusivity about
it that borders on snobbishness — maybe we can read about
it in the paper. Under the old rules, I have heard Ronald Rea-
gan, Maureen Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Tom McCall and
a host of celebrities whose names I’d have to ¿ nd in old notes
or pictures. It was especially irritating because I saw Tucker
Carlson, whom I like, on the news the next evening. I have a
snap of Bob 3ackwood and me at one of those conferences
taken by his wife. I had a lot of fun. Only once was I able to
go as a delegate. It’s a lot of work at which I did not excel,
tsk. Clarence Sigurdson was there in those times as well.
On March 12, the hills and I went to Astoria for the
farewell to Dr. Neikes. It was held in the Barbey Marine
Museum, which was once the railroad depot for S.3. & S.
I think they called Mr. Barbey “Graham” in Astoria. That
was his middle name. In Seaside where he lived before, we
called him John. John Graham Barbey. That was so long
ago. There was no formal service for doctor Bob. 3eople just
ate and exchanged stories. I saw only one person I thought I
knew — a nurse mate from St. Mary’s. I approached her and
asked, “Are you Angie"” “My name is Tracey Ficken,” she
said. “You’re not Tracey, you’re Angie,” I told her but she
insisted. “Angie is my mom.” Tracey is a nurse, too, and is an
exact replica of her mother when we were both at St. Mary’s.
I don’t know if she worked with Dr. Neikes. My experiences
with him were mostly in obstetrics. He didn’t want to be
called until the baby had all but arrived. They told us we have
an opportunity to say a few words but it never happened.
Still, I’m sure the doctor would have been pleased to see the
number of people who came to say goodbye.
Why isn’t Seaside on the TV weather map from 3ortland"
I don’t know about you but I think our rain is just as import-
ant as the next guy’s. (More important to me.)
We learned on 3alm Sunday of the death of Charles
McCarthy, a former pastor at the Seaside U.M. Church. He
was not here long but endeared himself to our congregation.
He later married a Seaside girl, Lorraine Allen Sarpola. Our
sympathies to Lorraine, his sons and other family members.
Laugh line:
One evening, an older woman went on a blind date with a
93-year-old man. When she came home her daughter asked
if she’d had a good time. “Oh, no,” She answered. “I had to
slap him three times.” “Did he get fresh with you"” inquired
her daughter. “No,” answered her mom, “I thought he was
dead.” (Courtesy of Joel Osteen.)
Blessings for those whose goodness and generosity have
brightened the days of the Easter season.
Kiwanis Pancake Feed
comes to convention center
The annual 3ancake Feed
sponsored by the Kiwanis
Club of Seaside is Tuesday,
April 5, from 5 to p.m.
at the Seaside Convention
Center. Tickets are adults,
seniors, 6 children, 5
and families $20. Contact a
Kiwanis member for tickets
tickets are also available at
the door.
All money raised goes to-
ward youth activities in Clat-
sop County. Kiwanis sponsors
the Key Club at Seaside High
School and the Builders Club
at Broadway Middle School.
Some of the other programs
Seaside Kiwanis has support-
ed are: Camp Kiwanilong,
college scholarships, Seaside
Kids, Clatsop County CASA,
backpack programs, Safety
Fair and more.
Seaside Kiwanis was
chartered in 1925 and has
been serving the community
ever since.
LETTERS
Clothing donations
made big difference
I wanted to thank those busi-
nessmen in Seaside who recent-
ly donated dozens of dress shirts,
ties and even suits to young men
that are presently incarcerat-
ed in one of the Oregon Youth
Correctional Facilities. Most of
these young men have complet-
ed high school and some college
while ¿ nishing a program called
Employment Skills Workshops.
Once a month for seven months
they have focused on develop-
ing excellent employee skills,
overcoming barriers to success
and more while serving their
sentences. They are preparing
for transition out of the facility
and into the work force. They
were in need of clothes for their
upcoming job interviews and
that is where the men in this
community stepped up. Doz-
ens of shirts and ties came into
the Seaside Chamber of¿ ce and
even a half dozen suits. It was
a phenomenal show of kind-
ness and hope. I want to thank
these men, most of who I do not
know their names or businesses,
for their generosity, while not
judging but helping these young
men to a new start.
Shirley Yates
Pastor, “At the Water’s Gate”
Seaside
No beer
Having painfully sat through
the 3lanning Commission
meeting of March 10, I could
not help but wonder if the “nay”
voters had even read the Com-
prehensive 3lan and understood
its goals. Speci¿ cally, where in
the good conscience of anyone
does the approval of a “bar” in
EDITOR
Steve Forrester
R.J. Marx
3lease reconsider what Gear-
hart has always been about, and
do not degrade it by approving
the request to open a brew pub.
Do what’s right for Gearhart.
Rick Sabol
Gearhart
No thanks
The news that the grocery
store we frequent is being re-
placed by a brew pub" That is
the last thing we need, and will
change the fabric of this small
but close-knit community. I
must say that I am in shock that
this has been passed (“Brew
pub plan gets conditional go-
ahead,” The Daily Astorian,
March 14). It will be like hav-
ing the ¿ remen’s ball 24.
It is not in the best interest
of the people who live in Gear-
hart. My husband and I strongly
object to this ridiculous approv-
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
ADVERTISING
MANAGER
PUBLISHER
the heart of the city of Gearhart
¿ t the goal of maintaining a
“residential community”"
The current “residential
community” provides a won-
derfully idyllic place where
families, children and guests
can stroll, ride bikes and visit
with the rest of the communi-
ty. 3articularly, where our little
kids and grandkids can stroll
or ride their bikes without wor-
ry of being in a safe environ-
ment. I certainly am not going
to allow my grandchildren to
visit in front of a bar.
This approval should be
reconsidered. The Gearhart
Grocery has been a delightful
cornerstone to downtown and
a perfect place for our little
ones to pop in for a treat and
not feel threatened. A place
that serves beer, be it a bar or a
pub, is not a place for minors.
Carl Earl
Laura Kaim
Brandy Stewart
al by members of the 3lanning
Commission. There are more
places to get a beer than one can
count, so leave Gearhart out.
Liz and Ed Meaney
Gearhart
WINGS event good
The Seaside and Astoria
American Association of Uni-
versity Women held its 14th an-
nual Women Interested in Go-
ing to School 2016 Conference
Feb. 6, in collaboration with
Clatsop Community College.
WINGS has enjoyed communi-
ty support from the media, in-
dividuals and the business com-
munity since the beginning, and
we want to say a big thank you.
Sixty-six women experi-
enced a potentially life-changing
day. We couldn’t have done it
without the support of the writ-
ers and editors at The Daily As-
Seaside Signal
Letter policy
The Seaside Signal
is published every
other week by
EO Media Group,
1555 N. Roosevelt,
Seaside, OR 97138.
503-738-5561
seasidesignal.com
The Seaside Signal welcomes letters to the
editor. The deadline is noon Monday prior to
publication. Letters must be 400 words or less
and must be signed by the author and include a
phone number Ior veri¿ cation. :e also reTuest
that submissions be limited to one letter per
month. Send to 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive,
Seaside, OR 97138, drop them off at 1555 N.
Roosevelt Drive or fax to 503-738-9285.
Or email rmarx@seasidesignal.com
torian, Seaside Signal and Can-
non Beach Gazette. In particular
we saw a big bump in registra-
tion following the Jan. 28 story
by Edward Stratton, “Outreach
helps give Latinas wings.”
We collected donations
from 126 donors. Forty-one
women attended the full-day
session, and 25 women par-
ticipated in the new half-day
Latina session. We expect this
initiative to continue to grow.
Local women can now see a
path to a brighter future for them-
selves and their families and ¿ -
nancial incentives to get started.
Thank you so much for the con-
tinued support for WINGS.
Pat Lehman
Co-chairwoman, WINGS
AAUW Seaside
Bobbi Brice
Co-chairwoman, WINGS
AAUW of Astoria
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