April 29, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
Bringing access to all of our
public libraries for everyone
W
hen librarians get together,
sometimes we can be a noisy
bunch, even though a group of
librarians is called a “hush,” and the Li-
braries ROCC fundraiser auction at the
convention center this past week was no
exception. Gathered together with some
of our favorite bibliophiles, we held a
successful fundraiser and auction for the
Libraries Reading Outreach in Clatsop
County (Libraries ROCC) program that
serves all children across in our County.
Thanks to our supporters including
local businesses and people who love
our libraries, we raised over $6,000.
While Clatsop County is about 1,085
square miles, all the public libraries in
the county are centered on the coast and
about 2,900 children live in unserved
areas outside the city limits of the three
cities that have public libraries. Libraries
ROCC is a program that works to break
down the barriers for the kids in our
county age’s birth to 19.
We, the librarians in this county, be-
lieve that all children should have access
to libraries, regardless of where they
live in our county. We also want every
child to be able to participate in summer
reading so they retain what they have
learned in school. This is so that when
our youth start school in the fall, they
are still at their grade level, making for
less remedial work for teachers.
We want to support the work of our
teachers while providing more access
to books and library programs for all
kids across our community. Most kids
can read up to 10 books a week. If they
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER MOBERG
are only reading books at their school
library, they have access to about one or
two books a week.
To support our schools, public
libraries have larger book collections
that allow kids to check out many more
books to further the development our
youth need as they expand their vocabu-
lary and knowledge.
When I was 15, I read 1,000 books in
just one year. My family didn’t own that
many books and couldn’t afford to buy
many books, so guess where I got all
those books? The Astoria Public Library.
If I only had access to my school library
like many children in Jewell and Knappa
used to have, then I would have been
limited to just 30-50 books in a year.
Obviously, access to both their school
libraries and public libraries is neces-
sary for children whose families can’t
afford to supply thousands of books. So,
Libraries ROCC! With proven success
since 2009, we make sure every child
in our community gets a library card to
their closest public library that wants
one. We need your support, for this
program to work. I am so grateful for
the support of all those who gave silent
auction items or came to the auction on
April 14. We auctioned off nine little
free libraries that had been built by
community members including Vintage
Hardware, the Seaside High School
students in wood shop, Bill Moberg, Mi-
chael David Vanderhull, and John Black-
well all created beautiful and unique
structures that can be used as mini-lend-
ing libraries around our county.
There were some bidding wars but in
the end I think most people went home
happy and you will hopefully see some
great little free libraries popping up near
you. Ken Heman did a great job as our
auctioneer. Jeremy Mills, State Farm
Insurance gave $1,000 in support of
Libraries ROCC and the Seaside Rotary
Foundation also gave $500. Many other
businesses and individuals also gave
items to the silent auction. We have
a wonderful community that sees the
needs and steps up to the plate. I feel
privileged to live in this community
where people say yes to support our fu-
ture by investing in literacy and reading
for our kids.
Thank you, for helping libraries
ROCC!
OBITUARIES
Jay Clarence Oakman
Theodore C. Bottema
Dec. 26, 1945 — April 10, 2016
Oct. 30, 1920 — April 18, 2016
Jay Clarence Oakman,
70, a retired commander in
the U.S. Coast Guard, passed
away unexpectedly at his
home in San Francisco, Cal-
ifornia, on Sunday, April 10,
2016.
Jay was born on Dec. 26,
1945 in Portland, Oregon,
and was preceded in death
by his loving parents, James
Clarence Oakman and Kath-
ryn Eddings Oakman.
Jay was a Boy Scout
during his early years. After
graduating from Seaside High
School in 1964, Jay attended
Oregon State University and
graduated from the Universi-
ty of Oregon in 1968.
He enlisted in the U.S.
Coast Guard in 1968 and held
assignments in Alameda,
California, and Hawaii. Jay
achieved much during his
time in the Coast Guard:
Commissioned as an ensign
in 1970 at the Offi cers Can-
didate School in Yorktown,
Virginia, he completed the
U.S. Navy Flight Training
School in Pensacola, Florida,
in 1971, and served on the
Coast Guard Cutter Sherman
in Boston, Massacusetts in
1972.
He also served as Reserve
Program administrator at
Coast Guard Headquarters in
Washington, D.C.; received
a Master’s of Science Man-
agement at the Naval Post
Graduate School in Monte-
rey, California in 1979; held
the position of public affairs
offi cer in the San Francisco
Coast Guard District Offi ce;
attended the Armed Forc-
es Staff College in Norfolk,
Virginia in 1986; held assign-
ments at the Maintenance and
Logistics Command on Gov-
ernor’s Island in New York;
and served at Coast Guard
Headquarters prior to an as-
signment at the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C., where he
served as Coast Guard liai-
son.
In 1981 Jay was listed in
the publication, “Outstanding
Young Men of America.” He
retired from the U.S. Coast
Guard on Governor’s Island,
New York, after 26 years of
Jay Oakman
service, in 1993. He served in
many capacities for the Gold-
mine Hill Board of Directors,
including president. He was
also president of his own con-
sulting company.
Jay made friends of all
ages and was well known
for his kindness, generosity
and keen sense of intellect.
He was also a lifelong fan of
baseball, football and basket-
ball, and was a loyal fan of the
San Francisco Giants, Golden
State Warriors, San Francisco
49ers and the Oregon Ducks.
Jay is survived by his wife,
Cathy; one son, Brett Lorent-
zen (Starla) of Lake Tapps,
Washington; two grandsons,
Britton and Brandon Lorent-
zen; two sisters, Susan Oak-
man Bristow of Salem, Ore-
gon, and Mickey Livermore
(Terry) of Spokane, Wash-
ington; and cousins, nieces,
nephews, and many other
family and friends.
Jay’s ashes will be scat-
tered in the San Francisco
Bay. A Celebration of Life
will be held at the Goldmine
Hill Clubhouse, 43 Ora Way,
San Francisco, California, on
Sat., April 30, 2016, from 1 to
5 p.m.
In lieu of fl owers, the
family is requesting that you
consider making donations
to: Doctors Without Borders,
United Negro College Fund,
Glide Memorial Church in
San Francisco, California, or
a charity of your choice.
SEASIDE AMERICAN LEGION
Theodore “Ted” Bottema and Pauline (Winstanley) Thomas
The journey continues for
Pauline (Winstanley) Thomas
and Theodore (Ted) C. Botte-
ma. Pauline passed away on
July 7, 2015, at the age of 96,
but has waited patiently for
Ted, who passed away April
18, 2016, at the age of 95. To-
gether they traveled the world
in life, visiting over 150 coun-
tries, all seven continents, and
interacting with as many peo-
ple of the world as possible.
They loved each other, they
loved their family and they
loved to travel.
Pauline, who was pre-
ceded in death by husbands
Hugh Winstanley and Stanley
Thomas, met Ted on a train
in Siberia, Russia, and from
that moment on their love of
each other and of travel blos-
somed. She graduated from
Washington High in Portland
and attended Whitman Col-
lege, where she met her fi rst
husband. After Hugh’s death
she worked for the Seaside
School District for many
years as the business manager,
from which she retired.
Ted graduated from the
University of Alabama in
mechanical engineering, and
was a key contributor in the
development of the jet en-
gine, during World War II, for
the Allies. After the war, Ted
worked for McDonnell Doug-
las, and later Boeing, from
where he retired. After leav-
ing the aerospace industry,
Ted ventured into a second
career in precious gems, and
began his world travels.
They lived less than 200
miles from each other, but re-
quired a trip on the trans-Si-
berian railroad to meet. From
that moment on, no trip was
too far, too dangerous or too
challenging. Even in the fi nal
few years, they approached
a dinner out or a trip to the
doctor as an exciting venture.
They truly knew how to live
life, celebrate friends and
share their experiences in life.
Ted and Pauline are sur-
vived by Betty Zachor (sister),
Don and Vi Smith (brother),
Effi emae and George Adri-
an (aunt), Valerie and Mark
Winstanley (children), Melis-
sa and Jeff Bilyeu and Mitch
Winstanley (grandchildren)
and Adam, Alex, and ZachBi-
lyeu (great-grandhildren).
It doesn’t matter whose re-
lation, Pauline and Ted treated
them all the same, with all the
love and kindness they had to
give. They will be missed, but
treasured always.
Hughes-Ransom Mortu-
ary & Crematory in Seaside
is in charge of arrangements.
Please visit www.hughes-ran-
som.com to share memories
and sign the guest book.
Allow rentals
to continue
Terry Graff’s somewhat
skewed assessment of the
public hearing on short-term
rentals in Gearhart failed to
accurately describe the con-
text of the complaints and the
arguments on both sides of the
issue. Only 14 people spoke
against allowing short-term
rentals and in favor of more
regulations. They cited noise,
litter and parking problems.
Most of the complaints can be
addressed with enforcement
of current city ordinances.
Some people claimed to have
reported their complaints to
the police, but there appear to
be no records of such over the
past two years.
A large majority attend-
ing the hearing spoke against
the draconian measures the
city planning commission
is recommending to address
some of these complaints.
Some people were opposed
to the planning commission’s
apparent shift in its charge
from managing the city to
managing individual proper-
ty owners.
Only about 85 property
owners in Gearhart rent their
homes on a short-term basis.
This is not a new use of prop-
erty in Gearhart; it has been
in practice for over a centu-
ry. The planning commission
is recommending a lottery in
which 35 property owners
will be chosen at random and
allowed to rent their homes
on a short-term basis while
the other 50 homeowners will
be denied that property right.
This is an unfair method of
solving a problem that can be
better addressed by enforcing
regulations.
When we purchased our
home in Gearhart, we checked
to make sure we could oc-
casionally rent the home to
offset the expenses of taxes,
insurance and maintenance.
The city has acknowledged
the legality of short-term rent-
als by imposing a 7 percent
lodging tax on our guests.
The proposed standards that
prevent some owners from
renting are a “taking,” deny-
ing a property right without
fair compensation. Gearhart
should allow those who are
renting now to continue as
long as they comply with rea-
sonable regulations.
Bob and Clare Carson
Walla Walla, Washington
Vote for Woltjer
I am voting for Ron Wolt-
jer for Judge of the Circuit
Court, 18th District, Position
2.
I have known Judge Wolt-
jer from my years in the As-
toria Regional 9-1-1 Center,
collaborating on audio evi-
dence while he was Senior
Deputy District Attorney,
through his years as Judge
for several municipalities in
Clatsop County. I suggest all
voters review the voters’ pam-
phlet, because it provides im-
portant details.
I think his background,
experience and temperament
will shape his performance
as an excellent Circuit Court
Judge. I recommend you vote
for Ron Woltjer.
Dick Lang
Astoria
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the current violators, the de-
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Day, but transient lodging
in single family residential
zones should be terminated.
Judd Todd
Gearhart
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