4A • May 13, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Anniversary of the high
school: Now can we move?
A lousy place
to put a fi re
hydrant
A
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Seaside High School students participate in a tsunami evacuation drill.
T
here were eight students in the graduating class
of 1915.
The school budget totaled $12,650. Today
that number would just about pay for a season’s
worth of volleyballs.
Of the 1916-17 budget, the lion’s share
—$4,000 —was for teacher’s salaries, $1,275
for maps, apparatus, stoves, curtains and other necessaries.”
“After the fi rst year
of school the levy will
not be as high as it
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
is this season as the
R.J.
MARX
building is new and
must be equipped with
all that is necessary to
make a modern school
and one that every voter and taxpayer in the district may be
proud of,” the Signal wrote.
A half century
In 1966, the district consolidated three districts: Seaside,
Gearhart and Cannon Beach.
“All of the districts are growing and additional facilities
will be needed,” wrote the Signal.
The unifi ed district debuted in September 1967 with 1,475
students, 501 at the high school.
In decades to come, with increased enrollment, buildings
past their projected life span and evidence of a mortal seismic
threat, the need for a new school building became a perennial
topic of conversation.
In 1970, 400 voters in the school district fi lled out building
questionnaires.
“Construct a Clatsop County High School,” was the sug-
gestion in one reply.
“Replace Central and remodel Broadway,” “Consolidate
with Warrenton-Lewis and Clark area” and “build a new high
school in Clatsop Plains,” were others.
Only 20 of 400 respondents voted for a “do nothing” plan.
Throughout the next two decades successions administra-
tion, board members and the community sought solutions.
In 1986-87 voters had the chance to approve a plan that
would allow the district to develop plans for a new high
school.
Plans for a 25-year bond issue included purchase of a new
site and building of an 800-student high school.
That year’s $12.33 million plan would have alleviated
space problems at the elementary level as well, particularly
in Gearhart and Cannon Beach. That was a lot of money — a
“rib-eye” purchase, the Signal wrote.
The verdict from the voters was crushing — 2,913 to 570.
It was at about this time that Oregon State University
marine biologist Curt Peterson and researcher Mark Darienzo
began piecing together the links between the Juan de Fuca
plate and seismic activity along the coast, referred to then as
“tectonic subsistence.”
“The Juan de Fuca plate, moving eastward onshore, col-
lides with the North American plate, moving westward,” they
explained. They also began collecting rock cores accumulated
over centuries and determining the frequency of “possible
subsidence,” that is, earthquakes.
This information was to have a profound infl uence on all
efforts to replace at-risk schools.
In 2013, with declining enrollment, Cannon Beach Elemen-
tary School closed after two engineering consultants found
that its gym was likely to collapse in a quake.
Compelling research brought the realization Gearhart Ele-
mentary School, Seaside High School and Broadway Elemen-
tary School were potential death traps for kids in a disaster
scenario.
Led by Superintendent Doug Dougherty, the district
brought a $128.8 million bond measure to fund construction of
a new consolidated school campus above the tsunami inunda-
tion zone.
Supporters of the bond measure focused their campaign on
children’s safe, high-tech classrooms, wrote Bonnie Hender-
son in her recounting of the campaign in “The Next Tsunami:
Living on a Restless Coast.”
“But the bottom line for many no voters seemed to be the
cost,” Henderson wrote. “Even some supporters were having
a hard time swallowing the increase in property taxes that the
construction of the new campus would have required.”
The defeat sent Dougherty and the school board back to
the drawing board, according to Henderson, to consider other
options, such as building a smaller campus on the hill or one
to house just elementary school students.
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Steve Forrester
R.J. Marx
former Astorian, Betty Munch, died in Portland on
March 12. I didn’t know her, but when I read in her
obit that her grandfather was Peter Brach, plumber, I
did feel a kinship of sorts. I was once married to Skip Hill.
His fi rst real job after we became a couple was as a guard
at Tongue Point when it was a berth for many vessels left
over from World War II. It was then we moved to Jeffers
Gardens to be closer to the job. His fi rst vehicle was Peter
Brach’s little panel truck he used for his plumbing busi-
ness. Before we moved, it was transportation from Seaside
to Astoria. Some
people might have
thought Skip was
SCENE & HEARD
the plumber.
CLAIRE
LOVELL
The article
about the death of
Jimmie Lunceford
in last week’s
Signal brought back lots of memories, but it wasn’t totally
accurate. Jimmie did not die at Callahan’s Music Shop,
which was just a little hole in the wall east of the Strand
Theater. He died at Seaside Radio, 411 Broadway, owned
by Edward (Skip) Hill who was my husband at the time.
As far as I know, his business was the only one that had
autographs of bandleaders on the east wall. Les Brown
was one of them. In the repeated Astorian account, Seaside
Radio is plainly listed in a copied news article as the place
of Lunceford’s demise. It was the subject of conversation
for a long time at our house. The death, that is, which we
were told was a heart attack.
With all the controversy regarding transgender types
using the little girls’ loo, I’d say that was an invasion of
privates-y.
We learned from Leila Vernor that two tour buses had
driven apparently from Roosevelt Drive westward on Third
Avenue till they got to the barricades on Holladay and
didn’t know what to do. I imagine it was backing up but
you’ll have to ask Doug Barker. By the way, that’s a lousy
placement of the fi re hydrant by the Methodist Church.
Don’t give God any tickets for handicapped parking. How
will we celebrate when the street is fi nally paved? Certain-
ly not by reading our tax bills. We’ll need a block party of
some sort.
Cinco De Mayo was also the National Day of Prayer.
Not being of Spanish origin, I celebrated the latter with
breakfast at Dooger’s as I have every year since its incep-
tion — seven or eight years ago — I don’t remember how
long. There was a good crowd as always; fervent prayer on
many facets of our lives; enthusiastic singing of patriotic
songs. Since the death of Carroll Van Dyke, Darrin Dunn
has been the NDP coordinator and does an excellent job.
Erwin Boring of Rockaway Beach leads the singing and
several other leading ministers and Christians take part. At-
tend next year and you’ll learn all there names. Catherine
Walgren sang a pretty solo, “It is Well With My Soul.”
Laugh line
A priest was driving his car somewhat erratically when
a policeman pulled him over. “What have you been drink-
ing?” asked the offi cer. “Your operation of this vehicle
looks a little off kilter.”
“Just water,” answered the priest, looking to the ther-
mos on the seat.
“I’ll take that,” said the offi cer as he removed the cap
and took a little sniff. “Smells like alcohol to me,” he said.
“I think you have wine in your thermos.”
“Saints preserve us,” remarked the priest. “Jesus has
done it again.” (Courtesy of Joel Osteen, pastor.)
SEASIDE SIGNAL/SUBMITTED PHOTO
New additions to the high school are highlighted in the 1971
yearbook.
Flag-raising to honor
Walker Lundberg
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Students, staff and community members hope to move Sea-
side High School out of the tsunami zone.
This century mark is bittersweet. While we welcome the
100th year of Seaside High School, we join in the enthusiasm
and urgency for a new high school to take its place.
One hundred, 50, 25 years ago there was no hard evidence
of the risk we face every day. Recognition for the New Yorker
article “The Really Big One” with a Pulitzer Prize award for
nonfi ction magazine writing only validates the need to take
action and get this school out of its present location. The way
Seaside High School is situated now, it wouldn’t take a “really
big one,” but even a little one.
The high school stands 14 to 18 feet above sea level,
according to geologist Tom Horning. The likely tsunami will
fl ood to elevations of about 40 to 50 feet, nearly to the top of
the high school gymnasium roof.
“The wave will strike about 15 minutes after the inception
of quaking,” Horning said in an email. “It takes roughly 15
minutes to reach safety in the hills from the school, assuming
that traffi c doesn’t block evacuation and that the weather is good
for evacuating. The high school structure will be swept away,
leaving only concrete foundations and steps. Anyone caught in
the building by the tsunami will die. Anyone caught below 50
feet elevation will also likely die. Very dangerous place.”
City Council Student Representative Taylor Barnes, a se-
nior at Seaside High School, is among young leaders seeking
to move the school. Their voices are reaching to Portland,
Salem and points beyond.
“I think this is the year,” Barnes said Monday after Sea-
side’s council meeting. “Ultimately it’s going to come down
to the community members. They’re ready. A lot of people are
frustrated. The time is now because we can’t wait. Whether
we’re ready or not, it needs to be now.”
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Ramsdell
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Brandy Stewart
Former Seaside resident
Walker Lundberg will be
remembered at the Tides at
a Memorial Day fl ag-raising
in his honor. The ceremony
will take place at 3 p.m.
When purchasing a unit
at the Tides, Lundberg be-
came enthralled with the
idea of putting up a fl agpole,
his daughter Jani Gurash
wrote in a remembrance.
“He wanted it to be able to
be a heartfelt symbol seen
from the turnaround, fl ying
proud for all to enjoy while
walking south the end of the
Prom.”
During the summers,
Lundberg could be seen tak-
ing down the fl ag in the eve-
ning. He would include the
children staying at The Tides
in the ceremony, saluting,
honoring and folding “old
faithful.”
Lundberg was born in
Seaside Jan. 8, 1925. He was
active in high school on the
track team, swim team and
basketball team. He attended
Oregon State University and
graduated from the Universi-
ty of California in Berkeley.
Lundberg was a Navy
pilot, playing on the Navy
basketball team, fl ying in the
South Pacifi c as well as the
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 for verifi cation. We also request
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
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Walker Lundberg
Naval Reserves. He started
his own insurance agency in
Sanger, California, where he
and his wife, Shirley, raised
their three daughters, Emily
Lundberg, Janis (Jani) Gu-
rash and Susan (Susie) Cord-
en. He was a successful busi-
nessman, from a one-person
offi ce in Sanger to a large
offi ce in Fresno with satellite
offi ces in the surrounding
area. He was involved in the
Independent Insurance Asso-
ciation, serving as president
of the California Association
as well as on national boards.
He died in 2012.
Lundberg’s daughter Jani
Gurash remembers summers
in Seaside and her father’s
desire to build a fl agpole that
could be seen all the way
downtown.
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