4A • October 14, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Cam McKirdy’s survival
tips include a good hug
W
here do you start, with
the tsunami or with the
cuddling?
Seaside native Camer-
on McKirdy is dedicated
to the welfare of his fellow human beings.
He’s the founder of a quirky survival
website. Now he’s cuddling strangers. My
thought is that he wisely realizes after a
catastrophe we’re going to need all the
emotional support we can get.
McKirdy, 32, resides in his Chevy G20
Van — something you can observe on
YouTube, where the “vandwelling experi-
ence” is one of 281 videos on his channel.
He’s so successful at drawing web traffi c
that YouTube sends him checks.
“YouTube is where it’s at,” McKirdy
said. “I have about 6,000 YouTube sub-
scribers on the Survival Bros. channel.
It’s not really anything to brag about right
now, but it should be a source of income
in the future.”
McKirdy’s creative roots began in
Seaside. As an eighth-grader at Broadway
Middle School, McKirdy and classmate
Kevin Irish co-wrote a column, “Shark
Bytes,” for the Signal. His father Kelly
McKirdy taught history in the Seaside
School District and mom Brooke worked
for the hospital and as a wedding coordi-
nator. Younger brother Andrew works for
an adventure travel company in Seattle
and still teams with Cam on special
projects, like hot-dog eating contests. The
McKirdy brothers were the only siblings
on Major League Eating’s “top 50 gurgita-
tors rankings.”
“My parents think it’s pretty crazy,” he
said. “Everybody wants me to jump back
in line in society and get a job.”
Ready for anything
Along with survival and prepping
tips, McKirdy’s Survival Bros. YouTube
channel offers advice on how to get free
dog food for your pet or locate treasures
at the Goodwill store — a technique he
calls “extreme thrifting.” In one video, he
noshes on 26 sample items at Costco.
If you’re tired of standard cable
fare, consider McKirdy’s “Trying fresh
elk jerky meat at the beach in Seaside,
Oregon,” “Using Altoids survival tins for
emergency preparedness” and “Breaking
car windows with the Gerber LMF II-
Knife.”
“I’m trying to help people get pre-
pared,” McKirdy said.
Saving people is all in the prepara-
tion, he said. “Tsunami preparation and
awareness now — that’s how we can save
people when it happens.”
McKirdy considers the 2011 Japanese
tsunami a precursor of what could happen
here. “We’ve only got a couple days to get
it together,” McKirdy said. “Then people
will be charging $50 for a gallon of water
and trading and bartering and wheeling
and dealing. If you don’t get prepared,
then it’s going to be hell.”
McKirdy offers tips on building tarp
shelters and using UV light purifi ers to
provide potable drinking water. “It takes
LYRA FONTAINE/EO MEDIA GROUP
R.J. Marx gets a hug from Cam McKirdy in the Seaside Signal offi ce.
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
90 seconds to purify it with a wand,” he
said. “I even have a hand-crank UV light
purifi er.”
The single most important item in an
environmental catastrophe, McKirdy said,
is a stainless steel water bottle for holding
water and cooking. “Stainless steel is top
on the list.”
If the ground started to shake “right this
minute,” he said, his bug-out bike is ready
to roll. “I’d be going straight up 12th. Hit
the road and take off.”
Cuddle Up to Me
There’s another side to McKirdy —
that’s as “Cam the Cuddler,” who may
be found offering hugs on the Prom for
a suggested $5 gratuity. His cuddling
career took a giant step when he earned
“certifi ed cuddler” accreditation at the
world-renowned Cuddle Up to Me in Port-
land. He’s been cuddling for the last year.
“I’m trying to get my face out there,”
McKirdy said. “The cuddling is paying a
little bit of the bills. I like it. It’s a blast.”
McKirdy works for Samantha Hess,
founder of Cuddle Up to Me. He’s the
only male in the house, offering, accord-
ing to the website, “a kind and gentle soul
with an open ear and an embrace that will
melt your troubles away. Your session will
surely cure what ails you.”
Here is an interesting hook: You can
play video games while cuddling with
Cameron.
“We do free consultations fi rst, and
we make sure they know there’s nothing
sexual about it,” he said. “I want everyone
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Cameron McKirdy, aka “Cam the Cuddler.”
to know they are appreciated, and worthy
of touch.”
McKirdy called the experience “touch
positive.” Among his clients are introverts,
extroverts, people with disabilities and
health care professionals. “You really have
to tailor a cuddling session based on the
individual,” he said.
“I did overnight cuddling with a lady
who was in an abusive relationship,”
McKirdy said. “I helped her start dating
again after two years. There are others who
haven’t been touched by a man for over 25
years. I get them used to that concept again
and they know I’m a safe person.”
Clients become members of his “chosen
family.” Cost is $1 a minute.
Considering the crazy, insecure and per-
ilous world in which we live, McKirdy aka
Cam the Cuddler may be on the right track.
He has his eye on Mother Nature and an
embrace for his fellow man.
There could be a day when we need all
those hugs. And the hand-cranked water
purifi ers could come in handy too.
Farewell to
Freida Johnson
O
n Sept. 10, our neighborhood lost its old-
est resident. Freida Johnson was just two
months short of her 102nd birthday. She
has lived on 10th Ave. since she was fi ve years
old, as far as I know. At least she’s been in Sea-
side that long. There were a few years when she
and husband Howard and their family lived in
Arizona, but they always came back to Seaside.
Freida went
to Seaside
High School
SCENE & HEARD
with some
CLAIRE
LOVELL
of my
siblings.
Her kids
attended
school with mine and our families were related
by marriage. She will be missed in the neighbor-
hood. We offer our condolences to her children
Ron, Larry, Bruce and Bonnie and will always
have fond memories of Freida’s contributions all
over the county with her accordion.
On Sept. 15, I had to get up from my chair
and raise the window blind to sing, “Shine on
Harvest Moon” before bedtime. It was full and
gorgeous and something we don’t see to often.
It happens, sure, but many times at the seashore
fog or clouds — or rain — obscures it. I should
have paid attention when the moon rose over
the eastern mountains. Then it’s usually orange
and appears much larger. I couldn’t see the fl ag
from my window, although I do have a snapshot
of that moon when an astronaut was spending
his last night (or day) there. What I like is that it
connects you to your loved ones. However you
are separated, the same moon shines down on
everybody, Yes, I know there is such a thing as
time zones.
Did you see the fl u sign on TV where they
spelled coming with two “M’s” (comming)?
I give that guy a grade of 70 or 69 in spelling
because it’s such an easy word. So the fl u shots
are coming. I’m waiting till late October.
Sept. 18 was the occasion of a musical
program at the United Methodist Church. There
were several piano numbers from Broadway
shows played by Carey Buerk in his inimitable
style, as well as a few selections from the choir.
This was the third annual performance for the
benefi t of the local food bank. Mary Blake, em-
cee, explained the situation for our homeless and
hungry residents. There are pockets of privation
all over our county, which, may I say, is deplor-
able. Mary told us that if everyone could give
$10 a year, the 1,200 person needing assistance
could be taken care of. We are our brothers’
keeper and concerts are a great way to approach
the problem. This one was a treat.
I really like the Spectrum commercial where
four people eventually sing their phone number.
It’s a catchy tune and, for me, rapidly becoming
a most popular song. “1-844-264-1999!”
Kathy, a niece from Redding, California,
visited me recently. She’s my sister Betty’s
daughter whom I haven’t seen in a long time. We
enjoyed getting better acquainted over dinner at
Dooger’s.
Laugh Line
A young man came home from college
dressed in the latest clothes.
“You look like a fool,” his father told him.
At the same time, a neighbor girl went by and
called to the young man, “You look more like
your father every day!”
“I know,” he replied. “My father was just
telling me that.” (Courtesy of John Hagee.)
When Seaside was known by east side and west side
W
hile researching the history
of the Seaside Library
in the microfi che of the
Seaside Signal, I am often distracted
by other anecdotes of the history
of Seaside. I started researching
around the year 1913 in the ar-
chives, because that was when the
Seaside Library fi rst opened as a
reading room and public bathrooms
in the Dresser building downtown.
Headlines and noted items of interest
of that time were very brief but
tantalizing in their descriptions of the
events of days gone by. Events that
must have torn the town apart back
then were often tersely described and
as a reader of over a hundred years
later, I often found myself wanting
more information to fi ll in the gaps.
Thankfully, the Seaside Signal put
together an anniversary edition of
articles commemorating the fi rst 75
years of the paper that helped fi ll
in some of the gaps in the paper’s
reports.
1910 to 1913 seemed to be a key
turning point for Seaside. In 1910,
Mayor Henninger and his brother Ed
owned the local lumber mill, bank,
and also ran the city as mayor and
treasurer. In 1907, banks had failed
back east but the results weren’t
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
David F. Pero
R.J. Marx
May of 1912 was one of the
hottest Mays on record
with 90-degree weather.
Much of the water reserves
were used on gardens and
local farms in Seaside.
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER MOBERG
felt in Seaside until three years
later, when wood from Seaside was
shipped and sold back east but the
Henninger’s were unable to collect
payment. While the mayor was back
east desperately trying to collect on
the unpaid bills, his brother Ed could
no longer borrow from the bank to
make payroll for the sawmill and he
took his own life. The saw mill and
bank closed, and the mayor resigned.
Less than two years later, May of
1912 was one of the hottest Mays on
record with 90-degree weather. Much
of the water reserves were used on
gardens and local farms in Seaside.
Several different accounts including
an exploding stove were listed as the
cause, but I believe the true story is
that someone was boiling a crab in
the back room of a business down-
town on the west side of Seaside but
left it too long and it boiled dry on
the stove and started a fi re.
The fi re department ran out of
water within 15 minutes of helping
because of the low water reserves,
although later on it was also rumored
that West Seaside had turned off the
water to East Seaside (Seaside was
two towns divided by the river) as
part of their ongoing rivalry. What-
ever the reason, 48 buildings burned
to the ground while townsfolk tried
desperately to stop the fi re. A grove
of trees across from city hall was
chopped down by a group of men in
less than an hour, a feat that would
have been typically a full day’s
work.
Two to three other men who each
weighed no more than 150 pounds
each, carried a grand piano down
from a two-story building, anoth-
er feat the Seaside Signal editor
marveled at. The fi re stopped when it
reached the Necanicum River on the
east side, but at the other end of town
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Carl Earl
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Susan Romersa
they had to use dynamite to blow up
a building so that the fi re couldn’t
keep jumping from house to house.
When the fi re was over, total devas-
tation of Seaside was left behind.
Fortunately, Seaside’s residents
were resilient. Houses and busi-
nesses were quickly rebuilt, the fi rst
structure to be built was a chicken
coop for the antlers saloon to keep
all of their chickens from running
away. Shortly after, Seaside also
incorporated into one city and busi-
nesses and civic improvement started
to fl ourish once again.
That’s just a brief snippet of Sea-
side’s past and we have more books
on the history of Seaside (as well as
the Seaside Signal on microfi che)
here at the library. We also have pro-
grams each month on many topics
including the history of Seaside and
the history of Oregon.
If you’re interested in Oregon’s
waterways then we have just the
event for you. The Friends of the
Seaside Library are excited to host
Tim Palmer, author of “Field Guide
to Oregon Rivers,” on Thursday,
Oct. 20, at 7 p.m.
Despite Oregon’s watery repu-
tation, the state has lacked a fi eld
guide for its many celebrated rivers
Seaside Signal
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The Seaside Signal
is published every
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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
and streams—until now. Preeminent
river conservationist, photographer,
and author Tim Palmer will profi le
120 waterways throughout the state,
from the Alsea to the Williamson.
Palmer will offer us an interpre-
tive approach to the state’s network
of rivers that will be valuable to trav-
elers, outdoor enthusiasts, and any-
one interested in Oregon waterways.
He will begin with a natural history
of Oregon’s rivers — geology, cli-
mate, hydrology, plants, animals and
ecology. He will present portraits of
individual rivers, with a summary of
the rivers character as well as notes
about its nature, fi sh, and protection
efforts. He will point out opportuni-
ties for seeing the river, hiking along
its shores, fi shing and exploring by
canoe, kayak, or drift boat. Tim will
also give us a list of the best rivers
for a variety of outdoor activities.
Tim Palmer is the author of 26
books on rivers, conservation, and
the environment. He has served
on the board of the national river
advocacy group, American Rivers,
as well as The River Network. “A
Field Guide to Oregon Rivers” won
the National Outdoor Book Award
and was also an Oregon Book Award
fi nalist.
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