4A • October 28, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Those old
rivalries of fall
all arrived without fanfare. Talk about fall! There
are scads of leaves already fallen, not to mention the
thousands of cotyledons sifting down, another tree
possible in every one. When I was a kid we had a few clus-
ters of fi rs and pines but an old-time resident coming back
to town would not recognize us from all the maple trees
which have grown
way up to change
our landscape. My
own yard is a case
SCENE & HEARD
in point. I call it
CLAIRE LOVELL
overgrown with
underbrush.
One day, being
pretty much out of
everything, I walked to Safeway in the hot sun. I arrived
just as they were winding up some high drama inside.
Someone had used mace or pepper spray on another person
in the parking lot. The fumes were sucked into the store by
the wind, causing many people there to experience respi-
ratory problems. I never saw a story about this written in
the paper. Eventually they got the premises aired out and
business went on as usual. I didn’t learn what happened
outside to make a person use that defense but the police had
been there to sort it out.
I never have any trouble crossing the highway when I
walk to the Signal offi ce. Usually when there’s a break in
traffi c, I go to the middle lane and wait for another opening.
Although I had waved him by, a mile long RV with a car
tied behind stopped for me. I don’t like to cause a big rig
to do that but it was nice of him. The road much traveled is
always full of surprises. The grassy spot north of the theater
looks much better since it’s been mowed. Thanks Dale. I
was also upset about a crow in traffi c, darting fearlessly
among the cars to attack some small bit of food. I didn’t
want to see him get killed and don’t believe he did. So there
are small triumphs to make the trip worthwhile. I know
we’re in tough times because no one ever drops anything
but pennies nowadays and it used to be otherwise.
When The Daily Astorian made such a to-do in the Oct.
3 paper about Astoria besting Seaside at football, it really
took me back. When I was in high school, I can’t remember
a time when our team won out over the Fishermen, al-
though there must have been an isolated case, it was almost
unheard of. They were the big boogymen of the north. I
can remember imaginative yells at the games like “Beat,
Beat, Beat Astoria,” but we rarely did. Before an important
contest, we had serpentines downtown where we screamed
our heads off with routines that were supposed to help us
be victorious, largely it was a futile exercise and it seems
strange to me now. How they crow about a defeat of little
old Seaside! Time marches on.
Doggone, I forgot a pancake feed again! It was on my
list to go and go easy on the syrup, but my schedule of
shopping, etc., intervened and used up all the time. Guess
I’ll have to wait for the Kiwanis Club to do their thing.
F
SUBMITTED PHOTO
“Team 911” were victors in the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District’s summer softball league championship. The
team is sponsored by Public Coast Brewing in Cannon Beach and several of the players, including Chief Joey Daniels, are
members of the Seaside Fire Department as staff and volunteers.
Volunteers needed,
commitment is ‘priceless’
O
ur volunteers are priceless,” Seaside Fire
Department Chief Joey Daniels said from his
offi ce at the Broadway fi rehouse.
In one week in October, a tornado slammed
Manzanita and damaged more than 100
properties. In Portland an explosion cleared city streets. In
Astoria, a warehouse fi re injured two.
October is National Fire Protection Month and coin-
cidentally — the week of the tornado, gas explosion and
warehouse fi re — Seaside Fire Department Chief Joey
Daniels reached out to the community with a call for
volunteers. The dramatic impact and need for a fi refi ghting
response was seen at each of these events.
“I think there’s a
strong need nation-
wide, not just Clatsop
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
County,” Daniels
R.J.
MARX
said at the Broadway
fi rehouse.
Volunteers are
harder to come by, he
said.
“As the community builds, not only the tourism we have
coming in, as the valley builds, people come down here, we
have an obligation to protect citizens and tourists,” Daniels
said. “I think some people are hesitant to join because they
assume we don’t need the help. I don’t think there’s a vol-
unteer agency fi re department in the county that wouldn’t
like to see people come in.”
Daniels, along with Lt. Chris Dugan and Division Chief
Dave Rankin, is one of three paid Seaside fi refi ghters.
While the department is operating with a contingent
of 30 to 35 volunteers, calls have increased dramatically.
Seaside Fire and Rescue jumped from an average of 700
to 800 calls a year to 1,300 calls a year within the past
decade. They run about three to fi ve calls a day, he said, but
sometimes they get 15 or 20.
Businesses used to release their employees for fi re calls,
but today that’s not always an option.
“We have only the three paid staff during the week, so
we rely heavily on volunteers,” Daniels said. “You could
have 40 to 45 volunteers and still have only fi ve or 10
available at certain times. You never really have enough.”
Despite mutual aid agreements, a countywide shortage
puts stress on all agencies.
The addition of even one or two new volunteers to the
pool would be “priceless,” Daniels said. “It’s not just for
Seaside. If 10 people go join Astoria, that’s 10 more people
we can go to ask for help. We all help each other.”
Daniels said he recognizes volunteering with Seaside
Fire and Rescue is “a huge time commitment,” but, he add-
ed, the rewards are great. You don’t have to be a “physical
specimen,” and anyone 18 or older is eligible.
All prospective volunteers undergo a six-month training
to learn basic mandates. There is no difference between
requirements for volunteer or career fi refi ghters.
“Everybody here gets their training in fi refi ghting,”
Daniels said, though most of the department’s calls — 75
to 80 percent — are medical emergencies. “We train every-
body to fi ght fi res. When you call 911 you need us to make
sure we have fi refi ghters.”
Seaside volunteers are often fi rst on the scene fi ghting
wildland fi res in wooded areas and mountains to the east of
the city. Volunteers train for medical emergencies, search
and rescue operations, as lifeguards, drivers and pump
operators. “If a volunteer doesn’t want to go into a
burning building, that doesn’t mean they can’t join the
fi re department,” Daniels said. “There are other needs.
People kind of fi nd their niche.”
Volunteers provide a “wealth of knowledge,” with ca-
reers from professional fi refi ghters to public works employ-
ees, law enforcement and hospital personnel. “Everybody
provides their own expertise,” Daniels said.
Medical calls take fi refi ghters to Saddle Mountain, Ham-
let or Tillamook Head for low-angle rope rescues, and to
the beaches for water rescues.
The department prepares for catastrophic events like
earthquake and tsunami — “but those aren’t our everyday,”
Daniels said.
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
David F. Pero
R.J. Marx
OBITUARIES
Edmond ‘Eddie’ Whitlock
June 27, 1968 — Oct. 19, 2016
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Chief Joey Daniels of Seaside Fire and Rescue invites volun-
teers to join the department.
Volunteers help out at emergencies — Seaside volun-
teers pitched in after the recent tornado struck Manzanita
— and provide traffi c and safety assistance at parades,
football games and special events like Seaside’s Volleyball
Tournament and Hood to Coast.
The service is not without a time commitment.
“Our guys not only step up, they’re training every
Wednesday night for three hours,” Daniels said. “We train
on weekends and come in for civic events. Don’t come
thinking you can only give a half hour a week to your
commitment. You have to be committed, but there’s a lot of
reward.”
That reward, Daniels explained, is the strong sense of
camaraderie that comes from working as one group. It’s not
only the commitment from volunteers that make a differ-
ence, Daniels said, “it’s the commitment of their families.”
“Our families give up a lot,” he said. “On the Fourth of
July volunteers are here 14 to 16 hours a day. That’s a hol-
iday for most people. We’re always having our volunteers,
our spouses, better halves brought in to make them a part.
If I don’t, we lose them.”
Daniels and his wife Jaime are parents of a 7-month old
son, Jacob. They live in Seaside.
“I grew up in this community,” Daniels, 39, said.
“That’s why I enjoy working here. I went through the
school system. I was a volunteer for Gearhart for 16 years.
I’ve always worked with Seaside.”
wDaniels received an associate of arts degree in fi re
science and an associate of arts degree in criminal justice,
both from Clatsop Community College.
“As the community builds, not only the tourism we have
coming in, as the valley builds, people come down here, we
have an obligation to protect citizens and tourists,” Daniels
said. “People look at Seaside growing, I look at the valley.
Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Portland. They all come down
here. This is their driveway down 26.
“All of our people love their community,” he added.
“If you’re community-oriented, we’re the place to be. Our
voters have always been supportive. Now we’re asking if
there are people who want to join us. They see us out there,
they might not know we need help.”
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WRITERS
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Edmond “Eddie” Whit-
lock passed away Wednes-
day, Oct. 19, 2016, at the age
of 48. He had fought diabe-
tes for 46 years, and kidney
failure twice. He was always
upbeat, and never thought
his health was a hindrance
for any activity.
He took pride in being
the last fi rst grade class to
attend Central Grade School
in Seaside, and the fi rst
grade class to attend the new
Seaside Heights Elementary
School in one year. He wres-
tled and played football for
Seaside High School, and
spent several seasons as a
catcher on several youth
baseball teams in Seaside.
He held many jobs in Sea-
side, and when asked which
was his favorite, he said
“they all were.”
Eddie was a member
of the young men’s Order
of DeMolay and was also
a member of the Seaside
Elks, serving as exalted rul-
er twice. He served on the
Elks’ State Visual Commit-
tee, was Elk of the Year in
2006 and received numer-
ous commendations from
his peers, both locally and
statewide. He enjoyed pho-
tography, was exceptional at
music trivia, and had a pas-
sion for life, military history
and guns, but history was his
love. He cared very deeply
for his friends. His favorite
pastime was cooking, which
many of us got to enjoy. He
was an avid Huskies and Se-
ahawks fan.
Eddie was a lifelong res-
ident of Seaside, where he
was born on June 27, 1968.
He was preceded in death
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
Edmund Whitlock
by his brother, Marshall,
in 1972. He is survived by
his mother, Patricia (Patsy)
Kerwin and Hugh; father
Eugene (Gene) Whitlock
and Carole; sisters Sally
and Cathy Drawson (Al-
lan); brothers Sherman
(Cindy), Richard (Kirsten)
and George (Angela);
half-brother Joel (Karen);
four nieces and four neph-
ews; numerous great-nieces
and nephews; and so many
others. He was privileged to
have had a medical commu-
nity that cared for him deep-
ly, and for whom he cared
deeply, as well.
Memorial services will
be held Sunday, Nov. 6,
2016, at 1:30 p.m., at the
Seaside Elks Lodge.
In lieu of fl owers, dona-
tions should be directed to
the Oregon Elks State Visu-
al Committee or the Seaside
High School Band.
Hughes-Ransom Mortu-
ary & Crematory in Seaside
is in charge of the arrange-
ments. Please visit www.
hughes-ransom.com to share
memories and sign the guest
book.
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