February 3, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
Celebrating a center for literacy
S
ince I have joined the Seaside Public
Library in 2012, I have enjoyed the
overwhelming support our library
receives both from City Council and our
North Coast community. Our City Coun-
cil continues to see library services and
literacy for all ages with an emphasis on
our children, as a priority for our town.
As T.S. Elliot said, “The very existence
of libraries affords the best evidence that
we may yet have hope for the future of
man.”
In contrast, I am saddened by the fact
that the Douglas County Library system
is closing its doors in a few short months.
Operating at a 15 million dollar budget
shortfall compared to their 2012-2013
budget, some hard choices had to made
across Douglas County, and library
services is just one of the areas that fell
on the chopping block. “As a result of
declining timber receipts and dwindling
reserve funds, the Board is tasked with
making very diffi cult decisions to ensure
that basic public safety needs and other
essential services for the community are
met” stated County Commissioner Chris
Boice.
You may remember that back in
2007, another county in Oregon, Jackson
County, shut down temporarily its entire
library system due to a drastic loss of
federal funding and timber revenues.
While a temporary federal funding
was extended, and the libraries opened
again shortly after the closure in limited
capacity, Jackson County scrambled to
fi nd permanent funding for their libraries,
including exploring increasing the cost of
jail beds.
The good news is, in 2014 voters
in Jackson County approved a special
library district that provided stable
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER MOBERG
funding. The past three years the libraries
in Jackson County have seen the success
of this funding and they are rebuilding
library services. Many library systems in
Oregon, including Multnomah County,
have formed special taxing districts to
be independent of competing with safety
and emergency funds from a city or coun-
ty governance. It is a model that Douglas
County may want to look into as they
look at providing sustainable funding for
library services. While some people look
at library services as “extra,” to quote
Lewis H. Steiner, “One function of the
librarian, as he saw it, was to blunt the
edge of these differences and to provide
a means whereby the rich and poor could
live happily side by side. The public
library was a great leveler, supplying
a literature by which the ordinary man
could experience some of the pleasures of
the rich, and providing a common ground
where employer and employee could
meet on equal terms.”
Those who do not use libraries do
not see that libraries are the one place
all people may go for information that
has overtones of an online social media
controlled by the most popular opinion
of the moment. Online information from
the internet is often coupled with emotion
and fi ltered through lenses or biases the
reader is often completely unaware of. In
the library, those biases are often revealed
more clearly as part of the information
the public receives so they can make
informed opinions using the resources
they select. In addition, early literacy
Storytime, job searches and resume
writing, teen programs, and many other
needs that tie into the most basic of our
community needs are served daily at the
Seaside library.
The good news is, most of the coun-
ties in Oregon, including our county,
have strong independent city libraries or
library systems that are not in any way
threatened by closure. Most communities
recognize the value of their library as
necessary for all ages in order to be liter-
ate and successful as a community. I ap-
preciate that in Seaside, our community
sees the value in programs, materials, and
services that benefi t not just individuals,
but the community as a whole. A healthy,
fl ourishing library is a good gauge of
how the community itself is functioning
and thriving. Seaside has a very healthy
and fl ourishing library and I think this
speaks volumes to what our community
is doing as a whole. Throughout our com-
munity, volunteerism is strong, people are
reading, and supporting others in reading,
and many services such as the food bank
and homeless shelters we work together
to provide as a community. Children are
encouraged through SMART reading
at the schools and other mentorship
programs to be successful all the way up
from kindergarten through high school.
I appreciate Seaside because members
of the community don’t look out just for
themselves but for each other and I be-
lieve we will continue to strengthen and
develop as one community together. One
can only hope Douglas County will fi nd
this same strength and pull together as a
county to reopen their library doors and
rebuild community.
LETTERS
Letters from Page 4A
School needs clubs
Oregon environmental-
ists support an immediate
elimination of all fossil fuels.
Use only renewable energy
they say, ignoring the lack of
24/7 availability, lack of an
energy storage solution, the
costs of rebuilding infrastruc-
ture and increased consumer
costs. They do this with good
intentions, because they are
rightly concerned about global
warming from emissions.
Huge advances have been
achieved by the government’s
clean power program in captur-
ing and profi tably using power
plant emissions. Today it is
feasible to eliminate Oregon’s
largest source of emissions —
the natural gas-fi red electrical
generating plants at Port West-
ward — and reduce consumer
electrical bills doing it. We
might actually create several
hundred family-wage jobs.
OK, what’s the catch? The
state and Clatsop County say
they are not interested in pro-
cessing permits without a court
order. Your elected leaders just
want to talk about reducing
emissions, but when they
might actually have to consider
anything smacking of change,
they hide under their desks.
Think I’m a crackpot? Ask
the Clatsop County Commis-
sion to give me 15 minutes on
their agenda. Ask the Oregon
Department of Energy and our
elected state representatives to
comment on proposals. Ask
The Daily Astorian to publish a
column about the project. Ask
the environmentalists to actual-
ly listen, rather than riot.
John Dunzer
Seaside
I am a student at Broad-
way Middle School in Seaside.
We should have clubs at
recess. There should be a
drawing club, reading club and
gaming club.
First, we should have a
drawing club. The reason why
we should have a drawing club
is so people can learn different
techniques, like how to make
your drawing look like metal,
scale, fur and blood. Also peo-
ple can learn to draw anything
they want — like if someone
didn’t know how to make a
dragon, the person who knows
can help them make it. The last
reason why we should have a
drawing club is so people can
learn how to shade, or make
a shadow from a person or
animal.
Second, we should have
a reading club. We will talk
about different types of books,
and say what you think about
the book, why you like it, and
things you didn’t like about
the book. You can vote on the
book you want. We should
read the book with the most
votes, and you can’t pick the
same book we already read.
Finally, we should have a book
list. We can recommend the
book to people and to schools,
and if it’s hard to read or not,
and say what grade it should
be, and score it one to 10. Also,
we would read any type of
book.
Finally there should be a
gaming club. Also there would
be tournament with only one
winner, and he would get a
prize. The tournament would
be on the computer. Any type
of game that is approved by
the school principal.
To conclude, that is why
there should be clubs at school.
There should be a drawing
club, reading club and gaming
club.
Johnathon Kenenounis
Seaside
An everyday
hero retires
Sunset Empire Parks and
Recreation recently held a
retirement celebration for one
of its very long-term employ-
ees, Elizabeth MacDonald.
Elizabeth is, or rather was, my
supervisor until a few days
ago. I wanted to make sure
that those who don’t know
Elizabeth realize some of the
things she has done to serve
Clatsop County’s children and
residents for almost 20 years.
She started out running the
day care program at SEPRD,
then she oversaw the nutrition
services, and ended as the
supervisor for the After School
Adventure Program at the
newly minted Seaside Heights
Elementary School.
We love listening to her
stories of storms and esca-
pades that happened a while
ago, like the fl ooding that
occurred in 1994, and how she
and her husband Tracy took
food out to people in Jewell
because they were stranded.
They serve many boards and
organizations, and volunteer
for causes that are dear to their
hearts.
I’ve had the privilege to
work for Elizabeth about two
years now. I want to thank her
for a wonderful work environ-
ment, and coalescing a team
that works closely together to
have fun and learn with our
children. I could not stand up
and say all this, but I can sit
and write it. Congratulations,
Elizabeth, for a job well done.
Gladys Klingerman
Seaside
Thanks for toys
Toys for Tots would like
to take this opportunity to
thank the donors of toys and
monetary value, and the toy
drop places, in this last col-
lection campaign. We raised
$250 to purchase toys and
books. We put smiles on the
faces of 1,225 of children this
past Christmas.
The toys, books and
games given to children total
6,871 distributed items: Asto-
ria received 1,468; Warrenton
received 1,224; Jewell re-
ceived 1,089; Cannon Beach
received 1,271; and Seaside
received 1,819.
Remember, Toys for Tots
here on the North Coast
covers Clatsop County only.
We do not distribute gifts,
we collect and give them to
the program coordinators,
including Barb Roberts (As-
toria), Bev Hopkins (Jewell),
Maureen Casterline (Seaside)
and Nancy Teague (Cannon
Beach).
Area coordinators William
and Pat Kankkonen, Tim Fly-
nn, Beverly Neubecker, Kar-
en Peden, Tanya Wammack,
Petty Offi cer 3rd ClassTricia
L. Lichtenfels and Staff Sgt.
Brad Moore and I want to say
thanks to all of you.
Lou Neubecker
County coordinator,
Toys for Tots
Seaside
PUBLIC MEETINGS
5 p.m., Convention Center, 415 First Ave.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Seaside Community and Senior Commis-
sion,10 a.m., 1225 Avenue A.
Gearhart Planning Commssion, 6 p.m.,
City Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way.
Seaside Library Board, 4:30 p.m., 1131
Broadway.
Monday, Feb. 13
Gearhart Planning Commission and City
Council, joint work session, 6 p.m., City
Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way.
Thursday, Feb. 9
Seaside Convention Center Commission,
Scott Edward Taylor Sr.
Dec. 13, 1957 — Jan. 17, 2017
Scott Edward Taylor Sr.,
age 59, of Seaside, Oregon,
passed away Tuesday, Jan.
17, 2017, in his home, after a
long battle with cancer, sur-
rounded with all his loved
ones at the time of his pass-
ing. After 14 months of bat-
tling cancer, his son, Scott
Jr., was by his side support-
ing him through to the very
end with love and care.
He was a loving man,
loving father and grandfa-
ther, and his family was the
most important thing to him;
we were always fi rst. He en-
joyed spending time on the
coast with his family, mak-
ing memories and passing
those memories on to the
grandchildren, and then re-
living those memories with
them.
Scott Sr. was born in
Portland, Oregon, but grew
up with a love for the Chi-
cago Bears, where he lived
until the age of 12 with his
parents and siblings before
returning to Oregon. He tre-
mendously enjoyed driving
truck and traveling.
It was in the 1980s when
he met, fell in love with and
married Lorna Goheen, and
the two of them moved to
the Oregon Coast and made
their life together raising
their children.
Scott Sr. leaves behind
a third generation; his son,
Scott Edward Taylor Jr.;
grandson Scott Edward Tay-
lor III; daughters Katelyn
Taylor, Stacy Dailey and Su-
sie Hibbs; daughter-in-law
Shalynda Taylor; son-in-law
Brett Hibbs; grandchildren
Wyatt Hibbs, Lillian Taylor
and Izzabella Taylor; broth-
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989
Broadway.
Seaside Transportation Advisory Com-
mission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 698 Pacifi c Way.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Seaside Tourism and Advisory Commit-
tee, 3 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway.
Sunset Empire Parks and Rec District, 4
p.m., 1225 Ave. A, Seaside.
powered by
Scott Taylor Sr.
ers Rick Taylor, Mark Tay-
lor Sr., Paul Taylor and Bill
Taylor; and sister Yevette
Taylor.
He was preceded in death
by a sister, Reni Taylor;
granddaughter Megan; and
his parents, Luther William
Taylor “DUB,” and Kather-
ine Louise Taylor Townsend.
He will always be re-
membered for the love he
gave us all, as well as being
a loving and devoted father,
grandfather and son to his
parents. And to his friends,
he will be remembered as
just that, a true friend. He
will always be remembered
for the love he had for dogs.
~You’ll be in our hearts,
always and forever, Scott
Sr., never forgotten. When
I look out to sea, I will see
you, my dear Scott, from the
other part of your heart. We
love you, and we miss you
always, Your Family ~
Hughes-Ransom Mor-
tuary and Crematory of
Seaside is in charge of the
arrangements. Please visit
www.hughes-ransom.com to
share memories and sign the
guest book.
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upcoming services will be published at no charge. Notices must be submitted by 9 a.m.
the day of publication.
Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at www.dailyastorian.com/forms/obits,
by email at ewilson@dailyastorian.com, placed via the funeral home or in person at The
Daily Astorian offi ce, 949 Exchange St. in Astoria. For more information, cal 503-325-3211,
ext. 257.
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