SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 111th YEAR • February 17, 2017
Four contend for vacant city council seat
Opening after Barber
appointed mayor
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Four candidates stepped
forward to fi ll a City Council
vacancy. Norman Brown, John
Chapman, George Stacey and
Steve Wright each provided
a minimum of 10 signatures
from Ward 1 residents and
fi led forms with the city in-
dicating interest in fi lling the
remaining two years of Jay
Barber’s four-year term.
The opening comes after
Barber was appointed mayor to
fi nish the remainder of former
Mayor Don Larson’s four-year
term. Larson died in December
after serving 14 years as mayor.
“We have a very diffi cult
task before us,” Barber said.
“We have four applicants, all of
whom are very highly qualifi ed.”
Norman
Brown
John
Chapman
Brown, a three-year Sea-
side resident, is retired after a
career as a human resources
manager and director. He is a
member of the city’s parks ad-
George
Stacey
Steve Wright
visory committee.
Chapman, a 23-year resi-
dent, is a business owner and
property manager of Seaside
Factory Outlets. He has served
on city advertising and budget
committees.
Stacey, a former high
school teacher and broker with
John L. Scott Real Estate, is a
member of the Sunset Empire
Park and Recreation District.
He is a 50-year Seaside resi-
dent.
Wright, a Seaside home-
owner for nearly fi ve years, is
a current member of the Bud-
get Committee and Planning
Commission. He is the former
g
n
i
h
t
e
m
o
S
Special
chief fi nancial offi cer of Co-
lumbia Grain Inc.
“The process that will now
happen, the council will inter-
view each of these applicants
and in an open meeting we will
vote to appoint,” Barber said.
City Council members will
interview the candidates Mon-
day from noon to 4 p.m. Each
interview is expected to take
about an hour, Barber said.
The council aims to decide
at the last meeting in February.
Seaside
sees dip in
grad rate
Numbers up over fi ve-year period,
but slip in 2015-16
By Edward Stratton
EO Media Group
There was one bright spot in the coun-
ty’s school graduation rate statistics: Over
the past fi ve school years, Warrenton High
School has steadily climbed from the worst
to nearly the best in Clatsop County at grad-
uating students in four years.
Seaside, which has historically had a
stronger graduation rate, increased from
69 to 74.4 percent over the past fi ve years.
But over the past year the grad rate dipped a
point. Over the same period of time, Astoria
High School has increased from less than
60 percent to a nearly 73 percent four-year
graduation rate.
Knappa, which boasted the second-high-
est graduation rate fi ve years ago at more
than 72 percent, fell off into the mid-60s
for three years, but built graduation back
See Grad Rates, Page 9A
By Katherine Lacaze
For Seaside Signal
Some men demonstrated
great skill while maneuver-
ing with two, or even more,
dance partners during the
Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District’s Daddy
Daughter Dance.
O
n the dance fl oor, a trio of girls sang along to pop star Katy Perry’s “Roar,” a man clasped the
hands of two dance partners as they twirled in unison and a father held his tiny daughter, sur-
rounded by a billowing blue dress, and swayed to the music.
These and other memories, some tender and some bright, were in the making during the Sun-
set Empire Park and Recreation District’s fourth annual Daddy Daughter Dance, held Feb. 4 at the
Seaside Civic and Convention Center.
See Dance, page 9
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
Something Special
Sweet treats that can make a difference
Rotary Foundation, Rec District
partner together for fundraiser
By Rebecca Herren
Seaside Signal
Gourmet appetizers, tempting treats,
wine and beer, silent and live auctions
and afternoon music by pianist Lynn
Archibald was as sweet of an affair as
A Sweet Affaire had to offer on Sunday,
Feb. 12, at the Seaside Civic and Con-
vention Center.
For the past 10 years, A Sweet Affaire
has been an annual fundraiser to benefi t
Sunset Park and Recreation Foundation.
It has shared in the organization and
fundraising efforts with Seaside Rotary
Foundation over the past few years to
support both foundation’s scholarship
programs and community projects.
According to Skyler Archibald, the
district’s executive director, the event
brought in $20,000 with almost 200
community members in attendance.
The paddle bid raised over $4,000 for
the foundation. This is Archibald’s sec-
ond year participating in the event since
taking over as executive director. “Ev-
ery year we have new auction items and
try to switch up the format. Adding new
restaurants gives the event a fresh new
look every year.”
Archibald pointed out that even
though A Sweet Affaire is the district’s
biggest fundraiser of the year, the part-
nership with Seaside Rotary has worked
out well. “This is a really good partner-
ship and I really like working with them,
they bring a lot of skill and expertise to
the event and you feel that you’re really
making a difference in someone’s life.”
Kevin Leahy, executive director for
CEDR, agreed with Archibald about the
importance of the event for both foun-
dations. With the Rotary’s philosophy
of giving back to the community, Leahy
See Fundraiser, Page 9A
REBECCA HERREN/SEASIDE SIGNAL
First of the many winners of the Spin The Wheel game at A Sweet Aff air were
Brian Owen, Chamber of Commerce executive director, who one a $45 gift
certifi cate to Pig ’N Pancake and Shelly Saunders, who won a $50 gift certifi -
cate to Uptown Cafe.