SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 111th YEAR • March 31, 2017
Visitors face room tax hike in July
Money will fund
convention center
upgrades
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
DON FRANK/SUBMITTED PHOTO
Seaside Civic and Convention Center
Seaside
considers
inclusivity
resolution
Visitors will pay a little bit more
for their Seaside vacation this sum-
mer.
At Monday’s City Council meet-
ing, councilors unanimously ap-
proved a hike in the city’s room tax
from 8 to 10 percent in July, which
will fund $14.5 million in 30-year
bonds to pay for upgrades to the Sea-
side Civic and Convention Center.
The construction project will add
about 10,000 square feet to the exist-
ing 62,000-square-foot facility, and
renovate more than 13,000 square
feet of the current space.
“Implementing a room tax in-
crease requires some forethought,
because it takes a little while for all
of the properties to notify the dif-
ferent people that they’re working
with that the room tax is going up,”
City Manager Mark Winstanley said.
“This will allow them 90 days to im-
plement that increase with all their
customers. ”
The city will collect the tax quar-
terly. Funds will be used to fi nance
principal and interest on the conven-
tion center’s construction cost.
Seaside’s original hotel and motel
tax was set at 5 percent in the early
1970s.
The rate, last changed in 2002,
stands at 8 percent. The tax does not
include vacation rental revenue and
covers accommodations only, ex-
cluding extra goods and services.
Work has already begun on the
project, convention center General
Manager Russ Vandenberg said.
‘It sets the stage for our project
to move forward,” Vandenberg said.
“We are now in selection for an ar-
chitecture fi rm. We’ve hired a proj-
ect manager. Soon after that we’ll
hire a construction fi rm. It’s moving
in the right direction and I’m totally
ready and excited to get this thing
underway.”
The renovation’s design phase
could take six months and construc-
tion up to two years, Vandenberg
See Tax, Page 6A
READING OUTREACH IN CLATSOP COUNTY
Literacy program gets a boost
Resolution stops short
of sanctuary city status
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Threading the politically volatile debate
over immigration, the Seaside City Council
will consider an inclusivity resolution but
will not become a sanctuary city.
Astoria took the same track this month
after guidance from Jorge Gutierrez, the
executive director of the Lower Columbia
Hispanic Council, who advised that sanctu-
ary city status could be too polarizing.
Inclusivity resolutions allow cities to
support and recognize the contributions of
immigrants without getting drawn into the
national clash with the Trump administration
over immigration enforcement. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions warned Monday that
sanctuary cities — like Portland and Seattle
— risk losing federal grant money by not co-
operating with federal immigration agents.
“We made it clear early on we would not
entertain that (sanctuary city) proposal, but
we are pleased to be able to state we are an
inclusionary city,” Seaside Mayor Jay Bar-
ber said. “It’s basically saying we’re going to
treat all of our citizens equally, with respect,
regardless of their status. We want to make
that clear. But we are not in a position to be
a sanctuary city.”
Gutierrez, who was not in attendance at
the City Council meeting Monday night, is
expected to address the council at its April
10 meeting.
Barber said the city’s resolution would
communicate “who we already are. W e’re
not doing something we want to become . ”
The resolution reads, “The city resolves
that Seaside is an inclusive city that embrac-
es, celebrates and welcomes its immigrant
and refugee residents and their contributions
to the collective prosperity of all residents .”
BRENNA VISSER/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Ian McHone and his mother Holly McHone of Astoria peek into one of the little free libraries being auctioned.
‘You’ve got a Visa card,
why not a library card?’
By Brenna Visser
Seaside Signal
There are lot of concrete benefi ts Reading Out-
reach in Clatsop County program has helped pro-
vide to the rural towns of Clatsop Counties. Since it
started eight years ago, more than 700 kids in rural
towns now have library cards to public libraries that
previously weren’t accessible to them.
But the most distinct change ROCC outreach
coordinator Suzanne Harold said she has seen has
been cultural: excitement about reading.
“I remember after organizing the summer read-
ing program in Hilda Lahti some of the kids wrote
me letters, saying things like ‘I never realized the
See Library, Page 6A
BRENNA VISSER/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Astoria Library Director Jim Pearson addresses the crowd at the
Libraries Reading Outreach in Clatsop County auction, with Seaside
Library Director Esther Moberg, Warrenton Library Site Manager Net-
tie Lee-Calog and former Astoria Public Library Director Jane Tucker.
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
See Resolution, Page 6A
Lecture delves into the virtuous life of a Victorian woman
Pittock was a champion of women and children
By Rebecca Herren
Seaside Signal
The real Georgiana Pittock of Portland
around the turn of the 20th century.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Visitors to the Seaside Library
had an opportunity to meet a Vic-
torian heroine, Georgiana Pittock.
Pittock championed for the rights
of women and children, became a
suffragette and founded Portland’s
Rose Society and Rose Festival.
She founded the Ladies Relief
Society, joined the Portland Wom-
en’s Union in 1912 as a suffrag-
ette, played a key role in building
the Martha Washington Home for
single women, supported the Boys
and Girls Aid Society and the Parry
Center for C hildren.
“It’s so good to be back in Sea-
side after such a long time,” said Pit-
tock — never stepping out of char-
acter — as she thanked the Seaside
Museum, Seaside Library and guests
for coming out to hear her talk.
Mrs. Pittock and her chauffeur,
Herman Hawkanson, were the sub-
jects for historical re-enactors Mary
and Michael Hutchens during their
presentation “Georgiana Pittock:
Her Last 10 Years, 1908-1918” on
March 16 at the l ibrary.
Pittock adored fl owers, especial-
ly roses. Along with friends, she held
backyard rose shows, which gave
the Portland Rose Society its fi rst
exposure. She became a founder and
the inspiration behind Portland’s fa-
mous Rose Festival in 1907 with her
good friend Harry Lane, a former
mayor of Portland and supporter of
the Lewis and Clark Exposition.
She married Henry Lewis Pit-
tock when she was 15 years old.
Henry Pittock, who was a typesetter
when Georgiana married him, later
became the owner and publisher of
The Oregonian for nearly 60 years.
He became successful in real estate,
banking, railroads, mining, lumber
mills and the pulp and paper indus-
try.
A role in history
It all began for Forest Grove ac-
tress Mary Hutchens in 2006 when
she answered an ad for a Rose Festi-
val historical re-enactor. She got the
job and thereafter, Hutchens spent
months preparing for the role. She
researched and memorized Georgi-
ana’s life, down to the most insig-
nifi cant details that make up both
the public and the private life of a
historical persona.
In 2007, “Georgiana” made her
fi rst appearance in 89 years at a rose
planting and tea party held at her
home, the Pittock Mansion.
See Pittock, Page 7A