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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2018)
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY OUR 112th YEAR • January 5, 2018 Centennial celebration for Gearhart A BIRTHDAY BASH By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal O Sunset Empire Park and Rec District weighs charge on new housing nce known as “The Town of Clatsop,” the city of Gearhart won incorporation in 1918. With 100 years passed, Gearhart is revving up for recognition of the landmark date. In 1917, the local residents who worked at the hotels, the train station, and in other capacities decided they wanted a residen- tial community to call their own, Mayor Matt Brown said. “They wanted the town to reflect the views of the families who lived here year round and decided to form the city of Gearhart.” The city’s 100th anniversary committee plans to center the celebration around four special events for next year, birthday cele- bration event chairwoman Melissa Eddy said. A traditional birthday party on Jan. 28 will include speakers providing tales of days gone by. “The variety of stories planned will be an entertaining combination of education- al, fascinating and humorous,” Eddy said. A special edition of the Gearhart Fire- man’s Ball on Memorial Day weekend will be followed by a centennial Fourth of July parade. A formal event in September will cap off the celebration. By R.J. Marx Commemorative pin honoring Gearhart’s 100th year. Gearhart’s Grand Hotel, a draw for high society. OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Boone announces plan to step down State House Democrat will retire in 2019 By R.J. Marx and Edward Stratton Seaside Signal PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE State Rep. Deborah Boone, a Democrat who has represented the North Coast in Salem for 14 years, will not run for re-election. Boone announced Tuesday she will retire from House District 32 when her seventh two-year term ends in January 2019. Her deci- sion comes after the death of her husband, Bill Boone, a contractor and firefighter, in November. “The past two years have been very difficult for me as I became a full-time caretaker for my hus- band who was fighting brain can- cer,” Boone said in a statement. Boone, who lives in Hamlet, is known for her advocacy of emer- gency preparedness, the environ- ment and economic development. “The safety of our citizens, and vibrancy of our communities has been an uppermost concern and led to the introduction of House Resolution 3, the Oregon Resil- ience Plan, and follow-up legis- lation to implement the plan,” she said. “This legislation is vital to ensuring the safety of our people and the survival of our communi- ties following disasters.” In November 2016, Boone won a seventh term in the state House, defeating Republican challenger Bruce Bobek, a physician at Co- lumbia Memorial Hospital. House District 32 covers all of Clatsop, most of Tillamook and a western portion of Washington counties. Boone was first elected the district’s representative in 2004, replacing Elaine Hopson. She had previously served 16 years as a legislative assistant to seven dif- ferent legislators, as well as on the A boon to parks or a blow to housing? Clatsop County Board of Com- missioners. In her retirement announce- ment, Boone pointed to accom- plishments in ocean policy and fisheries issues, along with seis- mic safety and economic devel- opment. “It has been an honor to have assisted hundreds of constituents over the years and to have worked collaboratively with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on thou- sands of pieces of legislation,” Boone said. “I would like to thank the citizens of my district for the See Boone, Page 5A Seaside Signal The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation district faces some big expenses in years to come, with a potential new building, facil- ities and expansion. In May, Executive Di- rector Skyler Archibald pointed to a need for more indoor recreation space for fitness participants and youth programs. A potential funding mechanism may be available, imposing system development charges on new construction. “It would be a smart fiscal move,” said board member Mike Hinton, who brought the matter to the agenda at the district’s Dec. 19 meeting. “It takes a while to build up any kind of capital in this way, but it’s another tool in our toolbox when we come down to financial questions of how do we do an expansion, how do we build a gym? This is one thing we can do.” The question of putting new system de- velopment charges in place first came be- fore the district board as a discussion topic in July with a presentation from consultant John Ghilarducci, principal of FCS Group, a financial consulting firm based in Seattle. The charges are one-time fees for new construction, remodels or redeveloped construction to help pay for existing and planned infrastructure to serve the devel- opment. State law authorizes local gov- ernments to assess system development charges and specifies how, when, and for what improvements they can be imposed. Charges collected may not be used for re- pairs or maintenance, but may be used for new facilities or to expand the parks base. “What the district needs to decide is if we want to pursue this right now,” Ar- chibald said. The board should consider a consultant like FCS group to “make sure all the box- es are checked” before implementing new charges, Archibald added, estimating it would cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to finance a study. Board president Alan Evans sees a po- tential impact on efforts to provide afford- able housing if developers pass charges to home buyers, he said. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t listen — but I would want to hear a little more,” Evans said. Hinton agreed to the need for affordable housing, but said the district needs to get on board with a plan. “It doesn’t have to happen in such a way to discourage affordable housing,” he said. Board member Jeremy Mills asked for a comparison of charges by cities with simi- lar demographics to Seaside’s. “I’m on board if it pans out or makes sense, but I don’t want to spend money if it doesn’t bear fruit,” Mills said. “We do need to continue to grow in a responsible fiducia- ry manner.” The board agreed to proceed with further analysis and discussion. After Felix, how to keep your dog safe on the trails Dog owners reminded to keep pets on leashes By Brenna Visser Seaside Signal HAMLET VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Drone footage of Felix as he is trapped on the mountain. The fear associated with a pet gone missing is a feeling most owners never want to experience. Felix, a 2-year-old border collie, made headlines after he went missing around 3 p.m. Christmas day while on a hike with his owner, Sarah Strem- ming, in Ecola State Park. He was rescued unharmed from a precipice 60 feet from the crest of the Clatsop Loop trail by the Seaside rope and res- cue team. Thousands of visitors and locals bring their dogs on trails like the ones in Ecola State Park each year. Since Felix’s rescue, many Daily Astorian readers have asked why he was not leashed. Others are con- cerned with the risks taken by first responders, as well as the resources the rescue required. So what can owners do to keep their dogs out of this sit- uation? “I know people hate to keep their dogs on a leash. But there’s a reason we ask, and a worst-case scenario can hap- pen when they aren’t,” said Richard Walkoski of Oregon State Parks. “I would hate to see someone have a part of their family not with them be- cause of it.” Oregon State Parks re- quires dogs be physically restrained while hiking on trails, unless the area is spe- cifically designated as off- leash. That means an owner must be holding them, hold- ing onto their collar, or have them on a leash no longer than six feet. Aside from getting lost, leashing dogs also prevents them from tangling with wild animals or other people’s pets, getting lost, ransacking campground garbage, damag- ing plant life or being hit by a car, Walkoski said. While situations like this are rare, staff offer many off- leash warnings throughout all of the state parks, and after multiple warnings can issue a fine of at least $110, Walkoski said. See Dogs, Page 2A