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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2018)
4A • January 5, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com SignalViewpoints Gearhart in the early 20th century A playground for the rich and famous G earhart’s November referendum on short- term rental rules tore a community asunder with a binary choice: repeal short-term rental regulations put in force or to leave them be. Everyone in the city of 1,562 — of those, 1,245 registered voters — picked a side, and those who could vote locally propelled defeat of the repeal. Measure 4-188 failed by a lopsided 77 percent to 23 percent. Gearhart’s 100th anniversary as an incorporated city comes in the aftermath of that bruising debate. “This has been going on since 1918,” Gearhart historian Bill Berg said at a post-election celebration at McMenamins. “It’s all about the fabric of the community.” A ‘wilderness playground’ In its early days, Gearhart offered mansions, surreys and a “Chautauqua House” in Gearhart Park initiated by socialite Narcis- sa Kinney that served as a center for arts and culture, one of 400 such societies around the nation, presenting orator William Jennings Bryan, educator Booker T. Wash- ington and composer John Phillip Sousa. Cannery and sawmill entrepre- neur Marshall Kinney, who brought the Astoria & South Coast Railway to Gearhart, developed the Gearhart Golf Course in 1902, touting it as “the finest in America.” The Kinneys envisioned Gear- hart as a “wildness playground for culturally elite Portlanders seeking fresh sea air, picnic on the dune meadows and cozy beach cottages set amidst virgin forests,” Donna Pizzi wrote in Portrait Magazine. Even fussy residents of Astoria ventured south and liked what they saw in Gearhart: “Last Sunday, a number of Astoria golfers visited the links and were well pleased with the condition of the grounds,” the Signal wrote in May 1916. Along with golf, swimming was only a few strokes behind. The sport transformed the North Coast, SEEN FROM SEASIDE R.J. MARX and Gearhart, as published in “A History of the Multnomah Ama- teur Athletic Club.” Club member Arthur Cavill was “an aquatic Pied Piper in Portland leading every- one in Portland off to Gearhart for mid-winter plunges into the ocean.” In the summer of 1914, Pro- fessor H.A. Ludwig took the “first plunge” into the Gearhart natatori- um, described as a 60-foot-by-40- foot tank — “the largest of its kind in the Northwest.” “It is larger by several feet than the tank at the Multnomah Athletic Club,” the Signal wrote. In July 1915, a headline read: “Gearhart building active,” re- counting the building of 17 homes at Gearhart Park ranging from $2,500 to $4,500 each, along with development of several new streets. In August, a golf tournament came to Gearhart with “enthusiasts from Walla Walla, Lewiston, Spo- kane, Seattle and Portland.” The new American pastime of automobiling had come to Gear- hart, with “almost every cottager having a car here,” the Oregonian wrote in 1917. For those too young to drive, “the little ones are rejoicing over their possession of their favorite ponies, as the riding school is now in full swing and the lads and lass- ies are seen each morning riding along the beach at low tide and through the woods when the tides are too high to get to the beach,” the Oregonian reported. Cookbook author James Beard wrote vivid accounts of Gearhart summer life in the early 20th cen- tury, when families came for the seashore while father stayed in the city to work, rushing to the shore each week for a family reconnec- tion. Beard spent weekends and summers with on the Oregon Coast, where his family prepared elabo- rate picnics Visitors to the beach in Gearhart, circa 1920. OREGON HISTORI- CAL SOCIETY FILE PHOTO Walking the boulevard in Gearhart as depicted in an undated postcard. and cooked over an open fire at the beach, ending “an endless variety of chowders, salmon, clams and crabs,” according to a biography of the celebrity chef. Enter Gearhart As the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, the nation’s thoughts moved from recreation to battle on an international stage. In Gearhart, residents — many of them over 50 years of age — joined the Home Guard to protect the Lower Columbia River District. The social season opened on schedule, but headlines shifted to news from overseas, enlistment announcements and Liberty Fund drives. “In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Gearhart Park was part of the town of Clatsop and was known simply as a vacation destination for folks coming in on the train to visit the beach and stay at the hotel,” Mayor Matt Brown said in Decem- ber. “In 1917, the local residents who worked at the hotels, the train station, and in other capac- ities decided they wanted a residential community to call their own. “ They wanted the town to reflect the views of the families who lived here year round and decided to form the city of Gearhart, he added. In early 1918, the town of Clatsop became officially incorporated as the city of Gearhart. “You can see in Gearhart today the legacy that was built by this small group of local settlers, workers, and families that wanted a residential community of their own,” Brown said. A new charter Gearhart residents filed a petition to incorporate in 1917; a vote followed in January 1918. “A general improvement of the city will take place during the coming season and those who are inter- ested will strive to make Gearhart one of the best places on the coast to spend the summer and winter months,” wrote the Signal. “Here’s success to Gearhart, our neighbor.” Voters “almost unani- mously” voted for adop- tion of a new charter, de- fining boundaries, naming officers and establishing laws governing street improvements. Gearhart’s first mayor was P. A. Lee, from 1918 to 1920. F. L. Hager served as auditor and Judge D.B. Schroeder served as trea- surer. W.H Moffett, D.B. Hensley, Fred Ober and Henry Ober Sr. were the city’s first councilors. Shortly after, William Samuel Badger, a con- tractor and road builder who moved to Gearhart in 1915, was appointed to fill a vacancy. With his selection, Badger was the FILE PHOTO first African-American to serve Poster highlights the pleasures of office in Oregon, a state with Gearhart Park by the Sea. racial exclusion laws on the books during his term of office Seaside surfers brave the winter waves PUBLISHER EDITOR Kari Borgen R.J. Marx LETTERS Proper precautions needed O ne of the great joys of living so close to the Cove is that almost any day, rain or shine, sun or gloom, I can almost always watch someone brave these ferocious waters to surf. It took some time for this East Coast oriented girl who grew up on the Jersey shore to fathom why anyone in their right mind would enter the ocean in the last days of December unless you’re in Maui or Malibu, but since moving to this windswept and rugged beach town on north Oregon coast, I am reminded daily that winter surfing is a call of the wild. Yesterday, during a break from writ- ing and cleaning the house, I snapped a leash on Lucy and headed for the Cove. I wasn’t disappointed; the short strip of the parking area across from Seltzer Park was filled with vans, cars, and trucks. The air was nippy, but there wasn’t much wind, and the sun was shining and the tide was right, which meant a lot of surfers — old, young, male and female — were out to test themselves. I counted eight experi- enced surfers in the more challenging waters closest to the Point; another six, less experienced surfers, were on their boards in the easier waters slightly to the north. Earlier this morning at a coffee shop I frequent in Gearhart, I was discussing winter water temps. Someone offered and remaining law until 1926. He later owned a wood and coal fuel supply business. With his wife, Emma, he operated Badger’s Chicken Dinners for 23 years. “The city of Gearhart has only been incorporated for the past year and the officers elected will put that beautiful little summer resort on the map where it belongs,” wrote the Signal in 1919. By 1920, the city of Gearhart had a population of 127. Since then, it has grown — for some, too fast; for others, not fast enough. VIEW FROM THE PORCH EVE MARX EVE MARX/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL Seaside is “Surfin’ USA” all year round. up a theory about the Pacific being warmer on the Oregon coast in winter in reaction to Japanese gulf winds. I went on line and came across a paper written by a Dr. Tim Ball who in 2013 wrote about an area of warm water off the Oregon coast known as “The Blob.” He attributed this phenomenon to a combination of El Niño, drought, and global warming. Throughout 2014 and 2015, “The Blob” continued to spread, but nobody’s mentioned it since. This warmer water was said to be nutrient CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER Jeremy Feldman John D. Bruijn ADVERTISING SALES SYSTEMS MANAGER Holly Larkins Carl Earl CLASSIFIED SALES Danielle Fisher poor and had an adverse affect on marine life. I’m guessing the winter surfers those years didn’t mind it a bit. If you’re going to get in cold water, it’s imperative to have the right wetsuit. According to a surf forecast I found on line, today’s water temp was 49 degrees Fahrenheit. This is considered very cold. To get into water this chilly requires a quality steamer wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves, and boots. There is something extraordinarily beautiful about watching winter surfers. They are brave. Winter waves are big, and more dangerous. I find it mesmer- izing to watch these aquatic ninjas, bobbing in the swell. Experts who have surfed around the world have called surfing the Cove a world-class experi- ence. The wave energy rolls down from the Gulf of Alaska. There are sharks. One might wonder what compels a person to purposefully put themselves at such risk, but even a few minutes observing winter surfers has revealed to me what they’re actually doing is looking death in the face. And that is life-affirming. It’s a dramatic outlook. STAFF WRITER Brenna Visser CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Skyler Archibald Rebecca Herren Katherine Lacaze Eve Marx Esther Moberg Jon Rahl “Rope and rescue team saves stranded dog off cliffside in state park,” the Dec. 26 article detailing Felix’s dramatic rescue by Cannon Beach Fire and Rescue personnel with Seaside Fire Lieutenant Genesee Dennis scaling a 60-foot sharp cliff face to bring the dog to safety has been widely shared on Facebook. As a long-time dog owner and lover, I’m relieved everyone emerge unscathed. However, the article didn’t detail the fact that Felix’s owner is a fan of letting her dog run off leash as this helps him “decompress.” It didn’t note that Ms. Stremming had Felix running off-leash through the park — a park that re- quires dogs to be on leash at all times. Nor did the article detail that the entire incident — one that put rescuers in harm’s way, took them away from their family and friends at Christmas time, saw expendi- ture of municipal money, likely caused Felix stress from being trapped on a narrow ledge without food or water, and caused his owner and her friends heartache — could have been avoided had Ms. Stremming simply obeyed Ecola State Park’s leash law and had Felix leashed. If Ms. Stremming continues to have Felix run off leash, perhaps doing so on her own property or within the con- fines of a securely fenced area is best. Dorianne Almann Hinsdale, NH Adopt a pet While volunteering at the Clatsop County Animal Shel- ter, I met a dog named Bodie. He is a hound, and runs as fast as any greyhound I’ve seen. See Letters, Page 6A Seaside Signal Letter policy Subscriptions The Seaside Signal is published every other week by EO Media Group, 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, OR 97138. 503-738-5561 seasidesignal.com Copyright 2018 © Seaside Signal. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. 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 verification. 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 Annually: $40.50 in county • $58.00 in and out of county • e-Edition: only $30.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaside Signal, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. Postage Paid at Seaside, OR, 97138 and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2017 © by the Seaside Signal. No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced without written permission. All rights reserved.