4A • March 30, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Wedding draws
guests, ghosts
Rec district faces tough challenge
in Cannon Beach, Gearhart
G
SEPRD
Annexation rejected
f course my son and his fiancée would get
married on Ghost Conference Weekend, I said
casually to a friend. I was feeling a little sad I
wasn’t going to the conference, which took place at the
Seaside Civic and Convention Center this past weekend.
The conference is in its seventh year; in the past I’d
written preview pieces about the conference and made
a point of attending for at least a few hours. In case
you missed it, the Oregon Ghost Conference features
mediums, past-
life regression
practitioners,
VIEW FROM
spirit experts,
THE PORCH
animal
communicators, EVE MARX
psychics
and vendors
specializing in paranormal-related wares. The Oregon
Ghost Conference is the largest paranormal convention
in the Northwest, attracting thousands of visitors.
In preparation for the wedding ceremony, which took
place in Seaside on a semi-secret beach, I went through
boxes of old photographs — real photographs, not the
digital variety. Around the house I scattered pictures of
our combined families’ deceased; my mother, my father,
my favorite stepdad; my husband’s mother; a couple of
much loved pets, and deceased close family friends who
had known our son since he was just a lad. I imagined
their pictures would serve as an invitation to their pres-
ence at the wedding, just in case if in their ghostly capac-
ities they cared to attend.
My son and his fiancée were oblivious to the Ore-
gon Ghost Conference as they planned their nuptials at
the beach. To be honest, I’ve never heard either one of
them indicate in any way whatsoever they are believers in
ghosts and spirits. They were officially married at a rather
rocky and imposing location not far from the Cove. We
warned them there could
be gawkers, but it was
raining (what else?) and OUR FAMILY
save for two passersby
who stepped away when IS BY ANY
they divined a wedding STANDARD
was about to happen, we
had tranquility and peace. VERY SMALL,
Back at the house
as my husband cracked BUT IF YOU
open a couple of bottle of COUNT THE
champagne, I found my-
self glancing a few times GHOSTS WITH
at those old photographs.
I thought what it would be US AT THE
like if our old dear friend, WEDDING
the Montreal-based sing-
er Tony Roman, could CEREMONY, I
have been there; or Bill,
whose life was taken THINK WE HAD
from him in a homicide QUITE THE
by an unknown assailant
when he was only in his CROWD.
early 40s. The really cra-
zy thing is Bill’s case has
been a cold case for 28 years. A few months ago Bill’s
case was reopened by a New York Police Department de-
tective who specializes in cold cases. Was it a coincidence
that just hours before the wedding, the detective called me
with a bit of news? What he said was less important to me
than the simple fact of the timing of his call, which I read
to be a message from Bill, letting me know he was with us
in spirit for the nuptials. Bill loved a party.
The bride wore a diamond that had belonged to my
mom. It was the diamond my father gave her when they
became engaged. I felt my mother’s approval of the
beautiful new setting for that diamond my son’s bride
commissioned. My son never met my mother; she died
a few months before he was born, but since she was so
attached to the ring, I felt her spirit hovering approvingly
nearby during the vows. My mother-in-law was famous
for scowling in almost every photo, but as I was going
through those old photos, I found one where she’s smil-
ing. In it she is beaming at our son when he was newborn.
Our family is by any standard very small, but if you count
the ghosts with us at the wedding ceremony, I think we
had quite the crowd.
O
earhart is out of the district; Surf
Pines is in, as is Cullaby Lake and
anything north of the Highlands in
the Seaside School District. Boundaries
include residents near U.S. Highway
26 and U.S. Highway 101 junction and
extend past the Oregon Route 53 junction
near Saddle Mountain Road. Cannon
Beach is out. Hamlet is in. Users come
from as far as Astoria and Nehalem, which
are out of the district.
The logic of the Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District is a little mystifying,
even to those in the know. The independent
taxing district provides fitness and commu-
nity events in their Seaside locations, but
not all residents enjoy their benefits. With a
relatively small population and few public
recreation facilities, it might make sense to
bring the community together.
The district, formed in 1969, will cel-
ebrate its 50th anniversary next year, Ex-
ecutive Director Skyler Archibald told the
Gearhart City Council in March. The goal,
he said, was to provide swim and aquatic
education to those living on the coast and
along the county’s many waterways.
The Sunset Pool opened to fanfare in
1978. Since that time, programming has
expanded to a fitness center, community
center, senior lunch program, preschool
and playing fields, for starters. The district
employs seven full-time staff, with an an-
nual budget of $2.8 million.
Gearhart residents may use the pool and
facilities, but must pay out-of-district rates.
Boundary map of the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District.
Since the pool’s inception, efforts at
bringing Gearhart and Cannon Beach into
the rec district have been beset by politics,
disinterest or a little bit of both.
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
Not that residents don’t use the district;
R.J.
MARX
they do. Almost 40 percent of Gearhart
residents are members or previous mem-
bers, Archibald said. About 650 Gearhart
residents have signed up for district pro-
grams since 2013, he said.
ceived a letter from Archibald in 2017 ask-
“When we do analyze our program ing the council to consider a partnership
participants, particularly for programs like with the SEPRD, McCarthy added, but the
swim lessons, preschool, after school pro- matter has yet to be discussed.
gramming, we find that typically around
With board members and Archibald
one-third of the participants are Gearhart considering building expansion, this might
residents,” Archibald said this week.
seem a likely time to revisit the notion of
In 2009, Mary Blake, the district’s exec- growing the rec district’s boundaries, to ex-
utive director at the time, brought an annex- pand user base, expand recreation options
ation proposal to the city of Gearhart.
and cut costs for individuals and families.
“I think this particular council seems to
“For 40 years the district has provided
recognizes the dynamics of Gearhart and an amazing facility with the Sunset Pool,
there are a lot of young families here, and but we’re under-serving our need,” Ar-
people who could benefit,” she said at the chibald said. He walked Gearhart council-
ors through expansion plans, including a
time.
Blake suggested Gearhart put the ques- second floor to the athletic facility, with a
tion on the fall ballot. But after nearly an gym and possible remodeling to Broadway
hour of discussion, members decided the School for fitness programs.
time wasn’t right.
Cost for the base plan is estimated at
In 2011, Blake went to Cannon Beach $15 million to $18 million. Bringing the
with a partnership proposal. Her goal was middle school into the mix could include a
to bring new services to Cannon Beach: 4,000-square-foot community room, kitch-
trails in the Ecola Creek Forest Reserve, a en, three preschool rooms, teen room and
community garden, outdoor education and outdoor courtyard, at an additional cost of
between $7 million and $9 million.
summer camps.
The effort stalled and the measure never
made it to the ballot recalled Nancy Mc- Taxpayer burnout?
Carthy, the former editor of the Signal and
Archibald left Gearhart City Hall early
Gazette and now a member of the Cannon
this month without a decision, but the city
Beach City Council recalled.
City officials were “pretty noncom- could decide to take up the matter again.
mital” at the time, McCarthy said this
“There would have to be a request from
month, although the district did provide SEPRD or some of the councilors to be-
some funding for Cannon Beach park pro- gin having conversations about what that
grams.
would like,” Gearhart City Administrator
The Cannon Beach City Council re- Chad Sweet said after the March meeting.
The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation
District is holding a board workshop on
the expansion project, Monday, April 2,
at 4 p.m. at the Bob Chisholm Communi-
ty Center, 1225 Avenue A, in Seaside.
“I think it’s a wonderful organization, but
we’ve got a lot of big projects too,” Sweet
said.
In the meantime, Gearhart voters are
readying to finance a new firehouse, which
could run into the millions and will most
likely be borne by taxpayer dollars.
In Cannon Beach, the fire district opted
to forgo a vote on adding two professional
firefighters. Residents are still feeling the
pinch of the 2015 school bond and an in-
crease in water rates.
Even in Seaside, funding for a rec center
addition faces a tough path: lodging taxes
rose 2 percent to pay for upgrades to the
Seaside Civic and Convention Center and
taxpayers are looking ahead to three years
of school construction. The county wants
a new jail and upgrades at the airport. The
Clatsop County Health District announced
a $3 million tax levy this week, intended
for service and facility upgrades.
When she stepped down as executive
director, Blake said in 2012, the hardest
thing about her job was dealing with two
cities and communities that are “putting
their taxes first and not understanding that
those taxes can go to the quality of life. …
Unfortunately, the people that live in those
out-of-district areas will continue to find
they have to pay more for our services.”
Meanwhile, Archibald is holding out
hope. “I really want to see if I can help ex-
pand the district in a positive way and bring
our services to those communities who
don’t have them.”
LETTERS
Need to enforce
Seaside leash law
I moved to Seaside July 2017.
I am a manager at a local motel.
We are pet friendly plus I have two
small dogs. My issue is this… I run
three days a week along the prom-
enade. Every time I run my three
miles, I encounter a dog off leash
and it’s usually the same people
with the same dogs.
I know there is a leash law in
Seaside, but I guess they think the
law does not apply to them. I say,
“leash law” as I run past them every
time. They still do not leash their
dogs. I never see anyone patrolling,
policing or enforcing the leash law.
I am stating my case because I
took my dogs out for a walk, both
on leashes. I was in a neighborhood
in a residential area, and suddenly,
a dog came out of nowhere and
grabbed one of my dogs with its
teeth and would not let go. Had I
not had my dog leashed, I would
not have been able to pull it away
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
from the attacking dog. You never
know which dogs are friendly and
which ones are not, and unfortu-
nately, there are some people who
don’t care to follow rules and ruin it
for the rest of us.
I’m asking that Seaside post
signs along the promenade remind-
ing everyone of the law to leash
their dogs. I would also like to see
someone policing the promenade
regularly.
Sandra Garvin
Seaside
Jail bonds are a
risky investment
Why would anyone want to buy
the county’s jail bonds?
Yes, Clatsop County needs better
jail facilities. The county plans to
seek voter approval to issue bonds
for new jail facilities that will be
repaid by future property tax rev-
enues. It all sounds pretty normal,
right?
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Jeremy Feldman
John D. Bruijn
ADVERTISING
SALES
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
April Olsen
Carl Earl
CLASSIFIED
SALES
Danielle Fisher
Nestled behind their podium
up in Astoria, our county’s elected
leaders and paid staff are hoping
that this time jail improvements
will be successful. They really
don’t want to acknowledge that the
investment community rates bonds
for buyers by the risk that they will
not be repaid.
Property taxes are based on
property valuation and Clatsop
County has just over $6 billion
dollars of property that is taxed.
The narrow Pacific coastal strip
of the county from Arch Cape to
the mouth of the Columbia River
contains 70 percent of this prop-
erty valuation. Using state-issued
tsunami inundation maps, about
80 percent of the value of these
properties will be destroyed by a
mid-size Cascadia event. Event
Astoria with about 13 percent of the
county’s assessed valuation will be
hard hit by the earthquake portion
of a Cascadia event because of the
age of its downtown structures. The
state puts the probability of such a
STAFF WRITER
Brenna Visser
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Skyler Archibald
Rebecca Herren
Katherine Lacaze
Eve Marx
Esther Moberg
Jon Rahl
Cascadia event as 1 in 3 over the
next 50 years.
As an investor would you want
to fund your children’s educa-
tion and your retirement on a
“junk bond” like this? But wait,
didn’t Seaside School District just
successfully issue $100 million in
school bonds? Yes, but under duress
from Sen. Betsy Johnson, the state
treasurer guaranteed these bonds.
There is no one to guarantee these
jail bonds nor many of these other
proposed non-school bond issues
presently being proposed by local
agencies.
John Dunzer
Seaside
John Orr, our
best choice
As a former Republican, I would
like to share why I believe candi-
date John Orr should be our next
State House Representative for
District 32.
Even though he is running for
political office for the first time,
he is certainly no “newcomer” to
politics. Orr’s progressive views
on finance reform, housing and the
environment as well as his 25 years
representing his community and
helping others, have always been
distinct and have never wavered.
His approach has always been to
fight hard, balanced with a pragmat-
ic sensibility born out of experience
with our justice system.
In a time of political turmoil,
John Orr maintains a perspective of
calm, but resolute leadership that
Oregonians need in their lawmak-
ers. Someone who cannot only
represent their concerns, but has the
mind and heart and experience to
actually accomplish these goals.
I encourage everyone to vote,
but I especially encourage you to
vote for those who truly care about
the future of Oregon — John Orr is
for Oregon.
Phil Hall
Warrenton
Seaside Signal
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