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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2018)
April 13, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Patrolling the highway, and cleaning up Seaside B atteries. Coffee cups. Construction debris. Lids for coffee cups. Plastic bags. Fast food wrappers. Lots and lots of cigarette butts. These items represent the vast majority of things that are deposited on the side of Highway 101 in our beautiful town by drivers and others. This is litter. This is trash. This is harmful to the environment and ugly to look at. The Oregon portion of Highway 101 offers unparalleled scenery and views of the ocean. Outside of a couple of sections, the Pacific itself is never far from the road and there are nearly 100 state parks along the 363 miles of the Oregon 101. Our wonderful area is no different with scenic views of the mountains and an ocean breeze that nestles the highway travelers. If you’re lucky you may even see some of our famous Roosevelt Elk as you travel north or southbound on Highway 101. In 2016, the Oregon Department of Transportation released some astounding numbers on traffic flow in this area. Their report indicated that nearly 7,000 vehicles travel Highway 101 in Clatsop County each day! And that astounding num- ber is only accurate for the month of January! ODOT figures that number SKY BOX SKYLER ARCHIBALD swells in the Summer months to more than 10,000 vehicles daily. That’s a lot of traffic, a lot of people and, unfortunately, a lot of litter. The litter is a problem. Twice a year, the Seaside Rotary Club gathers to help fix this prob- lem. The club gathers on a Saturday and divides up the Highway 101 from the 24th Avenue bridge on the north side of town all the way to the Avenue U intersection on the South. Club members patrol the east and west side of the highway and pick up the litter that has been dumped over the previous six months. You may see club members in bright orange vests and pickers or see some of the bright yellow bags that are filled up and picked up by Volunteers help keep Seaside clean. ODOT after the event. In past ex- periences, the club has filled 20-25 bags of trash from that area alone. trash out of their window, without I experience incredibly contrast- reservation it seems. ing emotions whenever I participate Clean up efforts that occur in any in this highway cleanup. There is public space are challenging and always sadness that so many people costly. Litter is a threat to the beauty think so little of our community and of our area but it’s also a threat to environment that they drop their public health and the plants that SKYLER ARCHIBALD fight for survival near the heavily traveled road. As dryer months approach, I hope to get reacquainted with my old practice of riding my bike to work. I love the experience of making it the few miles in just a few more minutes than it took for me to drive and it’s especially gratifying on those high traffic days when biking may actually beat driving. Call it bad luck but last year I had a string of misfortune when I collected three flat tires in just one week! Glass, a nail and a construc- tion staple all contributed to the flat tires. Those experiences left me frustrated that so many people don’t take extra time to ensure that their debris and rubbish ends up in the right spot. But I’m also deeply impressed with the resolution and nobleness of the Seaside Rotarians. They gather, rain or shine, to perform this act of service for our community. This year we’ll be joined by some local businesses that have highway front- age and recognize the importance of this work. You don’t have to be too bright to recognize the value of a first impression and for many the impression of our area is first had from what they can see on the highway. Here’s to hoping that view of the highway is a bit less clut- tered thanks to the Rotary Club of Seaside. Skyler Archibald is the executive director of the Sunset Empire Park & Recreation District and a member of the Rotary Club of Seaside. Women’s group salutes Sheila Roley By Cindy Gould AAUW President When I moved from Portland to live at the coast, my friends were concerned that I would be lonely and isolated. What they didn’t know was that I had come to a community of beauty and talented people. Dr. Shei- la Roley, superintendent of Seaside School District, is one of those special individ- uals who lives in our coastal town. I first heard about her when she was the Seaside High School principal. A grandmother of one her stu- dents told me how she start- ed the Seaside High School talent show. Roley came out on stage singing, “I’m so ex- cited.” The audience roared. Our Seaside AAUW branch joins in cheering for her. Not only does Roley instill energy in her students, she tackles large projects with great enthusiasm as well. Our Branch had the honor of working with her as we sup- ported the effort to pass the new school bond. The bond passed with over-whelming support from the community. Having become aware of her accomplishments, the Seaside AAUW honored Ro- ley with our Breaking Barri- ers Award at its “Spring into Fashion” style show in April 2017. Recipients are chosen based on their exceptional ability to break barriers for women and children. We then put Roley’s name into nomination for recognition by the Oregon AAUW. Much to our delight, Ro- ley was selected and the state AAUW Sheila Roley and Cindy Gould. ‘Sheila Roley is one of the very best administrators I have had the pleasure to work with. I feel fortunate to have her dedication and expertise serving the staff, students and parents of Seaside School District.’ Dr. Douglas Dougherty, superintendent-emeritus organization will honor her with their statewide Break- ing Barriers Award on April 21 in Hillsboro. She will be honored for her accomplish- ments in promoting educa- tion and equity for girls and women not only in Clatsop County but throughout the state as a mentor for aspiring school leaders. Roley has been a part of the educational community of Seaside since 1990 serv- ing as teacher, elementary school principal, middle school principal, high school principal and now superin- tendent of Seaside School District. In Seaside she was the first female high school principal and superintendent of schools. Roley graduated from college in the field of fisheries biology from the University of Washington. She later obtained her teach- er certification from Seattle University and ultimately her doctorate in education from Lewis and Clark University. She says she “chose ed- ucation as a career because I thought it would not be that hard, I would have lots of time off and I probably would not do it very long. Turned out it was really hard work, not much time off and I am still at it after 30 years. And it is the best career deci- sion I could have made.” Indeed, we are lucky to have such a dedicated wom- an leading our young people and educators in Seaside. Dr. Douglas Dougherty, super- intendent-emeritus writes, “Sheila Roley is one of the very best administrators I have had the pleasure to work with. I feel fortunate to have her dedication and ex- pertise serving the staff, stu- dents and parents of Seaside School District.” The Breaking Barriers award is presented annually at the “Spring into Fashion” style show held to raise funds for local scholarships. One of the ways we carry out our mission to advocate for wom- en and girls is to give three scholarships annually: to women returning to school, girls who are the first in their family to attend college, and a woman or girl who has demonstrated an exceptional ability to break barriers. This year the style show will be held May 12, at the Astoria Golf and Country Club, from 2 to 4 p.m. The cost is $30 for adults and $20 for students. More than 10 merchants will feature their clothing with finger sandwiches and des- sert served. Tickets are avail- able at Beach Books in Sea- side or by contacting Linda at SHARLU@hotmail.com. FILE PHOTO Deadlines for registration are ahead. Register to vote for primary election The deadline to register for the May primary election is approaching. Residents must regis- ter with the Clatsop County Clerk and Elections Office by 5 p.m. on April 24 to be eligible to vote May 15. Reg- istrations can be handed into the office at 820 Exchange St. or postmarked by the dead- line. Forms are available at the elections office, U.S. post offices, public libraries, state Department of Motor Vehi- cles offices or online through the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. Residents are required to register if they wish to either vote for the fist time or change their party affiliation, and the county has urged those who have moved to fill out the proper forms. The Inde- pendent Party of Oregon has opened its primary election for anyone who is not a mem- ber of a specific party. Those ballots must be requested through the county website or the elections office before the registration deadline. Candidates are running for state House District 32, the 1st Congressional District and three seats on the Clatsop County Board of Commis- sioners. Additionally, four tax levies — for the Lewis and Clark Rural Fire Department, Clatskanie Rural Fire Depart- ment, Warrenton Police De- partment and the Clatsop Care Health District — will also be on the ballot. Ballots will be mailed out starting April 25. One voter pamphlet per each registered household will arrive before ballots are sent out. More in- formation can be found at the county website or at 503-325- 8511. Socializing through games and movement improves seniors’ health By Susan Cody For EO Medja Group Did you know that social- izing and playing games can keep you healthier longer? In the comfortable lobby of the Astoria Senior Cen- ter a few people are relaxing and talking. About 20 bridge players are in another room gearing up for an afternoon of cards. In the cafeteria, an- other 18 people gather to play pinochle. Similar to the Bob Chisholm Center in Seaside, activities abound for residents to get out and do something. Whether it is line dancing, music, yoga, exercise class- es, free movies, cards, board games, education or a musical jam session, there are ways to engage and meet like-minded people. The Astoria Senior Center is a great place to socialize, says Larry Miller, the center’s director. The new space is designed for many activities that don’t interfere with each other, such as playing pool, using computers or eating lunch. SUE CODY Jeanne Nasby, Marion Blake and Jack Bland play bridge at the Astoria Senior Center. “Everybody enjoys it,” Miller says. “It is welcoming and friendly, and you can get lots of snacks and coffee. The coffee’s always on.” The benefits of playing games “Researchers have discov- ered that mentally challeng- ing games such as bridge are well suited for older people because the games offer intel- lectual and social stimulation on a routine basis,” AARP reports. “A study in 2000 at the University of California, Berkeley, found strong evi- dence that an area in the brain used in playing bridge stimu- lates the immune system.” Paul Buckman of Astoria, says he was mourning after his wife died. He tried group counseling, then took some bridge lessons. He found bridge was much more help- ful than counseling. “You sit down at the bridge table and everything else just melts away,” says Sue Kroning a Seaside bridge instructor. Buckman says, “It’s a fas- cinating game. It keeps me away from TV and napping on the couch.” He now assists Kroning, setting up tables for lessons and bridge games at the Bob Chisholm Community Cen- ter. Kroning says the main benefit of playing bridge is the social aspect. You can in- teract with friends. “I don’t like to call it a club, because it sounds exclu- sive, and it’s not,” says Kro- ning. “Membership is loose. You don’t have to belong to a bridge club…anybody can come and play. “For people new to the area, it has wonderful bene- fits like meeting people and forming a social circle.” “I feel like I can go any- where and find a bridge game and meet new friends,” she says. Playing in a bridge tour- nament in Seattle, Kroning recognized an accent from where she grew up in Rhode- sia (now Zimbabwe). When hearing the woman’s name, she realized the woman was in her class in grade school. Even though many players on the coast are older, young people are doing really well at bridge, Kroning says, point- ing to an American Contract Bridge League publication. The Player of the Year is a 28-year-old from Denmark. There are bridge games nearly every day in Seaside, Astoria or Long Beach, Wash- ington. Lessons are available for people who want to learn the game or improve their skills. For information on lessons and games see: http:// bit.ly/W2Wbridge or call Sue Kroning at 503-738-7817. Other activities keep the brain active and offer social interactions, such as pinoch- le, bingo and board games. All are available in Seaside and Astoria. powered by music fi rst