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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2018)
6A • June 8, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com Downtown Development Association scales back Dailey served since 2016 By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal The Seaside Downtown Development Association an- nounced a “heart-wrenching decision” May 24, eliminating the role of its executive direc- tor and moving from offices on North Holladay Drive. Further program or event cuts may follow for the non- profit in its 25th year repre- senting businesses and mer- chants. “We’re trying to figure out what our path is to future sus- tainability, to make sure we have enough money adminis- tratively to continue on,” said Darren Gooch, the board pres- ident. “We really want this or- ganization to be viable for at least another 25-plus years.” Program sponsorships R.J. MARX Seaside Downtown Development Association board president Darren Gooch and board member Kristin Talamantez at Thursday’s announcement of cutbacks at the association. have dropped steadily over the past decade, never fully recovering since the Great Recession, he said. “That puts us in a situation now we’re relying on spon- sorships for future events to cover operational costs, and that’s a place we don’t want to get to,” he said. The executive director’s position has been held by Sarah Dailey since spring of 2016, when she took over from Tita Montero. Dailey had served as the associa- tion’s administrative assistant and interim director before taking the helm. The association will not renew its lease at the office at 39 North Holladay Drive and will share space with board member Jeremy Mills of State Farm Insurance in Seaside, Gooch said. Volunteers will step up to handle scheduled events, Gooch added. Other duties will be split up among board members. Part-time staffer Celeste Kenneally will re- main. The association launched in 1993 to promote interests of the downtown core with beautification and lighting. Annual events include spring and fall car shows, downtown wine walks, a charity golf dinner and Hal- loween Happenin’s. The asso- ciation also helps sponsor the Shop Seaside program. “We can only do and bear so much,” Gooch said. “We’ve grown those events over the years. Every time you add another event, you increase your administrative needs for those events.” The association’s best-case scenario would be to keep a number of events, maintain part-time staff and eventual- ly move up to a model with a leadership position, Gooch said. At the end of summer, the board will hold work ses- sions to reconsider the events schedule, Gooch told associa- tion members. “But we don’t want to make those decisions without input from our membership,” he said. “You guys are really the lifeblood of this organiza- tion and we want your feed- back and input.” Ham radio outreach and field day coming Sunset Empire Amateur Radio Club and the city of Gearhart present an emergen- cy communications outreach and field day event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at the corner of Pacific Way and Marion Avenue in Gearhart. Every attendee will have a chance to talk on the radio to other local and foreign am- ateur radio operators, see op- erational displays of different types of emergency radio gear and participate in events emphasizing family and per- sonal preparedness. Attendees can try their hand at tapping out their names in Morse code. Chil- dren will also have fun with the Morse code scavenger hunt. Sponsors include the Clatsop County Emergency Management Division, the Astoria Lions Club, Ham Ra- dio Outlet, and many others. For more information, contact Dana Gandy at 971- 601-0283. JOIN THE PARADE! R.J. MARX Jason Stegner, Russ Vandenberg, Steve Wright, Jay Barber, Randy Frank, Tita Montero, Patrick Duhachek and Tim Tolan pre- pare to put shovels to the ground at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. Officials mark start of renovation Launch from Page 1A City councilors responded, unanimously approving a hike in the city’s lodging tax from 8 to 10 percent to pay for the $15 million in 30-year bonds for upgrades. Overall, the new project adds about 10,000 square feet to the existing facility, for a total of 55,000 square feet, an increase of nearly 19 percent. The ballroom and meet- ing rooms will be expanded; restrooms and staircases relo- cated. Carpeting and lighting will be replaced throughout. A two-story addition on the east side of the building will overlook Broadway and the Necanicum River. Under Monday’s cloud- less sky, members of the City Council and the key players of the design and construc- tion team — including Keely O’Brien of O’Brien and Co. Construction in Cannon Beach, project manager Jason Stegner of Klosh Group LLC and Michael Schmidt of Port- land’s Holst Architecture — marked the official launch of the 15-month project. A steady thump-thump ac- companied the ceremony, as crews were already at work ripping out concrete on the east side of the building. Bar- ber, city councilors and build- ing officials leaned into their shovels as camera shutters clicked and dirt flew. “The city fathers showed great wisdom in coming up with this idea 40 years ago,” Barber said. “It has become the engine that has driven the economy through the winter months and year-round.” FILE PHOTO Seaside’s annual Fourth of July Parade brings out the crowds. Sign up now to participate in this year’s event. R.J. MARX Convention center general manager Russ Vandenberg looks on as Mayor Jay Barber addresses the audience. Heineman may begin work this summer Heineman from Page 1A Heineman was selected following interviews and a community meet and greet this past Wednesday that brought three finalists from Oregon and one from Florida. Heineman was chosen among four candidates. After college, candidate Josh Heineman worked in communications at a San Francisco law school. He re- turned to Portland four years ago, where he now works s a community marketing manag- er for 52 Limited in Portland. At a city meet-and-greet Wednesday, he described himself as “strongest when creating content and shaping communication.” Heineman is married with three young children. In addition to handling the duties of leisure marketing and advertising for Seaside, Heineman will oversee the Visitors Bureau’s Information Center and a staff of two full- time information specialists, a part-time specialist and two volunteers. The Visitors Bureau shares office space with the Sea- side Chamber of Commerce. Heineman is expected to begin work the final week of June or first week of July. Rahl, the city’s director of tourism marketing for the past eight years, is moving to city hall on July 1 to become Sea- side’s assistant city manager. Follow the ride on Twit- ter, @Brentleebundy1. New York. In his travels, he’s established a lot of friendships, he said. “I don’t do it to raise money, I do it to raise aware- ness,” he said. Follow the ride on Twitter, @Brentleebundy1. Registration for Sea- side’s annual Fourth of July Parade is now open online at www.seasidefourthofjuly. org. The lineup will begin on Necanicum Drive at 12th Avenue, rain or shine. Sig- nup must be completed by June 29. Entrants must be able to negotiate turns onto and off Broadway. Floats cannot be over 40 feet in length, tow- ing vehicle and float com- bined and no more than 8 feet wide. If a float or vehi- cle distributes “goodies” it must be done by someone walking alongside the entry. No goodies or candy can be thrown from the float or ve- hicle. The Oregon Crusad- er’s Drum and Bugle Corp will be participating again this year. All entrants must be in line and ready to go by 10:45 a.m. Arriving early is strongly suggested since traffic can often be heavy. Those entrants not at their assigned position will be put at the end of the parade as space allows. The parade starts at 11 a.m. and turn east from Necanicum on 12th Avenue, then south on Hol- laday Drive to Broadway, west to Columbia and east to First Avenue to Necanicum. Emails with additional parade information and as- signed position will be sent out to registered entrants. LEWIS & CLARK TIMBERLANDS Recreational Access Seaside is starting point for cancer awareness ride Permit Public Notice All recreational On the road again By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal On June 1, Keizer resident Brent Lee Bundy launched his bicycle ride from Seaside to Staten Island, New York. An amazing achievement for anyone, but this is his sixth coast-to-coast bike ride after a car accident and subsequent strokes which forced him to re- learn how to walk, talk and eat. This will be his sixth cross-country bike ride he said. With his first in 2006 to raise awareness for breast can- R.J. MARX Brent Bundy will make his sixth bicycle trip across the country, launching from Seasde on June 1. cer. Gina Kosmas, a former high school friend, who died in 2004 at 35, inspired the ride. The family has a Seaside connection: Kosmas’s in-laws have retired here. Bundy said he likes to jog “way more” than bike. “But I wasn’t going to run across the United States and carry all that stuff.” He will travel alone carry- ing 80 pounds, including tents, clothes and camping equip- ment. “It’s just got tons of stuff on it,” he said. June is Bundy’s preferred travel month. This trip, he will bicycle through Idaho, to Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey and then activities on Lewis & Clark Timberlands Oregon will require a no fee recreational permit effective June 1, 2018 To acquire a permit (available 5/21/18): Go online to greenwoodresources.com and click on Recreation Access, or Scan the QR code using your smartphone at one of our access gate signs. Call 503.755.6655 for recorded information. Our goal is to provide a quality recreational experience while improving communications with our timberland visitors.
