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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2018)
August 3, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 3A BOND BUNDLE County voters will have four bonds to choose from in November By Jack Heffernan The Daily Astorian PHOTOS BY COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN The North Coast Youth Correctional Facility sits vacant in Warrenton. During a meeting earlier this month, Clatsop County Commissioner Sarah Nebeker argued that a November bond measure to relocate and expand the county jail needs to pass. But she recognized that voters may be leery of the tax burden. “It’s the cheapest bond out there, though,” Sheriff Tom Bergin said. Bergin was referring to three other bonds — for the Astoria and Warrenton school districts and the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District — that will be on the ballot. Local gov- ernments are trying to address several long-standing needs while the economy continues to boom, betting that voters will not have bond overload. “The bond passage rate the last three to five years has re- ally been on an upswing state- wide,” said Mark Jeffery, the superintendent of the Warren- ton-Hammond School District. “It’s pretty incredible for a county this size. And not just small projects.” Officials have not coordinat- ed the timing of the bonds and say they do not feel a sense of competition. But the number of tax hikes has been a topic of slight concern. “Obviously bond fatigue, I guess, is a concern, but I think that we started this over a year ago and we can’t, you know, we don’t have a crystal ball to know what other cities are go- ing to do,” said Scott Lee, the chairman of the county Board of Commissioners. Lee and Bergin are correct. The county’s efforts to move the 60-bed jail from Astoria to the shuttered North Coast Youth Correctional Facility in War- renton began last spring. The $20 million bond would be the least expensive in terms of its impact on property taxes — an estimated 21 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. County and law enforcement leaders hope a new jail will solve persistent overcrowding. Turnout may be a positive for some bonds and a negative for others. “I really want to see folks that don’t own property and that haven’t been here for a long time to get involved and register to vote,” Lee said. On the other hand, young voters may be pivotal to the $20 million Sunset Empire bond to expand its Seaside recreation center — at 70 cents per $1,000. The recreation district hopes the new facility will generate addi- tional revenue following a de- crease last year. Some have speculated that younger voters would be more likely to utilize the upgraded fa- cility and, therefore, more will- ing to pay for it. But, “I would hope that all of our residents — both young and old — can see the benefit of this,” said Skyler Archibald, the executive director of the recre- ation district. Seaside School District vot- ers overwhelmingly passed a $99.7 million bond in 2016 to relocate schools out of the tsu- nami inundation zone. Though it’s for a different purpose, the recreation district hopes for sim- ilar support. “I guess I’d be lying to say we weren’t motivated by the voters’ approval of the school bond,” Archibald said. While the entire county will vote on the jail bond, only voters within the recreation district will decide on the Sunset Empire plan. Although the bonds would come at an identical price, more taxpayers would share the bur- den of the new jail than the rec- reation facility. “The jail bond affects all of the county obviously, so it’s not going to be as easy for us to market it,” Archibald said. “We do have to be a little bit insight- ful with how we message it.” School bonds Seaside-area voters will not, however, be asked to pitch in as much as those who live in the Warrenton-Hammond or As- toria school districts. The $70 million Astoria bond to mod- ernize the school district’s five campuses would cost taxpayers $2.83 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Those in War- renton-Hammond would need to pay $2.49 per $1,000 to buy a master campus and build a new middle school outside the tsuna- mi inundation zone. At a smaller price but with a similar goal of moving out- side the tsunami zone, Warren- ton-Hammond officials hope their $32.4 million bond will have as much success as the 2016 one in Seaside. The school district did not specifically move forward with the bond because of the Seaside example, but it did compare the upcoming bond to the past one, Jeffery said. In Astoria, the motivations are largely about timing. A bond from 2000 is set to expire, and the school district hopes to modernize its campuses. Voters in both school districts will also decide on the jail bond. While maintaining that the bonds are not competing, Bergin made a case for the relative importance of the new jail. But will voters choose one bond over another after doing the tax math? “I think the voters are smart- er than that and, kind of, can un- derstand what’s going on here,” Lee said. “It’s a coincidence, but I don’t think it’s a deal breaker to pass these.” Max Price performs a trick at the skate park in the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation Dis- trict in Seaside. A bond to expand the recre- ation center will be on the ballot in November. Lori Nicole Visser Winner winner — from Dundee’s dinner Fort Pierce, Florida June 10, 1978 — July 14, 2018 Lori Nicole Visser, 40, died July 14, 2018, future winter home. in Fort Pierce, Florida, from an undiagnosed Lori is remembered for her bubbly, outgo- ing and charismatic spirit, accompanied by a medical condition. Born June 10, 1978, in Corvallis, Lori was smile and witch-like cackle that would make a Gearhart native, perpetually proud anyone in her vicinity grin, too. She of her roots as a Gearhart Elementa- loved laughing, the movie “Grease,” ry School Eagle. bike rides and getting competitive She graduated from Seaside playing any and all games with her High School in 1996, where she was sisters. known as an accomplished swimmer She was kind, but also revered for and for her gregarious spirit. She her straightforward nature and abil- ity “to tell you how it is.” Anyone then went to Oregon State Universi- ty, where she picked up her lifelong close to Lori would know to be on and unflappable allegiance to the their toes, as she was known to be a Beavers, until transferring to Ore- notorious prankster. gon Health & Science University to Lori Visser No matter where she lived, Lori receive her bachelor’s of science de- was always proud of her North Coast gree in nursing in 2000. roots. She loved Fultano’s pizza, and Lori worked as a nurse at Denton Regional would have family members bring her a slice Medical Center in Texas for 15 years, serving even when she lived as far away as Texas. as a career mentor and close friend to many. She was the type of person who could create Always a lover of football, this is where Lori a community no matter where she landed, cre- became dedicated and lifelong Dallas Cow- ating friendships and memories all across the boys fan — even convincing the rest of her country. She brought light and love into any family to join her. room she entered, and will be dearly missed She received her master’s degree in nursing by many. at University of Texas Arlington in 2012. Lori is survived by her parents, Dan and For the past four years, Lori split her time Sharon Visser of Warrenton; and by two sisters, between Herndon, Virginia and Bellingham, Julie Visser of Gearhart, and Jennifer Visser Washington, at various hospitals as nurse di- Harper of Seaside. She is also survived by her rector. Lori had just moved to Fort Pierce a fiancé, Tracy Amos, of Fort Pierce, Florida. There are no plans for a service at this time. month prior with her fiancé to establish their Seaside Signal Keno winner Tony Beck of Kennewick, Washington. An Oregon coast vacation is go- ing to be memorable for both Oregon Lottery player and Neil Dundas of Dundee’s Bar and Grill, the retailer that sold the $76,000 winning ticket. Beck wasn’t even sure how to play, he said. Dundas said he the ticket was the largest payoff the bar and grill had sold since their opening in 2002. Beck said that he was going to spend his $76,000 on his family. “With kids and college and diapers, it will get soaked up.” er nt m m ve Su gs E vin Sa s es les Seri d r e r o tu e C na g Fre ect Si on l se Call now for your free In-Home Consultation! Oregon Coast 503-738-5242 • Lincoln City 541-994-9954 SW Washington 503-738-5242 • www.budgetblinds.com Blinds • Shutters • Shades Drapes • Home Automation ©2018 Budget Blinds, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 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