Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2018)
August 31, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Physical education a key to the school experience With the change in season from summer to fall, so to comes signifi- cant change for our community. The number of guests visiting our com- munity rapidly diminishes and sub- sequently so does the flow of traffic. The days get shorter and the weather begins to turn, although it never real- ly felt like we got to the meat of our summer weather this year. Another change is the return for the children and youth of our com- munity to begin school again. With just two years left until the new school buildings are open, each year and experience will be memorable as the future of the school district is beaming with anticipation. I recall fondly my first days each year as a student first at Gearhart El- SKY BOX SKYLER ARCHIBALD ementary then on to Broadway Mid- dle School followed by four years at Seaside High School. Although it was some time ago, I can remember dressing up in my best school clothes for the big day and then promptly ruining them during the first oppor- tunity for recess or outside physical education time. When I moved back to this area four years ago, I was unpleasant- ly surprised when my kindergarten daughter told me that she only had P.E. one day a week. That 30-min- ute session seemed too short to help those kindergartners get all their wiggles out! That pattern has continued how- ever both with my daughter and now my son. They’ve each had terrific experiences in physical education working with Mr. Sigler a devoted and experienced educator. Now I know little of the require- ments and restrictions that the school district experiences with managing the educational experiences of some 1,500 children so this thought is not a criticism. Rather, it’s a bemoaning of the current state of our society where educators and administrators must choose between educating chil- dren for the future or helping them get their appropriate exercise time — both are obviously worthwhile pursuits. I was thrilled when I heard that each of the elementary schools in the Seaside School District would be getting their own P.E. teachers in the coming year, with the eventual goal of returning that important activity time to the schedule for every stu- dent every single day! The legislators in Oregon cer- tainly had a hand in this change with House Bill 3141 in 2007 and Sen- ate Bill 4 in 2017 helping schools throughout the state with clarifica- tion and flexibility in phasing in the change to encourage more activity in students. But the main point here is that students today, perhaps more than ever, need that activity time found in physical education settings. Brent Courtney (D-Salem) said as much regarding the bill in 2007. “Physical education helps children maintain a healthy weight and build strong bones. It reduces the risk of obesity and related conditions such as dia- betes and heart disease. It has even been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, leading to better mental health.” I echo Mr. Courtney’s thoughts and urge all of us to make more time for physical activity in our lives. It benefits our children and youth yes, but it also benefits each of us to move and to play, and the more we do it, the better our bodies are! SEAL’S THE DEAL R.J. MARX Patti’s Wicker Cafe. Seaside Signal The best kept secret in town I t is almost impossible to exaggerate the quality and charm of Patty’s Wicker Cafe. There is a small spiral notebook for suggestions on each table. In 10 years and hundreds of notebooks, no one has ever made a suggestion. You can’t improve on perfection. Patty’s is a romantic’s gourmet with all the trim- mings, a quiet place where she serves hash browns and eggs, succulent Reuben’s and a seafood chowder that would have earned a nod from Julia Child. Seth, the maitre d’ and head waiter has the polish and patience of a highly paid butler. There is a whole room dedicated to Humphrey Bog- art, Patty’s obsession, posters, biographies, rare articles, and a life size replica of the “Mal- Public Works Director Dale McDowell captured this photo of a male California sea lion sun- ning himself near Quatat Park in downtown Seaside on Aug. 24. GUEST COLUMN BOB DIETSCHE tese Falcon.” Exotic plants are everywhere, and some people come as much for the view as the cooking. A cou- ple of cautions: don’t ask for ketchup, turn down your cell phones. Patty is a confirmed Luddite with the old-fash- ioned belief that people ought to talk to each other. If all the above sounds a bit thick, it’s supposed to, because: If you haven’t been to Patty’s, you haven’t been to Seaside. Bob Dietsche, author of “Jumptown: The Golden Age of Portland Jazz” and “Tatum’s Town: The early years of Art Tatum.” MEETINGS TUESDAY, Sept. 4 Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center,1225 Avenue A. Seaside Library Board, 4:30 p.m., Seaside Library, 1131 Broadway. Seaside Planning Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 Seaside Improvement Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broad- way. MONDAY, Sept. 10 Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. DALE MCDOWELL A simple smile can lift your mood and bring happiness in return H aving lived approximately half of my adult life amongst other cultures on other continents, I became accustomed to greeting everyone I encountered according to their respective, varied customs. However, what these greetings all had in common was a true and generous smile. To venture into a shop or to simply pass one on the street without extending such a greeting was not only rude but often insulting! Not so here in the U.S. Courtesies of the past appear no longer in vogue, and people go about their business without much concern for others. There are of course, exceptions, and I don’t believe that individuals are necessar- ily, purposely, being rude. However, working with the public on a daily basis and having read recent, local commen- tary about declining manners, I feel compelled to not only reflect the change I hope to see but to also write a short commentary to encourage others to do likewise! And… if I were to choose one thing to encourage everyone to practice on GUEST COLUMN BARBARA HASSAN a daily basis, it’s to SMILE! The old saying proves true; that smiling is con- tagious! Seriously (no pun intended), it’s scientifically proven! Research has also shown that smiling can make you appear younger, thinner, and actually increase your lifespan! No kidding! According to Wayne State University research (2010), pre-1950 major league baseball players who didn’t smile in photos lived and average of 72.9 years; whereas those who smiled broadly lived an average of nearly 80 years! That may be due to the fact that not only does smiling boost mood by increasing endorphins in the brain, but (according to biochemists) smiling re- leases tension down to the cellular lev- el! Conversely, stress is a contributing factor to virtually all physical illness; as well as viral infections from impaired immunity, allergies, asthma, and mental illness… So what’s the downside of do- pamine and serotonin releases similar to eating 2,000 bars of chocolate? All-that- and-a (conjectural) box-of-chocolates from a simple smile that costs nothing and is calorie free! Even a forced smile, detached from fear or anger, can pro- duce similar health effects. Studies also suggest that others will consider you more courteous, com- petent, and likable when you smile, and that relationships will prove more successful. And research supports the concept of “mood migration”; that your smile causes a release of mood boost- ing chemicals in the brains of others, simultaneously uplifting the mood of whomever your smile graces! Express- ing happiness with a simple smile caus- es others to smile back; scientifically substantiating that when you smile, the world smiles with you! …And you have a beautiful smile! Barbara Hassan Retired RN/USAF; currently employed part-time as front desk staff at Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District LETTERS Sunset Empire bond would be a burden I’m a regular user of the Seaside Empire Park and Rec- reation District facilities, and have heard all of the excite- ment regarding the expansion. We are a retired couple, on a fixed income and another ad- dition to our taxes is a burden. Has the commission as- signed with this expansion ex- hausted all options of federal grants before putting this on the ballot this November? I, personally, have investigated grants and found several for a smaller community such as Seaside. I think it would be less expensive to hire a grant writer, and use the money we have already paid in taxes, than make us pay anew. Lindsey Morrison Seaside Second thoughts? I have been talking to sev- eral people who say they wish they could go back and vote on the Seaside High School bond, again. They would vote no! It seems that there are sur- prises frequently popping up. And, now it is the old devel- opers’ hat trick, mitigation again. I have always won- dered how the fish and wild- life know how to travel the many miles, crossing high- ways, residential areas and towns to get to where they are now supposed to live. Do the developers post maps on the trees and in the streams for the wildlife to follow? It is no wonder there are so many endangered and extinct animals with their old habitats now mitigated many miles from where they have lived for centuries. Claudia Stanton Seaside Oppose ruling at Sunset Lake The Oregon State Marine Board wants to restrict towed water sports on Sunset (Nea- coxie) Lake. The proposed amended rule (250-020-0041) would restrict towed water sports, on all Clatsop Coun- ty bodies of water, where there is currently a 10-mph speed restriction. The current rule 250-020-0041 limits the speed to 10-mph. I know many of you (like me) tow tubes on Sunset (Neacoxie) Lake without incident. The lake has little motorized boat activity and is very well self-regulated. The south end of the lake has plenty of room to pull our kids and grand-kids around without boater conflict or en- dangering public safety. We view the lake every day and boat traffic is limited to an oc- casional kayak, fishing boat or tube being towed. The restriction removes an activity that many homeown- ers in the area have enjoyed for years. Losing it also re- moves a valued amenity at- tached to the homes and prop- erty in the area. Please join me in opposi- tion to this ruling. In the Ore- gon State Marine Boards own words “The towed water sport restriction is needed to sup- port the current regulations, enhance safety and assist in the reduction of boater con- flict in light of changing boat- ing use and technology.” We do not need this restriction on Sunset (Neacoxie) Lake and I do not want to lose the valued activity. Send written comments by mail, fax, or email by 30 Sep- tember to June LeTarte, rules coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board 435 Commercial St NE, Sa- lem, OR 97301; fax, 503-378- 4597; email, osmb.rulemak- ing@oregon.gov. Patrick Duhachek Warrenton Thank you to Seaside My family has been visiting Seaside and Gearhart from Port- land for more than a half centu- ry. We’ve watched the area grow and change over the decades, but we still love coming back as often as possible, in no small part because it has never lost the familiar small-town feel of the communities. This was abun- dantly clear on a recent week- end, when an unknown thought- ful, honest person saved me a lot of time and trouble. After dropping my wife off at yoga, I parked at Broadway and Edge- wood, on the south side of the street. I was crossing the street (confession: Dundee dough- nut addiction) when I dropped some papers in the middle of the street. I knelt down to pick them up, with my keys still in hand. Apparently, I later discov- ered, when I bent down to pick up the papers, a single key on a separate chain that I added to my chain just that morning — broke. Much later, back in Gearhart, I realized the key to our condo was missing. Frantic searches turned up nothing. With almost zero optimism, I drove back to the intersection and looked un- der the car that was then parked there, and found nothing. For no particular reason, I wandered across the street to the northeast corner of the intersection, and stood there vacantly for a few seconds, when I glanced at the garbage can there. The key and broken link chain were care- fully placed on top of the can, waiting for my return. Five hours had passed since I lost the key. Someone thoughtfully placed it “safely” on the can, and then countless hundreds of residents and tourists passed it, leaving it there undisturbed. Thank you, Seaside. James C. Greenblatt Portland the Columbia Sunday, October 14, 2018 10K Run/Walk across the Astoria-Megler Bridge GreatColumbiaCrossing.com PRESENTING SPONSOR Registration: $40 per person. T-shirt: $15-$17 each. NEW THIS YEAR: Chip-timing for all participants. Full bridge closure to vehicles.