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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2018)
Rec District expansion plan draws comment Tough questions for district’s executive director By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal OPSIS ARCHITECTURE Street view of proposed Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District building expansion. The decision will be up to voters of the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District in November, but members of the Seaside City Council asked critical questions Monday night of the $20 mil- lion bond plan to expand the aquatic fa- cility at 1140 Broadway. Staffing, tax impacts and who owns proposed land for parking were among questions posed after a presentation by Skyler Archibald, executive director of the district. Councilor Randy Frank asked a se- ries of questions about costs, staffing and parking. “You show a lot of parking See Rec District, Page 7A SEASIDESIGNAL.COM OUR 112th YEAR • September 14, 2018 Hawaiian tradition recalls Seaside surfer CHUCK OVERTON/WINDERMERE REALTY Lake on the Palmberg property in Gearhart. Former paving plant could go residential Owners seek zoning change for Palmberg land in Gearhart By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal EVE MARX Memorial at the Cove remembers Seaside’s Larry Loveridge. Larry Loveridge to be remembered with paddle-out By Eve Marx For Seaside Signal PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE “He was a beautiful man and all the surfers wanted to give him a beautiful send off,” said Noelani Halaholo Love- ridge of her husband, Larry Lynn Love- ridge, who was called back to sea on July 6. On that day, Loveridge left the planet doing the thing he loved most — surfing in the Cove, apparently of heart failure. On Sunday, Sept. 30, a traditional Hawai- ian paddle-out ceremony will take place in the Cove at 9 a.m. sharp. Jeff Stover, a longtime friend of Love- ridge, is organizing the event. “Larry recently told his wife his wish- es should he die,” Stover said. “He laid it all out for her, the whole scenario.” Stover said participants in the paddle-out, which old time fans of the TV show “Ha- waii Five-0” may recall, will be the elders of the Cove surfing scene. SEASIDE SURF SHOP “All the paddlers Larry Loveridge should be in the water at 9 a.m.,” Stover said. “The paddle-out is a Hawai- ian tradition.” Afterwards, friends will return to the beach and tell stories. At 1 p.m., there will be a luau and memorial service at the Sons of Norway Lodge on the estuary in Gearhart that will go until 4 p.m. The luau will feature some of Loveridge’s favorite foods, including a roast pig. There will be singing. “Larry and I were friends for about 15 years,” Stover said. “He was a good man. Always a smile for everyone.” Since July 6, a memorial for Larry Loveridge can be seen in the Cove with photographs and various mementos and flowers. A local surfer and friend of the Loveridge’s said a small group of friends has kept replenishing the flowers. Halo Loveridge said the paddle-out is a Hawaiian tradition calling forth the wa- termen and women of the Pacific North- west and the Pacific Islands. It is a final ritual at sea in the traditional waterman way. “It’s a way to shine light so the spirit can find their way to the other side,” she said. “By light, I mean the inner light and uniting the human spirit with the wave.” Larry was a big part of the surfing community, Stover said. “He helped so many people. He had such a big heart. And he died doing what he loved most. He caught a wave.” One of the last large parcels of land in Gearhart could be converted into a subdi- vision. Owners of the 29.5-acre project on McCormick Gardens Road are seeking Planning Commission approval for a zone change from rural agricultural to medium density residential, which would include single-family and multifamily homes. Because of wetlands and a freshwater lake, Windermere real estate broker Chuck Overton, who is representing the property owners, said he anticipates between 4 and 7 acres will be buildable pending rezoning approval, with a potential of 25 to 40 lots. Homes could sell in the $300,000 range. “We’re not trying to build $800,000 homes,” Overton said. “We’re trying to fill a need.” The site is the former Palmberg Paving Co. The owners have put the property up for sale for $2.5 million. The project could be an opportunity to bring affordable housing to Gearhart, Over- ton said, although the pricing would be up to the developers. “The big demand is the $350,000 price range and down,” he said. With wetlands, soil, geologic and traffic studies complete, if the property is rezoned, the developer could come right in and build, he added. “It’s a perfect scenario. The de- mand is really high. If we can get somebody to come down here and build this out, it’s going to be a success.” Achievement measured by a clean beach Scout Carmen Reddick inspires awareness By Katherine Lacaze For Seaside Signal Carmen Reddick, 19, has created an activity book to help promote the issue of marine debris. When people vacation on the Oregon Coast, they are often look- ing to relax and have a good time, which means caring for the beach and addressing the problem of ma- rine debris may be the last thing on their mind. “Marine debris is not really a fun topic,” said 19-year-old Carmen Reddick, a recent Valley Catholic High School graduate who has been visiting Seaside since she was an in- fant and now has a second home in the community. Wanting to bring awareness to ocean pollution and help visitors learn about the natural flora and fauna on the Oregon Coast, Reddick created a Seaside Scouter activity book to earn her Girl Scouts Gold Award. “My project is focused on making picking up debris less about litter and more about community and fun,” she said. The activity book, which is available at the Seaside Visitors Bureau, Seaside Public Works Department, and poten- tially a few other locations throughout town, is an engaging junior ranger-like pamphlet, with activities that appeal to visitors of all ages. “It’s for everyone,” Reddick said. “Everyone can learn more about marine debris, everyone can have an impact.” Throughout the book, Penny the Har- bor Seal gives directions for completing projects, in addition to delivering “fun facts about Seaside, marine debris, and ways you can help protect Penny and her friends,” reads the introduction. To be awarded the official Seaside Scout badge — featuring Penny the Har- bor Seal — people must earn enough points based on their age. Each page is worth a different amount of points de- pending on the difficulty level. The ac- tivities range from a word search and scavenger hunt to picking up debris and visiting a tide pool. The prize badges can be picked up at the Seaside Visitors Bu- reau once the activities are completed. Taking the lead “My parents have always taught me to be aware of my environmental impact,” Reddick said. She remembers visiting the beach once, after a large swell, and marine de- bris was littered across the sand. As a young person, seeing copious amounts of trash on the beach had a significant impact on her desire to protect the en- vironment. Through her high school education, personal research, and trips See Reddick, Page 7A
