4A • September 14, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Signal joins AAUW in candidate forum
A
MAYOR OF SEASIDE
t a time with civilized
discourse (or is that an
oxymoron?) is hard to come
by, we welcome the opportunity
to both meet the candidates and
share their thoughts on issues to
the community. In Seaside, John
“Chappy” Chapman is challenging
Mayor Jay Barber for the city’s top
spot. Three council seats are headed
to the voters, with Tita Montero,
Dana Phillips and Steve Wright
running unopposed.
While a one-candidate election
is a red flag to voter apathy, it can
also be a signal that constituents are
comfortable and supportive of the
actions their representatives have
taken.
However, even in noncompetitive
races it is important for candidates
to provide an audience with their
measure of the community, their pri-
orities and their plans for the future.
Already incumbents and chal-
lengers alike in Seaside and Gearhart
have voiced their concerns for traffic
safety. workforce housing and emer-
gency management.
The Signal is honored to be
teaming with American Association
of University Women this year to
present a candidate’s forum at Sea-
side City Hall on Wednesday, Sept.
19, at Seaside City Hall.
College connection
It makes sense for the Signal to
link up with AAUW, a national or-
ganization which works to empower
women and girls.
Their work is evident in the
WINGS conference, a free, annual
event since 2001 organized by the
Seaside and Astoria chapters of the
AAUW, helping women continue
their education.
“How many students are working
full time?” asked journalist Lisa
Nadworny on a recent segment on
NPR’s Morning Edition. “Today’s
college students aren’t who you
think they are.”
Nearly half of all college students
attend community colleges; among
those at four-year schools, nearly a
quarter attend part time and about
the same share are 25 or older.
How many need support ser-
vices? Advisers? Financial aid
officers? Child care, parking or
commuter options?
“Maybe we need a new defini-
tion of nontraditional, considering
those qualities are the new normal,”
Nadworny suggests.
Locally, that’s where groups
like AAUW fill the gap in bringing
educational options to those might
not have the opportunity. Seaside
AAUW has existed as an indepen-
dent branch since 1943 and today
has 50 members. Membership is
open to all women and men with at
least an associate degree from an
accredited college or university or as
a community affiliate supporting the
organization’s mission.
The group’s scholarship founda-
tion provides thousands of dollars
locally for scholarships each year for
women returning to school or as the
first in her family to attend college.
The WINGS program provides a
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
day worth of workshops on anything
from math anxiety to financial aid,
along with the inspiration from other
women who have overcome chal-
lenges to achieve their dreams.
The lives of women are perma-
nently enriched by higher education
and the support of mentors.
VS.
John Chapman
On the ballot
Enter the November election.
In Gearhart, a newcomer, Jack
Zimmerman, is looking to unseat
incumbent Kerry Smith, who was
elected to City Council Position
1 in 2014. Paulina Cockrum, who
was appointed by Mayor Dianne
Widdop to fill the unexpired term of
City Councilor John Duncan after
Duncan died in 2015, is running
unopposed for Position 3.
In Seaside, Mayor Jay Barber fac-
es a challenge from John Chapman,
owner of the radio station KSWB
Radio Clatsop. Councilors Tita Mon-
tero, Dana Phillips and Steve Wright
will face the forum audience to invite
questions and comments.
The region’s marquee race will
bring the two candidates for House
District 32, the seat vacated by the
retirement of Deborah Boone.
Tiffiny Mitchell handily won a
competitive primary against chal-
lengers John Orr of Astoria and Tim
Josi, a Tillamook County commis-
sioner and former state represen-
tative. Her message of “fighting to
resist” the agenda of Donald Trump
resonated with primary voters.
Mitchell continues to campaign
throughout the region, including an
appearance in Seaside joining North
Coast Indivisible in opposing Rus-
sian interference in U.S. elections.
Republican Vineeta Lower, a
Seaside resident, moved to the
Northwest from Delhi, India, where
she was born, and grew up in Olym-
pia, Washington. Lower moved to
Seaside after accepting a long-term
position at Warrenton Grade School
teaching eighth-grade language arts.
“We bring in so much revenue for
the state, between timber, dairy, tour-
ism industry, and our infrastructure
doesn’t support that,” Lower said.
A former employee at the Wash-
ington Department of Transporta-
tion, Lower said the fatality rates on
Highway 30 and Highway 26 are
“horrendous.”
Brian Halvorsen, a Rockaway
Beach resident, is running as an
independent candidate for state
House District 32, representing all of
Clatsop County, most of Tillamook
County and a western portion of
Washington County.
Halvorsen told the Astorian he
believes the two-party system is
broken and neither the Democratic
or Republican parties represent the
will of the voters. Instead the two
major parties are sold to the highest
campaign donors. “As an Indepen-
dent, I won’t be bought by special
SEASIDE CITY COUNCIL
Tita Montero
Dana Phillips
M
Jack Zimmerman
Kerry Smith
Seaside Signal
The Seaside Signal and the Daily
Astorian team with American As-
sociation of University Women this
year to present a Seaside and Gear-
hart candidate’s forum at Seaside
City Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 7
p.m., at Seaside City Hall.
House candidates Tiffiny Mitchell,
Vineeta Lower and Brian Halvorsen
will participate or send a represen-
tative.
Candidates participating include
interests,” Halvorsen said.
“I think our elected officials
should be more responsive to the
public,” he added.
To educate, inform and lead is a
key goal of the Signal. Our public
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
The next day they hit Haystack Rock early
to catch the low tide. After that, they drove to
Manzanita, and after that, hiked Oswald. After that,
they had a post hike walk on Arcadia Beach before
locating a cozy place to have a beer. I recommended
Pelican, Public Coast, Seaside Brewing, Bill’s. I
knew they’d be going to Astoria soon and I had beer
recommendations there for them as well.
Although I recommended dinners at Pacific Way
Cafe and Maggies on the Prom, they didn’t seem
inclined to go for anything fancy, so I recommend-
ed the U Street Pub. It turned out they liked the U
Street Pub so much they ate there twice, relishing
the shrimp po’ boy sandwich and the mussels
in spicy broth. They told me they had a terrific
breakfast one morning at The Osprey Café. One day
they went to Astoria where they hit Coffee Girl and
toured the museum area where Bumble Bee tuna
once ruled. They recorded the sound of sea lions
on their phone to play back for their grandson who
they FaceTimed with every day. They drove over
the bridge into Washington to visit Cape Disap-
Jeremy Feldman
John D. Bruijn
ADVERTISING
SALES
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
April Olsen
Carl Earl
CLASSIFIED
SALES
Danielle Fisher
Paulina Cockrum
Candidate forum in Seaside
EVE MARX
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Position 3
VS.
VIEW FROM
THE PORCH
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Steve Wright
GEARHART CITY COUNCIL
Position 1
Seaside Mayor Jay Barber
and challenger John Chap-
man; and Seaside city
councilors Steve Wright,
Tita Montero and Dana
Phillips, who are each
running unopposed.
In Gearhart, incum-
bent Kerry Smith will
be challenged by Jack
Zimmerman for the Position
1 seat. Position 3 office-holder
Paulina Cockrum is running unop-
posed.
officials are our connection to good
government.
In a world where our voices
in public discourse are more and
more diluted, the forum provides
an opportunity to participate in our
Eve’s travel tips for out-of-town visitors
y childhood friend Claudia was just in
town for a visit. We met when we were
both in kindergarten. We’re still close
in many ways and I went to her wedding, but we
hadn’t seen each other in decades. The last time I
saw her was 2008 in New York City. Both she and
her husband recently retired. Claudia made some
bucket list thing for herself to walk on as many
beaches as possible, which drew her visit Seaside,
Cannon Beach and Gearhart.
I have to say I didn’t really see that much of
them during their five day visit. In fairness, I was
working a lot of the time. Before they flew out
from Philadelphia where they’re presently living,
on Facebook Message I sent her links to things I
thought they might like to do, like hike Oswald
West State Park in Arch Cape. It was clear from our
earlier communications that the things I normally
do on vacation, i.e. drink coffee, browse bookstores,
drink, wasn’t what they like to do, which is to stay
active.
After landing at PDX, Claudia and her husband
checked into the Ashore after a thrilling drive over
the mountain in a rental car. I’d warned of the
logging trucks and the elevation. Just before dusk
their first night, we traipsed over to The Cove. By
the time they left the ‘hood it was after 8 p.m. on
a Monday night and I was concerned where they
might find some dinner.
Jay Barber
STAFF WRITER
Brenna Visser
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Skyler Archibald
Rebecca Herren
Katherine Lacaze
Eve Marx
Esther Moberg
Jon Rahl
pointment. After that they returned to Astoria for a
nice dinner at Clemente’s.
The morning before they left down on their way
to California, their next destination, we walked on
Gearhart beach. We entered the dunes at Pacific
Way and first walked south to the estuary and then
north to 10th Street. It was a gorgeous day. It was
like an advertisement for Pacific Northwest living.
Their last night, they came over and ran a load
of wash. I was happy to be able to do it for them
because I hate dragging dirty clothes around. They
planned a final hike on Tillamook Head and the
beach at Hug Point. I was still texting them sugges-
tions what to do and where to eat while they killed
time before their flight from Portland to Santa Rosa.
“Can you check your washer and dryer for a
sock?” Claudia texted from their room at the airport.
There’s always something that gets left behind, I’ve
learned. When our friend Carolyn visited in July,
she left behind a sock and some bikini underwear.
Claudia texted her address in Philadelphia, and the
next day, one lonely hiking sock stuffed in an enve-
lope, I went to the post office and mailed it.
“Thanks for sharing so many tips where to go
and what to do and where to eat and drink,” Claudia
wrote me. “It was really helpful.”
“Just call me your very own personal Trip Advi-
sor,” I texted back. As has been true for so much of
my life, I always know the best places.
democratic process.
It’s not just promises we’re
looking for from our politicians: It’s
reflective answers, persuasive logic
and a vision for the future.
Let’s help them shape it.
MEETINGS
SATURDAY, Sept. 15
Seaside Airport Advisory Com-
mittee, 10 a.m., Seaside Airport.
Town Hall, 1 to 2 p.m., with Con-
gresswoman Susan Bonamici, Sea-
side Heights Elementary School,
2000 Spruce Drive, Seaside.
TUESDAY, Sept. 18
Sunset Empire Park and Rec-
reation District, Bob Chisholm
Community Center, 5:15 p.m., 1225
Avenue A.,
Seaside School District Board of
Directors, 6 p.m., 1801 S. Franklin.
Seaside Planning Commission,
work session, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989
Broadway.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19
Seaside Tourism Advisory Com-
mittee, 3 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Gearhart and Seaside Candidate
Forum, presented by AAUW and
Seaside Signal, 7 p.m., 989 Broadway.
THURSDAY, Sept. 20
Seaside Tree Board, 4 p.m., City
Hall, 989 Broadway.
Seaside Signal
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