December 7, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
When you feel like you’re ‘in Christmas’
A
fter Thanksgiving Day, our
three young children had four
of their five cousins still in
town for the extended break. We live
in Astoria but, of course, they wanted
to go to Seaside. There is nothing
like Seaside on a beautiful holiday
weekend in the eyes of a child. It’s
nice to be able to see that perspective
through them often.
We were quite a crew — 13
counting grandparents — but
somehow the Boutique Artisan Fair
at the Convention Center could still
accommodate us along with hundreds
of other attendees, 84 artisan booths,
and one very-convincing Santa Claus.
Afterward, we walked down
Necanicum under a shower of col-
orful leaves to the Seaside Historical
Society Museum for Gingerbread Tea
at the Butterfield Cottage. Our entire
party took up one half of the total
seating, but before long we were each
served hot tea with cinnamon, hot
cocoa or cider, and gingerbread with
whipped cream. The kids received
gingerbread men, actually, that were
almost as big as the youngest among
them. I heard one of them say “I
feel like I’m in Christmas” and that
seemed pretty right.
FROM THE
DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
‘THE JOY AND RELIEF AT THIS RANDOM
ACT OF KINDNESS WAS TOO MUCH FOR
TAKA TO CONTAIN. HE JUST SAID THANK
YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHILE
LAUGHING. HE COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW
NICE PEOPLE WERE IN SEASIDE.’
JOSHUA HEINEMAN
A quick hike down to the amuse-
ment rides on Broadway followed,
a perfect day bookended by artisan
crafts and two spins on the Tilt-A-
Whirl. When we were dizzy enough,
we found our bearings again on the
beach as the sun set. Yes, there is
nothing else quite like Seaside.
Photo trove
The City of Seaside gained a trea-
sure trove of photography for print
advertising, digital application, and
even editorial use recently. I expect
these photo assets to be extremely
useful for off-season and indoor-fo-
cused promotions especially – prob-
ably for years into the future.
On Nov. 28, our long-time
creative partners at Lookout — an
advertising agency with a strong
destination portfolio — collaborated
on a full-day shoot with Don Frank,
a great photographer who just hap-
After gathering information,
Taka went outside to prepare for
the next leg of his journey. A local
good Samaritan happened to walk
out of the Chamber of Commerce
and bump into Taka while he was
pumping up the tires on his bike.
Conversation ensued and before
long they were both back in the
Visitors Bureau where the good Sa-
maritan was pointing out directions
to his own house so Taka could get
a hot shower, do his laundry, and
rest for the night.
The joy and relief at this random
act of kindness was too much for
Taka to contain. He just said thank
you over and over again while
laughing. He couldn’t believe how
nice people were in Seaside.
To top it off, our good Samaritan
even offered to take Taka to the high
school football game. No word yet
on whether Taka took him up on
that.
(Thanks to Visitor Information
Specialist Ken Heman for typing up
notes and relaying this story.)
Got a tourism-related comment,
tip, or project? I’d love to hear
about it. Write me at jheineman@
cityofseaside.us.
pens to be a Gearhart resident too.
From first light to last light,
the production crew and our nine
models worked tirelessly to take
advantage of each opportunity at
dozens of locations around Seaside,
including one remarkable spell of
mid-rain sun at the estuary.
None of this would have been
possible without the support of the
community. I’d like to especially
thank the Ashore Hotel, Maggie’s
on the Prom, the Carousel Mall,
Angelina’s Pizzeria, the Times
Theatre & Public House, Funland’s
Fascination Parlor, Seaside Brewing
Company, Coast River Inn, Beach
Books, and the Inn at Seaside for
being so accommodating and help-
ful in this process.
Taka and the Good
Samaritan
Early in November, we had
a heartwarming moment at the
Visitors Bureau when a young man
named Taka stopped in on a bike
journey from Jasper, Alaska, all the
way to Argentina.
Imagine the effort just to arrive
in Seaside, and how much further
he had to go, then consider the
following:
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All lit up at the 2018 Parade of Lights.
Lighting up Seaside
By Katherine Lacaze
For Seaside Signal
Friday night, Nov. 23, saw
the 2018 celebration of the
Parade of Lights — featuring
spectacular floats, brightly lit
vehicles, and groups of peo-
ple embellished with lights
or carrying glow sticks — all
winding through downtown
Seaside in what Chamber of
Commerce Director Brian
Owen describes as a “com-
munity gathering.”
“With Santa Claus and the
lighting of the tree and the
caroling and the parade all
in one, it’s one of the most
energetic, romantic events
Seaside puts on,” Owen said.
“We really encourage every-
body to be a part of this pro-
gram.”
As a member of all the
regional Chambers of Com-
merce, Dunlap said, Pacific
Power serves as the signa-
ture sponsor for at least one
community event for each.
The company works with the
chambers to select what that
event should be.
“Given that it’s the Parade
of Lights, and we’re a power
company, we thought it was
a good synergy to participate
as the signature sponsor,”
Dunlap said.
Owen added, “They really
have a great history of mak-
ing sure this parade happens
for everybody.”
Sense of wonder
Pacific Power also had a
float in the parade that tends
to be one of the most elabo-
rate. The linemen and other
staff members decorate the
company’s truck for the pa-
rade.
Shelly Saunders, the
Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District’s Youth
Programs Manager, has had
the privilege of lighting the
Christmas tree the past two
years.
“I feel it’s an honor to get
to stand there and watch all
the kids react when the tree
is lit,” she said. “Young and
old, everybody has a sense of
wonder.”
The preschool she directs,
The Learning Ladder, also
participated in the parade
for the first time this year.
The students will ride on the
district’s bus, which will be
decked out in a garland and
other ornaments. Accord-
ing to Saunders, this will be
a fitting experience for the
students, as “the focus in the
preschool has been about
community and our place in
it.”
In general, she added, the
event encapsulates what to
her is the essence of the hol-
iday season — “family and
being together.”
“There’s just a special
magic to it,” she said. Having
moved from a larger area four
years ago and now being in a
small town, she added, “it re-
ally is wonderful to see how
strong this community is, and
it’s amazing to see all these
folks come out the day after
Thanksgiving and come to-
gether as a community.”
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The salon’s Hydrosurge
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“The Hydrosurge sys-
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Maisie keeps an eye on things at Lewis and Bark.
and has actively been in-
volved with pet rescue for
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Now, about Lewis and
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“We carry the pet food
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na. They have no history of
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The store offers sample
size portions to take home
while you determine which
food your pet adores. The
shop features a fine line of
wonderful pet toys as well
as collars made of recycled
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Lewis and Bark is open
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salon offers basic bath and
brush services, full groom-
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Be prepared to provide your
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