OUR 112th Year
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
January 18, 2019
Council sets
its priorities
Campus infrastructure,
resiliency at top of list
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Seaside goes to
THE CATS
The Seaside City Council broadened its
scope and looked into the near future. At the
top of the annual two- and four-year goal-set-
ting agenda attended by City Council mem-
bers and staff, housing, the new school, vaca-
tion rentals and tsunami resiliency took the
stage as the city’s upcoming concerns.
The aim of the all-day meeting, held Fri-
day, Jan. 11, at the offi ce of Ticor Title on
North Roosevelt Drive and moderated by
Beau Bennett and Matthew Landkamer of the
Coraggio Group, was to develop a strategy to
preserve or enhance “the desirable character-
istics” of Seaside.
“We’re going to look at our imperatives,
and then we’re going to really jump into it,
the opportunities and challenges and what
factors might infl uence these tasks,” Land-
kamer said.
The council agreed to review and update
vacation rental ordinances, under fi re from
some residents and considered a factor in the
shortage of affordable and workforce hous-
ing. “The sooner the better,” Councilor Tita
Montero said.
“We’re all there,” echoed councilor Dana
Phillips.
High priorities
With the relocation of Seaside High
School, Gearhart Elementary School and
Broadway Middle School out of the tsunami
zone to a new site in the Southeast Hills, the
council seeks to dovetail efforts for com-
pletion by the campus opening in the fall of
2020.
See Goals, Page A6
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
C
ats and cat fanciers came to
Seaside on Jan. 5 for the Emer-
ald Cat Club show at the Sea-
side Civic and Convention
Center.
Rows of cats in carriers wel-
comed guests. At the front of
the room, judges examined entries for a
series of categories, issuing ribbons for
the winners and prizes — fi sh, rosettes
and toys.
The show is one of a “dwindling num-
ber” of cat shows, said show manager
Linda Hammer. Previous shows have
been held in Seaside in the summer; this
is the Emerald Cat Club’s fi rst winter
show.
The club, affi liated with the Cat Fanci-
ers’ Association, is based in Oregon, with
members primarily from Oregon and
Washington.
“These are pretty mellow cats,” Ham-
mer said. “They’re used to going to
shows. They fl y.”
Kittens compete at four months to
eight months; cats over eight months
show as an adult.
Along with championship, premier-
ship and registered kittens, entrants
included household cats and registered
cats competing as household pets. Altered
and unaltered cats compete in separate
categories.
Cats receive a fi rst, second, or third;
best of breed; or best or second best of
breed, and best of color or second best of
color.
Household cats are judged based
solely on beauty and condition.
Hammer, whose cats are retired, owns
two Siberians and an orange champion.
“My Siberian has won about everything
that can be won,” she said. “It’s time to
let somebody else win.”
Emerald Cat Club events are open to
anyone “who loves cats.”
“We don’t discriminate,” Hammer
said. “The more the merrier.”
TOP Honey Justman holds up one of her Scottish Folds after competition at the Emerald Cat Club Show in Seaside.
Smith carries a competitor. RIGHT Owner cuddles a young contestant.
LEFT Michelle
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Schools go
onto market
High school, middle school,
Gearhart Elementary for sale
By KATHERINE LACAZE and R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Three Seaside School District’s prop-
erties will go to the real estate market this
spring, as the district plans on selecting Nor-
ris & Stevens to represent the sales of Gear-
hart Elementary School, Broadway Middle
School and Seaside High School.
The schools will be sold, to be replaced
by a new campus outside the tsunami zone.
After a request for proposals, three
commercial real estate brokers, each
based in Portland with a local component,
responded.
Building and grounds committee mem-
bers conducted interviews with each broker
before selecting Norris & Stevens.
Board members Lori Lum and Mark
Truax, who served on the committee, said
the group rated applicants on a variety of
factors, including price, references, past
experience, and knowledge and understand-
ing of the market.
Patrick Nofi eld said Norris & Stevens
was “head and shoulders” above the other
See School sale, Page A6
Celebration for downtown merchants group
Former directors, board
members celebrated
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
“Twenty-fi ve years is an amazing
milestone for an organization,” said
Darren Gooch, president of the Sea-
side Downtown Development Asso-
ciation’s board of directors.
Gooch and present and past mem-
bers were joined by “everybody’s
who’s played a part in the success of
SDDA,” added Celeste Kenneally,
the organization’s offi ce and events
assistant.
“I think we are off to a really good
start for the new year,” Kenneally
said, pointing to the new offi ce on
Broadway. “It’s not as big as the last
one (on North Holladay), but it’s big
enough that people can stop by and
drop stuff off.”
The association serves down-
town businesses and helps increase
the economic vibrancy of Seaside
downtown core, Gooch said.
Past association presidents stood
for recognition at the Thursday, Jan.
10, celebration at the Times Theatre
on Broadway in Seaside.
Karen Emmerling of Beach
Books, Peter Ter Har of Ter Har’s;
Wayne Poole , Randy Frank, for-
merly of Norma’s; Greg Boat of Del
Sol; and Julie Jesse were among the
See Celebration, Page A6
Jeff Ter Har/For Seaside Signal
Seaside Downtown Development Association board president Darren Gooch,
association administrator Celeste Kenneally and Keith Chandler, general
manager of the Seaside Aquarium, at the organization’s 25th anniversary.