Friday, March 1, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5
Good friends make all the difference at Seaside Library
T
he Seaside Public Library
has been supported for
over a hundred years by
community members who love
our library and all it stands for.
From its formation by a woman’s
civic group here in Seaside, our
library has been always focused
on reading services in the com-
munity. The library is the one
place anyone in the community
can walk in the doors and receive
services free of charge.
To mention just a few: free
Wi-Fi in the library, free com-
puter time, free paperback books,
free programs, and free help fi nd-
ing the local resources you need.
In a world where most things
have a fee attached to it, the
library is the last place where we
truly do provide as much as pos-
sible for free. Of course to get a
library card, you do have to sup-
port purchasing books and ser-
vices either by paying your prop-
erty taxes or buying an out of
town card.
We have funding to support all
of these services as well as staff
time and materials for the library.
So many people love and sup-
port the Seaside Public Library.
In lieu of listing all of the people
who support the library because
it would be a very long list and
I know I would leave out many
important people, it’s important to
know that those who support the
Seaside Public Library are very
important, and we value what you
do.
The Friends of the Library
group supports all library pro-
grams, and the Library Founda-
tion Board supports the long-term
goals of the library. These are two
of the biggest groups that support
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER
MOBERG
our library. For more informa-
tion on how to join either group,
you can get more information
at the library. But we also have
many individuals who support the
library both privately and pub-
licly. All I can say is: Thank you
for all you do.
One very special man who
was a friend of the library was
Elbert Groot. His legacy contin-
ues here at the library. I never had
a chance to meet him but accord-
ing to the previous library direc-
tor Reita Fackerell, she shared
the following in 2007 and it is
worth sharing again. Reita met
Mr. Groot back when the library
was located on Highway 101
where Cleanline Surf Shop is now
located.
One morning when she opened
the front door of the library, there
was a very tall elderly man wait-
ing to be let in. When she opened
the door, Mr. Groot handed Reita
a crumpled piece of paper and
told her it was for her. It looked
like a bank statement. She hon-
estly thought Mr. Groot was
homeless and she thought maybe
it was a piece of paper from the
parking lot he had picked up for
the trash can. Mr. Groot then
asked to talk to her in private. He
told her the paper was his stock
portfolio and he wanted it to go
to building a new library. By this
point Reita thought maybe Mr.
Groot was a little crazy.
After talking for a while, Reita
R.J. Marx
Seaside Public Library relies on supporters for new programs and services.
fi nally realized this was real, Mr.
Groot was sincere, and his stocks
portfolio was worth $500,000.
Mr. Groot loved libraries and
simply wanted to help the Seaside
Public Library get a new building.
Thanks to Mr. Groot, this was
the start of the new library build-
ing program, and the new library
building was fi nished in 2008.
When Mr. Groot was young he
had dropped out of school to join
the Merchant Marines. While he
was serving, he spent a lot of time
in the ship’s library. Afterward,
instead of going back to school,
he spent all his spare time in the
public library to complete his pri-
mary education. When he went on
to higher education his test score
was one of the highest in the state
and he credited it to his time in
libraries. He worked throughout
his adult life all over the world as
an accountant for private indus-
tries and he told Reita many sto-
ries about his time in Ghana.
Reita had a great relation-
ship with Mr. Groot. She would
take him grocery shopping every
week. He didn’t have any fam-
ily so library board member
Cindy Svennson would have
him over for dinners and holi-
days. He invited Ms. Fackerell
over for dinner one time and he
served Top Ramen. She got the
seasoned pork fl avor but he liked
his plain, so he gave her his sea-
soning packet to take home. He
HAPPENINGS IN BRIEF
Keeping downtown in
bloom for 24 years
It’s not spring in Seaside without
the Seaside Downtown Development
Association’s annual fl ower basket
program.
Beautifi cation
co-chairperson
Stephanie Stevenson invites residents
to help support the cause, with a fund-
raising night at Dundee’s on Tuesday,
March 5.
From 5 to 10 p.m., Dundee’s will
donate 50 percent of their food and
drink income to the program, which
costs almost $20,000 for the 65 large
baskets distributed and along Broad-
way from U.S. Highway 101 to the
Turnaround, and on Columbia and
Avenue A.
The fl owers are tended by Pam
Fleming of Nature’s Helper, who takes
care of the fl owers through the sum-
mer. The baskets will be put up the
third week in May, right before Memo-
rial Day. The baskets stay up until
mid-September.
Donations of private baskets are
welcome and can be purchased for
$125. Donors will be listed in the
downtown information kiosk in Down-
ing Park on Broadway.
For more information, contact
SDDA at 503-717-7914 or email
admin@seasidedowntown.com.
Promoting educational
opportunities for women
Seaside P.E.O. Chapter CR is now
taking plant orders for this year’s annual
fundraiser. All profi ts fund P.E.O. schol-
arship and loan programs. The plants
are provided by New Leaf Greenhouse
in Cornelius and include a spectacu-
lar array of fl owers, vegetables, herbs,
planters and hanging baskets. Each
ent its 17th annual WINGS confer-
ence at Clatsop Community College on
March 9.
The day-long conference is free
to women interested in returning to
school to complete their GEDs, start or
fi nish certifi cates or degrees or develop
or update job skills.
Seaside AAUW is part of a more
than 130-year old national organiza-
tion that seeks to empower women and
children.
Workshops help women meet their
educational or career goals. Contact
clatsopcc.edu or call 503-717-1852 for
information on the conference.
Drawing birds
The Seaside Downtown Development
Association is looking for sponsors for
spring fl ower baskets.
year, our customers praise the quality
and assortment available. All orders are
prepaid and forms are available from
any Chapter CR member or by calling
503-810-5196. The order deadline is
Monday, April 1. Plants will be avail-
able for pick-up or delivery on Satur-
day, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
P.E.O., an international Philan-
thropic Education Organization, was
established in Seaside in 1953 and has
awarded hundreds of scholarships,
grants and loans. Women of all ages
may apply to P.E.O. for fi nancial help
as she progresses through higher edu-
cation. Donations are also welcome to
help fund our mission. For more infor-
mation visit www.peointernational.org.
Annual WINGS conference
Seaside’s branch of the American
Association of University Women will
be joining the Astoria AAUW to pres-
“Mini Bird Drawing Class” with
local artist and illustrator, Dorota
Haber-Lehigh takes place Saturday,
March 9, at 1 p.m. sponsored by The
Friends of the Seaside Library.
Sign up at the circulation desk or by
phone. All levels of artistic ability are
welcome.
Participants will create a whimsical
portrait using colored pencils on wal-
nut ink paper. Bring a reference photo
or two of the bird you intend to draw.
Dorota Haber-Lehigh received a
bachelor of Arts degree from Pacifi c
University, with a focus on printmak-
ing and art history. She designed, illus-
trated and published a children’s book
titled “ABC of Native Plants of the
Coastal Pacifi c Northwest” and is cur-
rently at work on books about native
berries and wildfl owers of the Pacifi c
Northwest. She is also a member of
the Oregon Botanical Artists and the
Native Plant Society of Oregon.
The Seaside Public Library is
located at 1131 Broadway. For more
information call 503-738-6742 or visit
www.seasidelibrary.org
BUSINESS
Directory
FLOORING
CCB# 205283
Luxury vinyl planks and tile.
you walk on
our reputation
Flooring
Saturday, March 2
Arthritis Exercise
Whale Spirit Drum Circle
10:15 a.m., free, Bob Chisholm
Center, 1225 Avenue A, Sea-
side, 503-738-7393.
7-8 p.m., all welcome to gather
and drum together; no drum-
ming experience is neces-
sary. Check www.WhaleSpirit.
com to confi rm location each
month. Bob Chisholm Com-
munity Center, 1225 Avenue A,
Seaside.
Senior Lunch Program
11:45 a.m., Bob Chisholm Com-
munity Center, 1225 Avenue A,
Seaside, 503-738-7393, www.
sunsetempire.com. $3 suggest-
ed donation, for those 60 and
over; $6.75 for those under 60.
CONSTRUCTION
B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc .
E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs
r oad w ork • F ill M atErial
s itE P rEParation • r ock
owned and operated by
Dance Fitness
6:30-7:30 p.m., Bob Chisholm
Community Center, 1225 Ave-
nue A, Seaside, 503-738-7393.
“Little Shop of Horrors”
7 p.m., Seaside High School,
1901 N. Holladay Drive, Sea-
side, OR. For more information,
visit shs.seaside.k12.or.us, or
call 503-738-5586.
Music at McMenamins
7 p.m., Tony Smiley, McMenam-
ins Gearhart Hotel, 1157 N. Mari-
on Ave., Gearhart; 503-717-8159.
Treasure the Beach
Broadway, Seaside, 503-738-5111.
5-7 p.m., the free event takes
place between Holladay Drive
and Broadway Street in the His-
toric Gilbert District of down-
town Seaside.
Tuesday, March 5
7 p.m., Seaside High School, 1901
N. Holladay Drive, Seaside, OR. For
more information, visit shs.seaside.
k12.or.us, or call 503-738-5586.
9-11 a.m., beach cleanup, rain
or shine; sign in at The Sea-
shore Inn on the Beach, 60 N.
Prom, Seaside.
Sunday, March 3
Play the ukulele
4-6 p.m., Calvary Episcopal
Church, 503 N. Holladay Dr.,
Seaside.
9:45 a.m., learn to play the uku-
lele, for beginners, conference
room, Bob Chisholm Commu-
nity Center, 1225 Avenue A,
Seaside, 503-738-7393.
Gearhart ArtWalk
2-5 p.m., Gallery events, from
A Great Gallery, Trail’s End Arts
Association, The Natural Nook,
Coast Gallery and Numismatics.
Youth campership
fundraiser
Monday, March 4
Dance Fitness
6:30-7:30 p.m., Bob Chisholm
Community Center, 1225 Ave-
nue A, Seaside, 503-738-7393.
Hold ‘Em
7 p.m., American Legion, 1315
M ike and C eline M C e wan
503-738-3569
34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR
P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR
S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302
LANDSCAPING
Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix
Soil Amendments
YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF
(no Scotch Broom)
503-717-1454
34154 HIGHWAY 26
SEASIDE, OR
Laurelwood Farm
FLOORING
First Saturday Artwalk
“Little Shop of Horrors”
Installation
3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon
503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com
Community Calendar
Friday, March 1
ate standing up. She would also
take him out for lunch to KFC or
Dairy Queen, his favorite choices.
Mr. Groot was a very spe-
cial man. Sadly Mr. Groot passed
away before the library was
opened in 2008 but his love of
libraries is still with us today
in the beautiful Seaside Pub-
lic Library building. Next time
you stop by you can check out
his name over the bookstore and
also his sea chest which he gave
to the library. As you can tell, the
heart of the Seaside Library is
our community and more specifi -
cally all of the individual, unique,
and wonderful people who love
and support the Seaside Public
Library.
Excel, Level 1
8:30-10:30 a.m., at South County
Center Lab, 1455 N. Roosevelt
Dr.; register at bizcenter.org/
centers/clatsop-sbdc/our-class-
es or call 503-338-2402.
Tops Meeting
9:15 a.m., Take Pounds Off Sen-
siblyNorth Coast Family Fel-
lowship, 2245 N Wahanna Rd,
Seaside; 503-738-7453.
Randall Lee’s 0% FINANCING
AVAILABLE
Window Treatments, Fabric, Designer Wallpaper, Visit Our
Counter Tops, All Flooring and Miele Vacuums
Outlet!
2311 N. Roosevelt Dr., Seaside, OR 97138 • 503-738-5729
rlflooring @ yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com
Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756
Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding
TIRES/WHEELS
D EL ’S O .K .
D EL ’S O .K .
Smart Meter workshop
5:30 p.m., hosted by Pacifi c
Power, Seaside Brewing Com-
pany, 851 Broadway St, Sea-
side, OR. For more information,
visit seasidebrewery.com, or
call 503-717-5451.
Tabata
6-7 p.m., high intensity interval
training; Bob Chisholm Com-
munity Center, 1225 Avenue A,
Seaside, 503-738-7393.
is changing its name to
Same great service
YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR TIRES
CUSTOM WHEELS • AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
Hours:
Mon-Fri 8-6
Sat- 8-4
503-325-2861
35359 Business Hwy 101
For emergencies
503-325-0233
Astoria, OR
(miles crossing)