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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2019)
OUR 112th Year June 7, 2019 $1.00 SEASIDESIGNAL.COM An annual Gearhart tradition COLOR DASH Colin Murphey/The Astorian Participants in the Coast Color Dash in Gearhart celebrate the end of the run. By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal D uring the third annual Coast Color Dash on Sat- urday, no one was safe from being pelted with fi stfuls of powdery, colored corn starch that hung suspended as translucent clouds before gradually dissipating — only for the process to start all over again. Between the colors fi lling the air and covering both rac- ers and spectators, the upbeat music, and the closing pan- cake feed, the event — a fundraiser put on jointly by the Parent-Teacher Organizations of Gearhart Elementary School and The Heights Elementary School — felt every bit like a big party. “This is the fi rst year we’ve kind of taken it on ourselves,” Lauren Davis, co-president of Gearhart’s PTO, said, adding the past two years, they have received assistance from an outside fundraising entity. “It makes it super easy, because we live in a community where everybody’s willing to help and everyone’s willing to donate and come do crazy things, like throw color and get color thrown on them.” The Color Dash featured both a 3K and 5K run, cater- ing to participants of all ages and skill levels while celebrat- ing health and fi tness. Volunteers — primarily the parents of elementary students, teachers, and staff members — were stationed along both routes with bags full of pastel-colored corn starch to toss at participants as they raced by, a task they took to well. “It’s oddly satisfying to throw chalk at the students and parents,” Joy Duff, a special education assistant at Gearhart, joked. Alona Whisenhunt, a student at Broadway Middle School who volunteered with her mother while her little brother ran, agreed her favorite aspect was “coloring my friends.” It was not uncommon for entire families to participate in the event in different capacities. Chantrell Lee, a fi fth- grader at Geahart, ran the 5K while her parents, Michelle and Barry, helped with the color-throwing. Describing her favorite part of the event, Chantrell Lee said, “I like that you can be messy and let loose of everything.” See Color Dash, Page A8 What would you call the new school? By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal Come the fall of 2020, two separate ele- mentary school bodies will be merged into one singular entity when Gearhart Elemen- tary School students join students from The Heights Elementary School on the hill. In preparation for the transition, the Bringing Our Elementary Schools Together, or BEST, committee wants to guide the community through a process of selecting a new name, mascot, and school colors to encompass all elementary stu- dents starting in the 2020-21 school year. The purpose, committee member and Gearhart instructor Jessica Garrigues said during the Seaside School Board’s regular meeting May 21, is to represent “a merge and true new start.” Along with Garrigues, the commit- tee includes principal Juli Wozniak; Gear- hart librarian Laura Stewart; Gearhart fi rst- grade teacher Christina Budiselic; Gearhart fi fth-grade teacher Sarah Collins; Sea- side kindergarten teacher Betsy Mahoney; and Seaside fourth-grade teacher Hannah Clark. The committee started developing the idea of a name and branding change during the summer of 2018. They attended a workshop on school culture and climate hosted by the Northwest Regional ESD and gathered ideas for blending two ele- mentary staffs and student bodies together. Next, they distributed a survey to classifi ed and certifi ed staff members to gather their opinions on the pros and cons of the tran- sition to the new campus and subsequently held two joint staff meetings. “There is so much unknown at this time with the grade school, but we wanted to be able to get to know each other and talk about things that are heavy on people,” Stewart said. From the input, the team developed the following aim statement: “By 2020, we will establish an equitable, cohesive, and collaborative environment to support our students, staff and parents as we become one blended elementary community.” See School, Page A7 Photos by Katherine Lacaze/For Seaside Signal Students douse themselves in colored powder ahead of starting the race at the third annual Coast Color Dash on Saturday. The event featured both a 3K and 5K for runners and walkers of varying ages and skill levels. Marijuana lounges in Seaside? By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal The third annual Coast Color Dash fundraiser started at the Gearhart Ocean State Park and wrapped around adjacent neighborhoods. Along the way, runners and walkers were pelted with bright, colorful powder. You’ve bought it. Now what? Purchasers of legal marijuana often have that problem, Steve Geiger, owner of High- way 420 in Seaside told the City Council in open comment remarks on Monday, May 13. Geiger wanted councilors to become familiar with Oregon Senate Bill 639, which changes the Clean Air Act to allow cannabis consumption at special events or in smok- ing lounges. See Pot parlors, Page A7 WHEN THE BIG ONE STRIKES, HELP IS ON ITS WAY Landing mission shows strength of rescue team By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal R.J. Marx With D-Day on Thursday, Clatsop County residents may have been surprised to see two amphibious landing vehicles cruising through the waters before crawling on land at the entrance of Sunset Beach. The event, developed by the Clatsop County Offi ce of Emergency Management with the coordination of the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Oregon Military Depart- ment along with local government leaders and respond- ers, aimed to provide a “dry run” for after the Big One hits. Dr. Maria Gozo, a physician aboard the USS Anchorage as it engages in humanitarian and rescue missions. See Help, Page A7
