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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2019)
Friday, June 7, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5 Bicycle safeway, awareness urged on area roadways H eavy morning mist. Unpredictable and shifting wind. The arrival of seemingly thou- sands of RVs and out-of- state license plates. Oh yes, spring is defi nitely in the air here on the North Coast. Spring is a wonder- ful time of year in our area as it gives us an opportu- nity to appreciate the beau- tiful environment, abun- dance of plants and fauna and the clean air. For many, it provides further recre- ation opportunities, with the fairer temperatures and extended daylight hours. Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken to one of my favorite past times, as I’m accustomed to each Spring season: bicycling. I have enjoyed riding my bike since I was a little boy ped- aling around the streets of Gearhart and causing mis- chief. And while other activities may hold my interest temporarily — for several years of my child- hood I rollerbladed every- where — only cycling pro- vides the rush of adrenaline, speed and freedom with a hinge of excitement. Since moving to this area more than four years ago, I’ve experienced many of the same wonder- ful aspects of bicycling that I enjoyed as a child. But I’ve also experienced some truly traumatic ones, mostly coming as a result of unsafe road conditions and danger- ous, or at least distracted, driving. Hopefully we recognize the necessity of providing a transportation system that cyclists can utilize. High- way 101 is the main road on the Oregon Coast Bike enough space. On nar- row roads, like Wahanna Road or near the Necani- cum Bridge on the north end of Seaside, cyclists can get squeezed into danger- ous positions. Vehicles may only pass bicyclists in these situations if they can do so safely. I can’t count how many times a frustrated vehicle has slowed down for me during a portion of narrow road or bridge only to aggressively speed up and sometimes make a ges- ture my direction when they do pass. I speak to these things based on improved quality of life for all people using the road. Like it or not, bicyclists are here to stay. While it might be some- one from Portland, or Okla- homa it might also be your neighbor. Please remember that each ride from a cyclist is one less vehicle on the road. While we all have somewhere to be and want to get there on time, it isn’t worth it to scare the death out of a bicyclist, or worse, hit them. David Forbes, Chelsea and Skyler Archibald after completing the Seattle to Portland bike ride several years ago. Route, a route utilized by some 6,000 to 10,000 peo- ple annually. Add in those that cycle either for need or recreation in our area and that is a lot of people rid- ing along our streets and highway. Now this isn’t simply a chide to all drivers nor is it a “bicycling is holier than driving” pitch. Due to demands of work and per- sonal life and convenience, I drive far more often than I cycle. But the fact remains that every time I make the commitment to bike to work, to bike while running errands or even use my bike as a form of exercise, that is one less car that is clogging our heavily utilized road system. I’ve noticed that one of our favorite past times here on the North Coast is com- plaining about traffi c and SKYBOX SKYLER ARCHIBALD the issues caused by events and out-of-state drivers. But have we ever stopped to consider the impact of our personal usage of vehi- cles. Have we ever made a goal of walking, bicycling or utilizing our great pub- lic transportation options to run an errand, get to work or get to where we need to go? Doing so, even for one trip or one person, eases the traffi c on our community. Having said all that, I want to provide a few tips for helping ensure that cyclists like me return to their homes safely. Cyclists, like all vehi- cles, must obey all traffi c laws. That includes not rid- ing against traffi c (a per- sonal pet peeve) and using hand signals to indicate to other vehicles what you are doing. If cyclists do use sidewalks, they should be going slow and yielding to pedestrians. For cars and trucks, it is important to remember bicyclists are much more diffi cult to see and pre- dict behavior from than a larger vehicle. While rid- ing home from work, I may have worry about dodging potholes, glass, storm grates and other objects that a car doesn’t have to worry about. I fi nd that many vehi- cles do not give bicycles BUSINESS Directory 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 M ike and C eline M C e wan 503-738-3569 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302 Clearcut for bugs? Thanks for running the “Preserv- ing Pollinators” feature on May 31. I attended that particular “Listening to the Land” gathering at the library. I was curious about the newfound interest Hampton Lumber had in cre- ating or maintaining pollinator hab- itat, and I must admit I have been maneuvered into realizing that the best way to create pollinator habitat is to clearcut all the trees in a given area. By pure coincidence, a clearcut is the most effi cient and profi table method of harvest. A tightly stocked plantation is a biological desert, a monoculture where very little sun- light can reach the ground. Now I am four-square for clearcuts. Clearcuts for bugs! After-harvest reforestation is another arena that should be of spe- cial interest. Forty years ago, mod- ern forestry was tinkering with devel- oping “super trees,” those specimens that would grow and thrive to enable a bigger, better, and faster crop rota- tion. Who knows, by now such clones may have been developed. We all know ten trees are planted for every one harvested. Perhaps the Necan- icum Watershed Council can throw some sunshine on the real tree farms, those nurseries where our future tree crops are propagated and mass produced? Gary Durheim Seaside Tsunami: Save lives? Or fi re trucks? I was invited to attend and all-day conference on coastal management, where presenters shared information on Federal Emergency Management Agency and Clatsop County planning. My understanding is that now FEMA is more about people — what to do to save lives fi rst. We need to focus on Gearhart taxpayers, rather than building a resilient fi re station. Fire equipment should not take prece- dence over people. One of the advisors to coastal cit- ies asked me (I was the only one there from Gearhart): “How is Gearhart going to take care of their tourists and residents when the tsunami comes?” I did not have an answer. A vertical evacuation structure could be built, but where? We need to plan now to take care of our residents, and oth- ers, before we attempt to save easily replaceable fi re equipment. Gearhart has approximately 1,700 homes, with a largely senior citi- zen base of full-time residents. We have a fi re department that has only responded to two fi re calls, and over 400 emergency medical calls, in the same period of time. The responses to opioid overdoses, seizures, heart attacks, etc., far exceed our fi re emer- gency needs. Residents need to know at what level emergency medical technician training our volunteer fi re fi ghters are at to respond to these emergencies, and increase the skills that each has to aid the residents and tourists they should be serving fi rst, before being loaned out of state to fi ght fi res. Harold T. Gable Gearhart 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 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 . June events at the Seaside Public Library Upcoming at the Seaside Pub- lic Library, 1131 Broadway: June 13 Ode to the Tides “A Universe of Stories” OFF THE SHELVES 11 a.m. Summer Reading kick- off all ages event June 8. LIBRARY CALENDAR June 8 “Sketching Butterfl ies” 1 p.m., or adults drawing class with Darota Haber-Lehigh. 10 a.m. June 11 June 12 Teen Tuesday Night of all Knowledge Trivia Tournament 3:30 p.m. Giant games party. June 12 Preschool storytime Birthdays theme. 6 p.m., For adults, bring a team or join one, in the library’s meeting room. 6 p.m. Wetlands Conservancy event, in the library’s meeting room. Featuring Neal Maine. 1:30 p.m.Puppet Theater Pup- pet show. June 25 Teen Tuesday June 18 3 p.m., Horoscope sign art proj- ect 3 p.m. Teen Tuesday June 26 3 p.m. Out of this world slime. Preschool storytime June 19 10 a.m., “Bugs bugs bugs” theme. Preschool storytime 10 a.m. Summer theme. June 20 “Tears of Joy” 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 CCB# 205283 June 27 “Creature Teachers” 1:30 p.m., live reptiles show for all ages Congratulations to our local 2019 OSU grads! Oregon State Univer- sity will hold its 150th commencement on Satur- day, June 15, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Reser Stadium. Local students graduat- ing this June from Oregon State include: Gearhart: Dominique M. Harris, Master of Nat- ural Resources, Natural Resources; Jeannette E. LaLonde, Bachelor of Sci- ence, Magna Cum Laude, Psychology; Aimee R. Schacher, Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, Anthropology. Seaside: Jensen Liu, Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering; Jackson C. Meyer, Master of Business Administration, Business Administration; Kevin Mistofsky, Bache- lor of Science, Mechanical Engineering. Tolovana Park: Teresa A. Paul, Bachelor of Science, Mathematics. The commencement speaker is Jane Lubchenco, a marine ecologist and world-renowned leader in environmental research. (miles crossing) FLOORING Luxury vinyl planks and tile. you walk on our reputation Seaside Signal D EL ’S O .K . Lubchenco, a distinguished professor at Oregon State and former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, will receive an hon- orary doctorate degree in ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences at the ceremony. Commencement is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary. OSU is one of the few large univer- sities in the nation to hand out students’ actual diplo- mas during the commence- ment ceremony. Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com REAL ESTATE Seaside Real Estate, LLC. Clatsop’s Newest Realtor • Residential, Land & Re-Development • Dual Licensing CO & OR • MSL Member Paul Hands Buyer Broker 970.846.9783 aphands@gmail.com
