OUR 112th Year
June 14, 2019 $1.00
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
Look
what
I got!
Sydney
Van Dusen
Seaside High School
celebrates Class of 2019!
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
During Seaside High School’s 103rd annual commence-
ment, the overwhelming swell of vibrant Seagull red was
matched in intensity only by the palpable emotion fl ow-
ing from the sea of family, friends, mentors, teachers and
other community members fl ooding the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center. ¶ Cheers rocked the building, cam-
eras and smartphones fl ashed continuously, and some
homemade signs waved in the air as hundreds of specta-
tors joined together to share their pride, joy and aff ection
for the 110 students who stepped onstage to receive their
diplomas Monday night.
See Commencement, Page A7
Jeff Ter Har
Ban the
bag!
Becky Graham’s
garden is her
sanctuary
GEARHART FIREHOUSE
By R.J.MARX
Seaside Signal
By EVE MARX
For Seaside Signal
The City Council took
the fi rst step Monday night
to a single-use plastic bag
ban.
Residents from through-
out the region — from Long
Beach, Washington, to Arch
Cape — came to support a
ban. And by night’s end,
the crowd, including three
fi fth-graders from John
Meyer’s Heights Elemen-
tary School class, erupted in
applause after a unanimous
vote.
The new ordinance
would prohibit plastic car-
ry-out bags, similar to state
legislation approved in
Salem on Tuesday.
Becky Graham moved to Gearhart not long ago
after selling her dream home in Knappa.
“It was my dream home but it felt isolated,” the
Portland native said. “And my dad lives in Seaside.”
Within two months of selling her Knappa para-
dise, she asked the universe to direct her to a wonder-
ful neighborhood where she could grow her garden.
Almost immediately her real estate agent told her
about a 1970s-style ranch in Gearhart; it was love
at fi rst sight. The house, sadly, had been vacant for
some time and had a defeated, neglected aura. The
property itself was in shambles. Graham, who said
this house is her third fi xer up, saw only potential.
On an overcast day in late May, Graham, a profes-
sional garden design consultant with her own busi-
ness, Harvest Moon Design, shared her thoughts on
outdoor living, the importance of planting for polli-
nators, and creating environments that embrace and
welcome nature. Every spare moment the fi rst two
months she owned the house was spent repairing
See Bag, Page A7
Three sites presented in a survey to Gearhart residents. “C,” the High Point site, was the clear
favorite.
Report ahead, but process
for fi rehouse is no slam-dunk
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Gearhart offi cials voted to approve a
$10,000 geotechnical study on June 5, the
fi rst step in a new fi rehouse plan, but not with-
out some tempers fl aring in a verbal exchange
between Councilor Kerry Smith and Mayor
Matt Brown. Funding for the study is critical
to move ahead on a new fi rehouse and resil-
iency station.
After years of research by a fi rehouse
committee, public forums and most recently,
results of a survey, offi cials determined the
High Point site, a privately owned property
on North Marion Avenue near 12th Street, to
meet many of the needs identifi ed for the new
structure.
City staff requested funds to perform a
geotechnical investigation for the proposed
new fi re station to give a summary of our
work and geotechnical recommendations
and conclusions for support of the proposed
structures.
The report will allow the city to further
explore the foundation requirements to better
anticipate costs for fi re station construction.
The report is considered essential before
purchase. Offi cials hope to get the project on
the November ballot, which would require a
county fi ling by Aug. 17.
The cost of the project is about $8,500; the
city requested $10,000 to do the study. Funds
will be transferred from the building reserve
fund.
But while it appeared the transfer of funds
for the geotech study was a slam dunk, coun-
cilor Smith asked if the city had considered a
vertical evacuation site at the fi re station.
“Is there going to be any geotech report for
the east side of City Hall?” Smith asked.
“We are following a process, and we
are trying to get to a conclusion,” Brown
responded. “If we continue to willy-nilly
throw things out ‘what if,’ we’re never going
to get to the end of the process.” Brown said.
“Excuse me, Matt, this isn’t willy-nilly,”
Smith said. “I’m asking for a second geo-re-
port. I’m not stopping the fi rst one.”
“We’re doing due diligence on the public’s
No. 1 choice,” Brown said. “Where did the
committee come up with a vertical evacua-
tion site?”
“But have they even thought of putting
the fi re station here with a vertical evacuation
See Garden, Page A7
Courtesy Becky Graham
See Firehouse, Page A7
Becky Graham on an Astoria worksite.