A4 • Friday, August 30, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
Fire Dept.: Fundraiser
to enhance department’s
equipment and training
R.J. Marx
The Gearhart City Council agreed to provide funds to transition the east tennis court to pickleball play.
Pickleball: An alternative to other regional courts
Continued from Page A1
“We had 30 people wait-
ing for the courts at Camp
Rilea,” Lane said. “There
are really no public outdoor
courts in this area. Gearhart
is the very fi rst community
on the coast and it will be
instrumental, as a matter of
fact the Armory is thinking
about doing it, even Warren-
ton at the soccer and base-
ball fi elds.”
Lane, a lifelong tennis
enthusiast and instructor,
has been playing pickleball
since 2004. She attributes
the growing popularity of
the sport to its accessibility
and short learning curve.
“I’m a tennis person, and
most pickleball people are
former tennis players,” Lane
said. “It’s a faster game. Ten-
nis took years of lessons —
pickleball is easy. Whole
families can play, we play
Wednesday and Saturday at
Camp Rilea. The game draws
people out of their shells.”
But not every family
wants to come to the camp,
and the two days per week
the courts are open don’t
accommodate every sched-
ule. Other regional courts
are strictly indoors or on
asphalt, which isn’t ideal for
older players or those with
knee injuries who often pre-
fer the softer tennis courts
for comfort, safety and
health.
The game itself is simi-
lar to tennis. It’s an 11-point
game and is described as a
cross between ping-pong
and tennis. Lane empha-
sized that there is room for
both sports at the courts.
“We’ve been playing
there since 2016, more and
more people are playing and
there is a real demand to
play”, Lane said. “But tennis
isn’t going away and there’s
room for everyone.”
The fee to use the courts
at Camp Rilea is $3 per
two-hour session, and that
includes the use of the court
and the balls and paddles.
Since the Gearhart court is
public it will be fi rst-come
fi rst-serve and the equip-
ment won’t be provided. But
there won’t be a fee either.
If you can’t wait for the
new public Gearhart pickle-
ball courts to be completed,
the Camp Rilea courts are
located at 33168 Patriot
Way in Warrenton. To enter
the camp you’ll need your
driver’s license and at least
$3 but it’s a great place for
beginners as the seasoned
pickleballers will provide
light coaching.
Hood to Coast: Relay gets high marks from council
Continued from Page A1
Barber said of this year’s
race. “It makes our city
proud. Forty countries were
represented, and those peo-
ple will come back. Peo-
ple really recognize this as
a seminal event around the
country.”
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Council threatened to sever
ties to the 200-mile relay
event after complaints of
bad behavior and traffi c
nightmares.
After workshops with
local businesses, the public,
city staff and organizers, the
city and Hood to Coast col-
laborated to address local
concerns.
In March 2018 the city
and Hood to Coast inked
a new contract, starting at
$25,000 and increasing 5
percent a year through 2022,
when Hood to Coast will pay
the city more than $30,000.
After last weekend’s
relay — highlighted by glo-
rious weekend of weather
and nearly 50,000 visitors
— the City Council is sing-
ing a different tune.
“I didn’t hear anything
coming across as a real neg-
ative,” Police Chief Dave
Ham said at Monday night’s
council meeting.
From 6 p.m. Friday night
to 6 a.m. Monday, dispatch
received about 108 calls for
service, he said.
About half of those calls
came in Saturday, with traf-
fi c complaints, a “couple of
dog bites” in the downtown
area, and a few disturbances
over the weekend unrelated
to the Hood to Coast event.
A parking issue was
quickly resolved by the
Hood to Coast organization,
he said. A van with vulgar-
ity painted on its sides was
noted by race organizers
and “they will not be invited
back,” Ham said.
“It was very unevent-
ful, believe or not,” Pub-
lic Works Director Dale
McDowell said. “It was very
well organized. They did a
great job.”
City Manager Mark
Winstnley praised employ-
ees who kept trash emp-
tied and responded to emer-
gency calls. “Most cities
don’t know how to handle
an event that brings 50,000
people to town,” Winstanley
said. “They handled it cheer-
fully and easily — and that’s
not easy to do.”
Three years ago, coun-
cilor Randy Frank was a
leading advocate for changes
to the Hood to Coast rela-
tionship with the city.
This year, Frank gave
credit to city workers and
staff for their “amazing
work” and described the
progress event organizers
have made over the past
three years.
Tita Montero called Hood
to Coast “a great party of the
beach,” but she did ask that
in coming years, organizers
provide an 800 number for
complaints. “We still don’t
have that 800 number that
has been agreed to year after
year after year. The Hood
to Coast organization could
have a lot more credibility if
they did that. They did say
they would provide that.”
Mayor Jay Barber worked
with Chief Operating Offi -
cer Dan Floyd, Chief Exec-
utive Offi cer Jude Hubber
and founder Bob Foote of
the race series for their coop-
eration and communication.
“It was a great event,”
Continued from Page A1 fi shing trip, fi ne din-
ing; and a live cooking
week, we have 100 calls competition. For more
over the number for the details about prizes and
same time last year.” drawing tickets, log on
More calls means more to Seasidefi re.com.
equipment and more
The planning com-
training.
mittee of Dugan, Den-
The goal of the nis, Barber and Diane
“Fire Up” fundraiser is Somers had fun work-
to enhance the depart- ing on the fundraiser
ment’s equipment and and invite the public to
training and update come visit with the fi re
everything to bring and rescue crew and see
it to the best possible the equipment.
standard.
“I’m excited about
In addition to fantas- this event because it’s
tic food and a chance an opportunity to show
to check out fi re trucks, our fi refi ghters, both
there will also be draw- staff and volunteers,
ing tickets on sale offer- how much we support
ing a chance to win and appreciate them,”
great prizes ranging Barber said. “This is an
in value from $100 to opportunity to step up
$700, donated by com- for them.”
munity members and
Since its inception in
local businesses. Prizes 1904, this department
included are a private has always had the com-
tour of the fi re station mitment of the com-
and breakfast with the munity, Dugan added.
chief; a helicopter fl ight “That’s what makes this
for two; a hosted salmon a great department.”
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