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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2019)
Friday, September 27, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5 Recreation district wants to get it ‘just right’ O ne of the joys of work- ing in a publicly funded government agency is the opportunity to received feedback and strive for improvement to bet- ter serve our community. Hardly a day goes by where I don’t receive some form of feed- back from one of our wonderful patrons and community members. For the last year or so the Sun- set Empire Park and Recreation Board of Directors prioritized this feedback process and the District has taken several measured steps to both provide opportunities for patrons to give us feedback and for district staff to listen to that feedback. Both steps are crucial in our improvement and in our goals of serving our entire community. Please allow me to share some of our experiences and steps taken along this way. First, we wanted to gauge our customer experiences. We placed an iPad with 3 to 5 survey ques- tions at exit points of District facilities. The questions were sim- ple to answer and typically fea- tured some combination of emoji responses or a simple “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” The device has rotated between the Sunset Pool, the Seaside Youth Center and the Bob Chisholm Commu- nity Center. The results have been wonder- ful and impactful. We have heard 2,639 unique responses to our SKYBOX SKYLER ARCHIBALD questions and have learned pow- erful lessons along the way. For instance, when we asked patrons “How would you rate your expe- rience at the SEPRD pool today?” Of our respondents, 81% gave us four out of four stars! We often receive feedback about the Sunset Pool tempera- ture as we always work to main- tain an appropriate temperature for the varied activities that occur there. When we asked our patrons this question, we received 111 responses and 63 of those individ- uals indicated that the pool tem- perature is “just right.” These were all promising results. The district also invested some time in sending out a mas- sive, community survey to gauge our district residents and guests and determine how we could serve them better. The survey kicked off in August and thus far, has received over 400 responses. We’re ask- ing about lots of things but one of my favorite questions is the open- ended query, “What programs or facilities do you wish that SEPRD offered but does not currently?” I look forward to an upcom- Rebecca Sprengeler Sunset Empire swim instructor works with swim lesson participants. ing board meeting, likely Novem- ber or December, where I pres- ent the full results of the survey to the board of directors and, more importantly, the opportunity to seek improvement and better the lives of our community residents and guests. Our mission is to “invite and inspire our entire community to engage in P.L.A.Y! (Positive Life Activities for You) and we can always improve in that area. We hope that this survey will play a big part in our progression as an agency that you can trust and one that is responsive in meeting your needs. We encourage you to take our survey by going to http://bit.ly/ SEPRD19. Those that complete the survey and enter their email address will be entered to win a smart watch or a three-month pass to SEPRD. More information or a direct link are available at our website: www.sunsetempire.com. Skyler Archibald is the Execu- tive Director of the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. Pianist Buerk performs at food bank fundraiser Seaside Signal On Sunday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m., the United Methodist hosts local pianist Carey Buerk. Proceeds go to the South County Com- munity Food Bank. The event is free, donations appreci- ated; 241 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside. File photo Lorna Brandt The fi ve members of Paws ‘n Action who participated in the Oregon State Fair events. Front row, Sidney Owsley, Jossy Adams and Lindsey McCarthy; back row, Dalton Smith and Samantha Carlisle. Paws ’N Action 4-H team members excel at state fair Seaside Signal Five members of the Paws ’N Action 4-H dog club, qualifi ed and participated at the Oregon State Fair on Aug. 28-30. First-time state partici- pants Sidney Owsley with her Boxer “Diesel” and (inter- mediate) Lindsey McCarthy and her young greater Swiss mountain dog “York” won blue ribbons in showman- ship and Rally Obedience; Owsley also received a blue in the senior division Begin- ner Novice Obedience class. Samantha Carlisle with her Standard Poodle-Great Dane cross “Finn” took eeserve champion in their beginner novice obedience for inter- mediate age members as well as blue ribbons in Rally and Showmanship (with a call back, making the Top 11). Jossy Adams with her mix breed dog “Nakita” won blues in Showman- ship and in the Advanced Rally (off-lead) along with a Reserve Champion in the (off-lead) Novice Obedi- ence class for the senior divi- sion. Another senior mem- ber, Dalton Smith, with his German Shepherd “Tillie” won blues in Rally, took a Reserve Champion in Show- manship and a Champion in Beginner Novice Obedience, the teams fi nal appearance in 4-H. Smith, Carlisle, and McCarthy, who also submit- ted hall exhibits in photogra- phy, industrial art and educa- tional display, were awarded blue and red ribbons for their entries. Cannon Beach fall fest ahead Seaside Signal Handmade items and baked goods are being col- lected for the Cannon Beach Library’s Fall Festival Sat- urday, Sept. 28. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the library, 131 N. Hemlock St. In addition to the sale, draw- ings for certifi cates from local businesses and a silent auction for hotel stays also are planned. Anyone wishing to con- tribute handmade items can bring them to the library during the library’s open hours through Sept. 27. Baked goods should be brought to the library on Fri- day, Sept. 27. The library is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday; noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Displays are currently being orga- nized, and the crafts and sewing projects should be delivered to the library as soon as possible. Drawings for gift certif- icates from 50 local busi- nesses will be held at 4 p.m. on festival day Sept. 28. Ticket holders don’t have to be present to win. Tickets for the drawings are $1 each, six for $5 or 24 for $20. They can be pur- chased at the library. In addition to local goods for sale, a silent auction for Cannon Beach hotel stays also will be held. Partici- pating hotels include Lands End, Tolovana Inn, Hall- mark, Ocean Lodge and Surfsand. The auction begins Sept. 2 and runs through Sept. 28 at the library. For more information about participating in the Fall Festival, call the library, 503- 436-1391 or email info@ cannonbeachlibrary.org.
