Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2020)
Friday, January 1, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3 Broadway: ‘We need to have a vision for the community’ Continued from Page A1 “as soon as possible, assum- ing the offer is accepted. I couldn’t be happier for our community.” The former middle school, located off of U.S. Highway 101 and Broad- way, was among school dis- trict properties relocated to the new Spruce Drive location outside of the tsu- nami inundation zone. Built in 1949, the nearly 75,000-square-foot build- ing received upgrades in 1979 and a new gym in 1994. Three acres of the 5.4- acre property are zoned medium-density residential and the remaining portion is designated for commer- cial use. The Seaside Visi- tors Bureau and public restrooms located on the property are leased and maintained to the city on a long-term basis. The park district will “We need to have a vision for the community and come together to make that happen,” Marshall said. “I think that the board and ‘I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE YEARS TO COME WE’LL LOOK BACK AND REALLY BE PROUD OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.’ Erika Marshall, Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District board member enter into a lease purchase or loan of up to $2.5 mil- lion, with the appoint- ment of special counsel and municipal adviser Hawkins Delafi eld & Wood LLP of Portland. staff are extremely commit- ted to the project. I really believe in the years to come we’ll look back and really be proud of what we were able to accomplish together as a community.” Norris & Stevens Aerial view, Broadway Middle School. Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District is located at top right-center. SEPRD: Board changes lead to fresh look at middle school Continued from Page A1 purchase, proponents said, will provide added recre- ational opportunities, reve- nue and child care and place the park district at a central- ized location in Seaside for years into the future. “I think this is a really good opportunity and hope- fully we’ll be able to pro- gram recreational and com- munity opportunities for people that live here,” Sky- ler Archibald, the executive director of the park district, said in October. “It comes at a much more affordable price tag than the previous bond and the cost of new construction would be at any point.” Board confl ict Except for one park district board member, Michael Hinton, the entire board turned over since the last election. Katha- rine Parker was sworn in to replace Lindsey Morri- son in December 2019. Su Coddington replaced Rod- ney Roberts in April. Board members Jer- emy Mills and John Chap- man stepped down in July after district employees fi led a formal grievance asking for their dismissal. Mills and Chapman dis- played “behaviors unbe- coming of a board mem- bers,” staff wrote. “These incidents besmirch the dis- trict’s name in the commu- R.J. Marx A lifeguard wearing a mask watches over the Sunset Pool. nity and undermine staffs’ ability to conduct their work effectively.” In August, Parker became board president and Celeste Bodner and Erika Marshall were appointed. Bodner is the founder and executive director of the Seaside-based Foster- Club, a national nonprofi t, which aims to improve the lives of young people in and from foster care. Marshall, a Seaside res- ident, is interim director of global human resources for Mercy Corps, work- ing with the organization’s vice president to guide overall vision and strategic direction. Middle school purchase reduced the price in Feb- serve families such as The new board imme- diately changed the direc- tion of the park district. The previous board had tabled a potential purchase of Broadway Middle School, for sale after the Seaside School District’s campus relocation. Zoned partially residen- tial and partially commer- cial, the 3-acre property contains the 73,000-square- foot school building, along with the Seaside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau building and public restrooms, on land leased to the city by the school district. The school district ruary, but even at less than $3 million — down from an initial listing of $3.6 mil- lion, board members said the school was “no bar- gain,” presenting liability and ongoing maintenance issues. In June, the board again rejected pursuing a poten- tial purchase deal for the middle school, tabling the matter for a year. But when the composi- tion of the board changed, so did its attitude toward the school purchase. The purchase could pro- vide space for programs and revenue streams for community programs that Continued from Page A1 Drive-in graduation Seaside High School’s annual commencement cer- emony to honor graduating seniors typically takes place in front of a packed house at the Seaside Civic and Con- vention Center. Instead, the Class of 2020 took a slow drive down Broadway to the Turn- around, where they received their diplomas with cheering friends and family members lining the street, waving signs and snapping pictures. Vehicles transporting the graduates were then ushered to the large public parking lot downtown. There, the offi cial ceremony took place outdoors under waning light and a drizzling rain, which did little to hamper the pos- itive energy emanating from the students, teachers, fam- ily members and friends col- lected in the audience. Principal Jeff Roberts encouraged the outgoing seniors to embrace their generation’s reputation for being persistent and strong- willed and use it as a stan- dard by which to measure themselves throughout their lives. Distance learning While school administra- tion and staff had hoped to move into the new campus in the fall of 2020, the date to return to in-person learn- ing for the Seaside School District remains an elu- sive and constantly moving target. In response to Oregon Department of Education guidelines pertaining to the ongoing coronavirus pan- demic, the district devel- oped in-classroom and dis- tance learning options with the goal of transitioning to in-person learning. The hybrid model offered high school students instruction four days per week, with four classes per day at 60 minutes each with. Students could also opt for 100% online learning. The school board approved a request from Penrod earlier this month to continue with comprehen- sive distance learning until at least Feb. 1 as coronavirus cases continue to increase in Clatsop County. New campus Construction rounded a corner at the new campus on Spruce Drive, which is the end product of a $99.7 mil- lion bond to move Broadway Middle School and Seaside High School out of the tsu- nami inundation zone. The former Heights Elemen- tary, renamed Pacifi c Ridge, also received an extensive upgrade, renovations and added classroom, gym and playground space. Project expenses— including environmental review and permits, exten- sive site work, construc- tion and equipment, permit fees, consultants, architects and project management — totaled more than $131 million. The district has been able to fund the added costs through state and federal grants, bond interest and other revenue sources. They also applied for a loan to fi ll the gap between expenses and revenue, about 3% of the project. A costly reapplication of exterior insulation was cov- ered by insurance, but the redo of the work has delayed completion of the project until February. The former schools, while falling short of the district’s hopes regarding their sale, did bring in some revenue. The old Cannon Beach Elementary School was sold to Cannon Beach for $400,000 early in the year. Gearhart Elementary School sold for $400,000 plus an additional $100,000 donation, and Seaside High School and Broadway Mid- dle School are both under contract. cation department’s at-a- glance school and district profi les, produced state- wide on a yearly basis, Sea- side’s on-time graduation rate was 77% for the 2019- 20 school year — up from 73% in 2018-29 and 67% in 2017-28. One of the district’s long- term goals as per its fi ve- year strategic plan — which was fully implemented during the 2019-20 school year — is that by June 2024, all students will be on track to graduate and be prepared with a plan beyond high school. To start, Penrod hopes to see the district matching statewide rates, which were 80% for on-time graduation and 86% for fi ve-year com- pletion in 2019-20. Data from the report cards provides a starting point for the district to eval- uate differences among demographics and identify how the schools can work more closely with individual students to meet their needs. DINING on the NORTH COAST Great Restaurants in: GEARHART • SEASIDE CANNON BEACH WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE LOCALS GO? • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Junior Menu RESTAURANT & LOUNGE • Lighter appetite menu E RIL Y’ S School: District looks toward fi ve-year strategic plan after-school care, summer camp, “Start Smart” sports, BEST BREAKFAST IN TOWN! Fish ‘n Chips • Burgers • Seafood & Steak Friday & Saturday - Prime Rib Lounge Open Daily 9-Midnight All Oregon Lottery products available 1104 S Holladay • 503-738-9701 • Open Daily at 8am Excellence in family dining found from a family that has been serving the North Coast for the past 52 years Great Breakfast, but that’s not all... • Great lunch and dinner menu,too! • Great pasta, steaks & seafood! • Homemade Clam Chowder, Salads! Seaside • 323 Broadway • 738-7234 (Open 7 Days) Cannon Beach • 223 S. Hemlock 436-2851 (7am-3pm Daily) Astoria • 146 W. Bond • 325-3144 Cannon Beach Chocolate Cafe Bring this ad in for 10% off your purchase! Stocking Stuffers and Gifts for Everyone! 232 N. Spruce • Cannon Beach, Oregon Open 10 am-5 pm Daily! • 503.436.4331 State scores Seaside students showed rising attendance, test score and graduation numbers, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The district’s numbers have slowly increased in line with the district’s concerted effort to improve attendance, engage students and help them prepare for the next stage of life. According to the edu- the farmers market and basketball. In September, the park district board authorized Archibald to work with a real estate agent and deliver an offer before approving a resolution to seek fi nancing for up to $2.5 million. Opposition to the proj- ect developed with the for- mation of the Taxpayers for SEPRD Transparency, a local group committed to bringing the school pur- chase to a vote by district residents. Their members questioned terms of the purchase and fi led records requests for inspection doc- uments, including an energy audit, asbestos report and roof evaluation. Ultimately, the board chose to move forward as this week the district announced an agreement with the school district on a purchase for $2.15 million. Call Sarah Silver 503.325.3211 ext 1222 YOUR RESTAURANT AD HERE. Find Your Next Regular Customers!
