OUR 114th Year
February 19, 2021 $1.00
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
‘Zoom bomb’ rattles
Seaside School District
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty
Aerial view of Breakaway Lodge, the former Young Life Camp.
Former Young Life Camp in
Gearhart sold as family compound
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
When Young Life Camp moved out
in 2018, Gearhart residents wondered
what was next for the nearly centu-
ry-old building.
Last week, Aaron Jones and a close
friend purchased the property to use
as a summer retreat for family and
friends.
“I have been tracking the property
and in discussions with the owners
since before it hit the market in 2018,”
Jones said. “I have great memories of
the place from my days attending the
camp as a fi fth and sixth grader.”
The Nita Avenue property was listed
at $1.4 million. The purchase price
was just over $1 million, according to
Clatsop County records. The buyer in
the transaction is listed as Breakaway
Lodge LLC.
The 6,800-square-foot building
features two fl oors and 11 bedrooms,
commercial kitchen and dining hall.
The open interior fl oor plan, designed
in a coastal style, comes with original
hardwood fl ooring, hardwood paneling
on walls and ceilings and two working
gas fi replaces with stone facades.
In promotional materials, Cascade
Sotheby’s International Realty, which
brokered the sale, described the exte-
rior as reminiscent of a typical Nan-
tucket seaside cottage, with weath-
ered cedar siding, a cedar-shingle roof,
sports courts and decks on just under
an acre.
The building remains limited to res-
idential use, which eliminated potential
commercial or vacation rental use.
in Gearhart.
The Arts and Crafts style building
was built as a retreat by the Sisters of
Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in the
1920s. Each summer, the sisters trav-
eled by train from Portland to Gear-
hart to stay at the retreat. The convent
closed down each winter.
Many of the Holy Names sisters
were teachers and would come for
10-day retreats in the summer, former
lodge manager Jeff Johnson recalled
in 2018. Arriving by train near the
Dairy Queen, they walked the dirt
road to the cottage.
In 1959, the cottage and chapel
were sold to the Episcopal diocese,
which used it as a youth camp in con-
junction with their other camp east of
the lodge, between Second and Third
Religious retreat
The property has a storied history
See Breakaway Lodge, Page A3
The ‘Big Give’: Lighthouse church makes
difference with lifesaving donation
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Lighthouse
Christian
Church donated $15,000 to
the Gearhart Volunteer Fire
Department for the pur-
chase of a LUCAS device,
a lifesaving tool used during
prolonged
resuscitation
attempts.
Research has proven that
uninterrupted chest com-
pressions during cardiac
arrest provides the patient
the greatest chance of sur-
vival, Fire Chief Bill Eddy
said.
“This device will provide
that. It also frees up man-
power that would otherwise
be dedicated to chest com-
pression to other needed
patient care tasks,” Eddy
said. “Since Gearhart Fire is
predominantly a volunteer
department, there are times
when manpower is low; this
device is a valuable addition
that is perfect during those
low times.”
See Church, Page A3
Lighthouse Christian Church
Members of the Gearhart Fire Department at Lighthouse
Christian Church after announcement of a $15,000 gift to
purchase lifesaving equipment.
During a livestreamed
Seaside School District
board meeting this month,
listeners were hearing
from board chairman Mark
Truax and S uperintendent
Susan Penrod when 7 1/2
minutes in the screen was
hijacked.
“At this time the meet-
ing was interrupted by
unknown parties, using
racial slurs and profanity, as
well as violent images,” the
district wrote in its board
meeting minutes. “Mut-
ing all participants did not
stop the audio or video. All
participants were put back
into the waiting room while
staff discussed how to pro-
ceed. After reviewing par-
ticipants and setting all to
be muted, the meeting was
resumed.”
The resumption came
with an immediate apol-
ogy from the superinten-
dent. “I’d like to apolo-
gize to everybody for what
happened,” Penrod said.
“Those words and video
were very offensive. We
do not tolerate that and I’m
very sorry that happened.”
The meeting resumed
without further interruption.
According to district
policy, when a staff mem-
ber learns of a potential bias
incident, they will priori-
tize the safety and well-be-
ing of everyone impacted
and promptly report the
incident to the building or
program administrator.
“Our district investi-
gates any incident that
involves hate or racist lan-
guage,” Penrod said before
Tuesday’s board meeting.
“In addition, we adopted
the policy named ‘All Stu-
dents Belong’ in December,
which requires us to report
the results of our inves-
tigation to our staff and
families.”
District policy mandates
responding staff “recognize
the experience of all per-
sons impacted, acknowl-
edge the impact, com-
mit to taking immediate
action, and prevent further
harm against those per-
sons impacted from taking
place.”
The
administrator
will determine responsi-
bility within 10 days of
receiving the complaint.
Responses aim to protect
those impacted and provide
See Zoom, Page A3
SUNSET RECREATION CENTER
District retains
strategic planning
consultant
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Sunset Empire Park
and Recreation District will
begin a strategic plan pro-
cess for the new Sunset
Recreation Center.
The Klosh Group, an
owner’s representative, will
act as the district’s represen-
tatives in all matters, said
Skyler Archibald, the park
district’s executive director.
The group will serve on
the district’s behalf in solic-
iting a request for proposal
for the recreation center’s
strategic plan and will rep-
resent the district’s interests,
“then guiding that process
to ensure that it is com-
pleted in a timely and effi -
cient manner,” Archibald
said.
The Klosh Group rep-
resented the Seaside Civic
and Convention Center in
their $15 million renova-
tion, which fi nished in fall
2019.
The group signed a con-
tract with the park district in
November during due dili-
gence on the purchase of
the former middle school
from the Seaside School
District, which moved all
classes to the new campus
on Spruce Drive.
Jeff Caldwell, president
of the Klosh Group, esti-
mated an overall six-month
to one-year strategic plan-
ning process, with three to
four months to get a good
focus “on what that process
looks like.”
Specialized subconsul-
tants may provide details on
specifi c programs or build-
ing goals.
“Our best practice is to
get the right consultants
on the team to help really
defi ne and develop the
highest and best use for the
facility,” said David Dwyer,
a senior construction man-
ager with the Klosh Group.
The park district may
See Rec center, Page A3
Summer surfi ng holds promise during wild winter
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
After making adjust-
ments last year to accom-
modate COVID-19 guide-
lines, surf instructor Lexie
Hallahan feels all the more
prepared to give kids and
adults a plethora of opportu-
nities to ride the waves this
summer.
“The whole program has
done a retrofi t to adapt to
the COVID period we are
in,” said Hallahan, director
of Northwest Women’s Surf
Camps in Seaside.
Registration opened in
mid-January for her upcom-
ing programs, which start in
May. Although her company
is called Northwest Wom-
en’s Surf Camps — and
Hallahan does have unique
women-centric
programs
— she also offers a variety
of experiences for new and
experienced surfers, includ-
ing children, teens and
adults of all genders.
Last summer, Halla-
han started offering mid-
week surf camps for fam-
ilies that will be available
again this year. Parents can
sign up with their children,
ages 6 to 12, to learn essen-
tial surfi ng skills and get out
on the water at Short Sand
Beach in Oswald West State
Park. They have an option
between one-day, two-day
and three-day camps.
According to Hallahan,
the camps were a huge suc-
cess last year, as people
were looking for activities
they could do as a family.
This year, she is also
offering four co-ed body-
boarding
clinics;
nine
co-ed group surf lessons;
four “Girlfriend Getaway
Surf Weekenders”; and day
camps for both surfi ng and
bodyboarding.
Families,
groups of friends or com-
panies can also request a
private surfi ng immersion
experience that is custom-
ized to the needs of their
participants.
“We’ve got that fl exibil-
ity that we can take different
age ranges,” Hallahan said.
Early last spring, Halla-
han had just launched the
2020 season and hosted
one series of lessons when
the pandemic hit full-force.
Cleanline Surf, Hallahan’s
Northwest Women’s Surf Camps
See Surfi ng, Page A5
Lexie Hallahan, director of Northwest Women’s Surf Camps, off ers a variety of surfi ng
experiences for children 6 and older, in addition to adults of all ages.