A4 • Friday, March 19, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
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Donation buoys spay and neuter shop
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
Two donations totaling $9,000 to the
Spay and Neuter Thrift Store in Seaside will
off set a year of losses because of the coro-
navirus pandemic.
“This covers much of our COVID losses
and also helps us install a much-needed
water heater,” Patti Rouse, the store’s pres-
ident, said. “We are so thankful for those
who are remembering us in their estates,
and with their donations.”
More than 800 dogs and cats benefi ted
from the thrift store’s contributions in 2020.
The shop provides owners $50 vouchers for
a surgery bill for cats and $70 for dogs, to
be redeemed for services at any veterinar-
ian in Clatsop County. There is no limit to
the number of animals per owner that may
receive vouchers.
Last year, the pandemic all but shut
down the shop, with limited revenue as a
result and a drop in donations.
In November, the shop gave out $3,150 Spay and Neuter Thrift Store volunteers Patti Rouse, Jan Benfi eld and Annie Berge.
in coupons. Despite good sales, it saw a loss
of almost $500. In December, the shop dis- customers. The few who were comfortable them pay for spaying and neutering.”
tributed almost $5,000, but the loss after asked we have two-hour shifts since masks
The shop also gives $300 a month to the
expenses was $2,374. In January the shop are required.”
River Song Foundation, a group based in
gave out $1,870 in coupons, with a loss of
Meanwhile, the need to spay and neuter the county that spays and neuters feral cats,
$120.
pets continued, as well as cash donations to among other animal assistance programs.
“Our landlords forgave half the rent for the South County Food Bank and the Clat-
“We are only open six hours a week,
two months, which was an amazing help,” sop County animal shelter.
and we’re giving out over $5,000 a month
Rouse said. “Then we reopened, but with
“We give $300 a month to the food bank in coupons to spay and neuter your pets,”
less than half of our previous hours. Most for pet food,” Rouse said. “We give $500 a Rouse said. “To make that money up is
volunteers were not wanting exposure to month to the Clatsop County shelter to help huge.”
R.J. Marx
Volunteers process donations, clean, sort
and haul things to Goodwill. Some volun-
teer just one day a week, Rouse said. “Our
shifts are about three hours,” she said. “We
are always looking for volunteers.”
So far this year, 185 animals have been
spayed or neutered, Rouse said. The shop is
open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from
noon to 2 p.m., and will open Fridays from
noon to 2 p.m. starting March 26.
Time for spring whale watching on the coast
SEASIDE
AQUARIUM
WENDI
AGALZOFF
Are you ready to catch a
glimpse of a gray whale? A peek
of a mottled gray dorsal hump or
a glimpse of the 10-foot tale fl uke
as they dive back under the ocean
surface? You are in luck, because
March marks the beginning of
gray whale watching season for
our beloved Oregon Coast.
While approximately 200 res-
ident gray whales live nearly
year-round in Oregon’s coastal
waters, a majestic parade of
18,000 migrating whales will
swim past our coastline in small
groups or individuals as the spe-
cies moves northward to their
summer feeding grounds along
the British Columbia and Alas-
kan coasts. Preferring shallow
waters, these baleen whales are
able to fi lter food in a variety of
ways. They are the only whale
that fi lters mud by sucking sed-
iment off the sea fl oor and con-
suming small invertebrates such
as amphipods and zooplankton,
but they are also able to eat small
shrimp from the water column.
These mighty marine mam-
mals grow to be 49 feet long, over
80,000 pounds and have an esti-
mated lifespan of over 70 years.
Calves are born after 12 months
of gestation in the warmer waters
of Mexico and will not reach
reproductive maturity until over
6 years of age. Like many baleen
whales, long-term bonds between
individuals are uncommon.
Gray whales annually migrate
10,000 miles and are one of the
longest migrating mammals on
the planet. As they swim, whales
will surface every 20 seconds and
will blow a spout of water nearly
15 feet into the air for about fi ve
seconds before they take another
breath to submerge again. If feed-
ing or frightened, whales can stay
down for 30 minutes before they
surface to replenish their oxygen.
There are 24 spectacular sites
to whale watch along the coast
of Oregon, but Ecola State Park
and Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain are
the best local options. Research-
ers have estimated that nearly six
gray whales per hour can be seen
during the northern migration.
For best whale watching results,
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife experts suggest pick-
ing a calm morning and practice
good binocular technique, “Gaze
out onto the ocean, focusing on
medium distances until you see
a puff of white. Then raise your
binoculars while continuing to
look at the place you saw the
blow.”
Tiff any Boothe/Seaside Aquarium
Individual whales can be identifi ed by unique markings, especially on
their tails. Scientists use pictures to identify and track individual whales.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Trump administration
responsible for
‘irreparable damage’
Congress has fi nally passed
legislation to provide much
needed and long awaited assis-
tance that Americans have been
desperately waiting for since last
year. Not one Republican voted
for this legislation. Not one.
This disaster exists because
the Trump administration and its
supporters chose to do nothing
and allow it to happen. Nearly
30 million Americans have
been and/or are sick and nearly
550,000 Americans dead.
Additionally, each state and
the country as a whole is strug-
gling to vaccinate the population
and keep the number of cases
and deaths not just contained, but
from increasing.
This is signifi cant and must be
at the forefront of all discussion
regarding Republicans. What
exactly are their priorities? Why
do they care so little not only
about the people they supposedly
represent, but also this country
as a whole?
If Republicans want to walk
out of their jobs, want to sup-
port sedition, want to violate the
oaths they took to uphold the
Constitution and the laws of this
country, and most of all want to
endlessly betray the people of
this country by doing nothing but
obstruct any and all legislation
that does not serve them person-
ally and fi nancially, they need
to go.
This country is going to be
forever changed by the irrepara-
ble damage done by the Trump
administration and every Repub-
lican who supported it.
It is beyond time for this
country to get rid of the Repub-
licans responsible for destroy-
ing this country by any and all
means possible.
Christina Buck
Seaside
A thank you to health
care workers
I want to extend a huge thank
you to the health care workers and
staff at Coastal Family Healthcare,
who volunteered their time on
Sunday so that I, along with many
others, could get the Johnson and
Johnson COVID-19 vaccination.
Thank you and bless you for
the important work you do.
Marti Wajc
Seaside
BRIEFS
Windermere gives
to coastal charities
Through the Windermere
Foundation,
Windermere
Realty Trust gave a total of
$244,670 was given to char-
ities in the Portland met-
ropolitan area that support
low-income children and
families in 2020.
The $244,670 in dona-
tions from the Windermere
Foundation benefi ted the
following charities through-
out the Portland-metro-
politan area and the north-
ern Oregon coast: Oregon
Food Bank, St. Vincent De
Paul Food Pantry, Habitat
for Humanity, Rebuilding
Together Portland, Food 4
Kids Seaside Oregon, Sher-
wood Helping Hands, The
Autism Society of Oregon,
Raphael House of Portland,
Sunshine Division, and
Portland Shed, among many
others.
In lieu of its annual com-
munity service day, Winder-
mere hosted a Neighbors in
Need fundraiser to immedi-
ately help food banks whose
operations, and the peo-
ple they serve, were heav-
ily impacted by the pan-
demic. In just 13 days,
realtors with Windermere,
including those throughout
the Portland metropolitan
area, raised nearly $170,000
for approximately 50 food
banks across Oregon and
southwest Washington.
Volunteers needed
for Day of Caring
The United Way of Clat-
sop County is calling for
volunteers to sign up for
Day of Caring from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m. April 17. Volun-
teers will receive water and
a light lunch; social distanc-
ing and mask wearing will
be observed. The event takes
place at three locations:
• Hilltop Apartments,
Niagara Avenue between
11th and 12th Streets, 30
volunteers needed. Project
includes planting fl owers
and trees, gardening, yard
maintenance, sign installa-
tion and other landscaping
tasks.
• Camp Kiwanilong, 595
S.W. Ridge Road, Warren-
ton, 50 volunteers needed.
Project includes skimming
the lake to remove Styro-
foam and debris, collect-
ing storm debris and clear-
ing trails throughout camp,
power washing docks and
buildings and cabin spring
cleaning.
• Seaside community
gardens, 1001 to 1099 S.
Irvine Place, Seaside, 30
volunteers needed. Project
includes various gardening
opportunities, garden box
rebuilding, paver and fence
installation.
For information, and to
sign up, go to ClatsopU-
nitedWay.org and click on
“Events.”
Gearhart Small Business
Committee, 6 p.m., cityofgear-
hart.com.
MONDAY, APRIL 26
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5
Gearhart Parks Master Plan
Citizens Advisory Commit-
tee, 5:30 p.m., work session,
cityofgearhart.com.
Gearhart City Council, 6 p.m.,
work session, cityofgearhart.
com.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Contact local agencies for latest
meeting information and atten-
dance guidelines.
Seaside Airport Committee,
6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway,
Seaside.
MONDAY, MARCH 22
TUESDAY, MARCH 30
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
Gearhart City Council, 6 p.m.,
work session, cityofgearhart.
com.
TUESDAY, MARCH 23
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Jeremy Feldman
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7
TUESDAY, APRIL 20
Gearhart City Council, 6 p.m.,
work session, cityofgearhart.
com.
Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District Board
of Directors, 5:15 p.m., 1225
Avenue A.
MONDAY, APRIL 12
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Darren Gooch
Joshua Heineman
Rain Jordan
Katherine Lacaze
Esther Moberg
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
Carl Earl
Seaside School District,
6 p.m., www.seaside.k12.or.us/
meetings.
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
Seaside Signal
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