Friday, April 30, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5
Tiff any Boothe/Seaside Aquarium
Beachcombers fi nd pyrosomes at tide line
SEASIDE
AQUARIUM
WENDI
AGALZOFF
Let’s talk about pyrosomes!
Often called sea pickles or sea
squirts, pyrosomes are most com-
monly found in tropical waters,
but stormy ocean conditions are
known to bring the mysterious
creatures as far north as Alaska.
As the ocean currents change
with the seasons, beachcombers
have been fi nding an abundance
of pyrosomes along the high-tide
line.
Pyrosoma atlanticum is the
most observed species found
along Oregon beaches are a rigid,
bumpy, pinkish-gray tube about
the size of a fi nger.
Throughout the world pyro-
somes can range in size from a
few centimeters to over 30 feet
long, but the common Pyro-
soma atlanticum reaches a max-
imum length of two feet. These
totally tubular critters are actu-
ally known as a colonial tunicate,
a mass of thousands of smaller
organisms with a rigid notochord
— a simplistic backbone.
Pyrosomes are actually col-
onies of multicelled animals
called zooids. Thousands of
cloned zooids create the cylin-
der-shaped, tube-like body and
are connected by tissue that
enable communication and coor-
dinated behavior. To swim and
feed, pyrosomes move their cilia
(hair-like structures) together to
draw in water and fi lter-feed on
plankton.
After the plankton is caught
on mucus the zooids expel the
water in coordination to propel
their tube-body through the sea.
Similar to other pelagic crea-
tures (animals that live in the
open ocean) pyrosomes migrate
vertically and are capable of
swimming a vertical distance of
2500 feet in one day.
Their scientifi c name pyro-
soma roughly translates into a
Greek word for “fi rebody” which
references their ability to exhibit
bioluminescence while alive. In
general, the lifecycle and role of
the pyrosome in the ocean food
web remains a mystery, but some
scientists have theorized that
the bioluminescence is to attract
plankton to eat.
Other observations have been
made that pyrosomes seem to be
successful when ocean condi-
tions promote plankton blooms.
Known predators include bony
fi sh, dolphins and whales. While
it is generally understood that
pyrosomes do not pose a threat to
humans, local experts suggest not
letting pets eat pyrosomes when
found on the beach!
Moving forward together with expectations set for accountability
TUNNEL
ECHOES
LIANNE
THOMPSON
My friend Al called the
other day. When I told him
I wrote articles for local
publications, he was inter-
ested. “What do you write
about?” Good question.
“Mostly church-lady poli-
tician stuff about being nice
to one another and doing
good together,” I told him.
Writing to you read-
ers helps me defi ne more
clearly how I see things
and in return helps you tell
me what you want. That’s
communication in service
of public good.
I started out as a com-
missioner writing about
“ACE.” That’s account-
ability, used as a tool, not
as a weapon. That’s com-
munication done with
respect and aff ection.
That’s also empowerment,
based on appropriate rules,
roles, and responsibilities.
That was my starting
point, just over six years
ago., Now I’m the senior
member of the Clatsop
County Board of Commis-
sioners and its vice chair.
For all that time, people
have guided and shaped
me to be a better leader
because they want good
public servants, good ser-
vant leaders.
Where are we now? I
think we’re in a period that
calls for greater self-aware-
ness and more mutual
accountability. What does
that mean, as far as county
government goes?
We are blessed to have
many volunteers appointed
to serve on various com-
mittees and commissions
to do the public’s work.
I’ve started talking to my
colleagues about devel-
oping an oath of offi ce
for our county volun-
teers to support and guide
them. Clearer expecta-
tions would enhance the
required
accountability
and transparency.
What it boils down to
is an oath of offi ce. Here’s
what it might look like,
individualized for each
body:
1. Mission, scope of
authority, and chain of
command. What does the
body exist to accomplish?
What is within its power
and where does that power
stop? To whom or to what
is the body accountable, its
boss?
2. Behavioral expec-
tations and prohibitions.
Things like showing up on
time for every meeting (or
be excused for a good rea-
son), prepared and ready to
discuss and act construc-
tively. Also, no bullying or
other forms of harassment.
3. Monitoring. Who
tracks compliance with
the oath, and what conse-
quences will be applied for
lack of compliance?
4. Signature. Everyone
serving as an appointed
committee or commission
member of a group operat-
BRIEFS
Osprey lays
an egg
Viewers of the popu-
lar live osprey nest camera
in Broadway Park, which
is operated by the Necan-
icum Watershed Council,
awoke to the first egg on
the seaon on Sunday.
Osprey lay one to four
eggs per brood and only
have one brood per season,
the Necanicum Watershed
Council said, so more eggs
are expected over the com-
ing days. Eggs incubate for
36 to 42 days before they
hatch, so the first chick
could hatch as early as
Memorial Day.
Vew the live feed at
www.seasideosprey.org or
at www.necanicumwater-
shed.org.
Action team off ers
in-home programs
Community
Action
Team/Early Head Start
Clatsop County
distributes
$30,000 in grants
The Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners
on Wednesday awarded
$30,000 in grant funding
to nine social and human
services agencies.
The Human Services
Advisory Council subcom-
mittee reviewed applica-
tions for funding. The sub-
committee recommended
funding organizations that
provide services county-
wide, demonstrate a return
on investment and meet
the social and economic
needs of residents.
Assistance League of
the Columbia Pacific will
receive $5,000; Astoria
Lions Sight & Hearing
Foundation will receive
$5,000; Camp Kiwanilong
will receive $2,000; Clat-
sop Community Action
will receive $2,500; Grace
Food Pantry will receive
$750; the Healing Circle
will receive $2,000; Help-
ing Hands Outreach Center
will receive $5,000; Lower
Columbia Q Ceanter will
receive $2,750; and Resto-
ration House will receive
$5,000.
Carter wins Elks
scholarship
Westin Carter, a senior
at Seaside Hugh School,
was awarded an Elks
National
Foundation
scholarship of $4,000 over
DINING
on the
NORTH COAST
four years.
Carter won previous
awards of $3,000 as the
male winner of the Ore-
gon State Elks Associa-
tion “Most Valuable Stu-
dent” competition, $1,800
as OSEA Northwest Dis-
trict winner and $1,000 as
Seaside Elks Lodge #1748
winner.
Great Restaurants in:
GEARHART • SEASIDE
CANNON BEACH
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All Oregon Lottery products available
1104 S Holladay • 503-738-9701 • Open Daily at 8am
Town hall on
downtown
parking
Seaside city council-
ors Randy Frank and pres-
ent a town hall meeting on
Tuesday, May 4 at 6 p.m.
to gather input and con-
cerns regarding parking in
the downtown core area.
All interested parties are
encouraged to attend; Sea-
side Civic and Convention
Center, 415 First Ave.
ever people who get things
done. In groups or alone,
people do it. An oath only
makes a diff erence if peo-
ple believe and trust in it.
Organizations only make
a diff erence if there is
respect, aff ection, trust,
and a sense of agreement
on the rules of engagement
and performance. Let’s
continue to learn and grow,
rejoicing in our good work
together. Ooops. There’s
that church-lady-politician
again.
Lianne Thompson is Dis-
trict 5 County Commissioner.
S
Necanicum Watershed Council
offers a visiting educa-
tion program for fami-
lies in Clatsop, Columbia
and Tillamook counties.
The program is available
to low-income children
or those with disabilities
and their families and pro-
vides services to pregnant
women, infants and tod-
dlers to age 3.
Early Head Start offers
intensive, comprehensive
child development learn-
ing opportunities in the
home geared to families’
interests. Visitors come to
the home once per week at
a time that is convenient
for the family and provide
resources that strengthen
parents in their role as their
child’s primary teacher.
To register or apply to
be a home visitor, contact
Jeannie McGinley at 503-
556-3736 or visit nwor-
headstart.org.
ing under County author-
ity will read and sign to
demonstrate understand-
ing of and agreement to
the oath.
As you look at all this,
what do you think? It
seems reasonable to me,
but I’m interested in your
response. After all, your
taxpayer dollars are what
makes county government
happen. Do you think it
makes sense to set expec-
tations like this, be mutu-
ally accountable, as we do
the public’s business?
It’s always and for-
Cannon Beach
Chocolate Cafe
Westin Carter
National Day of
Pray on May 6
A gathering for the
annual National Day of
Prayer is being held at
6:30 p.m. May 6 on the
Clatsop County Court-
house steps, 749 Commer-
cial St. in Astoria.
In case of rain, the loca-
tion is Calvary Assembly
of God, 1365 S. Main Ave.
in Warrenton.
For information, call
Coral Rose Shipley at
571-330-2335.
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