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Incumbents hold edge in park district board races
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Celeste Bodner
Katharine Parker
Michael Hinton
Erika Marshall
Hamer
Su Coddington
After a bruising campaign where challeng-
ers second-guessed the decision to purchase
the former Broadway Middle School, the
Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District
Board held their own in Tuesday’s election.
Su Coddington, Celeste Bodner, Michael
Hinton, Erika Marshall Hamer and Katha-
rine Parker led their challengers after most of
the ballots were counted. All but Hinton were
appointed to the board after resignations over
the past few years amid turmoil and infighting.
The rapid changes on the board and major
developments at the park district made this
year’s election especially significant. Closures
as a result of COVID-19 interrupted services in
2020 and led to layoffs or worker furloughs.
See Results, Page A6
Park district
selects consultant
for rec center
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District selected
a strategic consultant to plan the future of the Sunset Rec-
reation Center.
Sports Facilities Advisory and Scott Edwards Architec-
ture were chosen out of three finalists based on firm size
and structure, project understanding, firm experience, work
plan, proposed staff and fee proposal.
“It’s the recommendation of that group to select the
Sports Facilities Advisory working with Scott Edwards
Architecture for the opportunity to partner with us on our
plan for the future of Sunset Recreation Center,” Skyler
Archibald, the park district’s executive director, said in pre-
senting the decision to the board last Tuesday. “This is a sig-
nificant step forward in the district.”
The park district purchased the former Broadway Mid-
dle School for $2.15 million in January. The middle school,
renamed the Sunset Recreation Center, was among Seaside
School District properties relocated to the new Spruce Drive
location outside of the tsunami inundation zone.
Board members Celeste Bodner and Michael Hinton
worked with owner’s representative David Dwyer of the
Klosh Group to evaluate the proposals. “We had three ter-
rific responses from qualified firms,” Archibald said.
The candidates “clearly delineated themselves,”
Archibald said.
See Consultant, Page A6
Education service
district eyes lease
at rec center
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District and the
Northwest Regional Education Service District are in talks
to lease a portion of the Sunset Recreation Center in Seaside.
The former Broadway Middle School would be “the ideal
hub for our services,” wrote Dan Goldman, superintendent of
the Northwest Regional Education Service District.
The service district is in the process of selling their
29,000-square-foot Clatsop Service Center location in Asto-
ria and are seeking a space to lease, Goldman said. They hope
to downside to a 7,600-square-foot space in the Sunset Rec-
reation Center.
“It would be a significant downsize, but it’s what we need
now,” Goldman said at last Tuesday’s park district board
meeting. “We’re looking to actually get in a space that not
only is a better fit for us in terms of size, but also provides us
an opportunity to do what ESD does best.”
The service district is seeking classroom space for pre-
school programs, community meetings and office space.
The service district brings additional school resources to
students and school districts in Clatsop, Tillamook, Wash-
ington and Columbia counties. “We provide what you would
See Lease, Page A6
Hailey Hoffman/The Astorian
Victoria Soprano, right, starts her leg of the double under relay with Jessica Hernandez.
Ready to jump
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
After having to miss three tournaments last year and
two tournaments in 2021, Stacey Dundas was determined
to make at least one event happen this year for jump-ropers
around the region.
“These kids work so hard and they practice all the time,”
said Dundas, the founder and head of coach of the Tsunami
Skippers Jump Rope Team. “They need to be rewarded,
they need to feel special and have something to look for-
ward to.”
Her dedication — along with that of parents, the organi-
zation’s board of directors and other supporters—translated
into the return of the Oregon Coast Classic Tournament,
which the Tsunami Skippers typically host every year.
The one-day event took place at the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center on Saturday and brought together
nearly 80 participants ages 5 to 50 years old.
Four teams traveled to Seaside for the classic: Hot Dog
USA, Bainbridge Island Rope Skippers and West City
Rope Ninjas from Washington and the Far North Jumpers
from Alaska. About 20 of Dundas’ own athletes also took
part in the event.
In a departure from past years, Dundas focused the Ore-
gon Coast Classic on non-competitive activities that aren’t
a regular part of tournaments — an approach that was even
encapsulated in the 2021 slogan: “Just for Fun.” Her goal
was to host a fun and rewarding event for young people
who practice consistently to take part in what she described
as “an obscure sport.”
Typically, the Tsunami Skippers host the classic at the
old Seaside High School building in April. This year, they
moved it to the convention center and “pushed it off as far
as we could,” Dundas said. Even if Clatsop County had
returned to the high-risk category in terms of COVID-19
cases, the group would have found an alternative plan.
“We were going to make it happen,” she added.
These types of jump-roping events often draw the same
slate of teams and competitors, which becomes an enjoy-
able part of participating.
“We’re a big, huge family now, so it’s just fun all the
time,” said Seaside senior Victoria Soprano, who has been
with the Tsunami Skippers for 11 years. One of her favor-
ite memories was traveling to Norway for the World Jump
Rope Championship and Camp in Norway in 2019.
Jessica Hernandez, another graduating senior who
joined the team in fourth grade, agreed one of her favor-
ite aspects is seeing other teammates and competitors on a
regular basis.
“I’ve known many of them for, literally, almost my
entire life,” she added.
As Hernandez and Soprano grew up in the sport, Dun-
das helped them transition from not only competitors but
also mentors to their younger teammates.
“Their position has been more coaching the past couple
years,” she added.
The Oregon Coast Classic Tournament served as the
grand finale of the 2021 season for the Tsunami Skippers.
The group will resume activity in December with tryouts
and bringing in new recruits.
Housing needs to impact firehouse land decision
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
A new firehouse and resiliency sta-
tion on 30 acres on Highlands Lane
just north of Gearhart will rely on a
combination of planning and taxpayer
support. Navigating a complex web of
state and local land use codes to bring
the property into the city’s urban
growth boundary is the first hurdle.
“The city is evaluating planning
and architectural proposals,” City
Administrator Chad Sweet said last
Friday. “Staff will approach the coun-
cil about those costs in June. It’s pos-
sible that we will be ready for prelim-
inary conversations with the Planning
Commission.”
If the costs for the resiliency sta-
tion, which is categorized as criti-
cal infrastructure, are reasonable and
the location is suitable, city staff will
make a recommendation to the City
See Housing, Page A5
Seaside maestro steps down
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
Over the past 19 years,
under the direction of Terry
Dahlgren, the Seaside High
School band programs have
thrived, performing con-
certs and claiming dis-
trict and league titles. Yet,
competitive success has
never been Dahlgren’s top
priority.
For him, the relatively
mammoth size of the band
— which surprises judges
at competitions and makes
Seaside stand out among
other 4A schools — is what
he takes the most pride in.
“The mission is to teach
music to as many kids
as possible,” said Dahl-
gren, who will be retiring
at the end of school year
after a 32-year career as
a high school band direc-
tor, the majority of which
was spent in Seaside. “I’ve
really enjoyed being ‘the
monster band.’ We’re like
the phenomenon. It’s like,
‘What’s going on in Sea-
side?’ That’s been really
fun.”
Dahlgren
remembers
his first visit to the Oregon
Coast. It was 1991 and he
and wife, Kathy, were trav-
eling from Minnesota for
their honeymoon. It was his
first time seeing the ocean,
and they quickly developed
a love for the area.
Fast forward 12 years,
when Dahlgren came across
a listing for a job opening in
the Seaside School District.
The couple made the move
and Dahlgren started as the
sixth through 12th grade
Katherine Lacaze
See Dahlgren, Page A5
Seaside band director Terry Dahlgren is retiring after 19 years of leading the band.