OUR 114th Year
July 23, 2021
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
Camp
director sees
opportunity,
need in
Seaside
Lou Solitske
Fireworks in Seaside on the Fourth. Without
a sanctioned show, groups improvised along
the beach.
Katherine Lacaze
Erin Reding is the new youth programs coordinator for the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District.
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District’s sum-
mer camp program is back in
session under the direction of
new youth programs coordi-
nator Erin Reding.
Reding joined the park dis-
trict in June, in time to open
the nine-week summer camp
program that started in late
June and runs through late
August.
“I didn’t have any major
overarching goals coming in,”
she said. “My goals are get-
ting to know staff, getting to
know how things have func-
tioned in the past, and explor-
$1.00
ing how we can improve and
make them better.”
She was drawn to the posi-
tion — previously held by
Shelly Owen — because of
her passion for early childhood
education and the community.
Reding was born and raised
in Seaside, and she recalls
learning to swim at the Sun-
set Pool and attending mid-
dle school in the building that
now houses the Sunset Recre-
ation Center. After graduating
high school, she went to Whit-
worth University in Spokane,
Washington, to get her teach-
ing degree.
A few years later, she
moved back to the area, taking
Residents
push to ban
fireworks
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Cayden McElroy hangs out on the playground during summer
Residents concerned about noise, animals
and fire danger want the city to consider a
fireworks ban.
Cathey Ryan said her home “sounded like
a war zone on July Fourth.”
“There were very, very loud fireworks,”
she told the City Council last Monday. “And
I understand that this is a celebration of our
independence, and I appreciate that. Unfor-
tunately, this bombardment of sound went
on for over five hours.”
Her husband, a Vietnam War veteran,
“was not in good shape” by the end of the
night, she said.
Ryan asked the City Council to form
a committee to look at the possibilities of
See Camp, Page A5 camp at the Sunset Recreation Center.
See Fireworks, Page A6
A vision for
the rec center
Seaside banks ‘North 40’ for
future park, recreation space
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Seaside received almost 8
acres at the north end of the
former Seaside High School
campus, referred to as the
“North 40.”
The transfer was approved
in late April at a Clatsop
County Board of Commission-
ers meeting.
The property was trans-
ferred to Seaside via a quit-
claim deed recorded on May 7,
county property management
specialist Sirpa Duoos said.
The land was transferred as is
and no money exchanged.
R.J. Marx
One year ago, the Seaside
School District’s board autho- Land north of the former Seaside High School was deeded to the city for recreation and parkland.
rized the superintendent to
negotiate and execute a $3.2 land, zoned medium residen- poses, the deed reverts back to a boost. Before the trans-
fer, parkland was 7.65 acres
million contract for the sale tial, was not included as part the county.
The property will be main- per 1,000 residents. With the
with Harry Henke, a registered of the sale of the former high
tained by the street department, addition of these new areas it
agent of HTA Properties LLC. school.
The 5.96-acre property will Dale McDowell, the city’s pub- increases to over 9 acres per
The
102,000-square-foot
1,000 residents.
former high school sits on continue to be used for recre- lic works director, said.
Anyone can use the park
In addition to the fields,
12.63 acres on North Holladay ation and parkland.
As long as the park is used space, on a first-come, first- the city secured 2.76 acres in
Drive in Seaside.
the Thompson Falls subdivi-
That property is still in the for youth recreation by the city, served basis, he added.
The
acquisition
gives sion for green space and nature
due diligence process, Superin- it remains city property. If it
tendent Susan Penrod said. The stops being used for those pur- the city’s stock of parkland areas.
The team that will help set the Sunset
Recreation Center’s course convened last
week with the goal to establish a clear vision
and key objectives for the project.
Evan Eleff, a partner at Sports Facilities
Advisory, a Clearwater, Florida-based com-
pany, came to Seaside with Suzanne Fisher
Reeder, a financial consultant, and architect
Scott Edwards.
“This is really one of the most import-
ant meetings that will happen,” Eleff said
in a planning session at the recreation cen-
ter. “Our goal for this planning session is to
really define the parameters of the project,
make sure that we’re all moving in the same
direction, understanding your roles.”
Sports Facilities Advisory and Scott
Edwards Architecture, a Portland-based
architectural firm, were chosen based on firm
size and structure, project understanding,
firm experience, work plan, proposed staff
and fee proposal.
“Our goal is to have as much interaction
as possible,” Eleff said. “And the best thing
for us would be to have constructive differ-
ences of opinion. What we really hope is to
get a 360-degree perspective of the opportu-
nities and challenges relating to this project.”
The consultants will be working from a
20-week timeline, from the project kickoff to
See Rec center, Page A6
New chairman named for Seaside school board
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Brian Taylor was named
the board chairman at a spe-
cial meeting of the Seaside
School District Board of
Directors last week.
Taylor, who served as
the board’s vice president,
has represented Cannon
Beach’s Zone 2 Position 2
seat since 2013. Taylor is
co-owner of Bruce’s Candy
Kitchen in Cannon Beach.
He replaces Mark Truax,
whose term on the board
representing Zone 4 Posi-
tion 2 in Gearhart runs until
2023.
“I just want to say real
quick thanks everybody for
all the assistance they gave
me for the last two-and-a-
half years,” Truax said.
Michelle
Wunderlich
was named vice chairman
for the board. Wunderlich,
owner of the Seaside Cof-
fee House, represents the
at-large Zone 7 Position 1
board seat. She won elec-
tion to the board in 2017
and was reelected this year.
The Zone 3 Position 1
seat remains vacant after the
winner of the May election,
A.J. Wahl, stepped down
to assume a judge position
in Clatsop County Circuit
Court. Those wishing to be
considered for the seat have
until July 30 to apply.
Taylor assumed the
chairmanship for Thurs-
day’s meeting, at which
board members unani-
mously voted to approve
the collective bargain con-
tracts with the Seaside Edu-
cation Association, a three-
year agreement, and the
Oregon School Employ-
ees Association, a four-year
agreement.
“Our goals with our
OSEA was to simplify some
of our codes and our steps,”
Superintendent Susan Pen-
rod said. “It was a really
successful process and we
appreciate working with
OSEA, so we bring this
four-year contract before
the board for approval.”
The board also approved
the school district’s admin-
istrative contract and Clat-
sop County’s resolution for
a multi-jurisdictional natu-
ral hazards mitigation plan.
Brian Taylor is the new board
chair for the Seaside School
District Board of Directors.