OUR 114th Year
August 27, 2021 $1.00
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
SOUTH COUNTY COVID UPDATE
Hospital
limits visits;
church sees
outbreak
Hood to Coast sets virus
safety protocols ahead of race
Seaside Signal
A surge of coronavirus cases has led
to a new visitor policy at Providence Sea-
side Hospital.
No visitors will be allowed at the hos-
pital’s adult inpatient units, behavioral
health inpatient units or hospital-based
outpatient and procedural areas.
Patients with positive cases of the
virus or suspected of having it will not
be allowed to receive visitors during their
stay, except for end-of-life care.
As of Monday, the hospital reported
one inpatient with the virus.
See Covid, Page A3
Photos by R.J. Marx
Jeff Gage in front of his hangar and plane. He returned to flying two-and-a-half years ago.
Gearhart presents
details of $13M
firehouse bond
measure
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Airport hangars are hot properties
Seaside airport sees
increase in interest
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Gearhart presented details of a $13
million bond measure last Thursday,
designed to meet the needs of a fire-
house project near Highlands Lane and
U.S. Highway 101. If the 20-year bond
is approved by voters, the firehouse could
see a four- to six-month design process in
2022 with construction starting in 2023.
In a special meeting earlier this month,
the City Council voted unanimously to
put bond Measure 964 on the Nov. 2 bal-
lot. Bonds would cost property owners an
estimated maximum of $1.052 per $1,000
of assessed value per year.
On a home assessed at $300,000, the
estimated property tax increase would
be about $316, and on a home assessed
at $500,000, $526. The city will pur-
sue any outside funding that comes
available, staff said in announcing the
measure.
irport hangars are hot properties.
The aviation industry has
seen an upswing in the last two
years with more pilots and a sell-
er’s market for small aircraft and
homebuilt kits. There continues to be
interest in hangar space at Seaside,
airport committee chairman Randall
Henderson said. This tracks with a
nationwide trend.
The Seaside airport’s five hangars
were constructed in 2007. They are
privately owned and may be sold or
rented.
The need for more space comes
from an increase in usage at the air-
port as a result of the local uptick in
real estate, the availability of real-time
weather and cameras, word of mouth
and an overall recent rise in the amount
of general aviation hours flown, Hen-
A
Beacon tower at Seaside Municipal
Airport.
derson said.
The results of the Airport Support
Network survey, published in Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association, indi-
cated that 71% of the airports nation-
wide surveyed have a waiting list for
their hangars, and at those airports
with a waiting list, 72% of aircraft
owners waited from six months to
more than two years.
Part of the demand comes from an
interest in home-built kits, Henderson
said. Three of the planes in the han-
gars, including Henderson’s, are from
Van’s Aircraft homebuilt kits. “I built
my RV-6 over a period of six years and
have been flying it for 21 years now,”
Henderson said.
According to a release from Van’s
Aircraft, based in Aurora south of
Portland, orders for the company’s
RV aircraft kits have increased nearly
250% as new builders take advantage
of the latest technology and designs.
Jeff Gage, of Gearhart, keeps his
plane in Seaside and goes up about
once a week. “I was in high school and
junior high when I started learning,”
Gage said. “And then I got serious
about it when I was a junior in high
school and got my license in college.”
Gage stopped piloting in 1974
before he returned to aviation two-
and-a-half years ago.
See Hangars, Page A6
See Firehouse, Page A6
‘It’s OK to be you’ at new Seaside music store Santos named to Seaside
School District board
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
Kelly and Cary Ray have a clear
vision for their new art and music
shop in downtown Seaside. For
them, it is intended to be a place
that uses creative self-expres-
sion and self-acceptance to pro-
mote unity, diversity and joy — or,
“everything it takes for us all to get
along,” Kelly said.
The name of the store,
ItzOk2bU, a stylized version of
“It’s OK to be you,” encapsu-
lates that vision. Geared toward
children, the driving purpose of
the establishment is “exposing
young minds to the creativity of
their heart and their soul,” Kelly
said.
The Rays, who relocated to Sea-
side from Seattle about three years
ago, moved into their current loca-
tion on Holladay Drive on June
1, but their planning started much
earlier.
‘A unique, personal
experience’
Several years ago, as the Rays
were discussing what they hoped
to accomplish in retirement, art
pressing challenge is managing
the coronavirus pandemic and
“ensuring the kids prosper during
it all,” as well as the “transporta-
Scott Santos will join the Sea- tion issues regarding getting stu-
side School District Board of dents to and from school.”
“I would like to be a voice
Directors, filling the vacancy left
A.J. Wahl, who stepped down in and mind for the well-being of
our leaders of tomorrow,” Santos
June.
Santos, a local dentist, was one stated in response to why he was
of several candidates who applied interested in serving on the board.
for the Zone 3 position, which “It is important to be a part of a
community that desires to
requires the community
make a positive environ-
member reside in Gear-
hart. Of the six applicants,
ment for the students in
our school system.”
only Santos and two other
Board members Brian
applicants — local busi-
Taylor and Michelle Wun-
ness owner Chris Corder
derlich, along with Pen-
and retired educator
rod and executive assis-
Chuck Mattocks — met
Scott Santos
tant Leslie Garvin, met to
the resident requirement.
discuss the candidates and
His term will be for
present a recommendation to the
two years.
According to Superintendent board at its meeting last week.
“I think they’re all great
Susan Penrod, each applicant was
asked to fill out a form with ques- choices,” Taylor said, adding the
tions gauging their understand- team ultimately determined San-
ing of the school board’s powers tos was “a good fit for where
and duties, as well as the authority we’re at.”
The board approved the rec-
and responsibilities of individual
members, and what they perceive ommendation and appointed
as the biggest challenge facing the Santos to serve the remainder of
Wahl’s term, who was elected in
district at this time.
Santos stated he feels the most May.
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
Katherine Lacaze
Kelly Ray, who recently opened ItzOk2bU with her husband Cary, custom-
paints ukuleles.
and music came to the forefront.
Cary has frequently taught music
lessons in the past, and Kelly was
returning to the visual arts again
after a 20-year hiatus.
“We kind of put together our
heads in terms of our talents, and
what we wanted to do in our lives,”
she said.
The couple got intentional
about establishing a shop in Sea-
side in 2020, before the COVID-19
pandemic led to local lockdowns
and business restrictions across
industries.
“We basically put everything to
bed for a while,” Kelly said.
This summer, they embraced
their dream anew. With the COVID
situation evolving, they’ve been
open for walk-in business off and
on during past two months, pri-
marily focusing on refining their
vision, stocking product and sched-
uling private lessons.
Although the main purpose of
ItzOk2bU is not retail, there are
several instruments, as well as art
See ItzOk2bU, Page A5