A4 • Friday, November 12, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com SignalViewpoints State zeroes in on Highway 101 stretch in Gearhart SEEN FROM SEASIDE R.J. MARX A three-lane roadway, access to public transit, sidewalks, safer crossings and a pos- sible roundabout at Gearhart Lane are among the options being considered by the Oregon Department of Transportation to improve U.S. Highway 101. The multiyear process will culminate with delivery of a fi nal facility plan at the end of 2022. “All of our solutions were built off that 2017 transportation system plan that was adopted by the city, really focusing on this three-lane cross section that provides traffi c calming and then access to the residences and businesses in the corridor by creating a contin- uous center turn lane throughout the corridor,” Kenneth Shonkwiler, a regional traffi c planner with the Department of Transportation, said at an update for the City Council last week. Cost for lane reconfi guration, a 12-foot multiuse path on the east side of the highway and a 6-foot sidewalk on the west, along with bicycle lanes, curb and landscape buff er, is estimated at $14 million. An alternative using a barrier to separate north and southbound traffi c is estimated at $6.9 million. Costs to improve crossing at the intersec- tion of the highway and Pacifi c Way is pro- jected at $2.1 million. Gearhart’s stretch of Highway 101 has safety issues for highway users and is not comfortable for people walking, biking and crossing the highway, Shonkwiler said. “It’s diffi cult for people whether they’re on foot, on a bike or in a vehicle to make turn- ing movements to get across the highway and get to the residences and their businesses,” he said. In conversations with Police Chief Jeff Bowman and the community, what peo- ple really desired were safe and comfortable places for people to move up and down the corridor, Shonkwiler said. The three-lane design could make it safer for both vehicles and pedestrians. ODOT Schedule of the U.S. Highway 101 Gearhart Facility Plan. “In addition to this, we have a slew of pedestrian crossings that are planned through- out the corridor,” Shonkwilerhe said. “We wouldn’t likely have all of these installed but we want to know from the community which ones are the priorities, and should we actually pursue an engineering judgment to see what’s feasible.” The Department of Transportation’s web- site off ers a virtual tour with an interactive guide to diffi cult crossings, areas of speeding, fl ooding concerns and turning crashes. “We are about halfway done with the facil- ity plan,” Shonkwiler said. “We had a round of public outreach earlier this year and got a lot of good feedback on what the issues were in the corridor and right now we’re coming up with a couple of diff erent alternatives that we can give to council and give to the public.” At that point, the city and the state will come up with a draft, followed by additional public comment. “Then I go back to the of the Oregon Transportation Commission and then get this adopted,” Shonkwiler said. An online open house is available through Nov. 24, with an opportunity for people who live in or travel through Gearhart to share information and off er feedback. R.J. Marx Intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Pacifi c Way in Gearhart. The intersection is one of several along the highway facing transportation review. ODOT The area of U.S. Highway 101 in Gearhart, with areas of hazard or concern identifi ed. GUEST COLUMN Face masks and kids GUEST COLUMN WHITNEY LATHAM A face mask is a simple thing, yet it’s one of the best tools we have to help protect one another from COVID-19. That’s why public health experts say almost everyone should wear a mask until they’re fully vaccinated — including chil- dren as young as age 2. Many areas have mask mandates in addition to recommen- dations. And children may need to wear a mask at least part of the time while they’re at school. Tips for masking up Wearing a face mask can be challenging for children. You can help them adjust with these suggestions: Make it fun. Put a face mask on a stuff ed animal. Give your child’s mask a cool dec- oration. Point out that many superheroes wear masks. Practice together. Help your child get used to wearing the mask before you go out. Show your child pictures of other kids wearing masks. This will help your child avoid feeling diff erent or singled out. Talk about the importance of masks. Using age-appropriate words, talk with your child about face masks and why your family wears them: to avoid spreading germs. Talk with them about how germs can spread when people breathe, talk, cough, or sneeze. Wearing a mask keeps the virus from reaching others and it can stop germs from reaching you! Addition- ally, contaminated hands are a way for the virus to spread and masks stop people from touching their mouths and faces, adding another level of protection. Right mask, right fi t You can buy a face covering for your child. Or if you sew, you can fi nd DIY mask patterns online. A pleated cloth mask with elastic ear loops usually works best for kids. Just make sure the mask you buy or make will fi t your child’s smaller face and can be securely worn over your child’s nose and mouth. Adult face masks are too large for kids. Also, children often need to be reminded to: Wash their hands before and after wear- ing the mask. Avoid touching the mask while wear- ing it. Remove the mask by taking it off from behind rather than from the front. When to talk to your child’s doctor Some children have a developmental or intellectual disability or a health condition that may make it harder to wear a mask. Ask your child’s doctor for advice. Call your CMH clinic or visit colum- biamemorial.org to request an appointment or learn more information. Dr. Whitney Latham is the in-house pediatrician at CMH-OHSU Health Pedi- atric Clinic — Seaside. CIRCULATION MANAGER Shannon Arlint ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Sarah Silver- Tecza PUBLISHER EDITOR Kari Borgen R.J. Marx PRODUCTION MANAGER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John D. Bruijn Skyler Archibald Joshua Heineman Katherine Lacaze Esther Moberg SYSTEMS MANAGER Carl Earl CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Jeff TerHar Neal Maine/Pacifi cLight Images Elk make their way across U.S. Highway 101. Wildlife add an additional concern to local road planning. PUBLIC MEETINGS Contact local agencies for latest meeting information and atten- dance guidelines. Seaside Airport Advisory Com- mittee, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway. hart.com. MONDAY, NOV. 29 MONDAY, NOV. 22 Seaside City Council and Plan- ning Commission workshop, vacation rentals, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway. Seaside Improvement Com- mission, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway. Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., cityofseaside.us. TUESDAY, NOV. 23 Sunset Empire Park and Rec- reation District, 5:15 p.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center. TUESDAY, NOV. 30 Gearhart City Council, special meeting, 6:30 p.m., cityofgear- WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1 Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m., cityofgearhart.com. THURSDAY, DEC. 2 Seaside Parks Advisory Com- mittee, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway. Seaside Signal Letter policy Subscriptions The Seaside Signal is published every other week by EO Media Group, 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, OR 97138. 503-738-5561 seasidesignal.com Copyright © 2021 Seaside Signal. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. The Seaside Signal welcomes letters to the editor. The deadline is noon Monday prior to publication. Letters must be 400 words or less and must be signed by the author and include a phone number for verifi cation. We also request that submissions be limited to one letter per month. Send to 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, OR 97138, drop them off at 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive or fax to 503-738-9285, or email rmarx@seasidesignal.com Annually: $51.00, monthly autopay is $4.25 e-Edition only: $4 a month POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaside Signal, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. Postage Paid at Seaside, OR, 97138 and at additional mailing offi ces. Copyright © 2021 by the Seaside Signal. No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced without written permission. All rights reserved.