Friday, November 12, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5
R.J. Marx
Inside a Beachside Inn guest cottage.
Beachside Inn gets
new look, upgrades
Cast of “Treasure Island.”
‘Treasure Island’ at the high school
Seaside High School
drama is gearing up to pres-
ent their fall play, Lux Radio
Theater’s ”Treasure Island,”
based on the novel of the
same name by Robert Louis
Stevenson.
This
family-friendly
play takes place in England
in the 1700s, when young
Jim Hawkins, who usually
spends his days helping his
mother with their inn, ends
up with a map to the nefar-
ious pirate Captain Flint’s
buried treasure. What fol-
lows is an eventful voyage to
a “deserted” island, complete
with a parrot and a mutinous
group of sailors.
This play will feature
an opening act by Seniors
Riley Wunderlich and Sky-
ler Archibald, who also serve
as emcees throughout the
evening.
For the main production,
seniors Kaiya Taylor and Ella
Jesberger play younger and
older Jim Hawkins, senior
Sophia Reynolds portrays
Long John Silver and senior
Margaret Neuwirth is Dr.
Livesay. Junior Eva Bailey is
Squire Trelawney.
The full cast of eccen-
tric characters and the crew
includes 14 senior stu-
dents, along with a handful
of underclassmen. The play
is directed and produced by
Susan Baertlein.
Performances of this
tumultuous sea voyage pre-
miere at 7 p.m. on Tuesday,
Nov. 16, at the Seaside High
School cafeteria, and will
continue Thursday through
Saturday, Nov. 18-20. Doors
open at 6:30 and perfor-
mances begin at 7 p.m.
Tickets are sold at the
doors. Prices are $5 for stu-
dents and adults. Children
ten and under may attend
for free. Limited conces-
sions will be available for
purchase. Audience mem-
bers will need to wear masks
per Oregon Health Authority
guidance.
For further information,
contact Seaside High School
at 503-738-5586 or email
Susan Baertlein at sbaer-
tlein@seasidek12.org.
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Seaside’s
Beachside
Inn is getting a refresh.
Co-owner Sadie Mercer
provided an introduction to
the Fifth Avenue building,
consisting of cottages built
in 1945.
The Mercers and inves-
tors Robin and Bill Mon-
tero purchased the property
at 300 Fifth Ave. in 2015,
just before Valentine’s Day.
“Within that first weekend,
within three days of owner-
ship, we were completely
full,” she said. “We were
super happy about that.
It’s amazing what happens
when you get on the inter-
net and get your property
on the internet.”
Owning the property has
come with some infrastruc-
ture challenges, includ-
ing clogged pipes, rot-
ting showers with painted
plywood.
“In one unit, I don’t
know how anybody man-
aged to not step through the
shower because there was
no support at all,” Mercer
said. “It was crazy.”
None of the trusses sup-
ported the roof. During
repairs, old beer bottles fell
from the rafters. A shoot-
ing took place in one of
the rooms. “There’s always
some shenanigans going
on in the business,” Mer-
cer said.
The Beachside rooms
are now spruced up, elec-
NEWS IN BRIEF
Gearhart seeks candidates
for planning commission
Gearhart is taking applications for the
Planning Commission. The commission
consists of seven volunteer, voting mem-
bers to be appointed by the mayor and City
Council. Commissioners serve a four-year
term.
Planning commission meetings take
place the second Thursday of each month
at 6 p.m. Occasionally the commission will
hold a work session.
Members of the commission are chosen
from residents or property owners within
the city and urban growth boundary.
Applications and questionnaires for the
Planning Commission may be downloaded
and returned via fax (503-738-9385), email
or dropped in the outdoor box at City Hall’s
front door. Applications must be received
by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Inter-
views take place at 6 p.m. prior to the start
of the Dec. 8 online City Council meeting.
Photos by R.J. Marx
Mayor Jay Barber surprised by birthday crowd at the Sons of Norway lodge Saturday.
Barber: Visibly moved by gathering
Continued from Page A1
City Councilor Tom Horn-
ing said Barber is conscientious.
“He cares about everybody
and has a great attitude,” Horn-
ing said. “He’s always got great
ideas and he’s always working
with everybody.”
Kirsten Horning said she
appreciates Barber’s sense of
integrity.
Alan Evans, director of
Helping Hands, said Barber
has helped him become a bet-
ter man. “I think his involve-
ment in homelessness, not only
in our city, but in our state,
gives him the professional abil-
ity to understand a little bit more
about low-barrier facilities and
the need for them and why some
of them work and why some
don’t.”
Barber was visibly moved by
the gathering.
“Nothing makes me richer
than knowing that I have a lov-
ing, caring family around me
who love me unconditionally,”
Barber said. “And we love them
unconditionally. The other thing
that I realized, and was really
underscored tonight, is that I
have a great heritage of wonder-
ful friends from all over.”
Barber cast a glance at his
wife, who had spent weeks prior
arranging the 80th birthday
surprise.
“Jan has pulled this kind of
thing in our 40 years of marriage
on a regular basis,’” he said. “She
keeps saying, ‘Trust me, trust
me.’ How can I trust somebody
that’s doing all this stuff behind
my back? Who else could pull
off something like this?”
‘Make your own
holiday centerpiece’
Sou’Wester Garden Club meets
Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon
at the Bob Chisholm Center, 1225 Avenue
A in Seaside. The program, “Make Your
Own Holiday Centerpiece,” is presented
by Victoria Fuller.
Holiday Treasures
Boutique is back
The PEO Holiday Treasures Boutique
sale takes place Nov. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at the Seaside Elks Lodge on Avenue A.
Each year, event chair Marion Benke
challenges members to add new, high-qual-
ity crafts providing shoppers with the nov-
elty they are seeking. In addition to home-
ABOVE: Barber with State Sen. Betsy Johnson. BELOW: Seaside
Lodging LLC’s Masudur Khan and Barber.
trical and gas updated, “a
complete remodel,” Mer-
cer said.
Units one through eight
were modeled last fall.
Nine and 10 are in the pro-
cess of being updated.
As a remote access prop-
erty, visitors check in at the
Seaside Ocean Inn.
Ruth Swenson, owner
of the Hillcrest Inn pointed
to the reason for the
Beachside’s new success.
“There are lots of returning
guests who prefer to stay
here because it’s like their
own home. They have a
kitchen, fireplaces. They’re
not on the beaten path.
They’re not actually fight-
ing with the tourists.”
Visit them at https://
beachsideinn-seaside.com/.
made sweet and savory bakery delights,
theme tables will feature Christmas, chil-
dren’s, beach, kitchen, woodsy, garden and
floral items. Vintage items and jewelry will
be added this year.
Silent auction items include an origi-
nal William Steidel watercolor, donated by
Bill and Sally Steidel of Steidel Art Gal-
lery of Cannon Beach. The second item is
a quilted Christmas tree.
Masks are required.
PEO is an organization dedicated to
promoting educational opportunities for
women for over 150 years; see www.
peointernational.org.
Seaside Public
Library November
events for kids, teens
The Seaside Public Library presents live
and virtual events throughout November.
Throughout the month, the Seaside Pub-
lic Library partners with the University of
Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural
History for “Engineer It,” a kit picked up at
the library with online content. The activi-
ties found in the kit are then used at home.
Participants explore Native American tech-
nologies, visit with an archaeologist, and
try out hands-on engineering challenges.
Supplies are limited.
Teen Tuesday, for teens in grades six
through 12, takes place at the Seaside
Library Nov. 9 at 4 p.m., with “Games
Day.” On Nov. 16, at 4 p.m., the theme is
“Shrinky Dinx,” with a host of crafts and
jewelry.
Virtual Storytime on Zoom takes place
for children up to age 3 on Thursday,
Nov. 18, at 10:30 a.m. The theme is farm
animals.
The library is located at 1130 Broad-
way. Call 503-738-6742 or visit www.sea-
sidelibrary.org.