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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 2021)
Friday, November 19, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5 GUEST COLUMN Developing a teamwork perspective TUNNEL ECHOES LIANNE THOMPSON D id you ever play organized team sports? Play a game of pick-up basketball or soft- ball? Play cards with a partner? It’s fun to play; it’s fun to win; it’s even fun sometimes to lose. Eff ort expended to reach a goal, a set of rules, other peo- ple sharing the experience: it’s a source of human connection that can bring us physical, mental, and emotional stimulation that feels pretty darn good. What makes it fun? Being active and engaged with other people gets our physical juices going, but our hearts and minds need connection, too. That’s part of what’s so depressing and infu- riating about COVID: we can’t be together in the same way. Zoom is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but it’s a weak cuppa joe compared to the robust interactions we prefer. Some of us prefer commu- nity volunteering as our form of team sport. We advocate for peo- ple or causes we believe in, with the idea that our time, eff ort, or money will make a diff erence in our neighborhood, our city, our county, our country, or our world. Somebody once called out the rewards of volunteering as being accomplishment, affi liation, and acknowledgment. That means doing good work with good peo- ple and feeling recognized for it. What about politics? We’re getting into the political season focused on the 2022 May primary and general elections. Politics will be more and more on almost everyone’s mind, because we’ll be fl ooded with paid advertising, let- ters to the editor, talk radio, TV debates, public forums, and on and on. And then what? After the elec- tion, what’s left? “Smokin’ ash” in the phrase from an old song? Maybe. It depends on how we play the game of politics. Not to make light of it, but it can be talked about in that way to off er some possible relief. We can do our politics as a kind of friendly competition to con- sider diff erent points of view in a way that maintains good rela- tionships. We can actually like somebody with a diff erent point of view or set of beliefs. We can actually enjoy learning something and maybe shift or broaden our perspective. Or we can play our activism and politics as a form of warfare or blood sport. We can berate, intimidate, sneer, mock, try to annihilate anybody who’s not quite up to snuff in matching our own set of beliefs. Friendly competition warms my heart. The resulting biochem- icals bring joy. Blood sport forms of political debate? That’s like eat- ing poison. Anger provides both fuel and armor. I don’t have to care if somebody likes me or not. I’m fueled by my antagonism to discon- nect from them and look for peo- ple who believe as I do. Righteous indignation is more than a notion, but the emotional hangover from a fi t of anger sits heavy in the belly for most of us. Team sport, in politics or pickup games or community engagement, feels better in the long run. Better blood pressure, for one thing. Other health benefi ts accrue, too. Mostly, we’re hard-wired to be pack ani- mals. We’re hard-wired to be cooperative. The nourishing joy of living eth- ically, being our highest and best self? Can’t beat it with a stick. Play nice. You’ll be happier longer, I’m pretty sure. Lianne Thompson is Clatsop County commissioner for District 5. GUEST COLUMN In emergency services, dollars spent can equate to lives saved GUEST COLUMN BILL GRAFFIUS A s a property owner in Gearhart, I wish to respond to Jack Zimmer- man’s guest column titled, “Res- idents will support a modest and sensible fi rehouse project” (The Astorian, Oct. 12). I served as a volunteer fi re- fi ghter in Arizona in the 1980s and 1990s and have experience as a training offi cer, captain and act- ing chief. I also sold fi re and rescue appa- ratus, tools, appliances and per- sonal protective gear to Arizona municipalities, rural fi re districts, industrial facilities and Native American reservations. I worked with fi re chiefs and board mem- bers, gaining direct insight into governmental and business plan- ning and budgeting processes and the demands of delivering safe, eff ective emergency services. I may understand a little bit more about what it takes to pro- vide fi re and emergency medical service than the typical citizen. I live and pay taxes here. No, I don’t want to see my prop- erty taxes climb again because I am literally one of those seniors living on a fi xed income. A tax increase for a $13 million fi re- house bond measure will be a hardship to me. Zimmerman argues that the community does not “want, need or understand” the facility being proposed. He clearly doesn’t want it. Fine. I also think it’s clear he doesn’t understand it or the needs it addresses. I’ve read the FAQs on the city’s website and in my informed opinion, Gearhart is only ask- ing for what the fi re department needs to competently fulfi ll their mission. Zimmerman claims the facility would be “opulent,” “expensive” and “massive.” There is nothing opulent nor massive about the proposal. That’s pure hyperbole. Expensive? Well, what isn’t these days? But the econom- ics of why everything costs so much is a diff erent topic. Citizens need to keep in mind that costs will only go up with time. Delay costs money. And when it comes R.J. Marx/The Astorian Gearhart wants to replace the aging fi rehouse off Pacifi c Way. to infrastructure, underbuilding costs far more in the long run than overbuilding. A fi re department needs to have the facilities and means to conduct training within their own depart- ment within their own service area. It’s how you build teamwork and increase both classroom and hands-on training frequency. The fi re department is only proposing to build enough offi ce and class- room space to meet their current needs. The training goal for volun- teers to meet the standards of the fi refi ghting profession seems to be a point of contention with Zim- merman. That doesn’t mean the fi re department expects taxpay- ers to pay for all their personnel to go pro. It means that they want their members to be trained to the established standards of the fi re service. Zimmerman also opposes water rescue equipment and train- ing, saying we have the U.S. Coast Guard for that. The entire western border of the city is the Pacifi c Ocean with popular beaches that attract locals and visitors alike. Shoreline ocean water rescue is something that needs to be done immediately, before the victim is swept out to sea and before hypothermia can do its damage. Time is critical. A properly trained and equipped crew from the fi re department can respond signifi cantly faster than the Coast Guard and will make a lifesaving diff erence for many of these calls. Not to mention the Coast Guard could be tied up else- where and unable to immediately respond. Zimmerman apparently thinks of Gearhart as a small village, not a city, and he believes the fi re department’s call volume is low enough that we can simply call on Medix or Seaside or the Coast Guard if something happens. I live just off Pacifi c Way. I hear how often this department goes out and it is plenty busy. Mutual aid is great, but it is not meant to be the fi rst response. More importantly, Gearhart is a growing city and the fi re depart- ment needs to grow with it. Keeping infrastructure up to date is expensive. Failing to keep your infrastructure up to date is deadly, as is failing to plan ade- quately to accommodate growth. In emergency services, dollars spent or not spent can literally equate to lives saved or not saved. In closing, look at the expen- sive school campus sitting high out of the tsunami inundation zone in Seaside. Before it was even completed it was already inadequate to the current needs of the school district. I hope Gear- hart doesn’t make that same mis- take out of some misbegotten eff ort to maintain a false austerity. In the long run, that would be far, far more costly in both money and possible lives lost than what the city has modestly proposed. Bill Graffi us has lived in Gear- hart since 1998. BRIEFS Tina Payel, women hotelier of the year, and Masudur Khan of Seaside Lodging LLC, at the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Chair’s Getaway. ORLA hosts ‘Getaway’ on North Coast The Oregon Restau- rant & Lodging Association Chair’s Getaway gathered hospitality industry lead- ership and supporters from throughout the state early this month. The getaway included an overnight stay at SaltLine Hotel in Seaside, plus recep- tion and chef’s gourmet din- ner at McMenamins Gear- hart Hotel. During the event both current and past chairs exchanged ideas and goals to further develop and expand the association’s initiatives. Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business associa- tion for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon. A nonprofi t trade organiza- tion, the association advo- cates for over 10,000 food- service locations and more than 2,000 lodging estab- lishments in Oregon. Human services advisory grants available The Clatsop County Human Services Advisory Council will distribute grants to local social and human services agencies that assist people in need. The purpose of this funding is to provide an investment in community programs that target those most in need. This year there is $30,000 total available in funding. Grant requests no greater than $5,000 will be eligible for funding; preference is given to programs that pro- vide services to all county residents and serve the larg- est need. Eligibility requirements can be found at the county’s website. Applications must be submitted via email to humanservices@co.clatsop. or.us no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 28. Seaside students collect food for families Seaside High School ASB is hosting a food drive to help feed local families in conjunction with the South County Food Bank. Beginning Saturday, Nov. 20, Seaside High School ASB members will be accepting non-perish- able food donations. Drive- through times are Saturday, 9 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Seaside High ASB mem- bers will be on the high- way side of the old Sea- side High School, in front of the gym, waiting to col- lect contributions. Pull up to the collection site where an ASB member will collect the donations and as a thank you, donors will receive a Seaside sticker. Proper social distancing protocols will be in place. Wear a mask and limit contact. The students will also be collecting dona- tions; make checks payable to Seaside ASB. Job Corps service project addresses homelessness Tongue Point Job Corps Center is embarking on a new service project to reduce homelessness in the community by collecting coats, blankets, socks, hats and food for Filling Empty Bellies. This is the last of four service projects that Tongue Point is spearheading this year in celebration of Man- agement & Training Corpo- ration’s 40th anniversary. Community members wishing to support this eff ort may contact Amanda Lamb at 503-338-4954 or Adam Darrington at 503-338-5058. Gearhart shares the warmth Real estate brokers throughout Oregon and southwest Washington are gearing up for Winder- mere Real Estate’s annual Share the Warmth campaign. Through Friday, Dec. 17, Windermere brokers will be collecting winter necessities for community members in need. In the Gearhart area, the donations will benefi t the First Baptist Church, War- renton; Lutheran Commu- nity Services NW’s Hope House; and the Astoria Res- cue Mission. The organiza- tions are specifi cally asking for coats, blankets, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats and gloves. Those who want to help can stop by participating Windermere offi ces to drop off donations. The Wind- ermere offi ce in Gearhart — located at 588 Pacifi c Way — is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seaside KOA Resort wins award at convention Kampgrounds of Amer- ica, the world’s largest fam- ily of family-friendly, open- to-the-public campgrounds, announced that the Asto- ria/Warrenton/Seaside KOA Resort Campground earned the 2022 KOA President’s Award. This award was pre- sented Tuesday at at KOA’s annual convention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The KOA President’s Award is presented to those campgrounds meeting excep- tional quality standards and who receive high customer ser- vice scores from their camp- ing guests. KOA surveys hun- dreds of thousands of campers each year regarding their KOA camping experience. KOA is celebrating its 59th anniversary in 2021. To fi nd out more about this KOA, any of the other 525 KOAs in the U.S. or Canada, visit www.KOA.com. Lance Wagner The 2019 Parade of Lights. Parade and tree-lighting in Seaside Seaside Signal Join the Seaside Chamber of Commerce for the annual Parade of Lights and Community Tree Lighting, sponsored by: Pacifi c Power, on Friday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. The downtown parade strolls by with festive lights, costumes and displays! After the parade, listen in as we announce the winners of the parade categories: mayor’s choice, best walk- ing group, best commercial motorized vehicle, best noncommercial motorized vehicle and best walk- ing/motorized combination. The Community Tree lighting follows at 8 p.m.