OUR 114th Year
November 26, 2021
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
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SEASIDE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS
Construction
spending caps at
about $131.3M
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Construction
proj-
ect manager Brian Harde-
beck of Day CPM shared
November milestones on
the Seaside High School
construction project.
Cumulative spending
reached about $131.3 mil-
lion, about on target for
projected costs, Hardebeck
said. “We are in a final rec-
onciliation process with the
Hoffman contract and hope
to have that completed and
reconciled by the end of the
year.”
Among November mile-
stones are the completion
of elk-resistant vegetation
and a Safe Routes to School
Program Walk last Thurs-
day. With assistance from
Safe Routes to School, the
project leaders — includ-
ing representatives from the
city, school district, Ore-
gon Department of Trans-
portation and Alta Planning
+ Design — held a walk
R.J. Marx
Annie Lynes, Emma Arden, Sophia Ritter, Ila Bowles and Jackson Schermerhorn.
audit to observe student
arrival, according to Sea-
side schools Superintendent
Susan Penrod. It began with
observing elementary stu-
dent arrival and then moved
to the middle and high
school campus. The Public
Works Department is spear-
heading the program, to get
an idea of traffic flows.
At the high school, gym
vestibule doors are the only
remaining active construc-
tion project, seeking a per-
mit right after Thanks-
giving, Hardebeck said.
Subcontractors are getting
on board and the schedule
is being prepared.
The only items “dan-
gling” at Pacific Ridge,
Hardebeck said, are war-
ranty items as they occur.
“Basically the warranty
items are anything that’s
on an extended warranty
as we’ve already made it
through the one-year stan-
dard labor materials war-
ranty. So nothing is ongo-
ing at Pacific Ridge right
now.”
Student food drive
helps feed families
at holiday time
Seaside Signal
Classes at Seaside High School competed Sat-
urday morning to raise more than 900 pounds of
food for the South County Food Bank. Students
gathered at the old high school building holding
signage and accepting donations, coordinated by
the Associated Student Body.
Along with the morning collection, students
returned at 5 p.m.
Seniors collected 267 pounds of food, fresh-
men 174 pounds, juniors 151 pounds and sopho-
mores 147 pounds.
As the winning class, seniors will celebrate
with an ice cream sandwich party.
R.J. Marx
Entrance to Pacific Ridge Elementary and the middle and
high school on Spruce Drive.
What’s a kids’ park
without a slide?
Community mourns
father, son after crash
By KATHERINE LACAZE
Seaside Signal
Ryan Hull, the interim
director of Cannon Beach
Academy, can clearly picture
Kobe Braxton in his mind.
“He had an amazing
smile that could melt you,”
he said of the first grader.
“He was an extraordinarily
confident young man.”
Kobe was the type of kid
who would try to hold doors
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
open for others. He loved
sports — especially basket-
ball — and anything that let
him stay active.
“He also had an inquis-
itive spirit, too, and he was
pretty fun that way, but he
knew how to read the situa-
tion,” Hull said. “He was a
pretty clever young man.”
In many ways, Kobe mir-
rored his father, Michael
Braxton, who “always had
Trisha Sweet
See Braxton, Page A6
Front, Kaia Braxton, Kobe Braxton; back, Michael Braxton,
Amanda Hulbert.
When plans for a new
playground in Centen-
nial Park came back to the
city, 10-year-old Berkley
Sturgell gave them a sec-
ond look. She saw a dou-
ble swing, double balance
beam and playsets — but no
slide.
Sturgell, a Pacific Ridge
Elementary student, noticed
that plans presented to the
Gearhart City Council last
month did not have a slide,
City Administrator Chad
Sweet said. “She thought
that might be a good addi-
tion to it.”
Staff member Krysti
Ficker did some digging and
found an option for the slide,
adding about $16,000 to the
budget.
With the slide, the
project would cost about
$59,000 to $60,000, not
including the border around
the wood chips, land grading,
and land prep, Sweet said, at
a cost of about $10,000.
Sturgell’s efforts started
in January, when she wrote
a letter to the City Council,
imploring them to get new
play equipment for local
children.
See Playground, Page A6
Seaside Coffee House provides a hub for visitors, residents
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
At the Seaside Coffee
House, you can find the news
of the day, highlights from the
school calendar and likely run
into someone you know.
Michelle Hawken — for-
merly Michelle Wunderlich
— presides over the room
every day but Wednesday,
providing breakfast, lunch and
coffee. Last Wednesday was
an exception, as the Chamber
of Commerce met there for
their weekly meeting.
Locals can refill their cof-
fee mugs on the honor system,
Hawken said. “If you’re ever
in a hurry and you need your
coffee, just come in, throw
money in and be on your way.
You don’t have to wait in line,
or you don’t have any money
to pay me the next time as I
really would rather you have
your coffee.”
She now sells sweatshirts
with the Seaside Coffee House
logo, with the assistance of
Andrew Stein of Logotek Inc.,
based in Gearhart. “I love swag
and everyone always wants
R.J. Marx
Michelle Hawken of Seaside Coffee House.
sweatshirts and T-shirts,” she
said. “I have mugs, gift certif-
icates, coffee, any last minute
presents you need.”
She offers breakfast and
lunch. “I would much rather
make you breakfast and
lunch but if you come in and
order lunch, I’ll make it for
you also,” she said.
COVID has been a “year
of weirdness,” she said.
Hawken has a daughter,
Annika, a freshman in col-
lege, Riley, a senior, and
Madden, a freshman at Sea-
side High School. “He
doesn’t like being called ‘the
baby’ but he’s not here so it
doesn’t matter,” she said.
Hawken serves on the Sea-
side School District Board of
Directors, and has a ready
recall for upcoming band and
choral concerts, school plays
and sporting events.
As of next May, Hawken
will have been at Seaside
Coffee House for 11 years,
working there before own-
ing it.
“What do you do when
you like your job but you
don’t want to work for some-
one? You buy it?” Hawken
said. “I did not know what I
was getting into. It’s a labor
of love. I love coming in and
making people happy with a
cup of coffee.”
Seaside Coffee House, 5
N. Holladay.