A6 • Friday, December 3, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com SignalViewpoints FORTY YEARS OF PROVIDENCE SEASIDE, AND THE PARTNERS WHO MADE IT A REALITY Providence Seaside Hospital ABOVE: Providence Seaside Hospital, 1990. BELOW LEFT: Sr. Ignatia Marie Lindekugel (right) in pastoral care at Providence Seaside Hospital, 1990. BELOW RIGHT: Remodeled lobby, Providence Seaside Hospital, 1982. GUEST COLUMN MIKE ANTRIM T his year marks the 40th anniversary of Providence Seaside Hospital. But how did we get here? The Sisters of Providence have been part of providing health care on the North Coast for nearly 90 years. A look back on how we got here: On Dec. 7, 1856, the fi rst Sisters of Providence docked in Astoria during their fi rst trip to the Pacifi c Northwest. This was one of their last stops during their months- long journey from Montreal, Canada to Vancouver, Washington, 165 years ago. Then 24 years later they were called to return, and in 1880, the sisters founded and operated St. Mary’s Hospital in Asto- ria for 90 years. In 1964 the Union Health District was established under the provisions of Ore- gon Revised Statutes, Chapter 440, for the specifi c purpose of assuring the res- idents of the area that there would con- tinue to be a hospital in the Seaside area. The Union Health District is a taxing dis- trict, which encompasses the area from the Astoria Country Club to the Tillamook County line and from the ocean to just east of Highway 53. The health district board in 1968 asked the taxpayers to pass a bond to provide funds to construct a new hospi- tal at 725 S. Wahanna Road. In September of 1970, the new Seaside General Hospital was opened. The Sisters of Providence were once again called to serve the community, this time in Seaside. In the spirit of working with others, Providence partnered with the Union Health District to assume the opera- tions and management of Seaside General Hospital in 1981. Providence fi rst agreed to operate and lease the hospital from the Union Health District for 10 years. Just four months later, the lease agreement was extended to 30 years. And extended again to encompass our current agreement. Because of the strong and successful relationship with the Union Health Dis- trict, Providence has been able to grow and expand services throughout the North Coast. Over the years that support has helped increase quality health care in our community. Most recently the Union Health District provided key fi nancial support, along with fundraising eff orts of Providence Seaside Hospital Foundation, that helped fund the remodel and expansion of our emergency department. Today we have more than 450 caregiv- ers and an active and engaged service area advisory council that volunteers their time to assure the hospital stays committed to providing high quality and compassionate care to our community. We are honored to serve the communities throughout the North Coast and look forward to continuing this journey together. Mike Antrim is communication manager for Providence Seaside Hospital. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Golf tournament a success On behalf of the board of directors of the Eugene Schmuck Foundation, I would like to thank Matt Brown and Jeff Mitchell, of Manzanita Links, who made the 2021 Manzanita Open golf tournament possible. Matt and Jeff graciously pro- vided their advice and expe- rience to help create a seam- less, fun, and successful event. This year the Eugene Schmuck Foundation raised $76,653.00 in much-needed funds which are given back and reinvested in our community. We also want to give a big thank you to the many vol- unteers, supporters, donors and sponsors who have made our foundation a suc- cess. I am personally grate- ful for the dedication of my fellow board members Corey Douma, John Durkin, Beth Gienger, Tom Moore, Breanna Stephens, Dave Stephens, Karen Stephens, Connie Vander Waal, Sally Vanebo, Camy VonSeggern, and, Erick White. This year we also welcome Breanna Stephens, Chris Bennett, and Troy Bowers to our board. Please join us for this year’s Manzanita Open Golf Tournament, planned for May 13, 14 and 15. We look forward to seeing you there! David Matthews President, ESF Guidelines for school sports spectators Dear Seaside families, community members, and visiting schools: Seaside High School is scheduled to begin host- ing indoor athletic events beginning December 3, 2021. As we have all year, and in order to continue to ensure that our students have opportunities to com- pete, we will continue to follow the COVID-related mandates issued by the Oregon Health Authority and adopted by the Oregon State Athletic Association. In order to attend Sea- side High School-spon- sored athletic events during the winter sea- son, the following cur- rent OSAA guidelines will be followed with zero exceptions: • Spectators will be required to wear a fi tted face covering/mask that covers both mouth and nose. • Spectators will be required to sit in desig- nated areas and observe physical distancing to the extent possible. Spectators that refuse to follow guidelines run the risk of having the com- petition stopped, may be removed from attendance, and potentially be tre!!. passed from venues. Attending high school athletic events in support of our student-athletes is a privilege for all specta- tors. Our coaches, school staff , and I arc excited about the opportunity for our student-athletes to resume playing in front of crowds that we are accus- tomed to having at our venues. However, the vig- ilance required to ensure that spectators are adhering to mandated policies has become more challenging over time. If you are asked by a staff member to observe the mandates outlined above and/or other policies please do so respectfully and with the understand- ing that we are fulfi lling our job responsibilities. Your prompt and courteous cooperation helps protect competition opportunities for our students. Thank you for your understanding as we con- tinue to monitor and adjust to the guidelines issued by our governing agencies. We will work to implement and communicate updated guidelines as needed. Other questions regard- ing our athletic programs should be directed to Aaron Tanabe, athletic director, at 503-738-5586 or atanabe@ seasidek12.org. Jeff Roberts Principal, Seaside High School Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District, board workshop, 4 p.m., www.seprd. com. ry Committee, 3 p.m., 989 Broadway. PUBLIC MEETINGS Avenue A. Broadway. THURSDAY, DEC. 9 TUESDAY, DEC. 7 Seaside Library Board of Directors, 4:30 p.m., 1131 Broadway St. sion, 6 p.m., cityofgearhart. com. Seaside Community Center Commission, 10 a.m., 1225 Seaside Planning Commis- sion, 6 p.m., work session, 989 Seaside Civic and Convention Center Commission, 5 p.m., 415 First Ave. Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., cityofseaside.us. Gearhart Planning Commis- TUESDAY, DEC. 14 Contact local agencies for latest meeting information and atten- dance guidelines. 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 Ter Har MONDAY, DEC. 13 WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15 Seaside Tourism Adviso- TUESDAY, DEC. 21 Seaside School District, 6 p.m., seaside.k12.or.us/meet- ings. 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. 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