A4 • Friday, December 10, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
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Hillcrest Inn keeps family traditions alive
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
eople are excited not just to come
to Seaside, but to come here to
Seaside to see Ruth,” Brian Owen,
CEO of the Seaside Chamber of Com-
merce, said.
Owen introduced lodging owner Ruth
Swenson of the Hillcrest Inn and Cottages
at last Wednesday’s morning meeting of the
chamber. Swenson has owned the property
for 16 years.
Part of the property, the 90-year-old Hill-
crest House, was sold, she said.
Now the inn includes 25 hotel rooms and
the three cottages, each with an old Cape
Cod feel.
Cottage 105 is a two-bedroom suite with
a 1950s diner-style decor, with original
diner booths and a casual vibe.
Cottage 106 is the “game cottage,”
Swenson said, geared to families. The
room, which sleeps eight, comes with
Monopoly, “Seasideopoly” and other
games, with old-time video favorites like
Pac-Man or Asteroids available to check out
at the front desk.
Cottage 107 is lighthouse-themed, orig-
inating from a collection Swenson started
when she was 3. She now has 750 of them.
Each cottage comes equipped with pots,
pans and dishes. “Some of them even have
crockpots and mixers,” she said. “We like
to think that whatever you want to do when
you’re here, you can do in these, whether
you want to bake cookies or just walk
downtown and eat.”
Visitors can picnic in the courtyard, with
barbecue grills, picnic tables, disc golf and
climbing toys.
“We have lots of families that have been
coming for many, many years,” she said.
One family has been visiting for more
than 50 years for family reunions, going
from renting 10 rooms to renting the whole
property.
“It’s almost like you can’t marry into
the family unless you’re willing to come to
Seaside,” Swenson said. “And maybe that’s
the catch. If you get invited and you’re not
married to one of them yet, ‘let’s hope you
pass the test.’”
‘P
Photos by R.J. Marx
ABOVE: Inside the “game cottage” at the
Hillcrest Inn.
LEFT: Ruth Swenson of the Hillcrest Inn.
BELOW: Designer style in one of the cottages
at Hillcrest Inn.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Let’s work
together to meet
health crises
The COVID-19 pan-
demic has had a devas-
tating impact across the
globe, with millions of
lives and livelihoods lost,
unlike anything we’ve
experienced in decades.
The last time the entire
world was this focused on
a pandemic was over two
decades ago, when HIV/
AIDS was killing almost
4,000 people every day,
and new infections were
doubling every year.
Since then, the global
response to AIDS has
largely been a success
story, with millions of
lives being saved through
testing, treatment and
prevention eff orts. The
COVID-19 pandemic
threatens to stop or even
reverse this progress.
For World AIDS Day
— Dec. 1 — it’s important
to remember HIV/AIDS is
still a crisis. In 2020, there
were 1.5 million new
infections, and 680,000
OP-ED
AIDS-related deaths.
People living with
HIV/AIDS are at more
severe risk of COVID-
19, and live in parts of the
world with limited access
to COVID vaccines.
Sub-Saharan Africa is
home to almost 70% of
people living with HIV,
but less than 5% of the
population has received
at least one dose of the
COVID vaccine. We have
the power to beat both
of these viruses. We just
need the will.
That’s why it’s so
important that U.S. Sen.
Jeff Merkley and U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden, and
Congresswoman Suzanne
Bonamici, show support
for programs that are help-
ing the fi ght against both
COVID and AIDS, like
the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria, one of the most
eff ective and effi cient
health organizations on
the planet.
Michael
Kalkofen
Beaverton
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Contact local agencies for latest
meeting information and atten-
dance guidelines.
MONDAY, DEC. 13
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
TUESDAY, DEC. 14
Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District, board
workshop, 4 p.m., www.seprd.
com.
Seaside School District, 6 p.m.,
seaside.k12.or.us/meetings.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 15
Seaside Tourism Adviso-
ry Committee, 3 p.m., 989
Broadway.
Seaside Library Board of
Directors, 4:30 p.m., 1131
Broadway St.
THURSDAY, DEC. 16
Seaside Transportation Advi-
sory Commission, 6 p.m., 989
Broadway.
TUESDAY, DEC. 21
Seaside Planning Commis-
sion, 6 p.m., work session, 989
Broadway.
TUESDAY, DEC. 28
Sunset Empire Park and Rec-
reation District, 5:15 p.m., Bob
Chisholm Community Center.
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Shannon Arlint
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
Many opportunities to help patients of all ages
GUEST COLUMN
JUDY GEIGER
W
hen I was young, I never
thought much about becom-
ing a nurse. I always wanted
to be a National Park Ranger in Yellow-
stone National Park. After I completed
a couple of years of college, I rethought
becoming a park ranger. On a whim,
I decided to apply for nursing school
knowing full well if I ever had to give
someone a shot, I would need to quit.
Well, it’s now 37 years later. I have
given hundreds of shots, worked in a
pediatric intensive care unit, managed
that same 32-bed ICU and became a
chief nursing offi cer twice. My fi rst
chief nursing offi cer job was at the Chil-
dren’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. My
second chief nursing offi cer job is as
the vice president of patient care ser-
vices at Columbia Memorial Hospital in
Astoria.
My story shows that there are many
options for nurses including caring for
patients on both ends of the age spec-
trum. I love being a nurse. Helping peo-
ple when they are at their most vulnera-
ble is such a wonderful feeling.
There are so many diff erent oppor-
tunities for nurses to help patients at
CMH. A nurse can work on the tradi-
tional medical-surgical fl oor, in a criti-
cal care unit, in the operating room and
all the other areas in surgical Services.
They can work in the family birth cen-
ter, the emergency department or hos-
pice. They can work in the cancer cen-
ter, care management, quality, in our
outpatient clinics and in many more
places.
We have lots of diff erent positions
open waiting for the right nurses to join
our team. You never know who our next
DAISY award winner will be. Please
consider joining our outstanding team.
Judy Geiger is vice president of
patient care services and nurse leader at
Columbia Memorial Hospital.
NEWS NOTES
State discloses virus cases
at local schools
be open for good air circulation. N95
masks will be available at the door.
The Oregon Health Authority has
disclosed two new coronavirus cases at
schools in Clatsop County.
Both cases were from Seaside Mid-
dle School, according to last week’s
weekly outbreak report from the health
authority. One was a student and the
other was a staff member.
December events at the
Seaside Public Library
Northwest Piano Trio in
concert in Cannon Beach
Sunday, Dec. 12, at 3 p.m., the North-
west Piano Trio return to Cannon Beach
to present Classical Christmas, a free con-
cert in Cannon Beach at Cannon Beach
Community Church at 132 E. Washing-
ton St., in downtown Cannon Beach.
This holiday concert will include
selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nut-
cracker. The Northwest Piano Trio,
founded in 2014, is based in Portland.
Donations to NW Piano Trio may be
made at the door.
Attendees are asked to wear masks
and dress warmly, as windows will
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Joshua Heineman
Katherine Lacaze
Esther Moberg
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
Carl Earl
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff TerHar
The Seaside Public Library pres-
ents live and virtual events throughout
December.
Virtual Storytime on Thursday, Dec.
16, at 10:30 a.m. will feature the theme
“Pajama Day!” Virtual Storytime on
Thursday, Dec. 30, at 10:30 a.m. will
feature the theme “2021 Favorite
Books!”
Coast Guard rescues
people, crab, from boat
3 miles off Gearhart
Four people and 9,000 pounds of
crab were rescued about 3 miles off the
Gearhart coast last Wednesday.
At about 4:40 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard
Station Cape Disappointment learned
that a 40-foot vessel had experienced a
transmission failure while out to sea.
The station sent out a motor lifeboat that
towed the disabled vessel to the Warrenton
Marina, mooring it at about 9:15 p.m.
No one was injured.
“It’s another boat saved and people
saved and, thankfully, their crab catch
was also saved,” Steve Strohmaier, a
Seattle-based public aff airs specialist
with the Coast Guard, said.
District wins
security grant
The Sunset Empire Park and Rec-
reation District has been awarded a
$3,300 grant for increased security by
SDAO, the Special Districts Associa-
tion of Oregon. Funds will go toward
the purchase of security cameras at the
Sunset Recreation Center.
Park district also received a $2,000
grant from the Clatsop County Cul-
tural Coalition and the Oregon Cul-
tural Trust for audiovisual equipment
and a sound booth to improve the per-
formance space in the Sunset Recre-
ation Center, as well as a $2,000 grant
from Pacifi c Power for an indoor walk-
ing track.
Seaside Signal
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