OUR 115th Year
Developer
jumps into
the bagel
experience
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Masudur Khan purchased the
Gilbert Block Building late last
year. This week he announced
another downtown investment
with the purchase of Bagels by
the Sea, the iconic
bagel shop at 210
S. Holladay Dr. in
Seaside.
The seller was
Seastar & Associ-
ates LLC. Kathryn
and Tracey John-
Masudur Khan son are members,
said broker Cheryl
Johnson with Realty One Group
Prestige.
The sales price was $1.2 mil-
lion. The sale closing date was Jan.
19.
“I just got it because I liked
it,” Khan said. “The food is good.
We’re not changing anything, just
hoping to give you a little bit better
experience.”
For the former owners, the goal
was always more than simply sell-
ing a prime piece of real estate and
a much-loved business, Cheryl
Johnson said.
“The ideal buyer was some-
one invested in the community
who would continue the Seaside
institution of their family friendly
bagel shop benefitting locals and
visitors alike,” she said. “With
strong local ties and his passion
for Seaside, Masudur Khan was
the perfect candidate. The former
owners can now rest easy having
left the business in his capable
hands. It is truly a win for every-
one, especially the community.”
February 25, 2022
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
$1.00
SHOWER POWER
A shower for surfers at Seltzer Park
Women seek equity
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Thirty years ago when Selt-
zer Park was donated and devel-
oped, the surfing population at
Seaside’s Cove was only about
2% women. Today that number
is more than 30%, Lexie Halla-
han of Northwest Women’s Surf
Camps said.
Hallahan is leading a campaign
to bring “shower” equity to Selt-
zer Park, the area east of the Cove
across Sunset Boulevard. While
there’s a shower immediately out-
side the men’s room where the
door is open, “You’re literally
looking right in at men in the uri-
nals,” she said.
Hallahan envisions the shower
tower on the north side of the park
in the open air, clearly visible
from the street, with shower heads
at both child and adult height.
“It looks kind of like a cement
round structure,” she said. “It has
the possibility to put up to six fix-
tures on it.”
To start, two showers will
be adult and two showers child
height, and designed to meet
Americans with Disabilities Act
accessibility requirements. The
showers will have hot and cold
water and a foot wash. Signs will
be posted prohibiting use of soap
or shampoo because that would
contaminate the wetlands behind
the park.
Showers will be closed in
the evening when restrooms
are locked and reopened in the
morning.
Hallahan attributes the boom
in women’s surfing to a number
of surf movies from the 1980s, led
by “Blue Crush.”
“That went nationwide,” she
said. “It was huge. There were
R.J. Marx
Lexie Hallahan indicates the area for the shower.
R.J. Marx
Currently the only shower in Seltzer Park, outside the men’s room.
several girl surfer movies that just
made it cool for women. I could
see there was a real desire for
women wanting to learn to surf.”
Years later, she started her
business, offering surf lessons to
women and families. “And every
year it’s booming.”
Hallahan presented the plan to
the Seaside Parks Advisory Com-
mittee, which will recommend it
to the City Council for funding,
including $2,870 for the tower
plus piping and installation.
Hallahan presented her plan
to the City Council last week. “It
sounds like a great idea,” Mayor
Jay Barber said.
To get involved in the shower
tower, write a letter of support to
the City Council, Hallahan said.
“The main reasons for me are
accessibility and equitability,” she
said. “I think those are priorities
now in today’s world. We’re 32
years past that and it’s time we get
it. So many people will be using
it. It’s long overdue.”
See Bagels, Page A3
GEARHART
School
district
eyes mask
changes
By KATHERINE LACAZE
Seaside Signal
As the state prepares to lift its
indoor masking mandate by the
end of March, local school districts
are grappling with the decision on
whether to make masks required
or optional through the end of the
school year.
The Seaside School District
Board discussed options during
their meeting earlier this month,
ultimately deciding to wait until
their meeting in March to make a
decision based on guidance from
the Clatsop County Public Health
Department and data on COVID-
19 case rates at that time.
“I want to make sure that all of
our kids get the time in school that
they deserve,” board chair Brian
Taylor said. “Going to distance
learning is not a very favorable
thing for our kids, even if it’s just
10 days.”
The Oregon Department of Edu-
cation and Oregon Health Author-
ity have made various updates
to virus precautions for schools
throughout the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the state
announced it would lift the mask
requirement at schools on March
31. The reasoning for that hard
date, Penrod said, is “to give school
districts time to transition, also an
opportunity for families to get their
students vaccinated.”
By the end of March, the health
See Masks, Page A3
Plan for new playground moves forward
Restrooms may
not be required
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Gearhart Planning
Commission moved for-
ward with plans for a new
playground at Trails’ End/
Centennial Park at their
January meeting.
When the former Gear-
hart Elementary School
was shut down, the play-
ground at the former Gear-
hart Elementary School
was closed and equip-
ment at the west end of
the school transferred to
the new Pacific Ridge Ele-
mentary School.
A local 10-year-old,
Berkley Sturgell, ded-
icated herself to bring-
ing a playground back
City of Gearhart
Rendering of the proposed playground area in Centennial/
Trail’s End Park.
to Gearhart, proposing a
new location at Centen-
nial Park, also known as
Trail’s End Park, between
Pacific Way and A Street
off of Cottage.
Sturgell launched a
Quarter Mile Challenge to
raise funds for the city’s
play equipment fund.
Sturgell’s
efforts
brought
more
than
$12,000. With outside
donations large and small,
a total of almost $34,000
has been raised so far.
Additionally, the city has
more than $100,000, a
portion of American Res-
cue Plan funds, available
between parks equipment
and parks maintenance
and repair.
The 4,400-square-foot
area on the southwest cor-
ner of the 3/4-acre park
would feature playground
equipment and other fea-
tures required to adjust
said use with land and uses
in the neighborhood. The
playground would include
swings sets, climbing bars,
nets, balance beams and a
two-seat carousel.
Bike parking standards
require there be a four-
space bicycle rack. The
site will be graded and
re-seeded with grass to
improve the surface.
The hardwood nat-
ural design will be low
maintenance. There will
be no outdoor lighting.
The city will continue
to develop the park with
other improvements over
time, Planner Carole Con-
nell said.
According to the appli-
cation for conditional
use, filed by the Planning
Department’s Angoleana
Brien, the proposed plan
complements residential
development as well as
commercial development
pertaining to the Gear-
hart comprehensive plan.
An estimate delivered in
October listed a poten-
tial cost of about $43,000.
Installation pricing of
$28,000, included in the
proposal, is considered
an estimate only. Lead
time from purchase date is
about 14 weeks.
In November, the
See Playground, Page A3
City staff, councilors salute retiring planner Cupples
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Kevin
Cupples
attended his last Seaside
City Council meeting
as planning direc-
tor this month. After 23
years with the city, Cup-
ples retired Feb. 15.
Whether a “toast
or a recognition,” as
described by City Man-
ager Mark Winstanley,
staff and city councilors
had words of gratitude
and good wishes for the
outgoing planner.
“We have been very,
very lucky to have him
here
at
the city
of Seaside
for these
22-plus
years,”
Kevin Cupples Winstan-
ley said.
“Kevin’s a very detailed
person. We have always
been able to count on
the work that Kevin
does, knowing that it
will be correct and it’s
going to provide guid-
ance to the city in a man-
ner that we know is very
professional.”
Cupples
provided
guidance not only as a
planner but also in the
area of emergency pre-
paredness,
Winstanley
said. “Kevin is an expert
in his field and truly a
gentleman in the way he
handles himself.”
Cupples grew up in
Scappoose and gradu-
ated from Southern Ore-
gon State University. He
worked in planning for
Coos County and then the
City of Coos Bay before
coming to Seaside in
August 1998.
The planning direc-
tor serves as staff liaison
to the Seaside Planning
Commission. Department
staff conduct research
and prepare reports and
findings to support land
use decisions.
The director leads a
staff of three: code com-
pliance officer Jeff Flory,
emergency
prepared-
ness coordinator Anne
McBride and adminis-
trative assistant Jordan
Sprague.
“I want to thank the
council and the city for
giving me the opportunity
to work with you all this
time,” Cupples said. “I I
know I’ve worked with
a number of the council-
ors as planning commis-
sioners starting and then
moving into City Coun-
cil roles. I enjoy working
with the city staff here.”
Recently
married,
he said he had inher-
ited property in northern
Washington that needed
his attention. “I really
need to put that in the
forefront of my family’s
future and that’s really
what I’m focusing on,”
he said. “I’ve got lots to
do. That’s really what I
plan on focusing on —
maybe doing a little bit of
fishing and clamming.”
People with Cupples’
background and expertise
are hard to find, Mayor
Jay Barber said. “You
will be very difficult to
replace.”