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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2022)
A6 • Friday, March 11, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com Top Shelf: Cannabis dispensary opens in Gearhart Continued from Page A1 R.J. Marx Sign posted outside the high school. Masks: ‘Some people will be really ready for that transition’ Continued from Page A1 transition, also an opportu- nity for families to get their students vaccinated. The indoor mask man- dates have been in place since August. From Sep- tember through January, updates from the Oregon Health Authority and Ore- gon Department of Educa- tion monitored changes in cases and hospitalizations. The state recently announced changes to mask rules with school changes occurring after Friday. February surveys of the community, staff and par- ents showed about 51% of staff members responded they wanted masks to be required beyond March 31; 49% responded “no.” About 65% of family members responded “no” to masks beyond March 31; about 35% responded “yes.” About 55% of students responded “no” and 45% responded “yes.” March surveys showed an increase in those seek- ing to remove the mandate, among parents, students and staff alike. More than 70% of stu- dents, with 255 responses, said they would favor lift- ing of mask mandates after Friday. Of staff members, 56% said they would like to see masks no longer required. Almost three-quarters of families responding favored lifting the mandate after Friday, with 428 responses. “Our school leaders and local public health offi cials expressed a strong need to keep alignment between dates for lifting the state- wide face covering expec- tations in the K-12 settings with the lifting of the gen- eral indoor public spaces masking requirement,” Pen- rod said. “School and dis- trict leaders told us they can thoughtfully prepare and plan for this transition ear- lier than March 31.” In making her recom- mendation, Penrod said quarantining and contact tracing has been paused and is no longer a requirement. “Even since we met (in February), the county went from high risk level to medium,” Penrod said. “The latest data shows we have moved to the lowest level.” Face coverings in K-12 schools and on district buses have now been aligned, she said, and testing kits are now off ered both on-site and in take-home kits, to be used with our students and staff who are symptomatic or who are high-risk. Parents said their chil- dren suff ered from the mask policy, making it diffi cult to breathe, communicate, understand lessons or hear teachers and staff . A parent commented the masks made her daughter feel uncomfortable, caus- ing mood changes and headaches. Kelsey Betts, a regis- tered nurse, said continuing with masks in the schools was “absolutely pointless.” “We’re seeing huge increases in the amount of speech therapy needed,” Betts said. “For children because they can’t see lips or faces to watch somebody speak to them. So as a mom and as a health care profes- sional, I urge you to get rid of the masks. They’re not working.” Other parents spoke at the meeting about the neg- ative impacts masks have on social interaction and the ability to focus in the classroom. The board of direc- tors unanimously voted to approve the superinten- dent’s recommendation to lift the mask mandate on Monday. The isolation period for people who test pos- itive will continue to be fi ve days, and they must be fever-free for 24 hours with reduced symptoms to return to class. “Some people will be really ready for that transi- tion and some people will and they’ll all need to come to it in their own time,” Penrod said. “Our princi- pals will be meeting with our staff to share informa- tion based on the decision we make today. And we as a leadership team are pre- paring resources that will be available for our staff and for our students to make sure that we as a community are accepting of everybody.” To place a classified ad call 800-781-3214 or go to SeasideSignal.com DEADLINE IS MONDAY AT NOON Go. Do. coastweekend.com dining • the arts • music shopping • museums • classes • movies gardening • news • blogs • more Oregon, where he entered the cannabis industry as a grower. He attended Oak- sterdam University in Oak- land, California — the world’s fi rst cannabis col- lege — where he broad- ened his contacts and teamed with Top Shelf founder Thomas Beckley and co-owner David Grove. Top Shelf Cannabis’s Gearhart location will off er deals on outdoor cannabis grown in Southern Oregon, with prices starting at $3 a gram. Medical cannabis is available as well. “We have a good con- nection with all the South- ern Oregon farms, because that’s where I originally started working,” he said. “With this shop, the main thing I want to do is give anyone involved in canna- bis what they’d want with a great price on stuff , espe- R.J. Marx Co-owner Stefan Mihaliak and budtender Jordan Fedance of Top Shelf Cannabis in Gearhart. cially with the times getting hard.” Among an array of fl ower, oils, edibles and more, the Gearhart dispen- sary carries products from Belushi Farm, actor Jim Belushi’s commercial can- nabis farm in Eagle River. “We want it to be an interactive dispensary,” Mihailak said. “Not just a crowded little area but where they can get the full experience of what a dis- pensary is.” With Sweet Relief down the street and dispensaries in Seaside and Astoria, he is aware of the potential competition. “I’ve got people from the other shops coming in here, whether they’re secret shoppers or not,” Mihailak said. “I don’t hold it against them. It’s good. Because I don’t buy all my stuff at Walmart and I don’t get all my gas at Chevron. It’s medicine. They’ve got stuff I don’t have, and I have stuff that they don’t have.” Planner: Flory to step into role as acting planner Continued from Page A1 guest service and security. In Seaside, Flory has ramped up vacation rental dwelling inspections and enabled an upgraded online complaint process. He pre- sented details on rental den- sity and statistics before city councilors in January as the council considered a potential moratorium on vacation rental dwellings in Seaside. At that meeting, City Councilor Tita Montero said Flory had gone “above and beyond” in his work as code compliance offi cer. “Jeff reaches out and he educates both the home- owners who live in the neighborhoods as well as educating the VRD own- ers,” Montero said at that meeting, at which council- ors rejected the moratorium. The planning depart- ment, part of the commu- nity development team, includes building and planning administrative assistant Jordan Sprague, emergency preparedness coordinator Anne McBride and building offi cial Bob Mitchell. “We have confi dence in this team to handle the things that are there,” Rahl said. As the department reviews pending and new applications, they will work with external contrac- tors where necessary. “We don’t have the institutional knowledge on so we’ll be able to hopefully utilize those external contractors, along with the team, for the time being.” Planning commis- sioner Jon Wickersham announced his resigna- tion, leaving a vacancy to be fi lled. The lineup of the commission is chairperson Robin Montero, vice chair- person Kathy Kleczek, Lou Neubecker, Chris Rose, Seth Morrisey and Brandon Kraft. Salary: Competitive market complicates city’s search Continued from Page A1 council’s ability to collabo- rate, set goals and navigate challenges. “We heard this time and again: You need a man- ager with the skills to eff ec- tively engage multiple city audiences practicing acces- sibility, transparency and timeliness when doing so,” Wallace said. “You’re look- ing for a style that encour- ages two-way dialogue, able to communicate com- plex civic issues, respond to community concerns and move toward building consensus.” A bachelor’s degree, experience and history of communication engage- ment are key candidate traits. Knowledge of emer- gency preparedness, pub- lic infrastructure, a tour- ism economy and housing issues are also considered essential. The search, which began internally at the end of 2021, has expanded to the Pacifi c Northwest and Jensen Strategies Salaries of city administrators in cities comparable to Seaside. nationally. The charter does not require a candidate to live within the city limits. “We usually off er a $30,000 range and below we would recommend for you as $124,000 the high would be $154,000,” Jen- sen said. On the low end, a candi- date may not have a lot of experience but is trainable, Jensen said, with the right skills to step up to the place. “If you fi nd somebody who is a seasoned city man- ager, who has worked in communities like yours, who understands what it is like to be a destination city and to have 60,000 people coming in — that’s going to be on the other end of the spectrum,” Jensen said. Winstanley receives an annual salary of $130,620, according to the 2021-22 budget. They compared salaries in comparable commu- nities, including Cannon Beach, Warrenton, Tilla- mook which was at the low end at $87,000. “That was an outlier,” Jensen said. Astoria ranked high- est in comparable cities, with a city manager’s sal- ary of $151,000. Can- non Beach pays $149,250 and Warrenton $125,000. Newport and Lincoln City each pay their city manag- er’s $125,000; Hood River pays $145,000. If the city adopts the policy document at Mon- day’s City Council meeting, councilors would consider candidates based on the results of the consultant’s search in May. “At the end of that, we also are prepared to give you our salary rec- ommendations in terms of range of salary, and we’ll talk about that at the very end,” Jensen said. MARKETPLACE 201 Antique & Classic Vehicles Vendors Wanted Astoria Automotive Swap Meet Clatsop Fairgrounds Saturday March 12th, 2022. 8am-2pm Contact Fred 503-440-9481 Dorothy 503-468-0006 634 Wanted to Rent Local artist needing an art studio in Astoria. Please call 503-325-1556. Have you seen our FEATURED ADS? Only viewable on our website, www.seasidesignal.com. Call 503-325-3211 for more information! Have an item that you would like to sell for under $1,000? List it in our Budget Ads! $9 for 3 days in print and online. Call 503-325-3211 Short, Sweet, and to the Point! Classified ads are a quick and easy way to get extra cash in your pocket! Call 503-325-3211 to place your ad order today! From Clatskanie to Arch Cape, classified ads reach over 30,000 households! Call 503-325-3211 to find out more. HAVING storage problems? Why not sell no-longer-used items with a fastworking classifed ad? 651 Help Wanted LOADER OPERATOR/ OILER Bayview Asphalt Inc. -EOE- is looking for an Loader Operator/Oiler Responsibilities: Safety first in all duties; Operate front loader to feed rock bins at asphalt plant, move rock, maintain rock piles, load trucks, etc.; Assist in maintaining the plant with daily operations; and more. Qualifications: Experience with operating a loader if possible; Ability to take direction/communicate effectively: Mechanical & fabrications skills preferred; Must possess a valid driver’s license; Work as a team player; and more. -Flexible schedule -Noise & heights part of daily environment *FT w/benefits *Competitive wage *Pre-employment drug test is required Apply at Bayview Asphalt Inc. 1399 Oster Rd; Gearhart, OR 97138 Phone 503.738.5466 Fax 503.738.9517 651 Help Wanted 651 Help Wanted Part-Time Employment Reliable, hard-worker, able to work independently on Tues & Thurs 2:45-9pm; Sun 10am-4pm. Customer service, membership sales, light cleaning. Seaside, OR. (503)738-8304, mbrannon@ SunsetFamilyFitness.com Full-Time Employment Head Start/Early Head Start Needs you! Community Action Team Head Start/Early Head Start is hiring in Clatsop County! Education and Social Service career opportunities with competitive wages. We provide: Medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits Personal and sick leave Balanced work schedules A culturally respectful work environment Astoria and Seaside, (503)556-3736 dcrawford@nworheadstart. org Reach the entire North Oregon and Southwest Washington coasts with our classified package options! Call 503-325-3211 for more information. Looking for a new place to live? The classified ads offer a complete section of homes, apartments, and mobile homes to fit your needs. Check daily for new listings! Sell your children’s outgrown clothes and toys with a classified ad in the Seaside Signal. Call 503-325-3211 to place your ad today! Do you believe in magic? Place an ad in the classifieds and watch the item you sell turn into instant cash! Call 503-325-3211 today! SHOP LOCAL! Check the Business Directory daily to utilize the local professionals advertising in The Seaside Signal. To place an ad in our Business Directory, call 503-325-3211. Garage Sales are a big success when advertised in the classified ads! Call 503-325-3211 to advertise your garage sale this weekend! 651 Help Wanted ASPHALT PAVING LABORER Bayview Asphalt Inc. -EOE- is looking for an Asphalt Paving Laborer Responsibilities: Safety first in all duties; Rake and shovel hot asphalt; Ability to use small hand tools; Assist with equipment clean-up; Set-up and Take down of signs, etc.; and more. Qualifications: 1 years’ experience in Paving or Construction Industry if possible; Must possess a valid driver’s license; Ability to take direction; Work as a team player; Show great attention to detail; Be dependable; Able to work flexible hours. *FT w/benefits *Competitive wage *Pre-employment drug test is required Apply at Bayview Asphalt Inc. 1399 Oster Rd; Gearhart, OR 97138 Phone 503.738.5466 Fax 503.738.9517 ADVERTISERS who want quick results use classified ads regularly.