Friday, April 22, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5
ELECTION LETTERS
Continued from Page A4
was coordinator for Monroe
County Emergency Man-
agement for 22 years. My
entire 42-year professional
experience has been in law
enforcement and emergency
management. My fi rst-hand
experience confi rms a resil-
ient facility with functional
communication systems and
other critical equipment are
absolutely essential in any
emergency. It does not mat-
ter if the emergency is fi re,
airplane crash, hurricane,
earthquake, terrorism, war,
tsunami or pandemic. With-
out the right tools and equip-
ment, even the most dedi-
cated fi rst responder will be
unable to do his or her job.
Gearhart is going to
spend millions on a new
facility, shouldn’t it be in the
safest location possible?
We understand the desire
to continue the tradition of a
Fourth of July parade and hot
dogs downtown, but neither
of those require a police/fi re
station downtown.
I hear a few people say-
ing the federal govern-
ment and military will come
and save us when disas-
ter strikes. Yes, they will
come, but not immediately.
The military will likely have
other primary missions and
may only turn their atten-
tion to Gearhart after that
mission is completed. Our
community needs to be pre-
pared to function for weeks
on its own and be able to
communicate with the out-
side world. Without the right
facility and equipment, this
can’t happen.
Support the necessary
infrastructure to keep the
citizens and fi rst responders
of Gearhart safe. Vote yes
on Measure 4-213.
Scott Callahan
Gearhart
Energy follows
intent
Early Clatsop native peo-
ple created the Ridge Path in
Gearhart. Marshall Kinney,
who platted the town, incor-
porated it into the town plan
in 1890 for future genera-
tions to enjoy. This brings
me to refl ect on the future
of our new fi re station. We
are about to vote on some-
thing that is more import-
ant than fi rst meets the eye.
We are attempting to create
a safety net to protect and
help future generations, not
only for the town of Gear-
hart, but also for the sur-
rounding area.
I fi nd such hope and
reassurance in the posi-
tive energy and dedication
that the Firehouse Commit-
tee and City Council have
shown to make this a real-
ity. It has been at least 16
years in the planning. Now
that we’ve reached a critical
juncture in this process, let’s
not forget that there is a lot
of power in positive energy
coupled with intent. Thank
you.
Diane Speakman
Gearhart
Support our
fi rst responders,
vote ‘yes’
Most people are famil-
iar with borrowing money
to buy a car or home. Before
shopping, many of us go
to a bank to get “pre-ap-
proved” to fi nd out how
much we can borrow. Are
we required to spend the full
amount we are approved
for? No.
The city of Gearhart
is required to get voter
approval to take on large
debt. Does voting “Yes”
on Measure 4-213 auto-
matically create $14.5 mil-
lion in debt? No. The bal-
lot measure is essentially a
“pre-approval” from the vot-
ers which allows the City
to borrow up to a maxi-
mum of $14.5 million. Once
the city has voter approval,
it can borrow by issuing a
single bond or by issuing
multiple bonds of diff erent
amounts up to the maximum
approved amount.
Your “yes” vote allows
us to move forward on this
vital project for the ben-
efi t of our fi rst respond-
ers and our whole commu-
nity. Without this funding,
we cannot pursue the next
steps in the process: like
getting architectural plans
and specifi cations, which
are necessary before we can
get competitive bids from
constructions fi rms. The
approval of Measure 4-213
also allows us to clearly
demonstrate the communi-
ty’s support for the project
which better enables us to
pursue grants and donations
reducing the need for bond
fi nancing.
Vote ‘yes’ on Measure
4-213. Support our fi rst
responders.
Brent Warren
Gearhart
New fi rehouse
site comes with
environmental
consequences
The Gearhart Fire Sta-
tion proposal on Highlands
Lane is a disaster waiting to
happen. The environmental
issues with fi sh and wildlife,
wetlands, protection of the
Clatsop Plains aquifer, and
septic systems impact have
not been addressed.
In 2004, the Neacoxie
Creek Watershed Commis-
sion fi sh-seined Neacoxie
Creek at the G Street culvert.
We found three3 salmon
smolt. The rearing habitat
extends all the way to Del
Rey Beach culvert. From
Shamrock Pines north, Nea-
coxie Creek is part of the
Neacoxie Wildlife Corridor.
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, NOAA Fish-
eries, and the Department
of State Lands will have to
be involved in this land-use
process.
In 1977, Clatsop County
and the Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality pub-
lished a report called “Carry-
ing Capacity of the Clatsop
Plains Sand-Dune Aqui-
fer.” High density residential
development from septic sys-
tems will result in excessive
nitrate-nitrogen through dilu-
tion in the sand-dune aqui-
fer. The stream-fl ow pattern
of this underground aquifer
shows from Neacoxie Creek
at the Highlands southwest
direction, the groundwater
discharges directly on Gear-
hart’s drinking water well
fi elds.
To protect this natural
resource, Clatsop County
zoned rural land with a 1
acre lot size minimum. The
Highlands property is zoned
rural agricultural, 2-acre lot
size. Clatsop County Com-
prehensive Plan, Goal 11
states that public water ser-
vice is only allowed if it is
not used as a justifi cation to
increase existing levels of
allowed rural development.
In 2008, Gearhart
received a partial water
right permit from the Ore-
gon Water Resources Depart-
ment. The endangered
salmon, saltwater intru-
sion, water quality and quan-
tity concerns led to the deci-
sion to limit groundwater
pumping during the summer
months. Seaside and Warren-
ton supply our backup water.
The Northwest Coastal
Water Supply Task Force
was formed with the cities of
Astoria, Warrenton, Youngs
River Lewis and Clark water
district, Gearhart, and Sea-
side to develop a regional
water plan.
A May 2009 report shows
a projected year 2050 water
shortage for Gearhart is 54.2
million gallons, Warrenton
55.3 million gallons, Seaside
366.6 million gallons. Gear-
hart refused to participate
any further, leaving the other
partners unable to move
forward.
Warrenton can no longer
provide water on the Clat-
sop Plains. From this report,
Gearhart does not have
enough water to supply this
fi re station/housing develop-
ment without impacting the
city’s future water resources.
Please vote no on the fi re
bond measure.
Deanna Mancill
Gearhart
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NEWS NOTES
Morse is engineering
graduate, named to
dean’s list
Rachel Morse, from Gearhart, was
named to the Milwaukee School of
Engineering’s dean’s list with high
honors for the 2022 winter quarter.
Morse graduated with a Bachelor of
Science degree in nursing.
Undergraduate students who have
earned at least 30 credits and have a
cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher (out
of 4.0) are on the dean’s list. Students
who have maintained a 3.70 or higher
receive high honors.
Arbor Day in Seaside
Dale McDowell
Sou’Wester Garden Club
to meet
Sou’Wester Garden Club will meet
April 27 from 10 a.m. to noon at the
Bob Chisholm Community Center at
1225 Avenue A in Seaside. The pro-
gram features a native plants presen-
tation by Hope Stanton of Aldervale
Native Plants, Nehalem.
North Coast Big Band benefit
Music from the Big Band Era to
the present is featured on the Sunday,
May 1 concert, by the North Coast Big
Band at the Charlene Larsen Perform-
From left, Boy Scout Rylee McCollum, Scoutmaster Stan Gandy, David Kautz,
Scout Dashel Neher, city arborist Pam Fleming and Bill Barnes, a member of the
Seaside Tree Advisory Committee at the Arbor Day celebration at the Seaside
Museum & Historical Society on April 9.
ing Arts Center in Astoria. Featured
favorite local jazz musicians, include
Dave Drury, Brian Bergman, Judy
Shatto, Terry Dahlgren, Jesse Strauch
and Scott Cuthbert. Doors open at
3:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at partners-
forthepac.org or 503-338-9132. The
concert is a benefit for Partners for
the PAC. The North Coast Big Band
is dedicated to preserving big band
music of the jazz era.
For additional information call Lee
Stromquist at 503-861-1328.
Judy
Shatto of
the North
Coast Big
Band.
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