OUR 115th Year
Smith to fi ll mayor’s
unexpired term
Cockrum resigns
as Gearhart mayor
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
MORE INSIDE
Paulina Cockrum has resigned as
mayor of Gearhart, citing personal reasons.
In a letter to the City Council, staff ,
the Planning Commission, volunteer fi re
department and residents, she said the
resignation was eff ective last Thursday.
“It has been my pleasure to serve on
the Planning Commission 2008-2015,
City Council 2015-2020, and truly an
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Sunset Empire Park
and Recreation District
will consider its fee struc-
ture for both in-district and
out-of-district
residents
who use the district for its
programs and facilities.
The district’s last fee
increase was in 2017,
executive director Skyler
Archibald said. “We have
talked about it numerous
times before the pandemic,
but we didn’t move for-
ward with it at that time,”
he said at last week’s board
of directors meeting.
“We’d like to keep our
industry resident’s rates
low at the same level right
now,” he said. “But we do
need to increase our out-of-
district resident rate to help
off set the fact that we’re
serving those large com-
munities. They are not nec-
essarily lifting the same
amount of weight on the
load that we’re all trying
to carry. So we’d like to
propose an increase in our
nonresident rate from 50%
roughly as a couple that
were a little lower to 75%
and then consider elimina-
tion of all options for all
options district residents.”
Rising wages and utility
bills impact the bottom line
and cost of doing business,
Paulina Cockrum
Harsh reception for Gearhart council
after fi rehouse bond defeat • A6
See Cockrum, Page A6
Stresses need to ‘move on’
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
honor to serve as m ayor for the past
year and a half,” she said in an email
statement. “Together we have accom-
plished great things.”
Park district
proposes
increase in
nonresident rate
Fees would go
from 50%
to 75% above
resident fees
June 10, 2022 $1.00
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
Kerry Smith
Kerry Smith, the Gearhart City
Council president, will serve as
interim mayor after Paulina Cock-
rum’s resignation last week.
His term of offi ce begins immedi-
ately on appointment and continues
through the unexpired term of Cock-
rum in 2024.
Last month, two-thirds of
voters said “no” to the $14.5 mil-
lion bond measure to build a
fi rehouse and a police station on
property off Highlands Lane north of
the city. The election was driven by
passion on both sides, with compet-
ing social media campaigns and sign
wars.
See Smith, Page A5
Police clear homeless camp
DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES
To see if you are in
the Sunset Empire
Park and Recreation
District, review your
Clatsop County tax
statement. It will show
“Sunset Park” in the list
of assessments if you
are inside the district
boundaries.
Archibald said.
Archibald presented a
fee comparison, assessing
the out-of-district rate with
that of an in-district resi-
dent, which ranged from a
45% to 50% diff erence in
cost.
The fee review also
included
comparisons
between fees in other dis-
tricts, including the Bend
Park and Recreation Dis-
trict, Chehalem Park and
Recreation District in New-
berg and the Tualatin Hills
Park and Recreation Dis-
trict. Each of those had fees
slightly higher than Sunset
Empire in general admis-
sion, 10-day pass, monthly
and annual fees for resi-
dents and non-residents.
“By and large, SEPRD
programs and access cost
less than counterparts in
other agencies through-
out the state,” he wrote in
a presentation. “Other dis-
tricts may utilize an out-of-
district rate with rates sim-
ilar or in some cases lower
than SEPRD.”
Photos by R.J. Marx
Police meet with residents after clearing of the parking lot begins. A car is in the process of being towed in the
background.
Overnight campers directed to new permit site
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
ow trucks and police cars gathered along Neca-
nicum Drive last Tuesday as the city prepared
to clear the homeless camp at a city-owned lot
between 10th and 11th avenues.
Liaisons from Clatsop Community Action deliv-
ered tents, sleeping bags and referrals for assistance.
“This is the fi rst day that we are going to try and
clear out a few of the vehicles that are remaining
here,” Police Chief Dave Ham said. “We’re going to
get it started. Hopefully, that will prompt a few oth-
ers and they start making their moves on their own.”
The lot, previously used as a staging area for con-
struction, became a temporary campsite last year
after vthe city redirected overnight trailers off of the
roadway.
But as the numbers of RVs and campers contin-
ued to grow, so did complaints.
Last fall, neighbors presented a petition with more
than 100 signatures protesting the encampment and
T
Patricia Tewalt and dog at the lot at 10th Avenue and
Necanicum Drive. She worries what will happen to
others, including a disabled neighbor.
See Homeless camp, Page A3
See Park district, Page A3
A 75th anniversary for Miss Oregon
Competition returns with anniversary, parade
Moira O’Bryan,
Miss Oregon’s
Outstanding Teen
2021 and Abigail
Hayes, Miss
Oregon 2021.
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The 75th Annual Miss Ore-
gon Competition and Miss Ore-
gon’s Outstanding Teen Compe-
tition returns to the Seaside Civic
and Convention Center June 16
through June 18.
This year, 20 Miss Oregon
and 14 Miss Oregon Outstand-
ing Teen candidates will travel
to Seaside to stay at the Saltline
Hotel and compete for more than
$170,000 in scholarships, Beth
McShane, director of the pro-
gram, said.
Lilly Boothe, 18, of Clats-
kanie, was crowned Miss Clatsop
Astoria July 2-3
Clatsop Co. Fairgrounds
Saturday: 9 am- 4 pm ◆ Sunday: 10 am- 3 pm
You Never Know What You’ll Find At
A Collectors West Gun & Knife Show!
collectorswest.com
ADMISSION $ 8:00
County 2022 in Seaside on March
19. Boothe, a former Miss Clat-
sop’s Outstanding Teen, is study-
ing speech communications at
Oregon State University. Her tal-
ent is musical theater.
Miss Clatsop Outstanding
Teen Aliciyah Miguel-Cloninger
is a 15-year-old sophomore at St.
Helen’s High School.
The anniversary event comes
See Miss Oregon, Page A5