I woke up the morning of July Fourth to news that a mass shooting had taken place in my old hometown. A shooter perched in a second-floor window fired down on a crowd, killing six and wounding many more. The event was a prelude to a day of Seaside and Gearhart Fourth of July coverage. At parades in both cities, the tragedy seemed far away, triumphant in their ways. In Seaside, the Sons of Beaches, Seaside Pride and Boy Scouts peacefully shared the streets. In Gearhart, Bob McKuen rode his donkey Pancho as he has in Gearhart parades for decades. Read more here.

— Resiliency

The Seaside Fire Department will receive more than $1.7 million and the city’s police department an additional $1.6 million in seismic retrofit grants from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. The real concern is getting fire equipment out in a Cascadia Subduction Zone event, Fire Chief Joey Daniels said. “If the building can withstand the quake, we can get millions of dollars of equipment out,” he said. This would be critical to any response and a great recognition from the state of the coast’s critical resiliency needs.

— Other stories this week

In Gearhart, a new mayor is sworn in; a police and fire Fourth of July wrap-up; and election season begins in Seaside.

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