Welcome to the Seaside Signal!

Spring is here … maybe? Seaside welcomes the spring breakers and even July Fourth fireworks are just around the corner.

Lawsuit dropped

Three residents who accused Gearhart city officials of defamation in the months after a failed vote on a $14.5 million firehouse bond dropped their lawsuit.

They had asked for $950,000, alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence in the city’s retention of City Administrator Chad Sweet following a 2020 drunken-driving charge.

The trio were critical of the May bond measure for the new firehouse off Highlands Lane and of the actions of city leadership.

Read more here.

Music and art

We welcome Studio138, a new gallery space on Broadway, to Seaside. 

Greg Bond, a former videographer for Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Carrie Bond, a former teacher at Pacific Ridge Elementary School, recently launched the art and performance space. 

The owners seek to turn the gallery, gift shop and music venue into a hub for artists and musicians in the Seaside area.

They also hope to bring back Seaside’s jazz festival, to be called Seaside Jazz and Blues, in March 2024 to the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. The jazz festival was discontinued in 2018 after 35 years. The event brought jazz performers from around the country and provided scholarships to local student musicians. 

Special districts 

The filing deadline for special district elections was March 16, and the slates are now set.

Board president Katharine Parker is seeking reelection for her Position 5 seat with the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. In February, Kyle Gorman announced he will run for the Position 4 seat. Both Parker and Gorman’s terms expire June 30.

At the Seaside School District Shannon Swedenborg, Chris Corder and Sondra Gomez will seek reelection to the Seaside School District Board. They filed this month with the Clatsop County Elections department for the May 16 election.

In February, Kevin LaCoste, a Gearhart resident, filed for the Zone 4, Position 2 seat.

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