north coast Volume 19, No. 10
May 15, 2014
northcoastcitizen.com
End in sight for Laneda project
MAN ON A MISSION
Manzanita police officer Mike Sims makes a ‘Run For The Wall’ By Hal McMahan and Dave Fisher The Citizen
Manzanita police officer and volunteer firefighter Mike Sims will leave on May 10, on his motorcycle, for Los Angeles and then on to Washington D.C. as part of the 2014 Run For The Wall. “If it wasn’t for these veterans I wouldn’t be able to do my job and enjoy the freedom I do,” said Sims. “For me, it’s not a trip, it’s a mission.” Run For The wall was started in 1989 as an effort by James Gregory and Bill Evans, a couple of Vietnam veterans who traveled across the heartland of America on motorcycles, talking to local radio, TV stations and newspapers about the fact that America had thousands of men and women still unaccounted for, from all wars. That’s why Sims, who will spend all of his accrued vacation at the Manzanita Police Department, is looking forward to be part of the Run For The Wall. “It’s important to me to help bring attention to the fact that we still have MIAs,” he said. The need for this awareness continues today and the traditional ride across the country, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, happens every May. Sims was a part of The Run last year and got as far as Texas with his fellow bikers
before he had to turn around and come home. It was a situation of not having enough vacation time to make it all the way to Washington D.C. He came home determined to make it all the way in 2014. The participants don’t give political speeches or stage demonstrations. Run For The Wall gets its message across to the public by riding across the United States. Riders obey all traffic laws and treat all citizens with dignity and respect. Participants range in age from eight to eighty and include mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, some of who ride their own bikes. Among them are veterans from World War 11, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq Freedom and Afghanistan, active military, supporters, friends and family. Everyone is welcome. The mail rule is: No attitudes. Apart from raising public awareness, veterans receive the opportunity to experience their own welcome home and start the healing process. By his action, Sims is paying tribute to his uncle who served in Vietnam and received a medical honorable discharge as part of the 101st Army Airborne. Robert Sims, a Bronze Star recipient, died in 2011.
Weather permitting, street may be finished by Memorial Day
For Mike Sims, the Run for the Wall is all about honoring those veterans “who gave all” and help raise awareness to those still missing in action. See RUN, page 7 Photo by Dave Fisher
Golf carts take to the streets in Manzanita In an interesting twist, carts are allowed in Manzanita, but not on the golf course By Dave Fisher The Citizen
Driving about town in a golf cart is a great way to get around in Manzanita as long as you’re a licensed driver, your golf cart is street legal and you obey traffic laws. At left: John Kasch, Bill Nealeigh, Bob Joseph and Dick Heaman are among perhaps as many 20 residents in town that own golf carts. Photos by DaveFisher
NORTH COUNTY NEWS ONLINE
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With the Manzanita Open Golf Tournament in full swing this weekend, expect to see more golf carts around town as locals and visitors scoot back and forth to the golf course to take in the action. But while the City of Manzanita, by ordinance, permits the use of golf carts on its streets, the Manzanita Golf Course does not allow them on the course. So, what’s going on here? “The decision was made early on to keep this course a walking course,” Manzanita Golf Course owner Steve Erickson told the Citizen. “It’s a beautiful course and golf carts would tear it up.” Soil conditions and 90+ inches of rain a year factored in to the decision to keep the nine-hole course a walking course, said Erickson. In ad-
dition, the path down to the fifth hole is a bit steep and the issue of liability surfaces if golf carts were allowed on the course. Still, there are upwards of 20, perhaps as many as a couple of dozen, golf cart owners in Manzanita. Bill Nealeigh claims he was the first to have a golf in Manzanita 24 years ago. Nealeigh, like most of his counterparts, uses his golf cart to shuttle back and forth to the golf course and visit the post office and grocery store. Dick Heaman, like Nealeigh, uses his cart in the same manner, but reduces his outings during the peak tourist season because of increased traffic. “I try to stay off the streets during the summer months. It’s a little tougher going during the summer,” he said. “People are pretty congenial when it comes to golf carts in Manzanita,” added Bob Joseph, “but 101 is off limits. You’ve got to stay off 101.”
See CARTS, page 4
By Dave Fisher
Nehalem Elementary School unveiled a new mosaic and ceramic mural that graces the front entry to the school at its Art Night celebration May 8. The “Native Spirits Mural,” a working title, was part of the Arts in Education programs of the Oregon Coast Children’s Theatre and Youth Art Center. On one side of the mural is a river scene with native wildlife and on the other side Neahkahnie Mountain with ocean scenes and sea life. A sea bird perched on a metal bar that extends from the wall gives the mural a eye-catching three dimensional effect. Students submitted drawings beginning in January of scenes to be used in the mural. The student artists whose designs were chosen were Carmela Camacho, Raul Ce-
ballos, Anna Driscoll, Nina Eudy, Caleb Harth, Jayce Lawson, Rachel Lee, Eric Loza, Alondra Mendoza, Kalani Mersereau, Jaxon Sherman, Bianca Smith, Braden Soans, Sophia Van Dyke, and Espen White. However, all Nehalem Elementary students, K-5, had a hand in helping glue the ceramic tile fragments onto tile board. The project gained steam the latter part of April during a weeklong artist-inresidence effort at the school by artists associated with the Oregon Coast Children’s Theatre and Youth Art Center. Every grade got to participate and the mural is something will most likely outlast the students who helped piece it together. “These projects can often outlast the school as mosaics last for many, many years,” OCCT artistic director Larry Adrian told the Citizen.
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Concrete work on gutters, curbs and sidewalks began this week. Photo by Dave Fisher
As part of the mural adorning the entry way to Nehalem elementary, a sea bird looks as if it is going to swoop down on all of those that enter the building. Photo by Dave Fsher
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Though the contractor for the Laneda Ave. project has until June 10 to complete the job, it is looking more and more that the street from Division to Hwy 101 will be completed by the end of May. “At this point, the city is confident that the contractor will have the street paved before Memorial Day and that is well ahead of the contract schedule,” said Bret Siler, of Manzanita Public Works, in an email project update. “Hopefully the weather is good to help facilitate this early completion by the contractor.” Towards the end of last week, crews began forming the south side gutter system in preparation for the pouring of concrete early this week, weather permitting. Forming of the north side curb and gutter system of Laneda Ave. also began Monday. “We should learn at the next Monday morning meeting on when they will pour the north side curb, gutter and sidewalk. During this concrete phase is when driveway access will be impacted for the longest periods of time,” Siler added. In the meantime, Laneda Ave. is still closed to through traffic, including foot traffic from Hwy 101 to Division St. The Classic St./Laneda Ave. intersection is also closed to north and south bound traffic on Classic St. Local access is still available to those that need it within these two blocks.
Mural unveiled at Nehalem Elementary The Citizen
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