DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
143RD YEAR, NO. 170
ONE DOLLAR
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haven,
near the
Nehalem
Family chooses to bury
Elsie man at home
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Mist and sand blow through the air around the Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park Tuesday.
THE WEATHER
IS JUST BEACHY
Scenes from Fort Stevens showcase wild weather day
Photos By JOSHUA BESSEX
Strong winds whipped up sand through the dunes and sea foam surrounded the Peter Iredale Shipwreck Tuesday eve-
ning, capping off a day of wacky weather. ¶ The clear, windy evening followed a day of intermittent hard rain and hail
along the North Coast. ¶ Eagles, seagulls and other shorebirds took advantage of an empty beach, gliding in the gusts in
search of food. Meanwhile, at the South Jetty, waves crashed over the boulders, sending mist high into the air along with
the birds who perched along the rocks. ¶ See more Tuesday weather photos online at www.dailyastorian.com.
Kay Briggs was surprised when law
enforcement showed up at her husband’s
funeral.
The ceremony began Monday afternoon as
friends and family gathered on the rural prop-
erty near Elsie, where John Briggs, 73, was
about to be buried in the yard outside his home.
He was in an open wooden box. A large
freshly dug hole was nearby.
Home burials are allowed in Oregon, but
are not common.
“If I can have him here on our property,
why not?” Kay Briggs said.
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Oregon State Police responded to an anon-
ymous tip that the ceremony was taking
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tip was wrong.
“It appears the family followed proper
procedures and it’s allowed,” Clatsop
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said. “Our involvement was just to make
sure the death was investigated properly,
which it was.”
Schroeder put Kay Briggs in contact with
the Clatsop County medical examiner. After
a brief conversation, the funeral and burial
were allowed to proceed.
See BURIAL, Page 12A
Cannon
Beach
says ‘yes’
to housing
‘Smaller homes
on smaller lots,’
Nicholson says
ABOVE: A bald eagle flies around the beach at Fort Steven State Park Tuesday. BELOW LEFT: Waves crash against the South Jetty
on Tuesday. BELOW RIGHT: Wind sweeps sand over the dunes at Fort Stevens State Park on Tuesday.
ROCK TALK
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forward to spending a lot more
time out here.”
The new staff environmen-
tal interpreter for the Hay-
stack Rock Awareness Pro-
By LYRA FONTAINE
gram, which started its season
EO Media Group
earlier this month, has worked
as a land steward for the North
CANNON BEACH — It’s Coast Land Conservancy and
just his third shift, but Eric holds a degree in environmen-
2ZHQ LV FRQ¿GHQW ZKHQ KH tal science.
educates visitors about the
Kelsey Brown joined Owen
marine life on algae-covered on the sunny Monday after-
rocks leading up to Haystack noon. She began volunteering
Rock.
as a Rocky Shore Interpreter
“I love being in natural last March, before becom-
KDELWDWV VR LW ZDV D JRRG ¿W ing the program’s volunteer
for me,” he said, stopping to coordinator.
New leaders,
interactive tools
help volunteers
See VOLUNTEERS, Page 12A
By LYRA FONTAINE
EO Media Group
CANNON BEACH —The Cannon
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approval, with conditions, to a highly con-
tested four-lot residential
development plan Wednes-
day night.
The council’s public hear-
ing lasted more than three
hours and had City Hall’s
seats and doorways packed
with the project’s opponents
Jeff
and supporters.
Nicholson
It ended the third stage for
approving the development
proposed by Cannon Beach property owner
and Portland resident Jeff Nicholson, who
bought the property at 532 N. Laurel St. in
2014 for $900,000.
Nicholson’s proposals have faced oppo-
sition from the Friends of Cannon Beach
group, been denied twice by the Planning
Commission, gone through a Land Use
Board of Appeals decision and earned tenta-
tive approval last year from the City Council.
“It will look like what we all know Can-
non Beach to look like, having smaller
homes on smaller lots,” Nicholson said. “I
would prefer to have any future development
to go along with the comprehensive plan and
look like Cannon Beach has looked.”
One in opposition
Lyra Fontaine/EO Media Group
The council voted 4-1, with City Coun-
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approval.
“That ticking time bomb continues to
tick, so I don’t think we have a choice but
to address this in this hearing. But it should
never have come here, it should have been
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procedure. I don’t think we have a choice,
and I don’t like not having a choice.”
Volunteer Coordinator Kelsey Brown edu-
cates visitors at Haystack Rock.
See HOUSING, Page 12A