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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2015)
JANUARY 16, 2015 • VOL. 39, ISSUE 2 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM COMPLIMENTARY COPY Police department tries out a new K-9 offi cer ‘Gunner’ is proving more capable than his predecessor, known as ‘Cash’ who started working with KLV KDQGOHU 2I¿FHU -RVK *UHJRU\LQODWH'HFHPEHU Though he has yet to EH FHUWL¿HG WKH SRXQG GRJ ZKLFK WKH GHSDUWPHQW SLFNHGXSLQ5HG%OXII&D OLIFDPHSUHWUDLQHGWRVQLII RXWFRFDLQHKHURLQHPHWK By Erick Bengel DPSKHWDPLQH DQG HFVWDV\ Cannon Beach Gazette Gregory said. Because some states The Cannon Beach Po- KDYH OHJDOL]HG UHFUHDWLRQ lice Department’s second DO PDULMXDQD DQG FLWL]HQV DWWHPSW WR ¿QG WKH ULJKW nationwide possess med- . RI¿FHU KDV \LHOGHG D LFDO PDULMXDQD FDUGV . 2-year-old male chocolate RI¿FHUV LQ PDQ\ VWDWHV QR /DEUDGRUQDPHG³*XQQHU´ longer get trained to hit RQ PDULMXDQD &KLHI -DVRQ Schermerhorn said. Once Gunner has com- pleted his narcotics train- LQJ KH ZLOO VWDUW VHDUFK and-rescue training with 7DPL 6FKXOW] RI &ODWVRS &RXQW\6HDUFKDQG5HVFXH making him a “dual-pur- SRVH´.RI¿FHU He will be the only nar- cotics dog at a Clatsop County law enforcement agency since the county VKHULII¶V RI¿FH ORVW LWV QDU cotics dog early last year See K-9, Page 11A “Gunner,” a nar- cotics and search- and-rescue K-9 officer-in-training, makes himself com- fortable in the Can- non Beach Police Department with his handler, Officer Josh Gregory. Gun- ner’s predecessor, Cash, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, didn’t complete the training. ERICK BENGEL PHOTO BACK to the BEGINNING PHOTO COURTESY OF HAYSTACK ROCK AWARENESS PROGRAM Th e white goo on the severed end of a dead sea star’s limbs told HRAP Coordinator Samantha Ferber that the limb loss was the result of the wasting disease, not predation. Sea stars making a comeback aft er deadly epidemic ‘Densovirus’ may be responsible for sea star wasting disease By Erick Bengel Cannon Beach Gazette PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE The worst of the sea star wasting disease epidemic that decimated sea star popu- lations along the West Coast during the past 19 months ap- pears to be over at Haystack Rock — at least for now. Most of what’s left are the juvenile sea stars that some- how survived the patho- genic onslaught that killed off more than 90 percent of their fellows during the 2014 EHDFK VHDVRQ DFFRUGLQJ WR Haystack Rock Awareness Coordinator Samantha Fer- EHUZKRUHFRUGHGWKHGHDWK toll at three sites. “Now that we’re past the SHDN RI WKH GLVHDVH ZH¶UH VWDUWLQJ WR VHH WKDW DFURVV WKH ERDUG VHD VWDUV GRQ¶W KDYH DV VHYHUH V\PSWRPV´ )HUEHU VDLG +RZHYHU WKLV may be because the sea stars that did show the most se- vere symptoms have all died RXWVKHQRWHG A fall survey that Ferber ERICK BENGEL PHOTO Public works employees Kirk Anderson, left , and Paul Phillips, right, place the NeCus’ Park sign atop its base near Fir Street. Dick Basch, center background, vice chairman of the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes, enjoys the moment, along with Diane Collier, the tribe chairwoman; Jan Siebert-Wahrmund, a Cannon Beach resident; and Robin Risley, a member of the city’s Parks and Community Services Committee. conducted with HRAP volun- teers at and around Haystack 5RFN IRXQG WKDW \RXQJHU smaller sea stars tended to fare EHWWHUWKDQROGHUODUJHURQHV By Erick Bengel • Of nine recorded ochre non Beach. The city hopes to purchase D PRQWK WR FRPSOHWH WKH VLJQDJH Cannon Beach Gazette sea stars on Haystack Rock’s the south portion of the site from the SURMHFWZKLFKLQYROYHGWKHSDUNVDQG VRXWKZDOOWKHRQO\WKUHHWKDW VFKRROGLVWULFWDQGRQHGD\WUDQVIRUP community services committee and he newly minted NeCus’ Park the full property into a Clatsop-Ne- WKHGHVLJQUHYLHZERDUGEHJDQDWWKH showed wasting signs had a sign that the public works de- halem interpretive center. radius (measured from the end of last June. Walsh collaborated partment set up at the edge middle of their body to the tip 8QWLO WKHQ KRZHYHU WKH FLW\ LV ZLWK 7UDF\ 6XQG D VWUHHW VSHFLDOLVW of Fir Street the morning of Dec. 31 PDNLQJGRZLWKDSXEOLFSDUNZKLFK ZLWK SXEOLF ZRUNV DQG 'LFN %DVFK of their longest limb) larger means much and more to the Clat- QRZKDVLWVRZQVLJQWKDW'LFN%DVFK who sent her photos for inspiration. than 40 millimeters. sop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes. • Of 21 recorded ochre 7KHZKROHSURMHFWFRVWDF YLFH FKDLUPDQ RI WKH WULEH ORYLQJO\ Resembling a traditional Clat- called a “showpiece.” sea stars on the east boulder FRUGLQJWR-HDQ5LFHWKHFLW\¶V¿QDQFH VRS1HKDOHPFDQRHÀRDWLQJRQZDWHU DW WKH 1HHGOHV VKRZHG “It’s just wonderful. It’s really ex- RI¿FHPDQDJHU its prow pointed resolutely toward the FLWLQJ´VDLG'LDQH&ROOLHUFKDLUZRP wasting signs; the three sea ³,WZDVDODERURIORYHMXVWOLNHDOO RFHDQ WKH VLJQ V\PEROL]HV DQG FHOH DQ RI WKH WULEH DV WKH SXEOLF ZRUNV WKHVH NLQGV RI SURMHFWV´ VDLG 6XQG stars with a radius smaller brates the indigenous village named crew secured the sign to its base before who supervised the installation. than 40 millimeters showed “NeCus’” that once prospered in the DFURZGRIDERXWDGR]HQORFDOV no signs. (While these num- 2QFHWKHVLJQKDGEHHQPRXQWHG DUHDSULRUWRFRORQL]DWLRQDFFRUGLQJWR bers demonstrate that not 5REHUWD %DVFK 'LFN %DVFK¶V ZLIH ‘Only the beginning’ tribal members. all larger sea stars became DQGFXOWXUHDGYLVHUWRWKHWULEHXW 'HVLJQHGE\6XVDQ&:DOVKD1H WHUHG D FHUHPRQLDO SUD\HU EOHVVLQJ ³1H&XV¶´ ² ZKLFK WKH WULEH EH LQIHFWHG WKH\ DGG HYLGHQFH OLHYHVZDVIRXQGHGQHDUWKHPRXWKRI KDOHPEDVHGDUWLVWZKRRZQV0DQ]D WKHFLW\¶VUHODWLRQVKLSZLWKWKHWULEH to the claim that the smaller Ecola Creek at the Cannon Beach Ele- QLWD6LJQ&RPSDQ\WKHVLJQLVPHDQW the ancestors who lived at the site ones tended not to become mentary School site — roughly trans- to bring the Clatsop-Nehalem “brand” ORQJDJRDQGRIFRXUVHWKHVLWHLW infected.) ODWHVWR³ZKHUHWKHWLGHÀRZVVZLIWO\ EDFNWRWKHDUHDVKHVDLG • Of 24 recorded ochre sea VHOI ² ZKDW LW ZDV ZKDW LW LV DQG Walsh carved the letters herself in what it may become. out.” VWDUV RQ WKH QRUWK ERXOGHUV The park covers the city-owned her studio with a chisel and mallet. WKH RQO\ ¿YH WKDW VKRZHG ³7KLVLVDQHZWLPHIRUDOORIXV´ north portion of the school site. When Both the 10-foot-long sign and its base she said. The formal christening of the wasting signs were larger the Seaside School District closed the were milled from a cedar log from Til- VLWHVKHDGGHGUHSUHVHQWVD¿UVWVWHS than 40 millimeters. VFKRRO LQ -XQH WKH SDUFHO EH lamook. Though Ferber and her toward restoring the Clatsop-Nehalem Though the physical labor involved presence in Cannon Beach. “This is FDPHWKHSURSHUW\RI&ODWVRS&RXQW\ team looked at all of the sea which then gave it to the city of Can- in shaping the wood took Walsh about only the beginning.” VWDUVSHFLHVDW+D\VWDFN5RFN WKH\ ZHUH RQO\ DEOH WR ¿QG ochres and six-rayed sea stars. Since the disease hit the rock ODVWVSULQJ³ZHKDYHQRWVHHQ DVLQJOHVXQÀRZHUVHDVWDU´ a species that used to be seen in the tide pools during lower WLGHVVKHVDLG 2Q -DQ +5$3 ZLOO FRQGXFW DQRWKHU VXUYH\ sion meeting Jan. 22. entire north end of Cannon \HDUVP\YLHZKDVGZLQGOHG which rates the disease sta- Proposed WR VHHLQJ VRPH VN\´ VDLG The Breakers Point Beach?” tus of individual specimens Homeowners Association is After roughly two and a )UDQ&DUH\ZKRKDVOLYHGDW (with “1” meaning mild and project would applying for a conditional use half hours of public testimo- Breakers Point for more than “4” meaning severe). Fer- permit that would allow fore- Q\ LQ 'HFHPEHU ZKHQ WKH \HDUV³7KHVDQGLVVRKLJK ber sends the results of these move almost dune grading west and south City Council chambers over- I am unable to have access to quarterly surveys to MARINe 74,000 cubic of its condominium develop- ÀRZHGZLWKWKRVHZLVKLQJWR WKH EHDFK DQG GXULQJ DQ\ (Multi-Agency Rocky Inter- ment. The dunes are 46 feet VSHDNRQWKHLVVXHWKHSODQ storm I have blowing sand on WLGDO 1HWZRUN D FRQVRUWLXP yards of sand KLJKLQVRPHDUHDVEORFNLQJ ning commission voted to my windows and my patio.” of universities and govern- onto beach The dune grading project the homeowners’ oceanfront continue the public hearing to ment agencies that monitors HQWDLOVUHPRYLQJXSWR views and spreading sand its next meeting. the ecology of rocky intertidal By Erick Bengel cubic yards of windblown RQWR WKHLU SURSHUWLHV VDLG areas along the West Coast. Cannon Beach Gazette sand trapped by European %UXFH )UDQFLV WKH SURSHUW\ Those in favor ‘Falling apart’ Breakers Point homeown- beachgrass and depositing manager. “You have to physi- Before the wasting disease More discussion on a FDOO\VKRYHOLWDZD\´KHVDLG ers discussed their reasons for the majority of it in the inter- arrived in Cannon Beach last proposal to grade the sand WLGDO]RQHWKHUHVWZRXOGJR %XW RSSRQHQWV LQFOXGLQJ wanting the dunes graded. VSULQJ LW KDG DOUHDG\ ZLSHG dunes at Breakers Point is north end resident Lisa Fras- ³:KHQ,¿UVWPRYHGKHUH into the Ecola Creek Estuary. planned during the Cannon HUDUHDVNLQJ³,VLWZRUWKWKH I could see Haystack Rock See Wasting, Page 11A Beach Planning Commis- views of a few to reshape the from my window. Over the See Dunes, Page 11A City hopes to turn NeCus’ park site into cultural center T Breakers Point dune grading proposal attracts overfl ow crowd