JUNE 5, 2015 • VOL. 39, ISSUE 12
WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Artist Steve
McLeod
dies at 70
Cannon Beach Academy fi nds temporary home
Painter, sculptor
contributed to
study of ocean
currents
After
considering
more than 20 possible lo-
cations over the last two
years, the Cannon Beach
Academy, a public char-
ter school in develop-
ment, has finally landed a
temporary home.
By Erick Bengel
Charter school to share building with two businesses
By Erick Bengel
Cannon Beach Gazette
See McLeod, Page 10A
PIERRE TOUTAIN-DORBEC PHOTO
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
Steve McLeod relaxes in his
studio last year. Th e art-
ist, who lived behind the
Coaster Th eatre for about
40 years, died May 11 from
pneumonia.
Store. The vacated space,
which takes up 3,500 square
feet of the 6,000-square-foot
building, once housed the
Cannon Beach Athletic Club.
The academy — which
submitted its charter propos-
al to the Seaside School Dis-
trict Board for the third time
See Academy, Page 9A
ERICK BENGEL PHOTO
Th e temporary location of the Cannon Beach Academy,
171 Sunset Blvd., will be a vacated space between Cleanline
Surf and Copies & Fax.
‘We have the watch’
Cannon Beach Gazette
Steve McLeod, 70, a
versatile Cannon Beach art-
ist and avid beachcomber,
died of pneumonia May 11
at Portland’s Providence
St. Vincent Medical Center
three days after being trans-
ferred from Providence Sea-
side Hospital.
“He was by himself,”
said his friend Dave Butler.
“He chose to be by himself.”
An evolving artist known
for seascapes, abstract
paintings, and pieces com-
posed of dried kelp, jetsam
and other beach detritus,
McLeod’s work resides in
homes, galleries and other
establishments throughout
town.
“His paintings are ev-
erywhere,” former Cannon
Beach Mayor Mike Morgan
said. “He’s very well thought
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Robin Risley, a Cannon
Beach resident, said that
McLeod “took life serious-
ly.” In his art, “you saw a
technical discipline that he
had, and I think he kind of
approached life that way,
too. He wanted to dig into
the details ... to make sense
of everything.”
McLeod is also famous
as the person who, in the
early 90s, began collecting
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sneakers that washed ashore
along the West Coast — and
especially the Oregon Coast
— after the company’s ship-
ping containers en route
to Seattle fell overboard
and broke open. McLeod’s
notes on where the shoes ran
aground proved valuable to
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currents.
The planning commission
granted the academy a condi-
tional use permit May 28 that
allows the burgeoning K-5
school to modify and even-
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portion of the existing com-
mercial building at 171 Sun-
set Blvd., which also houses
Cleanline Surf, Copies & Fax
and Cannon Beach Liquor
City council
approves
budget for
$14.6 million
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
ERICK BENGEL PHOTO
Almost 100 people attended the American Legion Post 168’s Memorial Day ceremony May 25. Locals and visitors
turned out to honor the men and women who died serving their country.
American Legion Post 168 observes Memorial Day in Cannon Beach
westward railing into Ecola Creek,
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a grave — to say ‘Thank you,’” said
Cannon Beach resident Mary Kerwin,
who threw lilies. Her husband, Jack
Kerwin, served in the Vietnam War.
By Erick Bengel
Cannon Beach Gazette
I
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membrance, said Dan O’Reil-
ly, the incoming commander at
American Legion Post 168 in Can-
non Beach.
At 11 a.m. May 25, almost 100
locals and visitors converged on Fir
Street to observe a decades-old home-
grown Memorial Day ceremony con-
ducted by the Legion.
From the Cannon Beach Elemen-
tary School site, the Legion’s color
guard, led by Post Commander Don
Boehm, marched north to the Fir Street
Bridge: Legionnaire Michael “Mick”
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Sergeant-at-Arms Leonard Skreba,
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iliary Carolyn Anderson, the Auxilia-
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Before the crowd, O’Reilly deliv-
ered the following oration:
“This country was founded in rev-
olution by overthrowing a tyrannical
government. The cause was liberty.
This was not done without cost. Patri-
ots gave us all that they had and suf-
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what we now enjoy.
“Since then, the call to the col-
ors has been sounded far too often,
but our brave warriors continue to
rise and respond. They have served,
perished and bled in every part of
the globe. They neither sought this
responsibility, nor did they shy
away from it. Our men and women
have served with dignity and hon-
or, regardless of race or creed, for
‘What we owe’
Col. Steven Easterday, a parttime
Cannon beach resident from Portland,
said he attends commemorative events
like Cannon Beach’s to pay tribute, not
just to departed service members, but
ERICK BENGEL PHOTO to all members on active duty.
Service Offi cer Barbara Johnson
A veteran who served as a Marine
tosses a fl ower into Ecola Creek — engineer from 1972 to 2002, Easter-
as someone would lay fl owers at a day said several Marines from his
grave — to remember the United unit whom we knew personally were
States’ fallen warriors.
killed in action during and after Oper-
ation Desert Storm. “It was great to be
the common goal of the liberties we working with them, and to remember
them on a day like today,” he said.
enjoy.
Post 168’s Memorial Day ceremo-
“This is what to remember and
KRQRU IRU WKRVH ZKR KDYH VDFUL¿FHG ny originally began in the 1970s as
their all. They truly are our families a way to honor the auxiliary women
and must always be cherished. We of Cannon Beach who had lost their
owe them more than we could ever husbands, said Boehm, who helped
give. Their gift to us is best symbol- expand the event over the years.
“I just appreciate the people that
ized by the U.S. Military Academy’s
turn out for it,” he said. “To me, it’s
motto: ‘Duty. Honor. Country.’
“It it our responsibility to accept just a very heartwarming and a very
this challenge and to never forget what meaningful way to show respect for
these brave men and women gave to the servicemen and women lost in the
us. The plaintive tones of ‘Taps’ will Great Wars.”
Asked how he feels after these an-
tell these fallen warriors that they may
rest, for we accept this duty, and we nual observances, O’Reilly — who
served in Vietnam along with his
have the watch.”
While veterans saluted and civilians brother, whose father served in World
placed hand over heart, Pat Hegrenes, War II, and whose oldest son served in
a Sons of the American Legion mem- WKH¿UVW*XOI:DU²VDLG
“I feel a real depth of commitment
ber, sounded “Taps” on the bugle.
In the solemn silence that followed, to continue to do this as long as I can,
GR]HQV RI SHRSOH WRVVHG ÀRZHUV RI for what we owe that’s been paid for,”
different varieties over the bridge’s he said.
The Cannon Beach City
Council unanimously adopt-
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budget Tuesday night, ap-
proving the $14,603,000 bud-
get to go into effect July 1.
Included are $1.4 mil-
lion for public safety; a
$1,184,400 wastewater enter-
prise fund, and a $1,866,000
RV park enterprise fund.
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phase of an expected three-
phase project involving a
complete replacement of the
RV Park’s electrical system,
a water system replacement
and a sewer system upgrade.
The project also includes the
installation of 50 amp service
pedestals at each RV pad,
new water service pedestals
and re-paving roads and pads
after removing intrusive tree
roots. The full project is esti-
mated to cost $450,000.
A 1 percent room tax
increase approved by the
council will help fund the
$283,850 allocated for tour-
ism and arts.
The roads fund of
$826,015 was approved by
a separate resolution, as the
Cannon Beach Road District
is a special taxing district
within Clatsop County. The
city, by annual resolution,
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get for the Road District and
levies property taxes within
the district to provide fund-
ing. The fund is composed of
funds for personnel services,
materials and capital outlay.
At Tuesday night’s meet-
ing, the council also endorsed
a resolution to enact a 3.16
percent increase in water,
sewer and storm drain utility
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ed in the approved budget.
Residential rates are based on
the number of dwelling units
located at a service address. A
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room or group of rooms with
a common interior access to
all living, kitchen and bath-
room areas.
Repairs, new personnel
With passage of the bud-
get, the city readies to embark
See Budget, Page 10A
Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest celebrates 51st anniversary
Event founders turned tragedy into opportunity
By Erick Bengel
Cannon Beach Gazette
T he
Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest,
which celebrates its 51st anniversary this
year, is, like all sandcastle events, an exercise
in living with impermanence,
in creating order and beauty
while preparing for its destruc-
tion, in learning to let go.
For several sunny, enchant-
ed hours, thousands of vis-
itors descend on Cannon
Beach’s shoreline to watch
dozens of sand sculptors
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ures: castles and dragons,
sea creatures and cartoon
characters — the inspira-
tion seems inexhaustible.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANNON BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Just about everyone has
Fantastical creatures, like dragon pictured here, tend to ap- a good time: The sculptors
pear during Cannon Beach’s annual Sandcastle Contest. Th is — amateurs and masters
year celebrates the city’s 52st consecutive Sandcastle event.
— revel in the teamwork
and craftsmanship, while the spectators stroll among the
plots, awed and entertained.
But the end is written into the beginning. By sunset, all
physical evidence of the sculptures will be erased, taken by
the tides. And the canvas of the coastline will be blank once
more, ready for another troupe of imaginative beachgoers to
momentarily shape nature to their will.
Schedule of events
Cannon Beach’s Sandcastle Contest — the oldest in Ore-
gon — falls on June 20 this year and is the grand centerpiece
of a three-day shindig.
The festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. June 19 with the Sand-
castle Parade; the line-up begins at 5 p.m. at Spruce and Sec-
ond streets.
This will be followed by a “Bucket & Shovel” dinner
with salad, spaghetti and clam chowder options on offer at
the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce Community Hall
from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The Sandcastle Contest itself begins the next day at 7:30
a.m. down on the beach. Awards will be announced at 12:30
p.m. (Registration closes at noon June 19.)
See Sandcastles, Page 12A