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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2015)
November 6, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A Th e Cannon Beach dune: Be careful what you wish for The following is based on the newly discovered journal of an aide to the Lewis and Clark expe- dition. It is derived from a report by one of the party who accompanied Sacagawea on her visit to what might be the location of the town now known as Cannon Beach. I n 1806, Sacagawea, the guide for the Lewis and Clark Expe- dition, traveled south from the explorers’camp at Fort Clatsop. Her purpose was to make contact with Indian tribes living along the coast south of the Columbia Riv- er. After three days, she arrived at a village of Indians living on a low sand dune just south of a fresh water creek and across from a tall rock dome in the sea near the shore. While camping with the In- dians, she was surprised to learn that the established families liv- ing on the low dune were refus- ing to grant permission for any visiting families to settle in the village, sending them to live apart on a high sand dune across the creek north of their village. Sacagawea observed that the low dune villagers had easy ac- cess to the bounty of food from the beach and the sea. But the high dune villagers had to cross the wide dune, make a steep descent to the beach and sea, then make a steep and long climb to carry food back to their families. Many of the low dune villagers quietly gloated, but some loudly mocked the high dune newcomers. The low dune villagers soon began to realize that the high dune newcomers had much better views of the beach, the sea, and the many beautiful rock outcrops along the coast. And, they came to resent the high dune villagers’ ™better exposure to the cool- ing breezes during hot summer nights. Some of the low dune villag- ers’ jealousy turned to anger at the high dune families, and they began nightly ritual dances to in- voke the spirit of the wind, calling Free dentistry in Wheeler Emergency Dental, LLC in Wheeler is giv- ing a free day of den- tistry on Friday, Nov. 27. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis until 4 p.m. No appointments will be made in advance. Patients may choose between one of the fol- lowing services: ex- traction, filling, or cleaning. Patients must be 18 or older, or accom- panied by a parent or le- gal guardian. The waiting area is outside; dress appropri- ately. For more informa- tion, call 503-810-3840. G UEST C OLUMN its power a it is bid, it might turn with hostility on the dancers if it felt their motives were impure. The low dune elders implored the By GDQFHUV WR kÞUHDW WKH KLJK GXQH villagers as they might wish the DAVID DORNBUSCH high dune villagers to treat them. kß7KH\ZDUQHG³EHFDUHIXOZKDW on the spirit to blow more sand you dance for.” But the dancers onto the high dune to make the danced on. dune even higher, wider and the One night, the wind stopped. slope steeper. The sea became calm. And, in the Night after night, the low dune morning, the villagers saw that villagers danced. And, night after all of the many birds that were night, the wind spirit blew more always in view had disappeared. sand onto the high dune, until the Then, beginning with a slight dune grew so high and wide that breeze from the sea, the wind be- the high dune families lost their gan to build. Stronger and stron- view of the sea, the beach and ger it blew until everyone in both most of the rocks that adorned the the low and high dune villages coast. Accessing the beach and stopped what they were doing, sea from the higher, wider and looked out to the sea and listened steeper dune became ever more DVWKHZLQGkÚKXPEHFDPHDKRZO GLI¿FXOWHVSHFLDOO\IRUWKHHOGHUO\ They watched as the wind built and the young. increasingly larger waves that The elders among the low dune crashed against the beach, some villagers warned that the wind splashing right up to the low dune. spirit is a capricious spirit. And, Just as the low dune villagers ran while the spirit might initially use to higher ground, the wind spirit sent a series of giant waves crash- ing across the beach and over the low dune with such power that in just a few seconds the entire low dune village was washed away and the remains of the low dune homes were swept out to sea. Wave after wave continued to pound against the high dune, un- dercutting it until the front of the dune collapsed and was washed away. When the waves receded, and the wind died, the high dune village remained as it was. But where there had been a high, wide and steep dune, there was now only a gradual slope down to the beach. And so it was that the great spirit of the wind, in just a few minutes, wahed away an entire village and all of the sand it had deposited over many days, leav- ing only a gentle slope where it had built a huge dune north of a fresh water creek and tall rock dome in the sea that was a three- day walk south from the Colum- bia River. Enjoy Oregon wines at at Downtown Wine Walk More than 20 Oregon wineries will be sharing tastings of their award winning wines at various locations throughout down- town area in Seaside Sat- urday, Nov. 14, during the semi-annual Seaside Down- town Wine Walk sponsored by the Seaside Downtown Development Association. Each venue will be provid- ing complementary food from various restaurants. Typically, more than 750 participants enjoy stroll- ing, sipping, and shopping throughout downtown Sea- side from 3 to 7 p.m. and cap their experience with dinner at one of Seaside’s ¿QHUHVWDXUDQWV Registration stations, which include ID check, will be located in the Carou- sel Mall, at 300 Broadway and the Elks Lodge at 324 Avenue A, from 1 to 6:30 p.m. as well as the River- Tide Suites at 102 N. Holl- aday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. The $10 participant fee provides the required com- memorative wine glass and ID bracelet as well as entry into a drawing for various JLIW FHUWL¿FDWHV LQFOXGLQJ tickets for the Spring 2016 Seaside Downtown Wine Walk. Tickets can also be ordered in advance on SD- DA’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/seaside- downtown. LET TERS Keep beach bill safe After reading Louis Sar- gent’s letter “Beach love” (The Daily Astorian, Oct. 23), I wondered why Sargent was puzzled by Matt Love’s un- relenting paeans to Oregon’s “historic Beach Bill,” which created Oregon’s public beach access. Love’s constant concern for keeping Oregon’s coast an open road should be encouraged, not criticized, because without people like Love, Oregon’s Beach Bill would not exist “in perpetu- ity,” as it is now written. Sargent’s ramble about the use of the public beaches in other states, walking more miles than Love, and being twice his age, is irrelevant. What Sargent omits is the fact that if you look up beach ac- cess laws in any of the states KH PHQWLRQHG \RX ZLOO ¿QG that these states have major problems when it comes to private versus public access. This is why Love continues to cry out for us to protect Or- egon’s beaches, and to help him in celebrating the 50th an- niversary of Oregon’s historic Beach Bill on July 6, 2017. Perhaps Sargent doesn’t know that Love’s 2009 hard- back compilation of the best of Oregon writing, “Citadel of the Spirit: Oregon’s Ses- quicentennial Anthology” also contains a DVD of Tom 2OVHQ¶V ¿OP GRFXPHQWDU\ “Politics of Sand.” If Sargent were to see Love’s participation in that documentary, and listen to his passionate and perceptive commentary concerning the political process that resulted in Oregon’s Beach Bill, then I’m sure Sargent would not ask, as he has in his letter, “Why doth Love protest so much?” But if an answer is need- ed, Matt Love might quote Abraham Lincoln and say, THE COASTER THEATRE PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS ³:KHQHYHUWKHUHLVDFRQÀLFW between human rights and property rights, human rights must prevail.” In terms of Or- egon’s statewide open-road free access beaches, that can- not be said enough. Rex Amos Cannon Beach the community of Cannon Beach for 35 years — 10 \HDUV DV D SROLFH RI¿FHU \HDUV DV D YROXQWHHU ¿UH ¿JKWHU2YHUWZR\HDUVDJR Mike was offered the posi- tion of chief. He accepted, with no training in admin- istration, and was given no job description. What kind Bad actions of directors are these people? The purpose of this letter Where is the direction? is to share my feelings of dis- After two years, they de- gust with the recent actions of cide he isn’t cutting it, so the board of directors of the they give him no options, no Cannon Beach Fire Depart- further training, no choices, PHQWLQWKH¿ULQJRIWKHFKLHI no offer to step down, or Mike Balzer. The process that to retire. If they had some the board chose to use in the morals and knew the busi- ¿ULQJZDVHYLOZURQJPHDQ ness, they would have re- and unfair. alized two things: that his I believe each board mem- leadership on scene, during ber — Sharon Clyde, Linda an event, is almost unsur- Sweeny, Garry Smith and passed; and, that the morale Mark Mekenis — should take RIWKH¿UH¿JKWHUVLQ&DQ responsibility for the feelings non Beach increased by 400 of degradation, devastation, percent when Mike became and embarrassment that Mike chief. must be experiencing. If they They should have done don’t get sued for defama- everything to keep Mike tion of character, it will be a ZLWKWKH¿UHGHSDUWPHQW,Q surprise. The Gazette stated stead, with no warning, they ³SHUVRQDOUHDVRQV´IRUWKH¿U put this gentle, family man ing. What ... someone didn’t in a room with cops “in case like him? of a violent outbreak” to end Mike Balzer has been KLV FDUHHU ZLWK WKH ¿UH GH an upstanding member of partment. munity College should be a requirement for all board members. They made Chief Balzer look like a criminal, and knowing him personal- ly, that is far from who he is. They should be ashamed of themselves, or at least those Reinstate Fire Chief who chose to join the insti- Mike Balzer gator. Shame on you In the Cannon Beach that It seemed odd to me to re- $V D UHWLUHG ¿UH¿JKWHU I remember, Balzer would turn from vacation last week- HQG WR ¿QG &DQQRQ %HDFK from the Cannon Beach Fire still be the chief, and some of Fire Chief Balzer’s vehicle Department, I am extreme- those board members would parked at the station. I am O\ GLVDSSRLQWHG LQ WKH ¿UH be recalled. I am ashamed for much more accustomed to ERDUG¶VKDQGOLQJRIWKH¿ULQJ you. Dianne Schuette seeing the vehicle respond- of Chief Mike Balzer. It is, in Retired ¿ re¿ ghteremer ing Code 3 to some weekend my opinion, unfortunate that gency medical technician, emergency. I have known the board did not show class Cannon Beach Rural Fire Mike Balzer for over 10 years nor dignity in the way they District and have personally observed dispensed with the chief. Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Perhaps a course in man- his dedication and commit- Mexico ment to Cannon Beach Fire agement at Clatsop Com- That is evil. How do they sleep at night? A formal let- ter of apology couldn’t suf- ¿FH+RZDUHWKH\JRLQJWR make amends? Kathleen Weigel Seaside 102.3 fm the Classic Rock Station Ca n n on Be a ch ’s La rge s t Se le ction of Ore gon a n d W a s h in gton W in e ! Live Local? Get 20% off any treatment at Elements Spa! 503-436-0366 | elementsbythesea.com P.S. Also enjoy a wave cleanse steam shower and saltwater pool access on us! *Please bring your North Coast ID. and Rescue and to the com- munity he serves. In the ab- sence of any misconduct on the part of Chief Balzer, he should be immediately rein- stated. Eric Reiter Tolovana Park U P C O M IN G TA STIN G S Sh ack H ou rs Su n-T hu s • 11am to 5pm Fri-Sat • 11am to 6pm Tastin g R oom H ou rs Satu rd ays • 1 to 5pm O pen T hanksgiving D ay 11am to 2pm N ov 7 N ov 14 N ov 21 N ov 28 D ec 5 • S torm y W eather W ines • H olloran V ineyard s (W O W ) • T hanksgiving W ines • W ines of the Y ear! • Puffin & F riend s “Best W ine Sh op on th e O regon Coa st.” - W ine Ju lia 124 N. He m lock, Ca n n on Be a ch 503 .43 6 .1100 - w w w .b e a ch w in e .com GIVE BEST WAY 7KH2+68DQG'RHUQEHFKHU)RXQGDWLRQVè*LIW3ODQQLQJWHDPFDQKHOS\RXVXSSRUWWKHPLVVLR RQVRI 2UHJRQ+HDOWK6FLHQFH8QLYHUVLW\RU'RHUQEHFKHU&KLOGUHQèV+RVSLWDOZLWKPDQ\NLQGVRI IJLIWV åZLOOVWUXVWVUHDOHVWDWHSHUVRQDOSURSHUW\VWRFNVRURWKHUDVVHWV2XUJLIWSODQQHUVDUHUHD G\WR KHOS\RXH[SORUHWKHSRVVLELOLWLHVDQGPDNHWKHPRVWRI\RXUSKLODQWK URS\ Nov. 13 - Dec. 20, 2015 CALL OR VISIT US ONLINE TO LEARN MORE. 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