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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2015)
November 20, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A Peter Lindsey takes us on stroll through city’s history I ’ve been wandering lately into the history of Cannon Beach. And what I’ve learned is how much our landscape has shaped our history. My dip into the local past began several months ago when Rainmar Bartl, retired city planner for Cannon Beach, told me that he and several friends were working on getting Peter Lindsey’s book, “Comin’ in Over the Rock,” pub- lished with new stories and photos. When the time came to publicize a Tuesday, Nov. 10, fundraiser to collect donations for the book’s “reboot,” Bartl asked me to write the story (see the Nov. 5 Coast Weekend or the Nov. 6 Cannon Beach Gazette). Lindsey, who is known as “Professor” Lindsey because he used to teach English at Clatsop Com- munity College, is one of just a handful of Cannon Beach residents remaining who remember the village of the 1950s, when it really was just a little village of 200 people or fewer. But as a boy whose family summered there in the 1940s and moved there permanently in 1954, Lindsey knew practically everyone who lived in or regularly visited town. He knew all the stories — ei- ther those he experienced ¿ rsthand or those that were told to him. In 2004, he wrote down those stories and put them into a book. He got the ti- tle from a quote by former gas station owner George Malstead, aka “Happy Tooth.” “She’s comin’ in over the rock today!” Malstead I MPRESSIONS By NANCY McCARTHY In those days, ‘characters’ numbered in the dozens. told the boys, including Lindsey, in 1957, as wind- swept rain dashed against Haystack Rock and beat on windows throughout town. Lindsey’s stories re- count the days when there were several gas stations — now reduced to one — and when youngsters roamed freely without a lot of supervision, although, undoubtedly the small vil- lage did, collectively, raise its children. In those days, cars drove regularly on the beach, and local tow-truck drivers competed to extract them from clutching sand during high tide. “Char- acters” numbered in the dozens, including several “pops” — men with genial dispositions, long-stand- ing relationships in the community, patience with youngsters and idiosyn- cratic skills or trades; men Wearing a headlamp to help him read in the dimness, Peter Lindseyrecites his own work and others’ work during the Beachnik Cafe last year. He was the fi rst of many readers that evening. EO MEDIA GROUP/FILE PHOTO and women nicknamed “Preach,” “Beargrease” and “Dog Lady; artists who immigrated to Cannon Beach in the 1960s and ’70s; dory boat operators who took off in 12-foot- long boats near Haystack Rock; and assorted log- gers, tall-tale tellers and rascals. The “rascals” who moved to Cannon Beach were drawn by the land- scape,” Lindsey contends. “When this country was young, the spaces were vast,” he writes. “The northern Oregon coast had scant population and lim- itless nature. Large spaces require powerful spirit and character.” A place of history In another encounter with Cannon Beach’s his- tory, I visited recently with Diane Collier and Dick Basch, chairwoman and vice-chairman, respective- ly, of the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes. We met, appropriately, at Ne- Cus’ Park, the site of a village where Clatsop and Nehalem tribes lived along the banks of what is now Ecola Creek. Eventually, the tribes hope to create a cultural center at NeCus’. Basch and Collier told me how excited they were that U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., had introduced House Reso- lution 3736 that would, if Congress approves it, give federal recognition to the Clatsop-Nehalem tribes and the opportunity for funding to improve mem- bers’ health and education. The tribes lost federal recognition in 1954 (co- incidentally the same year that Peter Lindsey’s family moved to Cannon Beach) when Congress passed the Western Oregon Indian Termination Act. At that time, more than 100 tribes throughout the United States lost federal recog- nition. During our conversa- tion, Collier talked about A proposed design of a Clatsop-Nehalem interpretive center shows the elements planned for the former Cannon Beach Elementary School property. Ecola Creek is to the north, and Beaver Street is to the south. her great aunt who was born in NeCus’ village. Basch reminisced about Joe Scovell, who was the tribe’s hereditary chief until his death in 2014. They described Hobson- ville, a community on Til- lamook Bay just south of Garibaldi, which became home to some Nehalem, Clatsop and Tillamook tribal members but which also was the target of hor- rific local Ku Klux Klan raids. As we sat at the picnic table in NeCus’ (once the playground of the former Cannon Beach Elementa- ry School) and discussed the area’s earliest history, I could almost visualize the longhouses on either side of the creek where generations of Collier’s and Basch’s relatives once lived, ¿ shed and hunted. I recalled a photo I once saw of Basch as a youngster, dressed in native garb, participating in the 1955 sesquicentennial celebra- tion of Lewis and Clark’s arrival on this very site. While they talked nos- talgically about the past, however, Collier and Basch dared to dream that the federal government would, at last, honor the tribe’s history, a history that reaches back in this area several centuries and also includes inhabitants embodying the powerful 102.3 fm the Classic Rock Station M U N I C I PA L M E M O November 2015 spirit and character that Lindsey writes about. Federal recognition, Basch said, would allow the Clatsop-Nehalem Con- federated Tribes to move forward. It would give the tribes’ 182 members, spread throughout the re- gion, a reason to come home to the North Coast. “It means it would allow us to carry on our culture,” he added, “to carry on to the future.” Nancy McCarthy is the retired editor of the Cannon Beach Gazette and Seaside Signal and the former South County reporter for The Daily Astorian. She lives in Can- non Beach. Is published monthly by the City of Cannon Beach ')QYGT5VTGGVr|21$QZr%CPPQP$GCEJ14 r|(CZr|66; (14;174+0(14/#6+10 /#;145CO5VGKFGN %170%+.1459GPF[*KIIKPU /GNKUUC%CFYCNNCFGT/KMG $GPGƂGNF)GQTIG8GVVGT %+6;/#0#)'4$TCPV-WEGTC MEETINGS DECEMBER 2015 CITY COUNCIL EXECUTIVE SESSION November 3, 2015 Council met in executive session pursuant to • ORS 192.660 (2) (i) to review and evaluate the employ- ment related performance of the chief ex- ecutive of any public body, a public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing; • ORS 192.660 (2) (e) to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the govern- ing body to negotiate real property trans- actions; • ORS 192.660 (2) (h) to con- sult with coun- sel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litiga- tion likely to be filed. CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING, November 3, 2015 • Adopted Ordinance 15-03 for the %KV[%QWPEKN4GIWNCT/GGVKPI %KV[%QWPEKN9QTM5GUUKQP &GUKIP4GXKGY$QCTF 2NCPPKPI%QOOKUUKQP purpose of amending Municipal Code Chapter 13.08 Sewer System, Article I Standards and Regulations, Section 040, Building Sewers and Connections; • Tabled an ordi- nance which would have amended the Oceanfront Management (OM) Overlay Zone to prohibit foredune grading until an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan was adopted; • Adopted Resolution 15-11, for the purpose of requesting carbon pricing by the State of Oregon; • Adopted Resolu- tion 15-12, for the purpose of apply- ing for a Connect Oregon VI grant. This will assist with the cost of a study to build a pedes- trian bridge across Ecola Creek for use in evacuating to higher ground after a seismic event; • Revoked a tran- sient rental permit; • Took public input regarding marijuana retail busi- nesses within city limits and discussed options. Agreed to get more information before making any decision; and • Adopted the City Manager annual evalu- ation. RO RO RO RO CITY COUNCIL EXECUTIVE SESSION November 10, 2015 Council met in executive session pursu- ant to ORS 192.660 (2) (e) to conduct de- liberations with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real property transactions. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING & WORK SESSION, November 10, 2015 • Reviewed and modified a contract between the city and the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce regarding the use of the increase in the transient room tax to promote tourism. The new contract will be considered at the next City Coun- cil general meeting, Tuesday, December 1st at 7:00 pm. • Cannon Beach Farmers Market (CBFM) General Manager, Philomena Lloyd, pre- sented the CBFM annual report; • Haystack Rock Awareness (HRAP) Coor- dinator, Melissa Keyser, presented the HRAP annual report; • Cannon Beach Rural Fire Department (CBRFD) Captain, Matt Gardner gave a presentation on the 2015 wildfire season; • Finance Director, Laurie Sawrey, present- ed the first quarter FY 2015-16 finance report; • City Planner, Mark Barnes, gave an up- date on the FEMA mapping; and • City Manager, Brant Kucera presented an update of the upcoming strategic plan. DESIGN REVIEW BOARD - Scheduled to meet November 19, 2015 at 6:00pm. PLANNING COMMISSION - At their October 22, 2015 meeting the Planning Commission discussed: ZO-01, City of Cannon Beach Zoning Or- dinance Text Amendment Restricting Fore- dune Grading Until the Comprehensive Plan’s Sand Management Plan is Amended. Made Recommendation to Council. Note: Scheduled to meet Monday, No- vember 23, 2015 at 6:00pm. NOW HIRING The City of Cannon Beach is seeking qualified applicants for the full time po- sition of Receptionist/Court Clerk. This is a regular, full time position working Monday - Friday. Salary range is $16.00 - $19.93/hr. Must have high school diploma/GED; experience with office procedures, equipment and computer software. Candidate must posses strong customer services skills and be able to become a Notary Public and LEDS certi- fied. Download the job description and application form from our website: www. ci.cannon-beach.or.us/jobs.html. Send application, cover letter and resume to Colleen Riggs riggs@ci.cannon-beach. or.us or PO Box 368, Cannon Beach, OR 97110. Deadline: Received at City Hall by 5:00PM November 25, 2015. Cannon Beach is an EEO. City Hall will be closed Thursday November 26 & Friday November 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday The recycle center will also be closed these days.
