Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current, January 01, 2016, Image 4

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Cannon Beach gazette., January 01, 2016, Page 4A, Image 4

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2016)

Prev Page of 10 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (1.4 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Prev Page of 10 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page Text4A • January 1, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Views from the Rock LEADING STORIES OF THE YEAR Dunes, dispensaries and a charter school CANNON SHOTS R.J. MARX What do residents of Cannon Beach want? Depends on which one you ask. Should beaches be left alone? Or do they need special care — especially to preserve million dol- lar views. Some residents have thrown their support whole-heartedly behind former Fire Chief Mike Balzer. Others say he just wasn’t doing the job. Cannabis? Most neighboring cities have come to a plan for the licensing and sale. Cannon Beach isn’t sure yet. As for the new Cannon Beach Academy coming this fall for kin- GHUJDUWHQ DQG ¿UVWJUDGH FODVVHV this is a tiptoe into the shallow end before the district opens to more grade levels. Such divisions and uncer- tainties are not new to Cannon %HDFK ZKHUH OLIH DOZD\V KDQJV in the balance between tsunami safety and luxury living. In a city where “affordable housing” is an oxymoron and visitors outnumber UHVLGHQWV PRUH WKDQ WR RQH every decision comes with conse- quences. No wonder City Manager Brant Kucera is urging a new stra- tegic plan. ing dune-grading applications. But with pressure from home- RZQHUV DW %UHDNHUV 3RLQW VXS ported by many environmental- LVWVDFXELF\DUGJUDGLQJ plan is moving ahead. That’s a much smaller plan than original- O\ SURSRVHG EXW QRW WKH JHQHUDO prohibition the Oregon Coast Al- liance had asked in 2014. Whether that will be the last dune-grading plan to win Plan- ning Commission approval is not yet clear. Already other KATHERINE LACAZE/EO MEDIA GROUP homeowners are reserving their Seaside School District 10 board members discuss a motion to include “rights” to grade the dunes. This could be a fundamental the Cannon Beach Academy as a public charter school within the dis- land-use concern that plays out on trict on numerous conditions. the state or federal level. In a city where ‘affordable housing’ is an oxymoron and visitors outnumber residents more than 100 to one, every decision comes with consequences. Dispensary decision could be months away Despite the success of Mea- sure 91 allowing recreational sale and possession of small amounts RI PDULMXDQD ² DSSURYHG E\ percent of Cannon Beach voters in November 2014 — the city only licenses businesses which DELGH E\ ORFDO VWDWH DQG IHGHUDO ODZZKLFKH[FOXGHVFDQQDELV Failure to enact licensing rules could put the city at risk of liti- JDWLRQ &LW\ $WWRUQH\ 7DPP\ Herdener warned at a December City Council meeting. Other municipalities have EHHQ VXHG RYHU VLPLODU LQDFWLRQ she said. The city could impose LWVRZQ³UHDVRQDEOHUHVWULFWLRQV´ OLNH GLVSHQVDU\ KRXUV GLVWDQFH IURP SDUNV OLJKWLQJ DQG VLJQDJH ‘Littorally’ speaking in drafting a licensing ordinance. Competing concerns play out The Oregon Liquor Control as the city seeks to determine the Commission is in the process of best policy for future dune grad- adopting rules for recreational ing. A sand management plan is cannabis use due in January. FXUUHQWO\ XQGHUZD\ DQG ZLWK LW There are already limitations an evaluation of environmental in place. Dispensaries must be lo- SURWHFWLRQVYHUVXVYLHZVKHGVQD FDWHG PRUH WKDQ IHHW IURP WLYHYHUVXVQRQQDWLYHVSHFLHVKX schools. Oregon residents are al- man development and the marine lowed to grow up to four plants life protections. for personal use without a license Originally the city wanted to and may carry an ounce of mar- wait until its sand management LMXDQD RQ WKHLU SHUVRQ LQ SXEOLF plan was in place before approv- but may not consume it in public SODFHVVXFKDVKRWHOVWKHEHDFKRU on the street. A vote in November might yield a different result than that of VRPHFRXQFLORUVEHOLHYH Even if the council decides to JR ZLWK D QHZ EDOORW LQLWLDWLYH staff needs to draft regulations in case voters indicate they have a need for weed. At long last, academy approved Cannon Beach Elementa- U\ FORVHG LQ DIWHU 6HDVLGH School District 10 and members of the community responded to tsunami risk. About 90 Cannon Beach students now attend class- es in Seaside. 7KH &DQQRQ %HDFK $FDGHP\ DFKDUWHUVFKRROZDQWVWR¿OOWKH void left by its closing. The district issued two previ- ous denials to the academy last \HDU FLWLQJ ODFN RI DQ DGHTXDWH location and start-up funds. Yet IRU PDQ\ SDUHQWV DQG FKLOGUHQ school outside of their home com- munities is not a preferred option. 7R WKDW HQG WKH\ UDOOLHG EHKLQG Executive Director Ryan Hull to VXSSRUWDQHZFKDUWHUVFKRROWKH &DQQRQ %HDFK $FDGHP\ WR EH housed at a temporary location at 6XQVHW%RXOHYDUG The school plans to eventually settle into a permanent site south of town and east of U.S. Highway 101. The new charter school will serve a minimum of 44 kinder- JDUWHQ DQG ¿UVWJUDGH VWXGHQWV LWV ¿UVW \HDU ZLWK WKH DELOLW\ WR add grades over time. Top prior- ity for the academy is meeting physical building requirements DW LWV WHPSRUDU\ ORFDWLRQ DW 6XQVHW %OYG 7KH YDFDWHG VSDFH ZKLFKWDNHVXSVTXDUHIHHW RIWKHVTXDUHIRRWEXLOGLQJ once housed the Cannon Beach Athletic Club. The charter even- tually wants to host kindergarten WKURXJK¿IWKJUDGHVWXGHQWV The decision to support the school was not an easy one: ed- ucators fear the new school could drain resources from other class- URRPV DQG VFKRROV DQG FUHDWH D “two-tier” school district. With- out an overall plan for a new Sea- VLGHFDPSXVWKHGLVWULFWVWLOOODFNV an overarching plan to protect every student from the most tsu- nami-prone areas. A costly bond issue looms — an initial try was VRXQGO\ GHIHDWHG ² DQG ZLWK LW more unanswered questions for the school district. Fire chief 7UXVWHG OHDGHU RQH PRPHQW ORFNHG RXW RI KLV RZQ RI¿FH WKH next. That’s what happened at the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Pro- tection District. In October board members ousted Fire Chief Mike Balzer for failing to live up to per- formance standards. Why that information trickled out so slowly and residents were forced to wonder why the chief was dismissed became a matter of FRQFHUQ IRU ¿UH¿JKWHUV DQG UHVL dents alike. Members of the community said the information was “in poor taste” and the board president should never have locked the for- PHUFKLHIRXWRIKLVRZQRI¿FH $WDVSHFLDO¿UHERDUGPHHWLQJ RQ1RY$VVLVWDQW&KLHI)UDQN Swedenborg was appointed inter- im chief. But presented with the possi- bility of a permanent chief not to come until after March or during WKH PLGGOH RI EXGJHWLQJ VHDVRQ he said a Special Districts Asso- ciation of Oregon interim might be best. He added having some- one with better knowledge of the industry in the post might relieve Captain Matt Gardner of extra du- WLHVKHKDVWDNHQRQDVZHOO-LP 6WHDUQVRI+HUPLVWRQZDVVHOHFW HGWR¿OOWKDWUROORQ'HF Stearns is now in the hot seat — and maybe the district did just the right thing taking the heat off locally and hopes to turn a new page in 2016. When Lewis & Clark wintered here, and lived on blubber REFLECTIONS ELAINE TRUCKE D ecember on the Oregon FRDVW,W¶VUDLQ\LW¶VZLQG\ and it can be downright maddening if you don’t have a VWDFNRIJRRGERRNVDQDUWSURMHFW RU WZR RU DQ\ RWKHU SDVW WLPH WR get you through the darkest month of the year. It is hard to believe that the Corps of Discovery spent most of their time on the Oregon coast during the winter. 7KH &RUSV RI 'LVFRYHU\ RU /HZLV DQG &ODUN H[SHGLWLRQ OHIW RQ0D\IURP&DPS5LY er Dubois under the command of Clark. The score of companions were commissioned to explore the vast wilderness of the recently ac- quired Louisiana Purchase. It took the expedition just over D\HDUWRUHDFKWKH3DFL¿F2FHDQ After traveling thirty-four miles GRZQWKH&ROXPELD5LYHUEUDYLQJ over 940 yards of treacherous rap- LGV DQG URFNV WKH &RUSV UHDFKHG the Washington side of Pillar rock LQ 1RYHPEHU RI +HUH WKH\ set up camp in the rain while lis- WHQLQJWRWKH3DFL¿F2FHDQWKUXP against the shore. Though every- one was soaked to the bone Clark ZURWH WKDW WKHUH ZDV ³MR\ LQ WKH camp” for having reach the Ocean. The next day Sacagawea and several members of the Corps of Discovery attempted to cross the WUHDFKHURXV &ROXPELD 5LYHU QRW an easy feat as you can imagine. The unruly current caused them to become seasick and they returned WR VKRUH 7KH ZLQG WKH UDLQ DQG the changing tides toyed with Lewis and Clark. Over the com- ing days they attempted to cross the river several times only to be IRUFHG EDFN :HW GHVRODWH DQG HDWLQJ QRWKLQJ EXW GULHG VDOP RQWKH&RUSVRI'LVFRYHU\IRXQG Publisher Steve Forrester Editor R.J. Marx Advertising Manager Betty Smith SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Th e scene depicted above is from a painting by Newman Myrah entitled “Bartering Blue Beads for Otter Robe,” depicting Lewis and Clark as they traded with local tribes. themselves stuck in an uncomfort- able camp at the mercy of a thun- der and lightning. With the rations of water running low the men at- tempted to drink saltwater and be- came ill. )LQDOO\RQ1RYWKHZLQGEH gins to calm and the Corps of Dis- covery was able to change camp- sites to a spot at Baker Bay. It is at this time that they truly see the 3DFL¿F2FHDQIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH$QG oh what a sight to behold! A few days later Lewis meets &KLHI&RPFRPO\RIWKH&KLQRRNV who gives the men cooked roots. A much needed change from dried salmon boiled in saltwater! Chief Comcomly is one of my favorite people from our local history. Not only was he an important contact IRUWKH&RUSVRI'LVFRYHU\EXWDQ important part of Columbia Riv- er maritime history as well. Chief Comcomly was a trader and one of Production Manager John D. Bruijn Circulation Manager Heather Ramsdell Advertising Sales Laura Kaim Wendy Richardson a few navigators of the Columbia River. He appears in Washington ,UYLQJ¶V QDUUDWLYH RI $VWRULD ZKLFK ZDV SXEOLVKHG LQ ,I you ever visit the Astor Column \RXZLOO¿QGDFDQRHDQGKRQRULXP for this unique coastal man. The Corps of Discovery spent the entire month of November mov- LQJIURPRQHFDPSWRDQRWKHUQDY LJDWLQJDQGWU\LQJWRNHHSGU\2Q 1RYHPEHU WK WKH\ ZHUH ¿QDOO\ able to cross the Columbia River to WKH2UHJRQVLGHODQGLQJLQZKDWLV QRZ.QDSSD+HUHWKH\¿QGDQ,Q GLDQYLOODJHDQGWUDGH¿VKKRRNVIRU Wapato roots. Wapato roots were an important staple for many tribes in WKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVW7KH:DSDWR URRWLVDVWDUFK\HGLEOHWXEHURIWHQ noted as being “potato like.” The tu- bers are gathered from wet swampy DUHDV DFURVV WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DO though due to habitat destruction WKH\DUHKDUGHUWR¿QGQRZ CANNON BEACH GAZETTE The Cannon Beach Gazette is published every other week by EO Media Group. 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, Oregon 97138 503-738-5561 • Fax 503-738-9285 www.cannonbeachgazette.com • email: editor@cannonbeachgazette.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Annually: $40.50 in county, $58.00 in and out The corps continued their jour- QH\XSWKH&ROXPELD5LYHUSDVVLQJ the Youngs River and the Lewis and Clark River (known as the “Netul” to the corps). They made several VWRSVWRVHQGPHQDVKRUHORRNLQJ IRUDSODFHWRZLQWHU'URXLOODUGQRW the most well-known member of the Corps Discovery accompanies these groups. Throughout their jour- ney he had established himself as DQDFFRPSOLVKHGKXQWHUDQGVFRXW often leading many of the hunting SDUWLHV,QDZHOODLPHGVKRW E\'URXLOODUGVDYHG&KDUERQQHDX 6DFDJDZHD¶VKXVEDQGIURPDEHDU )LQDOO\DWWKHEHJLQQLQJRI'H FHPEHU/HZLVDQGKLVVHDUFKSDUW\ found a place to winter. As soon as WKH ZHDWKHU DOORZHG )RUW &ODWVRS was underway. The wet weather PDGH FRQVWUXFWLRQ GLI¿FXOW )RRG VSRLOHGZRRGURWWHGDQGPHPEHUV of the Corps of Discovery became LOO ZLWK FROGV VNLQ LQIHFWLRQV DQG bruises. Can you imagine trying WRJHWD¿UHJRLQJZKHQWKHZRRG ZDV ZHW \RX ZHUH ZHW DQG HYHQ the tinder was wet? They suffered EDGO\IURPÀHDVDQGWKHFROGEXW by the end of December most of the Fort is complete. While at this location the Corps of Discovery traded with local WULEHVGRFXPHQWHGÀRUDDQGIDXQD and kept detailed documentation of it all. Even coming to Cannon %HDFK LQ -DQXDU\ RI :HLVHU and Willard returned to Fort Clat- sop with blubber and tales of a large creature on the coast. Upon hearing this Clark took twelve men and Sacagawea and went in search for the goliath. What they found was a ODUJH VNHOHWRQ RI D ZKDOH DOUHDG\ butchered by the Tillamook tribe there. Clark estimated that the crea- WXUH ZDV IHHW ORQJ &ODUN DQG KLV SDUW\ DIWHU VHYHUDO DWWHPSWV WUDGHG IRU SRXQGV RI EOXEEHU Clark’s understanding of the native ZRUGIRUZKDOHZDV(FRODZKLFK he then named the creek he had crossed to see the creature. The Corps of Discovery set- WOHGLQWRDURXWLQHRIH[SORUDWLRQ KXQWLQJ DQG WUDGH 7KH\ EHJLQ to cure their own meats and cel- ebrate the holidays with gunshot and singing. Despite our coastal ZHDWKHU ÀHDV DQG PRVTXLWRHV Lewis and Clark were able to doc- XPHQWPDQ\VSHFLHVDQGPDSWKH Columbia River and the coast. Though their arrival on the coast was not necessarily well WLPHG ZHDWKHU ZLVH WKH\ VWLOO accomplished a lot and even had the opportunity to marvel at the FRDVWDOEHDXW\,Q-DQXDU\RI &DSWDLQ :LOOLDP &ODUN ZURWH “From this point I be held the grandest and most pleasing pros- pects which my eyes ever sur- veyed.” Learn about this and more at the Cannon Beach History Center 0XVHXPZHDUHRSHQ7KXUVGD\ WKURXJK0RQGD\IURPWRSP of county. Postage Paid at: Cannon Beach, OR 97110 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cannon Beach Gazette, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Copyright 2015 © Cannon Beach Gazette. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. THE NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING