4A • January 15, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Views from the Rock
Haunting images from 20 years ago relived
M
ore than 20 years ago I
received an assignment
to go to Oklahoma City
after the bombing of the Alfred E.
Murrah Federal Building. Timothy
McVeigh and Terry Nichols con-
spired to destroy a symbol of gov-
ernment power — without regard
for human life.
One-hundred-sixty-eight peo-
ple were killed and 680 injured in
that incident.
The people of Oklahoma City
asked themselves, “Why?” and es-
pecially, “Why here?”
Jannie Coverdale lost her two
grandchildren, Elijah and Aaron,
in the blast.
Jim Denny could only identify
his 3-year-old son Brandon by a
birthmark on the boy’s thigh when
he arrived at the hospital.
One of the victims, Rebecca
Anderson, was a licensed practi-
cal nurse who rushed to the bomb
site immediately after hearing the
explosion. “She was probably the
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earth,” her husband, Fred Ander-
son, said.
In the weeks that followed, in-
vestigators determined that the
killers had links with militia groups
throughout the country. The mili-
tias and paramilitary organizations
sought a New World Order and to
create division within the country
based on racial heritage or country
of origin. All in the name of our
“constitutional freedoms.”
Scenes of bloodshed also
played out in Waco, Texas, and
Ruby Ridge, Idaho, where extrem-
ists and the federal government
dueled in deadly standoffs .
tal lawsuits and regulatory and
legislative changes — is largely
CANNON SHOTS
responsible for draining that life-
R.J. MARX
blood.”
On the c oast, we may be far
from Harney County, but many
Little has changed since that of the same issues prevail. We
time — in fact, some militia mem- have thousands of acres of timber
bers have been emboldened by and coastal land. We have a fed-
rhetoric in Congress.
eral government overseeing and
Oregon’s Rep. Greg Walden, in considering approval of a billion
urging clemency for Dwight and dollar pipeline over the will of
Steven Hammond — the ranchers impassioned citizens of all politi-
jailed for arson on federal proper- FDOSHUVXDVLRQV:HKDYHFRQÀLFWV
ty — spoke angrily on the House between Native Americans and
ÀRRURIKLVFRQVWLWXHQWV¶³WHQVLRQ´ management of their tribal lands.
“frustration” and “anger” over fed- Fishermen face national and inter-
eral land management policies.
national regulations that may, to
7KHVH DUH ZRUGV WKDW LQÀDPH their eyes, defy logic.
emotions, not soothe them. Any
All these issues must be vigor-
sympathy for armed rebellion in ously debated and legislated.
Harney County is misplaced.
But nuance doesn’t play well in
The lesson I’m learning in Or- a crisis.
egon is many good people want
The words “good” and “evil”
to help the Hammonds but not the DUHVRVWULFWO\GH¿QHGE\HDFKRIXV
Bundys.
in our own way that it’s almost im-
Our sister paper, t he East Ore- possible to accept shades of gray.
gonian, wisely notes residents in Extremism triumphs.
the sparsely populated high desert
Events like the Malheur Na-
DUHD DUH ³ODUJHO\ UHEXI¿QJ´ WKH tional Wildlife Refuge occupation
militant Ammon Bundy and his only set back the conversation —
followers.
there is little value to legislation
“The real question is how that from the barrel of a gun or in the
land should be managed and how aftermath of tragedy.
grazing and natural resource ex-
The bombing of the Murrah
traction will remain viable and Federal Building seems long ago
part of the multiple use doctrine and far away, but the lives lost in
that historically governed pub- Oklahoma City in 1995 are irre-
lic lands,” t he East Oregonian placeable.
writes. “Government policy once
“The Oklahoma City blast had
fostered the timber, livestock and repercussions that went far beyond
mining industries that became the the death toll,” we wrote in 1995.
economic lifeblood of rural West- “The American people suddenly
ern communities. Current poli- got a glimpse of a new terrorist
cy — the result of environmen- threat — a threat from within.”
AP FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS CARLSON
Ammon Bundy, son of rancher Cliven Bundy, stands outside Metropoli-
tan Police Department headquarters, Friday, May 2, 2014, in Las Vegas.
Bundy was in town to fi le a criminal complaint against the Bureau of
Land Management.
“The antigovernment move-
ment has experienced a resur-
gence since 2008, when President
Obama was elected,” writes the
Southern Poverty Law Center.
Factors fueling the movement
include changing demographics
driven by immigration, a strug-
gling economy and the election
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president.
The “inspiration” provided by
many in the militia movement is
no more of a divine message than
that of the jihadists.
We conclude with this mes-
sage from the Oregon State Po-
lice, who issued this statement
last Wednesday, on behalf of all
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“The sheriffs of Oregon are
united in the support of Harney
County and its residents. We are
supplying logistical and opera-
tional support to the community
while the FBI works for a peace-
ful resolution with the militants
at the Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge,” they said. “We want the
good people of Harney County
and the state of Oregon to know
that we will always unite to pro-
vide support and assistance to
ensure the safety of our residents,
for any length of time, whenever
criminal activity or an emergen-
cy, fractures the peace and secu-
rity in our communities.”
It is those men and women,
and all those on the front lines of
our nation’s defense, who are our
real constitutional heroes.
Group presents its top reader picks for the year ahead
A
s we head into 2016, hope-
fully feeling invigorated
and determined to keep our
resolutions, many of us are inter-
ested in trying something new —
and we at the library would like
to suggest joining Cannon Beach
Reads, our book reading and dis-
cussion group.
The group is beginning its 10th
year this month. Long-time mem-
ber Marjorie MacQueen explains
that “Cannon Beach Reads was
in part started in order to have a
winter activity for avid readers
at the library. The mission was to
provide a place where people who
love to read could come and share
their ideas and comments about in-
teresting books.” Eventually, what
began as a winter activity became
year-round.
For 2016 the group has selected
seven novels, two histories, a bi-
ography, a memoir and an account
of medicine’s potential to enhance
quality of life for dying patients.
“The group selects each year’s
reading list by ballot from pop-
2016 Book List
AT THE LIBRARY
CARLA O’REILLY
ular titles members nominate,”
explains Joe Bernt, the group’s
current coordinator.
The books to be read this year
include:
Jan. 20: “All the Light We
Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr
Feb. 17: “The Heart is a Lone-
ly Hunter,” by Carson McCullers.
March 16: “Being Mortal:
Medicine and What Matters in the
End,” by Atul Gawande.
April 20: “A New Life,” by
Bernard Malamud.
May 18: “Go Set a Watch-
man,” by Harper Lee.
June 15: “West With the night,
by Beryl Markham.
July 20: “Cat’s Cradle,” by
Kurt Vonnegut.
Aug. 17: “The Wright Broth-
ers,” by David McCullough.
JAN. 20: “All the Light We Can-
not See,” by Anthony Doerr
JULY 20: “Cat’s Cradle,” by Kurt
Vonnegut.
FEB. 17: “The Heart is a Lonely
Hunter,” by Carson McCullers.
AUG. 17: “The Wright Brothers,”
by David McCullough.
MARCH 16: “Being Mortal:
Medicine and What Matters in
the End,” by Atul Gawande.
SEPT. 21: “Falling from Horses,”
by Molly Gloss.
APRIL 20: “A New Life,” by
Bernard Malamud.
MAY 18: “Go Set a Watchman,”
by Harper Lee.
JUNE 15: “West With the night,
by Beryl Markham.
Sept. 21: “Falling from Hors-
es,” by Molly Gloss.
Oct. 19: “Amsterdam: A His-
tory of the World’s Most Liberal
City,” by Russell Shorto.
Nov. 16: “Death Comes for
the Archbishop,” by Willa Cather.
Dec. 21: “Dead Wake: The
OCT. 19: “Amsterdam: A Histo-
ry of the World’s Most Liberal
City,” by Russell Shorto.
NOV. 16: “Death Comes for the
Archbishop,” by Willa Cather.
DEC. 21: “Dead Wake: The Last
Crossing of the Lusitania,” by
Erik Larson.
Last Crossing of the Lusitania,”
by Erik Larson.
The group meets from 7 to 8:30
pm. on the third Wednesday of each
month at the Cannon Beach Li-
brary, 131 N. Hemlock. New mem-
bers will be welcomed warmly!
Stop by the library to pick up your
copy of the schedule, along with a
description of each book. We keep
one copy of each book at the li-
br ary, and the Cannon Beach Book
company has the books available to
buy. Come join us for 2016!
And why not ring in the new year
with an eBook? Drop by the front
desk for instructions on how to join,
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Manager Buddie Anderson Deni
stands ready to give assistance.
The Cannon Beach Library is
also a wonderful source of informa-
tion. We sponsor free programs for
all ages. There are special speak-
ers, a lecture series, and various
children’s programs throughout
the year. We also feature books on
eating a healthier diet, getting or-
ganized – for whatever new year’s
resolutions you’ve made! Feel free
to drop by and explore some after-
noon or to pick up a book or two
from our used book sale room.
The staff of the Cannon Beach
Library would like to wish a very
happy 2016 to each and every res-
ident and visitor to our little town.
LETTERS
Nicholson proposal
must meet code
Andrew Tonry’s “Plan-
ner Deems Nicholson PUD
‘Complete’” did a good job
depicting some of Friends
of Cannon Beach members’
objections/frustrations, but
stopped short of indicat-
ing why the application is
incomplete and why that
matters.
The applicant simply
didn’t want to follow the
rules governing steeply
sloped lots, threatened the
city legally and was offered
a call-it-something-differ-
ent solution (i.e., Planned
Unit Development or PUD).
But now, he doesn’t want to
follow the PUD rules ei-
ther. Other developers must
follow the rules, so should
this one. For example, his
plan states that he intends
to build one house on a sand
dune with an underground
garage, using only conven-
tional shallow reinforced
concrete foundations.
His preliminary geo-tech
report says this is OK, when
Publisher
Steve Forrester
Editor
R.J. Marx
Advertising Manager
Betty Smith
it obviously won’t work.
Moreover, his preliminary
plans imply that he intends
to build another two-story
house with a garage under-
neath but intends to start
measuring the house height
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— which could be 20 feet
in the air on piling support
— instead of adhering to
the code like other develop-
ers are required to do. This
house could be as tall as 48
feet making it the tallest
building in Cannon Beach!
It makes one wonder if the
councilors who voted for
this reviewed the full-sized
plans to see the small print
details and realized what
they were preliminarily ap-
proving.
The code requires PUD
applicants to provide de-
tailed building plans, de-
tailed landscaping plans
and elevations. He has pro-
vided none of these. More-
over, he has not submitted
the required homeowners’
association, required per-
formance bond, required
development schedule or
Production Manager
John D. Bruijn
Circulation Manager
Heather Ramsdell
Advertising Sales
Laura Kaim
required driveway/parking
details.
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tempt to use the code sec-
tion for PUD and it doesn’t
appear to be well thought
through. Decisions made
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certainly set precedent for
future PUD’s.
The PUD code is very
different from that of a reg-
ular housing development.
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upfront, there is more scru-
tiny and more requirements
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back end. This developer
clearly wants to have the
best of both worlds and
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ing on his steep slopes, but
avoid the back end dili-
gence by not submitting the
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proval. Instead, he simply
wants to get approved and
make whatever changes he
wants later. That’s not the
way the PUD code works.
If he applied as a PUD, he
should be required to fol-
low the code for a PUD.
Why should other devel-
CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
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1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, Oregon 97138
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
and appearance of the de-
velopment.” The submitted
plans do not provide any of
this. There are no building
elevations only “conceptual
Nicholson plan
footprints” and no detailed
not complete
landscape plans. Landscape
Andrew Tonry in his Jan. Plan L1.0, as listed on the
1, Cannon Beach Gazette cover sheet, is missing. No
article headlined “Planner elevations are provided to
deems Nicholson project show what the houses would
‘complete’” captured well look like, where the two ve-
the spirit of citizens’ opposi- hicles per house would park,
tion to the project. However or how they would gain ac-
he failed to mention that the cess to the parking spaces.
plan is indeed not complete.
The Zoning Code also re-
Friends of Cannon Beach quires the creation of a non-
are dismayed that the appli- SUR¿W KRPHRZQHUV DVVRFLD
cant, after gaining prelimi- tion. Since the four houses
nary approval by the Cannon will have common areas, an
Beach City Council to create organization of homeown-
a Planned Unit Development ers is essential to determine
consisting of four houses, is responsibility for mainte-
now failing to follow the re- nance. Can, for instance, the
quirements that the Zoning owner of house one create a
Code has in place for a PUD. garden on the common area
Section 17.40.040 C.1 of belonging to the lot where
the Zoning Code requires house four is to be built?
“detailed building and The applicant is claiming he
landscaping plans and ele- won’t need a homeowners
vations.” Further, it states, association, but the code re-
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In addition, a perfor-
fully the ultimate operation mance bond is required by
opers be required to follow
the rules but not this one?
Jeff Harrison
Cannon Beach
Annually: $40.50 in county, $58.00 in and out
of county.
Postage Paid at: Cannon Beach, OR 97110
POSTMASTER:
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Copyright 2015 © Cannon Beach Gazette.
Nothing can be reprinted or copied without
consent of the owners.
the Zoning Code in order to
“ensure that a development
proposal is completed as ap-
proved and within the time
limits agreed to.” Again, the
applicant claims he doesn’t
need one, but the code re-
quires one.
Why City Planner Mark
Barnes has declared these
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‘complete’ is a mystery un-
less he is afraid of the law-
suit that the developer con-
tinues to have pending as
leverage over the city.
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Planned Unit Development
ever granted to a developer
in Cannon Beach, Friends of
Cannon Beach are anxious
to see that it is done right.
Otherwise, the precedent set
by sloppy planning policy
will present problems that
are easy to anticipate. We
urge all who are concerned
about effective planning
practices in Cannon Beach
to attend the Planning Com-
mission meeting at 6:00 p.m.
on Thursday, Jan. 28.
Diane Amos
Cannon Beach
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