March 11, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 7A
Cannabis shops in
Cannon Beach?
Beach. “They’re everywhere
now and I think it’s very real-
“I don’t think a (marijuana) istic that one could be located
business could succeed here,” here and potentially succeed,”
%HQH¿HOGVDLG³7KLVRSWRXW Kucera said.
Seaside has two licensed
option) gives one more chance
to clarify if they really want it medical marijuana dispensa-
… I think it’s going to be on ries and plans to allow recre-
the ballot whether the city does ational retail.
“I hate to open up a con-
it, or the citizen does it.”
Sam Chapman, founding troversy in the community
partner of New Economy between those who want it and
Consulting, has said he is in- those who don’t,” Vetter said.
The marijuana topic is an
terested in opening a medical
marijuana shop in Cannon “emotional” one, Cadwallad-
er said, adding that she was
Beach
Sam Chapman, founding concerned about not allowing
partner of New Economy marijuana shops in a city with
Consulting, has said he is in- three breweries.
“I feel like there’s a big
terested in opening a medical
marijuana shop in Cannon hypocrisy to say it (a marijua-
QD VKRS GRHVQ¶W ¿W ZLWK RXU
Beach.
community’s character or that
we’re a family resort area and
that’s who we try to attract,”
‘Is pot going to
she said. “If you’re talking
make Cannon
about addictive substances,
Beach more
consistency is an important
thing.”
attractive to
At the March City Coun-
the families
cil meeting, resident Marlene
that need to
Laws asked the council to take
the option of allowing a li-
move here
censed recreational marijuana
in order to
shop to the voters as a refer-
provide the
endum in the November 2016
election.
work force that
“This will not be a cost to
we need? Easy
the city,” she said.
Laws said she is con-
and available
cerned
about children’s health
pot is not a
and safety, especially when it
good thing for
comes to marijuana edibles.
“I know some of you be-
Cannon Beach.’
lieve that we do not need to
vote on the marijuana issue
Steve Hudgik,
in Cannon Beach because 63
pastor at Cannon Beach
percent of the people vote for
Bible Church
it and therefore must want a
shop in Cannon Beach,” she
said. “I disagree with this be-
“We are waiting for the cause I don’t believe we can
Cannon Beach City Council to know why people vote the
make a decision to allow med- way they do. Maybe Uncle
ical marijuana dispensaries,” Charlie in Salem takes med-
Sam Chapman said. “It sounds ical marijuana. Maybe they
like they’re split on the issue. wanted to stop the marijuana
I hope they decide that they’re black market or maybe they
bringing new jobs and a new don’t want daughter Mary to
economy …I’m hoping soon- have a criminal record. There
er and later the council will al- could be many reasons why
people voted to legalize mar-
low dispensaries to exist.”
Steve Hudgik, pastor at ijuana.”
Cannon Beach voters ap-
Cannon Beach Bible Church,
said at the March City Council proved Measure 91, allowing
meeting that allowing mari- recreational sale and posses-
juana shops would adversely sion of small amounts of mar-
ijuana, by 63 percent in No-
affect tourism and city life.
“Is pot going to make Can- vember 2014. However, the
non Beach more attractive to city only licenses businesses
the families that need to move which abide by local, state
here in order to provide the and federal law, which ex-
ZRUN IRUFH WKDW ZH QHHG"´ cludes cannabis. Due to this
Hudgik said. “Easy and avail- licensing issue, the city has
able pot is not a good thing for not yet received marijuana
dispensary applications, al-
Cannon Beach.”
City Manager Brant though some have expressed
Kucera mentioned the mar- interest, City Recorder Col-
ijuana shop in Rockaway leen Riggs said.
Pot from Page 1A
Activist proud of CB recall petition
‘If you don’t speak up,
you can’t complain’
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
The petition drive to remove three
Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection
District directors was driven by the ef-
forts of Cannon Beach resident Susan
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of former Chief Mike Balzer in October.
“I never wanted to do this,” Neuwirth
said. “But at the end of the day, I’m
proud of it. Too often people sit around
and bitch and moan about local politics.
If you don’t go to meetings and you don’t
speak up, you can’t complain.”
Board of directors President Sharon
Clyde, Linda Beck-Sweeney and Garry
Smith are named in the recall petition;
directors Bob Cerelli and Mark Mekenas
were not.
Wednesday to either resign or submit
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The directors have not yet announced
their intentions, and released a statement
Friday defending their actions in dismiss-
ing the former chief.
“Mike was let go when the majority
of the directors, elected by district voters,
became concerned about his ability to
perform the administrative skills required
of the head of a public agency,” the direc-
tors wrote.
Not political, ’til now
Neuwirth said she had never been “a
political person” before. “In fact, I even
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tition,” she said.
“I didn’t know Mike or the people
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Susan Neuwirth led a successful peti-
tion drive to force a recall election in
Cannon Beach.
involved,” Neuwirth said. “I talked to
people who had been affected by it. The
unanimous opinion was the board does
not treat volunteers with any respect and
they never treated the chief with any re-
spect.”
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district meeting in which members of the
community faced the board. “They told
them how angry they were at the board
for treating someone of Mike’s caliber in
such a despicable manner,” she said.
Neuwirth launched the recall petition
drive in January. “I realized we could sit
around and be appalled, or we could ex-
ercise our right,” she said.
In seeking to gather the minimum 125
signatures required in Clatsop County to
force a recall election, Neuwirth said she
“never forced, and never coerced” resi-
dents to sign the petition. Neuwirth said
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ated Balzer’s contributions to the com-
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Festival from Page 1A
colorful clothing and bindis at
the Sea Ranch Resort. Over
lively Indian music, Prashant
Kakad taught Bollywood and
bhangra style dance moves,
with simple names like “water”
to designate rolling hand mo-
tions, to the all-ages crowd. He
also performed with the students
who took his optional class that
day.
On Sunday morning, Port-
land yoga teacher and yoga
therapist Sarahjoy Marsh
taught a course on “The Yoga
of Love and Belonging,” amid
soothing sounds of rain falling
outside.
Marsh discussed nourish-
ing our “koshas,” which repre-
sent the “layers of our human
eco-system.” It starts with the
outermost layer— “anna,” as-
sociated with physical yoga
poses — to the inner layer,
“ananda,” which loosely trans-
lated to “unconditional belong-
ing or love.”
“Belonging and love doesn’t
leave us,” Marsh said. “We wan-
der away from it.”
Singing or chanting is one
way to get closer to “ananda.”
While playing a harmonium,
she led the class in a Sanskrit
song that included the lyrics,
“May we have luminous out-
comes; may we get pulled away
from the darkness.”
“We’re biological species,
but there is more to us,” Marsh
said. “We have a spiritual im-
perative to know ourselves and
to contribute. We want a sense
of larger possibility.”
When we decide to be nur-
turing in relationships, even in
stressful work situations, “we
start to see other people more
tenderly and not burdensome-
ly,” Marsh said.
Yoga improves the tone of
the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve
that extends to the chest and ab-
domen.
“When the vagus nerve is
working, we have more benevo-
lence and compassion, and few-
er challenges with the sensory
world,” she said.
Marsh had the class write
down a mantra, then repeat
mantra with each inhale and
Dining on the
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music fi rst
draining and “intense” work
period.
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that would help me detox and
ground me,” she said. “Yoga
connects me to my truth.”
Mines was accompanied by
her daughter, Rachel Erdman,
who said that yoga “helps you
manage everything and get back
to yourself.”
Both mother and daughter
said Marsh’s workshops were a
highlight of the festival for them.
“She zeros in on students
and connects with people,” said
Mines.
271 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach
503.436.1539 • www.cafesweetbasils.com
6
powered by
exhale to “trance the mind out
of habit” and foster a state of
“nonthought.”
One student in the class,
Dona Zavislan, superintendent
at Washington Corrections Cen-
ter for Women, plans to start a
yoga teacher training for offend-
ers. She also hopes to begin a
meditation and yoga training for
corrections center’s staff to help
combat stress.
Stephanie Mines, a Gresham
psychologist who helps those
who have experienced trauma,
signed up for the Cannon Beach
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Live Music • Wine Tasting
6
6
Their decision could create an im-
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%HFN6ZHHQH\6PLWKRU&O\GH¿JKWWKH
recall, they will face an election chal-
lenge.
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“I would hope other people would
step up, but if I needed to I would gladly
step up,” she said. “It is one of the most
important boards in this town.”
She said she hopes a recall election
won’t be needed.
“If they resign, they will save the dis-
trict a lot of money, and if Mike is rein-
stated, the portion that would affect the
district, as far as the lawsuit, would go
away,” Neuwirth said. “This is not about
the money.”
If the directors do not resign by
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ticipates a recall election on April 5 for
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OPEN Wednesday - Sunday
for Lunch & Dinner
ing, writing, editing, typeset-
ting, cover design and more.
Zschomler, a member
of the Northwest Indepen-
dent Authors Association, is
the author of nearly a dozen
self-published books. The
class fee is $25. For more
information or registration
contact gregory.zschomler@
gmail.com. http://www.tolo-
vanaartscolony.org/
3
Time to step up?
Festival an opportunity to practice yoga, network
Self-publishing made easy
The Tolovana Arts Center
announces “How to Publish
Your Book with Ease” a two-
hour workshop led by Can-
non Beach author Gregory E.
Zschomler, Saturday, March
26, 1-3 p.m. at the Tolovana
Arts Colony, 3779 S. Hem-
lock, Cannon Beach.
The workshop will cover
the ins and outs of self-pub-
lishing vs. traditional publish-
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one they’ve ever been with,” Neuwirth
said.
Neuwirth said she is “staying away”
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seeking his job back and damages.
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&RXQW\ &RXUW DJDLQVW WKH ¿UH GLVWULFW
FODLPLQJ WKH ¿ULQJ ZDV PRWLYDWHG E\
“personal animus and did not constitute
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employment agreement.” He seeks more
than $677,000 in damages and relief.
“I stayed away from the lawsuit be-
cause they’re separate issues,” Neuwirth
said. “Mike has every right to do what
he needs to do, but as far as I’m con-
cerned, this is for the community, I’m
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me daily.”
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