APRIL 8, 2016 • VOL. 40, ISSUE 8
WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
COMPLIMENTARY COPY
FIRE BOARD RECALL ELECTION
Fire directors win a vote of confi dence
Cannon Beach fi re
directors will stay
on board
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
Three directors of the Cannon
Beach Rural Fire Protection Dis-
trict targeted for recall for ¿ ring
Mike Balzer as ¿ re chief pre-
vailed in Tuesday night’s election.
Sharon Clyde, Garry Smith
and Linda Beck-Sweeney will
remain in of¿ ce. Two other di-
rectors, Mark Mekenas and Bob
Cerelli, were not subject to the
recall .
Clyde said she was “extreme-
ly happy” with the vote. “I would
like to thank all the members of
our d istrict that supported all three
of us that were subject to this re-
call attempt,” she said in a state-
ment. “We won’t let you down.”
I nterim F ire Chief Jim Stearns
congratulated the directors . “I am
happy that folks who are willing
to give up their time and serve
on a volunteer basis can continue
doing that, ” he said.
The vote was a strong valida-
tion of the board’s decision to ¿ re
Balzer in October.
Voters opposed recalling
Clyde by a 55 percent to 45 per-
cent margin, according to the
Clatsop County Clerk’s Of¿ ce,
while voters were behind Smith
and Beck-Sweeney 57 percent to
43 percent.
The history
Cannon Beach resident Susan
Neuwirth organized the recall
drive after Neuwirth and others
criticized the board’s handling of
Balzer’s ¿ ring .
See Recall, Page 10A
JOSHUA BESSEX/EO MEDIA GROUP
Election workers count ballots in the Judge
Guy Boyington Building on Tuesday.
City says no
to ban on
cannabis
STARTING A CULINARY CAREER
CONFIDENTLY
Council to develop time,
place, manner guidelines
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
The path was cleared for licensing the sale
of cannabis in Cannon Beach, one of the last
cities in the South County to do so.
By voting down a ban, the city opened the
door to dispensaries and recreational sales.
Despite the success of state Measure 91
allowing recreational sale and possession of
small amounts of marijuana — approved by
63 percent of Cannon Beach voters in Novem-
ber 2014 — the city only licenses businesses
which abide by local, state and federal law,
which excludes pot. After hearing opinions
from both sides of the issue , councilors con-
sidered an array of options, including to opt
out of state law and maintain a ban on mari-
juana sales.
Voters “can override our proposed ban, or
they can override our acceptance,” Council-
or Mike Bene¿ eld said before joining Mayor
Sam Steidel and councilors George Vetter,
Mike Bene¿ eld and Melissa Cadwallader in
voting to overturn the prohibition.
Wendy Higgins was the sole councilor to
vote to renew the ban.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Christian Culinary Academy director and chef-instructor Ira Krizo (center) cooking with this year’s students at the Chris-
tian Culinary Academy: Jordan Neahring, Anna Strand, Morgan Georgioff and Christopher Keller.
Christian Culinary Academy aims to be a ‘light’ in the industry
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
“Hell’s Kitchen” may just be
a reality television show, but
Ira Krizo said the culinary
industry can be cutthroat.
“I’ve
seen
knives
thrown,” joked Krizo, the
president of Christian Chefs
International and the Chris-
tian Culinary Academy.
The academy, located in a downtown
Cannon Beach building overlooking the
ocean, offers a one-year intensive pro-
gram for Christians to enter the food-ser-
vice industry “with con¿ dence” and re-
ceive a Certi¿ cate in Culinary Arts.
Just last month, the school was the site
of the seventh annual Christian Chefs In-
ternational conference.
“We focus on how to be a light in the
culinary industry,” Krizo said. “This is
a foundation of who we are, and this is
how you can cope and do very well in the
industry.”
Combining hands-on kitchen training,
classroom learning and mini-internships
with several weekly hours of devotions
and Bible study, Christian Culinary
Academy aims to help students manage
the profession’s demands while being
“effective witnesses.”
Courses include topics like culinary
fundamentals, culinary math, nutrition,
regional cookery and food-service man-
agement.
Students are trained to be cooking
professionals with a Christian mindset,
such as living with “love, joy, peace, pa-
tience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.” It’s the only
school of its kind, Krizo said.
A vision for a
culinary school
A West Coast native, Krizo has been
in the culinary industry since 1995. While
See Chefs, Page 10A
Limitations, tax ahead
In coming months, the council will con-
sider time, place and manner rules regarding
where marijuana may be sold within the city.
Bene¿ eld indicated he opposed its sale in
the downtown commercial area.
There are already limitations in place,
Herdener said at previous meetings. Dispensa-
ries must be located more than 1,000 feet from
schools. The prohibition does not apply to day
care facilities or institutions like the Christian
Conference Center.
Marijuana will be on the ballot in Novem-
ber in any case, as councilors also voted 4-1 to
approve a 3 percent tax on its sale, a tax that
must be endorsed by voters.
“Because we can tax doesn’t mean we
should tax,” Vetter said in opposing the levy.
Vetter, the sole dissenter, said it was unfair
to single out or “burden a potential business
even more” with an additional tax.
“We’re not doing it to fatten our budget,”
Cadwallader said. “The council would look
for the 3 percent to be used for treatment and
enforcement.”
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US POSTAGE
See Dope, Page 10A
Authors and readers to gather for fi ft h annual Get Lit
A stellar lineup
at annual
festival
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
Get Lit at the Beach returns
to Cannon Beach from April
8-10, offering book lovers
the chance to spend time with
best-selling and award-winning
authors. Fans can attend author
discussions, signings and a key-
note dinner presentation.
This year, acclaimed writ-
ers with either a movie or
television show offer based on
one of their books headline the
¿ fth annual Tolovana Arts Col-
ony literary event.
A committee, which in-
cludes Brooks, chooses authors
to present at Get Lit each year.
Authors’ books will be avail-
able for purchase at the event.
Event organizer Tracy Abel
¿ rst became involved with Get
Lit as an attendee.
“I went to see an author of
one of my favorite books, but
left the event with many more
favorite books and authors,”
she said.
New York Times best-selling
fantasy author Terry Brooks, the
master of ceremonies for previ-
ous Get Lit events, is a featured
author this year. He has writ-
ten 35 books, but may be best
known for his 25-book “Shan-
nara” series, recently made into
an MTV television series, “The
Shannara Chronicles.”
This isn’t Brooks’s ¿ rst
brush with screen adaptations.
He was personally asked by
George Lucas to write a novel-
SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Author Elizabeth Eng-
strom, one of the authors
presenting at “Get Lit.”
Author Jess Walter, from
Spokane, Wash., will speak
on the craft of writing.
Author Terry Brooks, former-
ly a master of ceremonies at
the event, is a featured author.
ization of “Star Wars Episode
1: The Phantom Menace.”
With about 100 expected
attendees, the “intimate” event
offers the unique experience of
meeting and talking to promi-
nent authors for more than just
a book signing, which is why
many return year after year,
Abel said. Each attendee has
several opportunities to meet
the presenting writers.
The gathering opens with
an authors’ reception Friday
evening at the Cannon Beach
Chamber Hall. On Saturday,
Brooks, Elizabeth Engstrom
and Jonathan Evison will give
individual talks on their lives
and craft, answer questions and
sign books at the Surfsand Re-
sort Ballroom. Keynote speaker
See Lit, Page 10A