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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2016)
6A • April 8, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Cannon Beach Academy still fighting for a fall opening der the conditions, the charter school would serve at least 44 NLQGHUJDUWHQ DQG ¿UVWJUDGH VWXGHQWV LWV ¿UVW \HDU 0RUH grades could be added over time. The charter school planned to open in fall at a temporary location at 171 Sunset Blvd., in a space that once housed the Cannon Beach Athletic Club. Charter school claims district set ‘artificial barriers’ By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette Cannon Beach Academy representatives said they were “extremely disappointed” by the Seaside School District’s decision to withdraw approval for the charter school’s open- ing this fall. They say the district erect- HG XQUHDVRQDEOH ³DUWL¿FLDO barriers” to the academy’s op- eration and should reconsider the decision. Eight academy board members objected in a letter received by the school district last week. The school district withdrew approval last month based on the academy’s fail- XUH WR PHHW ¿QDQFLDO HQUROO- ment and English as a Sec- ond Language requirements agreed upon in October. The conditions, which were to be met by March, were intended to ensure that WKH DFDGHP\ ZRXOG EH ³¿- nancially, structurally and ac- ademically ready” to open in the fall. While acknowledging these conditions had not been met, academy board members asked the school district to “accept a certain level of un- ‘Artificial barriers’ EO MEDIA GROUP David Vonada, of Tolovana Architects, presents the tenta- tive site plan of the Cannon Beach Academy’s temporary location, 171 Sunset Blvd., to the planning commission in 2015. certainty” relating to enroll- ment and staff. The academy board of- fered to meet with the district to “further discuss how we can move forward to com- mence Cannon Beach opera- tions for the 2016-17 school year.” The public charter school is prepared to appeal the district’s decision and seek sponsorship by the Oregon State Board of Education if an agreement is not reached by April 11, board members wrote. Long road In 2013, community resi- dents sought to bring a charter school to Cannon Beach, with the goal of hosting kindergart- QHUVWKURXJK¿IWKJUDGHUV The school district denied the academy’s proposal sev- eral times, citing the lack of an adequate location and not enough startup funds. In October, the Seaside School District board of di- rectors unanimously approved a three-year contract with Cannon Beach Academy. Un- In their letter, the acade- my board said they did not view the district’s conditions as reasonable or appropri- ate when adopted. Board members were dismayed the district did not include the academy in reviewing and ad- dressing the conditions before board approval. However, the academy trusted the school district “would be reasonable” in con- sidering the conditions. The academy stated the conditions were imposed to ³HUHFW DUWL¿FLDO EDUULHUV´ WR the charter school. “We trust we are incorrect in drawing this conclusion,” board members wrote. One condition required the school have “all the mon- ey they need for the 2016-17 school year” in the bank, as well as a 10-percent contin- gency, amounting to about $450,000. The academy had $145,798 by March 1, falling more than $300,000 short. Can you smell ’em? Blue jellies are back Hydroid polyps wash up and decompose on North Coast By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette Millions of bluish-purple jellies called Velella velellas have been washing ashore again on North Coast beach- HVEORZQLQE\¿HUFHZHVWHUQ winds. This year’s population has been slightly different in that it consists mostly of juvenile Velellas, while last year they were larger, said Melissa Keyser, the Haystack Rock Awareness program coordi- nator. “We’re seeing little tiny ones, some of them as small as a grain of sand,” Tiffany Boothe of the Seaside Aquar- ium said. “When we get them a little later, they’ve grown up more, so they’re 3 to 4 inch- es.” 7KH6HDVLGH$TXDULXP¿UVW spotted them in early March. Beach visitors have asked the aquarium why the beach is “stained purple.” The creatures, which are slick when stepped on, can sting to capture prey, but hu- man skin is too thick to feel the stings. Velellas give off an odor because they are decom- posing. “Once they hit the beach, there’s nothing we can do to save them,” Boothe said. However, she said there’s no danger that the Velellas are dying off. “It’s just a small portion of them,” she said. Also called “by-the-wind sailors,” half of the Velella colony catches the wind one way, and the other half catch- es the wind the other way, Boothe said. On the north side of the Pa- FL¿F 2FHDQ 9HOHOOD VDLOV DUH set in a northwest-southeast TIFFANY BOOTHE/SEASIDE AQUARIUM Velella velellas are washing up along the North Coast. track 45 degrees away from the shore, but persistent winds blow them onshore. 6DOPRQDQGIRUDJH¿VKDUH adversely affected by warm water, while jellies are not, Hanshumaker said. This is because higher temperatures, exacerbated by El Niño and Tiffany Boothe, a warm region of water in the of the Seaside Aquarium 1RUWK3DFL¿FDIIHFWWKHW\SHV of plankton available. “The jellies end up taking direction. On the other side of advantage, so you’ll see more WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WKH 3DFL¿F WKH VDLOV SRLQW LQ jellies and fewer salmon and IRUDJH¿VKGXULQJDZDUPZD- A close-up of Velella velella the opposite direction. “It’s very active natural ter regime,” Hanshumaker said. showing the tiny sail on its selection,” said Bill Hans- “Jellies are doing well right back that helps the Velella humaker, Ocean Sea Grant now, which isn’t good for us float parallel to the shore- &KLHI6FLHQWLVWDWWKH+DW¿HOG because we don’t need them.” line in mild winds. Marine Science Center in Newport. “The sail is to keep them from dying and if the sail works, they reproduce. Keyser said Velellas wash up most years in large groups, but not every year. “It is not fully understood why they blow in some years and not in others.” Each Velella is a colony of hydroid polyps closely relat- HGWRMHOO\¿VKDQGDQHPRQHV The translucent, triangular “sail” on their backs help the 9HOHOODV ÀRDW SDUDOOHO WR WKH shoreline in mild winds. 239 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach • 503.436.0208 The sail allows them to ‘Once they hit the beach, there’s nothing we can do to save them.’ ROBERT CAIN LD, powered by 45 Years of Experience TWO LOCATIONS SEASIDE & HILLSBORO 740 Ave H • Ste 2 • Seaside 232 NE Lincoln • Ste B • Hillsboro Open Wednesday and Friday • 9-4:30 • 503-738-7710 Academy board members said the school “has rea- sonably and appropriately GHPRQVWUDWHG¿QDQFLDOVWDELO- ity based on its cash at hand, pledges, and the projected revenue that will come from public funding of the charter school.” The funds raised and pledges received “demon- strates an enormous level of community support for the school,” academy directors said. Enrollment fell short The academy also objected to the school district’s condi- tion of 22 students enrolled in a district kindergarten class. The district required a minimum of 22 enrolled stu- dents in both kindergarten DQG ¿UVWJUDGH FODVVHV 6L[- WHHQ ¿UVWJUDGHUV ZHUH HQ- rolled as of March 1. Superintendent Doug Dougherty and Superinten- Volunteers sought for trail clean-up North Coast Land Con- servancy has a growing trail system at its Circle Creek Habitat Reserve, at the south end of Seaside. The conser- vancy is seeking volunteers to join them on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help get those trails ready for the spring and summer hiking season. In addition to the short Legacy Loop nature trail, the conservancy is developing a longer Circle Creek and Wet- lands Walk that includes a long stretch of boardwalk. Volun- teers will brush out and mulch the nature trail and portions of the wetlands walk and repair- ing or replacing footbridges and anything else disturbed E\ZLQWHUÀRRGLQJ9ROXQWHHUV from Northwest Coast Trails Coalition are partnering with the land conservancy on the trails clean-up day. Anyone interested in learn- ing more or in participating should contact Stewardship Director Melissa Reich at melissar@nclctrust.org in ad- vance. Dining on the North Coast OPEN Wednesday - Sunday for Lunch & Dinner Live Music • Wine Tasting 271 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach 503.436.1539 • www.cafesweetbasils.com PIG ‘N PANCAKE 223 S Hemlock 503-436-2851 7AM - 3PM Daily From hashbrown potatoes ground fresh daily and award-winning sourdough pancakes to homemade soups and clam chowder, you’ll fi nd delicious family friendly dining at the Pig ‘N Pancake. Over 35 breakfast varieties and a complete lunch menu, too. Our dining area overlooks a beautiful wetland area and downtown Cannon Beach. NORMA’S SEAFOOD & STEAK 20 N. Columbia, Seaside 503-738-4331 Since 1976 discriminating diners have sought out this Seaside landmark. There’s a chalkboard fresh catchlist, exclusively natural Angus beef and a great regional wine list as well as local microbrews. From Steak & Lobster to Fish & Chips (and Chowder to die for) - this is worth the drive! 11am-10pm daily. Visit www.normasseaside.com TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE! FREE CONSULTATION • Dentures for all ages, New, Partials and Custom Dentures • Dentures for implants • Relines & Repairs • Denture repairs done same day! • Personal service and attention to detail The Cannon Beach Acad- emy’s logo, designed by Crowerks of Cannon Beach. dent-elect Sheila Roley said without enough students, the district would be unable to make necessary adjustments in programs, class size and VWDI¿QJ The academy also lacked a state-approved English lan- guage learners program by proposing an outdated pro- gram, Dougherty and Roley wrote. According to academy members, the academy had developed a program using information from the Oregon Department of Education that they “reasonably believed” to be state-approved, board members wrote. The error is “immaterial” and “easily cor- rected.” Academy board members said the district’s decision was “neither reasonable or lawful.” “Oregon law does not pro- vide for conditional approval and the purported conditions which are alleged to have not been met are themselves un- reasonable and inconsistent with the spirit and intent of Oregon’s charter school law,” they wrote. Despite the March de- cision to revoke approval, Dougherty and Roley stat- ed that the district remained committed to seeing the char- ter school up and running and that Cannon Beach Academy could begin operating in fall 2017, if it meets the condi- tions. 25 ONLY $ music fi rst per issue Seaside Office: 503-738-5561 Astoria Office: 503-325-3211
