FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • VOL. 41, ISSUE 3
WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Academy
locks in
school site
Permit renewal
granted by Planning
Commission
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
CORY BURNETT/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Christen Allsop, director of the Cannon Beach Yoga Festival.
A SPIRITUAL SETTING
Christen Allsop leads
seventh annual fest
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
n a city that values aesthetics, fitness
and the spiritual, the Cannon Beach
Yoga Festival appeals to devotees of
all three.
The seventh annual festival arrives
Feb. 24-27 as a result of a grant from
the Tourism and Arts Commission to
the Friends of Haystack Rock. More
than 200 visitors are expected for class-
es, workshops and concerts at Tolovana
Hall, Cannon Beach Chamber Hall, Hall-
mark Resort and Tolovana Inn.
Christen Allsop of Cannon Beach
Yoga Arts founded and manages the fes-
tival, which she described as offering
round-robin shuttles, scenic strolls, shop-
ping and “lovely places to fall into for a
lovely meal.”
And don’t forget the yoga. “We’ve
invited some world-renowned teachers
on the yoga teaching and conference cir-
cuit,” Allsop said Monday.
Featured instructors include Judy
Gudmestad, Alan and Sarah Finger,
I
Aadil Palkhivala and Sarahjoy Marsh.
“They’re people I’ve worked with and
really hold in high regard,” Allsop said.
“They’re hand-picked because I want to
have the best people coming from a num-
ber of different fields.”
Classes focus on poses, alignment,
energy work and the psychology of yoga.
Meditation, philosophy, dance and art
as well are integrated into the weekend
events.
Allsop’s brother, Cannon Beach artist
and teacher David Kinhan, offers Satur-
day and Sunday classes in figure draw-
ing.
“We’re offering a well-rounded scope
that will allow something for everyone,”
Allsop said. “I’m a firm believer if you
put yourself in front of the best teacher,
you’re going to get something wonder-
ful from that teacher. That’s why I think
it’s important for even beginners to study
with masters.”
Yoga has a long tradition in Cannon
Beach, Allsop said.
“There have been lots of great teachers
who have come through Cannon Beach,”
Allsop said, including festival presenter
Sarahjoy Marsh, teaching “Yoga for the
See Yoga, Page 9A
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY SARAH MCALLISTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Julie Yanko models at a yoga figure
drawing class. The class will be pre-
sented again this year taught by Can-
non Beach’s David Kinhan.
The
Cannon
Beach Academy
charter
school
locked in its pro-
posed location at
171 Sunset Boule-
vard for at least one
more year.
The request for
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH
a permit renewal,
GAZETTE
presented at the
Planning Commis- Phil Simmons, di-
sion Thursday, Jan. rector of start-up
26, provides the operations; Kellye
academy an oppor- Dewey, president;
tunity to operate and Barb Knop,
a public charter treasure of the Can-
school in a portion non Beach Academy,
of the site’s com- at the Thursday, Jan.
mercial building. 26 Planning Com-
The proposal calls mission meeting.
for kindergarten,
first and second grades next fall, growing
to kindergarten through fifth grade by fall
2020. Maximum enrollment would be 75
students the first year, rising to 150 students
by 2020. Maximum staffing would start at
six, reaching a maximum of 10 by 2020.
“This proposal is similar to one you ap-
proved a year ago that has since expired,”
City Planner Mark Barnes told commis-
sioners. “Your conditional use permits are
good for a year unless acted on. This was
not acted on and it died from inaction, so
they are starting the process again with a
new conditional use permit.”
Revised plans for the charter school were
approved by the Design Review Board last
spring. Board members had hoped to open this
school year, but the application was delayed
when issues with Seaside School District
arose. “Those issues have been resolved,” Phil
Simmons, the director of startup operations,
said. “We’re ready to open this fall. We’re
ready to get the permits and open the school.”
See Academy, Page 6A
Short-term rental rules made simple(r)
Planning Commission
considers changes to
revocation procedure
By R.J. Marx
Cannon Beach Gazette
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
A short-term rental property managed by Vacasa.
Seeking clarity in the city’s short-term
rental code, the Planning Commission met
Thursday, Jan. 26, to develop and recom-
mend code changes focused on procedures,
administration and enforcement.
Under current rules, short-term rental
property owners must receive six violations
before a permit is revoked. The amendment
would reduce that to four.
Permits are also redefined in the code.
Previously all permits were defined as
“vacation home rental occupancy require-
ments.”
While requirements for homeowners
would not change, categories were recom-
mended to more specify new terminology
for the three categories of permits: lifetime,
unlimited permits; five-year unlimited per-
mits; and 14-day permits.
The changes are a result of a directive
from the City Council’s strategic plan to
provide “clear, understandable short-term
rental regulations.”
City Planner Mark Barnes said the
changes were mostly administrative, not
substantive, as he enumerated them for
commissioners.
One of the substantive changes ad-
dressed violations.
“They were already delineated,” Barnes
said after the meeting. “We renamed them
in a more descriptive manner. The intent is
to make it a little more user friendly.”
Lifetime permits remain transferrable
only by inheritance; upon sale or transfer
the rental permit is void. The city maintains
92 unlimited rental permits. Property own-
ers may put their name on the waiting list at
any time. If selected to receive the unlimit-
ed permit by random selection, they can opt
for their permit with 180 days.
Fourteen-day permits are not capped.
“Everyone who asks for one, gets one,”
See Rentals, Page 6A
Red Cross to recruit Cannon Beach volunteers
Trainings, outreach
coming in spring
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
After the Manzanita tornado in
October, residents like Larry Wie-
denhoft, an emergency volunteer
corps of Nehalem Bay member,
sprang into action. Volunteers re-
sponded to the scene in various
ways, from watching traffic, re-
moving trees and finding shelter for
displaced people to helping the Red
Cross conduct an official damage as-
sessment.
“The community was there with-
in minutes,” said Monique Dugaw,
communications director for the
American Red Cross Cascades Re-
gion. Manzanita’s recovery process
has been “outstanding” due to the
immediate response of trained vol-
unteers, she added.
“It was amazing because every-
one just came and did whatever job
needed to be done,” said Wieden-
hoft, who has American Red Cross,
Community Emergency Response
Team and emergency medical ser-
vices training. “We all know each
other and we know what each other
can do.”
To strengthen its partnership
with Cannon Beach, Red Cross will
hold a general recruitment session
on March 30 at the Cannon Beach
Chamber Hall from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Residents will learn from Red Cross
disaster program managers about the
organization, how the training works
and can sign up to volunteer.
“We believe individuals in
Cannon Beach are resilient and
See Red Cross, Page 9A
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Members of Cascade Red Cross. The Red Cross will be conducting training in
Cannon Beach in coming months.