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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 29, 2017)
December 29, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A ‘A GIFT TO EACH OTHER’ Cannon Beach celebrates holiday season with annual lamplighting, holiday tea By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette During a notoriously busy time of year, Lori and Kathy Strombeck come to Can- non Beach as a way to start the holiday season in a more “peaceful and gentle” way. “Coming here is a gift to each other — rather than buy- ing fancy sweaters or some- thing,” Lori said. The two sisters traveled from Corvallis and Eugene to attend the Cannon Beach Li- brary Holiday Tea and lamp- lighting ceremony Saturday. Sitting by the library’s fire- place with tea in one hand and homemade cookies in the oth- er, Lori said they have been attending the town’s holiday rituals for the past four years as way to start off a chaotic month of shopping and event planning. “We like starting the sea- son in a peaceful way. When the holidays start getting crazy and expensive, we go back to thinking about this day — the tea, the lamplighting, the music — and remember what Christ- mas is all about,” Lori said. The Strombecks were among hundreds who came Saturday to celebrate the 44th annual lamplighting ceremo- ny in Sandpiper Square. “It makes me teary just from the beginning to see Sandpiper Square fill up with so many people like this,” said Margo Dueber, the orga- nizer and emcee of the event. “We come together as fami- ly, friends and a community. It feels just kind of yummy, doesn’t it?” The lamplighting tradi- tion began in 1973 amid an oil crisis that drove down the number of vacationers who were coming to visit Cannon Beach. To get back visitors, the town banded together to create a holiday celebra- tion with a Charles Dickens theme. The Coaster Theatre put on productions of “A Christmas Carol” and shop owners dressed in Victorian style, Dueber said. Since then, many of the traditions remain and others have evolved. Bill Steidel and Paul Dueber again per- formed the town’s official song “Christmas in Our Hometown,” which Steidel composed for the Dueber family when Paul Dueber Sr. died on Christmas Day 1967. For the first time, students from the Cannon Beach Academy sang high- lights from Christmas carols. The lamp is still lit the same way Jay Schwehr, a Cannon Beach local, did for 40 years before falling ill. The lamplighting duty since has been passed on to selected Cannon Beach grade school- PHOTOS BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Santa walks through the crowd at the lamplighting ceremony. Hundreds stand waiting for the lamplighting ceremony Saturday in Cannon Beach. Bill Steidel and Paul Dueber sing the town’s traditional Christmas song at the lamplighting ceremony. ers. But this year, the task was given to Ethan Burnett, the oldest grandson of Tom Drum- heller, a local hospitality leader who died in September. said at the lamplighting. “It was extremely important to him for people to feel loved and appreciated.” The evening ended with “He was also caring, al- ways helping, always reach- ing out to the community during the holidays and every other time of year,” Dueber kids lining up to see Santa, who made a surprise visit in a blaring fire truck to Sandpip- er Square to hand out bags of treats. Year in review: Looking back, looking ahead 2017 from Page 1A a rate increase. The 20-year plan is required by the state, and projects would focus on rehabbing or replacing a va- riety of systems, including brittle water lines and water storage tanks. The proposal would keep the city’s current rate structure and raise the average home- owner’s water bill from about $50 a month to about $70. The increase would be phased in over five years and generate $2.1 million and $1.6 million for water and wastewater proj- ects. Whether this would be enough to fully fund projects remains a key concern. Others raised questions about whether commercial outfits were paying enough under the current rate struc- ture. Council members were divided whether to set aside the full amount of funding for the projects or to seek out public or grant funds that could help lessen the burden for Cannon Beach homeown- ers and businesses. The city plans to hold a se- ries of public hearings before implementing any changes. For now, the city is consid- ering approving just the first year of rate increases pro- posed in the five-year plan, which would increase the cu- mulative water, wastewater and stormwater base rate by 16 percent from this year to next — about an $8 difference for the average residential ratepayer. The plan would impact rates annually by accelerat- ing or slowing increases de- pending on what projects are planned for each fiscal year, according to City Manager Bruce St. Denis. Which plans and what rate structure the city propos- es will be sure to bring out stakeholders on all sides. Two public meetings are scheduled in January to discuss utility rates, on Jan. 16 and Jan. 22. allow visitors enough time to enjoy the restaurants and browse through the local shops” generated 120 signa- tures. After impassioned argu- ments from the community, the Cannon Beach City Coun- cil voted in July to table any discussion of timed parking or any other parking solutions until after the summer. As of December, the topic remains to be considered. Cannon Beach Academy BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE LEFT, Cars are parked where the city planned to imple- ment timed parking on Hemlock Street between Second and Third streets. RIGHT, Cannon Beach Information Aide Patrick Leary writes a parking violation citation during a recent bike pa- trol. pose time limits along a sec- tion of Hemlock Street. The proposal would have installed three-hour parking limit signs on Hemlock Street between First and Third ave- nues, as well as on First, Sec- ond and Third streets between Hemlock and Spruce. A pilot program, with the goal of creating 50 new spots by the end of 2018, never got off the ground. Opponents to timed park- ing rallied, rejecting the idea as bad for business and adding that they felt “shut out” of the process. Residents presented a petition arguing that timed parking would “negatively impact the relaxing atmo- sphere” of the town, “increase traffic congestion when cars need to be moved,” and “not Cannon Beach’s Best Selection of Oregon and Washington Wine! Parking To many in Cannon Beach, parking is well-nigh a God-given right. There are no time limits in heaven. Contrast that with a sum- mer weekend in Cannon Beach, with vehicles grid- locked along Highway 101 for miles. Trailers and cars circle the streets looking for a spot compound the problem. Finding a parking space on Hemlock Street is like win- ning the lottery. In an attempt to create more downtown parking, Cannon Beach planned to im- COLIN MURPHEY/EO MEDIA GROUP TOP, Mayor Sam Steidel speaks to the crowd at the grand opening of the Cannon Beach Academy. Students, their families and residents gathered for a grand opening celebration this to celebrate the Cannon Beach Academy’s first school year. The ribbon-cutting high- lighted four years of volun- teering and fundraising it took to open the charter school at the former Preschool and Children’s Center after Can- non Beach Elementary School was closed in 2013. The path in 2017 was nev- er fully certain until the first day of classes. They reached their enrollment goals on the last week of the Seaside School District deadline. Because of budget issues, the Cannon Beach Academy board had to change locations for the charter school in May. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to grant a conditional use permit to the grades K-2 charter school. That left only a few months to secure the lease for the current location at 3781 S Hemlock St. from the city and finish necessary renovations before a fall opening. By the end of the year, it was all smiles as community members came out to cele- brate the academy’s official grand opening with a rib- bon-cutting and tour of the building. The school will look to 2018 for greater enrollment, new classes and a positive role in the community. UPCOMING TASTINGS Shack Hours Sunday - Th ursday 11am to 5pm Friday & Saturday 11am to 5:30pm Tasting Room Hours Saturdays • 1 to 5pm Jan 6 • Wines for the New Year Jan 13 • Walla Walla Wines Jan 18 • Wine Women & Wealth - Money Talk Jan 20 • Wine Shack Favorites “Best Wine Shop” - 2016 Reader’s Choice Award 124 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach - 503.436.1100 - www.thewineshack.wine COLIN MURPHEY/EO MEDIA GROUP Personnel with the Seaside rope and rescue team pre- pare to bring up a dog that fell off a cliff Monday after- noon at Ecola State Park. Dog rescued from cliff Dog from Page 1A requires more climbing than usual. For Seaside Fire Lieu- tenant Genesee Dennis, the man who scaled the rock face to retrieve Felix, this was his first rescue since gaining his certification a year ago. “The most difficult part about this rescue was the fact it was a dog,” Dennis said. “You can’t reason with a dog, and they can’t really help. At one point he slipped out of his harness, and I was basical- ly bear hugging him, with no available hand holds.” About three hours later, Felix was greeted by a warm blanket, a visibly emotional owner and group of friends anxiously awaiting his ar- rival. “He’s everything,” Strem- ming said, clutching Felix in her arms. Experience Family Dining in a Relaxed & Friendly Environment Serving Seafood, Pizza, Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer, Wine, Ice Cream and our Homemade Desserts We have a fabulous patio where you can enjoy the weather and your meal. “TO-GO” Orders Welcome 156 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach 503.436.9551 Owned and Operated by the Cleary Family SERVING LUNCH & DINNER OPEN AT 11:30 Tuesday’s Open at 4pm Delightful Beer Garden • Ocean View Deck Pool Tables • Darts Full Bar ( including Bill’s Tavern brews ) but that’s not all... Smoked Pork Ribs • Steak • Seafood and much, much more! Located in SOUTH Cannon Beach 3301 S. Hemlock St. • Tolovana Park 503.436.1130 • Minors Welcome