Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2018)
VOL. 42, ISSUE 1 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM FOLLOWING TREASURE Owners of Cannon Beach Treasure Co. headed to Florida, hoping to maintain local connections Fire chief seeks two full-time firefighters Levy would fund two full-time paramedics By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette A fter seven years, Robert and April Knecht are flying south and taking their business, Can- non Beach Treasure Co., with them. The couple, who made a unique busi- ness out of collecting, documenting and selling historical artifacts as repurposed jewelry, have closed up their shop at 148 N. Hemlock and plan to relocate at St. Joe Beach on the Florida Panhandle by February. “We both grew up on the West Coast, so coming out here was like coming home. But life has seasons,” Robert said. The Knechts decided while they loved operating a store on the Oregon coast, some changes in their personal life and the 24/7 life of retail was taxing them. They plan to open a studio in Flor- ida with limited hours and expand their online commerce. Moving to Florida would not only pro- vide the slower life and warmer climate they seek, but also a chance to get back JANUARY 12, 2018 BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Above: Robert Knecht, owner of Cannon Beach Treasure Co., works on some final jewelry pieces as he and his wife April prepare to move out of their Hemlock location. Below: Owners April and Robert Knecht closed the doors to Can- non Beach Treasure Co. this month. They plan to reopen in Florida in February. ‘TREASURE ALWAYS SEEMED TO FIND ME, REGARDLESS WHERE I WAS LIVING.’ Robert Knecht See Treasure, Page 6A Every five years, Cannon Beach voters are given the choice on a levy that pays the salary, benefits, training and other expenses for a full-time fire chief. For this year’s ballot, Fire Chief Matt Benedict wants the rural fire district’s board to consider modifying the levy to cover funding for two full-time firefighter para- medics. The change would more than double the rate to $0.35 per thousand of assessed property, up from $0.1488. It’s a difference between paying roughly $14 a year on a $100,000 home versus paying $35. The fire district would bring in about $385,000 a year, compared to the $141,469 since voters last approved the levy in 2013. See Levy, Page 3A New year, new brand Chamber of Commerce rolls out new branding look for Cannon Beach By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette With a new year comes a new message from the Cannon Beach Chamber of Com- merce, which is looking to launch a new branding campaign for the town early this year. The new brand, which consists of a new town logo and comprehensive style guide, is all centered around one tagline that will be featured in various advertising spots, the visitor guide, the e-mail marketing program and social media: There is magic here. “If you read through what people are posting about Cannon Beach, you’ll read the word magic everywhere,” said Kevan Ridgway, chair of the chamber’s marketing committee. “Cannon Beach is an escape from reality. It’s what people feel here.” The project is the first formal attempt to create a cohesive brand to attract visitors in the off-season. Armed with recently secured transient lodging tax revenues previously not in the chamber’s coffers, Ridgway said the committee could now afford to deliver a consistent and contemporary brand to at- tract the next generation of Cannon Beach tourists. “It’s all about consistency. It used to be in marketing that it took someone would have to interact with your brand seven times before internalizing your call to ac- tion,” Ridgway said. “Now research says PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE See Brand, Page 6A Boone will not run for re-election State House Democrat will retire in 2019 By R.J. Marx and Edward Stratton Cannon Beach Gazette FILE PHOTO State Rep. Deborah Boone, shown here at a Memorial Day celebration in 2016, will not run for re-election. State Rep. Deborah Boone, a Democrat who has represented the North Coast in Salem for 14 years, will not run for re-election. Boone announced Jan. 2 she will retire from House District 32 when her seventh two-year term ends in January 2019. Her decision comes after the death of her husband, Bill Boone, a contractor and firefighter, in November. “The past two years have been very difficult for me as I became a full-time caretaker for my husband who was fighting brain cancer,” Boone said in a statement. Boone, who lives in Hamlet, is known for her ad- vocacy of emergency preparedness, the environment and economic development. “The safety of our citizens, and vibrancy of our communities has been an uppermost concern and led to the introduction of House Resolution 3, the Oregon Resilience Plan, and follow-up legislation to imple- ment the plan,” she said. “This legislation is vital to ensuring the safety of our people and the survival of our communities following disasters.” In November 2016, Boone won a seventh term in the state House, defeating Republican challeng- er Bruce Bobek, a physician at Columbia Memorial Hospital. House District 32 covers all of Clatsop, most of Tillamook and a western portion of Washing- ton counties. Boone was first elected the district’s representative in 2004, replacing Elaine Hopson. She had previous- ly served 16 years as a legislative assistant to seven different legislators, as well as on the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners. In her retirement announcement, Boone pointed to accomplishments in ocean policy and fisheries issues, along with seismic safety and economic development. “It has been an honor to have assisted hundreds of constituents over the years and to have worked collab- oratively with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on thousands of pieces of legislation,” Boone said. “I would like to thank the citizens of my district for the honor and privilege of serving as their state representative.” See Boone, Page 3A
