VOL. 42, ISSUE 16
WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
AUGUST 10, 2018
NIGHT
OUT
Logistics
stymie RV
park plan
Owner now looking to
sell Arch Cape property
By Brenna Visser
Cannon Beach Gazette
ARCH CAPE — Plans for an RV park
across from Arcadia Beach that drew ire
from environmentalists and neighbors have
been scrapped.
James Smejkal, the owner of the 17.6-
acre parcel of forestland nestled next to
U.S. Highway 101, wanted to build what
he called “an upscale RV park,” mostly be-
cause it is one of the only types of devel-
opment allowed with the land’s recreation
management zoning.
But as the project moved forward, Sme-
jkal faced logistical challenges like build-
ing proper roadways into the park, finding
a nearby water source for infrastructure and
doing construction without downing trees,
Leonard Waggoner, Smejkal’s development
consultant, said.
See RV Park, Page 6A
City Council
pans county
lodging tax
BRENNA VISSER
Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn addresses members of the community at the an-
nual National Night Out.
Councilors ask county
to consider repeal
By Brenna Visser
Cannon Beach Gazette
Community comes together for
annual law enforcement event
Annual national event designed to build strong bonds
By Brenna Visser
Cannon Beach Gazette
Hundreds gathered at
the Chamber of Commerce
to enjoy food, raffle prizes
and more for the fifth-an-
nual National Night Out
event Aug. 7.
The event, designed
to build a stronger bond
between the community
and local police, featured
traditional preparedness
and safety informational
booths, as well as a fire de-
partment obstacle course
in the park next door.
After finishing some free
hot dogs and burgers, peo-
ple were invited to com-
plete a microplastics mural
sponsored by the Haystack
Rock Awareness Program.
The art piece, designed to
resemble Haystack Rock as
depicted on the badge of
local police officers.
After seeing a similar
project of a whale mural
made of plastics done by
the group a few months
ago be gifted to the city,
Cannon Beach Police Chief
Jason Schermerhorn said
he wanted the police de-
partment to have one, too.
“This is a great way to
recognize the issue (of
plastic pollution),” Scher-
merhorn said. “They are a
great set of eyes and ears
for us at the rock. It’s an
important relationship to
have.”
City councilors voiced their opposition
Tuesday to a Clatsop County lodging tax
increase to help pay for jail operations, pri-
marily taking issue with the lack of commu-
nication the county had with the city before
the vote.
Monica Steele, the county’s business
and finance director, gave a presentation to
the City Council about the new tax, which
will impact lodging operators starting in
January.
The county tax comes in anticipation
of a $20 million bond measure in Novem-
ber to move the Clatsop County Jail from
Astoria to the former North Coast Youth
Correctional Facility in Warrenton. Annual
jail operating costs — $3.4 million this year
— are estimated to rise by more than $1.2
million if the jail is relocated.
But city councilors took issue with the fact
the county did not approach the city or local
lodging operators about the tax increase.
“They should have been talking to us
and hotel management before this,” Mayor
Sam Steidel said.
Cannon Beach joins dissenters in the
lodging industry who have also been criti-
cal about not being included in discussions
before the tax hike. Lodging operators also
have argued the tax would dampen revenue
and unfairly targets a single industry.
Proponents believe the 1 percent in-
crease is relatively minimal and would
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See Tax, Page 6A
‘Random Sampling’ relies on recycled materials
Arts Association exhibit
features collages,
paintings by noted
Cannon Beach couple
By Nancy McCarthy
For Cannon Beach Gazette
NANCY MCCARTHY
A collage of beach elements reflects Bonny Gorsuch’s touch
of whimsy.
Before 2010, Bonny Gorsuch had never
created a garment. But that year, she won a
grant from the Cannon Beach Arts Associa-
tion to create 24 outfits for 12 models.
“It was something I wanted to challenge
myself with,” Gorsuch recalled. “I was very
rough and tumble about it. I didn’t really know
what I was doing. I didn’t know how to sew,
and I didn’t know how to construct garments.”
She literally pieced thousands of recycled
fabric scraps together, sewing many onto
existing garments or creating clothing from
scratch. Words, patterns and drawings on the
materials illustrated newspaper stories she
had collected.
Her latest exhibit, which also includes
paintings by her husband, Richard Gorsuch,
is at the Cannon Beach History Center & Mu-
seum through September.
“I got a little taste of it and realized I real-
ly liked creating these garments,” Bonny re-
called about her earlier fashion show.
She took her first adult sewing class only
last year, but, she admitted, “I still don’t know
how to put in a zipper or button holes.”
“I don’t like following patterns; I just want
to be random and free-form … Each (gar-
ment) is totally one of a kind.”
Transformation
The works in the show, called Random Sam-
pling: Fabric, Wood, Metal, demonstrate how
Bonny takes odd fabric pieces and transforms
them into collages, smocks, skirts or shirts that
say something, either literally or figuratively.
The smock she wore recently said “I wish.”
The background behind the words showed a
fish, and underneath the words, Bonny sewed
See Fabric, Page 5A