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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2018)
VOL. 42, ISSUE 19 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 Council considers rental rule changes By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette A HOMECOMING More than 30 juvenile seabirds are released back to the wild by Haystack Rock A public hearing will be held to review and receive comment on possible changes to the city’s short-term rental regulations. In a July work session, city councilors began re-evaluating the town’s short-term rental ordinance, which regulates where va- cation rentals can operate, how often houses can be rented, off-street parking and safety inspections. Substantive proposed changes that came from these discussions include possibly ad- justing the 14-day rule, which limits prop- erty owners to one renter in a single 14- day period, and ending, through attrition, a lottery system that allows some vacation homeowners the chance at a five-year, un- limited rental permit. Changing the 14-day rule would allow a homeowner to rent to two parties any- time within the month. This would simpli- fy enforcement for rental owners who are not professionally managed — the group of people who tend to see more violations, City Planner Mark Barnes said. The City Council decided last September to send this draft proposal to the October planning com- mission meeting for review and to receive public feedback. See Rentals, Page 6A By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette Candidate forum in Cannon Beach M ore than 30 juvenile common murres were re- leased back into the wild at Haystack Rock Friday morning. The baby sea- birds were ones that had washed ashore and rescued by beachgoers over the course of the summer. The Wildlife Center of North Coast re- habilitated the birds and facilitated the release. “The hardest part is getting the birds past the surf,” rehabilitation specialist Pauline Baker said. Seeing juvenile birds wash ashore is normal starting in late summer, when the fledgling com- mon murre jumps from nests to learn how to forage for fish. Through the process, some birds will always struggle, and those ar- riving on shore are often coming into the wildlife center malnour- ished and hypothermic, Baker said. This year has seen more juvenile bird rescues than in previous years, which scientists believe could point to a healthier bird colony with a more successful reproduction rate. In poorer years, fewer chicks would even reach fledging stage, and adults would likely be stressed and thinner, meaning surveyors could see relatively more adults washing ashore, according to a re- port from the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team. Cannon Beach Gazette TOP Lary Lipe and Lisa Habecker move a carrier containing common murres into position near Haystack Rock. CENTER Volunteers with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program and the Wildlife Center of the North Coast prepare to release common murres back into the wild. BOTTOM A young common murre prepares to navigate the waves near Haystack Rock. PHOTOS BY COLIN MURPHEY The Cannon Beach Gazette and Daily Astorian present a candidate forum at the Coaster Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. The event will introduce City Council candidates Mike Benefield, Robin Risley and Greg Swedenborg, who are vying for two open seats. Mayor Sam Steidel, who is running unopposed, will be featured. Oregon House District 32 candidates Brian Halvorsen, an Independent; Vineeta Lower, Republican; and Tiffiny Mitchell, Democrat, will also be in attendance. The district encompasses all of Clatsop County, most of Tillamook County and a western portion of Washington County. State House District 32 The region’s marquee election will bring the two candidates for House District 32, the seat vacated by the retirement of Deb- orah Boone. Tiffiny Mitchell handily won a compet- itive primary against challengers John Orr PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE See Forum, Page 6A School builds opportunities in Cannon Beach Language learning at the fore By Katherine Lacaze For Cannon Beach Gazette KATHERINE LACAZE/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Leticia Campos leads a Spanish class for kindergarten and first-grade stu- dents at the Cannon Beach Academy on Wednesday, Sept. 12. As part of its charter, the academy provides Spanish language instruction to all students. As the Cannon Beach Academy embarks on the 2018-19 school year, the addition of third-grade education, more robust Spanish instruction and a focus on increasing enrollment and volunteerism are a few of the devel- opments parents, students and the community can look forward to. “We’re excited to see what this year brings,” said Kellye Dewey, president of the academy’s board of directors. From hosting new events to having students sing for Cannon Beach’s holi- day candle-lighting service downtown as they did in years past, the school plans to continue ”being involved in old traditions and starting new ones down here,” she added. The academy offered kindergarten through second-grade education last school. As was part of the institution’s strategic plan from the start, a new grade level will be added each school year until a full elementary education is provided. For the 2018-19 school year, about 15 kindergarten and first-graders are in one combined class, and approxi- mately 18 second- and third-graders are in another. Another change is the extension of the school day by a half-hour so Span- ish class can be offered to all students five days per week, as opposed to only one weekly 30-minute class. “At the end of last year, we real- ized that’s not effective for teaching a language,” Cannon Beach Academy Director Amy Frederickson said. “In order to actually give the students the skills they need to acquire a second language, they need it every day.” See Academy, Page 7A