October 19, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A
Support bond measure for new county jail
I
n many ways jails are orphans.
Most of its “users,” or those
directly affected by them, are
confined to the victims of more
serious crime, the officers who
arrest those accused, and the people
accused of crimes.
On the November ballot coming
soon to your mailbox is Clatsop
County Measure 4-195, which would
authorize bonds to remodel the
mothballed Oregon Youth Authority
detention facility in Warrenton into a
much-needed county jail.
The cost to families with a house
assessed at roughly $200,000 would
be about $43 a year, a fraction of
what is being asked for by local
school districts and other local dis-
tricts. The difference, of course, who
does a jail actually serve?
As your elected district attorney
for the last quarter century, I can say
without hesitation, a jail is there to
protect you, your family and your
neighbors. Oregon has one of the
lower incarceration rates in the na-
GUEST COLUMN
JOSHUA MARQUIS
tion and criminals need to really out-
do themselves to actually get locked
up. Even in more serious felony
crimes, only 30 percent of convicted
felons go to prison. That means 70
percent of convicted felons stay in
the community, may do some local
jail time and hopefully learn stealing,
selling drugs, or driving under the
influence are not good ways to live.
But even if you or your family
don’t “use” the jail, it is as necessary
to a safe and livable community as a
hospital. You probably don’t want to
go there, either, but you sure want it
there if needed.
Some might say that as a career
prosecutor, of course I advocate for
a jail. However this winter, after 40
years in law enforcement, 38 years as a
COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN
The visitation room at the Clatsop
County Jail.
lawyer, and 25 years as your district at-
torney, I will become a private citizen,
who hopefully has no more personal
need for the jail as most of you.
There are many reasons this bond
needs to pass. This is the third try
in 15 years. It is a likely one-time
use of an existing state facility that
might otherwise cost taxpayers twice
as much. But most importantly it is
because for the entire justice system
to work, from police to probation,
prosecutors to judges, drug treatment
to restraining orders, there has to be
an empty jail bed available if a judge
determines it is appropriate.
Most people arrested, even for
their third drunk driving offense, do
not await trial in jail. At a cap of 60,
the jail is one-third its needed capac-
ity and dangerous felons are released
every week. A few years ago one
of those men murdered two young
women just a few weeks later in
Portland. That should never happen.
Some people have claimed that
the sheriff’s political views should be
punished by rejecting a desperately
needed public building. That is spite-
ful and short-sighted. If I had a dollar
for every time a crime victim or fami-
ly member tearfully asked me why the
abuser of someone’s spouse or child
was walking free, I’d be a rich man.
Immigration cases have not been held
in the county jail for at least a decade.
It’s far too full of people charged with
violent felonies who are citizens.
There are a limited number of
times the county is willing to go
to the voters for a need like this,
which many think will never impact
them. Women will be abused if their
abusers are not held in jail, children
will be beaten or worse. This is not
a scare tactic. This is actual experi-
ence, in this county.
Measure 4-195 is a modest pro-
posal, using the Oregon Youth Au-
thority facility the state abandoned.
I doubt it will be usable in the same
way in four to five years.
Many people claim the jail does
not affect them because 1) their family
or friends aren’t locked up, 2) they
haven’t been the victim of a serious
crime, or 3) if we don’t build a jail
crime will magically decrease. That’s
called “magical thinking” for a reason.
Do not be misled by emotion or
a lack of empathy for the victims
of crime, who tend to be women,
children, and the poor, far more than
people like me.
Please join me in voting “yes” on
Measure 4-195.
Joshua Marquis is Clatsop Coun-
ty’s district attorney.
State’s poet laureate comes to the Cannon Beach Library
I
t was the best of times
as the library finished
its most successful Fall
Festival on Sept. 29. With
generous donations from 39
merchants and five hotels
and homemade crafts and
baked goods from 52 library
members and volunteers, this
fundraiser added $4,600 for
library acquisitions and other
expenses.
Cannon Beach certainly
supports our private, nonprof-
it community library. Through
several annual fundraisers, a
small subsidy from the city
and help from 90 volunteers,
the library opens six days a
week with the support of one
part-time paid employee, of-
fice manager Kim Catton who
started Oct. 1. Meet Kim at
the library between 9 a.m. and
2 p.m., any day except Thurs-
day and Sunday. Kim brings
office, library and archival ex-
perience from working at the
Seaside Library and Clatsop
County Historical Society.
AT THE LIBRARY
JOSEPH BERNT
Poet laureate
It is also the best of times
to experience the calm and
reflective words of Kim
Stafford, newly appointed for
a two-year term as Oregon’s
poet laureate. Stafford — a
poet, folklorist, performing
musician, personal essayist,
filmmaker, photographer and
printer has taught writing at
Lewis and Clark College in
Portland since 1979. Stafford
will be reading and discussing
recent writings at the library,
Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m.
Part of the library’s North-
west Authors Series, Staf-
ford’s reading is free, open to
the public and refreshments
will be served.
It’s been the best of times
this past month reading Staf-
ford’s essays in “Entering the
Grove” in praise of the lives
of trees and “Having Every-
thing Right: Essays of Place”
containing essays based in
folklore, family and personal
experiences mostly in the
West. His mid-career poems
in “A Thousand Friends of
Rain: New and Selected
Poems, 1976-1998,” demon-
strate his folklorist’s interest
in the lives of ordinary people
who live passionately but
simply.
Such a poem as “Lou-
ise” reminds me of William
Wordsworth’s glorification
of rural life and commoners
in “Resolution and Indepen-
dence” focusing on a lowly
leech gatherer who attracts
bloodsuckers for medicinal
use. Like Wordsworth finding
a lesson of charity from the
leach gatherer, Stafford learns
from Louise, an aging beader:
Experience Family Dining in
a Relaxed & Friendly
Environment
Seaside Kids Inc.
Annual Pancake Feed
& sausage
Serving Seafood, Pizza,
Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer,
Wine, Ice Cream and our
Homemade Desserts
Tuesday, October 30 th
5 pm -7 pm
Seaside Civic & Convention Center
415 1st Ave • Seaside
We have a fabulous patio
where you can enjoy the
weather and your meal.
Adults: $7
Sr. Citizens/Kids under 12: $5
Family: $20
“TO-GO”
Orders Welcome
156 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach
Funds support Free Athletic Opportunites
for the Local Children.
503.436.9551
Owned and Operated by the Cleary Family
M U N I C I PA L M E M O
OCTOBER 2018
MEETINGS
NOVEMBER 2018
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15
20
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING,
October 2, 2018
• Proclaimed the month of October as
Domestic Violence Awareness Month in
Cannon Beach;
• Appointed Jillayne Sorenson to serve
a second 4-year term on the Parks and
Community Services Committee;
• Upheld the denial of a water bill
appeal;
• Approved the Promotion Program
contract with the Cannon Beach
Chamber of Commerce;
• Approved the revised City Manager
evaluation form and timeline;
• Approved sending a letter of support
for the Beach Bill Art Project.
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING and
WORK SESSION, October 9, 2018
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•
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•
•
Met with members of the Cannon
Beach Farmers Market Committee to
review the program;
Discussed the proposed building of a
new City Hall to be funded by a bond
measure;
Members of the South Wind
Improvement Advisory Board
presented their recommendations for
siting a school, housing and municipal
critical services at the South Wind site;
Finance Director Laurie Sawrey
presented the 4th quarter Fiscal Year
Ending 6/30/18 finance report.
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION,
October 10, 2018
• Members of the architectural firm,
“It is hard when you sew one
bead at a time./My Hands are
shaking, my eyes have grown
dim./But are you too lazy, or
are you too rich/to sew one
bead at a time?”
Come hear this people’s
poet. He will ensure you the
best of times.
Is published monthly by the City of Cannon Beach
163 E. Gower Street • P.O. Box 368 • Cannon Beach, OR 97110
(503) 436-1581 • Fax: (503) 436-2050 • TTY (503) 436-8097
City Council Regular Meeting
City Council Work Session
Design Review Board
Planning Commission
7:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
SRG Partnerships, Inc. and the City
Manager presented on the city hall
programming study which will be
finished in mid-December. Council will
review and discuss the report at that
time.
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD –
The Design Review Board met September
20, 2108 and discussed:
DRB 18-04 Eileen Nordquist Major
Modifications to Cannon Beach
Community Church, 132 E. Washington
Street. Approved with Conditions.
The Design Review Board is scheduled to
meet October 18, 2018.
PLANNING COMMISSION -
The Planning Commission met September
27, 2018 and discussed:
SR 18-05 Request by Phil Chek and As-
sociates for a Setback Reduction in Con-
junction with a Roof Replacement and
Remodel at 148 N. Larch. Approved with
Conditions.
ZO 18-01 and CP 18-01 Zoning Or-
dinance and Comprehensive Plan Text
Amendments Updating the City’s Fore-
dune Management Plan. Continued to
10/25/18.
ZO 18-03 City of Cannon Beach Request
for Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments to
Chapter 17.70 Tree Removal. Continued
to 10/25/18.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to
meet October 25, 2018.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
MAYOR: Sam Steidel
COUNCILORS: Mike Benefield,
Nancy McCarthy, Brandon
Ogilvie and George Vetter
CITY MANAGER: Bruce St. Denis
Of Interest…
City Hall will be Closed:
Monday November 12th in obser-
vance of Veterans Day
Thursday & Friday November 22 & 23
in observance of Thanksgiving
November 6, 2018
General Election News
Candidates for Cannon Beach elected
officials are:
Mayor Position:
Sam Steidel
(incumbent running unopposed)
2 Councilor Positions (at large):
Mike Benefield (incumbent)
Robin Risley
Greg Swedenborg
Ballots can be deposited inside City Hall in the
official ballot drop off box, beginning October
17th.
Don't forget to register and vote!
Beach Volunteers Wanted!
Do you enjoy being outside and sharing
your love of Haystack Rock? No experience
necessary – we train! Families welcome.
Please contact:
Lisa Habecker
Education & Volunteer Coordinator
503.436.8064
habecker@ci.cannon-beach.or.us