A3 • Friday, December 28, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | CannonBeachGazette.com
Conservancy volunteers help restore habitat
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Cannon Beach Gazette
Throughout the fall the
North Coast Land Con-
servancy’s Weed Warrior
Wednesdays turned into
Seed Warrior Wednesdays
as volunteers gathered at the
Circle Creek Conservation
Center to roll clay, soil and
seeds into “seed bombs” to
be used for restoring coastal
prairie habitat.
“Trying to get native
plants reestablished is a
worthwhile endeavor,” said
land steward Eric Owen,
who oversees many stew-
ardship activities with
volunteers.
The seed bombs will be
planted at Reed Ranch, one
of the conservancy’s Clat-
sop Plains properties located
between Gearhart and War-
renton, west of U.S. High-
way 101, that has been over-
run with invasive plants, like
pasture grass, scotch broom
and creeping buttercups.
The organization has tried
sowing seeds by hand at
Reed Ranch, but the sandy
soil and strong coastal winds
mean the seeds tend to get
blown away before they can
germinate.
“Putting them in these
seed bombs will help them
get a better foothold in that
habitat,” Owen said.
The conservancy reg-
ularly holds what have
been dubbed Weed Warrior
Wednesdays, which typi-
cally include pulling weeds
and invasive plants as they
appear. Tasks also vary by
season, though, and can
include planting and har-
vesting, as well. With plant-
ing season approaching,
Owen said they planned to
get the seed bombs into the
ground as soon as possible.
At the beginning of the
year, the conservancy puts
together a work plan with
goals they hope to accom-
plish during the coming
months. Often goals are
determined by grant fund-
ing the conservancy has
received, but if other more
immediate issues arise —
such as damage done by ille-
gal dumping or trespassing
Katherine Lacaze/For Seaside Signal
North Coast Land Conservancy Land Steward Eric Owen (left), works with his father and
volunteer Tom Owen, of Astoria, and volunteer Krickett Wertz, of Astoria, to put together seed
bombs during a stewardship activity held Nov. 21 at the Circle Creek Conservation Center.
Volunteers rolled thousands of seed bombs using about 6 pounds of native plant seeds, soil
and clay.
— the staff can respond as
needed, Owen said.
For several years, the
conservancy has received
grant funding from the U.S.
Department of Fish and
Wildlife to help restore the
Oregon silverspot butter-
fl y, a federally threatened
species that has diminished
because of habitat loss and
degradation. The Oregon
silverspot butterfl y inhab-
its coastal grasslands and
relies on the early blue vio-
let, the only plant species
they develop and feed on in
the larval stage. Reed Ranch
is potentially a reintroduc-
tion spot for the butterfl y,
Owen said, which is why
they have planted early blue
violets there in the past. The
seed bombs also include
violet seeds, along with
dune tansy, yarrow, dune
sedge, California oatgrass,
sea blush, Canada golden-
rod, and red fescue.
Beyond
encouraging
repopulation of the Oregon
silverspot butterfl y, restor-
ing habitat has other positive
impacts.
“We need healthy, work-
ing habitats for our ecosys-
tem,” Owen said, adding that
both indirectly and directly
benefi ts humans and count-
less other species, as well.
The conservancy has a
regular core of volunteers
who frequently attend stew-
ardship events, although
they are joined at times by
new folks, area visitors,
interns, or groups repre-
senting different agencies,
such as AmeriCorps. They
value the opportunity to get
involved and learn about the
environment in a hands-on
way, according to Penny
Abegglen, a volunteer from
Clatskanie.
Former fi re district board member Al Aya dies at 94
Cannon Beach Gazette
Al Aya, a longtime Can-
non Beach Rural Fire Pro-
tection District board mem-
ber known for spearheading
the design and installa-
tion of Cannon Beach’s
“mooing” tsunami warning
sirens, died Friday, Dec.
21, at 94 years old.
Aya, who was Dec.
11, 1924 in Portland, was
a descendant of the pio-
neer Honeyman Hardware
family.
After high school, Aya
joined the Army and fought
in World War II. In 1953,
he moved to San Francisco,
where he continued to
serve in the Army Reserve
and began his career as a
researcher and statistician
for the Pacifi c Bell Tele-
phone Co. He retired from
the Army in 1968 at the
rank of major. After retiring
from Pacifi c Bell in 1984 he
moved to Cannon Beach.
Aya had just moved to
Cannon Beach, when an
old high school friend con-
vinced him to apply for
an opening on the fi re dis-
trict board. He was elected
to the board of the Cannon
Beach Rural Fire Protec-
tion District,
for
many
years serving
as chairman.
He spear-
headed
the
design
and
Alfred Aya installation of
warning sys-
tem for tsunami threats,
the fi rst of its kind in the
United States and a model
for other coastal warning
systems.
As a joke, he recalled
in 2017, because the acro-
nym for our system was
COWS — an acronym for
“Community Warning Sys-
tem” — “that maybe we
could broadcast a mooing
sound,” Aya said.
While part of the value
is defi nitely for comedic
effect, Aya said, having an
unusual sound also serves
as a built-in education tool.
A funeral Mass will be
held at 11 a.m on Saturday,
Jan. 5, at St. Peter the Fish-
erman, 79441 U.S. High-
way 101, Arch Cape. A
reception honoring Aya will
follow the Mass. Private
interment is at Mount Cal-
vary Cemetery in Portland.
9:22 p.m., S. Hemlock: Man
comes into Pelican Brewery
looking for food. Staff fed him.
Dec. 8
4:35 p.m., N. Entrance: Elk on
roadway.
Dec. 9
6:12 p.m. Highway 101: Police
are asked to check on a man
walking on the highway.
Dec. 10
CCB# 205283
Luxury vinyl planks and tile.
you walk on
our reputation
Flooring
Sarasue Berger
Walla Walla, Washington
Dec. 21, 1940 — April 6, 2018
On April 6, 2018, our beloved mother
and grandmother “Nattie” died peace-
fully at home. She was born in Colorado,
and later settled with her family in Hill-
sboro, Oregon.
She is a graduate of Hillsboro High
School, and served as worthy adviser
for Rainbow Girls, while her future hus-
band, Gary, served as master counselor
of DeMolay. They met on a blind date,
and he knew the moment he set eyes on
her she would be his wife. They were
married for 53 years at the time of his
death.
She was a devoted homemaker and
business partner with her husband, own-
ing the Cannon Beach Bakery and Geri’s
Seafood and Chicken. She loved gar-
dening, square dancing, painting, rodeos
and playing pinochl with her friends at
the Walla Walla Senior Center. In memo-
riam, donations in her name may be sent
to Walla Walla Community Hospice.
She was preceded in death by her
brother, Jerry Davis, of Hillsboro, Ore-
gon, and her husband, Gary, in 2013.
She is survived by her daughters, Trina
Berger, of Walla Walla, Washington, and
Edie Paden, of Walla Walla, Washington;
grandson, Austin Paden, of Boise, Idaho;
and granddaughter, Jordan Schilling, of
Milton Freewater, Oregon.
na: Police assist someone look-
ing for their dog.
Dec. 13
9:03 a.m., Logan Lane: Tools
taken from a construction site
are reported.
Dec. 14
10:52 p.m., Elk Creek Apart-
ments: Offi cer seized illegal
display of license plates and
leave information for vehicle
owner.
sault them with a candy dish.
Subject cited with Disorderly
Conduct in the Second Degree
and Harassment.
Dec. 18
1:20 p.m., Sunset Boulevard: A
volunteer who was terminated
grew agitated and refused to
leave. Subject left prior to po-
lice arrival.
Dec. 19
1:07 a.m., Hemlock and Harri-
son: A person is charged with
driving under the infl uence of
intoxicants.
6:38 p.m., Elk Creek: Domestic
dispute over custody arrange-
ments; female sped off with
child prior to police arrival.
Dec. 20
12:41 a.m., 10th Street: Police
assist Seaside police with a
burglary. Suspect unable to be
located.
3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon
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36 Years Experience
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(503) 738-9989 • Cell (503) 440-2411 • Fax (503) 738-9337
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P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR
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LANDSCAPING
Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix
Soil Amendments
YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF
(no Scotch Broom)
Dec. 15
7 p.m., Dutch Brothers: Police
assist Seaside police with ca-
nine trained in narcotics.
9:22 p.m., Roosevelt: Police and
narcotics canine assist Seaside
police.
Dec. 11
10:43 p.m., Highway 101: Elk vs.
vehicle.
Dec. 12
5:10 p.m., Hemlock and Susit-
Installation
OBITUARIES
CANNON BEACH POLICE LOG
Dec. 7
FLOORING
503-717-1454
4:28 a.m. 700 block 15th Street:
Police assist Seaside police
with a suicidal male.
34154 HIGHWAY 26
SEASIDE, OR
Dec. 16
Laurelwood Farm
8:53 a.m., Highway 101: Police
assist Cannon Beach fi re de-
partment and Oregon State Po-
lice with an overturned vehicle.
CONSTRUCTION
Dec. 17
4:40 p.m., N. Hemlock: Clerk
said subject attempted to as-
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