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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2015)
March 20, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 3A It’s time to open another door W hy is it that, when intro- duced to someone for WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKH TXHV tion always pops up: What do you do? Not: Who are you? We seem to know people by their occupation. Indeed, we even start thinking of ourselves in terms of how we earn a living rather than what kind of person we are or how we enjoy spending our time. I’ve fallen into this trap, too. When I introduce myself at Seaside Downtown Development Associa- tion or Seaside Chamber of Com- merce meetings, I give a long list of occupations: I’m the editor of the Seaside Signal and the Cannon Beach Gazette and South County reporter for The Daily Astorian. Whew! Pretty soon, however, I’ll just have one word to introduce my- self: Retired. My retirement on March 20 will, I expect, allow me to become involved in my community in- stead of being the objective third party. Hopefully, my friends and those who have always known me as the “reporter” or the “editor” or even the “columnist” won’t feel that they have to tell me, “This is off the record” or warn others to “be careful of what you say be- cause it will end up in print.” Yes, I do expect to do some freelance writing and maybe even work on projects that need a writ- er’s touch. But I also expect that, as I close the door on this part of my life, another door will open that will allow me to be truly part of the community of volunteers, of activ- ists that I have come to admire. This is what is so exciting about living on the North Coast: We are a small band of people (I have lived in neighborhoods elsewhere that have larger populations than all of Clat- sop County) who get things done. In my eight years here, I have seen huge projects accomplished, all be- cause people here know how to work together. They combine their expe- rience, their intelligence, their con- nections and their compassion into a joint effort, and they move mountains of barriers to accomplish their goals. I want to be part of that. What keeps me here — what will keep me here permanently? The peo- ple, the beauty, the “family” I have found and the sense of being at home. There are way too many people I have met through the years and have truly grown fond of to mention here. The difference between living in a big city and living on the North Coast Impressions for eight years. I’ve been privileged to observe and chronicle the incredu- lous, crazy, amazing, thoughtful, fan- tastic, mind-blowing, gut-wrench- ing, hysterical and sobering events, issues and people of South Clatsop County — during what I consider the B Y best years of my life. In this next stage, however, I NANCY want to do more than write about McCARTHY it; I want to experience it. People who know about my impending retirement ask me what I’m going to do. I jokingly tell them I’m going to “sleep in.” I’m looking forward But, in fact, I don’t plan to doze to fi nding out what through the rest of my life. Yes, I’ve heard a rumor that there’s an ocean else is out there to the west of us, and I do plan to catch up on some long overdue is the amount of care we have for one beach walks. Maybe now that I another. It goes beyond the surface won’t be sitting in front of a comput- RIWKHEUXVTXH³+LKRZ¶UHGRLQJ"´ er for numerous hours a day, I’ll get When people here ask how you are more exercise by hiking along the doing, they really want to know. area’s beautiful trails. Casual con- Although people here may versations over coffee with friends know what’s going on in your per- in the middle of the afternoon won’t sonal life (no, we aren’t above gos- be unheard of. Perhaps I can catch siping; it’s still a small area, you up on my reading — without feel- know), they keep out of it. They let ing I have to edit every sentence. \RX¿QG\RXURZQZD\DQGLIWKH\ But I’m looking forward to are asked for help, they are always ¿QGLQJRXWZKDWHOVHLVRXWWKHUH ready and willing to give it. how I might put what little talent That’s why it has been such a plea- I have to work for others. As my sure to be an editor and reporter here friends and co-workers will testi- fy, I don’t feel comfortable being too lazy for too long. I admit, it will be wrenching to turn the newspapers over to some- one else. They feel like my children. Every week they start out as a casual list of story ideas, and as the days con- tinue, they are formed and shaped into living stories that are meant to inform, entertain and call to action. They may irritate some readers, satisfy others, spark a laugh or trigger tears, but they are meant to reflect the community that we all have decided to be a part of. Those stories, however, will be in good hands with reporters Er- ick Bengel and Katherine Lacaze, who have honed their knowledge about the North Coast and have come to respect those who live KHUH7KH\ZLOOGR¿QHIRU\RX I never really thought about retire- ment, but, after 48 years in the news- paper business (I started, of course, when I was 3 years old….), perhaps it’s time to try something different. And when someone asks me what I do, maybe I can tell them who I am, instead, or how I enjoy spending my time. If nothing else, I can just give them a one word answer: Retired. Nancy McCarthy is editor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon Beach Ga- zette and writes for The Daily Astorian. LUBA decision will impact Smith application WRRNXSWKHUHTXHVWDWDPHHW ing last May and continued she completed substantial WKHUHTXHVWWRD-XQHPHHW work on the building before ing, when City Councilor Dan the permit expired, accord- -HVVHPDGHDPRWLRQWRJUDQW ing to a notice of intent to Smith’s appeal. The motion DSSHDO¿OHGODVW-XQH died for lack of a second. The notice states Smith The basis of Smith’s DSSOLHG IRU ³YHUL¿FDWLRQ RI LUBA appeal, according to a substantial construction on letter Kearns wrote to Watts her conditional use permit, ODVW-XQHLVWKDW6PLWKIHHOV which was administratively she was denied an important denied” by Sweet. right when Sweet told her Smith then appealed she had no appeal right with Sweet’s administrative deci- the planning commission. sion to the Gearhart Planning ³,W LV TXLWH FOHDU WKDW WKH Commission. In response, city committed a procedur- Sweet “issued a written deci- al error that prejudiced Ms. sion reiterating his denial and Smith’s right to a full and fair explaining that (Smith) had no KHDULQJ DQG D ¿QDO ZULWWHQ appeal remedy to the planning decision based on evidence commission,” the notice states. in the record and the appli- Shortly after, the Gear- cable approval criteria,” Ke- hart City Council accepted arns argued in the letter. 6PLWK¶V UHTXHVW WR DSSHDO Gearhart’s position, Watts Sweet’s decision. The council said, is that the “expiration of LUBA from Page 1A A historical livery stable in Gear- hart is the sub- ject of an appeal made by owner Shannon Smith to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. The Seaside Signal is published every other week by EO Media Group, 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside Oregon 97138. 503-738-5561. www.seasidesignal.com CIRCULATION MANAGER EDITOR SYSTEMS MANAGER REPORTER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Forrester NANCY MCCARTHY PHOTO the permit was not a land-use decision,” and the city did not make a decision or take action DWWKH-XQHPHHWLQJVRWKHUH is no action to appeal. Sweet’s interpretation of the Gearhart Municipal Code is that the city does not have the discretion to allow a sec- ond six-month extension on a permit. As it stands, Smith will have to apply for anoth- er conditional use permit, her third, if she wants to continue PUBLISHER Nancy McCarthy work on the barn, which city RI¿FLDOVKDYHWROG6PLWKPXO tiple times. The LUBA deci- sion could change that. The board could send Sweet’s original adminis- trative decision back to the Gearhart Planning Commis- sion or City Council so those bodies could decide whether to grant her the extension, Sweet said. Smith could not be reached for comment. Katherine Lacaze Samantha McLaren Carl Earl ADVERTISING MANAGER Betty Smith Claire Lovell John Rahl Darren Gooch Esther Moberg PRODUCTION MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES John D. Bruijn Laura Kaim Wendy Richardson Letter policy The Seaside Signal welcomes letters to the editor. The deadline is noon Monday prior to publication. Letters must be 400 words or less and must be signed by the author and include a phone number for YHUL¿FDWLRQ :H DOVR UHTXHVW that submissions be limited to one letter per month. Send to 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, OR 97138, drop them off at 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive or fax to 503-738- 9285. Or email nmccarthy@ seasidesignal.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Annually: $39.00 in county • $55.00 in and out of county • e-Edition: only $30.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaside Signal, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. 3RVWDJH3DLGDW6HDVLGH25DQGDWDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV&RS\ULJKWE\WKH Seaside Signal. No portion of this newspaper may be re-produced without written permission. All rights reserved. 5GCUKFG1WVNGVU SEASIDE, OREGON 6WRUHV %HDXW\6DORQ'LQLQJ &DVXDO6SRUWV 8SVFDOH)DVKLRQ $FFHVVRULHV6KRHV %RRNV9LWDPLQV .LWFKHQZDUH %RXQFH+RXVH :LQH7DVWLQJ%DU %HHURQ7DS FREE COUPON BOOK AVAILABLE AT THE WINE & BEER HAUS OR FROM OUR WEBSITE ""Ê7,"1-ÊUÊ,1 ½-Ê 9Ê/ ÊUÊ ,/,½-ÊUÊÊ ,-/"*,Ê EÊ -ÊUÊ ,½-ÊUÊ-9Ê9½-Ê- 7 Ê-"*ÊUÊ,--Ê, ÊEÊ ,--Ê , Ê 7" Ê UÊ Ê 1,Ê UÊ "1-Ê ""/7,Ê "1//Ê UÊ GNC UÊ / Ê " /" Ê UÊ ½-Ê -Ê Ê *9/8Ê 8*,--Ê UÊ Ê /",9Ê-/",ÊUÊ"-Ê"-ʽ"-ÊUÊ* /" ÊUÊ, Ê,""Ê -"-ÊUÊ,1ÊÓ£ÊUÊ--Ê-** Ê /,ÊUÊ/Ê7 ÊEÊ,Ê1-Ê UÊ/"9"Ê/,9ÊUÊ/"9-ʺ,»Ê1-ÊUÊ6 Ê1- ÊUÊ<1< *, , " 9-/1,9ÊÊ £äÊ°°nÊ*°°ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ -1 9ÊÊ £äÊ°°ÈÊ*°° www.seasideoutlets.com )XZUI"WF4FBTJEF0SFHPOt 1,9, ÊÊ -1 9/1,-9ÊÊ £äÊ°°ÈÊ*°°ÊÊ Ê,9-/1,9ÊÊ £äÊ°°nÊ*°°