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*°°
