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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2019)
Friday, July 5, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3 A WELCOME SPOT FOR NATIVE SPECIES By CARA MICO For Seaside Signal The North Coast Land Conservancy wants you to get dirty for a good cause. The much loved hyper- tufa pot class took place again at the Circle Creek Conservation Center on June 18 with volunteer instructor Jeff Roehm and Pat Wollner. For a mere $10 students were able to con- struct their very own pot and fill it with native plants from the center. The pots are concrete planter boxes but they aren’t quite as heavy. They last more than five times longer than standard clay ceramic pots and are more attractive and ecologically friendly than plastic. Hypertufa pots are essentially stone but lighter and more affordable. The workshop took place over a few days with attend- ees invited to take part in just one or all three days, with the first day being the basics of mixing and shap- ing. The class was full, with each student encouraged to take part in whichever part of the process they wanted to, whether mixing cement with peat moss and Pearlite or shaping the mixture onto the cardboard molds. LONG-LASTING, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY The pots last more than five times longer than standard clay ceramic pots and are more attractive and ecologically friendly than plastic. Cara Mico Instructor Jeff Roehm educating students at the North Coast Land Conservancy’s hypertufa workshop. Days two and three focused on finishing and planing. The newly crafted pots cured in their form overnight before they were shaped with light sand- ing and planted with native flowers such as penstemon carnellia. “We don’t want any- thing here that doesn’t grow here,” said Roehm during the brief botanical tour. The final pots are pleas- ing ranging in thick- ness, as well as form and shape. They don’t strictly need holes since the form is breathable but drain- age holes are easy to add. While the class is designed to be “fun and interesting” Roehm emphasized that the importance of the workshop is in getting people to the site, an old 364-acre farm New testing planned for Cannon Beach waters By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Cannon Beach is no closer to figuring out why fecal bacteria readings sud- denly spike at city outfalls and in ocean waters, but the state hopes a new round of testing could drill down on the details. The state already tests waters at Cannon Beach regularly under the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program, but the state Department of Environmental Quality has a draft plan to start analyz- ing for specific types of fecal matter this fall and through next summer whenever fecal bacteria register at high- er-than-normal levels. Whether the cause for a spike is cow, elk, bird, human or dog excrement, the new test “doesn’t tell you how much, it only tells you if,” said Aaron Boris- enko, water quality monitor- ing manager for the Depart- ment of Environmental Quality. “It starts to give you some idea of what the more likely sources are, and then you can tailor any sort of actions,” he said, adding, “It could help refine what’s going on there.” The city weathered a one-day health advisory for ocean waters earlier this month. Last year, after high read- ings and a health advisory during the summer, city leaders said they had ruled out human sources infiltrat- ing from wastewater treat- ment infrastructure. Katie Frankowicz/The Astorian The state plans a new round of water testing at Cannon Beach. Engineers started to look at whether installing ultra- violet light filters at out- falls or opening up the pipes and exposing runoff to sun- light could be viable options to kill off bacteria before it hits the beach. But the city is not proceeding aggres- sively with either option at this point. There are costs to con- sider. Open pipes would likely require a reconfigura- tion and usher in other moni- toring challenges. City Man- ager Bruce St. Denis said an ultraviolet light filter sys- tem could cost the city half a million to a million dollars. And there’s the fact that the high readings of fecal bacte- ria seem to come and go at random. “You’d be spending a great deal of money, but most of the time there’s nothing to treat,” St. Denis said. Oregon has some of the cleanest beaches in the nation overall, Borisenko said, but Cannon Beach con- sistently ranks high on the list of concerns. The nonprofit Surfrider Foundation has tested water at outfalls around Cannon Beach for the past decade and says 25% to 50% of readings have exceeded state standards, depending on the year. The state’s beach mon- itoring program recorded a handful of high readings since 2016. “We just have a few spots here and there where trouble crops up,” Borisenko said. “(Cannon Beach) is high on our ranking and always will be because of the amount of beach use and because we do get these periodic (bacteria levels above state thresholds).” Ingesting infected water can result in illness, accord- ing to the Oregon Health Authority. Gearhart ArtWalk slated for July 6 Seaside Signal The Gearhart ArtWalk takes place Saturday, July 6, 2 to 5 p.m. Wander through the town and enjoy refresh- ments and art from partici- pating merchants. The Natural Nook at 738 Pacific Way represents 20 talented consignment artists. A Great Gallery at 576 Pacific Way presents the work of pastel artist and gal- lery owner Susan Thomas and her show, “Birds, Birds, Wonderful Birds.” Also gourd birds from Mary Schlunegger; 2 to 5 p.m.. Refreshments and chocolate served. Trails End Art Associa- tion at 656 “A” Street will open a new show at Art- and future location of the conservancy headquarters. Board member Pat Woll- ner echoed that sentiment during her tour of the edu- cational botanical garden, derelict 10 years since the old farm house and former land conservancy office burned down. Countless hours of volunteer labor have unearthed plots of cot- tonwood and sedges. Together she and others have installed weed barrier, repaired fences, and iden- tified and tagged the plants present. While the land con- servancy “doesn’t really know” what their goal is for the garden, immedi- ate plans include using the space for growing plants for education and restoration. Volunteers are also run- ning a series of botani- cal experiments including how to reseed chocolate lil- ies and early blue violets for butterflies. Seed-bombs of native wildflowers were sprouting in neat rows, two of which had sprouted a handful of tiny leaves. But they don’t expect to use the plants for large scale res- toration given its size. The fenced garden takes up fewer than 1,000 square feet. “We won’t grow enough to populate all lands,” Woll- ner explained. But more heavy lifting needs to happen. Wollner is looking for a half-dozen or so volunteers to help keep things watered and weeded during the summer. She’s also looking for someone to help install more fencing and light construction work is also appreciated. NCLC has big plans for the future of the North Coast. They are not only working to restore the land around the center includ- ing the educational botan- ical garden, they are also working to protect a contig- uous corridor as part of the Rainforest Reserve proj- ect which is in year three of five. Most recently, the conservancy received a $600,000 U.S. Forest Ser- vice Community Forest Grant to protect 3,500 acres of watershed in the moun- tains upland of Cannon Beach and Arch Cape. A significant part of the future is the restoration of the Circle Creek Conserva- tion Center, which, accord- ing to Wollner, is the “core of the conservancy and will be for years to come.” City advises local fireworks safety Seaside Signal The city of Seaside offers five tips for local fireworks safety. TIP 1: Use only legal Oregon fireworks and respect the fireworks-free zones for families and chil- dren near the Seaside Turn- around. Illegal fireworks explode, behave in an uncontrollable and unpre- dictable manner, eject balls of fire, or travel more than six feet on the ground or one foot into the air. TIP 2: Share the beach and keep your area safe for everyone. No tents on the beach, avoid digging large fire pits, and pallets are not allowed in any circum- stance as they litter the sand with hidden nails and other sharp metal objects. TIP 3: Stash your trash. Use the public garbage receptacles posted at entry points to the beach along the Promenade. Volunteers regularly help clean the Keep it legal, keep it safe, is the message from the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal. beach to ensure a welcom- ing and safe environment for visitors, but every little bit helps. TIP 4: Traffic can be tricky. Consider parking in designated spots on the east side of the Necanicum River to help minimize traffic congestion follow- ing the fireworks show. TIP 5: Be responsible. Police, fire, and city offi- cials work around the clock to keep services in town running as smooth as pos- sible with the large num- bers of holiday visitors. If you need assistance with a non-emergency or want to report something, call 503-738-6311. Need health care now? When it comes to getting health care, Providence is here for you. • EMERGENCIES: If you’re having an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to Providence Seaside Hospital’s Emergency Department. • WALK-IN CLINIC: If it’s not an emergency, but you need to be seen today, our walk-in clinic is open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (no appointment necessary). Location: 725 S. Wahanna Road, Suite 230, on the campus of Providence Seaside Hospital. • EXPRESS CARE VIRTUAL: Want care right now? Have a video visit on your phone or tablet. Visit Providence.org/ expresscarevirtual Broadway St. 101 “Darling,” by Susan Thomas at A Great Gallery in Gearhart. Walk, featuring Chris Bry- ant, nationally and interna- tionally known as a painter, ceramicist, and photogra- pher and mixed-media spe- cialist. Her show is entitled “Inspiration,” and a recep- tion in her honor will be held Saturday, July 6, from 2 to 5 p.m. The gallery is located at 656 A St. in Gearhart, one block south of Pacific Way. S. Wahanna Road Avenue S Providence.org/northcoast