Discussion continues on Prepared Food Tax vote pgs. 1, 2, 3, 6 Election Schedule Page 2
VOL. 45, ISSUE 20 FREE
CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
Stormy Weather’s a brewin’ Stormy Weather Arts Festival coming Nov. 5-7 Kathleen Stinson
P
Restaurant owners say food tax is ‘bad timing’ for their businesses
For The Gazette
lanning for the 34th annual Stormy Weather Arts Festival is underway in Cannon Beach. The event will be held November 5-7. Traditionally held on the first weekend in November, the event has been “one of Cannon Beach’s most popular events where you can immerse yourself in the creative culture that has long been a part of this community recognized as one of the 100 best art towns in America,” as stated on the chamber website. The event is presented by the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Cannon Beach Gallery. “The weekend offers musical performances and gallery events with the opportunity to meet renowned artists, see their latest works or watch them demonstrate their techniques,” as stated on the chamber website. “Visitors can wander from gallery to gallery enjoying a variety of COVID safe gatherings and artist demonstrations and catch free live musical performances with regional musicians at outdoor venues throughout the town.” Featured Festival Artist Randall David Tipton spoke to the Gazette about his work on Monday. Tipton said he is a painter “inspired by the landscapes.” He said his painting, “Coastal Nocturne” will be on display at the White Bird Gallery through the festival. The media is a mixture of watercolor and acrylic. He has 21 pieces on display at the gallery. “A few of them are abstract pieces.” The arts festival promotes local business, he said. He said he remembers when the Cannon Beach festival began. He was in Cannon Beach a couple of weeks ago on a Monday. “It looked like summer, it was so crowded. I sometimes go to different beaches just to get some privacy.” He said he moved to Oregon from Southern California and at first it took him awhile to get used to the weather. Now, if you’re “properly dressed, that weather can be exciting.” Tipton lives in Portland now. Describing his work he said: “I have been doing landscapes all my life.” He spends a lot of time in the outdoors. “Since the pandemic, I have been doing abstract work.” The abstracts are abstract landscapes. “They are simplified, maybe more exaggerated.” Referring to his painting, “Coastal Nocturne,” he said: “We’ve all seen many storms. Because I’m outdoors a lot, I have many images in my head. (Coastal Nocturne) has no particular reference. It is not Haystack Rock. Just a rock. I kind of have a mood in mind and go to what colors I use to present that mood and just go on from there. It’s improvised from my memory.” Jeffrey Hull, co-owner of the Jeffrey Hull
Joe Warren
W
Featured Festival Artwork Artist 2021: Randall David Tipton “Coastal Nocturne” ©
Gallery in Cannon Beach, said my wife Carol and I own the gallery that exclusively sells my work. “We have been a participating gallery in the Stormy Weather Arts Festival since the first Stormy Weather,” Hull said. “I am a watercolor and oil painter of the coast,” he said. He paints the “coast and seascapes of Oregon that everybody loves.” He said what’s interesting about the arts festival is the “fact that all of the art galleries put on an event and bring in feature artists. It’s a great chance for visitors to see new art work.” “I have a new print titled, “Passing Through” and I also have some new original paintings as well, he said. Hull paints the Oregon Coast because its beauty and variety interests him, he said. Another participating gallery is the DragonFire Gallery in Cannon Beach. The DragonFire Gallery’s featured artists this year are Doug Hansen, Kathy Hastings, Deb Steele and Joanne Shellan, as stated on its website. The following is a partial list of festival events provided by the chamber: 2021 Schedule Includes, but Not Limited To:
Friday, November 5th SWAF Paint & Sip | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Paint with Benjamin as he walks you through a stormy weather inspired creation of your own! Location: Chamber Community Hall Cost: $40 Saturday, November 6th Music Around Town | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Locations: Coaster Theatre Courtyard, Kiki’s Courtyard, Sandpiper Square, The Landing SWAF Paint & Sip | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Paint with Benjamin as he walks you through a stormy weather inspired creation of your own! Location: Chamber Community Hall Cost: $40 Friday, Saturday, Sunday Gallery Showings Around Town A weekend full of art gallery events and guest artists throughout town. A full list of participating galleries and their event details can be found on CBGalleryGroup. com.
Learn to paint with artist Miska Salemann M
October 15, 2021
iska Salemann, Cannon Beach gallery owner/ artist of Miska Studio Gallery, is currently offering North Coast residents and their guests the chance to harness creative selfexpression in a fun, small group setting. The three-hour painting sessions, which take place at the gallery (107 Sunset Blvd, Cannon Beach) may be scheduled at a mutually convenient date/time and maximum class number is set at six participants. The cost is $150 and includes all art materials, beverages and hors-d’oeuvres. Contact MISKA Studio Gallery to request your painting session date and time. (Miska@Miska.com or 425-9226329) Miska (born Emily) Salemann, a self-taught painter who developed her unique artistic style by imitating the works of late 19th century impressionist masters, has been painting for almost 30 years. She has instructed hundreds of students ranging from age five to adult in school settings as well as at her “Art Farm” home in Fall City, Wash. Miska’s teaching style stresses more about the importance of self-expression and experimentation than on theory-based
painting techniques. The first session took place Oct. 8 at MISKA Studio Gallery and was attended by five local residents who completed their unique mermaid using different color palates and personal touches. Consider booking a painting session as an “experience gift” for friends or family members, who may value time together in addition to bringing home a painting at the end of the experience. Other occasions appropriate for a painting session with Miska may include a birthday or anniversary, a company team-building experience, etc. For more information on Miska and Miska Studio Gallery, please contact Gallery Manager, Julie Jessum, or visit the gallery website at Miska@Miska. com . The gallery is open daily from 10AM-7PM A class displays the art they created. Courtesy photo and sells Miska’s paintings as well as glass artworks, Upcoming opportunities to exple) A 3-hour lesson to paint your photography and metal sculptures press your creativity with Miska. “Miska-Inspired Masterpiece.” of various artists. Private/semi-private (max. 6 peo-
jwarren@countrymedia.net
ith the Cannon Beach restaurant owners not out of the woods from effects of the pandemic, most are saying a 5 percent tax on prepared food would hurt business, their efforts to bounce back from 18 months of a pandemic and everything that has been brought to their plates during these uncharted times. “Restaurants are not a reliable source of taxable money for the Cannon Beach Fire District,” said Mary Ann Oyala, who along with her husband Jim, co-own three restaurants in Cannon Beach. “We are part-owners of Bills Tavern & Brewhouse, Cannon Beach Smokehouse and Charcuterie and Warren House Pub, because of COVID and staffing shortages we are unable to open every day or full time.” A group of Cannon Beach restaurant owners and food and beverage managers, who meet weekly to discuss issues, support each other and discuss how they are navigating the pandemic, recently had to add to their discussion, beating City Hall. “We have gone internationally by sponsoring J1 students through a summer work/travel program and have housed four young ladies three months, hired to work in our restaurants,” Oyala said. “Despite that, Warren House was closed in August for two weeks, following that could only be open four days a week with limited hours. Bill’s tavern is closed one day a week, don’t assume the little family owned non corporate restaurants have deep pockets, we do not.” The Oyalas also believe there are better funding sources for the fire district, like paid parking, a bond, but to rely on a prepared food tax would not be the best for the city. “The fire department needs a lot of money and a reliable funding source, Mary Ann said. “Placing a sales tax on prepared food establishment for 30 years is extremely undependable and unstable.” Shelly Crane, owner of Oil and Vinegar Bar in Cannon Beach, and a long time citizen of Cannon Beach, said her business will not be affected by the prepared food tax, but she still opposes the measure as a funding source and she also is against where the city is deciding to put the new police department, city hall and command center. “My town is making decisions they don’t need to be making,” she said. “Do we need a new city hall, probably, do we need it now? No.” The Blue Ribbon Committee told our city management through research, that the location they decided was the worst spot they could have chosen in terms of being in an inundation zone, Crane said. “We lost our grade school because it was in a inundation zone, if we need a command center, why would you put it in a tsunami zone,” Crane said. “It’s funny business to me, I don’t trust Bruce (St. Denis) but he’s got a lot of people on board.” Crane is also worried about how the measure is worded, in her opinion, it gives city hall too much power over the funds as they roll in. “The way it’s worded is basically giving the city a blank check… 2.5 percent would go to the fire department and the other 2.5 percent can go to the police department, city hall and infrastructure.” Crane also believes that this is not a good time to tax restaurants, with everything they have been through and the day to day challenges that industry faces even in good times. “The timing of this is horrible, they are not thinking what affect this will have on restaurants,” she said. “We have all been hit hard due to the pandemic.” Jim Litherland, who sat on the Blue Ribbon Committee, charged with studying where to put a new city hall and or police department believes this is the worst possible site to build and spend millions of tax dollars. “The prepared food tax should be voted down, the fire department should then immediately go for an expanded
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October 15, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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Cannon Beach Gazette
Planning commission to host public hearing on proposed changes to Zoning Ordinance Kathleen Stinson For The Gazette
At 6 p.m. on Oct. 28, the city planning commission will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to Zoning Ordinance 21-02. Since COVID-19, development in Cannon Beach has increased dramatically. The proposed changes are a response to what some perceive as a threat to the village character of the city. “Like the rest of the country, especially in resort areas, Cannon Beach has seen a marked increase of building and development since COVID,” said city Planning Development Director Jeff Adams. “Over the past three years, building permits have nearly tripled and remaining vacant properties are becoming harder to find and have more environmental challenges for development. Rising housing costs have impacted these coastal areas and affordable housing is few and far between.” As stated on the city website,
“Since the Code Audit process is projected to take the better part of two years to get to approvable and adoptable language, the Council is asking for an initial track to resolve the combination of lots and homesize issue, before tackling the other issues in the comprehensive code audit analysis.” “Staff has provided three options towards correcting the threat of home demolitions, paired with the recombination of lots and over-sized replacement homes, maximizing lot coverage and floor-area ratios. Option 1 provides the simplest adjustment, by prohibiting the combination or recombination of parcels and lots. Option 2 goes a step further by limiting floor area ratios and gross floor areas of single-family dwellings and their accessory structures, by zoning districts. Option 1 and Option 2 could be combined to further restrict development, but Option 3 attempts to meet such a prohibitive measure by utilizing a progressive lot coverage and floor-area ratio to provide
some ability to build larger homes on larger lots, while discouraging the recombination of lots.” Adams told The Gazette: “The proposed subdivision and zoning amendments would impact all residential properties as they are targeted to resolve the combining of lots to make larger homes. The proposed changes would prohibit the combination of lots into larger holdings and might have a secondary effect of slowing down the number of demolitions of older properties to make room for larger homes. Secondly, the amendments put a firm number on how large all homes in Cannon Beach can be, with the proposed number at 3,500 square feet of gross floor area. That means that any residence built or to be built in Cannon Beach would be held to 3,500 square feet, including accessory structures, such as garages and accessory dwellings. The proposed language entertains the idea that floor area ratios and lot coverage calculations would be based on how
many dwelling units are on the residential properties, giving incremental larger ratios for those which provide a second unit. “Cannon Beach has seen an average of five residential demolitions per year since 2014, with a peak of eight last year,” Adams said. “Although the City has only four demolitions so far in 2021, the recent rise in demos, along with the larger building sizes have prompted concern over a change in scale and character in the coastal village community. For instance, if we look at the most recent set of data received from the Clatsop County assessor’s office, which isn’t perfect, but might give us a fairly good understanding the reach of these measures, the 3,500 square feet of gross floor area would impact roughly five percent of the properties that have been built in Cannon Beach. This means that five percent of the properties would become nonconforming with passage of the amendments, unless some grand-
fathering provisions was provided in the language. That was discussed in the earlier work sessions before the Planning Commission, but that is not how it currently reads. I look for that to be a point of discussion.” “Finally, Cannon Beach has not had a successful run with Planned Developments and has proposed repealing the current Planned Development ordinance. Planned Developments are generally allowed in communities to provide more flexibility in the application of certain regulations which cannot be obtained through traditional lot-by-lot subdivision. Yet, the one Planned Development approved in Cannon Beach, in 2015, has seen a string of continuous legal challenges and as a result, the City is now considering getting rid of such an option for future development. Since the ordinance was drafted for lots of three acres or more, striking the language from the code would likely only impact a few remaining parcels.”
City educating business owners about proper political sign displays Joe Warren
jwarren@countrymedia.net This week Cannon Beach police have been delivering a letter to all businesses who have been putting political signs on their businesses to make sure the city’s sign code is being followed. City administration also put the language up on their Website on Monday, Oct. 11, replacing the normal codes and ordinances that would be found online in that place. “It is not new, it is a summary of items from the sign code that are most applicable to political signs although the regulations in the sign code are content neutral,” said City Manager Bruce St. Denis. “In fact, we deal with far more real estate and yard sale signs than those that are political in nature.” Political signs are popping up all over town in yards and businesses, mostly due to
the upcoming election where voters will decide whether or not to support a Prepared Food Tax in town, a measure on the ballot in the upcoming Nov. 2 election. “All signs are treated equally in the sign code,” St. Denis said. ”We do not want the city to be over run with signs so we enforce the sign code all year round. There is nothing in the code that gives anyone a ‘pass’ during the political season.” St. Denis said that there is a need to educate the community, because people on both sides of the tax issue were inquiring and the city had to react. “This started with an inquiry regarding banners in residential area, which incidentally are not allowed,” St. Denis said. “It became clear that folks were not researching the sign code so we decided to publish something that was easier to
follow than expecting folks to interpret all the provisions of the sign code.” According to one business owner, the Police Chief was asked early on when showed the sign with ”Vote No” message people wanted to use and and was told he had no problem and it, St. Denis assured that the city is not asking for anyone to take down the message, they just want to follow the rules now that this issue is becoming more visible in the community. “I assume that the chief was saying a “VOTE NO” sign of itself was not a violation,” St. Denis said. “We are content neutral, I don’t believe that it should be interpreted that we would do nothing if someone had 20 of those signs in their yard, that is what crosses the threshold to a sign code violation.” St. Denis went on to say
that the city is more involved in educating the public, now that more and more signs are being put up all over town. It’s not the fact that people oppose the council or the manager’s stance on the tax. “The regulations apply to all signs period,” St. Denis said. “Doesn’t matter what side you are on.” With the election getting closer, and more inquiries being asked at City Hall, St. Denis wanted to react to the fact that he believes more signs will begin to be put up. “The real sign push has really not started yet, and the city’s need to let citizens know the rules as I said earlier started with an inquiry regarding whether banners are allowed in residential areas, incidentally, that answer is no,” he said. St. Denis said that he hopes people will comply and right now he’s more interested in education over
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fines and penalties for those who may have not followed the rules unintentionally. “There are (fines and penalties) but our primary effort is to make people aware of the code and to get compliance,” St. Denis added. The Code reads as follows Cannon Beach political signage is regulated by Cannon Beach Municipal Code 17.56 Signs. The City does not distinguish signs based on content; therefore, the following limits apply to all temporary signs: number of signs, size limits and placement of signs. For commercial businesses, any political banner must be placed over previously approved permanent sign face area. In other words, if your business, Joe’s Hot Food, has a freestanding sign or a sign attached to a building, the banner must
be placed over that sign face area and cannot exceed the area previously approved without being in violation of the sign ordinance. One incidental or lawn sign is permitted per frontage for commercial businesses and cannot be placed in the right-of-way. For residential areas, a lot shall have no more than two temporary and/or lawn signs and no temporary or lawn sign shall have an area of more than four square feet. No banners are permitted in residential areas. No signs are permitted in the right-of-way, which is the area that typically includes planter beds, sidewalks and street-side parking areas. Signs may not be attached to trees, utility poles, street or traffic signs and may be removed, without notice by the Cannon Beach Police Department if they do not comply with the regulations.
Mail in ballots for Nov. 2 election to hit residents this week A proposed prepared food tax is a ballot question in Cannon Beach that has attracted a lot of interest. Ballots to vote on that issue in the upcoming election were mailed out Oct. 13, said Tracie Krevanko, Clatsop County Clerk. “Anyone who doesn’t have a ballot by the 20th, should give us a call so we can get a new one out to them,” Krevanko said. The last day to register to vote was October 12, she said. The exact language of the question is: “Shall Cannon Beach impose a 5 percent tax on the purchase of prepared food items?”
“Tax to fund the fire district and city,” as stated on the ballot. Mail in ballots have to be in by 8 p.m. November 2, the clerk said. November 2 is the last day to drop off a ballot at a ballot drop off location. Cannon Beach has one ballot drop off location box at the city hall at the front entrance to the parking lot. “We recommend giving five to seven days to mail in a ballot and get to the county in time,” she said. The number to call county elections is 503-325-8511. For more information, visit https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ clerk/page/elections.
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October 15, 2021
At the library
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NW Speaker’s Series presents prominent new local novelist T
he Northwest Authors Speaker Series at Cannon Beach Library will feature Portland author Karen Thompson Walker, a Portland author of two New York Times bestselling novels—“The Dreamers” and “The Age of Miracles”—Saturday, October 16, at 2 p.m., via Facebook Live. With the publication and success of her debut novel “The Age of Miracles,” Walker has become an international success. “The Age of Miracles” which entered the New York Times list of bestsellers at number six, has been translated into 27 languages and optioned for a film by River Road Entertainment. She received the Bomb magazine best fiction prize and the Sirenland Fellowship in 2011 for “The Age of Miracles.” She also has been a finalist for the Indies Choice and the Goodreads Choice awards. Born and raised in San Diego, Walker earned a B.A. in English from UCLA and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Columbia University. She was an editor at Simon & Schuster in New York before moving to Portland where she lives with her husband, novelist
Casey Walker, and their two children. In addition to her novels, Walker’s work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times and Real Simple magazine. To join Walker’s Northwest Authors Speaker Series presentation from Facebook (click on posts): www. facebook.com/cannonbeachlibrary/ or join from the Cannon Beach Library website: www.cannonbeaachlibrary. org by clicking on the banner at the top of the page. On Wednesday, October 20, at 7 p.m., Wanda MeyerPrice will lead members of Cannon Beach Reads in a Zoom discussion of English writer Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library.” In “The Midnight Library,” Nora Seed so dislikes her life that she tries to end it. Facing death, however, she finds herself in a library containing a plethora of books. Each volume describes a differing version of her life had she made different choices. Nora must decide to live or die as well as the version of her life she will choose. Haig’s runaway bestseller basically demonstrates that, no matter how depressing,
one’s life is worth living. This modestly upbeat message after two years of the coronavirus pandemic evidently has captured the attention of the reading public. In the year following its publication on Joseph Bernt September 29, 2020, Haig’s novel has sold more than two million copies ranging in price from $13 to $26, separating readers from somewhere between 26 and 52 million dollars, depending on how many people purchased their copy from Amazon or from a local full-price retail bookseller. This cynical columnist looks forward to the Cannon Beach Reads discussion this Wednesday to determine how therapeutic we find Haig’s yarn. Anyone interested in participating should email Joe Bernt at berntj@ohio.edu. He will include you on the reading group’s list when he emails the information necessary for joining the Zoom
discussion. The library has two copies of “The Midnight Library.” There’s plenty of time to check out a copy and participate in Cannon Beach Reads. In September, the library added 20 recently published books to its collection of fiction, mysteries and nonfiction titles now available
to patrons. Among eight novels added in September are “Talk to Me” by T.C. Boyle, “When Ghosts Come Home” by Wiley Cash, “Mrs. March” by Virginia Feito, “Enemy at the Gates” by Vince Flynn, “Billy Summers” by Stephen King, “Breathe” by Joyce Carol Oates, “Bewilderment” by Richard Powers and “Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney. The eight new mysteries added last month include “The Heron’s Cry” by Ann Cleeves, “These Toxic Things” by Rachel Hall, “Slow Fire Burning” by Paula Hawkins, “High Stakes” by Iris Johansen, “Daughter of
the Morning Star” by Craig Johnson, “The Burning” by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman, “Apples Never Fall” by Liane Moriarty and “Forgotten in Death” by J. D. Robb. The four new nonfiction titles added are “Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports” by John Branch, “The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson” by Robert S. Levine, “Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy” by Nathaniel Philbrick and “Peril” by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. I just finished reading “Peril” today and will regale readers with a short review in the next “At the Library” column. Until then, I recommend Woodward’s and Costa’s book for capturing just how given to profanity are D.C. politicians, both Democrats and Republicans. Finally, at its September meeting, the library board decided the better part of wisdom, given the high number of Covid cases in Oregon, was to cancel some indoor activities that would confine a large number of people to the cramped space available at the library.
To this end, the board voted to cancel the October and November membership meetings, as well as a library and community favorite, the December Holiday Tea. The board also identified a group of library members to form an acquisitions committee to select and order new books beginning in November in response to Marjorie MacQueen retiring after dedicating 18 years to performing this essential service for the library. The acquisitions committee includes Doug Sugano, Linda Sugano, Wanda Meyer-Price, Mary Kerwin and Joe Bernt. Committee members met October 7 to begin organizing and distributing tasks. In addition to acquiring new books for the collection, committee members anticipate seeking input from library members as the committee begins curating and highlighting the library’s collection, and particularly its special collections. The recent patron survey also helped the new committee. Several respondents suggested the library should offer more science fiction and fantasy titles. The committee accepted this recommendation unanimously.
Opinion/Letters to the Editor A food tax is not the answer Every resident in Cannon Beach agree Fire and Police are extremely important to our community. Food establishments are not asking you to Vote No on the proposed food tax because we don’t think these services don’t need additional funding. We are asking you to vote no because the proposed food tax is not the solution and the small amount of food establishments in the community should not be asked to bear the burden. Nor should we, in any way, be asked to solely fund a new City Hall. Amid the Pandemic it has been a long 18 months, with no end in sight. Our businesses have been meant with ever changing regulations. The food industry being hit the hardest. Still operating under State mandated reduced capacities. We’re facing recession and extreme inflation. We’re exhausted, short staffed, closing extra days, open on reduced hours, searching endlessly for the goods needed to keep our doors open and bottom-lines have been affected beyond reconciliation. Yet somehow the City has overlooked all this for their own benefit. The liability for our businesses by upgrading POS systems, managing funds and quarterly reporting will far surpass the credit the proposed bond allows. So, please don’t be fooled by their verbiage. The resources we have left will be exhausted. There are many ways to fund these municipalities, but a Food Tax is NOT the answer. Please vote NO for a
Food Tax in Cannon Beach. Deanna Hammond Cannon Beach
Vote yes on food tax As a Cannon Beach City Councilor who supports the prepared food tax, I have heard arguments against the tax: We don’t need a new city hall/police station: At least two architectural/construction studies over the past 15 years said the city hall must be replaced. With its hollow, unstable, weight-bearing walls, it will collapse in a small earthquake. The police station is literally falling apart, has air quality problems and presents health issues for officers. Don’t build in a tsunami zone: Building codes require the city hall/police station to be designed and reinforced to withstand tsunamis. The city hall is too expensive: As one recent letter exclaimed: “This never would have been considered in the ’60s!” Of course not. Cannon Beach had about 500 residents. It wasn’t a Mecca for 700,000 tourists annually, all requiring services. Stuffing city hall into a poorly-built lumber storage building seemed appropriate. Pay for water systems instead: In addition to the city hall, the food tax will pay part of the debt service to replace much of the 70-year-old water system. Make visitors pay for parking: Revenue derived from parking fees wouldn’t be enough to cover all of the fire district’s requirements or pay
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the debt service on a city hall/ police station and water system improvements. Two years ago, businesses overwhelmingly opposed timed parking. Will they really support paid parking now? Build affordable housing instead: A citizens committee spent a year analyzing affordable housing options in Cannon Beach. Their conclusion: Very little land is available. The city’s South Wind property could be used, but construction would be costly because of potential landslides and the need to bring water, sewer, electricity and roads to the property east of Highway 101. It would be difficult to keep rents or mortgages low. The city does have a dedicated affordable housing fund to help builders who want to build affordable housing in town. It will hurt restaurants: This isn’t a tax on restaurants; it’s a tax on customers, 96 percent of whom are visitors, according to a professional analysis. The city and fire district will help restaurants with start-up costs, and restaurants will get 5 percent of the tax they collect for accounting costs. The prepared food tax, paid mostly by visitors, will provide critical emergency services and water system improvements without raising property taxes. Please vote yes. Nancy McCarthy Cannon Beach
You know better Bruce Come on Bruce You Know Better Than That. I read
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with great fascination the city managers comments in the October 1 issue of the Gazette. Especially the part of his having no knowledge of the Gower street site ever having been hit by a tsunami. Really Bruce, you’re going with that? At the second meeting of the blue ribbon committee I presented information received from Patrick Cochran with Oregon State University. A tsunami expert. Patrick informed me and I further informed the committee that the Gower Street site had been hit by a tsunami 13 out of 17 times after major earthquakes. I asked the three city council members in attendance if we should bring the SRG architect back for further discussion and they agreed. At the third meeting I again gave the presentation mostly to the architect but as in the first Bruce was there the whole time. I made contact information available for Mr Cochran available to both Bruce and the architect. It was not long after that happened that the committee voted to reject the Gower Street site. So here’s the real question Bruce, if you can’t be truthful about what you clearly knew about the Gower Street’s history with tsunamis, why should the citizens trust you with your cost estimates. During the committee meetings you were talking in terms of 14 to 17 million dollars. With increases in lumber, steel, labor, and most everything else in construction, the cost is going to be closer 20 to 22 million for a similar project. And yes Bruce I’ve built hundreds of buildings too, and in Oregon.
Enough Bruce we deserve better. The F&B Sales tax should be voted down. The fire department should then immediately go for an expanded levy to solve their problems. And if a new city is to be built it should be with a great deal of citizen input. Not in a rush and not on zoom. Remember, it’s not the city manager’s city hall, it’s not the city councils’ city hall, it’s the Cannon Beach citizens’ city hall. One last thing, I researched several less expensive city hall and police station concepts and attempted to call Bruce on multiple occasions to discuss what I found but he refused to call me back. Jim Litherland Cannon Beach
City may have passed the buck, but voters need to pass food tax In Cannon Beach, signs are going up outside most restaurants opposing the proposed 5% meals tax. I’m saddened by the attitude displayed by the restaurant owners - some of whom I have considered friends - in uniting to oppose this valuable measure. Ours is a tourist town. We provide a wealth of services to visitors - free, all-day parking near the beach; clean, attractive public restrooms; artful, regularly-serviced waste bins with free dogpoop bags - to say nothing of police protection, emergency services, and our readiness to assist them in the event of a natural disaster.
For this, our visitors - especially day-trippers pay virtually nothing. One simple way of having them contribute would be a tax on prepared foods. The response of the restaurant community has been short-sighted and shamefully lacking in civic spirit. If this necessary measure is voted down, I will find it hard to forgive those who selfishlessly opposed it. Of course, none of this excuses the City Council majority of which - having researched and found merit in the meals tax - lacked courage to pass it. They passed the buck. But the remedy for their poor leadership will come in other elections. For now, our town needs this tax and - City Council having failed to lead - it is up to us to enact it. Rick Gray Cannon Beach
Apathy, Infrastructure, and Safety Apathy: The Prepared Food Tax (Measure 4-210) will be decided by the voters of Cannon Beach November 2nd. More than half of the registered voters in town probably won’t bother to take the few minutes to fill out their ballot and mail it back, even though it directly impacts their safety. Infrastructure: Much of our Public Infrastructure in Cannon Beach is antiquated, unsafe and not able to withstand even a moderate seismic
n See LETTERS, Page 6
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October 15, 2021
obituaries
John Douglas Ward June 8, 1938 – Aug.t 10, 2021
J
ohn Ward of Cannon Beach, Oregon passed away peacefully at Providence Seaside Hospital in Seaside, Oregon surrounded by his loving family on August 10th, at the age of 83. John will be lovingly remembered by Terry his wife of 57 years: children: Mitch Ward and Jeannine Westerholm (Bill); grandchildren: David and Nathanael Ward; Whitney, Payton and Jordan Westerholm; plus, many nieces, nephews and countless friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, Mabel and Tisdale Ward and his sister Patricia Noonan. John was born in Astoria, OR on June 8th, 1938, and was raised in Portland, Oregon. He attended St. Rose Catholic Grade School, graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1956 and earned a BA in Economics and minor in French from University of Portland in 1960 where he was a member of the Upsilon Omega Phi fraternity. He met the love of his life Terry, at the University of Portland while she was
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studying to be a nurse, and they were married in 1964. While in Portland, they had 2 children (Mitch and Jeannine) and he co-owned/operated the Harvest House in NE Portland for 12 years before moving to Cannon Beach, OR in 1975. Once there, he and Terry (along with Terry’s parents, Dave and Freeda Haggerty) bought the Driftwood Inn which they co-owned and operated together for 10 years. In 1985 John and Terry took full ownership until 2003 when he retired. He was a gracious host, had a passion for quality
food, a welcoming atmosphere and top-notch service. His passion became a reality as The Driftwood Inn was (and continues to be) a favorite destination for many around the country. John enjoyed a spirited round of golf and was well known for his annual fishing trip to Canada that many have participated in over the years. He
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Cannon Beach Gazette
Donna Jean Osborne July 25, 1940 Sept. 22, 2021
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and Terry loved to travel around Oregon and other states to see the more remote and unique locations. John was an avid piano player and loved jazz music. He was the master of telling jokes and truly enjoyed making people laugh and smile; he was the life of the party even when there wasn’t a party! He was a member of the Seaside Elks Lodge #1748 and the Cannon Beach American Legion Post 168. But most importantly, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, son and friend. Being a part of his children’s lives and watching his grandchildren play sports was his biggest joy in life and that which he was most proud. He will be missed by many but his legacy lives on and he will never be forgotten. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date, once it is safe for large gatherings again. A private mass was held for imme-
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diate family members in August. Cannon Beach Gazette Memorial donations may North Coast Citizen be made in John’sTillamook name to:Herald Headlight City News Guard • Cannon BeachLincoln Food Clatskanie Chief Bank St. Helens Chronicle • Rask Family Memorial Contact us today! Fund 503-842-7535 • Cannon Beach Volunheadlightads@countrymedia.net teer Fire Dept classifieds@orcoastnews.com • Seaside Kids, Inc • Any educational scholarship of your choice The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at Providence St. Vincent’s Hospital Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, 8th Floor West Cardiac Care Unit and the Palliative Care Team in Portland, OR 1 year old Donna Jean and the Emergency, ICU Osborne passed away and Spiritual Care Depts at peacefully on September Seaside Providence Hospi22, 2021 in her home in tal in Seaside, OR for their Wheeler, Oregon. Retired amazing care and comteacher and indigenous and passion. Also, a heartfelt women’s rights activist, thank you to the Cannon Beach Fire Dept for always Donna is survived by her assisting the family in their husband, two brothers, three daughters, and a son. times of need throughout A family graveside the years with John’s care. Celebration of Life TBD service will be held at Nehalem American Leat a later date. gion Cemetery on Monday September 27th. A memorial celebration of life for friends and family will be announced by the family at a later date. Deceased’s Funeral Arrangements Private Family Graveside Service will be held at Nehalem American Legion Cemetery on Monday September 27th, 2021. A memorial celebration of life for friends and family will be announced by the family at a later date.
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n TAX Continued from Page 1 levy to solve their problem,” Litherland said. “And if a new city hall is to be built it should be with a great deal of citizen input, not in a rush and not on Zoom. Remember, it’s not the city manager’s city hall, it’s not the city councils’ city hall, it’s the Cannon Beach citizens’ city hall.” Lindsey Oyala, Co-owners in the restaurant group in town along with an art gallery, said the city has done a poor job of describing the exact plans to the voters. “I’ve been canvasing and talking to my friends and they thought this was just for the fire department and not for a new city hall,” she said. “We have seen no plans, no real costs, they (city management) has no idea what they are doing, I see this as a way of getting money from businesses who are suffering, I’d be all for it if it was just to fund the fire department, it’s like they are sneaking in a new city hall.” The measure will be decided during the Tuesday Nov. 2 election. Ballots can be mailed in or dropped off at the ballot drop-off location in front of City Hall.
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October 15, 2021
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Classifieds
Please reserve your Classified ad by Noon Tuesday, before each edition. Contact Katherine at 503-842-7535, headlightads@countrymedia.net.
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Cannon Beach proclaims October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
Cannon Beach City Council proclaimed the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month during a council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 5. Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn said he is part of the Domestic Violence Council. The council has meetings to come up with ways to get awareness out to the public. “Something that’s going on in October here is they have silhouettes that will be in businesses in different areas of the county with stories of domestic violence we’ve had in our county just to raise that level of awareness,”
Schermerhorn said. The proclamation is important to help get that awareness out to the public, Schermerhorn added. The Harbor, previously the Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center, provides hundreds of shelter bed nights for women and children. There are 85 regular participants in their prevention program. The Harbor responds to thousands of calls yearly. The calls concern domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and other issues. They provide services to all and have assisted residents in Cannon Beach. “They do a great job working with us,” Schermerhorn said. The council approved the proclamation.
Mayor Sam Steidel read the proclamation, which states domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors that are used to maintain power and control over a person’s intimate partner. “Domestic violence is the single largest cause of injury and homicide for women,” Steidel read. The proclamation also states children exposed to domestic violence experience terror, isolation, guilt, helplessness and grief. They also have a higher risk of engaging in criminal behavior and substance abuse and becoming victims of crime. Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia. net
October writer series at library The October presentation of Cannon Beach Library’s NW Authors Series will feature writer Karen Thompson Walker. Join the library at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, as Walker discusses her popular genre-bending novels. Part dystopian fiction, part science fiction, and part psychological thrillers, her works have been hailed as thought provoking, haunting, and provocative. Nominated for several awards, Walker has also been praised for her unique story lines and eloquent prose. Karen Thompson Walker is a New York Times bestselling author of two novels, “The Dreamers,” which was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award/Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and “The Age of Miracles,” which was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Award, an
Indies Choice Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award and named one of the best books of the year by Financial Times,
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LETTER POLICY The Cannon Beach Gazette welcomes letters that express readers’ opinions on current topics. Letters may be submitted by email only, no longer than 300 words, and must be signed and include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number for verification of the writer’s identity. We will print the writer’s name and town of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received and may be edited for length, grammar,
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OBITUARIES The Cannon Beach Gazette has several options for submitting obituaries. • Basic Obituary: Includes the person’s name, age, town of residency, and information about any funeral services. No cost. • Custom Obituary: You choose the length and wording of the announcement. The cost is $75 for the first 200 words, $50 for each additional 200 words. Includes a small photo at no additional cost.
• Premium Obituary: Often used by families who wish to include multiple photos with a longer announcement, or who wish to run a thank-you. Cost varies based on the length of the announcement. All obituary announcements are placed on the Cannon Beach Gazette website at no cost. Email obituaries to classifieds@orcoastnews.com
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October 15, 2021
n Letters Continued from Page 3 event. Our 70-year-old City Hall and Police Station would not be out of place in a Developing Country in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. Our Water and Sewer systems are in need of more than $30 million in critical upgrades to make them more resilient to natural disasters. With Cannon Beach a nationally recognized tourist destination, the condition of our Public Infrastructure is a disgrace and an embarrassment. With the number of visitors to our town, we should have some of the best and safest infrastructure possible instead of “just getting by”. Our City Employees, Emergency Responders, Residents and Visitors deserve no less. Safety: As a retired 25-year career Firefighter/Paramedic, I’m concerned about the long-term viability of our Fire Department. Our Fire Depart-
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ment is badly underfunded, and currently operating with one of the lowest permanent tax rates of any Fire Department in Oregon; locked in place by Measure 50. Levies expire every 5 years, and don’t cover their critical long-term needs. Our Fire Department needs a permanent, predictable source of funding. Will residents and visitors to Cannon Beach be safer if this measure passes? Absolutely! Visitors come here with an expectation of modern Public Infrastructure, Personal Safety, and timely Emergency Response. We are currently playing “Russian Roulette” with people’s safety in this town. We can do much better. Our Emergency Responders need our support. Please vote YES on Measure 4-210. Bob Atiyeh Cannon Beach
Why would be build a new city hall in a tsunami zone
Joining the team at
We have heard over and over how devastating it will be when the expected tsunami arrives. The location of the present city hall will be destroyed and must be re-located to ensure our safety and have an emergency center that the city can utilize. Now, apparently, that is no longer a concern to the council. They voted to re-build on the exact same site where complete destruction will occur! They feel the only solution to this dilemma is to enact a food and beverage tax. Never mind the hardships all restaurants have endured. Never mind their new building is sure to be destroyed. Never mind the funds will be completely unpredictable or consistent for our beloved Police and Fire Department. It seems they just want what they want no matter the effects to the restaurant industry. We have worked incredibly hard to survive and now they ask you to vote on taking a portion of our living away and fund a building that’s sure, in their
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Dr. Monte Gores
Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Rinehart Clinic welcomes Dr. Monte Gores, our new Acupuncturist. Dr. Gores brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, pathology, physiology, and nutrition. He received his Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Emperors College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Monica, California. Rinehart Clinic is excited to offer acupuncture services to the North Oregon Coast once again! If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gores, please call the clinic at 1-800-368-5182 and our staff will be happy to assist you. The mission of the Rinehart Clinic is delivering compassionate team-based health care and wellness education to improve the lives of ALL in our community.
Crystal Marshall Pig-N-Pancake
I support the Prepared Food Tax I support of the Prepared Food Tax Measure on the upcoming November 2nd Ballot. Cannon Beach is truly one of the most special places on earth. Yet our cities’ emergency apparatus is outdated and needs replacing. Future Cannon Beach leaders will be look back on us and either thank us for the wonderful municipal infrastructure we left them, or curse us for not doing anything to improve the aging mess we left them. They will know we argued falsely about loss of tourism and wonder why we kicked the can down the road to them. They’ll say “what were they thinking”? We need to prepare our city for future. I see the Prepared Food Tax as a stream of revenue that can help our City with all sorts of future projects. It’s what forward thinking cities do. Floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis windstorms even water and drainage issues will happen. Wouldn’t it be wise to have that stream of income baked into the city’s revenue? With our many visitors helping us
pay for it. I’m sure even they would agree. Higher property taxes isn’t the solution! Our visitor’s safety is paramount to our Police, Fire and Beach rescuers. In our busy season that can add up to 80 percent additional cost. Literally running our first responders ragged. Yet their existing facilities are unacceptable. The Prepared Food Tax will provide the additional revenue needed. Plus give us a municipal infrastructure we can be proud of. Let’s be very clear. “The visitors will not stop coming to this amazing place”. Our Cannon Beach Fire and Police deserve better. Their mission is to protect us and all those who visit. It is clear to me that only a vote that protects us now and into the future is a yes vote! Charles Withers Cannon Beach
Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association (ORLA) harms rural communities We have all witnessed the deep red and black “NO! Sales Tax on Meals” signs illegally placed (per CB sign ordinance) around town. Light must be shed on ORLA, the lobbyist responsible for creating the signs and fueling a fear-based campaign of misinformation surrounding the Food Tax. ORLA constantly fights to uphold outdated Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) legislation mandating the use of a percentage of local TLT funds to continue financing marketing efforts, even when destination marketing is no longer needed in communities like Cannon Beach. TLT funds locked up for antiquated priorities add up to substantial
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amounts of lost revenue for small communities. Cannon Beach receives hundreds of thousands of dollars per year of these restricted funds and just think what we could do with the funds if unrestricted? Its quite possible we wouldn’t even need the Food Tax. This same portion of TLT funds may be used for “tourism-related facilities,” which has an overly strict definition that does not accommodate investments (congestion mitigation, first responder services) the Food Tax aims to support. In other words, ORLA supports marketing Cannon Beach to bring more visitation without taking into account visitor safety or how it impacts local livability. ORLA has a history of investing its resources to fight legislation that would support local communities. In the most recent legislative session, they defeated several bills aimed at increasing the TLT to fund something other than tourism promotion. HB 2579 would have increased the TLT from 1.5 to 1.8 percent and invested the increase exclusively for affordable housing in the county where it was collected. Wouldn’t it be nice if our firefighters and restaurant employees could afford to live here? ORLA is a huge outside lobbyist that does not have the health and safety of Cannon Beach in mind. They actively fight against basic life tenets such as minimum wage increases, health insurance for restaurant employees and bans on single use plastics that litter our beaches. Please join me in keeping Cannon Beach Safe and vote YES on the Food Tax. Aaron Matusick Attorney Affinity Property Management, LLC
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230 Rowe Street Wheeler, Oregon 97147
1-800-368-5182 rinehartclinic.org Monte.indd 1
words, to be destroyed if built in the existing location. Oregon is proud to be among the few without a state tax. This will open the door for other cities to do the same and only snowball into a pathway for a state tax. Think about it. It would only give our restaurants one step closer to closure or re-location outside Cannon Beach. There are other solutions. Not this. Please vote NO on the food and beverage tax.
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8/31/2021 12:47:50 PM
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