Otters could be returning to Oregon Coast Page 4
VOL. 45, ISSUE 22 FREE
CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
November 12, 2021
Prepared Food Tax tally separated by two votes Challenge votes still being counted, official results announced Nov. 22 Kathleen Stinson
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For The Gazette
he Cannon Beach prepared food tax election results as of Friday, Nov. 5, morning when The Gazette spoke to the county election office stands at 369 “yes” votes to 367 “no” votes. Voters were asked whether they favored a 5 percent tax on prepared food sold in Cannon Beach. The Gazette interviewed Julia Myers of the Clatsop County Election Office Friday morning about the election process. Myers said the election is “very close.” The ballots have not been fully counted yet. Also, the results are not official until November 22. She said they send out challenged votes, which have not been counted. For example, some voters forget to sign their ballot. The office mails them a post card or letter asking them to sign the card and mail it back to the election office, thereby “curing” their ballot for counting, meaning making the ballot valid. Voters who are sent a challenge have until 5 pm November 16 to respond to the challenge, she said. The election office can declare an automatic recount if the margin is within one fifth of 1
percent of the total votes cast for that race. The election office cannot declare a recount until all ballots have been counted on November 22. After November 16, cured ballots can be counted and change the unofficial results that are posted on the county website, she said. The other special election in Clatsop County was the vote on the Kappa School District 4 bond to increase safety, security and construct updated classrooms and for repairs to existing facilities. That measure passed 684 to 319. All results are unofficial until the election is canvased and certified. Election certification • November 10: Information identifying voters with ballots challenged for missing or non-matching signatures are available for public inspection. • November 16: Last day to resolve ballot challenges.
Karen La Bonte
• November 22: Last day to certify election, prepare and deliver abstracts. • December 8: Last day to file November 2021 Regular Election recount demand. • December 13: Last day to file contest of 2021 Regular November Election if no recount.
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Long haul Conservancy establishes Rainforest Reserve after five-year campaign
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For the Gazette
ocated adjacent to Oswald West State Park and above Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, the Rainforest Reserve is part of an uninterrupted 32-square-mile conservation corridor that community backdrop. Conserving stretches from the summits of 3,000-foot peaks within the Oregon Coast Range to Short Sand Beach and the sandy seabed and rocky reefs of the (Top) The Rainforest Reserve will be part of a vast conservation nearshore ocean. This type of corridor—linking the nearshore protected land-to-sea corridor ocean of Cape Falcon Marine is unmatched in the state of Reserve and shoreline of Oswald Oregon. West State Park to the summits On Oct. 26, on the heels of and headwaters above. a five-year campaign spearPhoto courtesy of NCLC. headed by North Coast Land Conservancy, the Rainforest (Bottom) Conserving the forests Reserve was permanently where headwater streams arise conserved as a place brimfor Cannon Beach and Arch Cape will keep clean drinking water ming with critical habitat for flowing. Photo by Justin Bailie a wide array of wildlife and plant species, to help them adapt to a changing world, while also supporting the surthis land gives us all a chance to rounding communities. be in the right relationship with the “Bringing this land into conland and the people it sustains.” servation allows us to unlock its “The Rainforest Reserve is future,” NCLC Executive Director a remarkable accomplishment Katie Voelke said. “It is a living, that will significantly benefit our breathing, flowing and evolving region in many ways,” said U.S. place. Conservation allows it to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.). live its most dynamic and abun“I applaud Katie Voelke, the dant life. This is a living museum, entire NCLC team, and the many a living laboratory, a globally rare supporters on the North Coast and precious place, and it’s our for this impressive achievement.
As we address the climate crisis, strategic, community-driven conservation efforts like this project can help mitigate the most serious risks to plants, fish and wildlife while preserving the ecosystems we cherish for future generations.” Onion and Angora peaks, the main fixtures of the Rainforest Reserve, were once rapidly chilled lava dikes and sills nestled 3,000 feet deep in the ocean. Over time, a submarine lava flow rose out
of the ocean to become isolated nearshore islands. As a result, an unusual mixture of plants and animals evolved on those islands. They continued to evolve in isolation as the islands rose to be the high peaks forming the backdrop of the northern Oregon Coast skyline. Some of the species found on these “The
n See RAINFOREST, Page 6
Seaside district joins ODT’s Safe Routes to School program Kathleen Stinson
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For The Gazette
or students who live within a one-mile radius of Pacific Ridge Elementary, Seaside Middle School and Seaside High School, the city, the school and the community are embarking on a plan to improve ways to walk and roll to school. As part of the Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Program, the city wants to identify street improvements near Pacific Ridge Elementary, Seaside Middle School and Seaside High School. At 7:15 am on November 17, the city and school will host a “socially-distant community walk audit to observe student arrival and document the walking and biking conditions
around the school area,” as stated in a city news release. The purpose of the walk is to “identify barriers to safe walking and biking, as well as potential improvements.” Participants in the audit should meet at the bike rack at Pacific Ridge Elementary at the audit time. Face masks are required. Another way to participate is by going on the interactive online map at http://odotsrtsprojectid.com/. District Superintendent Susan Penrod told The Gazette on Tuesday parents and community members can come to the audit and observe the walking and biking patterns the students are taking. Students within a one-mile radius of the school cannot take the bus, Penrod said. The city first applied to the program because
City reimburses public works director after ethics investigation
the school is in a new location since it has recently been constructed, she said. “The city has already done certain things such as added extra crosswalks and done the obvious things,” she said. They added some turn-only lanes to improve the traffic flow. This safe routes program is valuable because it brings the parents, community, the city and the school together to collaborate, she said “As soon as you bring more people into it – more creative minds together – you work better together.” The audit participants will spend 30 to 40 minutes at the elementary school and then move on to the secondary school, she said. An estimated 25 to 18 percent of students
n See SCHOOL, Page 2
Hilary Dorsey Staff Writer
annon Beach City Council passed a resolution Tuesday, Nov. 9, to support Public Works Director Karen La Bonte and reimburse her for legal expenses for defending allegations related to her position with the city. The Oregon Ethics Commission approved a Stipulated Final Order on Oct. 22 to close out a series of ethic complaints filed against La Bonte. An investigation by the commission found La Bonte had violated conflict of interest laws after the City of Cannon Beach hired Cannon Beach Design Company, which La Bonte co-owns with her husband, for COVID-19 signs during the pandemic. According to the investigation, La Bonte had verbally disclosed knowledge that she and her husband owned and operated the design company to her supervisors and coworkers, and it common knowledge with the City of Cannon Beach that she co-owned the company. The conclusion in the order stated although La Bonte had verbally disclosed her relationship with the company, she did not disclose a conflict of interest in writing prior to participating in ordering from the company. La Bonte indicated that she wished to settle the matter by agreement to terms and conditions without completing the investigative process. Under the settlement, La Bonte will pay a fine of $1,000. “The city under Bruce St. Denis and Karen La Bonte directed payments 111 times for purchases of goods and services to her and her husband’s company,” said Rusty Morris, who filed the complaints against La Bonte. “None of these purchases were open to competitive bidding. No public official should ever financially benefit from his or her position. Karen La Bonte pled guilty to 13 ethics violations. She abused the trust of the community. I call for her immediate resignation. Any attempt by the city to pay $14,000 in legal fees on behalf of Karen La Bonte will be met by stiff local opposition.” In a statement provided to the Gazette, La Bonte said, “What began as a personal issue escalated into an effort by one individual to use my position as a public servant as a tool to harass me. I enjoyed a long successful corporate career, as well as being a small business owner and winemaker before coming to Cannon Beach to live full time. When retirement did not satisfy my energy for life, I came to work for the city. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that I would experience such vengeful behavior from a non-Cannon Beach resident.” “However, despite this nightmare, it has not changed my love for my job, or the community in which I live,” La Bonte added. “Like anything else in life right now, we find a way to weather these storms of hate.” Cannon Beach City Council had planned to consider at their Nov. 2 council meeting, a resolution for the purpose of supporting La Bonte and reimbursing legal expenses. The reso-
n See LA BONTE, Page 4
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November 12, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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Cannon Beach Gazette
Changes needed to protect our ocean, world David Rupkalvis Country Media As climate change begins to impact the ocean, legislative action could help the ocean be one of the ways to solve the problem. That’s the message Jean Flemma, director of the Ocean Defense Iniative, shared last week during a discussion with the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. And the rest of the country would be better off if it followed Oregon’s lead, she said. “Oregon was ahead of the curve when it came to ocean
planning,” Flemma said. “As much as Oregon was a leader in ocean planning 30 years ago, the state is still a leader today.” Flemma said as the climate changes, the ocean is overwhelmingly impacted. “The climate crisis is an ocean crisis,” she said. “The ocean has been capturing our global climate emissions, and it has been absorbing the heat.” Flemma listed ways the ocean has struggled due to climate change, pointing to rising sea levels, coral bleaching, toxic algae, acidification and struggles in the fishing industry. But as much as the
ocean has changed, it can be a part of the solution, if local, state and federal politicians are willing to act. “Here in the U.S., integral ocean policy was somewhat stymied the last four years at the political level,” she said. Flemma said politicians need to act on several different levels, the first being harnessing the ocean’s power to address climate change. She specifically pointed to the prospect of expanding win energy in the ocean in an effort lessen the demand for fossil fuels. Second would be to increase the ocean’s resiliency to climate change, and finally,
protect the ocean’s ability to capture carbon. “To put any of these policies in place, Congress, administration, state and local governments will have to continue to take action,” Flemma said. “There’s a lot of hope the Ocean Climate Act we want to see will be included in the reconciliation package.” The first step Flemma wants to see is a permanent ban on offshore drilling. “Why the Biden administration did pause offshore drilling, the ban has already been lifted,” she said. Flemma said both Oregon senators, Jeff Merkley and
Ron Wyden are pushing for a permanent ban. In addition, governments need to push for more clean energy offshore. “We need to scale up clean offshore energy,” Flemma said. “The administration has committed to getting 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030, but 30 gigawatts is not that much.” Flemma said Oregon must see changes if it wants to continue as the state we know and love. “In Oregon, the coast defines what we are,” she said. “Looking ahead, we have right now in the reconciliation process, the ability to collect
$2 billion for projects for the ocean. We could be looking at $7-$10 billion for ocean restoration projects. Should this money actually appear, this will be a huge opportunity for Oregon.” Overall, up to $500 billion could be included in federal money to combat climate change, she said. “The devil will be in the details,” Flemma said. “Where is the money going to? The next few weeks we will learn a lot more about that. Depending on what does happen in the reconciliation process, there’s going to need to be a lot more that needs to get done.”
Vaccines available for Clatsop County resource Seaside High School drama presents “Treasure Island” children, booster patients fair held Nov. 13 Kathleen Stinson For The Gazette
On Monday, COVID-19 vaccines for children ages five through 11 became available in the Cannon Beach area, said Rick Hudson, city emergency manager. Booster shots are also available, Hudson said. “It’s important if you are going to get vaccinated, that you get it sooner than later,” he said. Friday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. – Clatsop Community College, Astoria Medical Teams International Dental/Vaccine Clinic Offering Pfizer vaccine for children 5 and up; Moderna vaccine and boosters for adults 18 and up. Saturday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Barbey Maritime Center, 1792 Marine Dr., Astoria Sponsored by Consejo Hispano and OSU Extension
You may RSVP at the following link https://cmhkidsvaccine.rsvpify.com/. From 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday November 13, a Pfizer Vaccine Clinic for Kids will be held at Astoria Armory. The clinic is sponsored by Columbia Memorial Hospital, but it is open to all children CMH patients or not. Questions 503-325-8500. CMH Outpatient Pharmacy (anyone 5 years of age or older) 2021 Exchange Street, Suite 101 Astoria OR, 97103 503-338-4560 Open 8 am-6 pm, Monday-Friday CMH Seaside Community Pharmacy (anyone 5 years of age or older) 1111 N. Roosevelt Road, Suite 210 Seaside, OR 97138 phone 503-738-3006 Open Daily, 9 am-7 pm
El Servicio de Extensión de OSU en asociación con el Consejo Hispano está organizando una feria de recursos para toda la comunidad el sábado 13 de noviembre de 11am a 5pm en el Columbia River Maritime Barbey Museum. El museo está ubicado en 2042 Marine Drive en Astoria. Habrá vacunas gratuitas para personas mayores de 12 años. ¡Música gratis, comida gratis, recursos comunitarios gratis y cajas de comida gratis! ¡También puede participar en un sorteo para ganar 2 entradas VIP para un próximo partido de fútbol de los Timbers! Sunset Empire Transportation estará ofreciendo transporte gratuito y estarán disponibles por teléfono 503-8617433. ¡Venga a reunirse con nosotros! Si tiene preguntas, puede comunicarse con la oficina de Extensión de OSU llamando al 503-325-8573. The OSU Extension Service, in partnership with Consejo Hispano, is putting on a community wide resource fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Columbia River Maritime Barbey Museum, located at 2042 Marine Drive in Astoria. Free vaccines will be available for individuals 12 years old and older. Free music, free food, free community resources and free food boxes. You can also enter a drawing to win two VIP tickets to an upcoming Timbers soccer game. Sunset Empire Transportation is providing free transportation and can be reached at 503-861-7433. Come gather with us! For questions you can contact the OSU Extension office at 503-325-8573.
cannonbeachgazette.com
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Holiday Bazaar slated in Seaside on Fri. - Sat. Join us at Calvary Episcopal Church, 503 N Holladay Drive, Seaside, for our annual holiday bazaar. The doors will be open from 4-6pm on Friday, November 12 and the doors will re-open from 10 am to 3pm on Saturday, November 13. Takeout shrimp chowder and/or pie will be available Friday and Saturday. Masks are required and all COVID-19 protocols will be followed. There is nothing like homemade baked goods and candy, which are featured at the bazaar: cookies, breads, fudge, fruit cakes, as well as soup mixes, jam, and other gourmet items. In addition, the bazaar will offer for sale unique kitchen items, new home décor for holiday
Jeff - Principal Broker, GRI
entertaining and gift giving, one of a kind gift bags, tags and cards, vintage linens, and a “gently used” table. All things “gnome” have been created this year. Raffle tickets may be purchased at $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00 for a Christmas wall hanging created by Judy Woodmansee. The winner need not be present for the drawing. Community support of the bazaar enables donations to numerous charities in Clatsop County, in addition to special church projects. Where: Calvary Episcopal Church; 503 N Holladay Drive; Seaside, OR 97148; 503-738-5773 When: Friday, November 12 (4-6pm) Saturday, November 13 (10am-3pm)
Friday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. – Clatsop Community College, Astoria Medical Teams International Dental/Vaccine Clinic Offering Pfizer vaccine for children 5 and up; Moderna vaccine and boosters for adults 18 and up. Saturday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Barbey Maritime Center, 1792 Marine Dr., Astoria Sponsored by Consejo Hispano and OSU Extension Wednesday, Dec. 1, 4-6 p.m. – Haystack Gardens, 148 E. Gower, Cannon Beach Sponsored by Consejo Hispano and Oregon Health Authority You may RSVP at the following link https://cmhkidsvaccine.rsvpify.com/ CMH Outpatient Pharmacy (anyone 5 years of age
or older) 2021 Exchange Street, Suite 101 Astoria OR, 97103 503-338-4560 Open 8 am-6 pm, MondayFriday Closed for Holidays on Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day CMH Seaside Community Pharmacy (anyone 5 years of age or older) 1111 N. Roosevelt Road, Suite 210 Seaside, OR 97138\ 503-738-3006 Open Daily, 9 am-7 pm
n School
at opportunities for “education and engagement to promote walking and rolling to school,” as stated in the school newsletter. Participants in the online map survey will be entered to win a walking or rolling safety pack valued at $50, the release states. For more information, contact the school at 1-503738-5591.
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Jesberger play younger and older Jim Hawkins; senior Sophia Reynolds portrays Long John Silver; senior Margaret Neuwirth is Dr. Livesay; and Junior Eva Bailey is Squire Trelawney. The full cast of eccentric characters and the crew includes 14 senior students, along with a handful of underclassmen. The play is directed and produced by Susan Baertlein. Performances of this tumultuous sea voyage premiere at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.16, at the Seaside Secondary School cafeteria, and will continue Thursday through Saturday, Nov.18-20. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are sold at the doors. Prices are $5 for students and adults. Children 10 and under may attend for free.
Local COVID-19 vaccine clinics
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Seaside High School drama is gearing up to present their fall play, Lux Radio Theater’s “Treasure Island,” based on the novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson. This family-friendly play takes place in England in the 1700s, when young Jim Hawkins, who usually spends his days helping his mother with their inn, ends up with a map to the nefarious pirate Captain Flint’s buried treasure. What follows is an eventful voyage to a “deserted” island, complete with a parrot and a mutinous group of sailors. This play will feature an opening act by seniors Riley Wunderlich and Skyler Archibald, who also serve as emcees throughout the evening. For the main production, seniors Kaiya Taylor and Ella
Jeremy Broker
Michael Managing Broker
walk, she said. Planning consultants Alta Planning + Design are trying to identify and prioritize safety needs within one mile of the school, the city release states. The plan will also look
Closed for Holidays on Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
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Cannon Beach Gazette
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November 12, 2021
At the library
Books to hear, consider, borrow, purchase, read, discuss, perhaps even write L
et’s start with some short reminders of upcoming events sponsored by the Cannon Beach Library, beginning with Manzanita novelist Deborah Reed’s presentation for the Northwest Authors Series via FacebookLive, Saturday, November 13, at 2 p.m. Reed, who divides her time between Berlin and Manzanita, where she owns and manages the Cloud & Leaf Bookstore, will read from and discuss “Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan,” the latest of her seven published novels. On Wednesday, November 17, Lila Wickham will lead members of Cannon Beach Reads in a Zoom discussion of “How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation” by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. Anyone interested in participating in Cannon Beach Reads, should email Joe Bernt asking him to send them information for joining this Zoom discussion. Since the group will decide this month on next year’s reading list, this is an excellent time to join and suggest books for future discussion. Hirsch, an emeritus professor, literary critic and educational theorist, taught first at Yale University and then at the University of Virginia. Despite being a socialist, Hirsch was attacked for his elitism after he published “Cultural Literacy” in 1988. That book, popular with conservatives, listed five thousand cultural products with which educated citizens
should be familiar in order to participate fully in our national social and political life. Judging from his focus on educational theory in “How to Educate a Citizen,” Hirsch seems, however, to have mellowed some since issuing his prescriptive reading list thirty years ago. His view of educational content has broadened to include material not rigidly confined to the “classics” of the European and Anglo-American cultural traditions. In “How to Educate a Citizen,” Hirsch objects to a lack of curricular content in today’s student-centered classrooms—often devoid of informed discussion of American literature, history, civics, geography or social studies—in his harsh critique of American educational practices during the last half of the twentieth century. Hirsch holds education professors at prestigious teacher’s colleges, such as that of influential Columbia University, responsible for upending the traditional role of the K-12 teacher from being the “Sage on the Stage” to a new role as “A Guide on the Side.” Lost in the classroom transformation is an appreciation by young students for the nation’s traditions, literature, myths, history and scientific accomplishments. Lost or never inculcated, according to Hirsch, is the students’ patriotic sense of belonging to a unique nation once largely unified by its public common schools and
its print media. Our library’s collection grew by twenty-one titles in October, adding four non-fiction, eight mystery and nine fiction books to the “green-dot” shelf. New Joseph Bernt non-fiction titles included “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change” by Thor Hanson, “You Bet Your Life: From Blood Transfusions to Mass Vaccination, the Long and Risky History of Medical Innovation” by Paul Offit, “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” by Mary Roach and “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War” by Craig Whitlock. Among new mysteries added were “The Corpse Flower” by Anne Mette Hancock, “A Line to Kill” by Anthony Horowitz, “The Night She Disappeared” by Lisa Jewell, “1979” by Val McDermid, “The Man Who Died Twice” by Richard Osman, “Death at Greenway” by Lori Rader-Day, “No One Will Miss Her” by Kat Rosenfield and “An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed” by Helene Tursten. New fiction books purchased were “Child of Light” by Terry Brooks, “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony
Doerr, “Silverview” by John le Carré, “Damascus Station” by David McCloskey, “Sankofa” by Chibundu Onuzo, “State of Terror” by Louise Penny, “Oh, William!” by Elizabeth Strout, “Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan: A Novel of a Life in Art” by Deborah Reed and “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles. Being tipped off early about new books accessioned last month, I couldn’t pass up Thor Hanson’s new title, “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change.” And readers of this column shouldn’t miss reading it either. Hanson, a conservation biologist and Guggenheim fellow, was born and raised in Washington State. He has traveled throughout the world observing the ways of flora and fauna. He now lives with his spouse and son in Friday Harbor (population 2,426), Washington, county seat of San Juan County, which is 102 miles northwest of Seattle by car and ferry. “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid” is Hanson’s fifth book. Others are “Buzz,” “Feathers,” “The Impenetrable Forest” and “The Triumph of Seeds.” Given the snarky title and threatening climate-change
Challenge filed to Legislative redistricting plan The redistricting plan adopted by the Legislature is now under challenge, as to the entire plan, before the Oregon Supreme Court. Common Sense for Oregon, a nonpartisan, non-profit group, is supporting the filing of a Petition for Review in the Oregon Supreme Court by plaintiffs Patrick Sheehan and Samantha Hazel. The parties are being represented by the Salem law firm, Kevin L. Mannix, P.C. The petition points out that the Legislature refused to allow any oral testimony in regard to any redistricting plan except the plans proposed by the legisla-
tive Democrats and legislative Republicans. This made the redistricting process a partisan battle because alternative plans submitted by nonpartisan groups were not given full consideration. The petitioners also challenge the Legislature’s method of reapportionment, which started with existing district lines and then modified them. This favors incumbent legislators and is directly in opposition to a redistricting law, which provides that any plan should not be established to protect incumbents. “The problem with the Legislative Plan is that it is a partisan plan designed
to favor one party and designed to favor incumbents,” said Kevin Mannix, attorney for the plaintiffs. “The Legislature had a balanced plan in front of it, which was fair to all concerned, labeled Equitable Map Oregon, presented by Rebecca Tweed,” Mannix added. “We assert that her plan met all the legal requirements and should be the approach adopted by the Oregon Supreme Court instead of the Legislature’s plan,” added Mannix. The petition for review and its supporting brief can be found on the Common Sense for Oregon website: commonsensefororegon.org/
Nov. Special Election results around the state LES ZAITZ Oregon Capitol Chronicle The historic Crook County Courthouse in Prineville, a landmark for travelers, will be replaced after voters on Tuesday, Nov. 2 approved a bond measure. (Creative Commons) Prineville will get a new courthouse, Mill City will allow marijuana sales and Harney County becomes the latest county to take on the idea of moving portions of Oregon to Idaho – all the result of voter action in the special election held Tuesday. In local results, voters supported most tax requests for law enforcement and school building improvements. Here’s a look at some of the measures around the state and unofficial results: In Newport, voters turned down a 5% sales tax on restaurants that would have added more police, add bilingual staff to the library and repair city buildings and parks. The vote: 68%-32% no. MARIJUANA: In Mill City, voters decided to allow marijuana sales after voting in 2016 to prohibit them. The vote: 60%-40% yes (56-38). In Estacada, voters approved a 3% tax on marijuana sales. The vote: 69%-31% yes. GENDER: In Corvallis, voters decided to amend the city charter to make it gender-neutral in 32 instances. The vote: 68%-32% yes. According to the city’s ballot statement, “The gender of city officers as set out in the charter is irrelevant to the ability of the person to do the work of the city. Qualified people who do not identify their gender within the binary of male or female should not be excluded from city offices by language in the charter.”
COURTHOUSE: In Crook County, voters agreed to retire the iconic courthouse, built in 1909. They supported a $35 million to build a new courthouse in Prineville and convert the old one to offices. The vote: 65%35% yes. “It’s a landmark for our community,” Steve Lent, historian at the Bowman Museum in Prineville, recently told the Central Oregon Daily News. “It’s just a very historic building, and I don’t think anyone wants to see that building go away.” IDAHO MOVE: Harney County became the eighth in Oregon to require county commissioners to consider a shifting of boundaries to move large chunks of the state into Idaho. The vote: 63%-37% yes. Voters in Union, Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur, Sherman and Jefferson counties earlier approved similar measures. “Rural Oregon is declaring as loudly as it can that it does not consent to being misgoverned by Oregon’s leadership and chooses to be governed as part of a state that understands rural Oregon’s values and way
of making a living,” according to a statement from Mike McCarter, president of Move Oregon’s Border. “We call on the Oregon Legislature to not dare to hold these counties captive.” FIRE COVERAGE: Voters in the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District turned down a tax levy to support the coastal fire service’s operations. The vote: 56%-44% no. A ballot statement supporting the measure explained, “Since 2007, the number of volunteer firefighter/EMTs has decreased from 14-16 to 2-3. This required hiring 5 additional full time paid firefighter/ paramedics. Today, salary costs consume 80% of YRFPD’s budget. For the last two years, YRFPD has had to borrow money to sustain operations.” Elsewhere, voters did approve money for fire protection districts, among them North Albany (83%-17% yes), Williams (79%-21% yes), Illinois Valley (81%-19% yes) and Seal Rock (69%-31% yes) DAM WORK: Voters in the Winchester Water Control District agreed to $3 million in taxes for work on the Winchester Dam on
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ability to do more than simply react to climate change. If we so choose, we can alter the behaviors that are causing it to happen.” The Northwest Authors Series is sponsoring the fourth annual Writer’s Read Celebration. Local writers are encouraged to submit original works. All writers of all ages may participate. This year’s theme is “Recovery?” A panel of volunteer judges will anonymously select about 10 works to be read before a live audience during the celebration, which will be held via Zoom, Saturday, March 5. Writers who are selected to read their works will need access to Zoom. All written genres will be considered (essays, story, poetry, prose and so forth).. Each author is limited to no more than three entries no longer than 600 words each. Although entries by email (info@ cannonbeachlibrary. org) are preferred, submissions by USPS (P.O. Box 486, Cannon Beach, OR 97110) will also be accepted. Submissions should be in Word or pdf format and include a cover letter with the writer’s name, email address and telephone number. Please do not include name or contact information on the entry manuscript. Deadline for submissions is January 24, 2022. During the summer the library ran a popular “buythree-books-get-one-free” sale from its used book room. Word has it that they sold like hotcakes. So, the sale will continue through the winter.
Letter to the Editor Thank you for giving us a voice The fervent that the real representatives of this place demonstrated (thanks); those who attempted to educate us during the Tax criss/ cross makings, need to be applauded for outspokeness - We relied on their knowledge and experience. They spoke for me, they spoke for
so many who did not have voices. We didn’t make it this time. Not commenting on that. Here to thank you for reminding us precisely why we live here and why others don’t. Thanks Anita Dueber and Mary Ann Oyala for looking after so many people come hell or high. Ann Franklin Cannon Beach
Obituary
Winifred Miller Nov. 9, 1924 - Oct. 3, 2021
W
innie had a house built in 1988 located on the West Presidential blocks of Cannon Beach. Please see her full obit with Sunset Memorial Gardens website or in the Sunday
Seattle Times Newspaper Sunset Memorial Gardens in Bellevue, WA streaming from their web site for 90 days following service on 11/09/21@1pm
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the North Umpqua River. The vote: 92%-8% yes. According to the ballot measure, the money will be used to repair the dam and “pay fines, penalties, judgments, legal fees and other costs.” Those costs likely arise from litigation led by WaterWatch Oregon. “The disintegrating, 17-foothigh, 130-year-old Winchester Dam is maintained solely to create a private waterski lake for surrounding landowners, but it kills, injures, or delays salmon and steelhead trying to access 160 miles of high quality habitat upstream,” the organization said on its website. But the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said fish counts have remained steady for decades.
subtitle, Hanson can be a terribly nonchalant writer and biologist when explaining ways in which plants and animals will be forced to move up mountains, find a refuge from rising temperatures or move further north or south or go extinct. These are all acceptable solutions to climate change for Hanson who notes in passing that the planet has been much hotter in the past and it’s still teeming with life. Although Hanson keeps his readers aware that climate change is real and here to stay for a good long while, he remains quite accepting of the breeding strategy of rainbow trout moving into cooler cutthroat streams. The rainbow trout so outnumber their cousins that their DNA is becoming dominant in Montana streams once favored by cutthroat trout. Other fauna overcome secondary effects of a warming planet—hurricanes—through evolutionary change in place. Such is the case for small lizards on a string of Caribbean islands slammed by a series of hurricanes. In a remarkably short period of time lizards that survived the storms did so through natural selection. The surviving lizards rapidly developed larger toe pads and longer front legs to better grip vegetation. They also developed shorter rear legs to reduce wind drag. Hanson concludes his light description of our planet’s slow boil with his faith in humanity more intact than that of many of today’s youth: “Unlike any other organism on the planet, people have the
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Sea otters could be returning to Oregon Coast David Rupkalvis Country Media
Sea otters could be coming back to the Oregon Coast. During a meeting last month in Southern Oregon, Michele Zwartjes, a field office supervisor with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the service has been conducting a feasibility study to consider introducing sea otters to the Pacific Coast. “Oregon is the only state along the Pacific Coast that does not have a sea otter population anymore,” Zwartjes said. “They were eliminated in the early 1900s due to hunting for the fur trade.” Zwartjes said the Fish and Wildlife Service was tasked by Congress to do the feasibility study. The study is to look at the cost, impact and ability to introduce sea otters along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. Congress gave the service
through the end of 2021 to produce the study. “Our final report is going to emphasize that more study is needed,” Zwartjes said. Zwartjes said hunting in the early 1900s eliminated sea otters along the Pacific Coast, but there are small groups thanks to an effort to reintroduce the otter in the 1960s. “Much of the population in existence today is a result of reintroductions that occurred in the 1960s, including one in Southern Oregon along Port Orford,” she said. “It lasted about 10 years, and the even had pups. Some believe they migrated north and joined the California group.” Zwartjes said in the last decade there have been 24 documents sightings of sea otters in Oregon, most solo males moving south from Washington. There is a strong population of river otters in Oregon, and they can
sometimes be seen resting on the beach. As part of the study, the Fish and Wildlife Service has talked to fishermen, fish processors and many others to prepare a report for Congress. She said the fishing industry has voiced some concern, primarily the impact if the population booms like it has in Alaska. While sea otters typically have a diet of fish, Zwartjes said along the Oregon coast they would likely feed on sea urchins, Dungeness crab and clams. And if they were brought in, they could help heal the kelp forests, which have struggled to regain a footing after a heat wave and a die off of starfish led to a massive increase in purple urchins. “They have a very beneficial impact on the kelp forest,” Zwartjes said. “Because the otters eat the urchins, it allows the kelp to regrow, so
Sea otters have been a threatened species for many years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is doing a feasibility study to determine whether sea otters can be reintroduced along the Pacific Coast. they have a very beneficial impact on the kelp beds.” Zwartjes said she had no timeline as to when sea otters could be brought to the coast,
but she did say if the project moves forward, mass sightings of sea otters in Oregon is unlikely. “When they were on the
Oregon coast, there were never very numerous,” she said. “There were only isolated pockets along the coast.”
Changes needed to protect ocean, world says director of the Ocean Defense Initiative David Rupkalvis Country Media As climate change begins to impact the ocean, legislative action could help the ocean be one of the ways to solve the problem. That’s the message Jean Flemma, director of the
Ocean Defense Initiative, shared last week during a discussion with the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. And the rest of the country would be better off if it followed Oregon’s lead, she said. “Oregon was ahead of the
curve when it came to ocean planning,” Flemma said. “As much as Oregon was a leader in ocean planning 30 years ago, the state is still a leader today.” Flemma said as the climate changes, the ocean is overwhelmingly impacted. “The climate crisis is an ocean crisis,” she said. “The ocean has been capturing our global climate emissions, and it has been absorbing the heat.” Flemma listed ways the ocean has struggled due to climate change, pointing to rising sea levels, coral bleaching, toxic algae, acidification and struggles in the fishing industry. But as much as the ocean has changed, it can be a part of the solution, if local, state and federal politicians are willing to act. “Here in the U.S., integral ocean policy was somewhat stymied the last four years at the political level,” she said. Flemma said politicians need to act on several different levels, the first being harnessing the ocean’s power to address climate change. She specifically pointed to the prospect of expanding win energy in the ocean in an effort lessen the demand for fossil fuels. Second would be to increase the ocean’s resiliency to climate change, and finally, protect the ocean’s ability to capture carbon. “To put any of these policies in place, Congress,
n La Bonte Continued from Page 1 resolution was removed from the agenda prior to the meeting and was discussed at a special council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 9. The resolution states, “The city manager strongly support Ms. La Bonte as a principled, conscientious and industrious team member that serves as a role model for fellow employees. The city council believes there is a significant public purpose in voicing support for
administration, state and local governments will have to continue to take action,” Flemma said. “There’s a lot of hope the Ocean Climate Act we want to see will be included in the reconciliation package.” The first step Flemma wants to see is a permanent ban on offshore drilling. “Why the Biden administration did pause offshore drilling, the ban has already been lifted,” she said. Flemma said both Oregon senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are pushing for a permanent ban. In addition, governments
need to push for more clean energy offshore. “We need to scale up clean offshore energy,” Flemma said. “The administration has committed to getting 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030, but 30 gigawatts is not that much.” Flemma said Oregon must see changes if it wants to continue as the state we know and love. “In Oregon, the coast defines what we are,” she said. “Looking ahead, we have right now in the reconciliation process, the ability to collect $2 billion for projects for the ocean. We could be
looking at $7-$10 billion for ocean restoration projects. Should this money actually appear, this will be a huge opportunity for Oregon.” Overall, up to $500 billion could be included in federal money to combat climate change, she said. “The devil will be in the details,” Flemma said. “Where is the money going to? The next few weeks we will learn a lot more about that. Depending on what does happen in the reconciliation process, there’s going to need to be a lot more that needs to get done.”
Ms. La Bonte and reimbursing expenses she incurred due to her public employment.” According to the staff report, there had been a recommendation to reimburse La Bonte up to $15,000 for her expenses from defending allegations related to her employment with the city. The city’s insurance carrier, City/County Insurance Services (CIS), determined they would provide coverage up to their maximum amount of $7,500. As part of official compensation, the city will offer to reimburse La Bonte for her personal legal expenses not
covered by CIS, up to a maximum of $8,000. On Nov. 9, the council voted and agreed 4-1 in support of La Bonte and the reimbursement of her attorney fees associated with the investigation. “As for the city has a whole, from day one when this situation began I had the unwavering support of my peers, my team and especially our city manager,” La Bonte said. “They all know me, my character and my passion and commitment for my job. They also know my relationship to Cannon Beach Design Co. and our internal process that
respects the separation of work and my business co-ownership requirement. Our city manager showed true leadership by standing up for an employee who became a target because they were a public servant. It happened to be me this time but it could be anyone of us in the future. The support I received from the community I serve was frosting on the cake, and I’m grateful for those that wrote letters and spoke in support of me.” Send comments to: headlightreporter@countrymedia. net
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CLATSOP COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE ELSIE-JEWELL / SEASIDE RURAL PLANNING AREA CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan Update Elsie-Jewell / Seaside Rural Planning Area Citizen Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting at 2:00PM on Friday, November 12, 2021, via GoTo Meeting. The Committee will discuss the Elsie-Jewell and Seaside Rural community plans. Other Goals and policies related to the Elsie-Jewell and Seaside Rural planning areas may also be discussed. To join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://global.gotomeeting. com/join/552752757 You can also dial in using your phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 877 309 2073
United States: +1 (646) 749-3129 Access Code: 552-752757 An agenda will be posted seven days prior to the hearing at: https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/calendar. All documents are available for inspection at the Clatsop County Planning Division at 800 Exchange St, Suite 100, during normal business hours (M-F 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) at no cost. Paper copies may also be obtained at reasonable cost. The full agenda packet is posted at: https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ calendar. If you have questions about this matter or need more information, please contact the Planning Division at (503) 325-8611 or at comdev@co.clatsop.or.us. Publication dates: November 04, 2021 North Coast Citizen November 12, 2021 Cannon Beach Gazette NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
CLATSOP COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE NORTHEAST PLANNING AREA CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan Update Northeast Planning Area Citizen Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting at 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 18, 2021, via GoTo Meeting. The committee will be discussing the Northeast Community Plan. Topics of discussion may include other Goals and policies related to the Northeast planning area. To join the meeting: Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://global.gotomeeting. com/join/241020789 You can also dial in using your phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 877 309 2073 United States: +1 (571) 317-3129 Access Code: 241-020-
789 New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://www.co.clatsop. or.us/calendar An agenda will be posted seven days prior to the hearing at: https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/calendar. All documents are available for inspection at the Clatsop County Planning Division at 800 Exchange St, Suite 100, during normal business hours (M-F 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) at no cost. Paper copies may also be obtained at reasonable cost. The full agenda packet is posted at: https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ calendar. If you have questions about this matter or need more information, please contact the Planning Division at (503) 325-8611 or at comdev@ co.clatsop.or.us. Publication dates: November 04, 2021 North Coast Citizen November 12, 2021 Cannon Beach Gazette
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CLATSOP COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE JOINT PLANNING COMMISSION / COUNTYWIDE CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Clatsop County Planning Commission and Comprehensive Plan Update Countywide Citizen Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, via GoTo Meeting. The committee will be discussing Statewide Planning Goal 6 – Air, Water, and Land Resources Quality; Statewide Planning Goal 8 – Recreational Needs; and Statewide Planning Goal 13 – Energy Conservation. Other Goals and policies related to these goals may also be discussed. To join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://global.gotomeeting. com/join/836196197
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You can also dial in using your phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 United States: +1 (669) 224-3317 Access Code: 836-196-197 An agenda will be posted seven days prior to the hearing at: https://www.co.clatsop. or.us/calendar. All documents are available for inspection at the Clatsop County Planning Division at 800 Exchange St, Suite 100, during normal business hours (M-F 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) at no cost. Paper copies may also be obtained at reasonable cost. The full agenda packet is posted at: https://www. co.clatsop.or.us/calendar. If you have questions about this matter or need more information, please contact the Planning Division at (503) 325-8611 or at comdev@ co.clatsop.or.us. Publication dates: Cannon Beach Gazette November 12, 2021 North Coast Citizen November 18, 2021
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Renew license, ID, vehicle tags before end of moratorium The Oregon law enforcement moratorium for expired vehicle registration, driver licenses and ID cards will end Dec. 31. If you need to renew, do it as soon as you can – before an expected rush at the end of the year. Starting in November, DMV will mail about 300,000 Oregon residents who have expired vehicle registrations, urging them to renew before the end of the year. This mailing is in addition to the regular reminder DMV sends a few weeks before your vehicle’s tags expire. DMV will not also send a second reminder for expired licenses, permits and ID cards, so please check your card to make sure it is still valid.
n Rainforest Continued from Page 1 peaks exist nowhere else on Earth. “We couldn’t be more thrilled about this acquisition by our good friends at North Coast Land Conservancy,” said Carla Cole, natural resources project manager for the National Park Service. “The National Park Service recognizes that landscape-scale conservation is one of the most meaningful ways that we can protect diversity and ensure resilience in a rapidly changing world. Plants, animals and ecosystems need space and time to move and adapt. Conservation of mountain peaks, headwaters, forests and salmon streams within the Rainforest Reserve will provide protection and refugia for many iconic species and habitats and ensure that this special place will persist for the benefit and enjoyment of all Oregonians for generations to come.” The reserve includes the headwaters of five watersheds and provides drinking water to Cannon
You might receive a reminder in the mail even if it doesn’t seem to apply to you. Did you sell your car? If you didn’t notify DMV, they might still show you as the owner. Protect yourself from parking tickets and towing charges: go online and notify DMV of the sale. The current moratorium, passed by the 2021 Legislature, is the last of a series of grace periods giving Oregonians more time to renew at DMV during COVID-19 restrictions. DMV open online and in person with or without appointment To help Oregonians get DMV services during the pandemic, DMV has added many new online options. They have caught up with the
Beach and Arch Cape. As a result, conservation of the Rainforest Reserve will help ensure clean drinking water for residents and visitors and could help lower water treatment costs. Clatsop County Commissioner Lianne Thompson stated: “Vision, tenacity and patience define the collaborative efforts to successfully create the Rainforest Reserve and protect this important section of the Coast Range. Thanks to all who put vision into action and secured the future of this north coast gem. It’s really a joy and a privilege to support a community effort like this. It’s good for the people, it’s good for the planet. What’s not to love?” Protection of the proposed Rainforest Reserve has been a goal of coastal conservationists for decades. Seventy years ago, Oregon’s first state parks superintendent, Sam Boardman, characterized the property as “one of the greatest opportunities for creating one of the outstanding natural parks in the nation.” However, a sense of awe and respect for this place has existed in the peoples living here since time immemorial.
This summit-to-sea corridor has provided abundant first foods, materials for tools and crafts, and more for the Clatsop and Tillamook people. NCLC’s acquisition of the Rainforest Reserve perpetuates a theft that first happened more than 150 years ago, when land treaties with the first nations where not honored. Thus, NCLC is committed to once again ensuring indigenous Clatsop and Tillamook community members have access to this land for a variety of cultural uses. Campaign Background In 2016, North Coast Land Conservancy entered into talks with EFM Inc., a forestland investment management company committed to sustainable forestry. That led Onion Peak Holdings, a subsidiary managed by EFM, to purchase 5,000 acres of forestland from Stimson Lumber Company. In keeping with EFM’s goals around enabling long-term land ownership, landscape protection and drinking water security, they signed a purchase and sales agreement with NCLC with a deadline of five years. “NCLC’s compelling
COVID-19 backlog enough that about half of the visits to field offices are by appointment, and the other half are standby. Whether you set an appointment or just stop by, you can get more than one DMV service in one visit. Before you go to a DMV office, visit DMV2U at https://bit.ly/3Euh09p to see if you can get your service online – or make sure you have what you need to bring to an office. DMV2U is part of ODOT’s commitment to put transformative technology to make Oregon’s transportation system more efficient and user friendly. Going forward, customers will continue to have the option of making an appointment on-
vision for this property inspires us to think bigger and be bolder in solving our climate crisis,” EFM CEO Bettina von Hagen said. “The creation of the Rainforest Reserve is an enormous contribution to the people of Oregon, who will have the opportunity to hike and enjoy this spectacular and unique landscape, and to the many plants and animals, including endemic species that make the Rainforest Reserve home. We applaud NCLC for their vision, perseverance and tenacity in making this fiveyear vision a reality.” To secure the Rainforest Reserve and complete this landmark conservation project, NCLC raised roughly $11.8 million with the help of more than 1,000 donors and significant grants awarded by U.S. Fish and Wildlife; Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative, a partnership among the Land Trust Alliance, Oregon Community Foundation, Seattle Foundation and the Idaho Community Foundation, with support from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB); and M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. In addition,
line through DMV2U or dropping by, as well as more choices online. Any time you need a DMV service, check DMV2U first and see if you can save yourself time and a trip. Consider getting Real ID now If you need to visit a DMV in person – especially to renew your license or ID card – it is a good time to get the Real ID option. Starting in May 2023, you will need a federally acceptable form of identification to fly– most common are a passport or the Real ID version of a DMV credential. Don’t wait until 2023, when the rush will be on. Make sure you bring the documents you need to qualify for Real ID by creating a personalized checklist at Oregon.gov/RealID.
NCLC continues to provide technical support to the Arch Cape Water and Sanitary Districts to acquire an additional 1,500 acres to create a community forest adjacent to the Rainforest Reserve. “It’s been astounding to see what’s happened with fundraising for the project and the grants that came through,” NCLC Board President John Mersereau said. “Now that we have the property, there’s also the question of, what’s next? What is involved in the next phase? There is so much work to be done, but having met that initial goal with the acquisition is huge.” An interim public recreation policy—including what uses will be permitted and where—is currently in place, while creation of a more robust and thoughtful public-access plan is underway. Through a grant from NPS, a team of conservation and recreation planning specialists are facilitating that planning process with NCLC, neighboring landowners, community members at-large, and indigenous community members. Over the next year, they will be reaching out to the community to help create a cohesive, interconnected
recreation and access plan that is user-friendly and provides opportunities to the public while also protecting ecologically sensitive areas. “With its proximity to Oswald West State Park, the Rainforest Reserve plays a significant role in creating connectivity between protected areas on the coast,” Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director Lisa Sumption said. “Since Sam Boardman first experienced this place, OPRD has supported a vision like the Rainforest Reserve. We look forward to collaborating with NCLC as we steward these places together, which contribute to the long-term health and well-being of people, plants and wildlife alike.” Nadia Gardner, volunteer chair of Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, added, “The Rainforest Reserve is unique in its connection to not only an incredible state park but also a marine protected area. The goals of Oregon’s five marine reserves are to conserve ocean biodiversity and contribute to scientific research. We are thrilled to see this area protected from the mountain peaks out into Oregon’s ocean.”
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COVID-19 has killed nearly four thousand Oregonians. And every day, doctors, nurses and other health care workers risk their lives to keep that number from rising. You can help. COVID vaccines greatly reduce your chances of hospitalization. That not only protects you, it protects health care workers and our community. Please get vaxxed today.