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Puffins and Oystercatchers in danger

Visually moving art in the park

Atiyeh Reporter

If you’ve been in the area of Les Shirley park on a sunny day, you may have no ticed a women with her yards of silk hanging from a tree branch performing Cirque du Soleil-like acrobatics. What is she doing, you might ask? It is known as “Aerial Silks Gymnastics.”

Raquel became interested in Aerial Silk Gymnastics when she was 22. A friend from high school was in volved in it, and it inspired her to try a new dance form. At the time, Raquel was practicing several types of dancing: fire and belly danc ing, hip hop, jazz, along with pilates and yoga.

After taking classes in Portland and practicing Aerial Silks Gymnastics for the past 11 years, Raquel discovered that Les Shirley Park was the perfect location to practice, with just the right tree and branch. After climbing a ladder and securing a metal bracket over the branch, strands of silk are hung 15 feet above the ground, with cushioned yoga mats below.

Residents and visitors frequently stop to watch in amazement as Raquel performs her routine to music. Her routine is a combination of gymnastics, dance, yoga, Cirque du Soleil, flexibility, agility and extreme strength. Her entire routine is like seeing a Cirque du Soleil performance, and watching her graceful movements in the beauty of nature with such a masterful performance is mesmerizing. Raquel has a mastery of mind, body and soul that is something beau tiful to behold, like “Visually Moving Art in the Park.”

City Council hires contractor for City Hall project, approves transportation plan

Will Chappell Gazette Reporter

Cannon Beach’s City Council took care of several pieces of important business in their Novem ber 1st meeting, setting them up to move forward on large infrastruc ture projects.

The council approved the hiring of a contractor for the new city hall, passed the transportation system plan and approved funding for road paving projects next year.

Emerick Construction was hired as the construction manager and general contractor for the new city hall that will be built on the same site as the current city hall.

They will be paid $44,000 for the pre-construction phase of the

project and 3.2% of the cost of the project in total.

Now, Emerick will begin work ing with Commercial Industrial Design Architecture, the project architects, to develop a proposal for the new city hall.

Current budget projections peg the project around $17.5 million. That number is based on a 2018 ballpark estimate of $15 million; a detailed budget will come when plans are developed.

The city council also approved the transportation system plan (TSP) for Cannon Beach.

The plan had been in develop ment since January 2021 and sets forward goals for Cannon Beach’s roads, parking, bike infrastructure and transportation system writ

large.

The TSP does not implement any policies, only offers suggestions. The council can amend the plan in the future, with public notice and feedback.

Top priorities identified in the plan are reworking the traffic flow along Hemlock Street and improv ing the parking situation in town.

The plan suggests several poten tial changes to downtown traffic. One is creating a new traffic flow pattern, with Hemlock and Spruce both being turned into one-way streets. Another is turning 2nd Street into a pedestrian plaza.

For parking, the TSP suggests that enforced, time-limited parking be introduced to Cannon Beach, with the possibility of paid parking

also mentioned. The plan suggests permits for residents and employees in either scenario.

The TSP sets the new mayor and city council up to address the transportation needs of Cannon Beach with a prioritized list and suggestions to solve issues.

The city council also approved funding for city wide paving projects in 2023, allocating over $145,000.

Additionally, they appointed Marlene Laws to the budget committee, Harvey Claussen to the design review board and Dorian Farrow to the planning commission.

Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia. net.

Election Results

Unofficial election results shows Knop wins mayor race

Warren jwarren@countrymedia.net

The midterm election results are unofficial until the Clatsop County Clerks office certifies the election, but it looks like Barbara Knop will be Cannon Beach’s next mayor. State results are too close to call with several votes still to be counted.

Knop garnered 444 votes com pared to challenger Erik Ostrander who received 406 votes.

Lisa Kerr and Gary Hayes will fill the two vacant city council seats in that at-large race fending off four other candidates. Kerr received 381 votes and Hayes received 365 votes.

Knop takes over the top elected position in Cannon Beach with two major projects and several issues facing the quaint beach community in terms of development.

“I believe that through the code

Joe

Deb

Raquel performs Aerial Silks Gymnastics at Les Shilrley Park in Cannon Beach. Gazette photo by Deb Atiyeh

Babara Knop

Lisa Kerr

Gary Hayes

Influencers flock to Haystack Rock

With its magnificent size and unusual placement so near the shore, Haystack Rock remains a popular des tination for out-of-towners. Yet, the image of the site is no longer confined to people’s memories and personal photographs. The landmark is becoming an icon of the internet.

Despite a quaint population of just under 1500 yearly residents, Cannon Beach has drawn an increasing number of tourists, especially in the summer months.

According to the City of Cannon Beach, as many as 200,000 people visit Hay stack Rock each year. Those who make the trip come for a variety of reasons; temperate weather, new galleries and restaurants, a momentary escape from the buzz of city life. Or perhaps, some make the trek after seeing a photo of the grand rock on social media.

The hashtag #Haystack Rock now has 187,000 posts on Instagram, and over 12.4 million views on TikTok.

Zachary Salter is one of many influencers whose posts have bolstered Hay stack Rock’s social media presence, consequently driv ing more visitors from digital communities.

Salter, who has over 200,000 followers across social media, shares content that captures the natural beauty of the environment.

Through his social media accounts, Salter has net worked with many other creators, and a group of them planned a trip through the Pacific Northwest.

“It was one of the first spots on our list,” said Salter. “We had a bonfire on the beach.”

Salter’s post of Haystack Rock was accompanied with an endearing caption, “The scale of this place was incredible. Being able to see places like this all the time has me excited to create again. Do you ever get the hit of creativity whenever you visit places like this?”

The post quickly garnered attention. Salter was flooded with comments and messages from social media users.

“The amount of messages I got like ‘Oh where is this?’ or ‘I need to go next time,’ I def initely think social media is making it boom a lot more,” Salter explained.

Yet, the rock doesn’t just appeal to professional photographers. All sorts of influencers find reasons to visit.

Jess Ramberg, who has over 350,000 followers across social platforms, started an Instagram account to showcase her adventures with her 2-year-old pet Corgi, Ziggy.

Ramberg, who is now liv ing in Woodridge, Virginia, first learned about Haystack Rock when she saw social media posts about the annual Cannon Beach Corgi Day. While she wasn’t able to at tend the event, she knew she wanted to visit the beach if she ever had the opportunity.

“I had seen it happening throughout the years and I always knew if there was a chance we made it out West we would take a trip and go to Cannon Beach,” explained Ramberg.

When asked what makes Haystack Rock so appealing to social media influencers, Ramberg explained that the natural monument affords plenty of photography and video opportunities.

“You can experience it in so many different ways…

sunny, clear, sunsets, sun rises,” said Ramberg. “There are so many unique ways to experience the landscape and the beauty of that area.”

Besides the location’s visual magnitude, Ramberg adds that the quaint beach provides an opportunity for individuals who spend lots of time online to connect back with nature. “It was surreal,” said Ramberg. “It felt like we were in a movie,” she ex plained, describing the sense of tranquility she felt during her visit.

Other social media influencers believe that the pandemic provided a perfect opportunity for influencers

to create Haystack Rock content.

Kyle Offutt began using social media as Instagram and Twitter began taking off in the early 2000’s. He quickly found his passion in showing his followers his favorite places to travel, eat, and adventure. Now, he has a combined following of over 250,000, and his food-fo cused content attracts a host of interested users.

Offutt decided to come out to Cannon Beach after talking to other social media users, and saving images and videos of Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach on his phone.

“A big part of my content

is roadmaps, recommenda tions, and cool spots that I find,” said Offutt. He adds that “Haystack Rock is rela tively easy to locate, since it has a large presence on social media… you can go and get good pictures and you can take a photo of it.”

In addition to the expo sure to the location on social media, Offut adds that more people had the opportunity to visit their dream locations during the pandemic.

“A lot of people did a lot of outdoor things because it was one of the things you could only do,” explained offutt. “People found a lot of things like Haystack Rock, it

was probably on their lists. It was that initial burst that has encouraged more people to visit now that travel is more attainable.”

Despite economic after shocks from the pandemic, Cannon Beach continues to attract hosts of new faces from far and wide. Between the Instagrammers, TikTok er’s, and Youtuber’s, the future of Cannon Beach’s tourism scene remains bright. What used to be a hid den gem along the Oregon Coast, has quickly become the must-stop item on many influencers bucket lists. One can only wonder, who will be the next to visit?

A short natural history of Cannon Beach

Atiyeh For the Gazette

Clinging to the far western edge of North America, next to the largest wilderness on earth, amid spectacular basalt rock formations erupted from

volcanic vents millions of years ago and hundreds of miles away, inhabited by the indigenous Clatsop-Nehalem for millennia, periodically wracked by monster subduc tion zone earthquakes and in undated by massive tsunamis,

Clatsop Animal Assistance Annual Holiday Party & Fundraiser

Saturday, December 10th 9:00AM – 3:00PM

Fort George Lovell Showroom in Astoria Pet Pictures with Santa Bake Sale Yummies Raffles and Silent Auction

Ginny, pictured here, says it’s going to be a blast.

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and blessed with diverse wildlife, the area around the small coastal town of Cannon Beach is considered by some to be among the most beauti ful places in the world.

Drenched with 90 inches of rain a year, the surrounding coastal temperate rainforest extends north along the coast of Washington and British Columbia to southeast Alaska. Although lacking the com plex biodiversity of tropical rainforests, these temperate rainforests contain more bio mass per acre than any forest

on the planet. Along the immediate coastline of our area, the forest is dominated by Sitka Spruce; uniquely adapted to tolerate salt air and high winds. Sitka Spruce are the third tallest conifer on earth (only the coastal Redwood and coastal Douglas Fir are taller) and if undisturbed for centuries in optimal growing conditions can reach heights of 300 feet. Sitka Spruce are also the fifth largest conifer on earth, behind the Sequoia, Redwood, Kauri, and Western

Red Cedar. Located at milepost 2 off Highway 26, The “Klootchy Creek Giant,” toppled by the “Great Coastal Gale” of 2007, was once tied for the world’s largest (by volume) Sitka Spruce, with a circumference of 49 feet and a height of over 200 feet. Our local old-growth forests were largely logged off by the 1930’s and 1940’s, but old photos and rotting stumps tell us that some of these trees were giants more than 10 feet in diameter.

Huge, ancient trees still exist,

preserved in state parks and other protected lands, that humble us, fill us with a sense of awe, and remind us of what once existed here.

Take some time to con template and appreciate your existence among the ancient rock formations, the destruc tive cycle of earthquakes and tsunamis, the wild ocean, the incredible wildlife, and the rainforests that have existed here for millennia in this beautiful place at the edge of the sea.

Public works announces paving projects

Deb Atiyeh Reporter

At the November 1st City Council meeting, Cannon Beach Public Works director Karen LaBonte explained the proposed 2022-2023 “Pave ment Preservation Project.” Bayview Asphalt of Cannon Beach submitted the lowest competitive bid for $145,795, which involves placing a

2-inch asphalt overlay over existing asphalt streets which are cracked and failing. The project is part of the ongoing annual maintenance of streets in Cannon Beach.

LaBonte emphasized that no existing gravel streets will be covered with asphalt, and added that the city “has not converted any gravel streets to asphalt in several years.”

The list of streets to be

repaired in the “Pavement Preservation Project” were first reviewed by the Public Works Committee and the City Budget Committee pro cess before being presented to City Council.

The seven streets to be repaired are Elk Creek Road (from Elk Land Road to the Public Works yard) 1st Street (from Hemlock to Larch) East Dawes (from Hemlock to

house #140) West Van Buren (from Hemlock to Ocean) Elm (from 5th to the end of the existing asphalt) and East Washington and East Van Bu ren (from Hemlock to Spruce) The “Pavement Preser vation Project” was unan imously approved by City Council. The project is expected to be completed by April 30, 2023.

Bob

Photo courtesy of, Zachary Salter, Insatgram

Miska

At the Library

Bestselling mystery writers still delight

Phyllis Bernt Library Board President

A quick reminder about three upcoming events in the next week. Cannon Beach Reads will be discussing “The Swerve: How the World Became Modern” by Stephen Greenblatt at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, at the library, 131 N. Hemlock. Participants can also join the discussion via Zoom; contact Joe Bernt, berntj@ohio.edu, for the link.

There will be a Story Time at noon, on Saturday, November 12, at the library. Library volunteer Peggy Thom will read books about the changing seasons. The target audience is children up to 8, though all ages are welcome.

Also on November 12 at the library, at 2 p.m. Ellie Al exander, bestselling author of cozy mysteries, will present “Meet the Modern Mystery.” Her talk can also be watched online through the library website (www.cannonbeach library.org).

And speaking of mystery novels, the library recently added titles by two popular authors: one by Ann Cleeves, a long-time favorite of mystery fans, and the other by Richard Osman, a relative newcomer.

A new Ann Cleeves novel is always a cause for celebration. Cleeves is the bestselling author of three mystery series that have all been adapted for television:

the Vera Stanhope series, the Shetland series, and the Two Rivers series.

“The Rising Tide,” the tenth book in the Vera Stan hope series, takes place on Holy Island of Lindisfarne in northern England. Fifty years ago, an idealistic teacher brought twelve students to a retreat in a former convent on Holy Island. Seven of the students formed such a close bond at the retreat that they resolved to meet on the Island every five years.

Tragedy struck during the first five-year reunion when one of the former students died after her car was washed off the causeway connecting Holy Island to the mainland. Despite this disturbing event, five of the former students continued the ritual of meet ing on Holy Island every five years for a reunion weekend.

It is now the fiftieth anni versary of the retreat, and one of the five former students, Rick Kelsall, a television personality who has lost his BBC program because of allegations he has acted inappropriately with female interns, announces his plans to write a thriller based on his fellow reunion goers’ deepest secrets. Not surprisingly, Rick is soon found hanging from the crossbeams in his bedroom.

Enter Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope of the fictional Northumberland & City Police Department to solve the murder. Vera doesn’t look like the typical police detec

tive. She is often mistaken for a bag lady because of her frumpy, wrinkled clothing and her general appearance.

Vera is a middle aged, overweight, socially inept loner who lives for her work. She is grumpy, imperious and egocentric; she is also insecure, sensitive and often surprisingly kind. But more than anything, Vera is a bril liant detective who notices details, understands motiva tions and trusts her intuition; consequently, she is usually ten steps ahead of her col leagues, Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth and Detective Constable Holly Clarke.

As she follows clues, interviews suspects and analyzes the relationships among the various charac ters, Vera realizes how much everyone associated with the case is burdened by their past infatuations, desires, mistakes and resentments.

The constant focus on the past causes Vera to scrutinize her own life, especially her relationship with her father

Hector, a cold, gruff man who showed Vera little affection while he lived, but who, she realizes, was “always bully ing her from the grave.”

As is usual with a Vera novel, Cleeves provides several well-drawn, complex characters, all of whom are plausible murder suspects. Cleeves takes Vera and her team down several blind alleys, until they arrive at the shocking and, for Vera’s team, painful solution.

Unlike Cleeves, who is an old hand at writing mys teries—the first Vera book, “The Crow Trap,” appeared in 1999–Richard Osman has only been writing mysteries since 2020, when his first mystery, “The Thursday Mur der Club,” became an instant bestseller. In 2021, his second book, “The Man Who Died Twice,” was also a bestseller, and, from all indications, his latest mystery, “The Bullet That Missed,” will follow suit.

The protagonists of Osman’s novels are four retirees, all in their 70s, who live in Coopers Chase, an upscale retirement com munity in Kent. Elizabeth Best, despite her unassuming appearance, is a retired MI6 spy, who was a ruthless and effective operative in her day and who has maintained contact with some unsavory characters.

The widowed Joyce Mead owcroft is a retired nurse who bakes constantly and talks incessantly. Although she

often seems clueless, Joyce is not as ditzy and naive as she appears. Ibrahim Arif is a retired psychotherapist who is a natty dresser, obsessively detail-oriented and a stickler for doing things properly. And finally, Ron Ritchie is a retired trade union organizer who has an eye for the ladies and enjoys reminiscing about his days on the picket lines.

To stave off boredom, the four friends meet every Thursday in the Jigsaw Room in their retirement community to try to solve cold cases on which the police have given up. One of these cold cases is the mysterious disappearance ten years ago of television journalist Bethany Waites, after she had uncovered a tax scam involving non-existent mobile phones and a missing ten million pounds.

When the woman found guilty of the tax scam is killed in prison, the four sep tuagenarians find themselves embroiled in a case involving an ex-KGB colonel, gang sters, money laundering, cryptocurrency, death threats and blackmail schemes.

Osman’s breezy, tonguein-cheek writing style, the often-hilarious conversa tions between the sardonic Elizabeth and the clueless Joyce, the touching affection the four sleuths have for one another and the numerous plot twists make “The Bullet That Missed” an entertain ing read, and explain why Osman’s books have been so successful.

In addition to books by Cleeves and Osman, the library added eight more new mysteries. These include “Next in Line” by Jeffrey Archer, “Livid” by Patricia Cornwell, “Reckoning: An FBI Thriller” by Catherine Coulter, “The Harbor” by Katrine Engberg, “The Ink Black Heart” by Robert Galbraith, “Alias Emma” by Ava Glass, “Hell and Back” by Craig Johnson and “Righteous Prey” by John Sandford.

The seven fiction books that were added were “Hes ter” by Laurie Lico Albanese, “The Book Haters’ Book Club” by Gretchen Anthony, “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, “The Passenger” by Cormac McCarthy, “The Mountain in the Sea” by Ray Nayler, “Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng and “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.

And finally, the four nonfiction books added were “When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm” by Walt Bogdanich and Michael For syth, “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions” by Temple Grandin, “Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West” by Katie Hickman and “The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human” by Sid dhartha Mukherjee.

Puffin population declining on Haystack Rock; Black Oystercatcher population barely stable

Atiyeh Reporter

At the Cannon Beach City Council meeting on Novem ber 1st, Angela Benton of Friends of Haystack Rock talked about the declining population of Tufted Puffins on Haystack Rock. Benton said that, “Friends of Hay stack Rock and many com munity members have been concerned about the plight of Tufted Puffins for a long time, and unfortunately it’s not getting better.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveyed Tufted Puffins this summer along the Oregon coast, and estimated a total population of 550 Puffins along the entire coastline from the California border to the mouth of the Columbia River.

At Haystack Rock, the count declined from 98 last summer to 70 this summer.

The local population of Black Oystercatchers, another at-risk bird species that nests in rocky habitat areas along the shoreline, appears to be

just barely stable over the past several years. Cannon Beach resident Tabea Goossen has been monitoring Black Oystercatchers over the past 6 years for Portland Audubon. In the summer of 2022, in the area from Indian Beach to Chapman Point, out of seven Oystercatcher nests, only five chicks survived. Four chicks survived in this same area

Goossen has witnessed

significant human (and dog) disturbance that is likely a

a dramatic increase in the

these unprotected rocky hab itat areas at low tide over the past several years. Last sum mer, a volunteer witnessed a drone operator harassing a juvenile Bald Eagle and hov ering his drone over a Black Oystercatcher nest at Indian Beach. Liebezeit added that, “we are concerned about the growing increase of distur bances to the Black Oyster catcher. Thankfully we have some great volunteers across the coast helping monitor the population and distur bance interactions to help us understand the impacts so we can recommend management actions.”

Visitors to the coast are re minded that it is a violation of both Federal and Oregon state laws to harass or disturb any shore birds or marine mam mals along Oregon beaches and rocky habitats.

Library Lecture Series announced through April

December 14th,2022

Snowy Plovers Allison Anholt Coastal Community Science Biologist with Portland Audubon

January 11th, 2023

“10th Anniversary of Ore gon’s Marine Reserves: What we have learned?”

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Reserves Program Staff

In 2012, Oregon kicked off its marine reserve program with the establishment of the Otter Rock and Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve sites. The other three, including the Cape Falcon site on the north coast, came into effect in 2014 and 2016. Then years later, the State is looking back at what we have learned and how to adapt the program going forward. Oregon De partment of Fish and Wildlife staff will present highlights, focusing on ecological research.

February 8th, 2023

Reintroduction of Sea Ot ters to the Oregon Coast (not official title)

Mitchelle StMartin Waiting for title and bio

March 8th, 2023

“Transient Killer Whales of the Outer Coast of Oregon

duane@duanejohnson.com.

and California”

Josh McInnes Josh McInnes is a marine mammal scientist and grad uate student at the Univer sity of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Marine Mammal Research Unit. He will share a presentation titled: Ecologi cal Aspects of Transient Killer Whales off the California and Oregon Coast. Transient

killer whales are important apex predators in marine ecosystems along the Pacific coast. Insights into the latest findings regarding ecology, abundance, distribution, and community structure of these whales along the outer coast and offshore waters of Oregon and California will be presented.

Josh’s research focuses on the ecology and behavior of

marine mammals in British Columbia and Monterey Bay, California, with studies focus ing on the foraging behavior, diet, and ecology of transient (Bigg’s) killer whales and

Risso’s Dolphins.

April 12th, 2023

“Monitoring Migratory Birds in Lincoln County, Ore gon Through Citizen Science”

Roy Lowe and other local volunteers have been documenting the return of the threatened Western Snowy Plover as a breeding species to Lincoln County beaches.

Let

We are providing a Thanksgiving meal for anyone who would enjoy a place to share a meal with others. The meal will be served buffet style on china with candles and flowers with the hopes to delight those who join with us.

For more details you can email Jon Way at jway@att.net or call/text Jon at 831-234-5431. If possible, contact Jon with the number of people who will be in your party.

Cannon Beach Community Church 132 E. Washington, Cannon Beach

Phyllis Bernt

Tim Halloran has been monitoring Puffin populations for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service at Haystack Rock for the past 11 summers, and this summer was the lowest count ever recorded.

in 2021. Joe Liebezeit, staff scientist at Portland Audubon, confirmed that there was a total failure of Black Oyster catcher nests at both Haystack Rock and Silver Point in 2022.

contributor to Black Oyster catcher nest failures; these birds are sensitive to any disturbance, and there has been

number of people visiting

Black Oystercatchers with a nest. Gazette file photo

Tufted Puffin. Gazette file photo

Deb

At Tolovana Hall

Join us for an afternoon of with coffee, conversation and live music from Gary Keiski on Sunday, November 13th.

It’s a pop-up: stir in equal parts bohemian espresso bar, community salon and live performance.

Indeed, our cup runneth over.

We’ll have plenty of freshly ground, brewed-toorder coffee—thanks to our barista and board member Scott C Johnson—as well as an array of brunch-y nibbles, good company and, best of all, music from Gary.

Many Cannon Beachers know Gary as the violinist of the stalwart Floating Glass

Balls bluegrass band. But here, Gary will take up guitar, drawing from a wealth of folk and jazz numbers, performing both covers and original songs.

The event, at Tolovana Hall, runs from 3-to-5PM on Sunday, November 13th.

It’s free to attend. Dona tions are encouraged. Kids and families are welcome.

Tolovana Hall is located as 3779 S. Hemlock in Cannon Beach.

For more information visit email tolovanaartscolony@ gmail.com or call 541-2154445.

Soap making workshop

Green your home and your Christmas with a Soap Making Workshop, Saturday, November 19th.

Perfect for gift giving, you’ll take home numerous bars of sensually scented, arti sanal soap—the kind of soap you’d pay a whole lot more for at the store.

But that’s not all!

While the soap making process is underway--steps include waiting for it to cool--instructor Betty Gearen will teach students how to make natural cleaning prod ucts, including an all purpose spray and a “better than Ajax” cleaning powder.

Talk about greening your home.

Forget those nasty, nox ious chemicals from multina tional corporations that come in disposable, single-use,

plastic containers. The natural cleaners you’ll learn to make are every bit as effective and a whole lot safer.

The workshop, which runs from 1-to-3PM on Saturday, November 19th, is just $20, which includes materials. (In the interest of being green, students are asked to bring a container to bring home their cleaning powder, as well as a spray bottle for the liquid cleanser.)

Space is limited, and RS VP’s are required.

We’re confident this work shop will sell out, so don’t wait—RSVP today! (You can RSVP by emailing tolova naartscolony@gmail.com or by calling 541-215-4445.)

This workshop takes place at Tolovana Hall (3779 S. Hemlock st. in Cannon Beach).

The timeless classic Scrooge! The Musical charms this holiday season at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse

This holiday season the Coaster Theatre Playhouse brings to the stage “Scrooge! The Musical.” This timeless musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” sets the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge to a music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.

Opening Nov. 19 and running weekends through Dec. 18, performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with two 3 p.m. matinees on Sunday, Nov. 27 and Dec. 18 at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse.

“Scrooge! The Musical” continues a 50 year tradition of community supported theatre in Cannon Beach and

tops off the theatre’s 50th anniversary season. Scrooge! The Musical is directed by Cathey Ryan and features Thomas Ryan as Ebenezer Scrooge, Bennett Hunter as Jacob Marley, Had assah Davis as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Cyndi Fisher as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Jeff (Slam) Slamal as Bob Cratchit, Marta Thysell as Mrs. Cratchit, Julien Anctil as Tiny Tim, Chelsea Mun guia Oros as Kathy Cratchit/ Jen, Bryan Lelek as Tom Jenkins, David Sweeney as Mr. Fezziwig/Topper, Heidi Hoffman as Mrs. Fezziwig, Carson Shulte as Harry/ Young Ebinezer, Toddy Adams as Isabel/Helen. The

ensemble includes Diane Higgins, Logan Rainey, Tita Montero, Carolyn Anderson, Su Coddington, Damian Davis, Jessica Rainey, Judith Light, Betsy McMahon, Brian McMahon, Sedona Torres, Kristina Woida.

The production crew in cludes Jeff Swanson (Musical Director), Patrick Lathrop (Choreographer), Cindy Karr (Stage Manager), Judith Light (Costumer), Mick Alderman (Set Builder & Lighting Designer) and Juan Lira (Set Painter).

Tickets are $30 or $25; they can be purchased at the theatre box office (503-4361242) or online at coaster theatre.com. The box office

P.E.O. Holiday Sale has moved

The P.E.O. Holiday Treasures Gift Sale has moved to the Necanicum Room of the Convention Center for your shopping convenience in selecting must have gift items and treats for the holidays. This free, one day event is Thursday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Credit Cards are encouraged. Checks and cash will be gladly be accepted - exact amount is

greatly appreciated. Returning shoppers know they need to come early to get the best selec tion among unique items for every age group. This new location allows for a bright and cheery shopping experience and has in spired the addition of new, high quality crafts pro viding shoppers with the novelty they are seeking! In addition to our

well-loved homemade Sweet and Savory Bakery delights, we have theme tables for: Christmas, Children, Beach, Hostess, Woodsy, Garden/Floral and “A Second Time Around”. Please come to explore these and other available treasures.

Sales proceeds benefit PEO Chapter FB, Cannon Beach.

is open 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 12:30 p.m. to curtain on per formance days.

At this time, everyone must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter the Coaster Theatre on performance day. Face masks are optional but encouraged. The Coaster Theatre recom mends visiting coastertheatre. com or contacting the box of fice closer to the performance for possible changes to the theatre’s COVID policy.

Upcoming shows and events at the theatre Lauren Kinhan | Love Letter and Ornaments in Blue, Fri. Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving

feast hosted by Cannon Beach Community Church

Let us break bread and give thanks together, Thursday November 24, from 3-5 p.m. at Cannon Beach Community Church.

We are providing a Thanks giving meal for anyone who would enjoy a place to share a meal with others.

The meal will be served buffet style on china with candles and flowers with the

hopes to delight those who join us.

For more details you can email Jon Way at jway@att. net or call/text Jon at 831234-5431.

If possible, contact Jon with the number of people who will be in your party.

Cannon Beach Community Church is located at 132 E. Washington, Cannon Beach

Local mother and son to perform with Portland Ballet

Legolas and his mother, Margaret Hammitt-McDon ald, who will also be in the show as a Ukrainian Mother, regularly commute to Port land to train and rehearse.

The magic begins when two children are left behind in a toyshop, and the Blue Fairy brings to life a parade of dancing dolls to entertain the guests. Choreographed spe

cifically for the world-class academy by John Clifford, Toyshop showcases various skill levels and international dance styles. Pinocchio, playing cards and poodles are all part of the fast-paced fun. Since its premiere in 2003, Toyshop has become TPB’s signature showpiece.

Four concerts will be per formed Thanksgiving week end at Lincoln Performance Hall, 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 26-27.

Tickets start at $10. More in formation at theportlandballet. org or 503-452-8448 ext. 106.

Sunset Empire Park & Recreation District Thanksgiving Day events

This is a fun 5K run/ walk held on Thanksgiving morning. We’ll start the race at 9am from the Sunset Recreation Center at 1120 Broadway and follow a route through downtown Seaside to complete the 5K.

Check-in begins at 8am at the south entrance of the building, and patrons are encouraged to pre-regis ter. Admission is $35 and includes a t-shirt. Please call us at 503-738-3311 to reserve your spot or register at sunse tempire.com.

After the Turkey Trot, join us from noon to 2pm for a free Thanksgiving meal with dine in and to go options at the Bob Chisholm Commu nity Center. Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Center is partnering with SEPRD to provide meals for our com munity. Registration is not required for this first come, first served meal.

Thank you to our sponsors of the Turkey Trot: Toyota and Runkle Consulting Group. If you’d like to serve as a sponsor or volunteer for these events, please email Melissa Ousley at mousley@ sunsetempire.com.

A student from Cannon Beach will be performing in The Portland Ballet’s

production of The Enchanted Toyshop on Thanksgiving weekend.

Legolas McDonald Goldstein, a 5th-grader at Fire Mountain School, will be performing as a Pierrot French Clown. He has danced for five years.

Elk feeding tours resume at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area this winter

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area near Seaside is offering the popular winter elk feeding tours after a two-year pause.

The wildlife area pro vides supplemental feed to Roosevelt elk each winter to enhance public viewing opportunities and reduce conflicts on adjacent private lands.

Tours will be offered from December through February. Tour participants ride on a feed wagon to several sites and help feed Roosevelt elk on the wildlife area. Tours generally start at 9 a.m. and

last for approximately one hour. The open-air wagon can accommodate up to 15 people. Participants need to be pre pared for any type of weather. Warm clothing and rain gear are recommended.

Due to the popularity of this program, reservations are required. Jewell Meadows staff will begin taking reser vations on Dec. 1 at 8 a.m. To make a reservation, call the wildlife area at 503-755-2264. Please be patient as there is only one phone line. Callers may experience busy signals but keep dialing until you get through.

Jewell Meadows Wild life Area provides excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing outside of the tours. Elk can be seen from the viewing areas along Hwy 202 most days during the winter months. Best viewing times are in the mornings until about noon and again in the late afternoon and evening hours.

For more information, call Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area at (503) 755-2264 or see the Visitor Guide at https:// myodfw.com/jewell-mead ows-wildlife-area-visi tors-guide.

Eliza; The First Pioneers now available in Cannon Beach

In 1836, Eliza Hart Spal ding, and Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, were the first two women to make the death defying, and perilous journey from New York to Vancouver Washington.

In 1847, ten-year-old Eliza Spalding Warren became the unwitting heroine of the infa mous Whitman Massacre.

Tom Jiroudek, husband, father, musician, singer/song writer, photographer, business owner, and now author, lives on the upper-left edge of the Oregon Coast. This is a his torical and biographical novel of my wife’s ancestors, seven long years from beginning to publishing.

Bringing the alchemy of vivid writing and rich detail into play, Jiroudek shapes history into something akin to poetry. At the finish of this engrossing family memoir the reader will come away with a greatly enhanced understand ing of the pioneers’ struggle for fulfillment through the precarious pursuit of place.

-Lawrence E. Houseman, Professor Emeritus of Amer ican Literature, Author of Desire and Disillusionment: American Fiction since 1890.

Written in five parts, Eliza

covers the Spalding’s journey from coast to coast, estab

lishing their mission, their relation with the Nez Perce, the Whitman Massacre of 1847, and in the epilogue, we find out what became of the survivors. Eliza focuses on the important roles that women played in establishing the Northwest, a story seldom told, and credit rarely given.

Available on Amazon, the Bald Eagle Coffee House in Cannon Beach, or the Cannon Beach Book Company.

Contact Tom Jiroudek at, tomjiroudek@gmail.com

audit process we will address changes in our ordinances that relate to home size, ADUs, work force housing,” knop said in an earlier Ga zette story. “I see ADU’s as potentially helping with pro viding work force housing.”

Development of wetlands has become a hot topic for the council and planning department in recent years.

“I feel wetlands should be protected to the fullest extent possible,” Knop has said. “I would favor stronger restrictions.”

Knop hopes her leadership will bring the town together, to solve issues facing all of Cannon Beach.

“Finally, as mayor of Cannon Beach it is my hope that I can help restore a sense of civility among our residents,” she said. “I think that we have an amazing city staff that works hard to make Cannon Beach great and that residents need to respect and honor the city staff com mitment to making Cannon Beach the treasure that this community has the privilege to be a part of.”

Kerr supports the code audit as an important issue facing the council moving forward.

“The Code Audit is one of the most important tasks fac ing our city government,” she said.”As an 8-year member of the Planning Commission, I was able to participate in several preliminary meetings,

our ordinances no longer reflect the issues we face as a community, and we need to make the necessary changes to meet our growing needs.

Kerr was also an advocate for the food tax that went into effect in July in Cannon Beach.

“I am very much in favor of the food tax and partici pated in the campaign to get it passed.” she said. “It ap pears to be a success, visitors and residents alike are glad to pay a few dollars to help support our fire and rescue services-especially given that over 70 percent of the calls have been visitor generated.

It is also important that our city employees are afforded a safe and healthy workplace.”

Hayes ran for council on the platform of working on housing issues, business support and protection of wetlands.

“I would address over crowding and parking issues that result in diminishing returns for businesses,” Hayes said. “As part of an overall solution to our sea sonal parking issues, I would support seasonal time-limited downtown street parking so that parking would be used by patrons of local businesses rather than those who park all day and only spend their time on the beach.”

Hayes sees the code audit the city is currently conduct ing as a means to address some to the affordable hous ing issues.

“ADUs, affordable hous ing, multifamily housing – With the code audit in process, I will be a strong

voice for incentivizing ADUs and multi-family housing toward the goal of increasing the number of long-term rentals and housing diversity our Comprehensive Plan out lines,” Hayes has said. “I will support and facilitate partner ships with local businesses and adjoining communities to address workforce housing.”

Hayes is clear where he stands on protection of wetlands, an issue facing the council recently.

“I have been an advocate for wetlands preservation for over 30 years.” he said. “We likely need to consider greater restrictions as we pro ceed with the code audit.”

As of press time, Demo cratic Governor candidate Tina Kotek enjoyed a slim lead over Republican chal lenger Kristine Drazan.

In the State Senate 16th District race Suzanne Weber held a small lead over Me lissa Busch. That race is too close to call as more votes come in.

Cyrus B. Javadi a repub lican dentist from Tillamook held a slight lead over Logan C. Laity in the State Repre sentative 32nd district race, but that decision is also too close to call as of Wednesday morning.

Visit the Cannon Beach website at cannonbeach gazette.com for updated election results as more votes are counted and races are called. To see Clatsop County results got to: https://results. oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW. aspx?type=CTYALL&ct y=36&map=CTY

City and Chamber partnership in destination management

This is Part Four of the Chamber Connections series provided by the Cannon Beach Chamber of Com merce. To read past submis sions, visit cannonbeachga zette.com.

The City of Cannon Beach and the Cannon Beach Chamber of Com merce have a long-standing relationship. The Chamber provides tourism promotion and an information center services for the City. And the City provides financial

support to the Chamber for destination management.

In 2015, the City of Cannon Beach increased its transient room tax (TRT)

by one percent and desig nated that 70 percent of that increased TRT must be used

ACCOUNTING/PAYROLL SPECIALIST

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Monthly Range $3,707 to $5,566

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ACCOUNTANT

FT w/benefits

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SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT SUPERVISOR

FT w/benefits

Monthly Range $4,118 to $6,173 Plus Sign-On Bonus Open Until Filled

SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST

FT w/benefits

Hourly Range $17.42 to $26.08

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CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT/RECOVERY MENTOR

FT w/benefits

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REGISTERED NURSE (RN)

24 Hours Weekly w/benefits

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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,

spelling, punctuation or clarity. We do not publish group emails, open letters, form letters, third-party letters, letters attacking private individuals or businesses, or letters containing advertising.

Deadline for letters is noon Thursdays.

The date of publication will depend on space.

Email letters to jwarren@countrymedia.net

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

for “tourism promotion” or “tourist-related facilities.”

Therefore, the City transfers 70 percent of the one percent of the revenue from the 2015 increase to the Chamber to be used to promote travel to Cannon Beach from Oct. 1-May 31. The 30 percent that remains goes to the City of Cannon Beach.

“The intent is that we’re going to be good partners on this contract and between the community as a whole,” Can non Beach Chamber of Com merce Executive Director James Paino said. “In 2015, the Chamber director at the time, talked to the hoteliers as there wasn’t a marketing effort to promote our city at all. The hotels asked for the additional one percent tax and the City Council agreed for the 70 percent of the new tax to go to marketing efforts. We’re here to better our com munity as the City of Cannon Beach is; it just feels like a natural partnership to me.”

The partnership allows both bodies to focus on serving the many differ ent components that make Cannon Beach’s government, businesses, and tourism desti nations thrive.

“We represent two some what separate parts of the community, and working to gether to strike the balance of our residents and businesses is important,” Cannon Beach City Manager Bruce St. De nis said. “While the business community is import to the City, I don’t think it’s an

appropriate part of the City to promote on the City side. The interests of the business community is better served by an entity that serves the businesses.”

Prior to the agreement, money to support the Cham ber’s Visitor Center opera tions were coming from the City’s general fund. Using the TLT monies has saved the City $160,000 each year since 2018.

“The funds support the operation of the information center and marketing efforts,” Paino said. “That includes the staff and operations that are necessary to make it happen. A small percentage of the funds we get, when we do market, goes towards marketing services like cam paign, graphic design, video production, staff training, and magazine production.”

Part of the scope of work provided by the Chamber to the City is to implement a tourism promotions program designed to promote Cannon Beach during the off-season (October through May).

“It’s not to bring more people here, but to bring peo ple here who will love Can non Beach the same way that we do,” Paino said. “The fact is we spend very little money to bring more people to town, but an effort to control the messages we’re sending from our community.”

Managing the marketing message helps to establish expectations for visitors.

“Without that, people are saying whatever they want. We’re setting expectations such as clean beaches and those who visit us to also keep our beaches clean,” Paino said. “We want visitors

to match our community’s character.”

Additional work provided by the Chamber to the City includes promoting special events sponsored commu nity groups such as Friends of Haystack Rock and the Cannon Beach Library. The Chamber also works to maintain and maximize partnerships with regional partners including the North Coast Food Trail, North Coast Tourism Management Network, North Coast Part nership, and the North Coast Beer Trail.

“We have a partnership with the city, the hotels, other destination management organizations, and local businesses to communicate to everyone about why our community is so special,” Paino said.

The Chamber provides quarterly statistical informa tion related to visitors and tourists to the City in regards but not limited to the number of visitors, requests for infor mation, and telephone calls.

“They do a really good job,” Denis said. “They’re reporting four times a year to the City Council so that gives the City control of what’s happening but, I can’t think of an instance where [the City Council] said they can’t do something. But it keeps them up to speed with the plans of the Chamber.”

The Channon Beach Chamber of Commerce is located at 207 N Spruce. The Visitor Center Lobby is open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information about the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, visit cannonbeach.org.