Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
VOL. 45, ISSUE 25 FREE
CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM
December 24, 2021
Prepared Food Tax Election contested in Circuit Court Kathleen Stinson
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For The Gazette
complaint was filed on December 15 in the Circuit Court of Oregon in Clatsop County contesting the Cannon Beach prepared food tax vote. The tax passed narrowly by a 380-374 vote in the November 2 election. Megan Miller and Josh Tuckman filed the complaint contending the election results are invalid. The plaintiffs are asking the court to order a new election. Miller spoke to The Gazette on Tuesday and said: “The biggest thing is we are filing on behalf of the restauranteurs and business owners affected by the prepared food tax. A lot of it is in part due to the hardships and financial insecurities that we’ve already endured and are continuing to endure due to COVID.” “So one of the biggest points,” she said, “is the integrity of the election process. We are disappointed by the results but that’s not our main concern in the filing. There were too many issues basically with how this election was handled, including the collection of ballots and the opening of the ballot box in Cannon Beach, for us to not pursue legal action.”
Miller and co-plaintiff, Josh Tuckman, own Castaways Restaurant in Cannon Beach. Tom Perrick, government affairs manager for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, said additional plaintiffs may join because “there’s a lot of interest” by the restaurant community in this issue in Cannon Beach. “Restaurants right now are struggling with staffing issues,” Perrick said. The revenues from the 5 percent tax on prepared food are to be divided by the city and the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection district, according to the ballot. The named defendant in the matter is “Tracie Krevanko, in her official capacity as county clerk for Clatsop County and the Clatsop County Elections Division,” as stated in the complaint. The plaintiffs allege the election is invalid, as stated in the complaint, for the following reasons: “(1) deliberate and material violations of election law in connection with the approval of Measure 4-210; (2) mistake or fraud in the canvass of votes; (3) fraud in the count of votes,”
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Two recent pet, owner, elk encounters have experts saying, be aware of your surroundings Kathleen Stinson
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For The Gazette
eeing wildlife such as elk in Cannon Beach is something both residents and visitors enjoy. But sometimes encounters can become a problem for people, their pets and the wildlife. At about 8 pm December 11, the police received a call that a woman had been walking her dog in the vicinity of Les Shirley Park when, she said, an elk charged at her and her dog, according to the police department. Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn said: “On December 11, 2021 at approximately 8 pm, Cannon Beach Officers responded to a report of an alleged Elk attack that had occurred at/or near Les Shirley park in the North End of Cannon Beach. Officers later determined that a 42 year old female had been walking her dog in the area and some This Bull Elk relaxes in the rain near the entrance to Cannon Beach earlier this month. Photo by Elk had charged at her and her dog. It was reported that Joe Warren both the female and the dog around 5:57 pm officers responded chief said. elk see dogs as ‘wolves’ and therehas suffered injuries. The report to the City Park located at 2nd and The Oregon State Police Fish fore a potential threat to the herd will be forwarded to Oregon State Spruce for a dog that was off leash and Game Division and Oregon and will take appropriate action Police Fish and Game division.” and had been trampled by an elk” Department of Fish and Wildlife “On December 4, 2021 at n See ELK, Page 6 and sustained minor injuries, the told the Cannon Beach police “that
King Tides arrive for New Year’s Day For the Gazette
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he North Oregon Coast is preparing for the third in this winter’s series of king tides, beginning on New Year’s Day and continuing through Jan. 3, 2022. King tides are exceptionally high tides that occur each winter. On the North Coast, king tides can lead to coastal flooding as well as impacts to the natural and human-built environment. King tides provide valuable insight into future sea level rise due to climate change. While celebrating the New Year’s holiday on the North Coast, please pay close attention to tide sched-
ules, stay off the beach at high tide, and avoid driving through high water. For your safety, consider a First Day Hike or other alternative to a polar plunge. While enjoying coastal views, stay out of the surf, stay off drift logs, and stay away from jetties. For more information about citizen science efforts to document king tides, visit the Oregon King Tides Project. For photos of king tides in Oregon, visit Oregon King Tides on Flickr. To learn more about king tides, view resources from NOAA and the EPA. For First Day Hikes free parking information, visit Oregon State Parks.
Community Development Director to report on affordable housing options Kathleen Stinson
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For The Gazette
he city of Cannon Beach is not the only place where local businesses are struggling to stay open for lack of affordable housing for its workers. The Gazette contacted a mountain ski town that declared a housing emergency last summer, the result of which is making inroads in this not unique problem. The city of Cannon Beach has set aside $259, 015 in its affordable housing fund, according to its Fourth Quarter Financial Report. The city’s community development director Jeff Adams said the city has been collecting $60,000 a year since 2018 to do something about affordable housing. Adams said the council asked him to present a report on affordable housing options for them to consider at their February work session meeting. “The council wants to look at what are the different opportunities for affordable housing in Cannon Beach,” he said. They want to know what different programs are available to address affordable housing. Crested Butte, Colorado has seen a lot of restaurants cut back and close two days a week, due to this affordable housing situation. “Crested Butte, Colorado is not unique to the mountain ski towns where the cost of living has increased to the point where it is harder and harder for our local employees to afford to live here,” said Mel Yemma, city planner. Last summer, the city declared a housing emergency and the council looked at “every possible solution to address our housing crisis,” Yemma said. As a result, the city instituted a one-year moratorium on issuing new short-term rental licenses. “If a house sells, that license is not transferable,” she said. “We expect to lose some licenses with the sale of property and go below the existing 212 licenses. A few years ago, the city had limited its short –term licenses to 30 percent of the eligible zoned districts in Crested Butte. The maximum at that time was limited to 212. “We have been losing some licenses—about 10 or so with the moratorium,” she said. After the oneyear moratorium lapses, the city will update its regulations on short-term rentals with a “fresh look at what we’ve learned or our current housing situation.” Town Manager Dara MacDonald also talked with The Gazette on Tuesday. MacDonald said at the time when the city created the 30 percent restriction, it instituted an additional 5 percent tax on short-term rentals. This November the voters approved an additional 2.5 percent tax on short term rentals making it 7.5 percent. The revenues go to an affordable housing fund for the city. “When we first did this about five years ago, the property managers were very vocal against this, but they have since realized they are still making an income,” she said. At the end of the moratorium, she said she expects the people of the city to engage in a “robust conversation” and possibly “ratchet up that 30 percent even more.” The town of Crested Butte is onesquare mile and the surrounding area does not have similar restrictions on its short-term rentals, she said. The tax has not dissuaded people
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December 24, 2021
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Clatsop County reaches COVID milestone Clatsop County has reached 80% of its population 18 years and older with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The county now has the sixth-highest vaccination rate in Oregon, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Close to 9,100 county vaccinated residents have also received an extra vaccine dose. We’ve made great progress, and the Vaccine Task Force encourages community members to keep it up: • If you’re vaccinated, get a booster shot to maintain protection against the virus; • If you’re a parent, consider having your child vaccinated – currently about 1 in 5 children age 5 to 11 in the
county are vaccinated. Talk to your child’s health provider if you have questions. Vaccinated children do not have to quarantine and miss school if exposed to a positive case; • If you’re not vaccinated yet, don’t wait. BOOSTER SHOTS The Vaccine Task Force is organizing more weekly events offering Pfizer and Moderna booster doses beginning in January. More information will be shared shortly. The following clinic offering booster shots of Moderna is scheduled: Dec. 22—Clatsop County Fairgrounds, 92937 Walluski Loop
When signing up for a booster dose, please note the eligibility date is based on a completed two-dose series for Pfizer and Moderna and a single dose of Johnson and Johnson. Eligibility dates are posted on the Sign-Up page. Booster shots are also available from many local providers; contact your local pharmacy or healthcare provider, or call the Public Information Call Center (503) 325-8500 if you have questions.
PEDIATRIC VACCINES Watch for updates on the Clatsop County website or on Public Health Facebook or Instagram sites, or call the Public Information Call Center at (503) 325-8500 for informa-
Thank you for shopping local. We wish you sweet success in 2022!
COVID TESTING Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is offered Monday through Friday at Camp Rilea, 33168 Patriot Way, Warrenton. Testing runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day. Appointments are required – call (503) 325-8500. See more details and holiday hours here. Demand for testing is increasing. As a result, priority may need to be given to individuals showing COVID-19 symptoms or close contacts of
COVID-positive cases. TESTING RESULTS – Dec. 13-17 TOTAL TESTS GIVEN: 178 TOTAL POSITIVE TESTS: 23 Vaccinated: 8 (1 partial) Unvaccinated: 15
PUBLIC INFORMATION CALL CENTER Callers to the Public Information Call Center may experience longer wait times for their calls to be answered during the holiday period. Your patience is appreciated. COVID CASES Total new local cases (Dec. 11-18) - 43 HOSPITAL DATA
Local COVID-related hospitalizations – (Dec. 10-17) (partial total) Number Admitted: 2 Number Unvaccinated: 1 Number Vaccinated: 1 OUTBREAKS Outbreaks—1 currently under monitoring What is an Outbreak? Oregon Health Authority defines an outbreak as two or more positive COVID-19 cases with a shared “epilink” – a place or person in common. In the case of an employee or resident of a congregate residential setting, or food chain or agricultural setting, the outbreak threshold is one positive case. Read more here.
Boone seeks appointment to fill Johnson’s term
Happy New Year! We’ll be closed January 3-14. Reopen Saturday January 15! Freshest Homemade: Saltwater Taffy Chocolates Caramel Corn Caramel Apples & MORE!! Wedding Treats & Gift Baskets Available! Downtown Cannon Beach
256 N. Hemlock St • 503-436-2641
www.brucescandy.com
tion on upcoming vaccination events for children ages 5 and up. Vaccines for children may also be available from local providers – check with your child’s health care provider.
I am announcing today my intention to seek the appointment to fill the open Senate District 16 seat and complete Senator Betsy Johnson’s current term. I served as State Representative in House District 32 from 2004-2019 and worked closely with Senator Johnson advancing legislation to support Oregonians in HD 32, SD 16 and throughout the state. Prior to my time as an elected state official, I served as a staff member for seven different legislators for 16 years. I can say with confidence that I am well-qualified for this position, know
the legislative process and can do the job well. While in office I was able to help pass the award-winning Oregon Resilience Plan and other legislation that now benefits
veterans, seniors, fishermen and women, children and families and many other constituencies. My work in renewable energy and prevention-oriented health care policies is timely. I live in a rural part of SD 16 and know the challenges that entails. I believe we need someone for this position who has the experience to step up and immediately address the issues of importance to our district and the state. I do not plan to run for the seat after the current term is finished in 2022 but I would be honored to be appointed to this interim position.
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December 24, 2021
At the library
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CB readers select 2022 books; Ontiveros discusses “Rough House” memoir; entries sought On Wednesday, December 15, members of Cannon Beach Reads, the reading group the Cannon Beach Library sponsors, met to discuss “Honey in the Horn” by H. L. Davis, who received the Pulitzer Prize in 1936 for his novel about homesteading life in Oregon at the beginning of the twentieth century. In addition to a lively discussion of “Honey in the Horn,” members of CB Reads decided on the books the group will read and discuss via online Zoom meetings every third Wednesday until the library can again safely accommodate large groups. Cannon Beach Reads encourages anyone interested in discussing classic fiction and nonfiction and current bestsellers to consider joining the group’s conversations. To join Cannon Beach Reads, email Joe Bernt, berntj@ohio.edu, to be placed on our email list so you can receive invitations to join the Zoom meetings. During the first Zoom meeting of the new year, Bob Lundy will lead a discussion of “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious
Character” by Richard P. Feynman, January 19, at 7 p.m. Feynman, a theoretical physicist, after completing his Ph.D. at Princeton University, worked on the Manhattan Project that developed the nuclear weapons detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final days of World War II. He was Professor of Theoretical Physics at Cornell University and then at the California Institute of Technology, where he became the Richard Chase Tolman Professor of Theoretical Physics. Feynman received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was elected in 1965 as a foreign member of the Royal Society. As members of Cannon Beach Reads will learn from his memoir, Feynman, who died in 1988, had a sense of humor. Cannon Beach Reads will discuss five other nonfiction books in 2022, including “Notes from a Small Island” by Bill Bryson, “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, “The Swerve:
How the World Became Modern” by Stephen Greenblatt, “Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World” by Joseph Bernt Tim Marshall and “Polio: An American Story” by David M. Ochinsky. Members of the reading group also plan to read and discuss six novels. These, include “A Death in the Family” by James Agee, “Ricochet River” by Robin Cody, “Chicago: A Novel” by Brian Doyle, “So Big” by Edna Ferber, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell and “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles. A reminder: Marc Ward, co-founder and executive director of Sea Turtles Forever, an environmental non-profit organization, will present a World of Haystack Rock Library Lecture on “Microplastic Recovery on the North Oregon Coast,” Wednesday, January 12, at 7 p.m. Ward has spent 20 years
managing STF in Costa Rica and Oregon. STF uses a patented beach filtration system to remove micro plastic efficiently from beach environments. His research has involved extensive work on marine turtle habitat and the effects of marine plastic on the sustainability of turtle populations. Ward’s lecture will be presented via Facebook Live @Friends of Haystack. For additional information, contact Tiffany Boothe, FOHR board member. Another reminder: The Northwest Authors Series at the Cannon Beach Library will host Oregon author Tina Ontiveros on Saturday, January15, at 2 p.m. Ontiveros will discuss “Rough House,” her award-winning memoir that tells a story of love, family, addiction and a childhood spent below the official federal poverty line while shuffling between her single mother in the Oregon desert and her logger father migrating through rural, for-
ested spaces of the Pacific Northwest. In her writings, Ontiveros explores class, generational hardship and marginalization of the poor. “Rough House” was a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller, an Indie Next Pick and a 2021 Pacific Northwest Book Award recipient. A writer and teacher, Ontiveros lives in Oregon. She is the first person in her family to have gone to college, and she did so while raising her children. After community college, she earned a bachelor of arts in literature from Marylhurst University and a master of fine arts in nonfiction writing from Goddard College. Ontiveros now teaches at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles. A final reminder: The Northwest Authors Series is sponsoring the 4th Annual Writers Read Celebration! The series committee encourages writers to submit their original literary works. All writers of any and all ages can participate. This year’s theme is “Recovery?” Writers are encouraged to use this theme however they wish to interpret it.
A panel of volunteer judges will select 10-to-12 works to be read by their authors during the celebration. The Celebration will be held via Zoom on March 5, 2022, so selected writers also will need access to Zoom. All written formats are eligible for inclusion (essay, story, poetry, prose and so forth). Entries are limited to three per author with a maximum word length of 600 words per entry. Submissions will be accepted by email (info@cannonbeachlibrary.org) or by mail (P.O. Box 486, Cannon Beach, OR 97110), though email is preferred. Submissions should be formatted in Word or PDF and include a cover letter with the writer’s name, email and telephone number. Please do not include the writer’s name or contact information on the entry document—authors are anonymous during the judging process. Deadline for submission of entries is January 24, 2022. The Cannon Beach Library will be closed December 24, December 25 and January 1 for the holidays.
Thank you for voting yes on food tax
message: Our vote is not for sale. According to State records for election finances, ORLA was busy this election cycle. Yet these special interests could not to take away our community vision. I understand the concern over the Cannon Beach ballot box and the appearance of impropriety. But note that city staff immediately reported to City, County, and State offi-
Letters to the Editor The democratic process worked Now that the restaurant sales tax has passed, what will be the aftermath in Cannon Beach? Some of the citizens can continue to be disgruntled and fight it or we can view it as an acceptable democratic choice and move forward. Cannon Beach is governed by a city council. The members are elected and serve in a voluntary capacity. They do not receive compensation
for their work, so their only motivation is to do what they think is in the best interest of Cannon Beach. One of the characteristics of government and politics is that there are very few black and white issues. Recently an issue surfaced regarding the location and condition of the city hall and police department. The city council implemented plans to replace the buildings in Cannon Beach and developed a plan to pay for the project.
The city council also was motivated to figure out a way to get the tourists to contribute to the city’s economic needs since they consume many of the services. A plan was designed to put a tax on prepared foods in the city. This plan was voted on and passed, albeit by a very small margin. So what happens now? Our restaurant owners are smart people and will soon figure out how to efficiently collect the tax and process
it. In the long run, I think the residents of Cannon Beach and the visitors will continue to use the restaurants and pay the tax and tip the employees. The visitors will continue to visit one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The city will eventually acquire a new city hall and police department and the citizens will get some financial help from the visitors to pay the tax burden. Dennis Mayer Cannon Beach
Thank you to the Cannon Beach community members who voted “Yes” to a food tax that will improve our city’s infrastructure and safety. I feel deep gratitude for our professional and volunteer first responders; now they can afford to have adequate equipment and personnel to do their jobs properly. Voters also sent a clear
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MEETINGS JANUARY 2022
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Is published monthly by the City of Cannon Beach 163 E. Gower Street • P.O. Box 368 • Cannon Beach, OR 97110 (503) 436-1581 • Fax: (503) 436-2050 • TTY (503) 436-8097
City Council Regular Meeting
11 City Council Work Session
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING, December 7, 2021 • Held a public hearing for System Development Charge Consideration • Adopted Ordinance 21-07 for the Purpose of Purpose Vacating Portions of Pine and Alder Streets Seal Rock Beach, within the City of Cannon Beach, Clatsop County, Oregon • Council appointed Clair Landrum and reappointed Darrel Christians to the Farmer’s Market Committee • Council appointed Anna Mortiz and Mike Bates to the Planning Commission • Council appointed Macon Benoit as the Municipal Judge and approved the professional services agreement • Council approved the Memorandum of Understanding for the Ecola Creek Bank Stabilization Project • Council approved a one-time holiday of December 30th • Haystack Rock Awareness Director, Kelli Ennis, presented the End of Year Report • Finance Director, Laurie Sawrey, presented the 4th Quarter Fiscal Year End 2021 Report. CITY COUNCIL RETREAT, December 8 & 9, 2021 • Council held their annual retreat/goal setting session CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, December 14, 2021 • Community Development Director, Jeff Adams, introduced Robert St. Clair, the City’s new Planner • Council discussed the proposed System Development Charges • Council discussed the parking fine violation amount • Community Development Director, Jeff Adams, discussed the upcoming Budget Amendment • Council discussed the Short-Term Rental Task Force Vacancy Replacement and Alternates • Community Development Director, Jeff Adams, presented the proposed amendments of ZO 21-02 • Council discussed the Roberts Driveway Access Easement DESIGN REVIEW BOARD – The Design Review Board met December 16th to discuss: DRB 21-34, David Vonada application on behalf of John & Sandy Newman for addition of a permanent outdoor dining area at Newmans at 988, Postponed to January DRB 21-35, David Vonada on behalf of Mary and Randall Jenkins to construct an accessory dwelling unit in conjunction with a new single-family home, Approved PLANNING COMMISSION - The Planning Commission will be meeting on December 21st to discuss: AA 21-02, Continuation and Consideration of Haystack Rock LLC request, for an Appeal of an Administrative Decision to approve a development permit at taxlot 51031AA00600 SR 21-06, Continuation and Consideration of David Vonada request, on behalf of John Henry, of 1688 S. Hemlock, for a Setback Reduction of the rear-yard setback requirement for a deck-stairs in conjunction with an addition to an existing residence CU# 21-04, LBC Trust request, for a Conditional Use Permit for shoreline stabilization at 4664 Logan Ln.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION MAYOR: Sam Steidel COUNCILORS: Mike Benefield, Nancy McCarthy, Brandon Ogilvie and Robin Risley CITY MANAGER: Bruce St. Denis
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Of Interest… City Hall will be closed Thursday & Friday December 30th and 31st in observance of New Year’s Eve Monday January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday February 21st in observance of Presidents Day ____________________________
City Hall Operations Per Administrative Order 21-02 • All public access and participation for City Council, Commission, Board and Committee meetings will be virtual until further notice • All City operations will continue with the exception that City Hall will be closed to visitors inside the building. • All in-person transactions will take place through the walk-up window installed next to the ballot drop box. Visit the____________________________ ci.cannon-beach.or.us for full details Agenda information Want to know when an agenda is posted to the website? Sign up for the Committee Agenda Notification List You will receive an email when an agenda is posted To sign up, go to www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/newsletter/subscriptions ____________________________ Cannon Beach Community Bulletin A monthly source of City information Subscribe on our website: https://ci.cannon-beach.or.us/executive/page/community-bulletin One more way to stay in the know! ____________________________ Cannon Beach Elementary School Project Project updates are available on the City’s website at ci.cannon-beach.or.us ____________________________
Cannon Beach Transportation System Plan Check out www.cannonbeachtsp.com for details ____________________________ Public Notices Now Available on the City Website Go to www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/planning/page/public-notices to see what’s coming up! ____________________________ Want to join Coffee with a Councilor? The next session is January 24, 2022, at 10:00 am Attendance via Zoom only. Visit www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/meetings ____________________________for Zoom link
The Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) is accepting volunteers! Do you enjoy sharing your love of Haystack Rock? Do you want to gain experience in education, conservation, or environmental stewardship? HRAP is accepting volunteers. No experience necessary – we train and all ages welcome! ____________________________ Have you checked out our website lately? The City website provides updates on current topics such as: Emergency evacuation lists Go-Bag lists Training Calendar Emergency Management Operational Guidelines https://www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/emergencymgmt ____________________________
Want to be in the know? Community members, visitors and businesses can choose up to 3 ways to receive emergency notification and community information from City, County and Public Safety Officials for Clatsop County, Oregon. Sign up for CLATSOP ALERTS Receive notifications via: Home Phone, Cell Phone Voice/Text, Email Sign up online at: https://bit.ly/32aSffk Questions or other information: clastopemd@co.clatsop.or.us 503-325-8645 __________________
Code Enforcement Did you know the City has a Code Enforcement Complaint Form on their website? Go to ci.cannon-beach.or.us Click Services, Under the Police Department section click Code Enforcement Complaint. It’s as easy as that! __________________
NOTICE OF VACANCIES CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS & COMMITTEES The City of Cannon Beach is seeking applications for the following vacancies: TOURISM & ARTS COMMISSION: ONE (1) vacancy to fill four-year term immediately. DESIGN REVIEW BOARD: ONE (1) vacancy to fill four-year term beginning 1/1/22. BUDGET COMMITTEE: TWO (2) vacancies to fill three-year terms, one beginning immediately and one beginning 1/1/22. PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES: ONE (1) vacancy to fill a four-year term beginning 1/1/22 SHORT-TERM RENTAL TASK FORCE ALTERNATES Applications with questionnaires are available by email addressed to recorder@ci.cannon-beach.or.us, or on-line at www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us __________________ A FEW HOLIDAY REMINDERS FROM THE CANNON BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT • Celebrate RESPONSIBLY and please don’t drink and drive. • Lock your vehicles and keep valuables well hidden (a purse, wallet, or presents in plain sight is an easy opportunity). • Keep your doors and windows locked and leave a lamp or two on a timer while you’re away. • If you’re going to be gone for a few days, let us know so we can conduct extra patrols and keep an eye on your house. • Take a proactive approach, making sure your neighbors are doing well and have what they need to make it through the winter. • Night safety, please keep yourselves and your pets away from the Elk, dress visibly and have a flashlight when it is dark, know your surroundings. ALL FIREWORKS ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN CANNON BEACH CITY LIMITS. 9.16.030 Violation—Penalty levels In addition to other penalties provided by law, a violation of this chapter is punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars depending on the type of the firework and the fire threat in the city at the time of the violation. A. Level One Violation. Discharging or causing to be discharged any novelties or trick noisemaker, handheld sparkling device, or similar firework is punishable by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars unless enhanced. B. Level Two Violation. Discharging or causing to be discharged any ground device, audible ground device, or any similar firework is punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars unless enhanced. C. Level Three Violation. Discharging or causing to be discharged any aerial device or similar firework is punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars. D. Discharging or causing to be discharged any combination item is punishable by a fine not to exceed the maximum fine of the most severe grade of firework in the combination item, unless the fine is enhanced. E. A violation of this chapter where the size, pyrotechnic composition, or explosive composition of the firework exceeds the maximum size or amount described in the definition enhances the fine one level, not to exceed five thousand dollars. F. A violation of this chapter during fire season as declared by the Oregon Department of Forestry and/or Clatsop County Fire Defense Board, during a fire weather warning as declared by the National Weather Service, or during a high fire threat as declared by another agency with special fire authority or knowledge, enhances the fine one level, not to exceed five thousand dollars. G. A violation may be enhanced no more than two levels. H. Each firework discharge or causing to be discharged is a separate violation. (Ord. 21-06 § 1; Ord. 20-18 § 1) H64571
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n Letters Continued from Page 3 cials, opening themselves up to blame for any irregularities. And what could they have done to change the vote? Did they sift through ballots and remove some? No – City personnel know that every voter can call County Elections to check that their ballot was received. Did city staff open ballots and change votes? No – County officials would have noticed any tampered envelopes and contacted the voter. The most logical explanation is that city personnel did exactly as they claimed in trying to save ballots (either Yes or No votes) from being soaked and unreadable. It is heartbreaking to see
Cannon Beach community members feeling such animosity. I truly hope we can heal the rift, knowing that even if we disagree on this issue we are all bound together by love for our town. Mickey Moritz Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach voters said yes After a contentious and divisive election, the voters of Cannon Beach approved the passage of the Prepared Food Tax by a margin of four votes; increasing to six after a recount by Clatsop County election officials. The voters have spoken, and though the results were close and the final outcome uncertain, the number of citizens voting “Yes” were the
Opinion and Letters
majority in this election. Instead of accepting the outcome of a democratic election, it’s unfortunate that a local business owner has chosen to focus on the “City Hall Ballot Box Issue” in an attempt to discredit this election and potentially nullify the will of the voters. Patrick Nofield of Escape Lodging was quoted in the previous issue of the Cannon Beach Gazette, stating “that the integrity of the election should be questioned” and that he believed “there should be a re-vote”. Coming in the aftermath of a very divisive election, comments like these casting doubt on the integrity and sanctity of the democratic process are not helpful. The extra funding for our Fire District and City from this tax measure will have a significant positive impact in Cannon Beach, just as it
has for many years in the tourist towns of Yachats and Ashland. The opponents of this tax measure waged a good and fair fight, but the citizens of Cannon Beach have decided this issue, and Mr. Nofield needs to accept the will of the voters with a certain degree of grace. Continuing to contest this election serves only to perpetuate the acrimony and division in our small town as we move forward into a New Year. Bob Atiyeh Cannon Beach
A Christmas Wish When you read this it will be Christmas. As a life-long native Oregonian, I’ve been coming to Cannon Beach my entire life, and I now
CannonBeachGazette.com
live here. I know we all love Cannon Beach deeply. The Prepared Food Tax election has been a stressful event for all of us. I do not understand how this election could produce such anger, resentment, mistrust, bullying, and borderline cruelty towards one another. No one really won this election. The feelings will linger and the mistrust towards the City needs to be addressed. Where does this mistrust come from and how do we heal this? We should be supporting our City Employees and Elected Officials, as they are trying to make this a better community and their decisions matter to us. Our common bonds and values outweigh the differences we have. Hopefully we can learn to support each other. Our intention was to create a safer community for residents, visitors, City em-
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Cannon Beach Gazette
ployees, and our Police and Fire Departments. This will create a better community for all of us going forward into the future. My Christmas wish is for healing to awaken in all of us. May we return to kindness and forgiveness for each other. It is our community; our town where we all live together. May we manifest the beauty that surrounds us in Nature, as Cannon Beach is a sacred place. May we focus on the greater good and the heart of this community, as life is too short to live any other way. Maybe I am naive, but I choose to hope. May kindness be the winner of this election. Happy Holidays to everyone in Cannon Beach! Deb Atiyeh Cannon Beach
Guest Column
Experts say don’t build the new City Hall in a tsunami zone Prior to 2019, for twenty-five years, the State of Oregon prohibited the construction of essential facilities such as police and fire stations, schools, medical facilities and jails within the tsunami zones. This came after the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia and Japan, and detailed studies done in Oregon, including a pioneering effort in Cannon Beach that demonstrated the number and range of tsunamis on the Oregon Coast. Over the objection of emergency preparedness professionals, committees and scientists, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 3309 in 2019. This allows essential facilities to be built in the tsunami zone without restrictions. The Cannon Beach City Council has apparently decided to build the new $20 million city hall at the present location on Gower Street-
one of the most vulnerable locations in the City. Gower Street’s low elevation invites the full impact of a tsunami to rush eastward crushing everything in its way. It is also on liquifiable soil which amplifies the damage to buildings from earthquakes.
There is no way to protect the police station or emergency operations center (EOC) from the force of this wave at Gower Street. Scientists have determined that 19 out of the last 19 tsunamis generated by magnitude 9 earthquakes over the last 10,000 years have washed over this area with waves of 20 feet or more. That is 100% probability. By comparison, the Elk Land Drive site has been inundated 5 times in the last 10,000 years. It’s only a little bit higher, but it is far less likely to be inundated. One idea is to put the police and EOC facilities at the Southwind site, and a smaller administrative office at Elk Land Drive The separation of administrative and police and fire facilities in different but safer locations is a smart, prudent, and resilient strategy. It puts eggs in different baskets, and creates official communi-
cation and leadership nodes at the midpoint and south ends of the city. If the food tax survives court challenge, the City Council may feel that they have a mandate to build a new City Hall at Gower Street. We invite the Cannon Beach City Council to rethink its decision to build a new city hall in such a vulnerable location just because they can. Cannon Beach has a reputation of taking Cascadia seriously. Rebuilding city hall at its present location would be a regressive step in a progressive community. Mike Morgan, Mayor of Cannon Beach, 2009-2015 Pat Corcoran, retired OSU Coastal Hazards Educator Rainmar Bartl, former City Planner, City of Cannon Beach Tom Horning, Engineering Geologist
Cannon Beach Gazette
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December 24, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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December 24, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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Cannon Beach Gazette
Real estate professional Norma Mace joins her sister, Andrea Mace, at Realty One Group Prestige in Cannon Beach, Oregon For the Gazette Realty One Group Prestige in Cannon Beach now has its own Sister Act with Norma Mace joining her sister, Andrea Mace, as a newly licensed real estate professional in the state of Oregon. Norma Mace returned to the North Coast in 2018 to raise her son in the same small town environment that she enjoyed as a child growing up on the beach. Currently, Norma resides in Manzanita and is working with her sister, Andrea Mace, as the newest addition to the Realty One Group Prestige team. Andrea Mace joined Realty One Group Prestige, Cannon Beach, in the fall of 2020. “The actual office is just a really lovely space, it is a great place to meet clients,” Mace commented. Located right above the Wine Shack at 124 N. Hemlock Street in Suite 200, the office has become a part of Cannon Beach’s
n Options Continued from Page 1 from renting in Crested Butte, she added. In 2018, Cannon Beach waived nearly $20,000 in building permit fees for an apartment project for workforce housing called Sea Lark Apartments, Adams said. “The agreement was for ten
n Elk Continued from Page 1 to protect themselves or the herd,” the chief said. “We are encouraging people to use caution when walking at night, use a flashlight and wear reflective clothing to make yourself seen, also to be aware of your surroundings,” he said. Retired veterinarian and coordinator of the Disaster
vibrant downtown. “I love the beach, and have been very lucky to have spent most of my life living at the beach,” Andrea explained. “Real estate has been an amazing career path for myself and I am delighted to have my talented sister as my newest colleague.” Andrea Mace has had a record breaking year with over $15 million in real estate sales and so the timing is perfect to bring another agent in on her business. “Norma and I are currently working on our first co-listing and I am confident that more exciting ventures will be quick to unfold in 2022.” A longtime resident of Cannon Beach, Andrea Mace was the Executive Director of the Cannon Beach Arts Association before getting her real estate license in 2015. Norma Mace pursued a career in dance after graduating from Seaside High School and university. Norma also continues to be a successful choreographer whose students have
excelled in the competitive arena of dance. “It has really felt like coming home to the North Coast after being gone for so many years. My son is a real beach kid and I love that!” Norma said. “Real estate is an exciting new venture and I am thrilled to have joined Realty One Group Prestige as I am surrounded by top producing agents who really care about their clients, including my sister,” Norma added in closing. “It is a fabulous way to start the New Year.” For more information about Realty One Group Prestige in Cannon Beach, or about the real estate market on the North Coast in general you can connect with Andrea Mace at 503-440-4024 (https://andreamace.myrealtyonegroup.com) or Norma Mace at 503-960-9149 (https://normamace.myrealtyonegroup.com).
Norma and Andrea Mace. Courtesy photo
years, locking the rental fees to those provided by HUD for Clatsop County’s Area Median Income rates.” The city and the developer Coastal Properties LLC signed a development agreement in 2018, according to the agreement. “This was a privately financed project with a Development Agreement with the City to provide affordable housing units for their employees,” Adams said. Animal Response Team (DART) Bob Kroll spoke to The Gazette on Monday. Elk are wild animals that cannot be relocated or “redirected to not do what is their instinctive behavior, so the best thing we can do is educate the public and help them gain some understanding and wisdom about the normal instinctive behavior of wild animals such as the elk,” Kroll said. If dogs are “under suitable voice control,” that is considered to be the legal
equivalent of having them on a leash, he said. “Most animals can forget their training when encountering wild animals such as an elk or a deer and then the dog’s instinctive chase behavior may kick in.” Keep your dog on a leash if elk are going to be in the area, he said. “Also, elk seem to be kind of a tourist attraction,” he said. “It’s very common when elk are adjacent to or near a highway for people to get out of their cars” and take
photos. They get “far too close” to the elk. “Elk are fairly docile most of the time and ignore people but (sometimes) people are not interacting with the elk from the distance they should,” he said. “If elk are present, put the dog on a leash. We believe the elk see dogs as a predator like a wolf.” “We’re hoping articles and other public education campaigns in the community will help educate people to understand that elk are wild
animals,” he said. Cannon Beach resident Greg Swedenborg said these types of encounters with wildlife happen a few times a year. “I witness people approach the elk herd with dogs on leashes (or not) and they think it is cute to get close. That is when things go bad,” Swedenborg said. “Just like you see the videos of people at Yellowstone or wherever having no disregard for wild animals.” He said approaching an
elk is a “hazard and there are warnings all over town” but, the desire to “get a picture and post it on social media… has caused folks to get too close and make poor choices.” “Even when trying to give them a wide berth they can come out of someone’s yard or just off the beach and catch you by surprise so you need to be aware of your surroundings and keep a good distance from them, especially if you are with a dog,” he said.
Protege a quienes nos protegen. Vacúnate.
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Tras dos años de pandemia de COVID-19, es importante seguir repitiéndolo: gracias a los miles de trabajadores de la salud que arriesgan su vida para mantenernos a salvo. Vacunarte es la mejor forma que tienes de cuidarlos y de demostrar gratitud. Protégete a ti, a tus seres queridos y a todos los trabajadores de la salud. Vacúnate hoy mismo.
Cannon Beach Gazette
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December 24, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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Tenants waiting for state aid with past-due rent will remain safe from eviction until Sept. 30 JULIA SHUMWAY Oregon Capital Chronicle State Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, encourages her colleagues to vote for a bill to extend Oregon’s safe harbor protections from eviction during a special legislative session on Dec. 13, 2021. (Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Thousands of Oregon renters who faced the threat of receiving an eviction notice for Christmas are safe after the Legislature voted Monday to extend a safe harbor period and allocate another $215 million toward stopping evictions. Along with providing more money, the chairs of the House and Senate housing committees sent Secretary of State Shemia Fagan a letter Monday requesting her office’s Audits Division investigate the state agency responsible for handling the state’s rent assistance program. Lawmakers assumed in the spring that a 60-day respite from eviction proceedings would provide enough time for tenants and their landlords to receive the aid they requested. Instead, lawmakers returned to Salem on Monday with about 8,000 Oregon households in danger of eviction because the state hasn’t yet processed their applications. Legislators provided a bipartisan rescue, adding more money to the state’s rental assistance fund and barring evictions again for those waiting for that state help. “We are here in the special session today because we think that no one should lose their homes while they’re waiting for rental assistance and help is on the way,” said state Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, and the chair of the House’s housing committee. During the special session Monday, the Legislature also approved about $200 million in additional funding for drought relief, refugee resettlement and money to help county sheriffs in southern Oregon combat illegal marijuana farms owned by cartels. Housing aid For tenants at risk of being evicted, the crux of the Legislature’s action Monday was extending the safe harbor period from 60 days – 90 in Multnomah County and parts of Washington County – to as long as it takes to process applications to the state for help. Tenants could apply for assistance until next June 30, but all protections against eviction would end Sept. 30. The Legislature approved $215 million to prevent evictions, including $100 million in direct assistance to landlords and tenants and $100 million to local eviction prevention programs. This kickstarts a transition back to dealing with housing instability as a standing problem, rather than a short-term emergency caused by Covid. Lawmakers also gave the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, the agency managing eviction relief, $5 million to beef up staffing and get money out the door more quickly. And they added $10 million to a fund meant to reimburse landlords for lost rent while their tenants are protected against eviction. Applications for the most recent round of relief closed Dec. 1. Margaret Salazar, Housing and Community Services Department director, said she anticipated reopening the applications, with slight tweaks to make it easier, in about a month. State Sen. Tim Knopp, RBend and the Senate minority leader, was one of a few Republicans who voted for the safe harbor bill. He said he shared colleagues’ concern that a lack of housing supply isOregon’s overarching problem. But Knopp said the relief act was a way to reimburse landlords and then return by June 30 to a status quo in which tenants must pay rent or risk eviction. “We have a problem,” Knopp said. “We do have the possibility of people being evicted. We have landlords who need to be made whole.” Accountability As the Legislature pre-
pared to give more money to the Housing and Community Services Department, some legislators questioned whether the department was suited to handle the rental program. Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, said he was surprised to hear Salazar brag Saturday about the program’s success during a legislative hearing “I’ve heard it called a lot of things, but I’ve never heard it called successful until Saturday,” he said. The program was among the fastest in the country at disbursing federal rental assistance funds. Oregon stands to receive even more federal money next spring, after the U.S. Treasury claws back funds from states that didn’t spend their share and reallocates the money to states that have spent more. But despite the department’s overall speed in allocating money, thousands of Oregonians who need aid have been waiting months to receive it. At least 8,000 households that applied for rental assistance months ago are at risk of eviction because their applications weren’t processed before their protection against being forced out expired. These families don’t care if somebody’s head rolls. They’re still going to be homeless. – Rep. Mark Meek, DGladstone Salazar told lawmakers her agency was working on getting money out faster. “We have been laserfocused on application processing,” she said. “We have doubled the amount of dollars out the door since we were before a legislative committee two months ago.” Republican lawmakers, and Rep. Brad Witt, DClatskanie, questioned why Salazar still had her job. Rep. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, said she could have been convinced to vote for the relief if Gov. Kate Brown fired Salazar. She compared the circumstance to Brown’s decision to fire the head of the Oregon Employment Department in May 2020 after that department failed in the early days of the pandemic to get unemployment checks to tens of thousands of Oregonians who lost their jobs. Instead, Weber said, Brown called lawmakers back on Monday to toss money at a problem her administration started. Lawmakers will celebrate their “historic investment” in rent assistance while people continue to struggle, she said. “It’s as if this body has either no self-awareness or no shame,” Weber said. Rep. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, said a focus on holding the department accountable won’t help Oregonians who could be evicted. “These families don’t care
if somebody’s head rolls,” he said. “They’re still going to be homeless.” The two chief architects of the rent rescue plan wrote Monday to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan about the state agency. Fahey and Sen. Kayse Jama, D-Portland, wrote that they were deeply troubled by the department’s handling of the rent assistance program, including technical difficulties with software, and communication issues. “For thousands of Oregonians across the state, they have instead received delay after delay,” they wrote. “No matter the reason, this is unacceptable for the thousands living in fear they could lose their housing despite applying to the state for help.” I’ve heard it called a lot of things, but I’ve never heard it called successful until Saturday. – Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale They requested a formal audit in the next year. Other legislators pushed to make the audit part of the legislation approved Monday, but Fahey said she and Jama were focused on the immediate assistance. Fagan spokeswoman Carla Axtman said the office will weigh Fahey’s and Jama’s request along with other audits under consideration. The office will release its plan for state audits in 2022 on Feb. 1. Other issues Less contentious were two issues Republicans pushed to include as the cost of their participation in the special
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session. The Legislature created a forgivable loan program for farmers and ranchers affected by the drought with $40 million, as well as $20 million for grants to local law enforcement agencies tackling illegal marijuana farms in southern Oregon. The drought loans are a piece of a larger drought package that will also provide $12 million for wells and irrigation in the Klamath Basin, $10 million for farmworkers who missed work because of heat or smoke, $9.7 million for drought relief for Klamath Tribes, $6 million for deeper wells and $5 million to eradicate crickets and grasshoppers. Rural lawmakers said the drought relief was a start. House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, whose family owns a Prineville ranch, said she sold many of her cows this year because she couldn’t get hay to feed them – and drought and fire will remain issues affecting the people who grow Oregon’s
food. The grants to help police illegal marijuana farms are also just a start, lawmakers said. They expect to spend time during the next legislative session in February debating policy. The Oregon Farm Bureau was quick to praise the relief package, which will involve loans to farmers and producers that will be forgiven if they can show revenues impaired by Oregon’s recent disasters. “Relief to producers impacted by this year’s natural disasters cannot come soon enough, and we look forward to working with the Oregon Department of Agriculture to get the direct assistance program up and running,” said Mary Anne Cooper of the Farm Bureau. “We particularly want to thank the governor for her diligent pursuit of this natural disaster package, and our advocates in the legislature for being such strong advocates for its passage.” The session also saw an-
other chapter in the yearlong standoff between Courtney and Sen. Dallas Heard, the Roseburg Republican who also chairs the Oregon Republican Party. Heard, a vocal opponent of Oregon’s mask mandates, grabbed headlines last December when he dramatically ripped off his mask on the Senate floor. On Monday, he didn’t bring a mask with him at all. Heard stayed outside of the Senate chamber, popping in to flash a thumbs up or thumbs down on each vote, until the Senate had wrapped up its business and was preparing to adjourn. Then, he walked in and sat at his desk on the Senate floor. Before the full Senate, Courtney asked him to put on a mask or leave, and Heard declined. Courtney’s last move before adjourning the Senate was sending the Senate sergeant-at-arms to escort Heard out, with orders not to return to the Capitol unless he wore a mask.
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Neahkahnie Meadows Katy Smith 503-309-3306 Meadow Loop, Lot 14 $480,000
Cozy & Charming! Tina Chapman 503-440-9957 579 N Beech St, Cannon Beach $1,005,000
Most Desired Neighborhood Kate Merrell & Katy Smith 171 W Taft St, Cannon Beach $1,450,000
Location, Location, Location Jenny Frank 503-440-1973 156 W Adams, Cannon Beach $685,000
Location and Views Karen Meili 503-440-5806 26 North Ave, Manzanita $661,500
Private 5 Acres Above Beach Karen Meili 503-440-5806 545 Bartel Rd, Cannon Beach $2,199,000
Friday 4-9 • Saturday 12-9 Sunday 12-9 • Monday 4-9 Baby Back Rib Night
SHASTA Shasta is ready for a forever home. And CAA is hoping you’ll join us in our 2021 Happy Tails Holiday Fundraiser, which is in full swing online until the end of the year. Log in directly at https://secure.givelively.org/ donate/clatsop-animal-assistance/happy-tailsholiday-fundraiser, from our Website www.dogsncats.org, or by phone using the QR code or texting CAANOW to 44-321. And please feel free to share and invite your friends to join in the fun. We thank all of you for your continuing support.
Massive Oceanfront Lot Oceanview Custom Craftsman! Glorious Ocean Views Michele Johnson 503-440-0921 Tina Chapman 503-440-9957 Michele Johnson 503-440-0921 N Ocean Dr, Surf Pines 136 Amber Ln, Cannon Beach 3039 Pacific St, Cannon Bch $310,000 $1,898,000 $1,100,000
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December 24, 2021
CannonBeachGazette.com
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Cannon Beach Gazette
Betsy Johnson is charting a new path for her public service
Seaside Aquarium officials said the whale washed ashore at Cannon Beach. Courtesy from Seaside Aquarium
Whale washes ashore at Cannon Beach Jeremy C. Ruark Country Media A small Humpback whale has washed ashore on the south end of Cannon Beach near Silver Point. The whale has been dead for quite some time’ according to a Facebook post from the Seaside Aquarium. Due to the whale’s condition and location it is unlikely that a necropsy (autopsy) will
n TAX Continued from Page1 As stated in the complaint: “The following are presently known concerns relating to the election results of Measure 4-210: (1) not all votes were properly counted, including as many as twenty-five (25) uncounted votes; (2) ballots from a ballot box in Seaside were improperly rejected; (3) a ballot box was improperly and prematurely opened; and (4) and in other ways to be revealed.”
be performed. An aquarium crew is expected to return to the site to take standard measurements in the next few days. Historically, Humpback whales were targeted by commercial whaling in the North Pacific. “So many were caught, that by 1966 there were as few as 1,400 Humpbacks left,” the aquarium post states. “Luckily, the instatement of the Marine Mammal Protection
Act in 1972, coupled with the International Whaling Commission’s 1982 ban on commercial whaling , allowed these majestic creatures to make an impressive comeback.” The organization, Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks, (SPLASH), estimates that the Humpback population has rebounded to between 18,000 and 20,000 individuals.
During the Rainier Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday, Dec. 15, Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole presented Sen. Betsy Johnson with a plaque honoring her 20 years of service to the people of Rainier in the Oregon Legislature. Wednesday, Dec. 15 was Johnson’s last day in office following her resignation to focus on her run for Oregon governor. “Serving in the Senate has never been a part-time job for me but neither is running for governor. Northwest Oregon deserves a full-time senator and running for governor is a full-time job,” Johnson said in a video release announcing her resignation. Johnson, 70, announced in October that she is running for Oregon Governor, “as an independent leader unaffiliated with any party and loyal only to the people of Oregon.” Sen. Johnson served Senate District 16, which includes the cities of Clatskanie, Rainier, St. Helens, Tillamook, Astoria, and Seaside. In a letter announcing her candidacy to her district in October, Johnson outlined her path. “The decision to run independent of any party, by law, requires me to give-up my Democratic Party registration by next Spring,” she wrote in the letter. “Rest assured, my bedrock values will not change.
I was raised in a moderate Republican family and became a Democrat because the Republican Party had moved too far to the right. For twenty years, I’ve been an independent-minded, pro-choice, pro-jobs Democrat proudly serving the people of Northwest Oregon. This is who I am.” The race Several others have also announced to run as a candidate for Oregon Governor in 2022, including Democrats Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek, State Treasurer Tobias Read, former Portland
Park Bureau superintendent John Sweeney, Patrick Starnes and former journalist Nicholas Kristof. Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam, who brought an exploratory effort to St. Helens earlier this year, Baker City Mayor Kerry McQuisten, Bud Pierce, State Rep. Christine Mrazan, Medford businesswoman Jessica Gomez and Bridget Barton, a political consultant are running as Republicans. The filing deadline for the office is March 8. Under Oregon’s term limits, current Governor Kate Brown cannot seek an additional term.
Winter weather hitting Oregon Coast for the holiday weekend Tuesday, Dec. 21, marks the first day of winter, and the forecast is looking increasingly wintry for southwest Washington and northwest Oregon as we head into the Christmas weekend and next week. While the details remain uncertain, confidence is increasing that a prolonged period of below normal temperatures will begin this weekend, lasting well into the next week.
Meanwhile, occasional precipitation will continue as weather disturbances move onshore. The combination of cold temperatures and occasional precipitation raises the possibility of snow and ice for the lowlands as early as Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Latest indications suggest the air mass will turn even colder next week, with forecast models suggest-
ing a high probability of accumulating snow reaching the lowest elevations of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, including the Interstate 5 and 84 corridors. Finer details such as the timing of any snow threats, or snow accumulations from any particular system, are impossible to know at this point. The more important message at this time is that anyone with travel
plans for Christmas Eve through next week should be prepared for winter travel conditions and be prepared for delays. Even more so, routinely check the forecast for the latest changes and updates. Be sure to check weather.gov for the latest forecast information.
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