CBG16

Steidel reflects on eight years as Mayor

Bob Atiyeh For the Gazette

The Gazette sat down with Sam Steidel as he reflected on the past eight years as Mayor of Cannon Beach (Barb Knop became the new Mayor of Cannon Beach on January 3rd).

Sam Steidel moved to Cannon Beach with his family in the early 1960’s when he was four years old, and remembers the March 1964 tsunami that destroyed the bridge over Ecola Creek and closed the grade school for the remainder of the school year. Sam studied design and architecture during his years at Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Idaho in Moscow, and first met his future wife Deb in 1980 while both were involved in a Christmas production at the Coaster Theatre.

He worked with Maurie Clark and Ray Watkins to design the U.S. Post Office building and the Sandpiper courtyard and addition on Hemlock Street.

His interest in disaster preparedness came from guiding geologist Brian Atwater up Ecola Creek while Atwater was doing his groundbreaking research in the 1980’s on past subduction zone earthquakes and tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest.

After having witnessed and experienced six decades of change in Cannon Beach, Sam has a unique perspective, saying that “I’m fasci-

nated by the human experience of the evolution of this town.” Sam says that Cannon Beach citizens of the early 1960’s were wary of the new generation which included his father, Bill Steidel, who was one of the first resident artists to open a gallery (the Staircase Gallery) in Cannon Beach, and were initially suspicious of Maurie Clark when he started purchasing commercial real estate in the early 1970’s; just as folks today are skeptical of new developers in town.

Sam says that in his time as Mayor and serving on City Council, he has observed “that people distrust new projects until a decision is made,” after which criticism seems to fade.

Many of the issues facing Cannon Beach have always been complicated and interconnected, while lacking easy solutions. When asked about his main objectives when becoming Mayor eight years ago, Sam said that the renovation of the old grade school was his top priority, and he expected it to begin within a few years. Even though it’s taken much longer than anticipated, he’s happy to see the project finally taking shape.

One of his biggest regrets as Mayor was in not realizing the full potential of the Southwind property, saying that if the city had constructed basic access to the property off Highway 101 when they purchased it, along with installing the utility infrastructure, the city would have been in a

much better position to develop it.

Sam said that residents need to know that the ongoing “Code Audit” of our existing City Codes is a big deal.

“All the rules that we think we have, but don’t, regarding things such as protecting wetlands and not allowing franchises in town, will be rewritten, corrected, revised and clarified.”

Sam has some suggestions for the new City Council members and Mayor: because Oregon state law requires a public comment period, it’s important for Council members to be patient, have a sense of humor and an ability to listen and relate to people; while having a thick skin and not taking comments personally. Sam thinks many problems result from misunderstandings or from residents not feeling heard. “If someone makes the effort to speak before City Council, the issue is serious to them, and often the best thing is to listen to their concerns.”

Before his eight years as Mayor,

Sam spent eight years on the Design Review Board, followed by eight years on the Planning Commission, and seven years on the City Council. After more than three decades of public service to Cannon Beach, he says he’ll miss the social aspect of folks coming to meetings, but plans to stay involved in local issues.

He’d like to do some writing, and says he’ll stay busy maintaining and running the family art gallery (Steidel Art) on Hemlock Street, as well as helping his parents.

A passion for culinary creations: Bistro Restaurant in Cannon Beach

Atiyeh Reporter

In the fall of 2016, Jack Stevenson set off on a motorcycle trip along the Oregon coast in search of a restaurant that fit his style and vision. Growing up in Carmel, Monterrey and San Diego, he knew he wanted to be on the coast near the ocean. Upon arriving in Cannon Beach, he knew he had found the right place, saying he “loved the vibe of the town and it felt right.” He had a vision of a restaurant that was different from other restaurants in town, had the right lay-out and flow, and was small enough that he could manage it alone. He found it in the Bistro, which just happened to be for sale. Jack ended up purchasing the Bistro from the original owners a few months later and it all came together - a new life on the Oregon coast in the beautiful town of Cannon Beach. For the first time, he had his own restaurant and his vision was fulfilled as if it was meant to be.

Jack Stevenson has been working as a chef since 1991. After 14 years in the Air Force, he enrolled in culinary school to cultivate his passion for cooking. In the 1960’s he would watch the “Galloping Gourmet” with his mother; both were inspired to try new recipes and it’s where his inspiration for cooking began.

While working as the Sous Chef at the Bridges Restaurant in San Francisco in the early 90’s, Jack was the food stylist for the movie “Mrs. Doubtfire.” The film crew and cast, including Robin Williams, were always nibbling on and enjoying his cuisine, and Jack actually had the chance to perform in the movie under the watchful eye of director Chris Columbus.

After spending another 3 years at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco, Jack moved to Orlando in 1997 to develop the new position of “Special Banquets” at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. He inspired them to try new creations apart from the regular meat and

potatoes that were prevalent in banquet settings at the time, and a year later took on the role of Executive Sous Chef for the resort.

After 5 years in Orlando, he returned to San Francisco to take the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco. During his time at the Mandarin Oriental Group, Jack was the featured personality for five weeks on the Island of Bermuda, highlighting his California style menu at the famed 5-star Elbow Beach Resort.

Not long after purchasing the Bistro in the fall of 2016, some mutual friends introduced Jack to JJ. They spent time getting to know one another, and in 2018 JJ moved to Cannon Beach. JJ became the lovely and warm smiling face of kindness at the Bistro, welcoming guests from near and far.

“It is a pleasure to meet such a diversity of people that come to dine at the restaurant,” she said.

“Many return regularly with their families and it is such a pleasure to see them again.” Jack and JJ compliment each other and are the perfect balance for the Bistro.

Jack says not a single day goes by that he doesn’t feel grateful, saying that “cooking is not like a job, it is a passion.” It is a pleasure to come to work every day; to make the bread dough and create meals from scratch that people will love.

After being closed for the month of December, the Bistro opened again on New Year’s Eve.

The Bistro is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)

and

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January through June, from 5 to 6 p.m., the Bistro offers several affordable options in their bar menu. Drop by to try some special Chicken Meatballs,

an Omelette Espanol, or Korean Beef Ribs while listening to live music.

Jack’s motto is “Food Without Confusion.” Jack is always experimenting with blending flavors and textures, using local and seasonal ingredients, to create a sublime dining experience. Speaking of sublime, try their fresh handmade linguini. It’s the best ever.

New Mayor, councilors sworn in

Will Chappell Gazette Reporter

Cannon Beach’s new Mayor Barb Knop and City Councilors Gary Hayes and Lisa Kerr were sworn in on January 3, 2023, before addressing a short agenda in their first meeting. Hayes and Kerr asked fastidious questions about proposed changes to business licensing fee policy and city contracts, leading the council to postpone passage of one until edits were made to the document.

“I’d like to thank the outgoing mayor and councilors for all the work that they did,” Knop said after swearing her oath of office and assuming the mayoral seat in the council chamber.

The first order of business before the council was electing a council president, with Nancy McCarthy winning unanimous reelection to another twoyear term.

Councilors then received a report on the severe weather events during Christmas week from Emergency Manager Rick Hudson and Cannon Beach Fire District Chief Marc Reckmann.

Following the report, the council moved on to address the mechanism for adjusting the business licensing fee in Cannon Beach.

Previously, adjusting the fee required an amendment to the business license ordinance, which in turn necessitated public notice and hearings.

The council voted to remove the fee language from the ordinance before including the fee rate in a resolution, which can be amended by a simple vote of the council.

The votes did not change the fee, which is still $200 for an initial application and $75 for renewal.

Councilors then approved a $40,000 budget increase for the community development department to account for legal expenses incurred by the department.

The expenses arise from challenges to planning decisions made by property owners to Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).

Community Development Director Jeff Adams told the board that the litigation had been a growing problem for the city in recent years.

Currently, there are two cases involving the city before LUBA and another before a Clatsop County Circuit Court.

Adams said that his hope was that as the city shows resolve in fighting the claims and is successful in defending their decisions, there might be fewer challenges in the future.

New Councilmember Hayes asked if the ongoing code audit could also help to lessen ambiguities that have left the door open for those types of cases, and Adams said that it could.

After approving that budget increase the council considered another budget increase for community development, this time to pay for the final stage of the code audit.

Adams told the council that the final phase of the project would cost $85,000, with a further $45,000 in contingency funds that would need council approval for disbursement.

The ongoing code audit has already reviewed the existing code and identified areas for improvement and will now move forward on updating the code with input from the council and the public.

Cannon Beach outgoing Mayor Sam Steidel. Gazette file photo

features live music every night, with “Thistle and Rose” on Wednesday, Richard Thoma

sin, Chelsea LaFey and Dave Quinton Thursday and Sunday, and Wes Wahrmund on acoustic guitar Friday and Saturday.

Deb

Jack Stevenson and JJ at the Bistro in Cannon Beach.

Photo provided

Barb Knopp is sworn in as Mayor. Photo by Will Chappell

Lewis and Clark visited Cannon Beach area in January 1806

Sent west by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the recent Louisiana Purchase, and find a navigable water route to the Pacific, members of the Lewis and Clark expedition visited the Cannon Beach area 217 years ago on January 8th-9th, 1806.

Setting out from Missouri in May of 1804, it took the 32 members of the expedition 18 months to reach the Pacific Ocean in November 1805.

After hastily constructing Fort Clatsop (near present day Warrenton) they settled in for the wet winter.

In early January, they received word that a whale had washed up on a beach miles to the south, and they decided to try to obtain some whale blubber and oil to supplement their lean diet of wild game.

(Language, spelling and punctuation are taken directly from their journals)

William Clark - January 3, 1806: “We were visited by our near neighbour chief Como-wool and six Clapsops. They brought for sale some roots berries and 3 dogs also

a small quantity of fresh blubber. This blubber they informed us they had obtained from their neighbours the Calla-mox who inhabit the coast to the S.E.

Near one of their villages a whale had recently perished. This blubber the Indians eat and esteem it excellent food.”

Meriwether LewisJanuary 6, 1806: “Capt. Clark set out after an early breakfast with the party….. Charbono and his Indian woman (Sacagawea - their young Shoshone interpreter, who was also carrying her infant son Jean-Baptiste) were also of the party; the Indian woman was very importunate to be permitted to go, and was therefore indulged. She observed that she had traveled a long way with us to see the great waters, and that now that monstrous fish was also to be seen, she thought it very hard she could not be permitted to see either.”

William Clark - January 8, 1806: “We set out early and proceeded to the top of the mountain (Tillamook Head) From this point I beheld the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my

eyes ever surveyed. In my frount, a boundless ocean; to the N. and N.E. the coast as far as my sight could be extended. And on the other side I have a view of the coast for an emence distance to the S.E. by S. the nitches and points of high land which forms this corse for a long ways aded to the inoumerable rocks of emence rise out at a great distance from the shore and against which the seas brak with great force gives this coast a most romantic appearance. I proceeded on down a steep descent to a single house the remains of an old Kil-a-mox town in a

nitch immediately on the sea coast, at which place great no. of eregular rocks are out and the waves come in with great force.

Proceeded to the place the whale had perished, found only the skelleton of this monster on the sand between the villages of the Kil-a-mox nation; the whale was already pillaged of every valuable part by the Kilamox Inds. in the vecinity of whose village’s it lay on the strand where the waves and tide had driven up & left it. This skeleton measured 105 ft. I returned to the village of 5 cabins (site of the present

Cannon Beach grade school) on the creek which I shall call E-co-la or Whale Creek, found the natives busily engaged boiling the blubber, which they performed in a large squar wooden trought by means of hot stones.

The Kil-a-mox although they possessed large quantities of this blubber and oil were so prenurious that they disposed of it with great reluctiance and in small quantities only; insomuch that my utmost exertion aided by the party with the small stock of merchindize I had taken with me were notable to precure more blubber than about 300 lb. and a fiew gallons of oil; small as this stock is I prise it highly, and thank providence for directing the whale to us.

William Clark - January 9, 1806: “I had the blubber & oil divided among the party and set out about sunrise and returned by the same rout we had went out. Met several parties of men & women of the Chinnook and Clastsops nations, on their way to trade with the Kil-a-mox for blubber and oil. On the steep descent of the mountain I overtook five men and six

women with emence loads of the oil and blubber of the whale. One of the women in the act of getting down a steep part of the mountain her load by some means had sliped off her back. As I was in front of my party, I endeavoured to relieve this woman by takeing her load…& to my astonishment found the load as much as I could lift and must exceed 100 lbs.”

The members of the Lewis and Clark expedition left Fort Clatsop on March 27th; arriving back in St. Louis six months later in September 1806.

William Clark - September 17, 1806: (we were informed) “that we had been long since given up by the people of the U.S. generaly and almost forgotten. The president of the U. States had yet hopes of us.”

From the letter Meriwether Lewis wrote to President Thomas Jefferson from St. Louis - September 23, 1806: “In obedience to your orders we have penitrated the continent of North America to the Pacific Ocean.”

Celebrate 6 de Enero Día de los Reyes Magos

Three Wise Men Day in Mexico

January 6th, or Three Wise Men Day, also known as Epiphany, is one of the most anticipated days for children in Mexico. On the night of January 5th, all the children leave one shoe and a letter written especially for the Three Wise Men; some of them place them outside the door of their room or next to the Christmas tree for the Three Wise Men to read.

The magic begins when the children wake up on the morning of January 6th; they find their gifts and this day becomes a holiday.

The whole year, parents say that you must behave well because if you don’t, the Three Wise Men are watching you and if they are not happy with your behavior they will not bring you toys.

At the end of the day, the family

gathers to cut the Rosca de Reyes. It is a bread or bun made with a citrus sweet dough. It has a ring shape, decorated with slices of candied fruit of different colors, as well as dried fruits.

Hidden is a small baby Jesus and if you cut your slice and find this figurine, you will have to prepare a tamale dinner for everyone who participated.

The shape of the Rosca symbolizes the infinite love that exists between family and friends, as well as that of Jesus to his faithful.

6 de Enero Día de los Reyes Magos

El 6 de Enero o Día de los Reyes

Magos, algunos los colocan en la puerta de su habitación o al lado del árbol de Navidad para que los Reyes Magos lean y vean lo que piden y les dejan sus juguetes. La magia comienza cuando los niños se despiertan por la mañana del 6 de Enero y encuentran sus regalos. Este dia se convierte en una fiesta.

Todo el año los padres dicen que te debes portar bien porque si no lo haces los Reyes Magos te están vigilando y si no están contentos con tu comportamiento no te traerán juguetes.

Al final del día, la familia se reúne para cortar la Rosca de Reyes. Es un pan o bollo elaborado con masa dulce. Tiene forma de an-

illo, decorado con rodajas de fruta escarchada o confitada de diferentes colores, así como frutos secos.

Escondido hay un pequeño niño Jesús y si cortas tu rebanada y encuentras esta figurita, tendrás que preparar una cena de tamales para todos los que participaron en la cena.

La forma de la Rosca simboliza el amor infinito que existe entre familiares y amigos, así como el amor de Jesús hacia sus fieles.

Also, I will like to ask if it’s possible to post a note saying a Big Thank You to the police and fire department for their help during the icy storm day (December 22nd) My sister was stuck in the traffic that was formed by the accident on Highway 101. During the 9 hours that the highway was closed and the cars could not move because of the ice, the police department and the fire department were helping and taking risks to ensure everyone’s well-being.

City faced with two severe weather events to endure

Will Chappell Gazette Reporter

Cannon Beach faced two distinct severe weather events in the days surrounding Christmas that strained the city’s emergency management capabilities.

An ice storm that left Cannon Beach Hill impass-

able and the windstorm that knocked out scores of trees could have been worse if forecasts had been more accurate.

“It’s one of the most violent weather areas I’ve been to,” Rockaway Beach Emergency Manager Rick Hudson told the city council at their January meeting. “I like it; it’s sexy but it’s scary.”

The first act of the weather drama began unfolding on December 22, as a winter storm lashed the north coast with freezing precipitation.

At around 6:30 p.m., a tractor trailer jackknifed on Highway 101 near the interchange with Highway 26, blocking both lanes of traffic.

As first responders and

Oregon Department of Transportation officials sprang into action, ice continued to accumulate on the hill.

The accumulation prevented an ODOT sand truck from climbing the hill and stymied attempts to clear the road.

By the time crews were able to remove the semi and

reopen the road around 3:30 a.m., 56 motorists in 37 cars had been stranded on the hill.

In the second act of climactic dramatics, a major windstorm kept Cannon Beach first responders and public works personnel busy on December 26 and 27.

On the night of December 26, challenges began with a

landslide at milepost 28 on Highway 101.

Throughout the evening trees fell across numerous roads in the area, with 11 called in on December 26, and 13 called in on December 27.

The windstorm also

Traditional Plant Use Lecture slated with Doug Deur

On Saturday, January 21st at 4:00 p.m., join the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum in partnership with Lewis & Clark National Historical Park as they welcome Doug Deur for a special presentation on traditional plant use. Deur recently completed an ethnobotanical study on the North Coast and will be talking about his findings.

Doug Deur has been

gathering native plants his whole life and is the author of Pacific Northwest Foraging and many other writings that explore the traditions, values, and ecological logic of Native American plant use. Deur serves as a research professor in the Department of Anthropology at Portland State University and an adjunct professor in the University of Victoria (BC) school of

Environmental Studies.

This event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum, located at 1387 South Spruce Street, Cannon Beach, OR. Seating for this event is at a limited capacity of 50 people. This lecture starts at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, and the doors will close promptly at 4:15 p.m. Parking

for this event is extremely limited and it is encouraged to arrive early to find parking. This event is in partnership with Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.

For more information about LCNHP, visit www.nps.gov/ lewi. For more information about this event, visit www. cbhistory.org or call 503-4369301.

at Duane Johnson Real Estate have welcomed all of our clients into this community with respect, appreciation, and genuine interest in who you are.

With a collective experience of over 100 years no other firm has more experience in selling homes in Cannon Beach.

We are friendly, knowledgeable, approachable and committed to helping our clients fulfill their dreams of living at the beach.

We are thrilled to connect with you, share our passion for this place and help you find your coastal retreat.

Iolanda Ramirez For the Gazette

Marriweather Lewis and William Clark. Gazette file photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society

Magos, también conocido como Epifania, es uno de los días más esperados por los niños en México. La noche del 5 de enero todos los niños dejan un zapato y una carta escrita especialmente para los Reyes

At the Library

A new year, dinner with Justice Ginsburg & new library titles

Phyllis Bernt Library Board President

The start of a new year is a great time to look forward to what the coming year has to offer. Here is a quick reminder about upcoming library events to look forward to in January. All events are free and open to everyone.

The World of Haystack Rock Library Lecture Series will present “10th Anniversary of Oregon’s Marine Reserves: What We Have Learned” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 11. This is both an in-person and virtual event. Participants can participate in the program at the library (131 N. Hemlock in downtown Cannon Beach), or enjoy the talk virtually by accessing the Friends of Haystack Rock website at https:// friendsofhaystackrock.org.

The Cannon Beach Reads book club, which meets on the third Wednesday of each month, will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, to discuss “The Wayward Bus,” by John Steinbeck, one of the foremost American writers of the twentieth century.

Book club members are debating whether to meet at the library, with a Zoom link provided for those who would rather participate from home, or to meet totally over Zoom. A final decision will be made closer to the meeting. Contact Joe Bernt at berntj@ohio.edu for more details or to get the Zoom link. New participants are always welcome.

The library’s NW Author Speakers Series will feature Portland writer and editor Liz Prato for a talk beginning at 2 p.m, on Saturday, January 21. Prato will discuss her newest essay collection, “Kids in America: A Gen X Reckoning.” This will be a hybrid event; participants can join Prato at the library or enjoy her talk remotely through the library’s website (www. cannonbeachlibrary.org).

Submissions for the

library’s Writers Read Celebration are due Friday, January 20. This year’s topic is “Hemingway at the Beach: What Would He Say?” Writers are asked to experiment with Hemingway’s distinctive writing style while considering how or what Hemingway would say while at the beach. Entries can be serious, whimsical, tongue-in-cheek or humorous. All written formats will be considered (essay, short story, poetry, script, etc.).

Authors are limited to three entries, with a 600-word limit per entry, emailed to info@cannonbeachlibrary. org, or mailed to P.O. Box 486, Cannon Beach, OR 97110. Email submissions (Word or PDF) are preferred. A cover letter with the author’s name, email address and telephone number should accompany each entry. The entry itself should not include the author’s name or contact information, so that judging remains anonymous.

The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m on Friday, January 20; the Writers Read Celebration will take place at 7 p.m. in the library on Friday, March 10.

A new year can also be a good time to enjoy books that look back at compelling issues, momentous events or inspiring people.

“Dinners

With Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship” by Nina Totenberg, is such a book.

Since 1975, Nina Totenberg has been a legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR), where her reports are a regular feature of “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition” and “Inside Edition.” She focuses on the activities and politics of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Totenberg is the recipient of numerous awards, including seven American Bar Association awards for excellence in legal reporting. She is known for breaking major stories involving the Supreme Court, perhaps the

Phyllis Bernt

most famous being Anita Hill’s allegations against Clarence Thomas.

Despite its title, “Dinners with Ruth” is about much more than meals with the late Supreme Court Associate Justice. According to Totenberg, the book is a tribute to friendship, and she defines friendship by telling stories about her relationships with numerous journalists, judges and Washington insiders, including the other three women who helped launch NPR. Totenberg argues that friendship was especially important to the so-called “Founding Mothers of NPR ‘’ (Totenberg, Cokie Roberts, Linda Wertheimer and Susan Stamberg), who relied on one another in a male-dominated business.

Totenberg developed friendships in another male-dominated environment: the Supreme Court. In “Dinners with Ruth,” Totenberg describes her cordial relationships with Justices Lewis Powell, William Brennan and Antonin Scalia, and argues, a bit defensively, that those friendships had no impact on her ability to be an objective journalist.

But Totenberg is most defensive about her 48-year connection with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, arguing that their relationship did not constitute a conflict of interest because they had been friends long before either one of them was famous. An NPR editorial, not mentioned in the book, disagreed.

There may be some question about Totenberg’s journalistic objectivity, but

there is no question about her deep and genuine affection for Ginsburg. Totenberg paints a compelling portrait of an intelligent, witty, strong and thoughtful woman, from Ginsburg’s childhood in Brooklyn, to her years as a young mother and law student balancing the needs of a toddler and an ailing husband, to her work as a law professor arguing gender equity cases, to her years on the bench.

Most poignant is Totenberg’s description of Ginsburg’s last years as a widow mourning her husband of 56 years; a Supreme Court Justice stoically working despite debilitating cancer treatments; and an increasingly frail, but elegantly dressed woman who stubbornly continued to enjoy shopping, opera and dinners with her friends.

In discussing her many

friendships, Totenberg, no doubt inadvertently, describes a cozy, affluent, closed world in which journalists, policymakers, judges, lobbyists and congressmen socialize and befriend each other. Which may explain why Washington is often described as an echo chamber or as the “Beltway Bubble.”

In addition to “Dinners With Ruth,” library patrons can start the new year by enjoying four more new nonfiction titles. They are “How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures” by Sabrina Imbler, “Because our Fathers Lied: A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today” by Craig McNamara, “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America” by Leila Philip and “The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams” by Stacy Schaffer.

Nine new fiction titles re-

cently added to the collection are “To Fill a Yellow House” by Sussie Anie, “When Women Were Dragons” by Kelly Barnhill, “Checkout 19” by Claire-Louise Bennett, “Tom Clancy Red Winter” by Marc Cameron, “The Vibrant Years” by Sonali Dev, “The Cloisters” by Katy Hays, “So Long, Chester Wheeler” by Catherine Ryan Hyde, “Stella Maris” by Cormac McCarthy and “The Messy Lives of Book People” by Phaedra Patrick.

Seven mystery titles added include “Racing the Light” by Robert Crais, “What She Found” by Robert Dugoni, “Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man” by Emily J. Edwards, “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister, “Secret Identity” by Alex Segura, “A Dangerous Business” by Jane Smiley and “Secrets Typed in Blood” by Stephen Spotswood.

Commerce. To read past submissions, visit cannonbeachgazette.com.

For Jim Paino, Cannon Beach is where he loves to serve.

“I’ve always loved giving to this community and will always give back to the community,” he said.

Since 2018, Paino has overseen the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce as Executive Director.

“I have a long history of being in and supporting this community,” Paino said. “I love this community and love protecting Cannon Beach.”

Paino was born and raised in Seaside. In the 70s, his mother opened the US Bank branch in Cannon Beach and the community became their second home.

“I really grew up in Cannon Beach because my mother was involved in Chamber events when I was a kid,” he said.

When Paino came back from college in the 90s, he

Meet

worked at the Lazy Susan restaurant and then worked at the Chamber’s Information Center for nearly five years.

“I worked up to the Events Coordinator position and helped with a lot of things that the Chamber does,” he said.

An opportunity to open his own business, a tanning salon in Gearhart became available, and Paino did that for 16 years before returning to Cannon Beach in 2013. He took a job as the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce Administrative Assistant, and then covered as interim Executive Director two times before officially being promoted to the position four years ago.

“I always think about how we can benefit our community,” he said. “I just want to make Cannon Beach the best place it can be for everybody. It’s a great place to live and work. There’s something magical about Canon Beach that everyone knows and feels. We don’t want to ruin that; we just want to keep that special feeling in the community. That’s at the core of every decision I make.”

Chamber leadership

As Executive Director, the largest part of Paino’s job is the political aspect where he advocates for the well-being of local businesses and community. He frequently attends city council meetings, county commissioner meetings, and makes sure the Chamber has a voice within different agencies throughout the state. He also oversees the management of the Chamber Information Center and the Destination Management Organization.

“As a Chamber, we support the local business community,” Paino said. “We’re a visitor economy. There’s no other big economy here, so it’s pretty important that we keep that a viable and beneficial part of Cannon Beach. Without a vibrant business community, our community would suffer as a whole.”

Paino’s job is not only about supporting local businesses, but cultivating a culture.

“Business and buildings can ebb and flow, but the character of our community really has stayed the same,” said Paino. “At the Chamber, were inclusive of everybody

and work to create things that all people can enjoy. The people of Cannon Beach are what make the character of the town, just as much as the beach and natural beauty does. The longer you live here, the more it becomes a part of you.”

In addition to Paino, the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors keeps the Chamber on track with its goals.

“The Board of Directors dictate the path we’re going to take,” Paino said. “We really want a cross section of our community on the Board. They represent the membership and guide what the Chamber does and how we can benefit our community.”

Currently there are nine directors on the Board that serve in rotating three year terms. Current members are: Tamara Roberts, Erik Ostrander, Paul Tice, Carly Dye, Marc Reckmann, Michelle Valigura, Julie Walker, Sandi Dodson, and Dalena Welsh.

“I always knew about the Chamber as an entity. When we moved back to town in 2018, I really wanted to get involved,” Ostrander said. “I

started helping anywhere Jim needed.”

Ostrander currently manages the Sea Breeze Court, a business that has belonged to his in-laws since the 60s. In his free time, Ostrander is a volunteer firefighter and an avid birdwatcher. Ostrander has been a Board member for the Chamber since 2021.

“I feel like the Chamber creates a space for those in the community to come together,” Ostrander said.

“The Chamber not only benefits businesses, but the community and brings us all together.”

Board member Sandi Dodson has been a Board member for the past few months and sees the Chamber as the arms and legs of the community.

“They make sure that the needs of the community are taken care of. I can’t imagine what it would be like without the Chamber,” Dodson said.

Dodson views herself and other Board members as the cheerleaders of the community.

“We’re rooting people on and letting people know what’s going on,” she said.

“We keep the community involved. There’s so much that happens around here that nobody would know about it if it wasn’t for the Chamber.”

Bringing it full circle, Dalena Welsh, one of the Chamber’s newest Board members, manages the US Bank Cannon Beach branch as did Paino’s mother.

“It’s important to have an inside view of what the Chamber does as a whole for the community,” Welsh said. “The Chamber is a great resource for the community and should be utilized as a resource.”

Welsh encourages all those who live or own businesses in the community to get involved in the Chamber and Chamber events.

“As people get involved and help it grow, it becomes very beneficial,” she said. “Everyone at the Chamber is very eager and willing to help anybody. They’re an asset to the community.”

For more information about the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, visit cannonbeach.org.

Whale Watch Week got underway despite storms

Whale Watch Week opened last week, despite a blustery Whale Watch eve that brought downed trees, power outages and high water to the Oregon Coast.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department encourages visitors to check the weather forecast and TripCheck before traveling to the Oregon Coast. Be prepared for wind, rain, possible high water and potential power outages. Follow all posted signs, dress for the weather and follow these safety tips.

High wind and power outages also affected parks across the state. Ecola State Park closed due to high wind, and the day-use area at Sunset Bay closed due to

flooding. Silver Falls State Park closed all trailheads due to hazardous trees. The park also lost power. Cape Lookout, Cottonwood Canyon and Stub Stewart lost power but remained open. Please check stateparks.oregon. gov/ and search by park before visiting.

More about Whale Watch Week: Every year thousands of Gray whales migrate south through Oregon’s waters at the end of December, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department invites visitors to the coast to see their journey.

Trained volunteers will be stationed at most of the 17 sites to help visitors spot whales, share information

and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast.

“We really enjoy getting folks out to the coast for Whale Watch Week,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride.

“It’s something that Oregon State Parks has been doing for more than 40 years now, and we’re really glad to be able to bring it back in person,” he said.

A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available online on the official event webpage: https://oregonstateparks. org/index.cfm?do=thingstodo. dsp_whaleWatching

An estimated 17,000 Gray whales are expected to swim past Oregon’s shores over the next several weeks as part of their annual migration south to the warm calving lagoons near Baja, Mexico. The end of December is the peak time for their migration; roughly 30

whales pass by per hour. All Whale Watch Week visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow beach safety guidelines such as remaining out of fenced

parks.org.

US Army Recruitment Battalion to participate in Pacific Rim Armed Forces Wrestling

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Portland Battalion, is scheduled to participate in the Pacific Rim Armed Forces Wrestling Tournament, Jan. 6-7, 2023, where they will highlight career opportunities in the U.S. Army.

Seaside High School is scheduled to host the tournament. The address is 2600 Spruce Dr., Seaside, OR.

The US Army Recruiting Team will host an exhibit space at the event, which will feature US Army-branded wrestling mats for the tournament. The US Army World Class Athlete Program features NCAA All-Americans, National and Armed Forces Champions and a World

Team and US Olympic Team members on their wrestling roster, which is comprised of men’s and women’s wrestling events.

Recently, the U.S. Army raised its enlistment bonus to $50,000 for qualified individuals who sign for a six-year active duty assignment. For some high priority specialties, the Army is offering career-based incentives that range from $1,000 up to $40,000.

Aside from the career-based bonuses, there are “quick ship” bonuses for those who are prepared to head to Basic Combat Training within 90 days of up to $25,000. As part of the Army Civilian

response of city and county authorities.

knocked out power at a generating station on the 26th and it wasn’t restored fully until the next day.

“We weren’t as successful as we’d want to be, but at least we were communicating,” Hudson said of the combined

He said that this would not have been the case when he arrived two years ago, and that the county has been lax in its emergency preparedness efforts.

City Manager Bruce St. Denis echoed this sentiment, saying that Cannon Beach was doing its part, but that Clatsop County was lagging.

Acquired Skills Program, foreign language skills can be worth up to $40,000 for certain career paths.

The Army also has a two-year enlistment option for 84 different career fields, ranging from infantry and combat engineers to paralegals and aviation operations specialists. Those who choose the two-year plan will serve two years full-time on active duty and then two years in the Army Reserve. Officials say this shorter enlistment opportunity allows individuals the ability to see if the Army is a good fit for them without immediately committing to a four- or six-year enlistment.

Hudson said that while he hoped that recent improvements in communication would lead to better intra-county help in future emergent events, the reality is that Cannon Beach becomes an island in such situations.

“There’s nobody that’s coming to help us,” Hudson said.

He said that the community needs to be prepared to fend

for itself and that continuing work on emergency preparedness is key.

He pointed to upgrading emergency vehicles from snow chains to snow tires and removing trees that are at risk of falling during windstorms as steps the newly seated council can take.

Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia.net.

areas, knowing the tide schedule and keeping an eye on the surf at all times. Go to https://visittheoregoncoast. com/beach-safety/ for a list of safety tips.

Several campgrounds lost

power last week and did not have an estimate for when service would return.

For more information about coast parks and campgrounds, visit oregonstate-

(503) 791-0853 www. arborcarenw.com-Care for Your Trees- We are available year-round

Phone and Internet Discounts

Available to CenturyLink Customers

The Oregon Public Utility Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $25.80 27.00 per month and business services are $42.00 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request.

CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible lowincome individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify.

CenturyLink also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service. The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

For both programs, a household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.

If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/community/ community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.

The marine garden in your backyard

Haystack Rock is special. That’s something we hear all the time in Cannon Beach. But what exactly makes it special to so many different people?

The 15-million-year-old, 235-foot-tall monolith attracts visitors from around the world, historically supported indigenous life, provides nesting grounds for thousands of sea and shore birds, and has become the emblem of the City.

To us wildlife interpreters at Haystack Rock Awareness Program, we think part of what makes Haystack Rock so special is its recognized

status as a Marine Garden.

In Oregon, Marine Gardens are protected intertidal rocky habitats found in highly visible and regularly visited regions of the coast. These designated sites support educational opportunities and public enjoyment while maintaining ecological integrity and protecting biodiversity. Haystack Rock enjoys this state designation in addition to being a part of the federal Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The basalt monolith is known for providing nesting grounds for a range of sea and shore bird species from the

spring through fall, including the iconic and elusive Tufted Puffin. At peak summer the cawing of Common Murres can be heard between the sharp calls of Black Oystercatchers who fly low over shore. Pelagic, Brandts, and Double Crested Cormorants can be seen carrying sea grass to build nests. Pigeon Guillemots can be seen bobbing in the nearshore alongside Surf Scoters and Harlequin Ducks. A Tufted Puffin pair may be seen soaring together before landing high above in the grassy knoll known as the meadows. To truly appreciate how many birds are housed on this single rock, one would need to wait and see a Bald Eagle fly by to hunt. The sharp call of the gulls will alert all the birds, causing an explosion of thousands of fleeing and scattering birds.

Twice a day, low tide exposes the intertidal zones to the open air; the window to the ocean slowly begins to crack open allowing humans to briefly step in. The low tide reveals a colorful array of sea creatures. Gooseneck barnacles cluster high in the

splash zone, towering above a dense line of acorn barnacles. Anemone begins to close as the ocean recedes, crabs scurry into dark hiding places, and various shades of green and red seaweed begin to pop and sea stars freeze in their fixed positions among mussel beds. Limpets, nudibranchs, snails, chiton, sea cucumbers, and other ocean animals settle into their respective moisture conserving positions.

Another unique sight at low tide are the many smiling wildlife interpreters dressed in red vests and jackets who can be seen exploring tide pools, talking to visitors, collecting data with bird scopes, and running school field trips. These passionate folks are city staff and volunteers with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP). The job of interpreters is to teach visitors about the rich biology and intricate ecosystem of the intertidal zone while demonstrating how to be a steward of the natural world. Interpreters will not only help visitors make new personal discoveries, they will demonstrate how to sustainably interact

The city government has been working with consulting firm Urbsworks on the project to this point and the proposal before the council was from Urbsworks.

However, a missing attachment and several syntactical and grammatical inconsistencies led the council to postpone voting on the contract until a later date.

Finally, the council approved an intergovernmental agency agreement with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that allows Cannon Beach’s police to issue citations in state parks in the area.

Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia.net.

with the ecosystem and educate them about current up to date science research and understandings.

The next time you find yourself at Haystack Rock, take a moment to think about what makes it special to you. Consider the sounds of the

wildlife, the colors of the intertidal, and if you’re there at low tide seek out an interpreter and say hello. They’d be happy to show you around. You’ll be amazed by how big the intertidal world really is at the Marine Garden.

Lisa Kerr (left) and Gary Hayes (right) take the oath of office, and are officially sworn in as City Councilors. Gazette photos by Will Chappell