CBG23

Eli Ramirez’s pursuit of the ‘American Dream’ from housekeeping to hospitality-industry leader

Miska Salemann

For the Gazette

The‘American Dream’ wasn’t just a fantasy for Eli Ramirez. The young man knew that coming to the United States would allow him the best opportunity to support his family back in Irapuato City, Guanajuato, Mexico.

“I am coming from a very humble family, and unfortunately things in Mexico are not like how they are in the United states,” said Ramirez. “I love Mexico in so many ways but it’s very difficult to be successful.”

Ramirez was only around 17-year-old when he left behind everything to move in with relatives that had already settled in the United States.

The ambitious teenager hadn’t realised just how much he needed his parents. While he had a close relationship with his Aunt and Uncle, he admitted that “it just was not the same.”

A couple years after the move, Ramirez even considered going back home, but something his father told him changed his mind.

Ramirez had asked his father why he hadn’t stopped him from coming to the United States. “I needed to let you go and pursue your dreams,” his father told him. “I am not going to be the one to cut your wings.”

Following his father’s wishes,

Ramirez kicked his wings into full-gear and pushed himself to grab whatever opportunity laid ahead of him. The first place that led him was McDonald’s.

Ramirez acknowledges that McDonald’s carries a certain reputation that might off-put some people.

However, his experience was not traditional in any sense. “It unfortunately has this image, it might not be so great, but that particular McDonald’s where I was working had great people,” said Ramirez.

Stepping into the fast-food industry left Ramirez little time to stumble, but he certainly made some mistakes. The first was attempting to speak Spanish with another employee who turned out to be Native American. In the beginning, communication wasn’t his strong suit. “My English at the time was not fluent,” he admitted.

Luckily, McDonald’s was one of the few places willing to take a chance on a young immigrant like himself. And, in time, things got much easier. Especially after Ramirez met his shift manager, who later became his wife.

While his wife stayed at McDonald’s, working her way up to General Manager after twenty years, Ramirez knew he would need to pick up-another side job to bring in enough income to support their growing family.

“Working two jobs was something common in our community,”

he added. Around 2007, Ramirez took a whim and followed a friend’s recommendation to apply to the Ocean Lodge, one of Cannon Beach’s up-scale hotels. He had never envisioned himself as a housekeeper. “I didn’t even know how to clean a room, but I decided to give it a try,” he explained.

Ramirez was grateful that the Ocean Lodge was very patient with him as he found his footing.

Planning Commission hears wetlands protection advances

He still remembers his first day of training. After washing all the linens, and laying them back out, his supervisor noticed he missed a critical step of the cleaning process.

“I forgot to dry everything,” he laughed. “It was my first day. My first time.” What began as a side-job to bring in a little more income, became a pivotal turning-point in

Cannon Beach is a dog haven

Deb Atiyeh

For the Gazette

People love dogs in Cannon Beach, and from a dog’s perspective, Cannon Beach is as good as it gets. Dogs get to be with their humans and go most everywhere with them. On the beach, whether on a leash or running free, there is water to swim and splash in, sand to roll in, sticks to chew on, and friends to play with. After the beach, their humans take them on a walk along the streets of Cannon Beach, and they even get to rest under the outdoor tables at some restaurants while their humans eat, catching some tasty human food bits that drop their way. Sometimes they even get a piece of bread. Dogs have their choice of one or both of the fun pet stores at each end of downtown, where they are loved, petted and given wonderful treats that they have never tasted

before. They can look around and choose a toy or find a chew for the trip home. Everyone pets them and pays attention to them. Then they get to sleep on their way home or stay in a hotel with their humans where there are more treats. Some hotels even have a shower to wash the sand off before they go to sleep with their humans.

On the 4th of July, dogs get to lay on the beach, chewing on a stick by a campfire, watching the moon and stars at night with their humans, quietly and safely, as there are no fireworks to frighten them.

In Cannon Beach, there is no other place my humans and I would rather be. Everyone is happy at the beach and it is a blissful existence for all of us. I am sure Cannon Beach is what Heaven must be like. It is a place I never want to leave. In Cannon Beach I know that I am loved.

Cannon Beach is lucky to have

two high quality pet stores, Fetch Cannon Beach and Four Paws on the Beach, right along Hemlock Street at opposite ends of the downtown area. The owners tell their stories below:

Fetch Cannon Beach

We are a small family-owned business that opened in March 2020 (or at least tried to; we were open for about 3 hours before the town shut down for 2 months).

I have been making dog collars since I was 11, and have always wanted to open a shop someday. So after I graduated from college, my parents and I had the great idea of opening a dog store in the greatest town in the world. My dad has been coming to Cannon Beach since he was a kid, and so have I. After spending multiple summers working at Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, I knew that I wanted to live here and get more involved in the community.

So my dad contacted the person who owned Puppy Love and made a deal that we would buy the merchandise and take over the space (we started our own lease with the landlord)

I researched every single product that we wanted to carry in the store and figured out how to set up wholesale accounts. We had a vision of how we wanted the store to look. We completely renovated the inside; my dad has incredible building skills, so he was able to make all of that happen.

We carry a wide variety of products for dogs of all sizes. We try to carry as many local products as possible; lots of our treats are made in Portland, and all of our “body part treats’” such as pig ears are from a local farm in the Portland area. We test a lot of these products on our Chocolate Lab, and make sure these are items that we would buy if we were the customers. We value our customers and the fact that they often support us every time they come to town, so we try to keep our prices as fair as possible and are constantly trying to find new products.

Fun fact: the Cannon Beach Gazette wrote an article about my dog collar business back in 2008 because my first customer was Puppy Love! They bought $225 worth of my dog collars, which was enough for me to buy a dog from the Humane Society. So it’s kind of funny how it came full circle; Puppy Love was my first customer, and now I own the store

(The Reed Family - Owners)

Four Paws on the Beach

When seeking out treats, toys, food, apparel, or just about anything for your pups and kitties, you’ll find high quality at Four Paws on the Beach. You feel the passion this boutique has for our furry companions as you walk through their doors on Hemlock Street across from The Coaster

Cannon Beach’s planning commission was given a presentation on advances in wetlands protection on January 26, in preparation for updates to the city’s wetlands ordinance.

Cameron La Follette of the Oregon Coast Alliance told the commissioners that Cannon Beach was already in a good position vis a vis wetlands, but that updates were needed.

The city’s current wetlands protection ordinance was passed in 1993. At that time, the city developed an inventory of available wetlands and created a wetland overlay map.

Cannon Beach’s ordinance does not allow building in wetlands or a five-foot buffer zone around them.

That size of buffer was standard when Cannon Beach’s ordinance was passed, but over the intervening thirty years has become outdated.

La Follette said that while five feet was an inadequate buffer, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating wetland-protecting rules.

A member of a working group who has been looking at the wetlands ordinance said that they planned to recommend a 50-foot buffer. Wetlands preservation is complicated by several factors, chief among which is divergence in state and federal policy.

The state’s wetlands management program is overseen by the Oregon Department of State Lands while the Army Corps of Engineers oversees the federal program.

State law lets cities allow developers to mitigate wetlands damage with in lieu mitigation projects at another site, federal law does not, forcing developers to mitigate on their property.

Oregon law also does not require wetlands protection, leaving the choice to localities.

In addition to hearing the wetlands presentation, the commission also approved a parking variance for the Cannon Beach Elementary School rejuvenation project.

The commission waived the 31spot requirement, allowing the project to rely on seven on-street parking spots in front of the school.

A representative from CIDA, the firm leading the project, said that building the code-required parking would not be compatible with the project’s goals.

The future site will not only provide an event venue in the renovated school, but also preserve and share the history of the native village that previously sat on the site.

The CIDA representative said that adding a parking lot would disturb culturally and historically significant artifacts and fundamentally change the character of the site.

The variance passed by a vote of 5-2, with Commissioners Erik Ostrander and Dorian Farrow voting nay.

Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia. net.

Eli Ramirez.

Fetch Cannon Beach on Hemlock Street.

Four Paws on the Beach owners operate in Cannon Beach and Manzanita.

Law protecting Oregon beaches enacted 110 years ago

Oregonians consider their public beaches to be sacred; and everyone who enjoys Oregon’s public beaches can thank the determination of two charismatic, visionary Oregon governors. Many know the story of Governor Tom McCall and his signing of the “Beach Bill” in 1967. Fewer know the story of Governor Oswald West, who in 1913 convinced the Oregon legislature to designate all Oregon beaches a public highway. Who was Oswald West, and why was he so concerned about protecting Oregon’s beaches?

Early Life

Born in Ontario, Canada in 1873, Oswald West moved to Oregon with his family when he was 4. Growing up in Salem, West had just 8 years of formal education, which was common at the time.

Intelligent and hardworking, a prominent Salem banker took notice of the young West; offering him a job as a messenger at his bank and becoming his mentor, encouraging him to read and learn the banking business. Promoted to bank teller 3 years later, one day a man cashed a forged check with West for $2,750, a small fortune in those days. West discovered the forgery, pursued him with his 6-shooter and caught up with

him just before he boarded a train. Tough and fearless, West backed the man into a nearby saloon and recovered the money. After several years in the banking business, West needed a break and spent a summer herding sheep near Spokane, Washington. Heading north in 1899 during Yukon’s Klondike Gold Rush, West narrowly escaped being killed in a boundary dispute with a neighboring prospector.

In 1901, West moved to Astoria to work at the First National Bank, and in 1903 accepted the job of Oregon’s Land Agent, where he helped recover almost 900,000 acres of State School Land that had been stolen through fraud and corruption. West was later appointed to the Oregon Railroad Commission, where he helped pursue legal action against millionaire Edward Henry Harriman, president of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.

West Decides To Run For Governor

In 1910, a month after passing the state bar exam and becoming an attorney, and never having run for political office, West decided to run for Oregon governor as a Democrat. By current political standards, early 20th century Oregon would have been considered a deep red state, with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats

3:1. Running on a progressive platform, riding a wave of progressive and populist sentiment that was stripping power from the wealthy and

giving it back to the people, and promising four years of clean government, West won the governors race against the incumbent Republican

governor. At age 37, West became the youngest person to be elected Oregon’s governor (years later, in 1958, Mark Hatfield would be elected governor at age 36)

Making Beaches A Public Highway

West faced a challenge in getting his progressive agenda enacted; of the 30 Senate seats, 28 were held by Republicans, along with 54 of the 60 House seats.

Having earlier witnessed the theft and destruction of Oregon’s forestlands by corrupt timber barons, West feared the same fate awaited the pristine Oregon coast from land speculators. The problem was that the Republican legislature would never support the idea of making Oregon’s beaches public.

West had an idea one day while riding his horse from Elk Creek in Cannon Beach, over Neakahnie Mountain to Nehalem; he would present the idea of making all of Oregon’s beaches a public highway. The simple text of his bill stated that “the shore of the Pacific Ocean, between the ordinary high tide and extreme low tide, and from the Columbia River on the north, to the Oregon and California state line on the south, is hereby declared a public highway and shall forever remain open as such to the public.” West “pointed out that thus we would come into

miles and miles of highway without cost to the taxpayer… the legislature took the bait - hook, line and sinker. Thus came public ownership to our beaches.” The bill was overwhelmingly passed by the legislature, and on February 13th, 1913, Governor Oswald West signed his bill into law.

Oswald West declined to run for a second term as Governor, preferring to go back to his law practice. West retired from practicing law after suffering a heart attack in 1945, and died in Portland in 1960.

Oswald West State Park, south of Cannon Beach, was named in honor of the person who protected Oregon’s beaches. In 1912, Oswald West and his wife purchased an acre of land on a small knoll in Cannon Beach that overlooked the ocean and Haystack Rock. Their 2,000 square foot log cabin was completed in the summer of 1913, sold in 1926, and sold again in 1936 to Dr. Harry Bouvy, whose descendants still own the home. The house was destroyed by a young arsonist in 1991, painstakingly restored by 1995, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house sits below Hemlock Street at the north end of the “S” curves in Cannon Beach. The best place to view the house once owned by Governor Oswald West is from the beach just south of Haystack Rock.

Workforce housing still is short supply in Cannon Beach

The Cannon Beach Gazette recently reached out to two Cannon Beach restaurants to learn how the chronic lack of workforce housing is affecting them and how they are dealing with it.

The Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge

At The Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge, some of the employees shared their thoughts on workforce housing. One employee said that. after COVID, the owner of the 2-bedroom cabin where he had been living for 15 years decided to sell. He had no other place to live, and ended up sleeping in his car for a month, until finding another place that was more expensive. Another employee drives from Warrenton every day.

She explained that during the winter months, she has to get to work no matter what the weather conditions, and that it would be much easier if she could live closer to where she works.

The Wayfarer owns two 1-bedroom condos, along with one house in Cannon Beach where some employees live; but 80% of the Wayfarer staff live in Seaside, Warrenton or Astoria, as affordable housing in Cannon Beach is very difficult to find.

Besides operating the restaurant and lounge, the Wayfarer also provides service for events, banquets, and off-site catering at the Haystack Gardens, Chamber of Commerce event area. The Wayfarer Restaurant and the Surfsand Resort are now owned by Vesta Hospitality located in Vancouver, Washington. Vesta bought the Surfsand Resort and Wayfarer Restaurant from

Martin North in 2022.

Sonya Agnello, General Manager of Pelican Brewing Company

“Two years ago, I saw a posting for a job in Cannon Beach. Upon searching the internet to learn more, I saw Cannon Beach for the first time. After seeing Haystack Rock and Ecola State Park, I knew that I wanted to be a part of everything that Cannon Beach has to offer.

I researched the company, Pelican Brewing, whose ad I had seen, found that their core values aligned with mine, checked out the beautiful restaurant where I might work, and applied for the position that aligned with my career aspirations. I was thrilled to be considered for the role and the last question in my interview was, “What would stop you from taking this job?”

I answered, “A place to live.” Fortunately, Pelican Brewing offers temporary employee housing to new team members, and I moved to Cannon Beach. I figured I would find a long-term housing opportunity soon enough and something would come available. Three months after arriving, I realized that finding affordable housing within a 15 minute drive was not feasible. I was determined, had an RV delivered, and found the only affordable place, not in a flood zone, some 25 minutes south of Cannon Beach, where I still reside.”

“Since beginning with Pelican Brewing, my role has changed and I have taken on more responsibility as the restaurant General Manager. I have coached

and helped team members locate housing in neighboring communities as far north as Astoria and as far south as Rockaway. My business has felt the stress and lost revenue due to not having the team members to operate at its full capacity and meet the demand. My company began a housing initiative more than a year ago. The initiative included renting homes as far away as Seaside, supplementing the rents to ensure affordable rental rates, and managing the on and off boarding in the housing. The plan worked initially and provided the employees with a home and community to be a part of, but was not sustainable. At this time, Pelican Brewing is able to house 14 team members in

company-owned properties. This is helpful, but not enough to fill the roles that are the operational engine of the restaurant. During my time as a coastal resident, I have found that our hospitality workers love to be a part of our communities. They make friends in the community, enjoy buying local and living the coastal lifestyle.”

“I love my job, my coworkers, and Cannon Beach. The only thing I would change is that I and the other employees would have the opportunity to live where we work. We want to lead the way in providing extraordinary coastal experiences and that includes emulating service to our guests, our community and our team members.”

Theatre. Not only does the staff warmly greet each pup with a nutritious treat but the decor and products on the shelves tell you this shop only carries the best the pet industry has to offer.

In 2015, Matt and Meghan Ruona took over the original Four Paws on the Beach in Manzanita. Their Cannon Beach shop opened in January 2020, just a couple months before the Covid lock-downs, but re-opened on Memorial Day weekend and the crowds were there to greet them.

After moving to Portland

in 2005 with their daughter, Montana (now attending college in Washington), they began visiting Manzanita and Cannon Beach and were amazed at the number of dog-families they saw on the streets and beaches. This began a running “joke” between Matt and Meghan that if Four Paws on the Beach ever came up for sale they would have to buy it and move to the coast. That “joke” became a reality when Matt saw the shop on a business broker’s website in early 2015.

Matt, Meghan and their team (the heart of Four Paws on the Beach) are driven by a love for dogs and cats. They seek out fun and unique products of the highest quality. This means treats and

food that must be extremely nutritious as well as highly palatable, toys that hold up to rough play, and collars, leads and apparel that are functional while looking amazing.

Four Paws on the Beach strives to source their products as locally as possible. There are treats from makers on the coast and several items from companies located throughout Oregon. They are thrilled to support other small, family-owned businesses whenever possible.

If there is something you need for your dog or cat, but it’s not on the shelves at Four Paws on the Beach, just let a team member know. They will do everything they can to find it for you as “Special Orders” are another service they provide.

Another reason Matt and Meghan jumped at the opportunity to own a business here was the ability to impact their community. They support local shelters and rescues, contribute to various charitable organizations and employ an amazing team of dog and cat lovers.

For Pet friendly places to stay in the area:

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.

Click Places to Stay, then Hotels, Motels & Inns, then check Pet Friendly, and it narrows it down to 20 choices:

https://www.cannonbeach.org/places-to-stay/ hotels-motels-and-inns/?skip=0&sort=qualityScore&subcatids=17&amenities=accommodations_petfriendly

If you go directly from Places to Stay to Oceanfront to Pet Friendly, that narrows it down to 12 hotels and motels:

https://www.cannonbeach.org/places-to-stay/ oceanfront-lodging/?skip=12&sort=qualityScore&subcatids=21&amenities=accommodations_petfriendly

A poster for Oswald West’s 1910 gubernatorial campaign. His slogan, “The Man Who Delivers the Goods,” reinforces the reputation he’d forged as an energetic man who gets things done. Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society.

Something for everyone at the Library

Phyllis Bernt Library Board President

The Cannon Beach Library prides itself on serving patrons of all ages; that includes infants. Funded by an anonymous donor, the Books for Babies program gives three children’s books to infants born during the past year to parents who live in Cannon Beach or Arch Cape.

The purpose of Books for Babies is to encourage parents to instill a love of reading in their children by reading to them from children’s classics that they themselves may have enjoyed as children. Those classics are “Goodnight Moon,” “Make Way for Ducklings” and “The Velveteen Rabbit.”

New parents who are Cannon Beach or Arch Cape residents and who have had a child during the past 12 months, or anyone who knows parents and infants who meet the requirements of the program, are encouraged to contact the library by calling 503-436-1391, or emailing info@cannonbeachlibrary.org so that eligible infants and their parents can receive their books.

The library also has something for older children. Toddlers and grade schoolers are invited to Story

Time, with the theme “Be

My Valentine,” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, at the library (131 N. Hemlock in Downtown Cannon Beach) .

In addition to enjoying Valentine-themed stories, children will receive a Valentine kit and a gift to take home from this free event. The target age for this event is pre-k to eight years of age, but any age may attend. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Though they may not get to take home a Valentine kit, adults will get opportunities to enjoy engaging speakers discussing significant topics during three events this month. These events are free and open to everyone.

The first event is the February meeting of the World of Haystack Rock Library Lecture Series, sponsored by the Friends of Haystack Rock, which will begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, February 8. This is both an in-person and virtual event. Participants can participate in the program at the library or enjoy the talk virtually by accessing the Friends of Haystack Rock website at https://friendsofhaystackrock.org.

Michelle St. Martin, the Marine Conservation Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Newport, Oregon, will present

“Starting the Conversations Around Potential Sea Otter Reintroduction on the Pacific

Phyllis Bernt

Coast.”

Sea otters have been absent from the Oregon coast since the early 1980’s. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now evaluating the possible reintroduction of sea otters to the coasts of Oregon and Northern California. St. Martin will discuss the history of sea otters, the ecological benefits they provide and next steps as their reintroduction is considered.

St. Martin has over a decade of experience working, primarily in Alaska, with marine mammals, including polar bears and sea otters.

This year’s World of Haystack Rock Library Lecture Series is dedicated to the memory of Sandi Lundy, a long-time member of both the Friends of Haystack Rock and the Cannon Beach Library.

The following weekend, the library’s NW Authors Speaker Series will welcome

Portland author, musician and songwriter Willy Vlautin to the library at 2 p.m, on Saturday, February 11. This will be a hybrid event; participants can join Vlautin at the library or enjoy his presentation remotely through the library’s website (www. cannonbeachlibrary.org).

The title of Vlautin’s talk is “The Night Always Comes,” which is the title of his latest novel. In addition to discussing his writing, he will also play music that accompanies his stories.

“The Night Always Comes” tells the story of Lynette, a thirty-year old woman, who frantically tries to scrape together enough money to buy the house she lives in so her family can avoid the housing insecurity that has become an epidemic in Portland, Oregon.

A native of Reno, Nevada, Vlautin was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the Portland rock band Richmond Fontaine, and is currently a member of The Delines. He has released 14 studio albums and has also written six novels. His talents in both media have been recognized by his induction into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame and into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Vlautin’s debut novel, “A Motel Life,” was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and Notable Book and was

As the Tide Turns

named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Washington Post. His third novel, “Lean on Pete,” won two Oregon Book Awards in 2010, and his fourth book, “The Free,” won the Oregon People’s Choice Award in 2014. He was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2019 and was shortlisted in 2012 for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Vlautin, who teaches in Pacific University’s MFA in Writing program, is influenced by the writing of John Steinbeck, Raymond Carver and William Kennedy. His focus on the misfortunes of common people caused Ursula Le Guin to call him an unsentimental Steinbeck and “one of the bravest novelists writing.”

And finally, members of the Cannon Beach Reads book club will meet at 7 p.m., Wednesday, February 15, to discuss “The Next Tsunami: Living on a Restless Coast,” by Bonnie Henderson. This is a hybrid meeting; participants can join in person in the library or online through use of Zoom and a webcam conferencing system.

Henderson builds her story around the experiences of geologist Tom Horning, a Seaside native who, as a child, experienced the tsunami caused by the Alaska earthquake in 1964, and who

has since returned to his family home in Seaside. Henderson explains the theories that scientists formulated in order to understand the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific coast.

Far from being an anomaly, the 1964 tsunami was one of many tsunamis caused by earthquakes in the subduction zone that hit the Pacific coast every few hundred years. Scientific evidence suggests that a massive earthquake and resulting devastating tsunami will occur sometime during the next 600 years. Henderson also explores how ordinary people cope with the possibility of someday living through such a natural disaster.

Bonnie Henderson is a journalist, author, and editor. Her book “Strand: An Odyssey of Pacific Ocean Debris” was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award in 2009. She has written two hiking guidebooks, and writes for Backpacker, Ski and Coastal Living magazines.

Bob Lundy will lead the discussion of “The Next Tsunami,” which will begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, February 15, at the library. The Zoom link for those who cannot participate in person, is available from Joe Bernt at berntj@ohio.edu. New participants to Cannon Beach Reads are always welcome.

Summer of Love: Reproduction at Haystack Rock

Haystack Rock Awareness Program

Why are there so many birds at Haystack Rock in the summertime?

Why do bird’s plumages change? What is this slimy cluster I found? How do sea anemones reproduce? What’s a “mermaid purse?”

These are just some of the reproduction-related questions curious beachgoers ask the red-coated interpreters of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program, and personally they’re among my favorite. Teaching about sexual selection, reproduction, and the diverse ways in which life finds a way is one of my passions--after all: without it, none of us would be here to even pose such questions in the first place. There is no studying biology without intense focus on reproduction, and Haystack Rock makes for an ideal study site. With the arrival of spring comes the return of vibrantly colored sea birds, eager to meet their for-life monogamous mates and begin the rituals of nesting. Birds are often used as examples of sexual selection and how it balances against natural selection. Natural selection is the process in which species adapt and change; genetic traits will experience either positive or negative selective pressure on an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce; over time entire populations will reflect this selective pressure. Sexual selection is the phenomenon of individuals showing mate preferences based on certain traits.

Which brings us back to those vibrantly colored sea birds. Many bird species when selecting a mate show preference to gaudy colors, bright displays, or larger adornments. The outcome of this sexual selection would theoretically be that the flashi-

est, brightest, most boisterous birds reproduce right? Not exactly, this is where natural selection can come into balance. Certain traits favoring sexual selection can experience a negative pressure, such as easier predation due to brighter colors, slower speeds due to heavy adornments, or too high of caloric or nutritional requirements for display. Thus, sexual selection is a way in which species test the balance between pure survival and reproduction. Every bird we see at Haystack Rock is there because of the delicate balance between these pressures found by their ancestors.

Talking about bird reproduction tends to be fairly accessible to most visitors at Haystack Rock, but how about once we turn our heads downwards into the tidepool?

Once we dive into the ocean, reproduction looks less familiar. Let’s begin in recognizable territory with egg laying behaviors. When looking around the tidepools we often find snail eggs tucked in rocks or see skate egg casings known as “mermaid purses” in wrack lines. Both of these are the result of eggs laid by females after fertilization which, unlike birds (who protect their nested eggs), will be left alone to develop and hatch.

So far, not too strange. So let’s move on to something less recognizable.

Near a nudibranch, or sea slug, you may see some

Bella

tightly coiled eggs. That nudibranch nearby must be the female, right? Not quite. Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites with fully functioning male and female reproductive organs; when they mate, both pairs will exchange sperm and both pairs will go on to lay fertilized eggs.

Often cited as one of the stranger animals of the tidepools, sea anemones are often mistaken as a species of plant. Their unfamiliarity and dominance in the intertidal zone make for a fascinating animal to teach people about. Aggregating Anemones can reproduce both sexually and asexually. During sexual reproduction the anemone will release its gamete freely into the ocean in the hope that it will meet another sperm or egg and fertilize. This is called broadcast spawning. When it comes to asexual reproduction, an anemone will clone itself by splitting into two, a process known as fission.

If you found this interesting, come down to Haystack Rock at low tide and ask an interpreter for more information.

For me, all this talk about ocean reproduction got my appetite worked up. I think I might grab some sushi, probably some uni, also known as sea urchin. Before that I’ll leave you with one more ocean factoid: Google what part of the sea urchin uni comes from. Bon Appetit and I’ll see you on the beach.

-- Stephen Grellet

LEGISLATOR’S LETTER

Iwant to thank Joe Warren and the Cannon Beach Gazette for allowing me to publish this monthly column.

With just three weeks under my belt as your representative, I have learned how fast things move at the Capitol.

I won’t be able to include everything you should know in these pages. So I will send regular email updates with the most up-to-date, in-depth news and ways you can get involved. Please sign up here: OregonLegislature.gov/

Javadi.

On January 9th, the House of Representatives gaveled in the 82nd Legislative Assembly. I, along with 21 newly elected members, took the oath of office. It is truly an honor to serve you.

This session, I will serve on the Housing and Homelessness Committee. The homeless crisis is no

longer an urban issue. It is impacting the coast more every day. That is why I was disappointed that one of Gov. Kotek’s first actions as Governor was to sign executive orders on homelessness that left out rural communities like ours on the coast. I joined the bipartisan group of legislators called the Coastal Caucus to send Gov. Kotek a letter asking her to reconsider her approach.

I will also serve on the Economic Development and Small Business and Behavioral Health and Health Care Committees. With over 2,000 bills already introduced, I want to know the issues I am working on:

• Cutting taxes and lowering costs - I am chief sponsoring HB 2724, which would end the death tax in Oregon. The government has already

taxed that money. There is no need for families to be taxed again when they die. HB 2725 would lower the cost of prescription drugs in our rural communities by cutting out middleman fees.

• Growing the healthcare workforce - The labor shortage is being felt in every

sector of our economy and nowhere is the impact felt more than in the healthcare sector. HB 2979 would create grants for our community colleges to expand dental assistant programs. HB 2408 would also allow nurses with licenses in other states to work in Oregon

• Limiting the Governor’s powers - HB 2407 would require the Governor to ask the Legislature for an extension of any state of emergency past 60 days. COVID showed us that Oregon’s laws governing the executive powers are out of balance. It is time to rein them in.

Legislators need the voices of our constituents in the process. If you can testify on legislation we are considering, please do. You must register online to provide verbal testimony during a committee meeting. Registration closes

one hour before the scheduled start time of the meeting.

Visit my website for the complete rundown on how to get involved: OregonLegislature.gov/Javadi.

As your Representative, I want to showcase our district at the Capitol. There are several unique opportunities for your engagement.

Perform Opening Ceremonies

At the beginning of each floor session, guests of the Legislature can present an opening ceremony. These are non-political performances of prayer, invocation, cultural ceremony, poetry reading, or a musical piece. Please email my office if you are interested in presenting an opening ceremony.

Display Your Photos/Art In

Our Office

Do you have a beautiful photo of a sunrise on the

beach? Is your kid a crayon Picasso? Send it to me! I want to show off the beauty and talents of our district, and you can be part of it. Email in a digital or physical copy, and we’ll display them on a rotating digital picture frame in the Capitol.

Let Me Highlight Your Milestones

Are you celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary?

Did you win an award? Are you opening a new business?

I would love the opportunity to highlight the achievements of our community on the House floor and in my newsletters. My days are full of intense policy conversations; I also want to recognize our district’s upbeat, positive moments. As always, you can reach my office at Rep.CyrusJavadi@oregonlegislature.gov and at 503-986-1432.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announces budget proposal

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has unveiled her budget recommendations for the 2023-25 biennium, titled “Mission Focused.”

The recommendations focus on three top priorities:

• Building more housing and reducing homelessness

• Improving access to mental health and addiction services

• Improving outcomes in early literacy and K-12 schools.

“Every Oregonian, no matter their race or zip code, deserves to have the same chances,” Kotek said. “My mission as Oregon’s Governor will always be to deliver results and move the state forward to build the Oregon we all want to live in. This vision for Oregon’s future cannot be realized in one budget cycle. But this plan provides a roadmap for how we are going to reach our state’s long-term goals.”

Oregon is entering a challenging and complex budget environment with about $3.5 billion of one-time funding, spurred by resources from the federal government, about to expire, according to Kotek,

adding that the recommended budget still includes a path to make targeted investments because of prudent budget management to build historic reserves in recent years.

Kotek has recommended keeping the existing $2 billion of reserve funds in place, and redirect $765 million that would have been automatically added to these reserves into targeted investments aimed at better serving Oregonians in these three key areas.

Highlights of the budget recommendations include:

Housing and Homelessness

To reduce unsheltered homelessness, rehouse Oregonians, build and preserve more affordable housing, and increase homeownership, Kotek included the following investments:

An urgent, $130 million package to reduce unsheltered homelessness. The Governor is urging the legislature to move forward with this initial investment as quickly as possible, and released the details last week.

New affordable housing

$770 million: General obligation bonds to build more affordable homes for both renters and new homeowners. Moving Oregonians out of unsheltered homelessness

$172.2 million: Rapid rehousing resources and connections to long-term rent assistance to maintain housing stability. This reflects the state’s first investment in an on-going, long-term rent assistance program. New permanent, supportive housing

$130 million: Create new units of permanent supportive housing, and maintain the rent assistance and services needed for this housing.

Affordable housing preservation

$118 million: Lottery and General Fund to preserve existing affordable homes, including manufactured homes.

On-going homelessness prevention

$73 million: Create an ongoing homelessness prevention program in Oregon.

Maintain shelter operations

$24.1 million: Maintain shelter operations in the state, including the operation of the 600 new shelter beds created through the early investment package and Project Turnkey projects.

Housing Production and Accountability Office (HPAO)

$2.2 million: Create a new state office to reduce land use and permitting barriers that stand in the way of building more housing.

Mental Health and Addiction Services

To disrupt the harmful and expensive homelessnessjail-hospital pipeline, decrease preventable deaths from substance use and behavioral health needs, and stabilize the behavioral health workforce, Governor Kotek included the following recommendations: Continue investments in substance use treatment and services

$278.9 million: Addiction treatment, overdose prevention, peer support services, housing assistance, and employment services – funded by Measure 110 grants and a 1115 waiver

allowing for Medicaid coverage of substance use disorders

(SUD) facility-based treatment and peer services. Continue funding new 2021 investments

$195.7 million: Continued funding for aid and assist services, Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs), Peer Respite Centers, co-occuring disorder treatment, System of Care Advisory Council, Interdisciplinary Assessment Teams for children and housing for transition-age youth.

Community mental health

$127.4 million: Continue 30% Medicaid rate increases for increased behavioral health worker wages.

Continue behavioral health provider incentives

$60 million: Loan repayment, scholarships and tuition stipends for licensed behavioral health providers and students in the workforce pipeline.

Oregon State Hospital

$50.2 million: Increase positions at the state hospital to support a sustainable 24/7 staffing model; establish a dedicated Health Equity Unit at the state hospital to address the needs of staff; support the OSH Complex Case Management Unit to meet the needs of patients with complex needs and ensure the safety of staff and patients; and upgrade OSH facilities to improve patient recovery and safety of both patients and staff.

Mobile crisis teams

$47.6 million: Ongoing funding for programs like CAHOOTS to divert individuals from hospital and jail, including response and stabilization services for youth and their families.

Increase residential and facility capacity

$40 million: Ongoing funding to support operation of additional mental health residential capacity funded in 2021 and to continue the state’s investment in the development of additional residential and facility capacity.

Harm reduction clearinghouse

$40 million: Continue support of the harm reduction clearinghouse to reduce preventable deaths associated with opioid use.

Health Care Provider

Incentive Program

$20 million: Nearly double OHA’s Health Care Provider Incentive Program, with a priority to increase Oregon’s behavioral health workforce and to continue to recruit and retain diverse health care

providers.

Crisis prevention system

$18.4 million: Fund 988 call centers, the nationwide service connecting people with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Early Learning and K-12 Education

To improve student literacy, stabilize early childhood services and ensure Oregon children are better served by K-12 schools, Kotek included the following recommendations:

Increase the State School Fund

$9.9 billion: Kotek is recommending increasing the State School Fund to $9.9 billion and fully funding High School Success (formerly Measure 98) to help improve graduation rates and give students the tools to be career and college ready. Ensure all kids are learning to read, and reading to learn

$100 million: Evidence-based, targeted literacy strategies to ensure preschool and elementary school educators have the training, time, materials, and ongoing coaching they need to integrate evidence-based literacy strategies with culturally responsive approaches.

Expanding physical capacity of early learning facilities

$100 million: Create and upgrade the physical space early learning providers need, along with technical assistance to navigate the expansion and renovation processes.

Early Learning Program Enhancement

$62.5 million: Provide a living wage to early learning professionals to stabilize and value the workforce by enhancing rates for Oregon PreKindergarten (OPK), Preschool Promise, Healthy Families Oregon, Relief Nurseries, and the Early Childhood Equity Fund.

Employment-Related Day Care (ERDC) Enhancements

$41.3 million: Increase rates for ERDC providers, provide funding for a limited caseload expansion for ERDC, support the transfer of ERDC from Oregon Department of Human Services, provide funding to make IT system changes to expand program eligibility, and support child care supply building and ERDC access.

Enrichment programming for all grades

$30 million: Continue to offer students opportunities to connect with each other to support their well-being following years of pandemic-impacted learning. Funding will be provided by Tribes and community -based organizations.

Rep. Cyrus Javadi

Public Notice

n Leader

Continued

Ramirez’s career trajectory.

“The ownership was wonderful. It was probably one of the best things in my life. Being introduced to the right people was part of my success,” he said.

After about a year of tidying rooms, Wendy Higgins, the General Manager, pulled Ramirez into her office. She told him he was ready to become a supervisor. It seemed like a lot of responsibility to Ramirez, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready. But she was.

“Tell me why you don’t feel capable?” she asked. “You have two hands and a brain, you’re pretty smart.”

That was the day that Ramirez started believing in himself.

Higgins, who became a mentor to Ramirez, also introduced him to the hotel’s leadership. The team was led by two owners, Tom Drumheller and Patrick Nofield. Ramirez said that the leadership and staff were bonded like

an extended family. “It’s probably not usual for people to say, but I actually loved that place like my second house,” said Ramirez. “I grew up there.”

One day, Nofield approached Ramirez and said that he noticed he had the charm and energy to bring to a role with more guest interaction. It was time to start thinking about moving from housekeeping to the front desk.

As the Assistant Manager, Ramriez was able to observe the inner-workings of leadership. Everything from filing paperwork to handling complaints, and leading new initiatives to improve guest satisfaction.

There was nothing Ramirez loved more than having the opportunity to make a guest’s day just a little bit brighter. For him, that is what hospitality is all about. “It’s about trying to exceed expectations, we’re here to make memories, we’re here to serve the people,” he suggested.

When the pandemic hit, the Ocean Lodge found itself in the same position as many hotels. Employees were forced to confront new territory,

trying to keep guests safe, while maintaining profits, and navigating ever-changing social-distancing guidelines.

Due to some misalignment, the General Manager at the time went in a new direction, leaving Ramirez with the opportunity to step up to the plate. “Here I was facing a whole pandemic without a lot of experience.”

He picked up the promotion eagerly, and promised that he would give it everything he had to make the most of his new position, especially given the turbulent times. And that, he did.

Since becoming the General Manager, Ramirez has celebrated many milestones with the Ocean Lodge. Just last June, the hotel was chosen as one of six resorts around the globe to be featured in a film for hotel.com.

The media showcase allowed the hotel to “innovate to a new level.”

Ramirez doesn’t account his success to a single person or opportunity alone. He hopes that people in his position will ask themselves the difficult questions and execute a plan, so they can turn their goals

into reality. “Dream big. I can tell you that a dream without a plan is just a wish, and sadly the wish is never going to happen,” he encouraged.

Now very proud of where he is in his own career, Ramirez enjoys mentoring younger people who are around the same age he was when he started. “I can use my stories as advice for them to understand they can do whatever they set their minds to.”

Ramirez has a lot of faith in the younger generation, but he tells them to be patient. “If you think about my story, it took 15 years to become a General Manager.”

Things don’t happen overnight. But being in the right place, with the right people, at the right time, certainly helps.

More than anything, Ramirez feels lucky to have found a community as welcoming as Cannon Beach.

“It’s something that doesn’t happen in other towns. I can just say good things about the people in Cannon Beach. It’s a special place. We know it, and we feel the responsibility that we want to keep Cannon Beach the way it is.”

Ramirez looks forward to

Job Recruitment Services

watching his three children chase their own dreams in the tight-knit community that nur-

tured his own development. He can’t wait to see where it takes them.

Eli met his wife while working at McDonald’s.