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THE NEWS SUN
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THE HERALD REPUBLICAN
Area Activities •
A warm thought — this beach is your beach What is a fair price for 1 foot of shoreline in Steuben County’s Land of 101 Lakes? What would it cost to own 363 miles of shoreline? How expensive is the Pacific Coast — you know the ocean that touches Malibu, home of celebrities? The entire coastline of Oregon, from the California border in Paul Beckwith the south to the Washington State border to the north, costs nothing. It costs nothing because it can’t be sold. It can’t be sold because it already has an owner. You own it. In 1912 Oregon Governor Oswald West rode a horse on a mail trail from Arch Cape to Neahkahnie Mountain on the North Coast. He looked around and hatched a plan. He drafted a concise decree. In just 66 words, he scribed that the entire Oregon Coast was “a public highway and shall ever remain open as such to the public.” In 1913 it became the law. In 1966 a motel owner tried to shoo away some picnickers, claiming that they were trespassing on his property. This sparked the combination of both public support and elected official approval for the bipartisan “Beach Bill.” It had a champion in Oregon Governor Tom McCall. The Beach Bill stated that all of the land from the dry sand to the native vegetation would be placed into a public trust and zoned recreational. The statute would “Forever preserve … ocean beaches of the state … so that the public may have the free and uninterrupted use thereof.” This must be what the founding fathers meant when they wrote about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2014
Today ImagiKnit: Weekly knitting group, newcomers welcome. Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County, 322 S. Wayne St., Angola. 10 a.m. Red Cross Blood Drive: Call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblog.org to make an appointment. Auburn First United Methodist Church, 1203 E. Seventh St., Auburn. Noon. Euchre Community Game: Steuben County Council on Aging, 317 S Wayne St, Angola. 12:30 p.m. 665-9856
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PHOTOS BY PAUL BECKWITH
In Oregon, 100 percent of the coast has public access.
“...I figured that if I owned some prime waterfront property, I was going to check out what was mine.”
GED Classes: Steuben County Literacy Coalition, 1208 S Wayne St, Angola. 4 p.m. 665-3357 Grief Support Group: Standing meeting every Tuesday. Cameron Woods, 701 W. Harcourt Rd., Angola. 4:30 p.m.
• happiness.” The Beach Bill passed in 1967 and that changed the Oregon Coast the People’s Coast. I am happy when I find a $20 bill in my blue jeans pocket on laundry day, so I figured that if I owned some prime waterfront property, I was going to check out what was mine. Like Oswald West, I chose a section in the north. I scouted from Seaside to Pacific City. Seaside is the quintessential beach resort town with a boardwalk, salt water taffy, and art deco style arcades with 1920s games like Skee Ball and Fascination. Cannon Beach is packed with art galleries and is ranked as one of the 100 best art towns in America. After a walk along Hug Point, it was lunch at an outdoor cafe in Manzanita, and then I headed south to Manhattan
Euchre Community Game: Francis Vinyard VFW Post 2749, 112 Veterans Way, Kendallville. 1 p.m.
The Oregon Coast became a public highway in 1913.
Beach where beachcombers had built crude log walls out of drift wood to block the stiff gale blowing. A drive along the Three Cape Scenic Loop ended at dinner on the deck at Pacific City watching surfers as the sun dunked into the water. It was sea meeting land that made it. When wave meets rock, something has to give. Cliffs and headlands were cut into caves, arches, and stacks towering 325 feet above the surf. There were waterfalls and rounded cobbles. Psychedelic colored starfish and sea anemones filled the tidal pools and bivalves locked onto boulders sticking around until the tide returned. The beaches
were broad expanses, long and wide. People were on the beach, mere dots in the distance, checking out their turf and the ever changing weather from fog to brilliant sunshine and blue skies. In junior high school music class, we sang the Woody Guthrie song, “This Land is Your Land.” I didn’t get it then, but I do now. The Beach Bill is the law. It is the law of the land. It is the law of your land. You own it.
Paul Beckwith is an Angola Middle School teacher who scouts the unusual intricacies of our national heritage during his summer travels.
Community Soup and Supper: Free meal. Faith Harvest Church, 200 Park Ave., Angola. 5 p.m. ESL Instruction: English as a second language. Standing class every Tuesday and Thursday. Vistula Headstart, 603 Townline Road, LaGrange. 5 p.m. ESL Instruction: English as a second language class. Standing meeting every Tuesday. LEAP of Noble County, 610 Grand St., Ligonier. 5:30 p.m. Knitters Group: Bi-monthly knitting group, newcomers welcome. Fremont Public Library, 1004 W. Toledo St., Fremont. 5:30 p.m. Bingo: Angola Kids League Bingo Hall, 1409
N. Wayne Street, Angola. 6 p.m. 665-2900 Post Meeting: Post meeting. Francis Vinyard VFW Post 2749, 112 Veterans Way, Kendallville. 6 p.m. Melody Makers Chorus Rehearsal: Call 925-4448 for more information. Garrett First Church of Christ, 213 E. King St., Garrett. 7 p.m. Kendallville Eagles Aerie and Auxiliary Meeting: Standing bi-monthly meeting. Kendallville Eagles, U.S. 6 West, Kendallville. 7 p.m. Auburn Elks: Regular meeting. Auburn Elks Lodge, 311 E. Ninth St., Auburn. 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 Blood Pressure Checks: Steuben County Council on Aging, 317 S Wayne St, Angola. 10 a.m. 665-9856 Harvest Food Bank Farm Wagon: Supplies for those struggling with nutritional needs. Every Wednesday. Church opens at 9:30 a.m. for coffee. For more information, call 564-1584. Wesleyan Methodist Church, 800 E. Main St., Albion. 10 a.m. Faith Community Health Clinic: Free health care for those without insurance and meeting poverty guidelines. Information is at 665-3146. Holy Family Espicopal Church, 909 S. Darling St., Angola. 5 pm. Lord’s Table Supper: Free supper offered to entire community. Serving chili, salad, chips, dessert and beverages. Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church, 2520 N. C.R. 600 E, Kendallville. 5:30 p.m. Celebrate Recovery Meeting: Sessions deal with addictions and relationship issues. Stone’s Hill Community Church, 151 W. C.R. 550 N, Ligonier. 6:30 p.m.
Sweet Adelines invites more women to sing in the new year In the past few months more than 1,000 new members have joined the Sweet Adelines International ranks; many of them vowing to sing as their 2014 New Year’s resolution. “Belonging to a group of energized, uplifting women who offer an overwhelming amount of motivational support makes it nearly effortless to stick with this resolution,” said a news release from Sweet Adelines International. In January, thousands of women from different backgrounds and nationalities are joining together
in the common goal to teach the world to sing a cappella in the barbershop style. There are more than 23,000 members in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, The Netherlands and Wales. Women of all ages who enjoy singing are invited to one of the many Sweet Adelines International chorus open house events. Whether it’s the joy of singing, the music education, the time to do something for themselves, the unwavering motivation of others, or the life-long friendships formed that make it easy for members to stick with their resolution to sing, Sweet Adelines provides an outlet for women to connect. “It is much more than a group of singing women. It is a few hours a week of freedom, a slice of life that
is theirs alone, a place to let loose with the ladies, build true friendships, sing their hearts out, and for most it’s where they can go to find the motivation, inspiration, encouragement and happiness to fill them up until the next rehearsal,” said the news release. “It makes them better, healthier people.” Being part of Sweet Adelines International also offers opportunities for women to entertain within their community and compete with the most talented barbershop singers in the world. The Little River Chapter of the Sweet Adelines meets regularly in Steuben County. Betsy Fowler is the director. Sweet Adelines International can be contacted at 800-992-7464 or 918-6221444, email ann-marie@ sweetadelineintl.org, or visit sweetadelineintl.org.
Weddings In Color • The News Sun, The Star and The Herald Republican print color wedding photos with wedding stories free of charge the first Sunday of every month. You can submit your announcement online at kpcnews.com. At the top of the home page, under Share News, there are links to wedding forms. For more information, contact: The News Sun:
Jan Richardson, 347-0400, ext. 131, jrichardson@ kpcmedia.com The Star: Kathryn Bassett, 925-2611, ext. 26, kbassett@kpcmedia.com. The Herald Republican: Jennifer Decker, 665-3117, ext. 142, jdecker@ kpcmedia.com. The deadline for wedding submissions is Monday at noon prior to publication.