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HRAP 2012 by the numbers Page 7
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INSIDE
Art theft at Cannon Beach Gallery Pg 6
BUSINESS
Pelican Pub design approved Pg 6
INDEX Boac’s Bird Notes.....5 Business Directory....8 Calendar..................4 Classifieds................8 Dining Guide............9 Tide Tables.............. 9 Wine...................... 5 Views.......................4
DEC. 6 - DEC. 19, 2012 | WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZET T E.COM | 75 CEN TS
Lamp Lighting Ceremony marks beginning to holidays in Cannon Beach Although the holiday season has only just begun, Cannon Beach has been a flurry of festive holiday activities. Since Thanksgiving, the town has celebrated black Friday with Mimosa Madness; hosted a wreath making class at the Chamber of Commerce and celebrated its own unique holiday traditions with the lamp lighting ceremony and Cannon Beach Library Holiday Tea Party. To see more photos of the events, check out the photos on page 12. Although some stellar events have already occurred there are still plenty of holiday festivities to go around, including performances of “Scrooge: The Musical” at Coaster Theatre and the Cannon Beach Chorus’ Christmas Season. Plus, anyone can vote for the best decorated building in town for the Cannon Beach in Lights competition until Dec. 19. Results of the competition will be announced on Dec. 22 at intermission of Scrooge at Coaster Theatre. To vote, check out Haystack Holidays on Facebook. Performances of “Scrooge: the Musical” run on Fridays, Saturdays, select Thursdays, and Sunday matinees through Dec. 29. For showtimes, check the Coast Happenings calendar on page 4, or visit coastertheatre.com. Tickets for “Scrooge: The Musical” cost between $18 and $23, and can be purchased
Story by: Anthony Rimel Editor
Although the consideration of an option agreement for buying land that could be used for a new tsunami-safe replacement of Cannon Beach Elementary was on the agenda for the December meeting of the Cannon Beach City Council, no decision was made at the meeting. After the December 4 meeting, City Councilor Sam Steidel said there are some legal issues with the purchase of the option to be worked out before the council can decide on whether or not to reserve the right to buy the property at a later date. According to Steidel, the decision on purchasing an option could be made at the Dec. 11 city council work session, or at a special session of the council this month. In the council’s agenda packet for the meeting was an option purchase agreement, that said the price of the option will be $10,000. For the non-refundable $10,000, the city would have the exclusive right to buy the property for the entirety of 2013. The city would also have the right to extend the length of the option by another six months for an additional $5000. The staff report for the city council prepared by City Manager Rich Mays said that the option agreement
See HOLIDAYS, page 12 Cannon Beach Elementary student Stephen Synder lighting the lamp to kick off the holiday season on December 1 at Sandpiper Square. Synder and his fellow fifth grader Emma Brown were selected to light the lamp for their good citizenship.
Photo by: Anthony Rimel
Editor
ON THE WEB n Clatsop County Commissioners organizing rally in Salem to support gillnetters n Astoria man charged with encouraging child sexual abuse
Eric Johnson talking to a chamber member at the meet and greet on Nov. 27.
After a long vacancy, the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce has hired a new executive director. The Chamber’s executive search committee made its final decision to hire Astoria native Eric Johnson on Nov. 28, less than a day after its meet-and-greet with its top two candidates for the position. Johnson, who graduated from the Oregon State University College of Business in 2010, has worked as an information aide for the city for the past three summers. “I’m very honored to be selected to be in the top two,” he said before the decision had been announced. Johnson said he’s fallen in love with the community through his work as an information aide and his time in the community as a volunteer. “This is a great community,” he said. Johnson said his primary focus would
Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple Story and Photo by: Anthony Rimel Editor
Volume 36, No. 21
See PROPERTY, page 10
Chamber hires new executive director Story and Photo by: Anthony Rimel
n Preliminary PostThanksgiving 2012 Holiday Crash Statistics
Council delays decision on purchasing option on land outside of tsunami zone
In 1934 the bell on the Cannon Beach Community Church was rung for the first time in the bell tower. Decades later, the bell tower was removed and the bell was moved to a new location on the building, but by 2000 it had deteriorated to such a state that it could no longer be rung. However, when the new steeple is complete on the Cannon Beach Community Church, the sound of a bell will be heard at the church once again. The new steeple, which was fabricated in Utah, was lifted onto the church by crane on Nov. 28. Although the steeple won’t house a bell, it will include internal speakers that will broadcast digital recordings of bells. Pastor David Robinson said the bells will ring a call to worship before Sunday services, and will also ring the time out at noon and 6 p.m. most days of the week. He said the installation of the steeple was a unique day for the community. “It’s nice to see the vision realized,” he said. Robinson hopes to have a dedication of the steeple before Christmas. Although the 4,000-pound steeple has been placed on the church’s roof, there
are still steps left before it is complete, such as the installation of the speakers and floodlights. According to Robinson, the city’s design review board rejected the church’s initial proposal for a steeple about three years ago, but their second design was approved in March 2011. Since then the church has been fundraising for the money to build the steeple. Robinson said SMR Construction had done much of the work to get the church building ready for the steeple to be placed. Scott Rice, owner of SMR Construction and an elder at the church, said the feeling of seeing the steeple in place was good. “We are an incredibly blessed church to have the ability to do this,” he said. Ron Dean, owner of Coastal Repair and Maintenance, was the one to actually operate the crane to lift the large steeple into place. He said he has been involved in similar installations, and helped place the bell tower at the Catholic Church in Seaside. He said the challenge of installing
See STEEPLE, page 11 The steeple is lowered into place on a reinforced pad on the Community Church’s roof.
be to build new trust in the chamber. “The number one thing I need to do is mend fences before I can build bridges,” he said. He said he’d also like to work with other chambers of commerce in Clatsop County to promote the whole region. Johnson majored in marketing while in business school. He said getting a face-to-face introduction at the meet and great was a great experience. Johnson said he wants to be visible and available, so he can better know what the needs of the chamber are. Johnson began his first day on the job Dec. 1, which he says he mostly spent visiting businesses. Also in the running for the position was Kimberly Ward, who worked for Chamber in the past, and has been involved in the Clatsop County community since 1989. Ward said she was “absolutely thrilled” to make it as far in the hiring process as she did, and that the interview process was excellent.