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TRI FOR TRISOMY 21 Nehalem resident Phil Chick’s fundraising effort for Down syndrome awareness exceeds his expectations.
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north coast
Serving North Tillamook County Since 1996
J ULY 26, 2012
VOLUME 17, N O. 15
NORTHCOASTCITIZEN . COM
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CHAIRS ON LANEDA:ISSUE OR NON-ISSUE? City, The Fourth of July parade ritual of setting up chairs in advance comes under scrutiny By Dave Fisher The Citizen
By most accounts, Manzanita’s Fourth of July parade was once again a crowd pleaser with nary a glitch, that is, unless you take issue with the annual practice of setting up chairs before the parade to stake out your viewing territory. “It was bigger and better than ever,” said Mayor Garry Bullard, as the Manzanita City Council performed its traditional exercise of reviewing holiday activities at its July 11 meeting. “The only negative feedback I received,” said Councilor Hans Tonjes, “was the chairs set up in advance of the parade along Laneda Ave.” The practice of setting up chairs is as much an annual ritual as the parade itself. How big an issue it is, if it’s an issue at all, is uncertain. “Do we want chairs or not?’ council member Leila Salmon asked. The problem is with the length of Laneda Ave. virtually “reserved,” it
Business
For now, setting up chairs prior to Manzanita’s annual Fourth of July parade will remain part of the ritual and celebration. Photo by Dave Fisher
doesn’t leave much sidewalk room for those who show up just before the parade. “Some folks were concerned that their driveways were being blocked prior to the parade,” said City Manager Jerry Taylor, who also serves as the parade’s committee chair.
The parade route, of course, is closed just before the parade, but Taylor suggested the city could close the route from noon to 2 p.m. to help ensure access to businesses and residences. “It’s wasn’t a big problem this year,” said Taylor of the chairs lining Laneda and blocked driveways, “but, if it gets worse, we’ll probably have to do something about it.” Asked how easily a policy of not allowing chairs to be set up in advance, Manzanita Police Chief Erik Harth voiced his reservations. “You’d have to have an officer patrolling the entire length of Laneda the evening before,” he said, when the chairs begin to go up. “We haven’t had problems with people disturbing the chairs, people have been respectful…” While Laneda Ave. was the focus of discussion, audience member Owen Nicholson reminded the council that there is always plenty of room for people to view the parade along Manzanita Ave. The problem there is, said one councilor in jest, is parade participants who toss candy to children along the route may have run out of candy by the time the parade gets to Manzanita Ave. The 108 parade entrants this year matched the all-time high set a few years ago, according to Taylor. “It was the smoothest and most fun,” added Salmon. “It was a wonderful parade.”
Local celebrations cap
county consider cutting sirens By Dave Fisher The Citizen
Heading into an emergency planning meeting with other Tillamook County jurisdictions, Manzanita City Manager Jerry Taylor wanted to know how the Manzanita City Council felt about the effectiveness of sirens as a warning system for a impending tsunami at its meeting held June 11. “In 1992, they were a great thing when they were put in, but since then technology has changed and improved…and
See SIRENS, page 5
a fun-filled weekend! LEARN TO SUP Jim Welsh
Janice Gaines is now teaching the joys of stand up paddle boarding at SUP Manzanita
Welshdeclines Republican nomination
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Index
Public Safety Log .........6
Top: And, they’re off! A record-setting number of participants, 279 in all, registered for the annual Manzanita Beach Walk/Run held Saturday, July 21, surpassing the previous mark of 212 set in 2009. Conditions for the runners and walkers were near perfect for the 22nd annual event. For more details, see related story on page 2 and view race results online at ncrdnehalem.org.
Golightly Gourmet ......10
Photos by Dave Fisher
Classifieds ...................7 Events calendar ...........8 NBFR District Log.........3
By Samantha Swindler For the Citizen
Letters to the Editor......4
Above: Denise Drake and Dave Quinton entertain festival goers at the second annual Wheeler Summerfest held at Waterfront Park this past weekend. The two-day celebration included vendor booths and food served up by local restaurants, and, by all accounts was a great success. See more event photos at www.northcoastcitizen.com. Left: Not to be outdone, Nehalem hosted its 20th annual Celebration of Crafts, featuring upwards of 20 vendors with their hand-crafted items and a first-ever showing of vintage automobiles. More photos at www.northcoastcitizen.com.
Nehalem River Inn to close after eight years After eight years, owners Ryan and Nicole Hamic will switch career paths By Dave Fisher The Citizen
An eight-year run as proprietors of the Nehalem River Inn comes to end for Ryan and Nicole Hamic on Aug.12. The couple, who purchased the business and remodeled it in 2004 turning it into a fine dining establishment and country-style inn with five guest rooms, are in the process of packing their bags for a new adventure in Phoenix, Arizona before summer’s end. 7
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Ryan and Nicole Hamic, owners of the Nehalem River Inn, get ready to close the restaurant See INN, page 5 Aug. 12, and move on with their lives. Photo by Dave Fisher
Jim Welsh, the Republican nominee for the House District 32 race, has declined the party’s nomination and said he now plans to file as the Constitution Party candidate. Welsh will still face incumbent Democrat Deborah Boone in the November general election. Welsh was the uncontested Republican nominee in May. On July 19, he informed the Republican Party that he was changing his party affiliation. It was unclear over the weekend whether the Republicans would offer another nominee. In an interview July 22, Welsh said he had not received “one red cent” in campaign contributions from Promote Oregon Leadership, the Oregon House Republican PAC, while other candidates had received thousands of dollars from the group. “I don’t feel that I would have gotten any support from them (the Republican Party) and why should I then go out and work my tail off for people who wouldn’t have cared less about me?” he said. “... I’m still going to give the people a choice. I’m not going to be changing any of my opinions or the things I believe in.” Welsh said the Republican Party leadership seemed adverse to some of his more “Libertarian/Tea Party” viewpoints. “They needed an ‘R’ on the ballot, but they are not enamored of me,” he said. Welsh’s family owns the newly renovated Manzanita Fresh Food grocery store. He serves on the Nehalem City Council and also maintains a blog, where you can read more about his decision, at moocountynews.com. “I don’t want to cause any problems with the other (Republican) candidates,” Welsh added. “I really wish them the best and I don’t want them to be tarred by my opinions about the Republican Party’s leadership right now.”