Category: General Interest

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

I lost my keys on the beach yesterday, which included the little key-ring tag that serves as a library card. Whoever found my keys returned them to the library, which identified me from my library card number and then telephoned me.

THANK YOU to the tillamook library system for coming up with the idea of key-ring tags, which of course was for ease of use by the library patron. Luckily for me, it also served as a way to have my keys returned to me.

And of course thank you to the thoughtful soul who brought my keys to the manzanita library.

And, I love our local light-filled manzanita branch library in its own right, for access to books and for its cheerful, excellent service!

om peace namaste
lucy brook
nehalem resident

Submitted By: bluefishout@earthlink.net – Click to email about this post

Today’s top news stories could be in your inbox right now:

Tillamook Police Investigates Assaults on Houseless Community by Group of High School Aged Youth

Update on the Memaloose Point Boat Launch Dredging Project

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Subscribe to FREE nightly news updates via email at www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/xscripts/register.php

Submitted By: daslunas@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

About a year ago, four retired professionals pulled together to study the significant problems facing our city. Short term rentals (STRs) was only one of several issues studied.

This research group dug deeply into Manzanita’s profile. We mapped out the STRs to understand the density issues and were alarmed to see some neighborhoods reflected a 50% saturation of STR — half a block was transient lodging. We looked into the STR cap for our city (17.5%) and discovered that multiple cities don’t want “caps.” Why, because tourists want to be closest to the attraction of the area. In our case, it’s the ocean.
STRs in Oregon and across our country contribute to a broad spectrum of livability issues directly affecting the area’s economic impact, one example is affordable housing. The STR, because of its investment value, drives up the price of homes and drives out the affordability of the neighborhood – ultimately decreasing the resident population.

The research group made videos ( This Video Link: https://youtu.be/v3kj5r5emY8 from neighborhood-forum.org/ ) and wrote articles to educate folks about the problem. We developed a comprehensive, multi-prong solution. This solution included many aspects of necessary balances in our neighborhoods integrating transient visitors as a majority portion of the population. We strove for fairness plus additional and diversified revenue to city coffers. The plan addressed good neighbor courtesies needed to create harmony between residents and tourists around problems such as traffic and parking.

On Aug. 4, our research team’s proposals were presented to the Concerned Citizens of Manzanita and guests. The proposals were understood and were well received by the majority. Residents don’t want a piecemeal plan. They are looking for coordinated, fact-based solutions that enhance the city’s assets — but not at the expense of our neighborhoods.

During the City Council Work Session on Aug. 3, the second STR Work Group appointed by the Council was discussed, and noted that in order to reach a level of significant effectiveness, they must start with a Mission Statement written by the City Council. Once the Council states the objectives that the Work Group needs to achieve, the City Council will ultimately draft policy from those findings. The city manager’s role is to carry out those policies.

Below is the STR Task Force Mission Statement from Cannon Beach:
“In order to maintain the residential character and livability of its neighborhoods and to prevent the adverse effects of the transient occupancy of dwelling units on residential neighborhoods, it is necessary to limit and regulate the transient occupancy of dwelling units by investigating the rental permitting, violations and impacts of the STR program in Cannon Beach.”
Compared to other Oregon Coast cities with proactive leadership such as Waldport, Cannon Beach and Gearhart, Manzanita has dug a very deep hole. Our resident population shrinks to only 14% when all homes are fully occupied. This is a very skewed, unsustainable demographic for any town. Many do not think the status quo is a problem. But for me, our town is like a resort – a commercial enterprise, not a community. Yet we have not the structure or resources of a resort business, but we have all the limitations of a small, one-revenue-source-volunteer-dependent village.

To effect solutions, the committee actually belongs with its select Council Member under the charter of the Planning Commission. Bottom line…. STRs are a Land Use issue.

The Comprehensive Plan provides the basis for the Planning Commission to evaluate the STR Committee’s findings within the purview of the Comprehensive Plan.
The City Council has a broader responsibility which encompasses, in this particular case, revenues. Land use solutions should come before the Council prior to any revenue alterations. The Work Group should not worry about revenue. Land Use is their priority.
If elected Mayor, my intention is to move forward with the findings from the Work Group and also those independently done. Time is of the essence. Citizens want a strong Council leadership that is focused, transparent and takes action.

My Dad was an electrician in Portland. I used to tell my friends that he lit up the city.
He was a hunter, fisherman, pilot, SCUBA diver and a master of logic. He said many times over – ‘You can either complain or you can stand up and do something.’
In Manzanita, I got tired of complaining. We have some solutions that won’t take 5 or 10 years to implement. But before it’s too late, we need to break out of the cycle we’re in and support balanced and healthy neighborhoods in our town.

My name is Deb Simmons and I am a candidate for Mayor of Manzanita. I believe in livability, accountability and sustainability.

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

We are just over half way between summer solstice and fall equinox. Gardens are growing and harvesting is happening.

Gardeners, would you be interested in saving seed from the veggies and flowers you are growing and then sharing with fellow gardeners?

A free Seed Exchange has happened in the past at the White Clover Grange where people could take seeds even if they didn’t bring any. The past 2 Covid springs have caused this event to be diminished. Hopefully there will be a full Seed Exchange next March with lots of gardening goodies besides seeds!

When we save our own seeds, we not only save money, we have varieties that we know do well here on the coast and we are contributing to our own food resilience. And if we really got good at it, we could start a seed bank, where we can store the seeds for community use.

Here are some websites about saving seeds:

seedalliance.org/publications/seed-saving-guide-gardeners-farmers/

www.seedsavers.org/how-to-save-seeds

www.almanac.com/saving-flower-seeds-garden

empressofdirt.net/seed-saving/

Hope you will join me in saving seeds.
If you want to stay in the loop about saving seeds and/or a possible Seed Exchange, email me at barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net

Submitted By: peatea0@yahoo.com – Click to email about this post

How To Urbanize a Village

Step 1: Bulldoze a productive triangle of trees, fruits, and flowers, digging out shore pines, blackberries, fireweed, and salal, thus:
• Eliminating plants that clean and refresh the village’s air every day and night.
• Diminishing a living system which manages water and sequesters carbon.
• Eliminating food and habitat for essential insects and birds.

Step 2: Fill the triangle with big buildings, specifically:
• With the maximum allowable number of buildings, each with the maximum possible square-footage.
• Include large walls and windows which absorb and re-radiate heat rather than cool it.
• Make buildings as tall as legally allowed, higher than any trees they replace, regardless of the height of neighboring roofs and heedless of creating sight barriers for pedestrians and others who live in the area.

This is what cities are like. The three buildings in the triangle bordered by Beach, Pacific, and Carmel Streets in Manzanita are apparently being constructed under a single permit, Number 547-21-000169-DWL, issued on June 28, 2021. I assume this project is perfectly legal under Manzanita’s building codes and City planning ordinances. Is this what we want our so-called village to become?

Manzanita has a Comprehensive Plan, which theoretically underlies such codes, adopted in March 1996. The last amendments to the Plan were adopted in April 2014. According to the Plan, “The planning horizon for this document is the year 2010,” which is 12 years ago.

In a world increasingly aware of human obligations for the quality of life across the planet, the structures at 22 Pacific Lane seem ecologically irresponsible and unneighborly. Is our community ready to think about new guidelines for planning which aim toward ecological resilience and foster a more liveable community in a place we love?

Phyllis Thompson
Manzanita, OR

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Voter Rules

My husband Ben and I moved here full-time in May of 2020. Our house on Edmund Lane was a licensed short-term rental at the time. Like a lot of people we rented it to cover our mortgage and used it as much as we could. When Covid forced Ben to teach on-line and my health worsened we decided to try living here year round.

Manzanita was in the run up to a contentious election then–in fact, our whole country was. I didn’t follow the ballot measures or the candidates here. I figured the people living in Manzanita would know best how to vote for this community. I voted in Portland where our primary residence was and where I’d lived for most of my life.

After a year we decided we loved living here so much we’d make the big step and be full-timers, letting our STR license lapse this year and making a new life here in Manzanita.

In order to determine our residency I looked at ORS.247.035, which gives you a list to figure it all out. It includes where your primary mailing address is, where your driver’s license is issued, where you file your state and federal taxes, where your car is registered, the address from which your utilities are paid. Pretty straight forward, right?

But nothing in legalese is simple to discern because the statute reads in 1. a):

“The person’s residence shall be the place in which habitation is fixed and to which, when the person is absent, the person intends to return.”

Does this mean that a second homeowner could decide to vote in Manzanita? Intention is one of those slippery slope words that means what you decide it means.

But then later on in ORS.247.035 1.c):

“A person shall not be considered to have gained a residence in any location in this state into which the person comes for temporary purposes only, without the intention of making it the person’s home.”

That seems opposite!

I emailed the Oregon Secretary of State’s office about this and they referred me back to the residency requirements. Where does your mail go? Where is your car registered? Where is your license issued?

It takes awhile to get to know a place and Ben and I decided to wait to change our voter’s registration until we made the commitment to stay put. We voted here this May for the primary and are looking forward to voting here this fall.

What I didn’t know about before I lived here full-time was a lot. I didn’t know how polarized the community was about the City Hall, workforce housing, STR’s, where the best clamming is. I didn’t know how short-term rentals effected livability for so many folks or how much revenue the vacation rental industry generates for the city.

All I knew was that if I asked questions about stuff that was controversial I was likely to wish I hadn’t. Especially, on what I like to call Anti-Social Media. The anonymous nature of Facebook etc seems to unleash the inner middle-schooler in too many people. But this isn’t about that.

To me, voting is a sacred duty and democracy a fragile institution that will fail without our civic and civil engagement. Playing fast and loose with the rules or our words isn’t respectful to all those who died for the rights we take for granted.

The next election is bound to be just as intense as the last one but we have choices to make about how we behave. We could, if we wanted to, have discussions instead of debates about the issues we care about. We could refuse to spread gossip and hateful words about those who disagree with us. We could agree to disagree. We could treat each other with respect.

I think the measure of a person isn’t how they treat those they like and agree with but how they treat those with whom they differ. That doesn’t mean we don’t have hard, honest conversations about difficult things with the people we don’t agree with. In fact, that’s where the solutions lie.

Just imagine what we could do if we played well together?

Kim Rosenberg loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Submitted By: mthompson@nehalem.gov – Click to email about this post

The City of Nehalem will have the position of Mayor and all City Council positions on the ballot in the November 8, 2022 General Election. All positions are non-partisan. All positions are volunteer/non-paid. Terms begin January 2023. Although City Council position terms are typically 4 years, due to appointments to fill unexpired terms, some positions are for 2 year terms, as noted below.

Position Currently held by 2022 Election Term
Mayor Bill L. Dillard, Jr. Normal 2-year term
Council Position 1 Hilary Howell Normal 4-year term
Council Position 2 Ruben Bitts Special 2-year term
Council Position 3 Dave Cram Special 2-year term
Council Position 4 Phil Chick Normal 4-year term

Candidates must be a qualified voter and have resided in the City limits for at least one year immediately preceding the election.

Filing forms are available at City Hall or on the city website at www.nehalem.gov/elections

• Filing forms must be brought to Nehalem City Hall for approval before gathering signatures. (Please call ahead for an appointment.)

• Forms must be returned to Nehalem City Hall by August 15, 2022 to allow time for the city to submit the filing to the County Clerk for signature verification before filing closes on August 30, 2022.

For more information, visit or contact the City Elections Officer below:

City of Nehalem
Melissa Thompson-Kiefer, City Manager/Recorder
503-368-5627
PO Box 143
Nehalem, OR 97131
mthompson@nehalem.gov

Submitted By: tknappy@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

What’s with all the dead birds on the beach? Never seen so many. Most have black tops. Some gulls. One large pelican. Anyone know?

Submitted By: dixiegainer@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

If you are planning to vote for Betsy Johnson – she has to be on the ballot – and she is still collecting signatures online for a few more days – Her website is run Betsy run and you can sign online.

www.runbetsyrun.com/

Submitted By: daslunas@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

by Deb Simmons

Lately in Manzanita, attention has re-focused on our Comprehensive Plan (CP) as both the Planning Commission and the City Council, made decisions to deny the Manzanita Lofts’ application and appeal. This was a land use decision.

The Comprehensive Plan is our city’s primary land use document, but city officials have often left it on the shelf. Now, thanks to a neighborhood group called the Concerned Citizens of Manzanita (CCOM), the City Council referenced the CP and used it in their decision making.

I am very pleased that the CP was applied to the standard decision process. But, let’s look at what a CP requires of elected officials.

The heart of our CP is that it defines the process of how we manage our land use decisions: what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who should do it. Goals are established and arranged in logical order through this process.

The power of the Comprehensive Plan is that it is the key document managing the development of our city. If used properly, it becomes the deciding tool that over-rides any disputes such as zoning or “conflicting or incompatible land use.”

The CP is very clear in respect to residential land use. It clearly states that “the city’s primary asset is our residential character.” (pg. 6). What Manzanita’s CP briefly highlights is an approach in, “establishing land uses which are harmonious with each other and with the natural environment, as well as compatible with existing uses.” (Pg. 6). The interpretation of this document is brought about by the City Council using the Planning Commission as advisors. They are the judges.

All incorporated cities and counties in Oregon, by state law, have a CP. The key purpose in Oregon’s Land Use Bill 100 was to set up for “Existing and proposed land use and their intensity impact on neighborhood’s character.”

Where does Manzanita’s future lie? We want a plan that clearly lays out the desires of its citizens. A clear path for decision makers and city staff to follow when development is proposed throughout the City. All of this requires an update of the old 1995 CP (first est. in 1975) and a corresponding update of the City’s ordinances. The CP states, “it is not to be static.” (Pg. 1)

The core of the current CP is well-written and compassionate. It directs our elected city administrators to make developers preserve our living areas and make sure new land use is “a positive contribution to the quality of life and which are harmonious with the coastal environment.” (Pg. 7)

Manzanita!s current path, as a city, is not sustainable. But, before drafting policies for an updated CP, Manzanita citizens must come together to decide what is important and what we want our city to look like in 10 to 20 years.

We cannot continue to disregard our CP — a factor which has attributed to the gradual decline of our city’s neighborhoods. Not only has our median age increased, but we are losing our youth and work force because, over the years, the administration has ignored a plan to develop and nurture affordable housing. By clearly stating the number of dwellings to be affordable within the city, they could have then developed a plan to reach that number. A piecemeal approach with unstated goals is not a solution.

Three key aspects within the CP reference livability. Stated in objective no. 1, “preserving within residential areas natural places…” Under objective 3 it states, “protect the character and quality of existing residential areas and neighborhoods from incompatible new development.” Finally, in objective 7, “Foster housing and living environments to meet needs of families of different size, income, age, taste and life style.” (Pg. 7).

In respect to density, it is up to the Planning Commission to “review and approve” (Pg. 8. prior to any Council decision. The Council should not be freezing and unfreezing STR caps. These decisions should start with the Planning Commission.

We are at a fork in the road. Either we stay the course, or we elect a proactive administration who will set to work on updating the CP. A proactive administration will address issues such as affordable housing and securing balance and harmony in neighborhoods. A proactive administration will bring back town hall meetings and assure citizens the right to vote on major issues.

There will be numerous ideas and hard choices to sort through, but this conversation and process will put us back on track. Manzanita should be a town for “all ages” in harmony with our neighbors and environment.

I strongly endorse these goals and this type of proactive administrative process.

My name is Deb Simmons, and I am a candidate for Mayor. Email: daslunas@icloud.com
Thank you.

Link to Manzanita City Website Comprehensive Plan:

ci.manzanita.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Manzanita-Comprehensive-Plan-amend-041514.pdf

Submitted By: cbbcalm@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

response to the Chikenlady36@gmail.com Hundreds of dogs caught in the floods of Kentucky , Also check < Herd you needed a home ?> Border Collie rescue in Bend, OR.
At this time because of the economy , many are loosing their homes, and or, surrounding their furry companions . Shelters everywhere are full. . help them please by rescuing a pooch ……Hnhttps://cuddly.com/donate/4910326/this-devastating-flood?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Monday%20Newsletter%208%2F01%2F22%20%28XAJWzJ%29&_kx=33uaRUrkNMjKLX1E74S4Xy-XaAJtJytZ1YAREV39Q5M%3D.TX3QHj

Submitted By: awtreypeggy@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

This Portland based CPA is threatening lawsuits against all 10 of her clients in our community who engaged her for the 2021 tax year. In an e-mail after she collected thousands of dollars in fees, this CPA claims that all 10 new clients in our community have bullied her while providing bad and/or dishonest information so she unilaterally disengaged her services all together. We are skeptical of the blanket statements, but what we do know is that we either never got our taxes filed, received inaccurate returns while being billed for time she is unable to substantiate. Now she is threatening to sue all 10 of us as we either refused to pay or reversed credit card charges.

If this resonates with you, please e-mail and/or share this posting as we are trying to connect with those under threat so we can be more effective in mitigating this.

E-mail: maxxnita@gmail.com or awterypeggy@gmail.com and use Clarity Tax in the subject line.

Submitted By: dixiegainer@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Financial Incentives – definitely

COVID-19 has arguably been the greatest profit maker for Big Pharma of all time, and monkeypox is undoubtedly viewed as a similar future profit maker. The sad reality is, there’s so much liability-free money to be made in pandemic vaccines, they’re not likely to give up on them, and that requires keeping the world in a more or less constant health emergency.

As COVID fatigue is setting in and people are increasingly resisting the shots, monkeypox allows for a brand-new cycle of fear porn to be spun, and for new experimental vaccines to be rolled out. This, I fear, is why Ghebreyesus unilaterally decided to declare monkeypox a global health emergency.

Ghebreyesus may also be trying to push the pandemic treaty forward. Either way, his behavior is a foretaste of what we can expect if that pandemic treaty becomes reality. As noted by Dr. Robert Malone in a July 23, 2022, Substack article:29,30

“Clearly, the WHO committee did not reach the desired decision to declare a PHEIC, and so for some extraordinary reason Tedros stepped in … Tedros’ statements clearly demonstrate that he unilaterally substituted his own opinions for those of the convened panel, raising questions of his objectivity, commitment to process and protocol, and whether he has been unduly influenced by external agents.”

In short, Ghebreyesus is acting like a corrupt dictator, and it’s not difficult to figure out who the beneficiaries might be. In a recent review31 by Pandemics Data Analytics (PANDA), they detail the corruption by the WHO, global leaders and governments around the world during the COVID pandemic. As noted by Malone:32

“This review empowers you with key information to help you assess the WHO’s candidacy as an authoritative global public health organization … It is a must-read by anyone who is interested in public health, the global COVID-19 WHO policies that almost all nations followed, and the full extent of the corruption …”

There’s no doubt the WHO should not be given the sole authority to make medical decisions for the whole world, and Ghebreyesus’ decision to “break the tie” when there really wasn’t one is a perfect example of what can and probably will happen if the WHO is given that power.

Submitted By: Sonya.agnello@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I moved to the area a year ago and have not spent much time outside of work or nature, and with that, I haven’t made many friends!

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my current days off, soon to be Wednesdays and Thursdays. I’m looking for like minded people to spend some time with!

Doing what you may ask?
Hiking, kayaking, vision board making, eating yummy food, coffee shop visits…

You don’t need to like all of it, just looking to do some things with another human!

I don’t drink or smoke weed, but I promise I am tons of fun! I’ve got two small dogs that accompany me most everywhere, so not being a dog hater is a must!

If you’re a lady looking for friends too, let me know!

Submitted By: dwieb1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

This recent article from Australia’s ABC News site offers perspective on the abortion issue in America and how it may be just a means to accomplish another goal.

www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-16/why-america-is-so-divided-on-abortion-and-the-men-who-planned-it/101188994

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg. loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Session Success

At last Wednesday’s Listening Session kick off at the Pine Grove, I was impressed, once again, by our tireless City Manager, Leila Aman, and our dedicated City Staff, who came out to facilitate the session. I thank each of them for their service to our community. The format was simple yet effective and staff was there to answer all manner of questions from the community.

Folks wrote down their concerns, solutions, and ideas for the different topics presented on big white paper and used blue sticky dots to agree with comments written by others. The blizzard of blue dots next to so many of the comments show how we share the same values and agree about more than you’d think.

Before I left, I read all the comments again in case I missed something. As I read, I could see how so many of our challenges are tangled together. It’s like that big bag of yarn I got at the Hope Chest years ago thinking I’d untangle and use it, but instead I keep shoving to the back of the closet. That yarn isn’t going to untangle itself. Neither will our challenges.

It took decades to create the problems we’re living with now and it’s not going to be quick to find solutions but City Manager Aman is setting the stage for the conversation to begin with these first steps.

Plus, it was fun, too. Who doesn’t like stickers, markers and big white paper? Who doesn’t like seeing old friends and meeting new ones?

I met some people I didn’t know but knew of. I had conversations with people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise who offered different perspectives about some things I feel deeply about. That’s where community starts–not just with our besties who agree with us about everything, but with those who don’t.

If you aren’t able to go to the next session, you have until the 23rd to do the on-line survey available on the City’s homepage.

The next live session is Wednesday July 20, from 1-4 at the Pine Grove. Blue dots are provided!

loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Submitted By: daslunas@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

ITS THE PROCESS
For the third time, Manzanita’s planning commission denied a permit to the Manzanita Loft hybrid-Hotel development.
Coming up this month, are two hearings in which I hope the council listens carefully to the results from the Planning Commission, the city’s key advisory group on land use planning. The commission cited very significant safety issues in both the neighborhood and the adjoining golf course. Surely the Planning Commission’s frank concerns and recommendations would tug at the moral fiber of anyone — council members included.
When news of the proposed development first emerged, one citizen wrote to the City Council with questions and neighborhood concerns. She received one response which stated something like … the law allowed this development because it was zoned for limited commercial use. No reference was made to the Comprehensive Plan. The recipient felt it was a standard form letter that spoke to none of her questions or concerns. She felt nobody was listening.
In the case of the Manzanita Loft hybrid-Hotel, citizens were fortunate to bring together talented expertise and personal funds so land use planners and experts could be hired to present a factual and well-organized campaign. Today, this group calls itself the Concerned Citizens of Manzanita (CCOM).
Looking at all residents of Manzanita, my concern is for a process to weigh both sides. Not all neighborhoods are as motivated and organized as the CCOM. But, we do need to build a process that works for our neighborhoods using the CCOM as a model.
Our past experience has been on decisions related to land use development, if ‘the project meets code’, the City Council generally approves it. This project DOES NOT meet code — as cited in numerous documents submitted to the Planning Commission by the CCOM and reflected in the Planning Commissions’ decision.
This project has deep and wide community concerns — concerns that date back several years. It would be unfortunate to again, brush these aside and give this project an approval. July 19th @ 1:00 is the date for the City Concil hearing where testimony will be welcome.
We need to enter a new era, one where the city’s revenue isn’t placed above the preservation of our neighborhoods, where our administrative process is proactive.
Deb Simmons Candidate for Mayor daslunas@icloud.com

Submitted By: gingerlee58@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I had a wonderful experience with Pickles Transport. They went out of their way to two different long-distance locations to help me move some very large heavy objects. They must have driven at least 7 hours to complete this job of mine. Couldn’t have done it without them. Big SHOUT OUT to the owners Robert and Frannie. Sweet, kind and capable people. Very reasonable price too.
Ginger Matyas
www.gingerpetsitter.com

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg. loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Motel Appeal To Council

I’ve got no beef with a motel in town. They bring in more money for the city than the couch change we make from STR’s. But in towns like Cannon Beach that make 5 million a year in motel revenue compared to our sad little STR million, they have a zone for hotels so they don’t impact neighborhoods. In fact, they have a definition of what a hotel is in their Ordinances. Not so much here. Until recently, when it came to doing the work of the city like updating Plans and Ordinances, Manzanita put the PRO in procrastination.

So now, here we are.

The denial of the proposed Manzanita Lofts by our courageous Planning Commission was all about the location, location, location of the motel and the sloppy two and a half-page application that addressed none of the concerns of folks who live here. I mean, two and a half pages about a 34 unit keyless staff-less hotel that looks from the plans more like 34 STR’s adjoining the golf course right in signature hole 5’s line of fire.

Take a looksee at the plans. It’s messed up.

The Planning Commission denied the proposal and the developer appealed the decision. On Friday, July 15 at 11am, council will decide whether to have an “on the record” or “denovo” public hearing. It will be a short meeting but it will let us know what we can bring up in public comments at the hearing.

It will go to the City Council for a public hearing on July 19 from 1-5pm.

The Council can uphold the Planning Commission’s decision to deny the proposal and send the developer back to the drawing board. A denial doesn’t mean that nothing will happen on the land. But it does mean that the developer will have to do his homework and check his math. He can come back later with a thoughtful proposal addressing traffic, safety concerns about flying golf balls, event parking, a wetland delineation report completed during the wet season, the whole staff-less 34 unit deal. Maybe he’d even have some conversations with the golf course and the neighbors?

If the Council overturns the decision and approves the proposal, the Concerned Citizens of Manzanita will appeal the decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals. So far they’ve raised a few thousand dollars. If it is appealed to LUBA, a land use lawyer is lined up to represent.

Nobody wants this to happen but here we are.

To join the email list contact: support@concernedcitizensofmanzanita.org

If you’d like to contribute make out checks to:
Concerned Citizens of Manzanita
PO Box 1176
Manzanita, OR 97130

loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Submitted By: Wheelertattletales@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I’m wondering why I have to pay taxes on a building I’m not allowed to see a play in?
That’s right, NCRD is having plays and still asking for a shot card. Why?
Is there a way for me to get a reprieve on paying taxes on a building, if I can’t even play there?
Where/when will it end

Submitted By: cbbcalm@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Please do not simply walk by..if you see a dog inside a car in the full sun … this is what you can do :Walk into the near by businesses and ask the manager / owner to reach out to their customers,,.( sometimes they don’t want to get involve ) so it’s ok for you to shout < there is dog in car full sun !! ) ( you'll educate !)
2) call non emergency number 503 815 19 11, and do call them again if situation is resolved .
3 DO leave notes on the window shield saying < Dog inside hot car > this let’s car owner know that their carelessness is being noticed .
This situation has happened twice in Manzanita so far. it took a second person ‘ intervention for finally convince a busy manager to reach out to their customers… 5 mis later car had moved .
Be a voice for the animals …
corinna & family .

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg. loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

The Sessions

I read the flyer about the upcoming town hall listening sessions. Starting this week our city begins the long anticipated update to our Comprehensive Plan by hosting these sessions to gather our communities concerns, ideas, hopes and dreams! There will be both in-person and on-line ways to be involved and I’m sure everyone with a bee in his or her bonnet will take part! I sure am!

One of the best things about Manzanita is that we are a passionate group of folks with many different experiences, perspectives and ideas. I believe that’s one of our super powers. We may have differing visions and values and lord knows, we don’t always agree but who says you have to agree with everyone to get along and make something good happen? At the end of the day, I bet we all share a love for this place and a desire to be here.

When I read the description of what to expect, I felt optimism and hope rise in me like in that movie, The Red Balloon. The sessions are designed to be, “a first step in moving toward finding solutions to the issues that we are facing as a community so that we as a community can work together to take proactive measures to be who we want to become.”

These sessions are a step in the right direction and the beginning of a journey. I’m packing for a long and productive trip. We can’t expect this to be quick and easy. Creating community never is. We’ve had us some division. We’ve had us some conflicts but that doesn’t have to define our future. None of us is going to get everything we want in this process. That’s just life, right?

I read the questions created to help us frame our thoughts about the different areas of concern. I decided to write them all down in my notebook and do some free writing about each topic using the questions to guide my responses. As I write about each one, I see the workings of my mind and what I value most reflected in my answers. I don’t worry about grammar or spelling, I just write it all down until I have no more to say and read it later. When it’s time to summarize for the survey I will be able to condense my thoughts into a short sentence or two about each topic. I love stuff like this. It helps me know who I am and what I believe in a concrete way.

What do you care most about? What do you value? We all have the opportunity to let our City know who we want to become as a community. Let’s make it happen!

posted for:
loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Submitted By: ellisconklin@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

REMEMEBER A TIME WHEN THERE WERE POLITICAL MODERATES?

By Ellis Conklin

Much has been written and said – I’m looking at you, Bill Maher – in recent months about how the Democratic Party seems to have lost its way.

That it is elitist.

That it is condescending.

That it is out of touch with the real world, where real people live and breathe.

That it is urban-based, urban-driven, urban-obsessed.

That it is no longer the party of the working man (or woman).

That it spends an insane amount of time discussing the merits of defunding cops, removing offensive statues, or pondering the burning issue of gender fluidity, all the while tearing apart the English language.

Who, for example, would have ever thought that the innocuous term “brown out” might offend, well, brown people?

Apparently, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins did when last month he banned those two words to describe unstaffed units, at least in firefighter parlance.

Did I just write “Chief” Harold Scoggins? Ooops!

You see, the San Francisco Unified School District decided in May that it will no longer use the word “chief” in job titles because of concerns from Native Americans.

See where I’m heading on this? Democrats, God love ‘em, have lost more than their way; they’ve lost their cotton-picking (so sorry for that!) minds.

All I know is that next time I hear someone going on about how they got caught hiking or driving in a “white out,” I’m going to get really, really mad.

Which brings me to an intriguing cover story earlier this month titled “The Vanishing Moderate Democrat,” which appeared in The New York Times Magazine.

The piece, written by Jason Zengerle, begins with a congressman named Josh Gottheimer – who represents a wealthy slice of suburban and exurban New Jersey – meeting early in 2021 with Nancy Pelosi to discuss their party’s message.

So, Gottheimer, who was elected in 2016 after barely squeaking by a seven-term Republican incumbent, pulls up a YouTube app on his iPhone, and it is a video of an ad from Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign.

A little background information is in order now, you know, for context. This Gottheimer character is co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 29 Dems and 29 Reps that actually believe in bipartisanship. In any case, the group annoyed (then and now) the hell out of Pelosi and most progressives on Capitol Hill, who dismiss the Problem Solvers as nothing more than a bunch of grandstanders. (Jared Kushner, no doubt, would call them “whiners.”)

Of course, it doesn’t help that the caucus threatened to reject Pelosi’s bid for speaker if she didn’t cave to their demands for rule changes that would make it easier for bipartisan ideas to at least be considered. Pelosi agreed to their demands. The San Francisco Democrat had no other choice

So, back to the video. And Gottheimer hits the button on his phone, and his screen comes alive with images of waving American flags, and then good old Bill is saying, “I am honored to have been given the opportunity to stand up for the values and the interests of ordinary Americans.”

Then, over images of construction workers, kids and cops, bold captions are unfurled of Clinton’s first-term accomplishments: “WELFARE REFORM, WORK REQUIREMENTS”; “TAXES CUT FOR 15,000,000 FAMILIES”; “DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG KINGPINS.”
The ad goes on to tick off Clinton’s goals for a second term: “BAN ‘COP-KILLER BULLETS”; “CAPITAL GAINS TAX CUT FOR HOMEOWNERS”; “BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR A GROWING ECONOMY.”

“When the ad is over,” writes Zengerle, “Gottheimer says, he looked at Pelosi. ‘This is how we won,’ he told her, ‘And this how we win again.’”

Zengerle goes on.

“I asked him what Pelosi’s reaction was when he played it for her. Gotthheimer demurred. But the answer seemed obvious. The message that Pelosi and the Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden and the rest of the Democratic leadership had chosen for their party, the message that Democrats would be carrying into the 2022 midterm elections, was not the one that Gottheimer, and the disembodied voice of Bill Clinton, has counseled.”

In case you’ve forgotten, Clinton trounced Bob Dole in the 1996 election winning 49 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Dole. Clinton captured 379 electoral votes, to Dole’s 159.

Hail to the Chief.