Lincoln City Community Discussion Facebook cover page
A new Facebook group centered around community discussion is taking Lincoln City by storm. Lincoln City Community Discussion started yesterday and now has close to 900 members.
The administrators have encouraged everyone to join and share the group in an effort to grow membership and it’s growing faster than expected.
“This group started yesterday afternoon [and] over 700 people have joined! That’s 10% of Lincoln City!” said one member.
The group’s administration said Lincoln City Community Discussion will be a place to talk about local events, local concerns, recommendations, school functions and even air grievances. These policies are in stark contrast to where some of the group’s member base comes from, another Facebook group, where the “ban hammer” is often abused according to a large number of users.
The Banhammer refers to the figurative banning tool used by group administrators to prohibit “undesirable” members from accessing the group
Admins are asking members not to break two cardinal rules: no politics and no religion. Independent Facebook studies suggest those two topics cause the most “unfriending.”
There is no selling or advertising of any kind allowed in the group except on “Small Business Saturdays” and “Work-it Wednesdays.” Business owners can post about their business, but no direct sales.
The following quote is from the admin account for the page:
“I believe as a small community it is vital for us to have a way to quickly communicate when there is an accident on the highway, if head lice broke out in school, power went out, etc.
I also believe as adults we should be able to have discussions -even debates- without calling names, or being down right nasty to one another.
My hope for this page is for people to have a place to voice their opinions, without fear of being hit with the Ban Hammer.
Thank you for your support! Let’s make this page GREAT!”
New members are asked to comment “read” at the bottom of the pinned post to acknowledge they have understood the rules.
Lincoln City Homepage’s coverage of Taft High 7-12 has been silenced by a “gag order” imposed by the Lincoln County School District on its employees, preventing them from communicating with the news site and blocking access to all sources and contacts at all North County schools.
“Due to the nature of athletic issues this spring, concerns over graduation, and the most recent article featuring [incoming Taft High Principal] Nick Lupo, LCSD North Area Schools will no longer respond to communication requests or emails from Lincoln City Homepage,” new School Improvement and Secondary Curriculum Administrator Majalise Tolan wrote Monday in an email.
Lincoln City Homepage, a multimedia Internet and publishing site serving North Lincoln County, has published more than 100 stories and hundreds of photos and videos trumpeting Taft High academics, student government, sports, music and other extracurricular activities in the past three months alone.
“We cannot operate in the blind. It’s impossible to recognize the accomplishments of the kids without the ability to connect with administrators, teachers and coaches,” Homepage Publisher Justin Werner said. “There is a law in this country that prevents governing bodies from censoring future publication and what we can and cannot write. Prior restraint on publication or the sources of information should not be imposed. The courts understand the First Amendment well. We have the right to gather the news.”
According to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, “News organizations should make every effort to challenge even the most routine gag orders because they represent the slow but steady erosion of First Amendment rights.”
Tolan did not return requests for comment made in the interest of fairness on this story.
The announcement follows the posting of a lighthearted satirical piece making light of a Lincoln City News Guard article (since removed) that included a typographical error saying then-Taft Elementary School Principal Lupo “served snakes” (rather than snacks) to kids at an end-of-school gathering. The post did not appear on Homepage’s website or Facebook page, rather a newly developed social site akin to Facebook designed to encourage interaction among Lincoln City residents. The post was also shared on Werner’s personal Facebook page.
Listed in the “Comedy” section and under the headline “Snake charmer Lupo serves reptiles to kids,” the tongue-in-cheek post was not misconstrued as fact by readers. Lupo has not responded to Werner’s apology for any grief the post might have caused.
The email’s reference to “athletic issues this spring” is in regard to a previous command from Tolan to coaches requiring them to share game information previously sought solely by Homepage in the form of a “press release” to all county media. The edict was issued after Homepage objected to a Taft High coach sharing an email response to its exclusive inquiry with the News Guard and Newport News Times.
The former Taft High principal’s “concerns over graduation” arose after Homepage inquired about the possibility of publishing text from a News Guard “guest column” she wrote previewing the 2018 graduation ceremonies in keeping with her previously adopted “press release” policy. The following day, in an attempt to obtain original material to enhance its commencement coverage, Homepage asked Tolan if she would share her graduation speech in lieu of the column, which she did.
Unbeknownst to Homepage, the column and speech were one and the same. Upon the speech’s publication following its delivery to hundreds of parents, teachers, students and family (and videotaped by Homepage), Tolan asked that credit be given to the News Guard due to her arrangement with the paper to produce a “guest column” in past years. Homepage declined to do so as the content of the speech was now public record and in no way “exclusive.”
After censoring her employees, Tolan told Homepage it could arrange a meeting with School District officials to discuss the aforementioned matters:
“If interested, Majalise Tolan and Dr. Karen Gray [incoming LCSD superintendent] will be happy to sit down with you to discuss these concerns. A meeting may be scheduled by contacting Sheena Scarberry [LCSD secretary] at the Lincoln County School District main office: 541-265-9211. Sincerely, Majalise Tolan,” the email read.
A meeting has been proposed for Wednesday, June 27, at District headquarters in Newport. Homepage is considering its options on how to proceed to ensure its continuing coverage of North County schools and their students.
Homepage is prepared to produce emails and other communication confirming the aforementioned version of events and stands by its commitment to promote and document the many deeds and accomplishments of the youth in Lincoln County.
“The only thing this hurts besides our First Amendment rights are the kids,” Werner said.
City Recorder Cathy Steere and City Attorney Richard Appicello
Lincoln City – At last Monday’s Lincoln City City Council meeting, the sole topic was City Attorney Richard Appicello’s project list, which Appicello claimed is confidential. He then divulged a few details of several of his projects in priority order:
Two dangerous building orders and compliance agreements associated with those cases, four in total (to “go after” property owners, said Appicello).
Taft property acquisition, with or without prospective purchaser agreement (no details were provided).
Sign ordinance review, which is going to the Planning Commission on June 19.
Charter [Cable TV/Internet] franchise ordinance review, that’s been with outside counsel.
Social media policy (for city staff and contractors, when they are working).
Development agreement ordinance which sets forth minimum requirements for the RFEI [Request for Expression of Interest] properties and annexations with the form agreement (re ORS Chapter 94, Logan Park was mentioned as an example).
Form incentive agreements for business housing development (no details were provided).
Comprehensive right-of-way regulation (no details were provided).
Records management and retention (no details were provided).
Presentation to council on “court of record” options (so citizens can’t appeal to the Circuit Court in Newport, but must appeal to the State Appellate Court in Salem, Appicello said, and followed up saying that no one has appealed in the last five years, or more).
Complete previously closed and approved land exchanges; there are two that are incomplete (no details were provided).
Urban growth management agreement, basic and advanced (no details were provided).
Annexation standards (no details were provided).
Amend SDC [Systems Development Charge] ordinance to address abandonment (no details were provided).
Appicello said there are “a lot more projects” on his list, but did not elaborate.
After a short discussion, Mayor Don Williams listed his priorities, which included several items not on Appicello’s list:
Social media (#5 above)
Development agreement (housing) (#6 above)
Inclusionary zoning (housing)
Sign ordinance (#3 above)
Retaliation policy
The Villages [at Cascade Head] HOA
Special events ordinance
Annex East Devil’s Lake State Park
DUI impound
Councilor Diana Hinton agreed with Williams, saying she has ”about the same list.”
Councilor Riley Hoagland said his top priorities are “finance and TRT [Transient Room Tax] collection.”
Councilor Dick Anderson said his top two priorities are Health and Safety inspections of monthly rentals, and “housing.” He also mentioned an “off-shore oil-drilling resolution” and “political signs” (#4 on Williams list).
Councilors Judy Casper and Susan Wahlke did not offer their list of priorities.
While the public was never provided a copy of Appicello’s confidential project list, it was not until seven minutes into the meeting that the city councilors got a first look at the classified list. Surprisingly, by printing out the secret memo, Appicello may have violated Lincoln City Municipal Code 2.04.180.5.5, which says “staff shall only provide confidential materials to council members in coded written form or electronically to an official city email address with no print option.” Appicello authored this law in December 2017.
UPDATE: Full investigation opened Friday, Aug. 10.
A local reporter was threatened with arrest for attending Monday’s Lincoln City City Council meeting, if he did not immediately leave the meeting. The reporter, Justin Werner, of Lincoln City Homepage, responded by filing a complaint with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, alleging the council violated state law by tossing him from the meeting.
Justin Werner, Lincoln City Homepage
“They said if I didn’t immediately leave the meeting, they would have the police forcefully remove me. It was still a public meeting, so the only way they could forcefully remove me was to have me arrested,” Werner said. The only law that allows removal of meeting attendees is Lincoln City Municipal Code 2.04.110, which lets the council arrest unruly members at their public meetings, according to Werner.
In May, Werner emailed City Recorder Cathy Steere to inform her that he would be attending an upcoming city council executive session. Steere responded with an opinion from the Oregon Attorney General (AG) advising that “advance notice of attendance is not required” for the press to attend an executive session, and warned cities that “excluding a member of the news media for failure to comply with a policy requiring advance notice of attendance violates ORS 192.660(4).” Steere said the AG’s 2016 opinion superseded Resolution 2010-09, an eight-year-old Lincoln City policy that Steere had also provided Werner.
Werner then came to Monday night’s council meeting that was scheduled to discuss acquiring school property in Taft. According to Werner, he entered the meeting and sat down next to Jeremy Ruark, of the News Guard. Steere then came over to Werner and insisted he leave, telling him “you didn’t apply first.” Werner responded that the AG’s opinion that Steere had supplied him specifically said he didn’t need to apply first.
Steere then informed Werner that he did not meet the criteria for news media.
Werner asked Steere if the News Guard, Newport News Times or Dave Morgan from News Lincoln County had ever applied to be recognized as news media. The answer was no according to Werner.
Mayor Don Williams, who was chairing the meeting, said, “well, I’m fine with Justin sitting there, and as long as he isn’t disruptive, we can start this meeting.” In response, City Councilors Dick Anderson, Judy Casper, Diana Hinton, and Susan Wahlke all loudly voiced “NO!” in unison. After a pause, Anderson said “or, we don’t have the meeting.” Councilor Riley Hoagland remained silent, Werner said.
City Manager Ron Chandler then turned to the councilors and said “we have informed Mr. Werner that he does not meet the criteria for a member of the news media,” then turned to Werner and said “Mr. Werner, you have to leave.” Werner asked “what if I just stay?” Chandler replied “then we will have the police remove you from the building.”
Fearing arrest, Werner says he gathered up his things and left the room, and spoke briefly with the police officer that was waiting just outside the door. Werner said he was surprised an officer greeted him, and wondered if an officer is always stationed outside the room, or if he was asked to be there in case he was needed to detain Werner.
The following day, Chandler posted a blog entry, titled “Decisions are made during open session,” and claimed council kicked Werner out because they can’t make decisions in executive session. Werner argues that council hadn’t yet entered executive session, and it made the decision to boot him in a public meeting. Werner also says that Chandler has been critical of Lincoln City Homepage’s reporting in the past, referring to Werner as just a “blogger,” and often ignores his media requests. Werner says Chandler is clearly biased against him, and is trying to bias the Councilors against him, as well, and should recuse himself from advising council on this matter.
Chandler also claimed that Werner didn’t “follow the process.” Werner argues it was the city who didn’t follow its own “process” by failing to provide Werner the application form that Resolution 2010-09 says it provides applicants. Werner also argues that Resolution 2010-09 itself does not appear to be legal, as the AG’s opinion says city councils “are required to comply with the [ORS 192.660(4)] statute. They cannot modify the statutory requirement by adopting a policy.”
Werner wonders if City Attorney Richard Appicello is aware that Resolution 2010-09 may not be legal. Last Monday, Appicello testified to council that the city “should amend a certain ordinance because there’s been a Court ruling, or there’s an argument that it’s unconstitutional, and I don’t want to necessarily broadcast that.”
Werner asks “if a city is aware that a law they wrote is no longer legal, aren’t they obligated to tell the public, so we aren’t ignorantly complying with illegal laws? Why the secrecy? Who are they protecting by remaining silent?”
Chief Palmer presents David Broderick with his new badge.
Lincoln City Police Department would like to congratulate our newly promoted Sergeant David Broderick, who was sworn in on May 3rd in the Lincoln City Council Chambers.
Sgt. Broderick receiving his badge from his wife Kristen.
Sgt. Broderick has been involved in law enforcement for almost 25 years. After graduating from Taft High School in 1989, he began his career as an MP in the Air Force and served for four years. After being discharged, he became a Reserve Officer with Lincoln City Police for two years before joining the Newport Police Department in 1998.
He came back to LCPD in January of 2005, where he worked as a Patrol Officer, a Field Training Officer, a Range Master, and a member of SWAT before being appointed to Detective in 2007. As a Detective, he was a member of LINT before it was disbanded in 2015, and continued to serve as a Narcotics Detective for LCPD, as well as being a member of the Lincoln County Major Crime Team.
In addition to his impressive years of experience, Sgt. Broderick also received the Officer of the Year award at the Law Enforcement Recognition Banquet (LERB) in both 2008 and 2013, and he continues to be a Range Master and the administrator of our agency’s FTEP program.
As a sergeant, he hopes to support Chief Palmer during his transition, and help the department move forward during this exciting time of change with the prospect of a new building and radio system in our future.
Northwest Coastal Housing and My Sister’s Place partnered Saturday to bring indoor kites back to Lincoln City. Connor Doran, from Dare to Dream and America’s Got Talent, flew a stacked indoor kite at the “Soaring for Solutions” event at Taft High 7-12.
Sheila Stiley
For various reasons, Lincoln City indoor kiting events have not been held recently, disappointing the kite-flying community. But that all changed when the Lincoln City Community Days Committee reached out in an effort to increase engagement by attracting additional nonprofits to build awareness of their services.
The effort caught the attention of Northwest Coastal Housing Executive Director Sheila Stiley, whose company is one of nine community development corporations in the state. She had the idea to have people and kids come to Taft with kites.
2018 Soar on Solutions
Stiley contacted several professional fliers with the help of her daughter, who knew Doran personally, and 14 immediately jumped on board. The event was put together on short notice, but that didn’t deter four Grand National champions of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) from recognizing Lincoln City’s long-standing reputation as a kite-flying mecca.
2018 Soar on Solutions
“The Kite Pit Party was a great opportunity to have the pubic meet professional kite fliers and get autographs,” Stiley said.
Tables were set up where kids of all ages built and decorated their own Tyvek kites. A raffle was held to raise funds for Northwest Coastal Housing and My Sister’s Place.
“Face painting, wild hair coloring, styling, magnetic crafts and a coloring table were a hit with kids,” she said. “A photo backdrop of kites that were colored by the kids was amazing.”
Photo by Brandy Rose Banner
The “Fly with the Masters” portion of the event allowed everybody to learn to fly kites with the pros, she said.
“Kids ran around with kites and professionals mingled with them to bring out the love of kite flying,” she said. “Professional Scott Weider was there and put on a beautiful show. His big black kite with the long tail soared with the effortless precision of a true master kite flier.”
Connor Doran began his indoor career in 2007 when his mother, Amy, a five-time AKA Grand National titleholder, taught him how to fly. Connor picked up the art of flying kites with no wind quickly, and, after practicing all summer, competed in his first indoor event with the Northwest Sport Kite League, where he won the Intermediate championship.
Desiring to be on America’s Got Talent, Connor and his mother drove to Portland, where he successfully auditioned and was told he had advanced to Las Vegas.
Connor was eliminated from the Las Vegas competition and sent home. But three months later, a producer from the show said judge and comic Howie Mandel wanted to bring him back.
Connor became a wildcard, and suddenly in the top 48 for the popular television talent show. He performed with two kites this time, called “stacked” kites, and stole the show. He moved on to the top 24 semifinals, and finished just one vote shy of making the top 10 in Los Angeles.
The Doran duo travels around the country spreading awareness for epilepsy and bullying with the Dare to Dream program, which inspires people of all ages to try the impossible and never listen to the word “no.” Connor has epilepsy, but he doesn’t allow it to get in the way of his passion for kite flying. Dare to Dream will be headed to Italy for a first-time trip “over the pond” next year.
Mandel came to Lincoln City in 2012 for a standup comedy performance that Amy and Connor attended, sitting in the front row. At the end of the performance, Mandel looked down at Connor and said, “You were on America’s Got Talent! Did you see this kid? Do you have your kites here?” Amy told the comedian “the ceiling’s too low for a big kite, but I have this one.” She reached under her seat and pulled out a small kite that Mandel, a known germophobe, reached out and grabbed and flew on stage. Mandel took the kite home with him.
Plans are already being made for an indoor kite-flying event next year in Lincoln City.
Sponsors and donors who made the Soaring for Solutions event possible:
The Kite Shoppe, Phantom Star Kite, Ultrasonic Events for lighting, Dare to Dream with Amy and Connor Doran. Captain Cook Inn and Motel 6 for lodging, Taft High 7-12, Annette Garcia-Garcia, who volunteered to do hair coloring, and the Lincoln City Visitors Convention Bureau for providing sandwich boards.
Northwest Coastal Housing provides affordable housing and resident services coordination like free after-school programs, mental health services, first-time home buyers programs, and connections to rental assistance. Its motto is: “Everyone needs a place to call home.”
My Sisters’ Place is a domestic, sexual and dating violence prevention and intervention program. It has provided critical services, including safety planning, court advocacy and emergency shelter, to individuals who have experienced interpersonal violence in Lincoln County for 36 years.
This hood-mounted Lincoln City drive starts in the Historic Taft District and goes all the way to the north end of town. It was filmed in the rain and is sped up 250% so you can get an idea for what the drive is like without wasting your time. Check it out in 1080 at 60 frames per second.
The speed limit was strictly adhered to in this video.
Lincoln City, OR – Pacific View Memorial Cemetery has heeded the concerns of local Cub Scouts and accomplished its mission of honoring our military Veterans by marking the graves of the unnamed fallen.
New Pacific View Location Manager Guinevere Crispin said members of Cub Scouts Pack 47, who had come to plant flags for Veterans at the Lincoln City cemetery, asked why some of the headstones were blank. Crispin flew into action. She tracked down the necessary discharge papers and ordered military markers in the soldiers’ honor.
Crispin said she wants people to know that Veterans are entitled to military markers when buried in a private cemetery. A common misconception is that Veterans must be buried in a military cemetery to be recognized. The military does not pay for installation of markers in private cemeteries, but it does grant acknowledgement of Veterans who are honorably discharged.
Retired Cpl. Nicholas Carton, from Neskowin, heard of the Scouts’ concerns and paid to have the markers installed.
Carton is a veteran Marine who served from 1967 to 1973 in Aviation Electronics working on the A-4 Skyhawk. When asked why he offered to pay for the markers, he said, “It’s what we do. As former active Marines, it’s our responsibility. It’s time for payback.”
Crispin contacted the Honor Guard, who will provide two active duty military personnel to raise the flag Friday, May 25, at Pacific View Memorial in honor of the following Veterans:
Samuel Robert Chorneau (Oct. 2, 1923-June 16, 1994). Chorneau was in the U.S. Army and served in World War II. He was the father of Shawn Chorneau, who died the same year and is buried with his father.
Elbert Mather (Aug 5, 1917-April 15, 1996). Mather was in the U.S. Army and also served in WWII. His marker says he was “spouse of Norma Mather,” who is buried with him.
The public is encouraged to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m.
Pacific View Memorial has been nominated for Business of the Year for Lincoln City by the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce.
“Due to the nature of athletic issues this spring, concerns over graduation, and the most recent article featuring [incoming Taft High Principal] Nick Lupo, LCSD North Area Schools will no longer respond to communication requests or emails from Lincoln City Homepage,” new School Improvement and Secondary Curriculum Administrator Majalise Tolan wrote Monday in an email.
