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Doctor to share experiences from Kennedy assassination with Rotary Club

A bit of living history will be yours to experience Wednesday, May 8, at a Lincoln City Rotary Club meeting, where Dr. Jay Cox will share his experiences from the night in November 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated.

Dr. Jay Cox

Cox was in his second year of an orthopedic surgery residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where Kennedy’s body was taken hours after he was shot in Dallas.

Cox was on orthopedic surgery call having just been promoted to Lt. Commander and standing watch for the first time as Officer of the Day for the Medical Center.

Cox reflects in the following correspondence:

“I was in charge of the entire hospital operation from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next morning. At about 5:30 p.m. that fateful Friday, our hospital was notified that they were bringing the President’s body to Bethesda for autopsy. I had to make all the arrangements with the pathologists and the autopsy room for his arrival.

“The plane carrying his body landed at Andrews Air Force Base at about 6:30 p.m. and then the ambulance arrived at the hospital about 7 p.m.. I was not part of the autopsy team, but had the run of the hospital, so was at the morgue for the arrival of the body and also at the front of the hospital for Jackie’s arrival with Robert Kennedy and [Secretary of Defense] Robert McNamara. It was my job to get them to the 10th floor waiting area where they waited until the autopsy was finished.

“That night I was all over the hospital watching the autopsy, looking at X-rays, and providing security so I can share just what I saw and explain how many of the conspiracy theories developed.

“At the end of the autopsy that night there was no doubt in anyone’s mind at Bethesda that all shots came from the rear and there was no evidence of multiple shooters. I became a student of what happened that day and can share the story of the events in Dallas to the autopsy conclusion in Bethesda.”

Cox will share his experiences at noon, May 8 at Salishan Spa & Golf Resort. Lunch is $13 per person.

The public is welcome, but must pre-register by emailing [email protected] or by messaging on the Lincoln City Rotary Facebook page. Registration is due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 1.

Waldport, Taft High students learn skills at Future Leaders Fire School

Taft Waldport Fire School

Seventeen students from Waldport and Taft high schools learned coveted skills and gained admiration for area firefighters after attending Future Natural Resource Leaders Fire School last week at Camp Tadmor.

The students participated in classroom lessons, field training and mock skills tests. The event featured public and private wildland firefighters.

“Fire School was by far the best experience I have had in a work environment,” Taft senior Giovanni Salazar said. “The hands-on work showed me what it takes to be a wildland firefighter. It is definitely a career path I will be pursuing.”

The Lincoln County School District offers opportunities as part of its Career and Technical Education programs, which are funded by Measure 98 dollars aimed to get youth trained in vocational trades that build valuable career-ready skills.

“It is important to LCSD to support local industry and community needs when utilizing Measure 98 funds and expanding or enhancing our career and technical programs,” Secondary Teaching and Learning Administrator Majalise Tolan said.

“These students learned, practiced, and were evaluated on skills necessary for high demand jobs that are important to our community and state.

“Our teachers are continuing to work together to provide more opportunities across the district for all of our students.”

Jeff Skirvin, Waldport CTE teacher wrote, “At fire school, kids learn a lot about wildland fire fighting and the science behind fire. But the most amazing thing about fire school is during the three-mile, 45-pound backpack test, the all day wildland fire training where Lincoln County kids placed second in the fire line digging competition, our students showed grit. It was raining, they were up to their knees in mud. They were cold. And they worked hard all day.

“I’ve never been more proud of a group of young students than I was at fire school this year. With all of the negative connotations that are attached to this generation due to their overuse of x-boxes and iPhones and things that I don’t even know about, we watch kids at fire school excel and show good communication skills, perseverance, a sense of empathy and team ambition all day, every day. We truly can be proud of our Lincoln City and Waldport children.”

Waldport sophomore student Savana Eppinghaus said, “It was a great learning experience. It was hard work, but it was lots of fun. I would definitely do it again. Actually, I think everyone who is interested in Forestry should do it at least once. They have it really well organized and everything is together.”

Local runners take titles in ‘Run for the Kids’ Earth Day event

Joe Wilkinson of Neskowin won the 10K and Autumn Ellis of Lincoln City claimed the 5K title Saturday at the “Run for the Kids” Earth Day Run in Neskowin.

Maya Foty of Portland was the top female finisher in the 10K, while Maurice Rivas was the top male finisher in the 13-17 age group.

While Ellis won the 5K overall title, Kristian Cabal of Lincoln City was the top male finisher.

Lilliana Wilson of Portland was the top 12-and-under 5K runner, and Veronica Hampton of Lincoln City won the 13-17 age-group title.

All proceeds benefited the Neskowin Valley School tuition scholarships program.

Earth Day Run
10K Results 
1 Joe Wilkinson, Neskowin
2 Tyler Bentley, Cloverdale
3 Maya Foty, Portland
4 Finn Riley, Belew
5 Ross Rehberg, Lincoln City
6 Mauricio Rivas, Lincoln City
7 Susana Munoz, Lincoln City
8 Jenny Freeborn, Rickreall
9 Taj Richardson, Gleneden Beach
10 Jennifer Napoleon, Neotsu
11 Heather Hatton, Gleneden Beach
12 Jill Brunelle, Gleneden Beach
13 Shelli Corse, Lincoln City

5K Results
1 Autumn Ellis, Lincoln City
2 Sarah Scandon, Otis
3 Brooke Orendorff, Neskowin
4 Lilliana Wilson, Portland
5 Kristian Cabal, Lincoln City
6 Alberto Contreras, Keizer
7 Veronica Hampton, Lincoln City
9 Roy Cabal, Lincoln City
10 William Robertson, Lincoln City
11 Sean Lambert, Pacific City
12 Donna Jose, Neskowin
13 Abby Abraham, Portland
14 Ronald Offenstein, Neskowin
15 Jesse Lewis, Lincoln City
16 Alani Cabal, Lincoln City
17 Dara Abraham, Portland
18 Mindy Smith, Hebo
19 Daniel Diaz, Lake Oswego
20 Hattie Mena, Neotsu
21 Justin Mena, Neotsu
22 Sharon Bighil, Otis
23 Maiti Riley, Belew
24 Patti Soens, Portland
25 Christi Clark, Neskowin

ODFW lures young anglers with family fishing event Saturday at Regatta Park

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a family fishing event Saturday, April 27, at Devils Lake in Lincoln City.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Regatta Park. ODFW will stock the lake with 7,000 rainbow trout prior to the event, including 3,500 fish that will be released in a large net pen reserved for youth fishing.

ODFW staff and volunteers will be present to hand out equipment, and be available to teach youngsters how to bait, cast, and “reel in” their catch. Youth will be able to keep two fish from inside the fish enclosure, after which they can continue fishing in the lake until they meet the 5 fish limit. These events are intended to help families learn how to fish together and get outside. There is also a great playground at Regatta Park, so pack a lunch and stay a while!

The fishing enclosure is reserved for youth fishing, but adults can get tips on basic rigging, fish identification and casting at the event.

Kids 11 and under can fish free at this event. Youth 12-17 need a youth license, which can be purchased for $10 online at the ODFW website or any field office or license outlet. Licenses will not be sold at the event.

Regatta Park is located on the south west side of Devils Lake. From Highway 101, take NE 14th St east for about ½ mile until you see the sign for Regatta Park on the right. There is parking by the dock, and overflow parking is available along the one-way road in and out of the park.

For a list of other family fishing events, visit ODFW online at www.myodfw.com and click on Workshops & Events.

New public version of RAPTOR, emergency map tool

RAPTOR
Lincoln City in 3D on RAPTOR

Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management’s Real-time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon (RAPTOR) is now available as a public version featuring 3D tools for weather alerts, traffic and live map data.

The program is a vital tool for statewide emergency managers, allowing access to live data in map layers. It’s also a handy resource for anyone interested in what’s happening with weather and traffic around the state. RAPTOR has been updated and now offers visuals in three dimensions.

“Presenting information in a 3D view is going to match more closely with what you can see when you walk outside your door, providing an in person view, and an exciting way to visualize the landscape, landmarks and current incidents,” OEM Program Coordinator Daniel Stoelb said.

Originally developed in 2010 to share information on a common operating picture as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Virtual USA Northwest Pilot Project program, RAPTOR is a web-mapping application that allows users to display data from various resources onto a single map. The program supports OEM’s Emergency Operations Plan by sharing information before, during and after an event and enhances our overall readiness throughout the state.

In addition to 3D capabilities, the updated RAPTOR site allows users to share maps, and save or bookmark geographic locations. In addition, the site displays the OEM Twitter feed, offers a full-screen option and works on a variety of platforms including PC, Android and IOS.

To view the new public version of RAPTOR, go to https://arcg.is/08TCuO.

DEA ‘National Prescription Take Back Day’ set Saturday

DEA Take Back drugs

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will collect expired, unused and unwanted prescription medication Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Lincoln City Police Department and Lincoln City Community Center as part of its 17th annual National Prescription Take Back Day.

A total of 230 collection sites across the Pacific Northwest will participate with 19 collection sites in Alaska, 45 in Idaho, 61 in Oregon and 105 in Washington.

The service is free of charge, no questions asked.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis of the Pacific Northwest Region emphasized, “All of our Northwest communities need to take this opportunity of disposing unused prescription medications in a safe and simple process. This consciousness effort may be lifesaving.”

Last October, residents of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska turned in 35,017 pounds (17 tons) of prescription medications.

Oregon was responsible for 60 collection sites which resulted in 12,492 pounds (6.2 tons) removed from circulation.

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative addresses a critical public safety and public health issue. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States continue to be alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Because the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration have advised the public that flushing their prescription drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards, DEA launched its prescription drug take back program to encourage the safe disposal of medications.

Now in its ninth year, DEA has collected a total of nearly 11 million pounds (more than 5,400 tons) of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications through its Take Back Day events.

The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps.)

Nearly 200 swimmers to fill Community Center pool for April Invite

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The Lincoln City Swim Club (LCSC) will host its annual April Invitational Friday through Sunday with nearly 200 swimmers from 10 teams occupying the Community Center pool.

Bend, Capital Swimming (Salem), Gold Coast (North Bend), South Coast (Coos Bay), Nehalem, Newport, Tillamook and Portland Aquatic Club will join 25 LCSC members as 185 swimmers compete.

“We’re looking forward to a fun weekend,” LCSC coach Lissa Parker said.

“This meet is for the younger kids, so we will have swimmers like Daisy Cobos, Abby Halferty and Heidi Moreno doing the 8-and-under events,” she said. “A lot of siblings -the three Evenson brothers TJ, Ryuma and Mugen, the Serrato’s – Isabelle and Noah, Logan and Napy Meyer, Brandon and Dylan Murphy.

“A few older ones like Jose Luis Cortes, Dylan Barrera and Lesley Lagunes. Charlotte Lunstedt will participate, but she is doing softball right now, Hunter Lunstedt is working lots after school, but he will do some short races.

“A lot of the older kids who are doing high school spring sports are coming to either help or do a relay or a short event.”

The meet will start with some of the longer events set for Friday evening and will continue Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Raffles, T-shirt sales and concessions are planned.

Taft Swimming

Fisher’s grand slam, five RBIs lift Tigers to 17-0 whitewash of Clatskanie

Tyee Fisher Grand Slam
Senior Tyee Fisher knocks in four runs with one stroke

Taft High senior outfielder Tyee Fisher hit a grand slam and drove in five runs Tuesday as the Tigers erupted for 11 early runs and rolled to a 17-0 league home baseball victory over Clatskanie on Senior Night at the Pit.

“We came out very aggressive to start the game today,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “We jumped on them in the first inning and you could feel that we had taken away any momentum they might have had.”

The Tigers improved to 9-8 overall and 5-2 in Special District 2 play behind two hits each from Fisher, his younger cousin, junior leadoff hitter Trenton Fisher, freshman Kaden Hindman and starting junior pitcher Eli DeMello.

Senior first baseman Bleiz Kimbrough knocked in three runs and DeMello and senior infielder Cody Knott scored three times each in support of three Taft pitchers.

Eli DeMello
Junior Eli DeMello offers up a knuckleball to a Clatskanie hitter

DeMello went three innings and was relieved by Tyee Fisher and Kimbrough as Taft attempts to save innings and arms for a demanding schedule that calls for several Friday doubleheaders, including one this week at Rainier.

Sophomores Ethan Thomas and Graden Kerr joined the Fishers with two runs scored for Taft.

The Tigers’ dominating win came on Senior Night with honorees Knott, Kimbrough and Tyee Fisher,

“All three had their moms throw the first pitch to start the game tonight,” Hilgers said. “We really appreciate all three of our seniors and the support we have gotten from their families over the last four seasons.”

Clatskanie, which managed just three hits, fell to 4-9, 2-3.

Taft, which moved into the top 10 in the state’s Class 3A rankings at No. 8 with the win, returns to the field for a 3 p.m. SD2 doubleheader Friday at Rainier.

“We now need to focus on Friday,” Hilgers said. “Today’s game is over and we have a doubleheader Friday against a team that is wanting to beat us. To continue to reach our goals this year we need to have the right mindset heading into a long day of baseball on Friday against a good ball club. We have to play our game and control what we can control.”

Taft 17, Clatskanie 0

CLATSKANIE      AB  R  H BI  TAFT                AB  R  H BI
Luke Roth        2  0  0  0  Trenton Fisher       3  2  2  2  
Dawson Evenson   3  0  0  0  Eli DeMello          3  3  2  1  
Cade Warren      2  0  0  0  Cody Knott           2  3  0  1  
Foster Evenson   2  0  0  0  Tyee Fisher          2  2  2  5  
Jackson Boothe   2  0  0  0  Bleiz Kimbrough      4  1  0  3  
Andre Combs      1  0  1  0  Darius Smith         3  1  1  1  
Chase Baker      2  0  1  0  FCO Ramos            3  1  1  1  
Noah Patterson   2  0  0  0  Kaden Hindman        3  0  2  1  
Sam Shockley     2  0  1  0  Ethan Thomas         1  2  1  1  
                                Graden Kehr       0  2  0  0  
TOTALS          18  0  3  0  TOTALS              24 17 11 16

CLATSKANIE               000 00    --  0  
TAFT                     (11)03 3x -- 17 

LOB--CLATSKANIE 5, TAFT 3. E--Sam Shockley (2),
Noah Patterson, Fco Ramos. 2B--Kaden Hindman. HR--Tyee
Fisher. HBP--Eli DeMello, Trenton Fisher. SACF--Ethan
Thomas. SB--Eli DeMello.

 CLATSKANIE                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Luke Roth (L)            0.67    4    9    4    2    0    0
Jackson Boothe           0.33    1    2    2    1    0    1
Foster Evenson           3.00    6    6    5    2    1    0
 TAFT                   
Eli DeMello (W)          3.00    1    0    0    1    3    0
Tyee Fisher              1.33    1    0    0    1    1    0
Bleiz Kimbrough          0.67    1    0    0    0    1    0

PB--Cade Warren (3). BALK--Luke Roth. SO--Jackson Boothe,
Luke Roth, Cade Warren, Dawson Evenson (2), Fco Ramos.
BB--Luke Roth, Andre Combs, Tyee Fisher (2), Ethan Thomas,
Cody Knott (2).

No. 1-ranked Clatskanie softball team downs fifth-rated Taft

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Taft senior starter Emma Coulter (File photo by Lon French)

No. 1-ranked Clatskanie remained unbeaten and in command of Special District 1 play Tuesday with a 7-2 defeat of host Taft High in a showdown of top-five rated Class 3A softball teams.

“They definitely have the best pitcher we have faced so far,” Taft coach Sandy Stuart said. “She was able to keep us off balance and we were unfortunately not able to put the ball in play much with runners on base.”

The Tigers scored one run in the first and last innings, but struggled in a five-run third and two-run fifth by Clatskanie despite 11 strikeouts from junior starter Emma Coulter.

“We definitely stranded too many base runners today and did not take advantage of a great pitcher handing us eight walks,” said Stuart, whose Tigers left 10 runners. “Hopefully, that is something we can overcome the next time we face them on the road.”

Coulter and her freshman sister, Olivia, drove in Taft’s two runs, while freshman Addie Gates and junior All-State catcher Hailee Danneker crossed the plate for the Tigers. Emma Coulter had three, and freshman Chloe Peterson one, of Taft’s four hits.

The Tigers fell to10-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, while Clastskanie, also nicknamed the Tigers, improved to 12-0, 4-0.

“We are starting to really come together and work through some of our tricky innings,” Stuart said. “I am proud of the way our leaders are building players up and keeping the team in the game the entire time.”

Taft hosts Blanchet Catholic at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday before traveling to Rainier for a 3 p.m. Friday league doubleheader.

“This is definitely a tough week of games for us,” Stuart said. “But they are making us better players and teammates and preparing us for the postseason.”

Clatskanie 7, Taft 2

CLATSKANIE         AB  R  H BI  TAFT              AB  R  H BI
O Sprague           1  2  0  0  Hailee Danneker    2  1  0  0  
A Smith             4  1  1  3  Addie Gates        2  1  0  0  
S Blodgett          3  2  2  0  Emma Coulter       4  0  3  1  
T Hamm              4  0  1  0  Kayla Lininger     1  0  0  0  
K Harrison          3  0  0  0   Lily Hatton       1  0  0  0  
M Jackson           3  0  0  0  Olivia Coulter     2  0  0  1  
K Sizemore          3  1  1  0  Claira Tolan       4  0  0  0  
S Hummer            3  0  0  0  Makena Cole        2  0  0  0  
J Makinson          3  1  1  0  Kyla  Knott        2  0  0  0  
                                 Caitlyn Rundstrom 1  0  0  0  
                                 Chloe Peterson    3  0  1  0  
TOTALS             27  7  6  3  TOTALS            24  2  4  2

CLATSKANIE             005 020 0 -- 7  
TAFT                   100 000 1 -- 2  

LOB--CLATSKANIE 3, TAFT 10. E--O Sprague, Kyla
 Knott, Addie Gates, Emma Coulter. 2B--Emma Coulter (2).
3B--A Smith. SACB--Addie Gates. SB--O Sprague (2), S
Blodgett, Makena Cole, Emma Coulter.

 CLATSKANIE                  IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
S Blodgett                 7.00    4    2    2    8   12    0
 TAFT           
Emma Coulter               7.00    6    7    3    4   11    0

PB--T Hamm (2). WP--S Blodgett (4), Emma Coulter (2). SO--T
Hamm (2), O Sprague, A Smith (2), S Hummer (3), K Harrison,
J Makinson, S Blodgett, Kyla  Knott (2), Addie Gates,
Caitlyn Rundstrom, Kayla Lininger, Lily Hatton, Hailee 
Danneker, Chloe Peterson (2), Claira Tolan (2), Emma
Coulter. BB--O Sprague (3), S Blodgett, Addie Gates, Kayla
Lininger, Lily Hatton, Olivia  Coultyer (2), Makena Cole,
Hailee  Danneker (2).

Three Taft boys golfers post best scores, Brooks leads way to team win

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The Taft High boys golf team tuned up for next weekend’s annual trip to Central Oregon for the Special District 2 season finale by winning an 18-hole league match Monday in Dallas.

Three Tigers posted their best scores in overcast but dry conditions for a team-winning 404 at Cross Creek Golf Course just days after placing last in their own tournament under gray skies and wet weather at Salishan Golf Resort.

Senior William Brooks fell shy of carding a personal-best score, but shot a season-best 94 to lead a trio of Tigers under 100 in a field that included Blanchet Catholic, East Linn, Regis, Toledo and Waldport, in addition to host Amity.

Freshmen Ethan Unruh and Zac Will posted personal-best 97s to come in next-lowest for Taft, while another freshman, Eston Whisler, came home in 114 to sign his best competitive card for the Tigers.

The following is a report from Taft High coach Andy Morgan:

“Tee off was under a mostly cloudy sky, first group beginning at 11 a.m. Host school Amity welcomed Special District 2 schools: Blanchet, East Linn, Regis, Toledo, Waldport, and Taft 7-12 Tigers.  Only the second match this season, attended by a complete Taft roster.  The Tigers only other match occurred at home course, Salishan, under in the miserable rainy conditions of two weeks prior.  Though it was Taft’s home track, the Tigers struggled to a last place finish.

“This week, under overcast, but dry, conditions, it was quite a different story.  With six teams competing in the varsity match, Taft finished in first place, with a team score of 404.  This was not only good enough to win the match, it also contained three personal best scores by the three freshmen competing for Taft.

“Senior leader William Brooks did not card a personal best, but it was a season-best 94 as William continues to improve with a swing that has been redesigned by himself with the help of assistant coach Dean Konecny.

“While the changes have not been dramatic, it has been a struggle for Brooks to find consistency as he focuses on some minor changes. Brooks struggled a bit on the practice range, but found his stride and came in with a respectable 46 on the back nine.

“With the second-best Tiger score of 97, freshman Ethan Unruh was all smiles as he climbed the hill on the approach to the 18th green. Ethan was proud of his season-best 49 on the first nine, only to improve upon it with a second-nine score of 48, coming in.

“Ethan doesn’t strike the ball with great power, but he doesn’t make huge errors through the fairways. Unruh is steady around the greens, and plays with even tempo and a genuine smile, as he enjoys the competition and the camaraderie. His teammates were quite pleased with his round, and it was a particularly nice experience to watch the Tiger pride.

“Third-best score for the Tigers today belonged to freshman Zac Will.  A personal-best 97, brought Will to a new plateau, as praise was given by his teammates. The Tiger coaches have talked about scoring plateaus, and the process for continued improvement.

“Will has worked harder than anyone on the team and has been rewarded by his commitment. The first shot of the day from the tee box on No. 1 was errant for Will, but he stayed calm and remained committed to his strategy. A literal approach to playing and scoring works well for Zac, who shows little emotion while he works on his game.

“While it was a huge step for the young Tigers to bring home three scores below 100, it should not overshadow another personal best of the day, belonging to the third freshman on the team, Eston Whisler.

“Another passionate young Tiger, Whistler had a big score on a hole, but managed to minimize his struggles by finishing with a great score of 114.

“To begin scoring below 120 and becoming more aware of the simple adjustments necessary to improve, Whisler is on track to shave more than 30 strokes from his preseason efforts. As a key future Tiger championship golfer, Whisler has been a very good student of golf and a great teammate. He enjoys playing, and has shown a great desire to continue to improve. Passionate about golf, three more years of playing for Taft will guarantee some great results.

“Playing nine holes as a JV golfer, Jonathan Freilinger approached a personal-best achievement as well. Jonathan has improved dramatically this year, pounding drives and continuing to work hard around the greens.

“Freilinger has changed his approach this season, focusing on his game with a renewed consistency. After missing a putt for birdie in practice a couple of weeks ago, Freilinger has committed to becoming a driving force for the Tiger golfers.

“Next Saturday, April 27, the entire Tiger Team will travel to Central Oregon for their annual trip, playing 18 holes each day, finishing in the final SD2 tournament of the year, hosted by La Pine at Quail Run Golf Course. Tee Time is 11:15 am, and everyone will be looking to knock LaPine from its perch atop the District standings.”