Thank you for writing the article on Sunday’s Sneaker Wave threat. It was enlightening to learn how few of the people at the Lincoln City Beach knew that there was a good possibility for high wave run-ups that day.
This is really good feedback for us at the National Weather Service. I shared your article with my staff, and expect to have an interesting discussion among the forecasters and managers next week.
Your website is great, and please keep publishing similar articles.
An online mapping tool is available to help communities in Oregon assess factors among adolescents that can lead to risky sexual practices and increase the risk of sexual violence.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE) teamed up to introduce the Oregon Sexual Violence Prevention Resource Map that displays information to promote skills-based learning to prevent sexual violence. The map tool is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to help its partner organizations prevent injuries such as sexual violence.
According to the data obtained by the Oregon Healthy Teens Survey, one in eight students, one in five female students, and one in five youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender reported they were pressured to engage in unwanted sexual activity.
“We hope this set of tools helps begin or continue a discussion in schools and communities about the importance of sex education and encourages schools to actively engage in these conversations,” said Laura Chisholm, manager of the Injury and Violence Prevention Program, based at the OHA Public Health Division.
Skills-based learning can reduce high-risk sexual behavior, which leads to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases but also increases risk of sexual violence. OHA and ODE are providing tools that support school districts to implement sex education that teaches:
Skills-based approaches to safe, respectful dating.
Building healthy relationships.
Recognizing signs of emotional, psychological and physical abuse.
Respecting each other’s differences.
Identifying trusted adults to talk to about health, relationships and safety.
Communicating personal boundaries.
In Oregon, local school districts are required to work with their communities to develop a plan of instruction that addresses these topics from kindergarten to 12th grade. OHA’s Public Health Division worked with ODE to survey local school districts and develop the mapping tool for local communities to better understand sexual health data, local resources and education.
“Sexual violence prevention education is an absolute necessity if we are truly committed to the well-being and academic success of our students and community,” says Kristin Blomberg, Erin’s Law teacher on special assignment at the Hillsboro School District.
In accordance with Erin’s Law (2015) and the Healthy Teen Relationships Act (2011), school districts have already begun rolling out elementary and secondary instruction that focuses on sexual violence prevention as part of K-12 sex education.
“Providing sex education that teaches healthy relationships and healthy sexuality is one fundamental way that schools, parents, caregivers and communities can make a difference,” Chisholm said.
Taft freshman guard Chloe Peterson hits an open teammate
The Taft High girls basketball team pushed Rainier to the brink Tuesday in pursuit of its first victory since early December, but fell short, 37-32, at home in Coastal Range League action.
The Tigers’ 12th straight defeat left them 2-14 overall and 0-6 in conference, while the Colombians improved to 8-6, 3-4.
Details from the girls game were not reported.
PHOTOS BY LON FRENCH
The Taft boys (6-10, 1-5) committed 14 first-quarter turnovers to fall behind Rainier 22-2 before losing 59-41 despite 20 points, 18 rebounds and nine blocks from 6-foot, 9-inch senior center Ray Darrington.
Trenton Fisher goes airborne against Rainier
Senior Tyee Fisher also managed a double-double for the Tigers with 11 points and 10 rebounds against the first-place Colombians (8-6, 5-1).
The Taft girls return to the court at 6 p.m. Friday at Clatskanie (10-3, 5-0), while the boys play Clatskanie (8-4, 4-0) at 7:30 p.m.
Taft senior Ray Darrington moves inside for a shot
Rainier 59, Taft 41
Taft 2 10 10 19 — 41
Rainier 22 11 15 11 — 59
Taft Boys Coach Andy Morgan’s comments
“The first three minutes of the game were scoreless as Taft pressured Rainier and both teams missed early opportunities to score. Then, the steamroller started. Rainier held the Tigers to a single bucket while dominating Taft in the lane. Three easy buckets were scored when Rainier penetrated from the wings, effectively distributing the ball to the weak-side block as the Tiger post challenged the able ball-handlers. Defensively, Taft was slow to respond from the help side and failed to challenge on-ball with aggressive footwork.
“Championship mentality was present as the 3A State football champions dominated the Tigers, causing 14 first-quarter turnovers. After a timeout 4½ minutes into the frame, the Tigers returned to play lacking the conviction and fearlessness we have been preaching all season.
“The second quarter was basically even, although Taft failed to score on multiple opportunities, leaving the gap at 21 going into halftime. Senior Ray Darrington scored eight points in the quarter while missing four from the charity stripe. Taft would finish the game 9 for 17 in this vital statistic. Senior Tyee Fisher scored the only other points of the half, a two-point bucket. Conner Rea led Rainier with nine in the half, following up his 31-point performance in the first meeting. Rea finished with 20 points.
“The third quarter didn’t change much for the struggling Tigers — missing most of their buckets and struggling to dominate the rebounding battle. Offensively, the Tigers calmed down, though, settling for first shots rather than best shots. Taft was outscored by the visitors 15-10 in the third quarter, led by Devin Godfrey with nine points for the Colombians.
“Taft played its best quarter in the fourth period, primarily against Rainier’s second string. Five players made the scorebook, including Fco Ramos with his first points of the game, and Graden Kehr, who stole the ball with four seconds remaining and converted a layup to avoid a 20-point loss to the visiting Columbians.
“It was a particularly disappointing loss to the team that currently leads the standings in the 3A Coastal Range League with a record of 5-1. Taft has the potential to compete with every team in this league, lacking only the conviction and fearlessness to play Tiger basketball. We play selfish — and scared — none of which make for a very entertaining brand of basketball. Taft managed to turn the ball over 21 times while tallying a paltry five assists. We will get back into the gym Wednesday and go to work. We will make adjustments to our attitude and technique.”
Oregon Coast Aquarium artist Michael Cole has been added to Lincoln County 4-H’s growing program as host of a series of painting classes featuring a variety of coastal themes.
The first class in the series, Oregon Coast Breaking Wave, will be from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Oregon State University Lincoln County Extension Office, 1211 SE Bay Blvd., in Newport.
Although sponsored by Lincoln County 4-H, youth between the ages of 9 and 19 as of Sept. 1 do not need to be a 4-H member to enroll.
The first class will teach composition, brush techniques, mixing colors and glazing techniques. Fee is $10 and will include a brush kit, canvas and resource list for materials to take home.
Class size is limited to 12 students and an RSVP is required by Jan. 23. RSVPs can be made by contacting the 4-H office at 541-574-6534.
The 4-H Youth Development Program focuses on providing youth of all ages with the life skills they need to succeed in today’s world.
Projects and activities are vehicles that help young people learn and grow through an intentional process that builds competence, confidence, connection, compassion and character. Research has shown that by participating in 4-H, young people prepare themselves for economic and social success in adulthood.
For more information about Lincoln County 4-H, contact Heather Tower, 4-H program assistant at 541-648-6818 or [email protected].
EDITOR’S NOTE:The following article was provided by Karissa Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and Peter Weber, executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association.
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Oregon, this message is primarily for you.
When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticizing game officials or coaches, cool it.
Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the officials humiliates your child, annoys those sitting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the primary reason Oregon has an alarming shortage of high school officials.
It’s true. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, more than 75 percent of all high school officials say “adult behavior” is the primary reason they quit. And 80 percent of all young officials hang up their stripes after just two years of whistle blowing. Why? They don’t need your abuse.
Plus, there’s a ripple effect. There are more officials over 60 than under 30 in many areas. And as older, experienced officials retire, there aren’t enough younger ones to replace them. If there are no officials, there are no games. The shortage of licensed high school officials is severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or cancelled—especially at the freshman and junior varsity levels.
Research confirms that participation in high school sports and activities instills a sense of pride in school and community, teaches lifelong lessons like the value of teamwork and self-discipline and facilitates the physical and emotional development of those who participate. So, if the games go away because there aren’t enough men and women to officiate them, the loss will be infinitely greater than just an “L” on the scoreboard. It will be putting a dent in your community’s future.
If you would like to be a part of the solution to the shortage of high school officials, you can sign up to become a licensed official at HighSchoolOfficials.com. Otherwise, adult role models at high school athletic events here in Oregon are always welcome.
Karissa Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School AssociationsPeter Weber, executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association
As a result of the partial federal government shutdown, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has asked states to provide early issuance of February benefits for those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food security.
Homepage tried calling several numbers for the USDA seeking an explanation for the early issuance of benefits, but reached full mailboxes and voicemail prompts possibly due to the partial government shutdown.
The 615,405 Oregonians currently enrolled in SNAP will see their next monthly allocation by January 20th.
“We want to be clear that these are not additional funds that SNAP recipients are receiving, but an early issuance of February benefits,” stated Self-Sufficiency Director Kim Fredlund. “Those who typically see additional funds added to their EBT card the first week of each month will see their February money by January 20, rather than at the beginning of next month.”
A notification letter is being sent to current SNAP participants this week, and DHS is asking SNAP participants to carefully budget their food benefits through February.
DHS is awaiting further direction regarding benefit issuance for January recertification that is completed or processed after January 15. The early issuance will proceed, even if the federal government shutdown ends prior to January 20.
If people are concerned about running out of SNAP benefits, they can contact 211Info to seek local food resources.
To find a local DHS office, go to www.oregon.gov/dhs and click on Office Locations.
Oregon has a goal to register 50,000 electric vehicles by 2020. Pacific Power is helping to make that electric transportation goal a reality through an electric vehicle charging station grant program. The program will help fund up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of installing electric vehicle charging stations for selected non-residential applicants.
The application cycle opens on Jan. 15, 2019. Up to $300,000 in grants will be available during this cycle with a total of $1.45 million in Oregon awarded in quarterly cycles through the end of 2019.
“As an active member in the communities we serve, Pacific Power wants to help our customers achieve their sustainable energy goals,” said Cory Scott, director of customer solutions. “The electric vehicle charging station grant program is one of the ways we’re empowering local businesses, non-profits and governments to pick up speed toward more charging options for electric vehicle owners.”
All non-residential Pacific Power customers in Washington are eligible to apply with preference given to community-focused organizations, such as 501(c)(3) and city, county and regional governments.
Applications will be accepted up to Feb. 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced March 2019.
Examples of projects eligible for grants include, but are not limited to:
Businesses of all sizes installing chargers as an amenity for customers and employees.
Multi-unit housing owners installing chargers for tenants, either in support of tenant-owned electric cars or in conjunction with offering electric cars for tenant use.
Chargers for community car sharing programs to improve access and charging to electric cars in underserved communities.
For detailed eligibility requirements, project qualifications and application forms, please visit pacificpower.net/ev-grants.
The Lincoln City Police Department is seeking public funding to unleash a new police dog program intended to collar criminals and provide safety and security for area residents.
With police departments expanding K9 programs around the state because they recognize the value rescue, surveillance and pursuit dogs bring to public safety efforts, the LCPD has added a K9 unit to strengthen its relationship with the community it is protecting.
“It is the goal of our K9 unit to help prevent crime, keep the community safe and add tremendous value to the Lincoln City Police Department,” the new program’s website states. “The K9 police officers are critical to police work in our small town, where the number of sworn officers is small and the transient population and area to cover can be very large.”
Police dog’s duties include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence and attacking targets of law enforcement.
“As with other towns and departments throughout the state, our community will be fortunate to have a dedicated police officer who acts as the handler for our K9 police officer,” the LCPD said. “Handlers are trained to work with their K9 partners and provide for their care and feeding while they are off duty.”
The LCPD said it intends to acquire its dogs through a certified training program designed for police and public safety work. Both the K9 officer and their dog will receive extensive schooling in order for the public to feel safe and interact with the animal.
Police dogs must remember numerous verbal cues and hand gestures. The most commonly used breeds are the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound and Dutch Shepherd.
Estimated cost to start up and introduce a K9 unit is $75,000, with additional annual expenses to maintain it through its average work life of eight to nine years.
The LCPD’s K9 fund will raise money to lessen the financial impact on the city and keep citizens up to date and involved in the program, its activities and events.
In addition to fundraising efforts, the program will utilize social media to notify the public of activities of the K9 teams in their law enforcement capacities and when they participate in educational demonstrations with civic organizations or community-oriented events.
It will share links to non-affiliated K9 team pages, recognize canines that serve in other aspects of public safety and the military, share helpful tips to educate the public on the care of their own dogs and more.
Donations can be made in any manner. Checks should be made out to the Lincoln City Police Department K9 Unit to ensure donations are placed in the proper account.
Contact the LCPD at (541) 994-3636 or by email at [email protected].
From left, Diane Kusz, Judy Casper, Mitch Parsons, Mayor Dick Anderson, Diana Hinton, Rick Mark and Riley Hoagland comprise the new Lincoln City City Council.
A new era in the governance of Lincoln City was ushered in Monday night at City Hall, where three first-time councilors and a familiar leader were pronounced fit for office during ceremonies at the City Council’s first regular session of the new year.
The night was highlighted by the swearing in of Dick Anderson as Lincoln City mayor and Mitch Parsons, Diane Kusz and Rick Mark as city councilors.
“Thank you all for wishing goodwill to those who are leaving and those who are staying for the next four years,” Anderson said.
Anderson is succeeding Don Williams for his second term as Lincoln City mayor after holding the position from January 2011 to December 2014. Anderson was a Lincoln City City Councilor from 2009-2010 and 2015 to present.
“I am always stunned by the fact that we can have elections, we can have rancor, and then we can settle down to do the work of the people,” Williams said. “I want to thank everyone here for the opportunity to serve as mayor.”
“Looking back, we’ve accomplished many things that I hope will make Lincoln City a better place to live, work and play,” departing Councilor Susan Wahlke said.
Parsons is replacing Wahlke in Ward I, Kusz is replacing Anderson in Ward II and Mark is replacing Kip Ward in Ward III. Diana Hinton (Ward I), Riley Hoagland (Ward II) and Judy Casper (Ward III) will continue their terms as councilors.
“It is an honor full of apprehension and high hopes,” Mark said. “It really was humbling to campaign and win the endorsement of so many people to sit here. I hope to live up to expectations.”
“I’m just very excited, very positive,” Kusz said. “I think we’re going to get a lot done in four years and want to thank everybody who voted. Any time you vote is important. I’m excited to go.”
“I look forward to being here and just doing great work and listening to all of your concerns,” Parsons said.
In its first action Monday, the newly elected Council:
— Approved a recommendation to request Oregon Liquor Control Commission approval for a limited (beer and wine) on-premises sales license to the Bijou Theatre;
— Directed Parks & Recreation to list Lincoln City in the Oregon Heritage Tree Program and to recognize trees of significance such as the giant Sitka spruce at Regatta Park;
— Elected Casper Council president with the role of residing over meetings in the event the mayor is unavailable;
— Adopted a supplemental funding request to the $12.6 million new police station construction budget to demolish the old building in favor of a secured parking lot;
— Closed the public hearing but left the record open until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, on proposed ordinances to create standards for four-flat dwellings and tiny house (400 square feet or less) developments, and reducing existing requirements for off-street parking in Taft and Oceanlake. The Council will deliberate at its next meeting, Monday, Jan. 28.
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Rick Mark, left, Mitch Parsons and Diane Kusz are sworn in as city councilors at City Hall by City Recorder Cathy Steere
Lincoln City’s main thoroughfare was shut down at approximately 5:30 p.m. and reopened shortly thereafter following a traffic accident near Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore at 2150 SE Highway 101.
Two small cars were involved in the crash and no injuries reported, North Lincoln Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer Jim Kusz said.
Oregon Coast Aquarium artist Michael Cole has been added to Lincoln County 4-H’s growing program as host of a series of painting classes featuring a variety of coastal themes.
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Oregon, this message is primarily for you.
“It is the goal of our K9 unit to help prevent crime, keep the community safe and add tremendous value to the Lincoln City Police Department,” 
