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Three North County schools honored as music grant awardees

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Three North County schools honored as music grant awardees
From left, Lincoln County School District Secondary Teaching and Learning Administrator Majalise Tolan, Taft High 7-12 Principal Nick Lupo, Oceanlake Elementary School Principal Sandy Mummey and Taft Elementary School Principal Becca Bostwick are pictured Friday, Nov. 23, at the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition and Sponenburgh Memorial Trust awards ceremony at the Toledo Public Library.

Three Lincoln County School District North-area schools have been selected for 2019 grants to promote development of their music programs.

The $1,300 Lincoln County Cultural Coalition and Sponenburgh Grants grants will allow the respective schools to bring musicals, assistants and equipment necessary to support music in schools.

“We are so thrilled for our students and families to be able to bring this amazing cultural programming to our youth,” Lincoln County School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray said. “From musicians offering one-on-one coaching, to being able to have a multi-cultural offering for our Hispanic families, these grants are so well-received and vital. Thank you so much to LCCC and the Sponenburgh Trust for all of the continued support.”

LCSD Secondary Teaching and Learning Administrator Majalise Tolan, Taft High 7-12 Principal Nick Lupo, Oceanlake Elementary School Principal Sandy Mummey and and Taft Elementary School Principal Becca Bostwick attended a ceremony Friday, Nov. 23, to accept the grants at the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition and Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Awards Ceremony at the Toledo Public Library.

Oceanlake Elementary students will see the musical production of “Dragons Love Tacos” at the Lincoln City Cultural Center in March. They received $1,300 through The Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Grants for arts (music priority) education for youth, in collaboration with Lincoln County Foundation to support the ticket costs for 410 students.

At Taft Elementary School, sixth-grade students have the choice of taking either band or choir to meet the school’s music instruction requirement. They received a grant from the Sponenburgh Memorial Trust for furniture, supplies and materials for the sustainability of the sixth-grade band program in 2018-19.

“This year, our band program moved down to Taft Elementary from Taft 7-12, which resulted in incurred needs for our 155 participating students, such as chairs, music stands as well as items to continue the growth of the program, including reeds and sheet music,” Taft Elementary School Principal Becca Bostwick said.

With this new round of funding ($1,300), combined with additional support from the Lincoln City Parent Group, Taft Elementary received the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition grant for the Oregon Ballet Theater to do a two-day “Artist in Residency” and professional dance performance at the Lincoln City Cultural Center this spring. All 565 students will receive dance instruction.

In addition, “Studios to Schools,” a partnership with Siletz Bay Music Festival and Lincoln City Cultural Center, received a Cultural Coalition Grant for $1,300. The money will be used to support community music assistants for small group sessions on specific instruments for sixth-grade beginning band students at Taft Elementary and middle school music students at Taft High 7-12.

Taft 7-12 also received $1,300 dollars for the school’s drama program. The funds will support the purchase of sets, costumes and other supplies for the production of “SHREK the Musical.” Auditions are held in December with April performances for school groups and the public.

In partnership with Family Promise of Lincoln County, Lincoln City Cultural Center and Title VI Indian Education, LCSD North-area schools will be able to provide a free family evening showing of “¡Corre! ¡Corre!” The bilingual production will also be part of LCSD outreach support in partnership with the LCSD Hispanic Liaison.

The Lincoln County Cultural Coalition (LCCC), which receives funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust, is seeking applications for funding from arts, heritage and humanities organizations and individuals (through sponsorship by a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization).
Applicants seeking funding must address one of the following priorities:

1) Improve access to cultural experiences;

2) Raise the cultural awareness of youth (pre-school through 12);

3) Facilitate infrastructure improvements.

In addition to offering the annual “County Cultural Grants,” LCCC announced a granting opportunity to support arts education (priority music) for elementary and middle school students in Lincoln County. The funding is provided in partnership with the Lincoln County Foundation’s Mark Sponenburgh Memorial Trust.

Sheriff’s office shares helpful holiday traveling tips

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Sheriff’s office shares helpful holiday traveling tips

Holiday Travel Tips

Wherever you’re heading, if you’re traveling during the holiday season, remember that everyone else in the world is also. Don’t let terrible drivers, security scanners and long lines at the airport get you down. Here are some tips to help you survive the holiday travel.

Plan ahead.

Plan alternative trips if traffic makes your way home too overwhelming. Is there a scenic drive that might be longer but have less traffic? Pack snacks and drinks so you and your family will be fueled for the road trip. Break up a long drive by finding a few places to stop that will help keep the kids excited about the trip.  If you’re flying, definitely get some food before you board the plane.  Leave extra time before flights to get through security and plan your flights to allow extra time between connections.

Follow these flying tips.

When flying, make sure you check the airline’s restrictions ahead of time for carry-on luggage and fees for checked bags.  Avoid checking bags altogether if you can. You won’t have to wait for your luggage on the conveyor belt and you won’t have to worry about your things getting lost. If you do check luggage, make sure you have all your medications, important documents and maybe even a change of clothes in your carry-on in case your luggage does lost.

Pack earplugs.

One of the best ways to mentally escape your stressful surroundings is to turn down the volume. The easiest way to do that is with earplugs. If there is a crying baby near you on the plane, put in the earplugs. If the music in the car is driving you crazy, put in the earplugs.

Ship gifts or give gift cards.

TSA suggests shipping wrapped gifts or waiting until you reach your destination to wrap them because they might have to unwrap a present to inspect it. Ship gifts ahead of time or buy the gift that can’t go wrong: gift cards to a favorite store.

Travel on off-peak days.

Travel early or late in the day.

Flight statistics show that planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance. And if your flight is canceled, you will have the option of taking a flight later in the day. Also, there will be fewer lines at security. Best time to hit the road? When every one else is asleep — early morning or late night. You can always take a nap when you arrive at your destination or on the ride there if you aren’t the driver.

REMEMBER TO BREATHE!

The overly friendly person on the plane, canceled flights, the luggage that fell off in the middle of the highway, can be stressful.  But remember to relax and BREATHE.  These will make great  stories to share when you finally make it to your destination. After all, holiday travel stress is just as much a tradition as pumpkin pie and re-gifting.

For more information and tips, visit our web site at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.

UPDATED: Elderly Toledo woman dies in early morning house fire

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UPDATED: Elderly Toledo woman dies in early morning house fire

Betty Sue Mcgregor, 84, died early Wednesday in a house fire in Toledo.

According to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department news release, the Toledo Fire Department was dispatched at 4:12 a.m. to reports of a fire at 26 Tom Jack Road.

The Lincoln County Fire Investigation Team is working to determine the cause of the blaze. No foul play is suspected.

The Newport, Depoe Bay and Siletz Fire departments assisted the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Toledo Fire Department in the handling of the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Maleri Cates at 541-265-0670.

Foul trouble costs Taft boys in road loss; girls rally to win

Jim Fossum
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Foul trouble costs Taft boys in road loss; girls rally to win
taft high boys basketball
Taft competes in a road game earlier this season (File photo by Eric DeMello)

The Taft High boys basketball team built a 26-18 halftime lead Tuesday, but foul trouble proved the Tigers’ undoing down the stretch in a 46-41 non-conference road defeat to Jefferson.

Senior and high scorer Ray Darrington and junior Eli DeMello fouled out late in the game as Taft fell to 1-2 despite overall solid play from junior guard Jordan Hall.

The Taft girls, trailing 16-4 after the opening quarter, outscored Jefferson 21-8 in the final eight minutes to improve to 2-1 with a 49-48 victory in an earlier game.

The Taft boys jumped to an early lead, led by dominant interior defense and smart passing inside, first-year coach Andy Morgan said.

“It was the type of offense we have been trying to develop, paired with a much-improved man-to-man offense,” he said. “We struggled with some ball handling, panicking at times, and then taking too much time after making some mental corrections.”

After taking an eight-point halftime lead, Taft gave up a couple of baskets off of mental mistakes, Morgan said.

Still holding the lead, the Tigers spread the floor to isolate defenders on the offensive side, while failing to exercise the same defensive discipline as in the first half, he said.

Starters Darrington and DeMello got into foul trouble by the end of the third quarter.

“We practiced some defensive changes, using some 2-3 zone, and struggled on the rotation a couple of times before regaining our earlier intensity,” Morgan said.

Hall continued to lead the team as the Tigers struggled to score and continued to leave their feet on defense. While Jefferson went to the line twice as often as Taft, poor shooting kept the Tigers within striking distance.

With Darrington out due to fouls, the Tigers were beat on some crucial rebounds before Trenton Fisher closed the game on a coast-to-coast layup and Hall nailed a 3-pointer off an inbounds pass.

A fifth foul on DeMello put the Lions back on the line with 12 seconds to go and closed the door on any Taft hopes.

Senior post player Tyee Fisher played an aggressive game offensively at the rim and provided defensive leadership, Morgan said.

“It was his best complete game this season, and the kind of toughness we will need from him,” he said.

“Nearly everyone contributed something, including scrappy defense by Lucas Hindman and solid play by Clay Nelson,” he said. “As consistency and teamwork continue to be the focal points of this team, rebuilding an identity, the Tigers are taking home a good vision of what success will look like.”

The Taft boys junior varsity, led by first-year coach Kyle Hamlin, started their season with a win behind the hustle of sophomores Fco Ramos and Graden Kerr.

Meanwhile, junior Emma Coulter scored 14 points, senior Savannah Russo 11, sophomore Claira Tolan 10 and senior Autumn Ellis six to lead the varsity girls back from a 12-point first-quarter deficit for the win.

“We came out in the first quarter and made a lot of mistakes — turning the ball over against Jefferson’s full-court press,” Taft coach Jake Tolan said. “This has been something we have been working a lot on in practice, so to come out last night and not perform well against the pressure was frustrating.”

Tolan said the Tigers, who won their season opener over the host Eagles but lost to Riverside in the Western Christian Tournament, must get quality play from the opening tip with the team’s Coastal Range League debut and home opener just two weeks away, Dec. 17, against unbeaten Warrenton.

“We have to start games better and avoid digging ourselves holes at the beginning of games,” he said. “The second quarter was where we began playing much better, took care of the ball and made better decisions offensively. We were also more composed and executed our press-breaker more effectively.”

Taft was still outscored 12-8 in the quarter to trail 28-12 at halftime, but stormed back.

“We made some defensive adjustments during half, changing up our half-court zone and deciding to start applying our own pressure with a full-court press after made shots,” Tolan said, “Both adjustments worked well for us in the third quarter by creating some turnovers off of the press and getting more defensive stops.

Tolan said the Tigers’ goal in the quarter was to trim the lead to under 10 points entering the final stanza.

Taft narrowed the gap to 40-28 entering the final eight minutes thanks to big scoring contributions by team leaders Coulter and Russo, then blitzed the Lions 21-8 to the buzzer.

“I was so proud of the girls’ effort and their mindset to not give up and continue to work themselves back into the game,” Tolan said. “This will definitely be a game I use as a reminder that we can always battle back into games.”

The JV girls’ team suffered a one-point defeat to Jefferson.

The Taft boys varsity returns to action Friday at Tillamook. The girls play the Cheesemakers, Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Tillamook in their next action.

911 caller relives his response to deceased surfer’s struggles

Jim Fossum
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911 caller relives his response to deceased surfer’s struggles

OTTER ROCK

The witness who called 911 to alert first responders to a distressed surfer near Devils Punchbowl says he regrets not calling sooner to prevent the drowning of the young Corvallis doctor.

“I just wish I would have called earlier instead of waiting for him to call out for help,” Jefferson resident Milo Becktold said of the passing of 31-year-old Toren Stearns, who was pronounced dead Saturday evening at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.

Milo Becktold is shown visiting Devils Punchbowl on Saturday

Becktold, who was celebrating his 37th birthday, said he and his girlfriend arrived at the popular natural viewing area about 18 miles south of Lincoln City at approximately 3 p.m. Saturday and saw Stearns, who had left his dog on the beach, struggling in the water.

“We started walking the loop, I guess you could say, and we saw the surfer down there,” he said. “He was having trouble staying on his board. We watched him for a few minutes, took some pictures of the scenery, and I told her, [there’s] going to be a rescue, not knowing what was going to happen. I did not even think it could have got that bad because he could touch and stand in some areas.

“So, we watched him try to get on his board and ride a wave in for about 10 minutes, but he just kept falling off his board. But then he started calling for help. That’s when I told my girlfriend to dial 911.”

Depoe Bay Fire District safety and rescue personnel arrived first on the scene at approximately 3:30 p.m. in response to Becktold’s report of a man trying to swim to shore but being battered by waves.

“He was still attached to his board at that time, but could not get back to it,” Becktold said. “The waves just kept hitting him and pushing his board toward shore while he was being pulled out.

“The waves kept crashing on him, which eventually detached his board. About 10 minutes after I made the call, we heard sirens, so I had my girlfriend go up to the road and wait for the rescue people. But by the time they got there, he had stopped moving and was just floating in the surf lifeless.

“About 25 minutes after the 911 call was made, a surfer from a local shop went down and tried to find him but couldn’t. Then, 10 minutes later, the Coast Guard boat arrived, but couldn’t get close. Then a [helicopter] came 10 minutes after that, but took a little while to locate the surfer. A diver was lowered in when they located him, but struggled in the surf — actually lost him a couple times — but always made it back to the unconscious surfer.

“The surfer then went in to help with the rescue, came out of the water, then went back in. He and the Coast Guard put the lifeless surfer on his board and made it to shore, where emergency crews were waiting. They tried CPR on him for about 10 [minutes], then loaded him in the [helicopter] to the hospital.”

Becktold, a land developer for new housing communities, said being an eyewitness to the tragic death weighs heavily on him and his partner, adding that people who see something should say something — immediately.

“Me and my girlfriend were on our way to Newport to eat dinner, but it was still early so we decided to go see the Punchbowl, then just stopped to watch the surfer when the worst happened,” he said.

Local authorities remind tourists and residents to beware of surfing and weather conditions before entering rough water on the Oregon Coast.

“I feel sad for his family’s loss at this time of the year, for it’s supposed to be a happy time with Christmas right around the corner,” Becktold said. “I’m sorry for their loss.”

Sehmel to replace Townsend as Lincoln City Planning Director

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Sehmel to replace Townsend as Lincoln City Planning Director

Lindsey Sehmel Lincoln City Planner

Lindsey Sehmel of Gig Harbor, Wash., will replace retiring longtime Lincoln City Planning and Community Development Director Richard Townsend, effective Jan. 1.

Sehmel brings 11 years of planning and community development experience to Lincoln City, including several as Senior Planner at Gig Harbor, a city with a population of 7,126 (2010 census) on the shore of Puget Sound in Pierce County.

Sehmel was selected over Kirby Snideman and John Lavey following a recent meet-and-greet with the three finalists at City Hall. She previously worked in similar capacities for the City of Puyallup, Wash., and the City of Bremerton, Wash.

Sehmel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies, and will complete an Executive Master’s degree program in Public Administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance in the spring.

Sehmel and her husband, Nathan Loynes, who is a professional residential framer, have two children – a son Niall, 4, and daughter, Rylee, 18, who is attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

Oregon State Police seek assistance in taking of a cow elk in Lincoln County

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Oregon State Police seek assistance in taking of a cow elk in Lincoln County

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help locating those responsible for the unlawful killing and waste of a cow elk in Lincoln County.

On Thursday, Nov. 29, a Fish and Wildlife Trooper discovered a deceased cow elk. The elk was located approximately 2.5 miles from Updike Road on Bear Creek Road in the Alsea Wildlife Management Unit on property managed by Hancock Timber. The area is also accessible from the Baber Mountain ATV trail system.

The elk, which appeared to have been shot within a week, was left to waste with no meat removed from the carcass. Troopers observed another cow elk in the area that appeared to be injured.

OSP is asking anyone who may have information on those responsible to call the TIP line at 1-800-452-7888 or dial *OSP and refer information to Trooper Andrew Butler or by email [email protected].

** Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators** 

The TIP program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.

Preference Point Rewards:

* 5 Points-Bighorn Sheep

* 5 Points-Rocky Mountain Goat

* 5 Points-Moose

* 5 Points-Wolf

* 4 Points-Elk

* 4 Points-Deer

* 4 Points-Antelope

* 4 Points-Bear

* 4 Points-Cougar

Or the TIP program also offers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Upland Birds, Waterfowl, and Furbearers. Cash rewards can also be awarded for the unlawful take of Game Fish and Shellfish and for Habitat Destruction.

CASH REWARDS:
* $1,000 Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat and Moose
* $500 Elk, Deer and Antelope
* $300 Bear, Cougar and Wolf
* $300 Habitat Destruction
* $100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl
* $100 Furbearers

* $100 Game Fish and Shellfish

How to Report a Wildlife and/or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious Activity:

TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP(677)

TIP E-Mail: [email protected] (Monitored M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Taft swimmers display depth in team’s season debut at Tillamook

Jim Fossum
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Taft swimmers display depth in team’s season debut at Tillamook

taft swimmers

Freshman Sam Cortes, juniors Naph Meyer and Sammy Halferty, and senior Joram Hoff posted runner-up finishes Saturday to lead the Tigers in their season debut at the Tillamook Invitational.

Cortes and Meyer were second in the boys and girls 500-yard freestyle, respectively; Halferty second in the 100-yard breaststroke; and Hoff second in the 200-yard free at the Tillamook YMCA pool.

Twenty-one of Taft’s 28 swimmers competed Saturday, with one absent to take SATs, a couple of girls out of town and three boys sick or working, longtime Taft and Lincoln City Swim Club coach Lissa Parker said.

“Overall, with reduced numbers, we did really well,” she said. “This season, we’re going to have a big boost from several freshmen who have swam for the age-group team off and on for years.”

Because of their involvement with the Lincoln City Swim Club, virtually all of the incoming freshmen have extensive competitive experience, she said.

Cortes, Cristofer Ochoa, Angel Moreno and Dylan Barrera among the boys, and Charlotte Lundsedt, Audrey Sciarrotta and Cassandra Galvan among the girls, possess vast meet backgrounds, an undeniable advantage in organized swimming.

“The new swimmers joining us have a fair amount of swimming experience and acumen so that also helps us quite a bit,” said Parker, who included Kealy Boyd, Isabell Mackie, Degen Sawyer, Ayden Woodard and Alex Wigginton-Tibbets in that group.

Parker said returning seniors such as Hoff, Jonee Wright, Micah McLeish and Lydia Prins are very good athletes, and that Sam Anderson, who took last year off, and senior Tanner Landry are also back.

Sophomores and juniors such as Halferty, Hannah Weaver, Ethan Price, Hunter Lundsedt, Brie LeBoeuf and Jose Luis Segura have benefited from the conditioning of competing in fall sports, she said.

Meyer, Isabelle Serrato, Michael Young and Bryanna Berlin-Paget have also been swimming year-round and can be depended on in endurance events, she said.

Taft will return to the pool Saturday for the Nygaard Invitational featuring host Astoria, Rainier, Seaside, Tillamook and Valley Catholic.

Taft swim coach Lissa Parker and her swimmers take on Tillamook

For complete Tillamook meet results

 For Taft results

 For relay results

Lincoln City Parent Group auction supports students, teachers

Justin Werner
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Lincoln City Parent Group auction supports students, teachers

Lincoln City Parent Group

A silent auction organized by the Lincoln City Parent Group will be held at the Lincoln City Cultural Center from 6-8 p.m. today to raise money in support of Taft and Oceanlake elementary students and teachers.

Baskets with different themes have been put together by elementary classes and wrapped by the parent group to present at the silent auction, where the public is welcome to bid on them. Baskets vary from cooking, beach and family game night themes. The class with the highest bid on a basket will get to choose what kind of party they want to have.

“Businesses turned out to donate items for this auction in droves,” Parent Group Representative Beth Towers said. “We have Blazer tickets with a team-signed pennant and Heather Hatton from Chinook Winds Casino gave us a bunch of gift certificates. It should be a great auction.”

For $2, participants can buy a raffle ticket to guess how many agates are in a glass jar and drop their ticket in the Chinooks Winds raffle or Trailblazers raffle or both.

Parent group raffle
Raffle prizes

Proceeds from the event will go toward teachers stipends, end-of-the-year carnival, field trips, classroom supplies, sixth-grade outdoor school, help with second-grade swimming lessons, supplies for Valentines Day cookies, gift certificates for teachers, pot lucks for teacher appreciation, musicals and T-shirts for the students.

Live music and food will be available at the Cultural Center, while bidders look over the baskets.

The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Hwy 101, Lincoln City, OR 97367.

Distressed surfer declared dead after incident at Devils Punchbowl

Justin Werner
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Distressed surfer declared dead after incident at Devils Punchbowl

Devil's Punchbowl

Toren Stearns, a 30-year-old Corvallis doctor, was declared deceased at a Newport hospital Saturday after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter responded to reports of an unconscious man in the water at Devils Punchbowl.

Depoe Bay Fire District arrived first on the scene at approximately 3:30 p.m. in response to reports of a surfer in distress at the popular surfing spot near Otter Rock about 18 miles south of Lincoln City.

The caller said it appeared the surfer had lost his board and was trying to swim to shore but was continually battered by waves.

“The sea was rougher than normal, and that may have played a part in this,” a Depoe Bay fireman said. “If he became separated from his board, then he was probably trying to swim and could have been caught in the nasty riptide at that spot until he got exhausted.”

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter was dispatched from Newport, located the man at 4:14 p.m., and deployed a rescue swimmer. With assistance from a local surfer, they brought the unconscious man back to the beach on a surfboard.

The USCG helicopter flew the man to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, where he was pronounced dead. His cause of death was later announced to be by drowning.

According to Oregon State Police, Stearns had left his dog on the beach while he surfed. The animal was cared for by the Lincoln County Animal Shelter while his family was notified.

Oregon State Police, Depoe Bay Fire and Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln County Animal Shelter all participated in the handling of the incident.

 

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