Thank you for your letter. I appreciate your critique of the meeting. I also appreciate your comments during the meeting and the support you give Mr. Forse and his event. It’s unfortunate the City’s budget is insufficient to support all of the applications for events. Each application, including the Nelscott Reef Surfing application, had merit.
I was recently asked by a reporter about the grant process and I responded that it’s very competitive and it seems to be getting more competitive each year. The Visitor and Convention Committee is very thorough when reviewing applications and making recommendations to me. Perhaps you can assist Mr. Forse with future applications. I’ve always found it helpful to have a second set of eyes looking at grant applications especially when the requirements for a grant are precise.
I don’t have animosity toward Mr. Forse although I find his criticism of Ed Dreistadt to be overly harsh. I wish him well with his endeavors.
Thank you again for your letter.
Sincerely yours, Ron Chandler City Manager
cc: Mayor Don Williams City Councilors: Susan Wahlke, Diana Hinton, Riley Hoagland, Diana Hinton, Judy Casper The News Guard The News Times Lincoln City Homepage John Forse Ed Dreistadt
City of Toledo Mayor Billie Jo Smith and Councilors Terri Strom and Deanne Dunlap were recalled from their positions by Toledo Voters Sept. 11 for reportedly hiding information, conducting illegal secret meetings and being fiscally irresponsible.
Toledo citizens demanded a recall of Smith, citing questionable personnel practices, the forced termination of Municipal Judge Bruce C. Parsons, illegally participating in the termination of Fire Chief Will Ewing, and failing to disclose the forced retirement of interim Toledo City Manager Craig Martin from the City of Sweet Home to other city councilors and the public.
Smith said the goal of the recall was to replace three members of the City Council with supporters of three former City employees who were calling for the termination of the city manager.
Smith said the recall petition claims were untrue and all other claims were misrepresentations and only opinions.
Smith, who would have served her second term as Toledo mayor, plans to run again in the November election.
Toledo citizens also demanded the recall of Councilor Strom for ethics law violation, conspiring with Mayor Smith to conduct illegal closed and serial meetings with other councilors, fiscal irresponsibility, failure to investigate background and employment history of the current city manager, and incompetent evaluation and recommendation of a deeply flawed annual budget.
Council President Strom was serving her sixth year as a member of the Toledo City Council. She is running for election again in the November election.
Councilor Dunlap was also recalled by Toledo voters for the same reasons given for Strom. She did not provide a statement of justification for the recall ballot.
Total Number of Votes: 821
Approximate % Counted: 99.50%
Turnout: 37.20%
21-PR2018-01 City of Toledo – Recall of Billie Jo Smith, City of Toledo Mayor
Yes, I Vote For the Recall
No, I Vote Against the Recall
446
357
21-PR2018-02 City of Toledo – Recall of Terri Strom, City of Toledo City Councilor
Yes, I Vote For the Recall
No, I Vote Against the Recall
435
377
21-PR2018-03 City of Toledo – Recall of Deanne Dunlap, City of Toledo City Councilor
Week 1 of the NFL season has come to an end, and, boy, it was a good one. We had great defensive battles, rookie quarterbacks and some high-powered offenses.
Here’s a breakdown of some headlines coming out of Week 1.
Where Does Matt Ryan Belong Among NFL QBs?
After Matt Ryan’s performance Thursday night against the Eagles, where he was shut out in the red zone, fans and media alike were asking whether or not Ryan was a legit QB, or if Shanahan’s offense made him better. When you compare Ryan’s stats with his MVP season and an average of every other year, it looks like we’re talking about a completely different player.
MVP Season
Other Seasons Averaged
Yards Per Game
309 yards
258 yards
Completion
Percentage
69.9%
64 percent
Touchdowns/Interceptions
38/7
25/13
Quarterback
Rating
117.1
90.5
As you can see from the table, Ryan either had a blowout year, or needs Shanahan to be elite. He threw for more than 50 more yards a game and averaged nearly one more touchdown in his MVP season. His quarterback rating isn’t even comparable, as it increases by nearly 30 in the MVP season. Outside of his MVP season, he only has one other year when he threw under 10 touchdowns.
Not only does Ryan need Shanahan, he needs some confidence in the red zone. He went 1 for 9 with an interception in the red zone on Thursday against the Eagles. In his last 20 passes to Julio Jones in the red zone, he has only connected on one. Outside of his MVP season, Ryan is just a guy finding himself in the middle tier of NFL quarterbacks. When you take away his MVP season and look at the stats, he stacks up with guys like Matt Stafford, Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco.
Matt
Ryan
Joe
Flacco
Andy
Dalton
Matthew
Stafford
Yards Per Game
258
YPG
232
YPG
234
YPG
278
YPG
Completion
Percentage
64%
61.8%
62.4%
62%
Touchdowns/
Interceptions
25/13
23/13
24/13
26/14
Quarterback
Rating
90.5
84.3
88.9
88.3
Ryan may have led the Falcons to a Super Bowl, and stolen a MVP, but don’t let that misguide you from the fact he is just an average player who is the third-best quarterback in his division.
A Game of the Year Candidate
On Sunday night, we got to see a fantastic matchup between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. We got to see an offensive powerhouse QB in Aaron Rodgers, and on the defensive side, we got to watch Khalil Mack dominate the first half.
Mack was able to show why he is the highest-paid defensive player in the league all-time, signing a contract worth $141 million over six years, with $90 million guaranteed. Mack had one forced fumble where he ripped the ball out of the quarterback DeShone Kizer’s hands. Later, he picked off Kizer for a touchdown.
Even when Mack wasn’t ripping the ball out of opposing players’ hands, he was able to make a huge impact, either forcing early throws or leading the quarterback into a sack by a teammate. Mack was all over the field in the first half, giving Bears fans hope despite the loss.
In the first half while Mack was dominating, Rodgers spent his time in the medical tent and locker room getting his left knee looked at after being fallen on early in the game. It was a moment where football fans everywhere found themselves stunned. When the second half started, Rodgers came out of the locker room and wasn’t 100 percent, but he was ready to lead his team to victory, and that’s just what he did.
Rodgers was able to lead his team to a field goal on his first drive and give the offense some needed momentum. On his next drive, he was able to get himself out of a corner on a third-and-long, later moving down the field for another score, where he dropped the ball in perfectly for receiver Geronimo Allison, making the score 20-10.
Again, on the next drive, Rodgers was able to lead the Packers down for a score, this time connecting with receiver Devonte Adams, cutting the lead to three. The Bears were able to put together a solid drive that ended in a field goal, but also on a decision that might have cost them the game. The Bears decided to try and convert the third down with a pass, which came up incomplete, leaving Rodgers 2:39 on the clock. If you know anything about Rodgers, that’s too much time. He was able to connect with Randall Cobb, who was ran it nearly 75 yards for what would be the game-winning touchdown.
When Rodgers came into relieve Kizer in the second half, he was not at full strength, making throws on his back foot alone. With Rodgers at the helm, the Packers seem capable of doing just about anything. Look for them to be in contention for this year’s Super Bowl.
Sam Darnold’s Rookie Debut
The Jets faced off against the Detroit Lions on Monday night in what wasn’t expected to be a must-watch game outside of rookie quarterback Sam Darnold’s debut. However, the game certainly did not disappoint as the Jets dominated the Lions in every facet of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Helping lead the Jets to victory was Darnold in his first NFL start.
Darnold came out on the opening drive’s first play and threw an interception for a pick 6. Darnold was able to do something you don’t often see from such young guys, and that’s bounce back. Darnold started to find his groove after the interception, moving the ball down the field quite efficiently. He was able to make the quick reads, get the ball off quickly, avoiding sacks, while keeping his eyes downfield looking for an open receiver.
In his third drive, he was able to take his team down the field for a touchdown by running back Isaiah Crowell. Darnold was able to make a few plays with his feet on the drive, getting out of the pocket and extending the play, looking similar to something Rodgers, or Seattle’s Russell Wilson, might do. On a third-and-2, he ran a designed quarterback sweep and scrambled for about a six-yard gain and a first down. Not only is this kid dangerous in the pocket, he can hurt you with his feet.
Later in the first half, Darnold showed off his arm, throwing it about 50 yards to receiver Robby Anderson for the touchdown. Darnold saw Anderson was in one-on-one coverage and trusted his receiver to make the play. Plays like these are something you want to see from a quarterback, willing to take shots downfield, and trusting the receiver to beat the guy in the other jersey.
In the second half, Darnold was able to complete his second and final touchdown pass, to Quincy Enunwa on a little out route for a 22-yard touchdown. Overall, Darnold look very poised for a rookie, making very few mistakes outside of his early interception. He was able to convert on third downs, make throws on the run, and, most importantly, get the win. Darnold certainly is a bright light in the Jets’ future and we could possibly see him in a gold jacket if his Week 1 performance is any reflection of what he could be.
The Oregon Public Health Division (OPHD) announced its support Thursday of the FDA’s move to reduce the accessibility of e-cigarettes and vape products, such as JUUL, to youth. The FDA called e-cigarette use among youth an “epidemic” that requires “historic action.”
The FDA is taking action against retailers and manufacturers that illegally market and sell addictive products to youth. This is the largest coordinated enforcement effort in FDA’s history and aligns with the seriousness of tobacco as a public health issue.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes that tobacco remains sweet, cheap and easy to get in Oregon. E-cigarettes are the most popular tobacco products used among Oregon youth, with 13 percent of Oregon 11th-graders reporting e-cigarette use in 2017. These products are available in thousands of flavors with kid-friendly names and packaging.
Even though youth younger than 21 can’t legally purchase tobacco in Oregon, retailers continue to sell tobacco products to underage buyers. In a report the OPHD released in July 2018, 22 percent of inspected retailers were found to have illegally sold e-cigarettes to youth inspectors younger than 21.
It is the largest coordinated enforcement effort in FDA’s history and aligns with the seriousness of tobacco as a public health issue. The OPHA said it will continue to monitor FDA’s actions, support its efforts, and continue its own initiatives to reduce the health and financial toll of tobacco in Oregon.
Jim Kusz. left, and John Forse address the City Council on Monday
The potential for a Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic surfing contest webcast sunk to Davy Jones’ Locker on Monday following a Lincoln City City Council deadlock vote.
In a 3-3 decision, Big Wave Classic founder John Forse was denied an appeal for a Lincoln City Visitor Convention Committee (VCC) grant of $25,000 that would have helped fund a webcast slated to reach more than one million viewers worldwide and bring thousands of dollars in tourism money to Lincoln City.
Forse, who said he would give the webcast to the City, appealed his grant denial to the City Council and a vote was taken at Monday’s Council meeting.
Mayor Don Williams and Councilors Diana Hinton and Judy Casper voted in favor of reversing the appeal in Forse’s favor. Councilors Dick Anderson, Susan Wahlke and Riley Hoagland voted to deny the appeal.
Out of 21 grant applications, 16 were awarded. Forse’s proposal scored the lowest among all applicants even though his event coincides with the “shoulder season,” a period when marketing is needed most and local businesses struggle to remain profitable.
A list of VCC grants approved and denied
City Manager Ronald Chandler cited the following reasons for why Forse’s application was denied:
The application did not have three letters of support from the community, “which is a lack of community support,” Chandler said.
The application scored less than 50 points to continue pursuit of the grant with the VCC.
The VCC did not recommend approval, scoring the event with a “lack of sufficient impact on tourism,” “a lack of successful historical performance,” and “a lack of community support.”
“The VCC committee was unanimous on the two grants that had been previously awarded to me,” Forse said “I put on the grant the link to my website that had numerous letters of support from the community and proof that we run successful contests.”
At the first-ever City Council appeal hearing over a grant denial, Forse said he discovered Nelscott Reef when he and a friend motored an under-powered Zodiac motorboat out of the mouth of the Siletz River into huge surf in 1995.
“I remember being completely mesmerized by the huge waves and having the feeling like the first man on the moon,” he said. “I knew if I didn’t at least try to catch one of these 35- to 40-foot behemoths, I would regret it for the rest of my life.”
Forse wasn’t able to catch a wave that day, but he was able to observe the reef until 2002, when he rode his first Nelscott Reef wave.
Word got out, and other professional surfers from Santa Cruz showed up and raved about the quality of Nelscott Reef. That’s when Forse had the idea to run a professional surfing contest.
“I was given a grant for $15,000 last year and the Visitors Convention Bureau directly blocked me from having my event,” Forse said. “[Explore Lincoln City Director] Ed Driesdat said a rival competition that swindled local businesses for thousands of dollars didn’t need a permit and I was not going to put everyone’s lives at risk by having surfers fight over the same wave.”
Forse said the alleged fraud that occurred gave him and his legitimate surfing competition a bad name and has made it difficult to gain new sponsors.
“I appreciate the painted adventurous experience. It’s interesting,” Anderson said. “Do you understand the criteria of how a grant is granted? What you must be arguing is your disagreement in how you scored. That can be the only possible position you have.”
“I think there are some power-brokers adjusting numbers around here,” Forse said. “How come last year I had unanimous agreement for a grant, and this year I’m one of the lowest [scoring] ones? There are some backroom deals going on.”
Forse’s appeal hinged on an incomplete application, specifically, the failure to provide three letters of community support. Williams asked Staff if the City notified applicants that their application was incomplete.
Explore Lincoln City Director Ed Dreistadt, left, and City Manager Ron Chandler
“Technically, if an application is incomplete we can deny it on the spot,” Dreistadt said. “We gave John a break and sent it on to the VCC to vote on.”
Williams, dissatisfied with Dreistadt’s answer, asked his question again:
“If they had incomplete information would somebody within that process tell those people, and I was told, yes, and we would even help them complete it. Now, if they have incomplete information and it is forwarded to the VCC, and then they view it and say it’s incomplete, we haven’t given them that opportunity.”
Chandler answered William’s question by saying he doesn’t know if they helped Forse rewrite his application, but they do help applicants in general.
Forse said he never received any communication from the City alerting him to an incomplete application.
North Lincoln Fire and Rescue Safety Officer Jim Kusz spoke in support of Forse’s appeal.
Kusz said he met Forse in 1998 when Forse was bitten by a great white shark. Kusz has been involved in the event over the years by keeping the contestants and spectators safe in his capacity as Safety Officer.
“John has something here that is very difficult to understand and imagine,” Kusz said. “I’ve talked to people on cruise ships and all they know about Lincoln City is Nelscott Reef. This is not only a money-maker for Lincoln City, this is a money-maker for every little place around here. This is something that is a massive gift from Mother Nature right off our Coast.”
Kusz closed with: “The only person who proved he could do this time and time again is John Forse.”
Your process in giving grants is flawed, and I applaud City Councilor’s Diana Hinton, Riley Hoagland, Judy Casper and Mayor Williams for their questions regarding the obviously imperfect and bias system. I do question Monday night’s vote, as City Councilor Susan Wahlke should have recused herself from the vote since she and her employer (BAMA) are receiving two grants which could have financial gains for her indirectly.
“I’ve gone to watch this event and I didn’t know if it was John’s or the other guy’s’,” Hinton said. “It was a fabulous, fantastic draw to the City. Wouldn’t it be great if the City put up bleachers and did a really big event because it does draw people from everywhere?”
City Councilors Diana Hinton and Riley Hoagland
Anderson made a motion to deny the appeal and Hoagland seconded it.
Immediately before the City Council was about to vote and in the deliberation phase, Chandler offered new information opposed to Forse’s efforts.
“Mr. Mayor, I gave you a summary, I did not give you the quotes of the VCC. Would you like those? They’re pretty brutal.”
Chandler said the comments were written on a sheet after the presentation, but it was later determined that Forse had given no presentation, as he had not scored enough points to qualify.
City Attorney Richard Appicello apologized and advised the Council that after a motion is seconded the Council has discussion and there should be no additional information entered. Appicello asked that Council withdraw the motion and second and allow the appellant one minute to rebut the new information.
Anderson and Hoagland withdrew their respective motion and seconds.
“You gotta be quicker on the draw there Mr. Appicello,” Williams said.
Forse sat before the Council again and said: “I was never interviewed.”
Kusz wanted to speak during Forse’s rebuttal to Chandler’s comments, but wasn’t allowed. Kusz told Homepage via telephone he wanted to alert the Council that Chandler and Dreistadt were lying.
During the second deliberations, Hoagland asked the same question Williams had earlier. “When was he notified that [his application] was not complete?”
Williams answered: “They worked with him — quote unquote.”
On Monday, September 12th just hours before the City Council meeting, John Forse read to me his statement that he had prepared for his appeal. Listening, I took mental notes on what he was saying and thinking on how he could improve on his message.
After he finished, I shared some of my thoughts and ideas but soon stopped myself and said to John; “You know on second thought, forget what I said, it’s your story, and it’s perfect”.
Later that evening at approximately 8:00 p.m. in City Hall, I sat and listened to John again tell his story, about his journey to challenge Nelscott Reef and his vision put on a world class surfing event together.
Today, as I read the News-Times I saw how the VCB issued $156,170.00 in tourism grants to events that may or may not succeed and will not bring any long-lasting impact on putting Lincoln City on the map or increase the economy. Not that these aren’t good causes, but I’ve been to some of these events, and they pale in comparison to the excitement of the 11 extremely successful events (nine Nelscott Big Wave Classic’s, one Pro-Kite Surf contest, and one Stand-up Board contest) that John has hosted. You should look at the nelscottreef.com web-site John has run over the last 14 years and receives millions of views worldwide, to get a better understanding to just what this event is about.
So, how did this wonderful surfing event come to our town? John Forse talked with his friends, created a pool of volunteers, got some local and national sponsors, and over the years he personally invested an estimated $90,000.00 of his own money to invite professional and amateur surfers to Lincoln City.
We have had world-class surfers from Brazil, England, Australia, South Africa, Peru, Chili, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico, New York and Hawaii fly into PDX and drive to the Coast, eat at our restaurants and stay in our lodging facilities with a few days or less notice. Others make long drives from Washington and California to Lincoln City to catch a wave.
John did all this, putting on the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic, a one-day event, on 3-days’ notice in order to guarantee optimal weather and surf conditions. Surfers come from all around the world to surf the reef.
He also, assisted in funding “The Find” a documentary film focused on the first five years of the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic. If you like, I would be more than happy to loan you the DVD to educate you, about Lincoln City and its many wonders.
Diana Hinton mentioned Monday night, the hundreds of people who came out to see John’s contest. I remember speaking to her at the event and the beautiful crisp sunny day, as we watched some of the world’s best surfers, hustle out with their drivers on PWC’s (Jet Ski’s) to get in position. It was mid-week and I spoke to people who came from Portland, Eugene and Salem to watch this epic contest.
VCB struggles to find something unique that sets us apart from other Oregon coastal towns. Nelscott Reef is something that is not only unique to our coast but is just one of a handful of BIG waves on earth.
Nelscott Reef was the only mention about Lincoln City in Oregon’s 150th anniversary collector issue of 1859 magazine. John Forse and Nelscott Reef have been in dozens of international and national publications, making Lincoln City famous and infamous for the behemoth swell that comes usually in the late fall and winter months; when tourism is at its lowest on the central Oregon coast. You’d think that Explore Lincoln City (VCB) would embrace an event of this magnitude and its international exposure in the off-season.
As the discussion came to an end on Monday night, I felt it unnecessary for you to continue your obvious dislike of John by reading the bias and uninformed comments from the VCC committee members. This was very cruel, unprofessional and uncalled for, as there was already a motion made to vote. Was it your way of just trying to discredit him? You owe John an apology for that uncalled-for behavior.
What John has brought to Lincoln City should be embraced and credit given to him and his many volunteers that have successfully and safely put on one of Lincoln City best “worldly” events it has ever seen. I hope that the city will take City Councilor Diana Hinton’s suggestion and work with John to bring this event under Lincoln City’s umbrella as they did with the kite festivals many years ago. It is good to know the history of events and how they developed over the years.
Your process in giving grants is flawed, and I applaud City Councilor’s Diana Hinton, Riley Hoagland, Judy Casper and Mayor Williams for their questions regarding the obviously imperfect and bias system. I do question Monday night’s vote, as City Councilor Susan Wahlke should have recused herself from the vote since she and her employer (BAMA) are receiving two grants which could have financial gains for her indirectly.
You selected an octopus logo, which I’m told was to represent a beach town full of unexpected surprises, big and small. John’s Nelscott Reef’s Big Wave contest fulfills this expectation on a scale only mother nature could provide.
Respectfully,
Jim Kusz
Lincoln City resident
CC:
Mayor Williams
City Councilors; Susan Wahlke, Diana Hinton, Riley Hoagland, Dick Anderson, Judy Casper
The Lincoln County School District Board of Directors declared a vacancy in Zone 1 Tuesday night following the resignation of Karen Bondley, creating a vacancy on the school board in the Lincoln City-Otis area to be filled by appointment. Bondley’s departure was due to health reasons.
The Board of Directors will hold an open session interview of candidates and may announce the appointment and fill the vacant position at the October regular board meeting, to become effective upon appointment. An oath of office will be administered to the appointee. Appointment will be through June 30, 2019. This is a volunteer position and is unpaid.
Candidates for the vacant position must reside in Zone 1 and have resided within Lincoln County School District boundaries for the past year.
Applicants must also be registered voters, and may not be an LCSD employee. A description of the zones is on file at the District Administration Office, 459 SW Coast Highway, Newport.
Candidates must complete the Application for Appointment, downloadable on the website: https://lincoln.k12.or.us/our-district/board/ and return the completed application form to Sheena Scarberry, assistant to the Superintendent and School Board. Applications may be submitted in-person, by mail, or emailed to [email protected] on or before Tuesday, Oct. 2, .at the District Administration Office, 459 SW Coast Highway, PO Box 1110, Newport, OR 97365 no later than 3 p.m.
For additional information, please contact Scarberry at 541-265-4403.
A Site Plan Review meeting for a Taft High softball batting practice building has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Northwest Conference Room at City Hall, 801 SW Highway 101.
Construction of a 3,200-square-foot building adjacent to the softball field at Taft High, 3780 SE Spyglass Ridge Drive, will be discussed.
A Site Plan Review is a technical meeting of representatives from affected city, county, state and federal agencies and special districts. The public may attend, although site plan review is not a public hearing and public testimony is not taken.
Taft freshman setter Lily Hatton (11) and senior setter Lilly Salsbery (1) huddle with teammates, including senior hitter Savannah Russo, center. (File photo by Lon French)
The Taft High Tigers volleyball team remained in search of their first victory Tuesday night following a 3-0 defeat to the undefeated Yamhill-Carlton Tigers in a non-league road match.
“We had a rough game,” Taft coach Kelsey Hart said. “Everyone was trying their best, but we didn’t really have any one player stand out and play the best the whole game. Everyone had their ups and downs in this match.”
The Tigers fell to 0-5 in Class 3A Coastal League Range play, while Yamhill-Carlton improved to 5-0 in the 3A PacWest following the 25-9, 25-15, 25-9 contest.
“It’s a little bit tough to get a true read on our progress right now, as we don’t have some of our key players in the game due to injuries,” Hart said. “But, based on previous games and our overall attitude at practice and during games, I’d say we’re making good progress.”
The Tigers return to the court at 6 p.m. Thursday in a league home match against winless Rainier (0-3).
“While our record doesn’t necessarily reflect our progress over last year, I’d say we’re in a much better place.” Hart said. “We’ve gone 3-1 in two of our last three matches, which is better than we started last year, and a huge improvement over two years ago, when we didn’t win a single set the whole season.
“The progress is a little slower than I know we all want, but it’s there, and I have a feeling we’re close to a big breakthrough.”
Lincoln County Commissioner Terry Thompson has notified the Office of the Governor that he is stepping down from the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC), effective Sept. 22. Thompson joined OPAC in 2004 and is its longest-serving member.
Thompson, a commercial fisherman, spent more than 65 years at sea. In addition, he has served as a state legislator and as a Lincoln County Commissioner.
“I’m proud of what OPAC has accomplished,” Thompson said in a letter to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.”Serving on OPAC let me draw upon my years of experiences on the ocean and my service in state and local government. OPAC’s accomplishments include, but are not limited to: the creation of a properly-scaled network of Oregon Marine reserves; advances in ocean planning with the amendments to the Territorial Sea Plan (TSP) Part 5; a thorough-professional review of proposals to designate a National Marine Sanctuary off the Oregon Coast.”
OPAC is a legislatively established (ORS 196.433) marine policy advisory body that advises the Governor, state agencies and local governments on ocean policy matters. OPAC membership is diverse and made up of representatives from coastal community interests, state agencies, conservation interests and the general public.
“Commissioner Thompson brought unique skills to OPAC,” Onno Husing, former Director at The Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association said. “There really isn’t anybody else in Oregon that combines a deep understanding of politics and government with an encyclopedic understanding of the ocean off Oregon. We, the people on the coast, will miss his advocacy on OPAC. What happens in the ocean off the Oregon Coast could not be more important to our way of life.”
