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.”
Oregon communities are ready to improve safety for Oregon’s youngest population under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) infrastructure program.
The Oregon Department of Transportation received 142 letters of intent requesting nearly $100 million to invest in safe routes to school. This first round of funding offers $10 million.
To help evaluate proposals, a new (SRTS) Advisory Committee has been created, made up of stakeholders from around the state. The committee will hold its first meeting Oct. 24 (details will be announced about one month prior to the meeting).
Final applications for funding are due Oct. 15, with reviews, scoring and recommendations taking place through Jan. 2019. Early next year, the Oregon Transportation Commission will make the final decision on who receives the grants.
The SRTS Infrastructure Program provides funding for projects that address the needs of students who walk and bicycle to school considering the unique perspectives and behavior of children. The fund, established by Keep Oregon Moving (HB 2017), receives $10 million state highway dollars annually increasing to $15 million annually in 2023.
To learn more about the committee, meetings and the program, visit the SRAC website.
Proposals to address how to deal with the usage of illegal fireworks in Lincoln City were tabled at Monday’s regular session of the Lincoln City City Council in order to develop a more definitive plan and budget.
The Council, which is reviewing fireworks issues that have arisen over the years and last Fourth of July, in particular, were addressed with findings from a citizens group overseen by City Manager Ron Chandler:
The following is an agenda packet summary of the proposals pertaining to education, enforcement and alternatives in regard to illegal fireworks:
Education
Recommendation: develop an education campaign to reach residents and visitors
Message: The message will include identification of Illegal fireworks, strict enforcement, safety and reporting violations.
Method: Billboards, Postcards & Flyers, Public Service Video, Radio Broadcast, Social Media, Press Releases, Events.
Enforcement
Recommendation: Consider the following. Increase police presence
Citations not just confiscation
Fireworks hotlines
Online reporting of illegal fireworks
Alternatives to an officer being present
Alternatives
Recommendation: Consider alternatives to the City fireworks show. Alternatives with Fireworks
Multiple, City sponsored fireworks shows throughout the City.
Alternatives – without Fireworks
Daytime Activities – Convert the City sponsored activities into daytime activities. Possible activities include concerts, picnics, historical dramas, etc.
Nighttime Activities – Possible activities include a laser light show, drones, projected light show, outdoor movies, etc.
Taft Dock will be closed while Bergerson Construction, out of Astoria, makes renovations
City officials will answer questions and provide information regarding the Taft Dock renovation project from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at the Taft 51st Street Park.
The $450,000 project to make needed repairs on the dock will begin Monday, Sept. 17. At that time, there will be no access to the dock. The project is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 9.
The project includes upgrading the dock by replacing the two piles, replacing the substructure beneath the deck, installing plastic lumber for decking and rails, and bringing the dock up to American Disabilities Act and other miscellaneous safety standards.
For further information, go to the Lincoln City’s webpage, www.lincolncity.org. or call the Public Works Department at 541-996-2154.
Ana Gil has been named Hispanic Family and Community Liaison for the Lincoln County School District.
“This position will help to ensure that all students in our district have the support they need to be successful and engaged in our schools,” Lincoln County School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray said. “The families will have a trusted ally to help them navigate the policies and programs offered in our schools. They should feel welcomed.“
The primary purpose of the position is to provide a bridge of communication between the District and Hispanic community of Lincoln County. The liaison is the primary advocate and systems navigator for LCSD’s Hispanic families.
“My job is very important because I will be able to find resources and create a bridge of communication between the Hispanic Community, Lincoln County School District and agencies.” said Gil, who started with LCSD in 1995 as an assistant and bilingual tutor.
While the peak August fire season brought 839 blazes and burned 69,600 acres of Oregon land, there was a reduction in human-caused fires in comparison to the 10-year average.
“This is very encouraging,” Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields said. “I’d like to think that people are starting to get it.”
On the nearly 16 million acres of lands protected by the ODF alone, acres affected by wildfires on all jurisdictions in Oregon represent more than 748,000 acres to date in 2018.
“Oregon is a beautiful place to live, but it does come with the risk of fire, especially from May through October,” Fields said. “We are hopeful that the trend continues and that we can end 2018 on a high note. But we still have a long way to go.”
While more than 44,000 acres burned on ODF protected lands have been attributed to fires started by lightning (210), the number of human-caused fires represents 75 percent of all ignitions.
The leading culprits behind a number of these fires are those burning illegally (99), drivers of poorly maintained vehicles (57), and campers failing to properly extinguish campfires (37). Other causes include power lines, mowing dry grass, fireworks and smoking. Nearly 60 wildfires are still under investigation.
Fields says that the end of fire season generally lasts through October, when several days of significant rainfall saturates the landscape. Each ODF protection district makes that determination based on conditions in their respective areas.
For now, fire restrictions remain in place and the public is encouraged to keep up the good work, Fields said.
Visit ODF for the latest on fire restrictions in your area.
Lincoln City Homepage is all about providing you the news – what you want and when you want it – which means now and free.
In several new features premiering today, Homepage brings you immediate access to all-encompassing weather reports, community festivities and events, and all of the area’s breaking crime news from your major local law enforcement agencies — direct from the arresting officer’s mouth, so to speak.
Under the title “Flash Feed,” you can now instantly obtain all the invaluable information being shared by the Lincoln City Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police regarding arrests, criminal activity and other public service announcements the moment it is released by the respective law enforcement agencies.
The weekly local crime log is also just a click away, alongside a series of colorful buttons that now includes an evolving calendar of community events and all your local and national weather news, complete with forecasts and detailed maps. Submit your weather photos or scenery shots for consideration for publication under our new expansive weather format.
Like the police, fire and rescue agencies whose job it is to keep you safe, Homepage is here to serve. We are pleased to bring this new and exciting community service to our growing and coveted readership.
A surgery quality improvement program is being piloted for Samaritan Health Services at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital (SNLH). The goals include preventing surgical complications, saving lives and reducing costs.
Last year, the Lincoln City hospital enrolled in the American College of Surgeons quality initiative called NSQIP (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program). SNLH is one of only 10 hospitals in Oregon participating in the program.
The program is the first nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care. It provides tools, training, customization options and meaningful data to support surgery quality improvement efforts. In addition, many hospitals use the program to empower their surgical teams to work effectively together to improve the quality of care.
“The structured data-sharing can raise awareness about issues that might otherwise go unnoticed and can help hospitals identify glitches and system inadequacies before problems arise,” explained Lesley Ogden, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Samaritan’s two coastal hospitals.
To date, reporting for SNLH has been encouraging, said general surgeon Ali Khaki, MD, who is leading the pilot program for the hospital. In 2014, Dr. Khaki was elected chair of the Oregon NSQIP Collaborative. In 2016, with the help of other hospitals in the collaborative, he helped form the Northwest NSQIP collaborative for the northwest region of the United States.
“SNLH has leveraged the collaboration with the other 800 hospitals in the program by analyzing occurrences in patient care and working to avoid any adverse outcomes that may occur,” Dr. Khaki said. “By focusing on these measures, we have achieved improved outcomes. These achievements were recently reflected in the ACS semiannual report which showed our results are in line with the other hospitals in the program.”
As the resident expert on NSQIP, Dr. Khaki holds regular meetings with the surgical clinical reviewer, quality staff and department heads to review reports and address any issues that are identified. He also shares learnings, best practices and case studies with hospital staff and participates in regular meetings and conference calls.
A comprehensive report is prepared twice a year for administrators and surgical services staff to compare their risk-adjusted surgical outcomes to other participating sites. Authorized users can view daily site-specific reports as well as those comparing their metrics to national averages.
During 2018, Samaritan Health Services is focused on four strategic priorities, one of which is quality and service excellence. One goal under this quality pillar is to improve patient safety — and the pilot program at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital aligns well with that goal.
“I am extremely pleased that this program was championed by Dr. Khaki even before we knew of our strategic focus for the year,” Dr. Ogden said. “He has been an ACS state and national quality leader for some time and, with his help, we hope that SNLH and eventually all Samaritan hospitals will see great results from affiliation with this program.”
“This position will help to ensure that all students in our district have the support they need to be successful and engaged in our schools,” Lincoln County School District Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray said. “The families will have a trusted ally to help them navigate the policies and programs offered in our schools. They should feel welcomed.“
