Beachgoers hunt for the elusive driftwwod“If You Can Carry It-You Can Keep It”
Hidden along the 7 miles of glorious beaches are driftwood logs, branches and sticks carefully placed by the Homepage Log Fairies.
All driftwood is hidden somewhere in plain sight between the ocean and the cliffs.
So put on your snooping glasses and be on the lookout for the rare wood. Just remember, none of them are marked or valuable (unless you just happen to love driftwood).
These all-natural pieces of dead trees will look great on any mantle or even might be big enough to become a mantle. Display the bigger ones in your front yard! Roast hot dogs on the smaller, skinnier ones. It’s family fun for everyone courtesy of the Lincoln City Homepage!!!
This last week was a bit sleepy as far as local news was concerned. That’s a nice way of saying it was pretty boring around here. But, don’t fret, election season is just starting to warm up!
Salem Capital building
Speaking of election season, the state legislature finally stopped doing whatever it is they do. Nothing too harmful seemed to come out of this short session and the subsequent release of hot air from the area spread our way making for some nice weather.
Neither Senator Anderson or Representative Gomberg (as of the posting time) face any opposition in their reelection bids. Good thing? Bad thing? I guess it depends on how pissed you are or aren’t.
But, if you want a race to watch, it would be the Lincoln County commissioner race for commissioner Hall’s seat. So far, there are 5 contenders for that sweet $100k plus per year paycheck. I’m always for getting rid of incumbents. Experience is helpful in most free market positions, but in government it almost always leads to corruption, entitlement and forgetting that elected officials are elected to protect the people from the government not the other way around.
Speaking of bloated mammals, whale watching has returned to the coast. I’m glad that it makes people happy to watch for the spouts of these magnificent creatures. It’s not my cup of tea but I enjoy seeing others get excited by the short blasts of spray emanating from their blowholes (the whale’s not the viewers). There are many visitor centers that have state sponsored hosts to show visitors where to look and how to spot a spout.
If you want to skip talking with the hosts, here are my whale watching tips:
1. Look west-they swim in the ocean (If you look east and see a whale you’ve probably eaten the wrong gummies).
2. While looking at the ocean, you’ll notice that it is, primarily, a horizontal surface. If you see water traveling vertically it’s either a whale or you are about to be killed by a waterspout.
The weather surely has lived up to the adage of “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Heavy winds, rains and accompanying power outages and damage hit the coast hard this last week of the month. As of this writing, the sun is gloriously shining and I’m looking forward to a beautiful Sunrise Service for Easter Sunday tomorrow. For you pagans, enjoy your chocolate bunnies.
Leavenworth, WA
It’s spring break here and Homepage fled the area to go to Leavenworth WA. Why? Why not? It’s beautiful there and smells like apples all the time. I’ll have more to say in a separate piece about Leavenworth (It was a bit of a disappointment this time).
On the Lincoln City Homepage Community Facebook page the top posts continue to be about glass floats and agates. However, yesterday, a post about a (presumed) homeless guy hawking glass floats at the SW 51st street turn around drew over 150 comments within a few hours of posting. Thoughts ran about 80/20 with 80% urging sympathy for the entrepreneur and 20% pissed off about drug addicts and bums infecting the city. Needless to say, a lot of comments were removed and some people got banned from the site. Most of the removed posts came from those siding with being compassionate to the homeless while wishing harm on those that disagreed with them. Most of those getting banned found new and interesting ways to share their fascination with fornication and feces. Go figure. Keep it clean and civil folks.
Speaking of Facebook, I propose a ban on the use of the following “words” on all social media platforms (I’m waiting for an affirmative post from Elon):
“Kiddos”
“Doggos”
“Fur babies”
Punishment for using those “words” would include confiscation of the offender’s fake Stanley mug, deny them service at Dutch Bros for a month and force them to publicly wear pants that have neither Paw Patrol figures or marijuana leaves on them. Repeat offenders would also have to update their profile photos from their sophomore year in high school 6 years ago to a current mug shot.
2 out of 3 dogs agree with me
One last thought about Facebook posts from my dogs; “Your cat doesn’t like you, that is why it left”.
Looking forward to a mighty fine week. I hope you are too.
Senate bill 1596 signed into law by Governor Kotek requires someone “that makes electronic items for consumers to give to those who look at, maintain or fix the items what they need to maintain or fix the items.”
The bill allows the state to fine people who violate the Act.
Those opposed to the measure shared a concern similar to Dustin Brighton, Director, Repair Done Right Coalition’s testimony;
“Manufacturers want to ensure that their products are serviced by professionals who understand the intricacies of their products and have spent time procuring the knowledge necessary to safely repair them and return them to consumers without compromising those standards or undermining the safety and security of their products.”
The majority of those in favor presented their support mainly as an attempt to reduce the amount of electronic items going into the garbage.
California passed a similar bill in 2023. It found an unlikely ally in Apple, a company notorious for not sharing any technology or repair information with end use consumers.
In a statement they said “Apple supports California’s Right to Repair Act so all Californians have even greater access to repairs while also protecting their safety, security, and privacy,” Apple said in a statement to The Verge. “We create our products to last and, if they ever need to be repaired, Apple customers have a growing range of safe, high-quality repair options.”
For those people that have been stymied by some companies not sharing methods or tools needed to effect their own repairs this bill seems a win.
But, information lacking in the testimonies is the actual will to repair items or liability for those that do repair items poorly and sell them on to others.
Some say the impact on slowing disposal would seem minimal as most consumer electronics aren’t worth the time or money to repair-even with dozens of YouTube videos available for nearly any electronic device that exists.
Voting yes were Senator Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) and Representative David Gomberg (D-Otis). Effective date is January 1, 2025.
Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport will host its annual science fair and open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13.
Marine Science Day is a free, family-friendly event showcasing marine research on the Hatfield campus.
This year’s theme is “Our Ocean, Our Future,” and the activities and exhibits will highlight the technology researchers use to better understand and monitor the ocean.
More than three dozen hands-on exhibits will showcase research on marine birds and mammals, aquaculture, ocean noise and fisheries.
Visitors can learn about ocean engineering, touch crabs and sea stars, look at plankton under microscopes, explore the Hatfield Visitor Center and climb aboard the R/V Kalipi, a 29′ aluminum vessel used in nearshore research.
Speakers K.C. Bierlich and Clara Bird from the Marine Mammal Institute’s Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna (GEMM) Lab will discuss how they use drones as a to study baleen whales. Both speakers have extensive experience using drone technology to study Antarctic minke whales, humpback whales, and Adelie penguins.
This talk will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Carem Ford Phillips Auditorium in the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building.
Behind-the-scenes tours were expanded due to last year’s overwhelming interest. The tour schedule includes: • 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.: Hatfield’s Seawater System Tours. Limit 15 people per tour, 45 minutes. • 11 a.m.: Yaquina Estuary Trail Tour. Two groups simultaneously touring. Limit 20 people per group, 1 hour. • 10:30 & 11:45 a.m. Vertical Tsunami Evacuation Tours. Limit 20 people per tour, 45 minutes. • 11 a.m.: Aquaculture Tour, 20 people per tour, 1 hour. All tours are free, and tickets are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available in the courtyard area in the Welcome Tent.
l also be free and open to visitors all day. Hatfield Marine Science Center is at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR.
Two events being held at the Samaritan Center for Health Education in Newport will touch on different aspects of aging.
Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia – This free class is part of an ongoing class series presented by the Alzheimer’s Association. It will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. At this class, you will learn the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, disease risk factors and stages plus current research and treatments.
To register, visit alz.org/CRF and select programs and events, or call 541-574-4952.
Knowing Your Options as You Age – This lunch and learn will be hosted by Samaritan Evergreen Hospice on Tuesday, April 23, from noon to 1 p.m. and it will include a light lunch. During this panel discussion, experts will discuss options that are available to you or a loved one as you age. Speakers will include an elder law attorney and representatives from Senior Services, Avamere Rehabilitation of Newport and Samaritan Evergreen Hospice.
Space is limited and registration is required. For additional information and to register, contact Kelly at [email protected] or call 541-812-4662.
According to a press release form the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), studded tires must be removed by Sunday, March 31. No extension of the studded tire season is expected.
“We encourage everyone to take off their studded tires before March 31, especially if you won’t be driving in the mountains,” advised Galen McGill, State Maintenance and Operations Engineer.
Driving with studded tires after the deadline can result in a fine. Law enforcement may issue a citation, a Class C traffic violation, with a $165 fine.
McGill continues, “While studded tires are okay from November 1 to March 31, it’s better to use other options like traction tires or chains. Studded tires cause about $8.5 million in damage to state highways each year, according to a 2014 study.
Our crews continue monitoring highways and weather forecasts, working to remove any late season snow or ice. Visit TripCheck.com for current conditions. After March 31, switch to traction tires or chains if needed, or consider postponing your travel until conditions improve. “
Captain Jon and his wife mother next to his boat in Depoe Bay.
U.S. Marine veteran Jon Barnard loves fresh seafood.
In fact, he loves it so much that he moved to the Oregon coast, bought a boat and started a commercial fishing business so he could share his passion with everyone.
“There’s nothing better than coming off of the ocean to a meal of fresh seafood.” says Barnard.
From his boat ‘El Desarae’ Jon fishes to order for restaurants and individual customers.
“We are a custom order fish seller direct to end user. We sell today what we catch today. Our fish are individually caught, bled and iced to provide the freshest, high quality fish available.
We fish seasonal catch including ling cod, nearshore ground fish species and albacore tuna.”
With a few days notice via his Facebook page Barnard will take an order for a day’s trip.
Captain Jon and his grandson Tucker
Sometimes Jon is accompanied by his 15 year old grandson Tucker who is also a licensed commercial fisherman.
A typical day for Barnard begins at five a.m. “I’ll get the boat ready and head out (weather permitting) and fish until about two or three o’clock in the afternoon. Then upon return to dock there’s getting customers their catch and then cleaning up of the boat. So typically I’m putting in a 14-15 hour day.”
When asked if guests can pick up ready filleted portions he says, “No, because of the type of limited license I carry I must deliver a whole fish to my customer. But once it’s paid for I can then help with the filleting of portions” Barnard tells clients, “an average lingcod will yield about 25 percent of it’s total weight to actual edible meat so they need to plan accordingly.”
And while it’s very cool to tell everyone about a new veteran run business in the area, Jon’s story of how he came to be here is, well, as hard to believe as most fishing stories.
“I joined the Marines at 18,” says Barnard “and was exposed to a whole new culture on the Island of Okinawa and also South Korea. Prior to that the only other place I had been outside of Montana was Oregon on vacation with my family. Okinawa was where my love of the ocean began. I used to go snorkeling two to three times per week. It was fascinating and beautiful.”
Fast forward to 2014- Jon and his wife were living in Montana where he was involved with highway construction when they decided they wanted to move to Grants Pass Oregon. They enjoyed many trips to the Oregon coast and loved to charter boats to catch fish out of Newport.
On one such trip from Newport in 2015; “The boat I was on was out in some rough seas that were getting rougher. We were going to leave and had stowed all the gear. A ten foot swell came along and put the boat on its side. Another came along and turned it upside down.
The Captain and I were sitting inside the cabin and he started calling out a mayday. We let the cabin fill with water to equalize the pressure and then swam out of a window. The Captain grabbed a “ditch” bag that had a handheld radio, flares and Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).
He popped up next to me and we swam together to the boat and held on.”
Barnard continued, “There was one person trapped underneath and one person floating on the sea laying atop an unsecured life vest. He couldn’t make it to the boat and drifted away. There were five us in the water. We got the EPIRB activated and didn’t know if anyone had received the mayday call. About a half an hour later the guy that was underneath the boat popped up wearing a fully strapped life vest. We thought that he had probably died. Once he came up he was too exhausted to swim to us and also drifted away.
As time passed two local fishing vessels came to their aid and pulled the two afloat from the sea. “The ‘Affair’ out of Depoe Bay grabbed one fella and the ‘Miss Raven’ out of Depoe Bay grabbed the other.”
Boat captains Loren Goddard and Mike Sorensen received the Meritorius Public Service awards for their efforts
Barnard explains, “The Coast Guard was originally going to send one chopper out of Newport but it had to be recalled to due mechanical issues and two other crews were summoned-one from North Bend and one from Astoria.”
Thanks to cooperation and bravery on everyone’s part all survived.
Fast forward to a few months later and Jon and his wife wanted to return to the coast for a short break. Jon recalls, “Halfway to the beach she tells me she’s arranged a chartered fishing trip for me on the Miss Raven. It was time to get back on that horse.”
It was on that trip that Jon decided he wanted to become a commercial fisherman.
The El Desarae heads out of Depoe Bay
So in 2022 Jon went through the laborious steps of obtaining a limited commercial fishing license. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The bite was good this day
Jon fishes primarily on weekends and holidays but “If the bite is good, I’ll go out mid week.”
According to earthsky.org A penumbral lunar eclipse – lasting over four hours – will occur overnight on March 24-25, 2024. It will be visible from Japan, the eastern half of Australia, the Americas, the western half of Africa, western Europe – and several oceans and parts of Antarctica. Timeanddate.com call for a total solar eclipse over the United States April 8, 2024. Visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location.
From Earthsky.org,
“Penumbral eclipse begins at 4:53 UTC on March 25, 2024. That is 11:53 p.m. CDT on March 24 in North America. Greatest eclipse is at 7:12 UTC on March 25 (2:12 a.m. CDT) with a penumbral magnitude of 0.9577. In other words, at greatest eclipse, nearly all of the moon will be inside the Earth’s outer penumbral shadow. The moon will never go into Earth’s darker umbral shadow. So it will never seem as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon. Instead, it’ll be a subtle darkened shading on the moon, and, at mid-eclipse, only a small sliver of the moon will fall outside this dark shading. Penumbral eclipse ends at 9:33 UTC on March 25 (4:33 a.m. CDT). Duration of eclipse: This is a deep penumbral lunar eclipse with a duration of 279.9 minutes. Note: A penumbral lunar eclipse is the most subtle kind of lunar eclipse, one that most people won’t even notice. Some people say the moon’s shadow won’t be detected until the disk of the moon is immersed in about 2/3 of the penumbral shadow. On the other hand, others notice it right away. It depends on how observant they are, atmospheric conditions and a person’s visual acuity.”
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has released its annual report on physician assisted suicide under the so called “Death with dignity Act (DWDA)”, which shows an almost 30% increase in the number of prescriptions written for lethal doses of medication under the Act in 2023.
The DWDA was a citizens’ initiative passed twice by Oregon voters. The first time was in a general election in November 1994 when it passed by a margin of 51% to 49%. An injunction delayed implementation of the Act until it was lifted on October 27, 1997. In November 1997, a measure was placed on the general election ballot to repeal the DWDA. Voters chose to retain the DWDA by a margin of 60% to 40%.
Prescriptions rose about 29%, from 433 in 2022 to 560 in 2023, according to the report. Deaths from ingesting the DWDA medications increased by about 20%, from 304 in 2022 to 367 in 2023.
The increase in DWDA prescriptions and deaths is believed to be driven in part by an amendment to the DWDA, passed in 2023, that removed the state residency requirement. The law no longer requires patients to be Oregon residents. All other criteria for participation remain.
OHA collects residence data from death records but does not receive records from other states unless the decedent was an Oregon resident. This means if an Oregon DWDA patient dies out of state and was not a resident of Oregon, OHA is unlikely to obtain notice of the death.
As a result, the 23 non-resident deaths reported may not represent all DWDA deaths of out-of-state residents who obtained a DWDA prescription from an Oregon health care provider. It is not known how many prescriptions were written to non-Oregonians. OHA plans to begin collecting patient residency status on the attending physician’s compliance form in 2024.
“The full impact of allowing out-of-state residents to access the law is unclear, as information about where the patient lives has not been collected during the DWDA prescription process,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., M.P.H.., deputy state health officer and epidemiologist.
As in prior reports, participates who died after ingesting DWDA medication were more likely to be 65 and older (82%) and have cancer (66%). Other findings for the year include:
Prescriptions for lethal doses of medication were written by 167 different physicians. The youngest patient who took lethal medication was 29 years old. The oldest was 102. Seventeen patients (5%) outlived their six-month prognosis. A physician, other health care provider or trained volunteer was present at 54% of ingestions. At least 10 patients experienced complications, most of which involved difficulty ingesting the medication, such as a burning sensation in the throat or partial regurgitation of medication. No patients regained consciousness after ingesting the DWDA prescription medication. The median time from ingestion to death was 53 minutes.
OHA is legally required to collect information on compliance with the Death with Dignity Act and to make that information available on a yearly basis.
“OHA’s role is that of a steward of data about the use of the law,” Jeanne said. “This is a law, not an OHA program, and our principal role is to report accurate aggregate data about the use of the law. It is critical that we have accurate data so that informed ethical, legal and medical decisions can be made.”
News release: Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 31.
Trained Oregon State Park volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast to help visitors spot whales and their calves and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily March 23-31. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast.
The spring event is three days longer than last year and might include better odds of seeing gray whales on their journey home from the calving lagoons in Mexico in light of today’s announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA announced the end of an Unusual Mortality Event, a significant die-off of the gray whale population, that had affected the marine mammals since 2019.
“The latest counts indicate that the gray whale population has likely turned the corner and is beginning to recover. It’s a perfect time for people to see them as they swim north with new calves to feed,” said Michael Milstein, public affairs officer with NOAA Fisheries.
Researchers counted about 412 calves last year, which was almost double the number from the year before. That helped signal an end to the Unusual Mortality Event and a likely turnaround in numbers as the species begins to rebound.
An estimated 14,500 gray whales are expected to swim past Oregon’s shores from late winter through June as part of their annual migration back to Alaska.
“Spring is a great time for whale watching because the gray whales are usually closer to shore on their return trip, typically around a mile or so out, and the weather can be better for viewing. But don’t forget your rain gear just in case,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride.
The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 23-31. Visitors to the center can enjoy interactive whale exhibits and take in the panoramic ocean views. Binoculars are provided. Rangers from Oregon State Parks will also be on hand to answer questions about the whales.
All Whale Watch Week visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow beach safety guidelines such as remaining out of fenced areas, knowing the tide schedule and keeping an eye on the surf at all times. Go here for a list of safety tips.
For more information about coast parks and campgrounds, visit oregonstateparks.org.
Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and videos from Spring Whale Watch on social media using #OregonStateParks and #ORWhaleWatch24.
Speaking of bloated mammals, whale watching has returned to the coast. I’m glad that it makes people happy to watch for the spouts of these magnificent creatures. It’s not my cup of tea but I enjoy seeing others get excited by the short blasts of spray emanating from their blowholes (the whale’s not the viewers). There are many visitor centers that have state sponsored hosts to show visitors where to look and how to spot a spout. 
Two events being held at the Samaritan Center for Health Education in Newport will touch on different aspects of aging.
News release: Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 31.
