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Is the City Trying to Cover Up Its Secret Investigations of Mayor Williams?

Justin Werner
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Is the City Trying to Cover Up Its Secret Investigations of Mayor Williams?

On March 8, 2017 the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) released documents alleging that Lincoln City Police Chief Keith Killian, and City Attorney Richard Appicello, visited DOJ headquarters at least twice in late 2015 to initiate secret criminal investigations of Mayor Don Williams, and one of the mayor’s supporters, transparency advocate Ross Smith.

Smith claims the DOJ documents raise more questions than answers, so on March 13th, he asked the Lincoln City Police Department for copies of the police reports on the failed investigations.

In response to Smith’s request, Police Department Records Coordinator Tami Williams informed Smith on March 15th that since his request asked for “all police reports,” a large number of documents were involved, and there would be a “substantial amount of fees” to process his request.

Yet on March 21st, City Recorder Cathy Steere told Smith that “no criminal activity investigations from 2015 to present date were found” by Tami Williams, and that the matter was closed.

Smith says he is considering asking the Lincoln County District Attorney, Michelle Branam, for assistance in locating the now missing documents.

This is an ongoing story as usual…

Willy Wonka Musical – Taft High School

Justin Werner
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Willy Wonka Musical – Taft High School

Creativity is one of those traits that has to be nurtured to really see it thrive and what better way to nurture creativity than the high school musical? Taft High School is putting on Willy Wonka the musical and I had the chance to get up close and personal with the cast, crew, and director. willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factoryI’ve seen the movie (old and new) and have to say I’m a fan. I can see why this story has touched so many. Everyone has been impacted by candy in their life so the story resonates with a broad swath of society. My dad would buy me a Butterfinger after baseball games and that was our thing.

Cast and Crew

When Beth Towers (Public Relations) contacted me on Facebook I knew I had to come down to the high school and bring my camera. Maybe it’s because I was in high school drama and loved it. Maybe I felt like seeing Charlie, Willy, and even that nasty Varuca Salt. In any event I’m glad I did. It’s going to be an awesome show because of all the talent, great set, and capable direction.

I met with the backstage crew who is ready for anything and they were happy to show me just what it takes to pull off those massive set-moves and lighting tricks. It’s a feat of engineering that unfolds throughout the show and we don’t really get to see it. I applaud you for your hard work and expertise. The sets are coming along really good. Someone has some serious building experience and a little bird told me it was the well known Justin Sparks. He has been called a genius by some of the students. Well he is an accomplished artist after all.

Jennifer “Mama” Sparks (yes from The Sparks Gallery) strikes me as a great director. Everyone in the building respects her and the actors call her “Mama.” She is fun to watch when she’s acting with her actors. She is Uncle George in the play and wears a big gray beard that just works on her. She directed Aladdin in 2015, Fiddler on the Roof in 2016, and now Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Pretty nice resume. “Mama” is passionate about drama and does it all for the kids.

Tara Souter is an eighth grader who plays Charlie. She seems highly intelligent and well suited for acting. She has some acting experience already and has been in a couple big movies as an extra. She said she’s nervous about being in the play but she didn’t shy away from my interview so I think she’ll do great. willy wonka taft high school micah morgan

Micah Morgan is a Senior at Taft High School and is like the perfect Wonka. He has the part absolutely nailed and he can sing. I would pass him on to Hollywood if I was an American Idol judge. I knew right away this kid was a talented actor and then I find out he’s also the President or Captain of everything. ASB President, President of the National Honor Society, Captain of the Varsity Football team…the list goes on and on. He’s really involved with church, community service, and just about anything you can think of he has done, is in the process of doing, or is getting ready to do.

There are a bunch of elementary students participating in this play and it’s actually a first to have all the schools in the area in the same play. Taft Elementary, Oceanlake Elementary, the middle school, and home school students are all involved in the musical. Some have parts and some are Oompa Loompas.

Golden Tickets

What I found really interesting was that while you are sitting there watching the show, chocolate bars wrapped in Willy Wonka wrappers will be available for purchase and you just might be singing “I got a golden ticket!” Salishan is giving away a $150 Golden Ticket each show. Can you imagine getting the Golden Ticket? I imagine you would feel a bit like Charlie did.

Support has seemed to come from everywhere for Taft High with donors like Salishan, Prehistoric, The Sparks Gallery, Ace Hardware, The Eventuary, Chinook Winds, Thriftway, Price & Pride, and Les Schwab. Sorry if I forgot any businesses. And all those volunteers. There are so many volunteers. Hats off to all of you who made this possible.

We go to the movies to be entertained. And here on the coast it’s been rainy and entertainment has been in short supply and that creates a void. This musical fills that void. In just the short amount of time I spent on location with these talented students I was thoroughly entertained. My face still hurts from so much smiling.

Show Times – Taft High School

Thursday April 13th @ 6:30PM

Friday April 14th @ 6:30PM

Saturday April 15th @ 6:30PM

Thursday April 20th – VIP – @ 6:00PM

Friday April 21st @ 6:30PM

Saturday April 22nd @6:30PM

X-Kitement – 2017 Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival

Justin Werner
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X-Kitement – 2017 Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival

Lincoln City, OR – The 2017 Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival is going to be an exciting, or in this case X-kiting, good time. This year’s theme, “X-Kitement,” will be on full display June 24th and 25th at the D River Wayside.

2017-KiteFestLogo-Final

2017 Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival x-kitementEach year, in anticipation of the Kite Festival, a naming contest is held to pick the theme of the event. Progressively working though the alphabet, this year’s theme was determined using the letter “X.” The winner, Judy Mauro from Salem, picked “X-Kitement” which will be the theme of the 2017 Kite Festivals. This quirky and creative theme was selected from over 400 entries that were submitted this past January. A playful take on the word excitement, “X-Kitement” sets the tone for an equally playful Summer Kite Festival in June.

2017 Lincoln City Summer Kite FestivalGet in on the “X-Kitement” at the D River Wayside in Lincoln City, where kite fliers from around the Pacific Northwest will take flight and show off their latest stunts. And, watch as colorful “big show” kites beautify the summer skies. Activities during the festival include kids kite making, professional kite demonstrations and the Running of the Bols, which is a footrace across the beach with each participant harnessed to a parachute kite. The festival runs from 10am-4pm each day.

For more information about the Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival, contact the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau at 800-452-2151 or visit OregonCoast.org.

Lincoln City Homepage’s Justin Werner will be on location both days and if you would like to show off your kite just walk up to him and let him know. 

Spring Whale Watch Week

Justin Werner
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Spring Whale Watch Week

whale watching depoe bayDepoe Bay OR — Bring your binoculars for a chance to see gray whales passing by the Oregon coast during Spring Whale Watch Week March 25-31. Trained volunteers from the Whale Watching Spoken Here program will be stationed at 24 designated whale watch sites 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. daily to help visitors learn about the whales’ migration and feeding habits and offer tips on how to spot them. A map of the watch sites is available online at www.whalespoken.org.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will also be open 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. daily during the Watch Week. The Whale Watching Center has interpretive exhibits on whales, “whale size” windows with panoramic ocean views, and rangers on hand to answer questions. The Whale Watching Center is located at 119 SW Hwy. 101 in Depoe Bay.

OPRD coordinates both the Spring and Winter Whale Watch Weeks in partnership with Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and Washington State Parks.

More information about the Whale Watching Spoken Here program is available at www.whalespoken.org or by calling (541) 765-3304.

Mobile-to-Mobile Wireless Charging

Justin Werner
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Mobile-to-Mobile Wireless Charging
mobile-to-mobile-wireless-charging

So you are in a party with your friends, and your phone is running low on battery. Oops!

The ideal solution is to charge your phone using a charger or a power bank, but not everyone carries power banks or chargers with them all the time, especially in a party.

What if you can charge your phone wirelessly using another phone when it runs out of battery?

Isn’t that great? Well, thanks to Sony, you might soon be able to use your friends’ phones to charge your own device.

According to a recently published patent application, Sony is working on a new futuristic technique that enables wireless power exchange between various nearby consumer electronic devices, including smartphones, computers, microwave, washing machine, fridges, and TVs, without cords.Wireless charging isn’t a new concept at all, but this is the first time when the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology is being used for power transfer wirelessly between two devices over considerable distances.

NFC is a technology that allows data transfer over a short-range, which is why two devices have to be placed nearby, under a certain distance, for the given wireless technology to work.

Titled “Configuration of Data and Power Transfer in Near Field Communications,” the patent describes where any consumer electronic with NFC chip might be able to search for other devices with the similar technology and connect with them to transfer power, the same way a device searches for available Wi-Fi hotspots.

However, the patent doesn’t detail how well this technology would actually work and has no word over the distance for which this technology might work between two devices.

“The distances over which the wireless communication can be achieved is typically consistent with distances used for wireless electrical power transfer through the power transfer antenna,” Sony’s patent document reads.

The patent also does not specify that these devices would necessarily be smartphones or computers; instead, it uses the term “portable consumer electronic device,” which could be a fridge, TV, computer, microwave, washing machine, and so on.

This wireless charging technology could eliminate one of your worst pains of always carrying out bulky power banks and multiple charging cables, provided your friends or smart appliances are willing to share their battery power to charge your phone.

However, patenting an idea does not necessarily mean we will ever see the idea come to life, but if succeeded, your phone will automatically start charging while you walk into a room – Thanks to Smart TVs, microwaves and other devices with NFC-enabled.

Total Solar Eclipse – Lincoln City Oregon

Justin Werner
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Total Solar Eclipse – Lincoln City Oregon

Details for the 21 AUG 2017 Total Solar Eclipse at Lincoln City, OR:
Latitude: 44° 57′ 29″ N
Longitude: 124° 01′ 04″ W
Duration of Totality*: 1m 55s
Partial phase start: 9:04:41AM (PDT), at “1:00 o’clock” on the sun’s disk
Totality Start*: 10:16:07AM (PDT)
*All times shown are calculated for the lat/long specified above, and are accurate to within a couple of seconds, due mainly to influences of the “edge effects” at the start and end of totality.
For a more detailed explanation of this, please see the “About Accuracy” section of this great 2017 eclipse page by Ernie Wright of NASA!
Please also note that these times have been converted from UTC; if you see times on other sites that say “UTC”/ “UT”, or “GMT”, those are NOT the local times for you in Lincoln City!

total solar eclipseLincoln City is in the path of totality for the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017!
Observers there will see (appx.) 1m 55s of totality!
(Get your eclipse glasses  – you MUST have them to safely view the partial phases!)

I’ll post more as information becomes available.

Torrid – Lincoln City Outlets

Justin Werner
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Torrid – Lincoln City Outlets

Lincoln City Outlets TorridThe Chamber of Commerce would like to invite all to a Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening at the Lincoln City Outlets celebrating the opening of Torrid, Fashion For Women Sizes 10 To 30. The Lincoln City Outlets are located at 1500 SE East Devils Lake Road. Torrid is located near the Nike Factory Store. The Ribbon Cutting will be at 10:00am on Saturday, March 25th. Following the Ribbon Cutting will be the Grand Opening Celebration.

The first 50 customers will receive a gift card valued up to $100.

Learn more about the Lincoln City Outlets at their website: lincolncityoutlets.com.

For more information contact the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce at 541-994-3070 or email [email protected] or visit the website at www.lcchamber.com. The Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce is an organization made up of local business members supporting one another and the community.  Their office is located at 4039 NW Logan Road in Lincoln City.

DOJ Releases Appicello’s Charges Against Mayor Williams

Justin Werner
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DOJ Releases Appicello’s Charges Against Mayor Williams

VIEW PDF

On March 8, 2017, the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) released 48 pages of investigative reports containing numerous criminal charges leveled by Lincoln City City Attorney Richard Appicello against his own mayor, Don Williams, and alleged co-conspirator, transparency advocate Ross Smith.

The documents claim that Appicello and Chief of Police Keith Killian visited DOJ headquarters in Salem at least twice, and met with DOJ investigators, including then Special Agent David Kirby. Another DOJ investigator, James Williams, is also mentioned as being involved initially.

On October 26, 2016, the DOJ’s Director of Civil Rights, Erious Johnson filed suit against Kirby and Williams, among others. In his suit, Johnson alleges that Kirby and Williams violated state and federal law by engaging in “political profiling” of Johnson. Johnson also alleges their criminal investigation of him was illegal as it lacked the requisite “reasonable suspicion.”

On the same day, an Oregonian article on Johnson’s lawsuit stated:

[Oregon Attorney General Ellen] Rosenblum fired one [DOJ] employee this summer and demoted the former chief counsel [Darin Tweedt] earlier this year. Another investigator tied to the surveillance left the agency.

The Oregon State Employee Directory no longer lists either Kirby or Williams as being state employees.

This is a developing story, and will be updated as new information is made available by the DOJ, and other agencies.

VIEW PDF

Tide Pool Clinic | Join the Hunt for Sea Stars!

Justin Werner
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Tide Pool Clinic | Join the Hunt for Sea Stars!

Lincoln City, OR – Local experts lead the hunt for sea stars during Lincoln City’s Tide Pool Clinic, a fun and educational way to explore Lincoln City’s rocky shores.

tide pool clinicBeginning in March, the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau will partner with the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition (aka CoastWatch) to provide a fun opportunity for visitors to learn about intertidal marine life. Clinic leader Fawn Custer, of CoastWatch, is excited to share her knowledge and expertise of marine conservation.

“We have a very dynamic coastline,” says Custer. “As the tides rush in and out, the marine organisms that live there have to adapt to these conditions. That is why our tide pools are much more diverse than other coastal areas. They are constantly changing with every tide.”

Custer brings 25-plus years of teaching experience to this year’s Tide Pool Clinics. As the Volunteer Coordinator for CoastWatch, she has worked with over 1,300 volunteers along the Oregon Coast to educate students about marine science in the region.

“My favorite part about teaching marine science is that I am learning as well. Whether it’s from my students or from the class, I love discovering something new.”

Assisting Custer with the Tide Pool Clinics is Athena Crichton, from the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center. Educated at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Oregon State University, Crichton has spent the last 16 years teaching courses at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. She also teaches marine education at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

With the recent resurgence of sea star populations, Custer expects visitors to see a few this spring. “Since 2013, we have seen a slow and steady increase in the populations. We would love to have participants help us count and measure them at the clinics.”

When the tide gradually recedes along the beach, exposed rocks reveal small pools of water where colorful, exotic creatures reside. Sea stars live side by side with sea anemones and sea urchins, creating a cornucopia of colors that surrounds the rocky shores. These are just a few of the coastal marine creatures that visitors can discover and learn more about at the Tide Pool Clinics.

Clinics are held at the NW 15th Street beach access in Lincoln City, one of the most accessible locations for tide pooling on the Oregon Coast. These free clinics begin with a brief orientation from Custer and Crichton, where they will describe local marine habitat and the types of creatures’ participants may discover. They will then take attendees on a guided tide pool tour. Clinics last for approximately one hour and participants are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback.

The first Tide Pool Clinic is Thursday, March 9th at 3:30pm. Participants should plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and dress in layers for Oregon Coast weather. Parking is available along NW 15th Street and at the Seagull Beachfront Motel parking lot.

The Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition (CoastWatch) is a proud sponsor of the Tide Pool Clinics. CoastWatch is a private non-profit organization dedicated to conservation and education of the Oregon Coast region. Learn more about CoastWatch by visiting OregonShores.org.

For more information on the Tide Pool Clinic, call 800-452-2151 or visit OregonCoast.org.

Oregon’s Credit Unions Deliver $2.2 Billion Boost to State Economy

Justin Werner
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Oregon’s Credit Unions Deliver $2.2 Billion Boost to State Economy

credit unionsOregon’s credit unions drove a positive, $2.2 billion impact on the state’s economy last year, according to a just-released, independent economic analysis performed by ECONorthwest. The 2016 Northwest Credit Unions’ Economic Impacts report measured jobs, economic output, and income supported by Northwest credit unions, as well as the direct benefits delivered to nearly two million Oregon credit union members.

What’s in it for the members? $159 million in direct benefits last year.
The key difference between local credit unions and other financial services providers, is credit unions’ not-for-profit, cooperative structure. Credit unions are owned and driven by the members who use their services. Unlike for-profit financial institutions that must pay stockholders, credit unions exist only to serve their member-owners’ financial needs, and are uniquely positioned to return direct benefits to them. Those benefits include value such as better interest rates, lower fees, and other services that hard-working Oregonians need.
The 2016 Northwest Credit Unions’ Economic Impacts report finds Oregon’s credit unions returned an average benefit of $81 to each member, or $159 million to members collectively. When members spent their benefits in local communities, that generated $161 million of economic impact in the state.

“The return to members is an impressive 50 percent higher than it was two years ago, when ECONorthwest performed a similar analysis,” said Troy Stang, President and CEO of the Northwest Credit Union Association (NWCUA). “Credit unions’ cooperative, not-for-profit structure holds them inherently accountable to the members who own them, which is why credit union membership is such a value for Main Street consumers.”

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
The ECONorthwest analysis documented that Oregon’s credit unions are providing family-wage jobs for 5,845 professionals, who earned a total compensation of $418 million.
“Every credit union job supports two others, meaning the state’s credit unions supported 16,600 jobs in the economy,” said Michael Wilkerson, PhD, Senior Economist for ECONorthwest.

Consumers’ Financial Lifeline
Nearly 50 percent of Oregon’s population belongs to a credit union.
Credit unions are financial service partners to consumers in 31 of Oregon’s 36 counties. Credit unions’ popularity is outpacing the population growth. Since 2014, 637,685 new members have joined a credit union in Oregon or Washington, representing 13 percent growth. The region’s population grew just 2.7 percent during the same period.

Loans, Loans, Loans
In addition to the economic impact documented by the 2016 Northwest Credit Unions’ Economic Impacts report, the National Credit Union Administration noted that as of September, 2016, Oregon’s credit unions had more than 950,000 active loans–an investment of $14.2 billion in members and communities.

“Credit union loans represent a significant investment in working-class Oregonians,” said Stang. “Those loans put members in their dream homes, help them buy the cars that get them to work, and help them start small businesses.”

Join a Credit Union and Make 2017 the Year You Take Control of Your Money
Nearly all Oregonians are eligible for credit union membership. Own your money. To find a credit union that’s convenient for you, please visit www.asmarterchoice.org.
Read the 2016 Northwest Credit Unions’ Economic Impacts report here: https://nwcua.org/credit-union-impact/

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