Wednesday, September 3, 2025
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2025 Halibut season announced

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free fishing dayApril 21, 2025

NEWPORT, Ore. – The Pacific halibut sport seasons and regulations were adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission last Friday. Seasons are as follows:

Columbia River Subarea (Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR):

  • Nearshore season: open Mondays through Wednesdays inside the 40-fathom line May 5 – Sept. 30 or until the 500-pound quota is caught.
  • All-depth season: open every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday May 1- June 29 or until the 18,587- pound quota is reached. Back-up dates if quota is not caught are Mondays and Tuesdays, June 1-29.
  • Daily bag limit one Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.)

  • Nearshore season: opens daily beginning May 1 inside the 40-fathom line through Oct. 31 or when the 10,000-pound quota is caught.
  • All-depth season: the combined quota for the spring and summer fisheries is 277,074 pounds.
    • Spring: opens daily May 1 through July 31 with a 207,768-pound quota.
    • Summer: opens daily Aug. 1 through Oct. 31 or until the 59,256-pound quota is reached.
  • Daily bag limit two Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Southern Oregon Subarea

  • Open daily beginning May 1 through Oct. 31 or until the 8,000-pound quota is reached.
  • Daily bag limit two Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Review an online map for more information and Pacific halibut regulations.

A few important regulation reminders:

  • Pacific halibut anglers must have a descending device on board the vessel. The device must be used to release any rockfish species when fishing outside of 40 fathoms. It is easy and cost-effective to make your own descending device.
  • During all-depth halibut days, longleader gear fishing or the traditional general marine bottomfish fishery (lingcod and black rockfish) may be combined with halibut . The longleader fishery and traditional bottomfish fishery cannot be combined on the same trip.

A hoppin’ day at the office

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Peter Cottontail was a busy bunny

Easter day found the parking lot and surrounding grounds at Taylor and Taylor Realty awash in children scurrying about looking for Easter treasures. The annual event is one of the most attended and looked forward to. “My kids begin asking about two weeks out to make sure that Taylor and Taylor will be having this. The prizes are so fun and all the staff here  make it a great event.” said one mom with two kids in tow.

Despite the intermittent showers falling down the children were undeterred from their quest to gather as many prizes as possible.

Peter Cottontail emceed the hunt and a good time was had by all.

Taylor and Taylor Realty is located at 3891 NW Highway 101 in Lincoln City, OR. You can reach them at 541-994-9111 for all your real estate needs.

ODOT to pause curb rebuilds during spring break

ODOT release

According to a press release from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT),”During spring break, we’re planning to pause our work in the general downtown area and will continue to work near Lincoln Beach. Work in the general downtown area will resume after spring break.”

They also remind everyone, “We know that construction isn’t convenient for anyone, whether you drive, ride, walk, roll or shop in the area. 

To help you see where to go, we use blue signs and markers to show business entrances or accesses to parking lots. As a reminder, businesses are open during construction – and your support during this dusty time is appreciated!

When in doubt – look for blue to help guide you to a nearby business!”

To read the full press release click here

 

City Council orders recall of all glass floats found in 2024 and 2025

Lincoln City orders recall of dairy contaminated glass floats

In a stunning moment at the end of a typically boring Lincoln City City Council meeting, Margie Perry, a city employed “Float Fairy,” disclosed that she has learned that the majority of floats created in 2024 and 2025 for the hugely popular “Finders Keepers” glass float give away were in fact made in a glass factory where dairy products may have come in contact with the orbs.

“I was just taking off my gossamer wings and hip waders while I was talking by phone with Bill Bulb who creates many of our floats at Bill’s Big Bulbs in Bandon. Bill kind of whispered to me “We may have a problem. I think some milk may have been spilled on the floats. Maybe some cheese touched them too. I don’t know, it was a crazy party.”

A stunned council, barely able to process the information, begged the City Attorney for guidance.

After calling for a short recess while the attorney sought legal precedence on the matter, council returned to hear the city attorney announce his resignation and say, “You’re on your own.”

Council then voted to spend 150 thousand dollars to hire a Dairy Contaminant Consultant (DCC) to help them figure out what to do.

In the meantime, if you have found a float in either 2024 or 2025 you may bring it by the Lincoln City Homepage offices where it will be exchanged for a marble or something.

Commission votes to replace all county vehicles with Teslas

Lincoln County Commissioners choose Tesla

At today’s Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting, the three members unanimously voted to replace the county’s fleet of 1400 vehicles with brand new Tesla Cybertrucks.

With very little discussion, and no competing bids allowed, the motion to buy 1400 Tesla Cybertrucks was approved and a huge novelty check for 177,800,00 dollars was presented via Zoom to Tesla founder Elon Musk.

Lincoln County’s newest fleet vehicle

“This is really a step in the right direction for the county.” Said Claire Hall. “I can’t wait to try one of these out on the beach!”

“Lincoln County’s decision to purchase so many new Cybertrucks makes me feel like the wealthiest man in America!” beamed Mr. Musk.

The first Cybertruck delivery is expected after the check clears.

Renowned tree at Yaquina Bay to be felled

Tree at Yaquina Bay to be cut due to disease. (Photo Lincoln county Parks).

NEWPORT, Oregon— The Sitka Spruce that stands in the median near the entrance to Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site was declared a hazard due to widespread decay throughout the tree. The park is gathering community memories of the beloved tree before it’s cut.
The park will remove or significantly cut back the tree in June to avoid potential hazards including damage to vehicles and physical injuries to park visitors.

“It was a difficult decision to make especially with this iconic Sitka Spruce that has become a friend to us all over the years as the gatekeeper to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, but we have to balance between the beauty of nature and the safety of our visitors,” said Park Manager Burke Martin.

“We know that this tree is not only special to us but to the local community as well. We’re offering residents an opportunity to share their memories and potential ideas on how to honor this amazing gift of nature.”

Residents can share their memories and ideas at https://bit.ly/YaquinaBayTree. The park will gather the submissions and decide how best to incorporate the memories and ideas to commemorate the tree.

The Sitka Spruce lost a large limb during a winter storm, which prompted a physical inspection. The results showed there was significant decay throughout the tree. A resistograph was used to analyze the decay pockets within the tree, and it revealed widespread decay. The recommendation was to remove the tree to avoid potential hazards.

Staff will either cut back the tree significantly to create a snag for wildlife or remove the tree. Park staff will share updates with the community on the plans for the tree and how to commemorate it this spring.

Be on your best behavior at this breakfast

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Adam Shanks served breakfast last year

Are you looking for fun things to do with your family?  Look no further that the Gleneden Beach Community Hall annual “Pancakes with a Cop.” breakfast.

On Sunday, April 6, from 8-11am you and yours can enjoy a delicious hot breakfast served by Lincoln County’s Finest. This is a great opportunity to meet some fine community servants and help a worthy cause.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be serving breakfast at the Gleneden Beach Community Hall (110 Azalea St.). Menu is all-you-can-eat pancakes; eggs, sausage or ham, orange juice and hot beverages. Tips for the day go to the Shop With a Cop program. Cost is $10 for adults, $6 for kids ages 6-12 and kids under 6 eat free with an adult.

A change to the county fair

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AI generated image

The 2025 Lincoln County Fair is changing with venues spanning north, south, east and central county.
With redevelopment underway at the Lincoln County Commons, the Lincoln County Fair Board looked to alternative locations to present a Fair that preserves popular events while providing new opportunities for the community to participate. The
Fair Board will actively recruit vendors, live performers, and sponsors during the coming weeks and months.
In cooperation with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City will host live entertainment, the Open Class competition, the Friday and Saturday NPRA Rodeo, Kids Zone, and camel rides.

Some activities will still be held at the Commons as possible, namely, the 4-H exhibits and auction, as well as the annual “Seas the Day” dolphin drop fundraiser organized by the Rotary Club of Newport.
Also in the works is a pet parade on Thursday, July 3 in Waldport, with the exact time and location still to be determined.
And on Independence Day – Friday, July 4 – the fun will move to Siletz with a river float and community BBQ. Time and location for the float and BBQ will be announced soon.

Open Class Information:
Online entry for Open Class begins May 1 and closes June 15. Those wishing to
present walk-in entries can do so in Newport on June 28 and 29, and those entries will be transported to the Lincoln City venue. Walk-in entries in Lincoln City will occur on June 29.
Lincoln County
Lincoln County Courthouse
225 W. Olive Street
Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 265-4100
FAX (541) 265-4176

To save time, online entry is strongly encouraged to use online entry,

More information coming soon to www.thelincolncountyfair.com.
For questions, please contact Fair Manager Heather Tower at
[email protected] or 541-648-6818.

Representative David Gomberg Newsletter

Roadshow on the Horizon

3/17/2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

I often remind readers that a legislative session is about considering new laws and also about crafting a two-year budget. A third of the bills we pass will fund state agencies. A third more will cost money and also become part of the final budget.

In May we receive the final forecast of revenue which details how much we have to spend. In Oregon, we cannot spend more than we have. Our Constitution requires a balanced budget.

We begin with a review of what we currently spend money on. We look at how to reduce the “current service level” of agency budgets. We then consider options proposed by the Governor and agencies for new programs called “policy option packages” or POPs. Finally, we add in legislative proposals for projects and policies.

On Wednesday this week, the committee co-chairs will be releasing their budget framework. This will serve as the legislative starting point for directing billions of dollars in investments.

Each agency budget and legislative proposal has hearings in Salem. But we also take time each biennium to tour Oregon and listen to concerns and suggestions from Oregonians closer to where they live.

This year, I expect those public gatherings will be larger than usual. Town halls held by Oregon’s congressional delegation have been packed in the weeks since President Donald Trump took office. I expect many people, given the chance to testify to a group of 20 legislators, will show up with more than budgets on their minds. And of course, a third of our state budget depends on federal revenue sharing.

Mayors Cross, Wahlke, and Sawyer address the Ways and Means Committee in Newport during the 2023 Roadshow.

Earlier this month, the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means announced the dates and six locations for the Legislature’s 2025 community budget hearings. This is a great opportunity to speak directly with lawmakers crafting the state’s budget about what we should prioritize for the upcoming 2025-2027 biennium.

 

The “coastal” hearing this year will be in Astoria on March 28. Members of the public can register to testify here. There will also be a Salem virtual hearing on April 16. Members of the public can register to testify here.

As is the case every budget cycle, the state does not have enough money to support every worthy project or program. With significant needs across the state and a great amount of uncertainty nationally due to actions by the federal administration, it’s all the more important for you to make your voices heard about your priorities.

Continuing my work engaging with all four corners of Oregon, I will be attending five of the hearings in person. I’m looking forward to listening to all the testimony and meeting with as many of you as I can.

Here are the times, dates, and locations of each stop on the budget tour:

I’m engrossed in an awkward fight in Salem pitting traditional newspapers against online news services.

The question is how and where local government provides required notices to the public. Current law says that those notices will be published in printed newspapers and web pages with “E-Editions” formatted like traditional newspapers – essentially PDF reproductions. Current law also requires a subscriber model in order for an online news service to be considered a legitimate source for local governments to use for their notices.

I’m proposing to also allow notices on news websites that meet certain criteria to ensure legitimacy, but I disagree that the presence of an “E-Edition” or a traditional subscription model determines whether a news service ought to be considered “legitimate” in the eyes of the law.

My goal in HB 3431 is to get notices to where people get their news. If you are in Yachats, do you peruse the Yachats News online each day or the weekly Lincoln County Leader? In Philomath, do you read the Philomath News or the Gazette Times from Corvallis?

I believe the discussion should be about access and visibility. But predictably, the discussion is also about money. State and local governments now spend upward of $50 million a year on notices. The printed papers want to keep that income. Online news services that are increasingly filling the void in news deserts want some of it too. And for the public, papers or their sites usually require a subscription. Online sites like Philomath News and Yachats News do not.

Philomath Mayor Christopher McMorran, Yachats News publisher Quinton Smith and I testified on HB 3431 before the House Committee On Commerce and Consumer Protection.

The news media provides a critical watchdog oversight of government and we are all concerned with the quality, consolidation, or closure of our once-familiar local papers. Critics argue that my bill is one more nail in the printed paper coffin. I reply that the media is evolving and we can’t change that. An independent media should not rely on government funding. But if it does, we should support those new news sources that are increasingly supplanting the old ones.

The friction is exacerbated by the fact that many local news web pages are operated by people who once worked in nearby print journalism.

 

A recent OPB report detailed the evolving state of news coverage in local communities.

 

The amount of reporting produced in Oregon has been declining for decades — a fact that is likely unsurprising to Oregonians who have seen their newspapers thin and local coverage shrink. It’s a trend that has been playing out across the country as the business of producing journalism has faltered alongside the rise of the internet.

 

Employment in the newspaper industry has fallen nearly 80% since 2000.

Most Oregon counties have no more than one newspaper, website, radio or television station reporting their news. Some have none.
The result of years of consolidation and sales of local news outlets has meant that fewer companies operating out of the Pacific Northwest hold a stake in the stories produced here. Nearly half of news outlets in Oregon are now owned by companies based in other states.

HB 3431 has received one public hearing and possible amendments are now being negotiated. No further action is currently scheduled.

As Speaker Pro Tempore of the Oregon House, I frequently preside over floor sessions. But as some legislation has begun to inch out of committees and to the floor for a vote, we have renewed a tradition of inviting freshman members of the House to preside for a day. My job is to help guide, coach, and act as a safety net if something gets complicated.

Being at the front of the room is an honor but also helps new members better understand process and procedure. That makes them more effective during deliberation and debate.

That’s Representative April Dobson and I at the dais as a floor session begins.

Thursday was an interesting day in the House. Three measures were scheduled for a floor vote. And I was the floor carrier of each of them!
Two of my bills were resolutions honoring historic Oregon families who overcame slavery, prejudice and economic oppression to become valued contributors to our district communities of Waldport and Philomath. Please take a moment and listen to my floor speech on Louis Southworth here and Reuben Shipley here.

You can also hear my speech to ban greyhound race wagering in Oregon here.

Each week I try to highlight a hearing of interest to our district.

On Tuesday, the House Committee On Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade heard the -2 amendments to HB 2969. This measure would provide $840,000 to the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to encourage the development of industries to use more of our fish waste in new products.

I got funds for OCVA last session to get more Oregon seafood into Oregon restaurants. Currently only 10% of our fish served in Oregon comes from Oregon waters!

Now we’ve been studying how we can duplicate the success of the Iceland Ocean Cluster in utilizing fish for non-food product manufacturing. There they have found ways to increase the yield from a single cod fish from $12 to $4700 by adding cosmetic creams, medical enzymes, fish skin as a grafting material for burn victims, and even leathers and dog treats.

The mission of the 100% Fish Project at the Iceland Ocean Cluster is to inspire the seafood industry and seafood communities to utilize more of each fish, increase the value of each fish landed, support new business opportunities, increase employment and decrease waste.

Keeping waste out of our waters and creating new businesses strikes me as a win-win. You can learn more at the hearing here.

This story may please you, depress you, or simply amuse you.

More and more Oregonians are achieving the mystical status of millionaires. The state has nearly 6,500 tax filers who report annual income above $1 million.

 

That works out to approximately 1 in every 300 Oregon tax returns, according to the latest IRS data from 2022. The number of million-dollar tax returns (joint and single) has tripled since 2010.

Why so many more millions?

Well, for one thing a million dollars just isn’t what it used to be. If you were pulling in $1 million in 2022 (the most recent year for which the IRS has data), that’s the equivalent of $771,000 in 2010.

But inflation is only part of it. Income disparities are a big piece of the story, too.

In Oregon and elsewhere, wealth is accumulating at the top of the income spectrum. The share of million-dollar incomes in Oregon increased much faster between 2010 and 2022 than the share of incomes above $100,000.

That’s mostly because incomes spiked in 2021 as wealthy people cashed out their capital gains by selling stocks or other investments that were buoyed by the quick economic rebound from the pandemic and federal stimulus payments that boosted personal and corporate income.

Despite the rising numbers of wealthy Oregonians, the state remains on the low end nationally in terms of million-dollar incomes. Oregon doesn’t have many large companies based here, so the state has fewer wealthy corporate executives.

Oregon’s relatively high personal income tax, particularly for those in the top tax brackets, may play a role as well. Wealthy people looking to maximize their income might avoid Oregon for that reason.

As for the rest of us, Oregon has a higher median household income ($80,426) than the U.S. median.

 

Read more here.

With the Ways and Means Roadshow looming, my weekends will soon evaporate. But I did get some time at home in the past two days to clean up between and following our recent storms. I tell people that spending time with a chainsaw and chipper is a lot like being in Salem except that you can see the results…

Susan and I did take time Saturday at the Pearls of Wisdom dinner for Oregon Coast Community College where I had some fun as MC and auctioneer.

Check out more Pearls photos here.

I was up early and back to Salem for another legislative week. Please keep those emails coming as the session unfolds and questions of consequence to you and your families are debated.
Warm Regards,
Representative David Gomberg

House District 10

email: [email protected]

phone: 503-986-1410

address: 900 Court St NE, H-480, Salem, OR, 97301

website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg

ODOT releases 2024 Bridge Condition Report

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The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) just released their 2024 Bridge inventory and condition report.

Kris Strickler

According to ODOT Director Kris Strickler, “Much of our transportation infrastructure is aging and nowhere is this more apparent than with Oregon’s bridges and pavements. We do our best to preserve and repair our bridges as replacing them is costly. We face a growing backlog of bridge preservation needs caused by the structural revenue issue facing transportation agencies across the nation. ODOT is working with our partners to identify sufficient and sustainable funding that would allow us to fund our critical core services including preserving our bridges, maintaining our transportation system, and making travel safer for all Oregonians.”

ODOT inspects bridges over a two-year cycle and summarizes bridge condition ratings on state highways based on National Bridge Inventory (NBI) and ODOT data. NBI ratings look at the major structural components of a bridge (deck or driving surface, superstructure, and substructure (base), or culvert rating), deficient bridge classification, and structural condition rating.

According to ODOT, “A significant portion of state-owned bridges are still in fair condition due to regular maintenance. However, much like maintaining a car, continuing to make expensive repairs on bridges nearing the end of their lifespan becomes less cost effective and practical.

The normal lifespan of a bridge is between 75-100 years and 60% of our inventory was built before 1973. In the foreseeable future, there will be more than 1,000 Interstate Era bridges that must be replaced. However, current funding levels pay for on average only three bridge replacements each year. At this rate, an Oregon bridge will need to stay in service for over 900 years, well beyond the expected service life.”

Compared to other western states, ODOT has the most bridges in fair condition. To keep bridges in fair condition or better ODOT performs both maintenance and preservation activities. Effective bridge preservation actions are intended to delay the need for costly reconstruction or replacement by applying preservation strategies on bridges while they are still in good or fair condition and before the onset of serious deterioration. Bridge preservation encompasses preventive maintenance and rehabilitation activities.

Highlights from the report

  • ODOT owns and maintains 2,781 bridges.
  • 60% of state-owned bridges in the National Bridge Inventory were built before 1973.
  • Last year, ODOT completed 1,331 state-owned bridge inspections.
  • ODOT paved 35 bridge decks, repaired six bridges in poor condition and addressed 63 other bridges with high-priority maintenance needs.
  • ODOT assessed 130 bridges for load rating in 2024 and placed new or revised restrictions on 11.

For the full report visit here