A man crashed his “truck” through a guardrail on the corner of SE 32nd Street and SE Fleet Ave. near the Ridge Apartments early Saturday (Photos by Justin Werner)
A man crashed his SUV through the guardrail on the corner of SE 32nd Street and SE Fleet Avenue early Saturday, getting his vehicle stuck in the trees because he “forgot there was a turn there.”
Immediately after the crash, the man could be heard moving through the bushes as he climbed up to the street. He approached bystanders and asked if he could use a phone.
Lincoln City Police responded immediately to the 911 call around 1:30 a.m. and found the man walking around the scene. He asked officers for a flashlight so he could find his phone to call someone to help pull out his vehicle.
“I was doing 30 miles an hour and I forgot there was a turn there,” he told police.
North Lincoln Fire and Rescue was called to the incident due to fire concerns after officers observed some smoldering. Firefighters took all the necessary precautions to prevent a fire.
The man appeared uninjured from the crash except for some blood on his face. He will need to pay for a tow truck to extricate his vehicle, but no charges were filed and he was free to go. Police said the man’s insurance should cover the cost to fix the guardrail.
The author of this article, Justin Werner, called 911 after hearing the crash.
The Oregon Coast Art Bus visited North Lincoln County Historical Museum Friday for “Art at the Museum.” (Photos by Justin Werner)
The Oregon Coast Art Bus made a stop at Lincoln City’s North Lincoln County Historical Museum (NLCHM) Friday afternoon where kids made art and got to see the new bus wrap.
“We take the art to the kids instead of having the kids come to us,” Newport Visual Arts Center Arts Education Manager Sara Siggelkow said as she gave Homepage a tour of the newly wrapped mobile educational art bus.
Newport Visual Arts Center Arts Education Manager Sara Siggelkow gives a tour of the educational art bus
Oregon Coast Council for the Arts and Oregon Cultural Trust sponsor the bus as it makes it way to events along the coast and is based out of Newport. NLCHM Director Jeffrey Syrop hosted the bus for the Art at the Museum event, where kids painted, printed and learned their shapes. Education is “hidden into” art projects as the bus’ mission is to combine art and education.
“I called them up and this is the first time we have done this outside,” Syrop said. “Kids love it.”
“It’s awesome to do art and see this bus,” a child painting at the event said. “I hope we get to come again because I learned a bunch.”
Syrop has been busy at the museum, offering new rotating exhibits such as Float Odyssey, which delves into the rich history of glass floats. Also new to the rotation is Swipe Through History, an exhibit where museum-goers can swipe through historical photos.
For more information about North Lincoln County’s museum check out their website.
If you are interested in having the Oregon Art Bus come to you, call 541-574-3364.
At Monday’s Lincoln City City Council meeting, Mayor Susan Wahlke shouted down and cut off Councilor Riley Hoagland as he questioned city staff about spending tax dollars on a proposed project.
The project in question concerns a new technology that will replace human meter readers with radio transmitted readings of water usage.
Breaching council protocol, Wahlke demanded: “These technical questions should be presented before the meeting!”
When Hoagland attempted to defend his line of questioning, Wahlke shouted: “You can’t expect her to have the answer to these questions off the top of her head!”
Hoagland gave up on his line of questioning after the berating.
“I’m just trying to get things right to make the best decision for the people of Lincoln City,” Hoagland said in response to the incident.
The outburst can be seen in the publicly available council meeting video on the City’s website.
Lincoln City City Council held a “special meeting” early Friday where they voted 4-2 to put increasing Transient Room Tax (TRT) on the November ballot.
The meeting was held at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 12 with two councilors voting against. Both councilors Riley Hoagland and Rick Mark indicated a desire for staff to find a way to live within budget, rather than ask for a tax increase, though Mark preferred a one percent increase instead of 2.5 percent
When asked about the resolution, hotel and VRD owners responded to Homepage with: “Nobody talked to us,” and “I just found out about it from you.”
The largest provider of TRT funds, Chinook Winds Casino Resort, had no knowledge of the approved resolution when contacted.
“If we want to spur tourism, this will not be helpful,” another owner who wished to remain anonymous said. “Even though gas prices have leveled, it will still deter overnight visitors to Lincoln City.”
The owners agreed that a 2.5 percent increase on top of skyrocketing wages and inflation would do more harm than good for Lincoln City.
“I can understand Newport raising its rates. They have an aquarium and a harbor to maintain, but we don’t,” Jason Love of the Esther Lee Motel said. “Visitors are going to go elsewhere. And it troubles me that we had no input going into this decision.”
“Putting this on the ballot is probably the biggest public involvement we can have,” Councilor Mitch Parsons said.
“The city is in need of revenue to fund desired essential city services, such as narcotics enforcement, as well as funding and development of tourism-related facilities and city park facilities which serve tourists, including but not limited to the proposed D River Visitors Information Center…”
Councilors Susan Wahlke, Judy Casper, Mitch Parsons and Elaine Starmer voted yes on the resolution.
Alek Skarlatos is on a motorcycle tour of House District 4 (Photos by Justin Werner)
Republican Congressional candidate Alek Skarlatos visited Lincoln City Wednesday as part of a motorcycle tour encompassing 1,000 miles of House District 4.
Skarlatos, accompanied by his younger brother Solon, is meeting with people from all over the district in a bid to represent them in Congress.
At the public meet and greet at the Old Taft Fire Hall, Skarlatos fielded questions from the crowd concerning topics such as, invasive species of weed in Devils Lake, access to medical care and DOJ and FBI investigations. He also spoke about how fun it is to do a motorcycle tour and “meet people at events like this.” He mentioned the troubles COVID-19 presented in his last election cycle where he faced incumbent Peter DeFazio.
“It’s been awhile since we could have events like this,” he said. “We’re making up for that now.”
Alek Skarlatos Listens to Lincoln City residents
The Roseburg resident spoke about DeFazio being in office for 36 years and said this is the best chance Republicans have had in over 30 years to win seats and possibly the governorship. DeFazio has chosen not to seek reelection after defeating Skarlatos by a mere 24,000 votes in 2020.
Skarlatos said his campaign was “professional and polished,” however, said he was not professional and polished, referring to himself as a “regular guy” who does not hold elected office yet.
“I’m just hoping to create a better economic outlook for people of this district,” he said. “This is the poorest Congressional district in the state.”
Skarlatos said the Oregon Coast has largely been ignored, echoing Oregon House Representative David Gomberg’s statements, and illustrating how the new district runs from Lincoln City all along the coast to the California border.
Attending the event was a Corvallis resident vacationing in Depoe bay. Natalie Lesperance saw a Facebook post about Skarlatos’ visit and drove to Lincoln City and see him for herself.
“He’s a very solid young man that’s wanting to make changes,” she said. “The status quo is not a solution and we need this youthful energy in Washington.”
“He’s one of us,” Lincoln City resident Tom Berg said. “Sure he’s been on Dancing With the Stars and was in a movie, but he’s a regular guy.”
Skarlatos will be on the ballot in November, running against Democrat Val Hoyle, who serves as commissioner of Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries.
Skarlatos continues his tour later today, visiting Depoe Bay and Newport.
On Monday August 15, 2022, at about 10:40 a.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on US 101 near milepost 122.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a southbound Chevrolet S-10 Blazer operated by, Matthew Phillips, age (31), of Otis, crossed the center line of the highway and struck a northbound Freightliner Dump Truck operated by, Claude Segerson, age (69), of Otis. The Chevrolet S-10 Blazer came to rest in the northbound lane and the Freightliner Dump Truck left the roadway and went down an embankment.
Phillips and his passenger, Christopher Padilla, age (30), of Otis, as well as Segerson were all pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency personnel.
US 101 was closed for about six (6) hours.
OSP was assisted by ODOT, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Newport Police Department, Lincoln City Police Department, North Lincoln Fire and OSP/LCSO Chaplains.
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Three people have died in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 101 in Gleneden beach near the Siletz Bay Airport Monday.
Highway 101 was closed while crews responded to the incident and traffic was detoured to Gleneden beach Loop.
A dump truck may have been involved according to Information Station, which reported the truck down a 25 foot embankment with a person trapped inside. Life Flight was inbound but later called off.
No information is being released at this time. Oregon State Police said they would issue a release.
Lincoln City’s annual sandcastle contest held on the beach behind Mo’s saw mermaids, cruise ships, dolphins, burgers, houses and more competing for prizes Saturday.
Lincoln City Sandcastle Contest. (Photos by Justin Werner)
Some took their time and created masterpieces while others had to dedicate resources to “holding the ocean back” as was the case for Sweet Home resident Randy Schoonover and family, who built a “siege wall” to protect their intricate house from the rising tide.
“We love this event because it’s family friendly,” Schoonover said. “You see more smiles here on this beach than anywhere you go in Lincoln City.”
The Schoonover’s have been coming to Lincoln City and entering the competition for the last 15 years.
Some contestants were not so lucky in their battle with the sea.
A visiting family from Genoa, Nevada chose the Sea Castle theme and had four different castles adorned with fish, turtle, crab and starfish.
Local builders from Salishan had problems with a pesky crab that kept spitting sand out as they crafted their mermaid.
A woman from Damascus, Oregon made a house after her attempts to create a lighthouse failed because “it kept falling down.”
“This house is only a few sand dollars for rent,” she said.
A couple who “love going on cruises” christened the Lincoln and earned a perfect score. They have been coming to the event for six years, so they knew to build high up on the beach to avoid a possible wipeout from the tide.
The Lincoln sets sail
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Cruise Ship Lincoln City
Smiles were plentiful and kids grabbed as much taffy as they could get from master of ceremonies Bret Lucich.
CANDY GRAB
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Bret Lucich at the event Saturday
Bret Lucich
Kids grab salt water taffy at Sandcastle Contest
The entry fee for registration was a can of food to help Lincoln City Food Pantry. Sand sculptures were made of sand, water, shells and other natural beach materials. No power tools were allowed and professional sand artists could not win.
Sandcastle Contest at Mo's
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Wipeout
Twelve categories were in play this year with $100 top prizes each. A special 12 and under kids division saw first, second and third place bringing home “beach bucket surprises.”
Justin Werner was a volunteer judge at this event.
Alek Skarlatos, a Republican candidate for newly drawn House District 4, as part of a tour of Lincoln County, will stop in Lincoln City Wednesday.
“I look forward to meeting with voters in Lincoln City, where we will discuss fighting inflation and reducing the cost of gas, which will help with tourism. Additionally, I’m looking forward to a discussion about lowering the cost of healthcare and expanding healthcare access for rural Oregon, especially in Lincoln City, where the only hospital has just 25 beds. I’m running for Congress to balance out extreme ideas coming from Washington and to offer solutions to get our country back on track.” – Alek Skarlatos
Skarlatos, an Oregon National Guard veteran, and his traveling companions thwarted a terrorist attack while in Europe aboard a Paris bound train in August 2015. The incident was later turned into a Clint Eastwood directed movie 15:17 to Paris. The film was unique as Skarlatos and company portrayed themselves.
Focusing on solutions to inflation, gas prices, and reducing healthcare costs to Oregonians, Skarlatos is visiting 30 communities in all seven counties with his “On Duty with Alek District Tour.”
Oregon’s 4th Congressional District is represented by Peter Defazio, who will not be seeking reelection. Skarlatos will face Val Hoyle in November’s general election. Skarlatos narrowly lost to DeFazio in 2020 by 24,000 votes.
Skarlatos will be in Lincoln City Wednesday, Aug. 17, 12-2 p.m. at the Old Taft Firehall, 1206 SE 48th Place. The public is invited.
“Dancing man of Lincoln City” Stephen R. Goetz, dances on the corner of 25th Street and Highway 101 Monday afternoon
Stephen R. Goetz, “Dancing man of Lincoln City,” is boogieing on Highway 101 almost every day to “make people happy.”
Goetz is not asking for money and will refuse it if offered. He’s out there “rain or shine” for exercise and to “get some honks and smiles.”
Many passing vehicles honk and there’s no shortage of smiling faces. A few motorists have given Goetz the bird and his response is to blow kisses, wave and smile. “It doesn’t bother me,” he said.
Dancing Man of Lincoln City is happy with a fresh honk from passing motorists
Goetz elaborated in an interview Monday, answering why he dances on Highway 101 near daily.
“I never pursued what I wanted to do in life,” The 75-years-young man said. “My family — father mostly — told me what to do. And there’s some trauma, but I’m out here trying to make people happy.”
In his younger years, Goetz was able to do some street performing in San Francisco with clad in silver “Tin Man,” a popular artist at the time.
“Tin Man put me up on a milk crate and had me dance. I’ll never forget it.”
Goetz is a writer and spends time writing books and poetry when he’s not dancing.
When asked what he wants to say to the world, Goetz offered this:
“I can’t get in your shoes, but do not give up. You can do anything you want to.”
The Dancing Man of Lincoln City can be found on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Traffic in Lincoln City is high Friday afternoon as visitors come for the cool weather.
With scorching temperatures in the valley, traffic in Lincoln City is up as people find their way to the respite of cool weather on the coast.
Lincoln City beaches had their fair share of visitors amid 63 degree weather and a 10 mph wind. A light misty cloud cover doesn’t offer the best views from hotels, but is a welcome sight from the blazing sun in Portland, according to tourists from Oregon’s most populous city.
Mist hangs over D River beach Friday
A few visitors did complain of traffic jams caused by the large influx of vehicles on Highway 101, but were happy it was “cold.”
“I’ve been cut off twice,” said Ray McMahon, from Salem. “I let people in all the time too. Oh well, we’re going to the beach and putting our toes in the sand.”
“Consistent onshore flow is why it’s cool at the coast,” National Weather Service Meteorologist David Bishop said. “The Marine Layer is also a factor by providing insulation.”
Local restaurants and shops are also seeing increased activity as the heat wave hits.
“We are doing Sunday business every day of the week,” Lil Sambos Restaurant Manager Cary Moore said. “I’m pretty sure nobody is left in the valley because they’re all here.”
