The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Thursday, February 16, 2023
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Update on Train Derailment and Diesel Spill in Toledo
Department of Environmental Quality Spokesperson Dylan Darling said the cleanup response is complex because the derailment and spill took place at an operating mill. The department’s top priorities are making sure people and the environment are safe while also recognizing the importance of having this railroad running again to the Toledo community.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality responded to a train derailment at the Georgia-Pacific mill in Toledo last Friday that caused an estimated 2,000 gallons of diesel to spill. An unknown amount of the fuel entered a storm drain that flows into nearby Depot Slough. The slough feeds into the Yaquina River which then feeds into the ocean.
Cleanup crews have placed a barrier in the slough to prevent the fuel from spreading, and oil-absorbing boom and other absorbent materials within the barrier and around the spill site to prevent additional fuel from spreading. Crews are removing as much fuel as possible from the storm drainage system and monitoring the slough and the river. There have been no reports of harm to waterfowl or other wildlife.
The train is owned and operated by Portland & Western Railroad, and the cause of the derailment is under investigation. Much of the fuel is beneath the three locomotives that derailed and can’t be addressed until the cars are moved. Work on moving the locomotives is underway.
Oregon Coast Community College Board Of Education Votes To Replace Bond Levy On May Ballot
Oregon Coast Community College Board of Education voted to place a replacement bond levy on the May ballot, primarily to fund a flexible Career and Technical Education building. This space is needed so the college can train workers for jobs in the trades, such as welding.
There is a waiting list for students to enter OCCC’s existing welding program, which is constrained due to a lack of space. If the renewed levy is approved by voters, Oregon Coast Community College would be able to receive $8 million in challenge funds from the state of Oregon for the new building.
At its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Oregon Coast Community College Board of Education directed the College to place a ballot initiative in the May 2023 election to ask voters to replace the existing bond levy with a new bond to expand career and technical education opportunities in Lincoln County with the construction of the Lincoln County Center for Trades Education, on land the College already owns at its Newport campus.
The new 20-year bonds would secure an $8 million challenge grant for traded education facilities from the state of Oregon, and would raise $32 million from Lincoln County property tax with a levy of 26 cents per thousand of assessed valuation.
The bonds that voters approved in 2004, at 34 cents per thousand of assessed valuation, funded the construction of the college’s existing facilities. These bonds will expire June 30, 2025. If approved in May, this proposal would replace the current levy (which has reduced over the past two decades as property values have increased — scroll to bottom for details). The current levy is estimated to be 21 cents per thousand of assessed valuation in 2023; meaning the new levy, at 26 cents per thousand, would reflect a net increase to property owners of 5 cents per thousand of assessed valuation, or $30 per year for a home with an assessed value of $600,000.
Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge, currently serving in her ninth year as OCCC (Oregon Coast Community College) president, said expanding the College’s ability to offer cutting-edge workforce training in a variety of trades has long been a goal of OCCC leadership.
“Since joining OCCC in 2014, I have often been asked ‘when will the College offer more training opportunities for students looking to work in the trades?’ After careful examination of employer and student demand, we concluded this was absolutely an area where we needed to grow. And we do not have the specialized facilities needed to house complete trades programs,” she said.
Ryslinge noted OCCC successfully secured an $8 million challenge grant commitment from the state to help fund such facilities. However, the college won’t receive the state support if it does not receive significant local funding for the project.
“We partnered with Lincoln County School District and the Port of Toledo to start a welding program in 2020. In the intervening years, we have been busy – earning independent accreditation, responding to the pandemic, and adding and expanding other programs (Teaching, Early Childhood, expanding health programs, and more). It is time now to move forward with a bond to secure the matching funds from the state, build the new trades facility, and ensure the rest of our spaces will evolve to meet the future.”
“An expanded welding program is just one of many programs we anticipate delivering over the long life of this new building,” explained Dan Lara, OCCC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“This facility will be designed from the ground up as a cutting-edge, flexible, industrial space. Virtually all the fixtures in this facility will be on wheels so that classrooms, workshops, and other learning spaces can flex and adapt over time to meet changing needs – the needs of our students and our county’s employers.” https://oregoncoast.edu/occc-considers-asking-voters-to-renew-bond-for-career-education/
The Oregon Ocean Science Trust Awards $884,578 In State Funding For Ocean Research
The Oregon Ocean Science Trust has awarded $884,578 in state funding to ocean researchers to help Oregon better understand and monitor its nearshore resources.
The funding was made available from HB5202, which passed during the 2022 legislative session, and allocated the funds to the Oregon Ocean Science Trust to conduct science and monitoring on nearshore keystone species, including sea otters, nearshore marine ecosystems, kelp and eelgrass habitat, and sequestration of blue carbon. Through competitive grants, the funds have been disbursed to nearshore marine researchers.
For more information about these projects, and to track the progress of each project during the next two years, visit https://www.oregonoceanscience.org.
Art Quilt Show: A Tribute To Diana – Feb.18-20, 2023 in Yachats
The “Diana” quilt show comes to the Yachats Commons from Saturday, Feb. 18, through Monday, Feb. 20.
The exhibit will feature 100 quilts paying tribute to Princess Diana.
The show is available to view from 10 am to 4 pm each day, with a suggested donation of $5 for entry. The Yachats Commons is located at 441 Hwy. 101. For more information, go to pollyplumb.org.
Get Set for Three Capes Marathon Relay
Three Capes Marathon Relay, which can be run solo or as two or five-person teams. The marathon race “with a view” will be hosted Saturday, Feb. 25, in Tillamook County.
The spectacularly scenic 26.2-mile course starts at Cape Meares Lake. The course cruises over Cape Lookout and finishes at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, passing through or running adjacent to six state parks, two national wildlife refuges, multiple Tillamook County parks and offering stunning vantage points of the Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay and the Pacific Ocean along the way.
The course is separated into five legs of distances from 4.37 miles to just under seven miles. Team categories include: family, business, school and Clydesdale. Starting and ending at sea level, there is nearly 2,400 feet of climb within the course, offering a challenging race that is great for building team camaraderie.
The cost for registration is $79 for the solo marathoner, $129 for a two-person team and $249 for a five-person team. Every participant will receive a Three Capes Relay medal when crossing the finish line and those who register by February 15 will also receive a race t-shirt.
Teams of high school runners can receive a 30-percent discount by using the code, “High School Runner” when registering. For more information and registration: http://threecapesrelay.com
Free Fishing Weekend This Weekend In Oregon
Make fishing part of your three-day weekend plans. Everyone can fish, clam and crab for free in Oregon on Saturday and Sunday of President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 18-19, 2023.
No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required those two days. Both Oregon residents and nonresidents can fish for free.
All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for rules and remember to check for any in season regulation changes at the Recreation Report especially for salmon and steelhead fishing. Click on the zone where you want to fish and then click the “Regulation Updates” tab to see the in-season changes.
The Recreation Report is updated weekly and features the best bests for fishing for the upcoming week. For beginners, Easy Angling Oregon is a great guide to getting started fishing in Oregon, and if you live near Portland, Bend, Medford, Roseburg or in Lane County, there are lots of nearby options.
Prefer to crab or clam instead? MyODFW has all the information you need to get started clamming or crabbing. Remember to check ocean conditions and take safety precautions—always clam with a friend and never turn your back on the ocean.
As of Feb. 14, crabbing is open coastside but razor clamming is closed along the entire Oregon coast due to biotoxin levels.
Remember to call the ODA Shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check their Shellfish page before you go clamming or crabbing. The Oregon Department of Agriculture regularly tests shellfish and closes areas when naturally occurring biotoxins get to levels that make crabs and clams unsafe to eat. MORE INFO: https://myodfw.com/articles/2023-free-fishing-days-and-events
BLM Waives Day Use Fees For Washington’s Birthday
In honor of George Washington’s birthday and to increase recreational access to public land, the Bureau of Land Management is waiving recreation standard amenity and day-use fees for visitors on February 20th.
A release said the BLM is inviting the public to visit unique and diverse natural landscapes and visitor facilities on BLM-managed lands to celebrate the life of the first U.S. President George Washington.
This marks the second of the BLM’s fee-free days of 2023. Fee-free days refer to the waiver of standard amenity fees and day-use fees, such as visitor centers, picnic/day use areas, and National Conservation Land units where fees are charged. Expanded amenity fees and other fees, like group day use, overnight camping, cabin rentals and individual special recreation permits, will remain in effect unless the authorized officer determines it is appropriate to waive them.
MORE INFO: Winter adventure in the Pacific Northwest – Our top locations for recreation in the snow, rain, or ice https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/766c58075f574db2b52f3d2e13b75bb8
83-year-old Clarence Edward Pitts walked away from his home in Bandon on Tuesday, January 31 at around 1:00 p.m. Pitts is described as:
- 6′ 00″
- 150 lbs
- Gray hair
- Brown eyes
- Last seen wearing an orange beanie, plaid jacket, tan pants and white shoes
- May have a walking cane
- Has dementia and PTSD
Pitts may be in a vehicle that was also found to be missing from the home:
- 1999 Toyota Van
- White
- Oregon license plate: WYN 788
If you see Clarence or have any information pertaining to where he may be, please call the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 541-396-2106 or the Bandon Police Department at 541-347-3189.
