The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Oregon Beach Weather
440 Acres Of Industrial Property With Water Rights Up For Auction In Gardiner
440 acres sits nearly unused in Gardiner with a rail line, warehouses, shop buildings, dams, and water rights. Industrial Harbor USA, LLC, managed by George Heidgerken, is now accepting bids for the property through November 16th – potential buyers have just a few weeks left to place their bids.
“It’s got the right zoning. It’s got buildings that could be used, reused. It’s got water access, deep water access to the ocean if you want it, and it’s got a rail connection and the water rights,” says John Rosenthal, president of Realty Marketing Northwest.
The site at 77622 Us Hwy 101 Gardiner was once a lumber company, purchased in 1956 by International Paper Company (IPA). In 1962, IPA built its first West Coast paper mill on the site followed by a state of the art sawmill in the 80s. IPA closed down in 1999 and for 8 years, the site underwent clean up.
Rosenthal says years after Heidgerken purchased the property, he decided against further investment into it.
He says it would be ideal for industrial water use such as fish farming because the site has up to 15 million gallons a day for water rights with a distribution system going from Tahkenitch and Siltcoos Lakes.
“The industrial site is being offered in its entirety as well people can submit bids on three parcels. Then there’s the water system which includes two dams in 70 acres. Each dam is on 35 acres, plus all the water rights.”
There’s also a rail line available for sale – the Longview, Portland, and Northern Railway Company or LP&N Rail, which connects to the Coos Bay Rail Line.
Rosenthal tells us a price has not been set for the line. The entire property is on the market for $26 million with a published reserve price just over $16 million.
That published reserve price for the portfolio and different components is the price the seller is obligated to accept.
“If a bid comes in, if a high bid is below that number, they can accept, reject, or counter. He’ll provide financing with 30% down. Then we’ve got it broken down in components. The industrial site, the entire industrial site is $10,700,000.”
The property also includes two docks once used for wood chips and fuel now accessible to barges and tugs.
Rosenthal says another factor for buyers is that 40 acres of the property has been leased to FEMA for storage since last March with a price tag of about $275,000 annually.
He also hinted at the possibility of partnering with the Port of Coos Bay using the connecting rail lines and through their pending development of a shipping container terminal.
Rosenthal says they will respond to bids within five business days.
Sealed bids are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 16. For more information call 1-800-845-3524 or email info@rmnw-auctions.com. Ask for bid package #2204-100-102
Tillamook Officials Investigating After 2 People Found Dead In RV In Seaside
The Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office says two people were found dead in an RV over the weekend. The RV was reportedly located in Pacific City.
Officials say there is no indication of foul play or other people involved — however, the investigation is ongoing.
According to the sheriff’s office, the incident never posed a danger to the public. No other details have been released at this time.
ODFW Issues More Warnings That Disease Outbreak In Sea Lions Has Potential To Be Spread To Dogs
Wildlife officials always encourage humans and their pets to keep their distance from sea lions and other marine mammals on the beach. Now, a recent outbreak of disease among sea lion populations is giving people and their pets yet another reason to steer clear of marine mammals while they walk along the beach.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported an increase in the number of stranded sea lions along the entire Oregon Coast – from Brookings to Astoria. Many of these sick and deceased sea lions have suffered from leptospirosis – a disease that can be passed along to animals and people.
The Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network documented over 150 sick or dead sea lions along the Oregon coast since the current outbreak began in late July 2022. Necropsies on seven sea lions confirmed all tested positive for leptospirosis.
Meghan Durham, a representative for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said leptospirosis is a naturally occurring bacteria that causes disease in sea lions and other wildlife.
“It can happen in small numbers every year, and sometimes you get larger sporadic outbreaks of the disease,” Durham said.
Although the outbreak is happening in numbers larger than usual, Durham said there isn’t any reason to believe it will impact the larger population of sea lions in Oregon.
There are no rescue and rehabilitation options for sick or injured seals and sea lions in Oregon. The state policy is to minimize disturbance from people and to let nature take its course, according to the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
“There are currently no efforts to treat the sea lions (for leptospirosis) because it is something that occurs naturally,” Durham said.
She said to her knowledge there is no correlation between climate change or other ocean health issues that is currently contributing to the current disease outbreak.
But because leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease – meaning that people can get infected from animals and vice versa – wildlife officials are encouraging dog and horse owners to discuss the merits of vaccination for leptospirosis with their veterinarian.
Brookings, Oregon veterinarian technician assistant Robi Chance says the leptospirosis vaccine is common and recommended for dogs in areas along the Oregon Coast. Leptospirosis is a disease that is not only carried by sea lions, but other wildlife such as deer and raccoons.
Chance, who has been in the veterinary field for 30 years, said she encourages pet owners to keep their pets contained at the beach. “There’s a lot of things that they can get into on the beach that makes them sick,” she said.
There are a few possible ways dogs can contract leptospirosis, including if they “roll” in a deceased animals with the disease, bite or ingest parts of an animals with the disease, or by drinking water that is contaminated with urine from a diseased animal.
The veterinarians’ recommendation to contain their animals goes along with ODFW and Oregon Parks and Recreation guidelines to leash their dogs and keep at least 150 feet away from live or dead sea lions. Close encounters with people can be harmful and continued disturbances may cause stress, including causing mothers to abandon their pups.
Leptospirosis can be serious and fatal to dogs. Infection of the liver or kidneys can be fatal for animals if the infection progresses, causing severe damage to these organs. Veterinarian technician Chance says it is best to vaccinate dogs because if they do get the disease it can be difficult and expensive to treat. It is also rare but possible that dogs with leptospirosis can transmit the disease to their owners.
Sick or injured seals, sea lions, whales or dolphins can be reported to 1-800-452-7888.
For more information on wildlife diseases, contact ODFW’s wildlife health hotline at 1-866-968-2600.
State of Oregon surpasses House America goals to re-house hundreds of people experiencing homelessness and create more than 250 homes with supportive services
SALEM, Ore. — The State of Oregon met the commitments it announced in August when it joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s House America initiative to address the nation’s homelessness crisis. Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) committed to re-housing 3,500 people by the year’s end and with the work of local partners more than 4,300 individuals were re-housed. Local housing leaders also helped meet the goal of funding the creation of 214 permanent supportive homes for individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness by the end of 2022, with 255 in the pipeline.
“Like many of our partners across Oregon, OHCS does not accept homelessness as a fact of life. All people of Oregon are worth fighting for and deserve safe, stable, and affordable housing,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “Let this milestone be yet another proof point that positive housing outcomes can prevail when we tackle the urgency of this challenge with community inform and data driven solutions that center humanity at the local, state, and federal levels. This is just the beginning of relentless efforts to end homelessness across Oregon’s beloved communities. To all the homeless service providers: thank you for your steadfast leadership and compassion in connecting people to housing. We see you and appreciate you.”
House America is a partnership between HUD, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and state and local leaders from over 105 communities across 31 states and territories to use resources from the American Rescue Plan to address the nation’s homelessness crisis. Participating states and communities commit to achieving specific goals on the number of people experiencing homelessness that will be permanently housed and the number of affordable and supportive housing units that will be added to the development process by the end of 2022. These collective efforts aim to re-house at least 100,000 households experiencing homelessness nationwide and add at least 20,000 new affordable homes into the development pipeline.
OHCS and other House America partners have worked diligently with HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to use federal, state, and local resources to help reach national goals.
“I congratulate Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Housing and Community Services for achieving the goals set under House America,” said Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “Because of their leadership, collaborative efforts, and commitment to proven Housing First solutions to homelessness, more than 4,300 Oregonians have a place to call home with more homes on the way. We encourage other states and localities to follow their lead to meet and exceed their respective House America goals.”
The State of Oregon and three other communities in Oregon – City of Eugene, Washington County and City of Bend – joined more than 100 states, cities, counties and Tribes in pledging to respond with urgency to meet the needs of community members who need access to a safe and stable place to call home. For more information, visit the HUD House America website.
Enroll now for 2023 health coverage
(Salem) – The annual open enrollment period for health coverage starts today, Nov. 1. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who are not offered coverage from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, often with financial help.
Things to know for this open enrollment:
- Eligibility rules have changed this year, making health coverage more affordable for thousands of Oregonians. Previously, people offered health coverage through a spouse or parent’s employer could not access financial help if the least expensive plan offered to only the employee was considered affordable. New rules allow people who previously were ineligible for financial help through the Marketplace if that coverage is considered unaffordable to the enrollee.
- Nearly 80 percent of Oregonians who applied for financial help qualified in 2022. The average amount of financial help received was $483 per month.
- Oregonians have choices when it comes to choosing their health plan. All Oregonians have at least four insurance companies and 26 plans to choose from.
- Free local help is available throughout the state. Licensed insurance agents and trained community groups can be found at OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp.
Sorting through health coverage options can be confusing, but Oregonians should know that there are tools. OregonHealthCare.gov offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool where users can preview what plans and savings are available to them. The tool also allows users to see which plans cover their prescription drugs and are networked with their preferred doctors or hospitals. A new tool available at OregonHealthCare.gov can help you figure out if job-based coverage is considered affordable.
Bottom line: we encourage all Oregonians who do not currently have health coverage available to start at OregonHealthCare.gov. There they can see if health coverage offered from a job is considered affordable, preview plans and savings, and find an expert to guide them through the process.
### The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.
Contest promoting young worker safety in Oregon is open to high school students; submissions due Feb. 17, 2023
Salem – High school students across Oregon are encouraged to let their video or graphic design skills shine by engaging in a competition held for a good cause: increasing awareness about workplace safety for young workers.
They will have the opportunity to do so using updated contest rules. Those rules empower them to choose a key message, theme, or tagline for their video or graphic design piece. This is different than previous contests that featured a predesignated tagline.
The 2023 media contest, organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]), is now open for submissions.
The contest calls on participants to capture the attention of high school teens and persuade them to take the O[yes] online Safety Awareness Training to boost their knowledge of how to stay safe and healthy while on the job.
Contestants may do so by either creating a video that is between 30 to 90 seconds in length or by crafting a graphic design piece. They get to choose a key message, theme, or tagline to help make their media project stand out and effectively reach their audience.
The top three entries in each of the two media categories will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. In each category, the first-place winner’s school, club, or organization will receive a matching award.
Some contestants may dream up a bold, splashy graphic design to get their message across. Others may grab a smartphone or camera and develop a video that captivates their audience with documentary-style seriousness. Either way, contestants are expected to choose their key message, theme, or tagline in a wise manner as they work to persuade teens to take positive action by using the O[yes] online Safety Awareness Training.
While they carry out their projects, contestants must ensure the health and safety of their team. No one should be endangered while creating their video or graphic design project.
The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, 2023.
Contestants are encouraged to submit entries online. Submissions may also be mailed on a USB thumb drive. All participants will be invited to a live-streamed event in which all finalist submissions will be shown and the top three winners in each category will be revealed.
For more information about the entry form and rules, contest expectations, and resources – including graphic design and video examples, and the entries that won in 2022 – visit the O[yes] online contest page.
The contest sponsors are local Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Construction Safety Summit, Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, Hoffman Construction Company, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, Oregon OSHA, SafeBuild Alliance, SAIF Corporation, Oregon SHARP Alliance, and the Oregon Utility Notification Center.
### Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.
The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to oregon.gov/dcbs.
The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing young worker injuries and fatalities. O[yes] members include safety and health professionals, educators, employers, labor and trade associations, and regulators. For more information, go to youngemployeesafety.org.
County clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that is incorrect and misleading voters regarding Oregon elections
Election Day is fast approaching and sadly so is all of the misinformation. The county clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that is incorrect and misleading voters regarding Oregon elections. This includes but is not limited to texts, emails, calls and social media posts. Some are even made to look like they are from a trusted source.
Be cautious, know your trusted source. If you hear or see anything from a source other than the County Clerk’s Office or the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, please verify the information with your County Clerk’s Office. Do not be misled.
Turnout this year could be crucial to the results. Voters have key races to decide and several are highly competitive, including the three-way gubernatorial contest between Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson. Three congressional races also could be tight, including for the 4th, 5th and 6th districts. Those results could influence the balance of power in the U.S. House.
Oregon voters are also deciding the makeup of the state’s next Legislature, which Democrats have dominated for years. “There are a lot of close races, and they could be won very narrowly,” said John Horvick, senior vice president and an elections expert at Portland-based DHM Research. “Every vote matters. And though that’s a cliche, it really is true.”
All Oregon Voters Should Have Their Ballots by Now – Warned of Disinformation and Lies about Voting
Now that November election ballots are blanketing the state, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is sending out the message that voting here continues to be fair and secure. She says that Oregon has a robust system for ensuring the integrity of elections, including regularly updating voter rolls and checking voter signatures to validate the vote.
“Every single signature is checked. Every one. Not just a sample, not just a statistical amount. Every single signature is checked to make sure that’s the person who actually did vote.”
Former president Donald Trump and his supporters are continuing to repeat lies and disinformation about widespread fraud in U.S. elections and specifically about the security of mail-in voting, which Fagan says is affecting the job of county-level election officials here in Oregon.
“Sadly it’s a conspiracy that’s believed by about one in five Oregon voters and that’s a significant amount of our population,” she said. “We know it’s safe and secure here in Oregon. But yes, those conspiracy theories definitely are wearing on our county elections officials.”
Earlier this week, the Siuslaw News reported on a conservative group called the “Florence Liberty Alliance, which put up a post on its Facebook page asking for volunteers for a “Ballot Box Watch Team.” Fagan’s office is encouraging Oregon voters to “know their rights” and urging anyone who feels someone is trying to intimidate them at the ballot box or elsewhere to report it to her office online, by calling 503-986-1518 or emailing elections.sos@sos.oregon.gov.
“Intimidation can include aggressive or harassing questions about whether someone is qualified to vote that are intended to interfere with the right to vote … questions about citizenship status, criminal record, residency or other personal information or questions about how you intend to vote.”
Fagan says she hopes that their education campaign “Voting in Oregon Feels Good,” will resonate with Oregonians and encourage voter turnout. Ballots in the November election must be turned in or postmarked by Nov. 8.
All registered voters in Oregon should have received their ballots in the mail by now. Those who have their ballots must be sure to get them turned in or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, in order to have their votes counted. Ballots put into any official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that night will be counted.
Anyone who did not get a ballot or received a damaged ballot should contact their county’s elections office to get a new one right away. Find your county elections office
According to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, if someone requests a new ballot, their old ballot will be canceled, to prevent any attempts at voting more than once.
Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan assures Oregonians our upcoming election next week will be safe and fair. She outlined the process they are going through to assure election credibility. It starts with accurate voter registration records.
Oregon works with Federal, State and county elections officials to keep the list up to date and accurate. With accurate voter registration records we know only eligible voters are sent a ballot. Next, they take steps to prevent fraudulent voting. Every ballot envelope gets a unique barcode matched to a voter, and every signature on every returned ballot is verified.
These and other measures ensure that voter fraud in Oregon is exceedingly rare. When it happens, we catch it and the votes don’t count. Finally, they conduct post-election audits to verify the accuracy of the results. That’s how we know the results of the election match the will of the voters.
You can find this information in an infographic on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and I encourage you to share it. Knowing these basic facts helps prevent people from falling for false information they may encounter online. Learn more at http://Oregonvotes.gov/Integrity
Voting in Oregon feels GOOD
It’s time to get #VoteReady: Just grab your ballot and a blue or black pen!
You don’t even need a stamp It’s not a test: you can vote on every candidate and measure, or leave some blank How you vote is private. Make a plan to vote! http://OregonVotes.gov#TrustedInfo2022
