Oregon Coast News - June 3, 2010
Daily news and sports coverage for the Oregon coast plus a variety of guides and directories useful to Oregon residents and visitors.
Scientists team with fishermen on study of ocean salmon migration
A major research effort aimed at learning more about where salmon from specific river systems migrate in the Pacific Ocean will resume this year after a two-year hiatus – and expand to encompass the entire West Coast of the United States. The research effort builds on a pioneering study by researchers at Oregon State University, who have worked for several years to streamline genetic testing of salmon. Their hope is to identify where in the ocean salmon from specific rivers travel so resource managers can still allow fishing while protecting depleted runs in the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, or other river systems. This year, OSU researchers are working with colleagues in Washington and California – and with 200 West Coast commercial salmon fishermen – to collect tissue samples this summer from as many as 20,000 chinook salmon. “That will triple the number of samples we’ve collected over the past four years, and provide a much clearer picture of how salmon from different rivers behave in the ocean,” said Gil Sylvia, superintendent of OSU’s Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, and a principal investigator in the study. “This is a great partnership between scientists and the fishing community,” Sylvia added. “The project is helping keep many of the fishermen on the water, and the data they contribute is leading to new insights about salmon migration and behavior. To my knowledge, there has never been a cooperative fishery project in the country this large using digital tools to record data within hours of completed trips.” Participating fishermen will collectively receive $1 million in compensation from a variety of grants, contracts and disaster assistance funds. The project has been shut down for the past two summers because the ocean was closed for most of that time to commercial salmon fishing. The re-opening of ocean salmon fishing coincides with an expansion of the research effort to include California and Washington. In the study, commercial salmon fishermen record data and clip fin samples that scientists will use for genetic testing. As the fishermen catch salmon, they will log the time and location using global positioning system (GPS) technology and enter the data through the Pacific FishTrax website (http://www.pacificfishtrax.org/). Sylvia said a new generation of data logging instruments will be tested this summer that ultimately will allow fishermen to send and record the data via satellite in “near real-time.” Individual fish will have bar codes attached and when the fish are sold in local markets later, consumers can enter the bar code number in computer kiosks and learn when and where their fish were caught – and even learn about the fishermen who caught the fish. The Pacific FishTrax traceability initiative was pilot tested in 2009 with albacore tuna last year at New Seasons markets in Portland with great success, Sylvia said. “A lot of fishermen are pretty savvy and understand how marketing this kind of information really resonates with consumers,” Sylvia said. “You can envision as chef at a seafood restaurant, or a retailer at an upscale grocer telling the story of who caught this particular fish, and where it was caught. “It’s a way of connecting people directly to the food they eat.” The genetic testing of the fish is based on protocols developed in part through OSU researcher Michael Banks. In the first year of the project, he and his colleagues were able to match 2,100 salmon caught to their river of origin with 90 percent accuracy – just 24 hours after the fish was caught. They also found some interesting patterns suggesting that fish from certain rivers – including Oregon’s Rogue River – moved in “pulses” through the ocean, or arrived early or late in fishery management zones. This kind of banding in the ocean could be critical to in-season management decisions, but needs to be validated through broader and more extended sampling. “That’s what we hope to accomplish this year,” Sylvia said.
High Wind Watch
The National Weather Service has issued a “High Wind Watch” along the South Oregon Coast from this evening through Friday morning. Winds are forecast out of the south at 10-20 mph, but increasing to 25 to 35 after midnight. Winds on Friday are predicted at 25-35 mph out of the south.
Graffiti
Coos Bay Police received 19-reports of graffiti vandalism in the downtown area Tuesday. Police Capt. Cal Mitts says they are currently following up on a couple of leads and that it is an active investigation. He also stated the City has authorized a reward of $50 for anyone with information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person(s) responsible. According to multiple entries on the police log: 6:46 a.m., 225 W Golden Ave, Wash Tub Laundry; 6:48 a.m., 740 So. 2nd St., South Coast ESD; 8 a.m., Mingus Park; 8:03 a.m., 776 So. 2nd St. Repair Source; 8:06 a.m., 783 So. Broadway, US Cellular; 8:07 a.m., 778 So. 2nd St., Agri Tech Design; 8:09 a.m., 137 Hall Ave.; 8:10 a.m., 1023 So. Broadway, Wendys; 8:12 a.m., 1023 So. Broadway; 8:19 a.m., 1075 So. Broadway, Expert Tire; 8:21 a.m., 715 So. 2nd St., Second Street Art; 8:22 a.m., 300 block Golden Ave., Carpenter Express; 8:30 a.m., 333 So. 4th St.; 8:31 a.m., 371 So. 5th St., Four Square Church; 8:51 a.m., 505 So. Broadway, Tower Ford; 10:05 a.m., 354 So. 4th St., Verizon; 12:41 p.m., 415 So. 6th St., “graffiti on concrete wall;” 1:36 p.m., 657 Donnelly; 2:28 p.m., 350 So. 8th St., Oregon West Management, “graffiti on building and dumpster.”
Groundbreaking for NOAA Pacific Marine Operations Center set for June 3 in Newport
The Port of Newport will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the NOAA Pacific Marine Operations Center on Thursday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the South Beach Pacific Homeport site just west of Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center. Speakers at the groundbreaking are scheduled to include U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Oregon State University President Ed Ray and others. Also attending the ceremony will be representatives of Oregon’s coastal legislative caucus and other community leaders. A community-wide celebration will be held on Sunday, June 6, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the site. Supporting the Port of Newport in hosting both events are OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Rotary Club of Newport, the City of Newport, JC Market and many local volunteers and donors. “We are finally able to joyfully celebrate this achievement and warmly welcome NOAA’s Marine Operations Center for its Pacific fleet to our community,” said Ginny Goblirsch, president of the Port of Newport’s Board of Commissioners. “This is a historic event, and no one will want to miss it.” In August of 2009, NOAA announced that Newport had been selected as the new site for its Pacific Marine Operations Center, choosing the central Oregon coastal community over three finalists in the state of Washington. Newport was chosen, in part, for its easy access to the ocean, funding support from the state Legislature and proximity of the Hatfield Marine Science Center and its large research enterprise. The proposal by the Port of Newport, which had strong support from Oregon’s Coastal Caucus, was approved by NOAA, and the project is now scheduled for completion in 2011. Sunday’s community-wide celebration will include live music, picnic-style refreshments and family oriented fun. The public will have an opportunity to meet the NOAA project team, visit the site and welcome NOAA into the community. Officials from the Port of Newport, OSU and the city will be available to talk about the future of marine research and education in the region and the potential for future partnerships. Two NOAA research ships that will be part of the fleet housed in Newport will visit the port this week as part of previously scheduled trips not affiliated with the groundbreaking activities: The R/V Miller Freeman is scheduled to cross the bar at 1 p.m. (weather permitting) on Saturday, June 5, for an overnight port call in the middle of its West Coast survey with scientists from Newport. The newest ship in the fleet, the R/V Bell M. Shimada, is due to cross the bar at about 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 6. The public is invited to watch and welcome each ship as she enters her new homeport. More information about the ship arrivals will be released soon as their schedules are subject to change.
Chetco River
A Seattle developer’s plans to mine gold from the Chetco River of Southwest Oregon east of Brookings under the authority of the 1872 Mining Act, is why the Curry County river has been listed on the American Rivers’ top 10 list of most endangered rivers in the country. The Chetco is listed seventh. The Chetco flows out of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and into the Pacific Ocean. Its part of the national Wild and Scenic Rivers System and home to wild salmon and steelhead runs.
Smoking ban
By a split decision, with Mayor Jeff McKeown casting the tie-breaking vote, the City of Coos Bay moved forward with a complete ban on smoking within Mingus Park’s boundaries. Effective in 30-days, the ban includes not only the main park on 10th Street, but the adjacent softball field, skate park, upper tennis courts, Frisbee golf course, Choshi Gardens, pool and surrounding woods. A ban will also be in effect around playground equipment within the city’s five other parks. City Manager Rodger Craddock says the “Smoking Prohibited” signs could be in place by the Fourth of July.
DEQ Delivers Report to Legislature on Possible Actions For Persistent Pollutants in Oregon Waters
As requested by the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has delivered a report detailing how the state can deal with mounting concerns over persistent pollutants that find their way from household, industrial and other uses into Oregon waters. The report, Reducing Persistent Pollutants in Oregon’s Waters: SB 737 Legislative Report is available on DEQ’s website at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/SB737. The report identifies potential local, regional and global sources of persistent pollutants that may contribute to water pollution in Oregon. It also outlines measures that state agencies, local governments, businesses, manufacturers and individuals could implement to reduce the presence of these pollutants in Oregon waters. “This issue affects all Oregonians in some way, and we can all – individual consumers as well as industries and municipalities – play important roles to help reduce the presence of these harmful pollutants in our environment so we can have a more livable Oregon,” said DEQ Director Dick Pedersen. The targeted pollutants include everything from flame retardants, pesticides and metals to pharmaceuticals, food additives, disinfectants and industrial chemicals. Sources of these substances cover the gamut from consumer use/disposal of household products and drugs, agricultural practices, effluent that is treated and released into state waters, and the byproducts of industrial processes. DEQ notes that the most effective way to reduce pollution is through prevention that targets pollutants at their source, and it will focus on strategic planning, along with partnerships with industry and local governments, to reduce the amount of persistent pollutants that find their way into our environment and our bodies. Reduction measures could include: • Chemical replacement and phase-outs of certain pollutants when viable, safer alternatives are available; • Bans and restrictions on certain pollutants; • Pollution prevention partnerships with chemical and product producers to reduce use of certain persistent pollutants in products; • Regulatory, voluntary or incentive-based approaches to improve stormwater controls in urban areas, and targeted erosion control measures in rural and urban areas, to reduce persistent pollutants’ entry into surface waters from runoff; • Restrictions on residential, agricultural and forestry burning; • Educating the public about risks of exposure to persistent pollutants and how they can reduce that exposure by reconsidering consumption of certain products; • Collection events and education on proper disposal of products containing persistent pollutants.
NBHS Class of 1980
The North Bend High School Class of 1980 is having their alumni reunion September 3rd & 4th. For more information, contact Cindy Kronsberg at ckronsberg@verizon.net or Karen Ransom at kransom@nbend.k12.or.us.
CB Boat Building Ctr.
Coos Bay Boat Building Center Board of Directors meeting will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2010, 1:15 p.m., Conference Room, North Point, Inc., 100 Central Avenue, Coos Bay OR. Agenda: 1) Approval of the Treasurer’s Report; 2) Approval of the Minutes for May 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2010; 3) Planning and Assignments for the Fund Raising Event June 25, 2010; 4) Planning and Assignments for the Fund Raising Event June 26, 2010; 5) Update on Facility Renovations; 6) Scheduling a Work Party; 7) Board Comments; 8) Adjourn.
OSU Extension offers forest herbicide application workshop
OSU Extension in Coos and Curry counties will offer a forest herbicide application workshop on Thursday, June 3rd, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (coffee at 8:30) near Bandon. Topics to be covered include hack-and-squirt, spot spray, broadcast spray, calibrating equipment, safety as well as a discussion of the various herbicides available for use in the woods. This class is geared towards ground-based applications that can be done without investing in expensive equipment. The cost is only $20 per person thanks to support from the Coos/Curry chapter of the Oregon Small Woodlands Association. Please RSVP by Tuesday June 1st by contacting Tristan Huff at 541-572-5263 x 294 or tristan.huff@oregonstate.edu
SOCC End of the Year Concert
Evolution, under the direction of Mike Turner, will perform their end of the year concert at 7 p.m. on June 3. Fresh off their return from the Sacramento Jazz Festival over Memorial Day weekend where they will have performed eight concerts in four days, they will entertain with a variety of big band hits. The Southwestern Vocal Jazz Ensemble will open for Evolution.
Two-day agenda for Fish and Wildlife Commission
Big game regulations, consideration of mandatory hunter orange and coastal fall salmon season will top the agenda when the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meets in Salem on June 3 and 4. The meetings are at ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE in Salem. Thursday’s meeting begins at 1 p.m. and Friday’s begins at 8 a.m. The Commission will work through the following agenda: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/10/06_jun/index.asp. Coastal fall chinook and coho seasons. The number of fall chinook expected to return to many of Oregon’s coastal rivers is expected to improve in 2010; however some steams on the North Coast are expected to be below escapement goals. In response, the Commission will be asked to adopt coastal fall chinook regulations that include lower bag limits and area closures on North Coast Rivers from the Necanicum River south to the Yaquina River. Forecasts are for average or better than average chinook returns to south coast rivers; the Commission will consider minor adjustments to permanent regulations for rivers from the Alsea south to the California border. While the 2010 coho salmon return will not be as large as the 2009 return, it is healthy enough that ODFW biologists are recommending wild coho fisheries on the Siletz and Coquille rivers and Tenmile Lakes. Because coastal coho are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, these fisheries must also be approved by NOAA.
DWS
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Tuesday, 1:39 a.m., traffic stop, Bunker Hill 7-11, 49-year old Bruce E. Sampson arrested DWS Revoked Felony. Transported to the Coos Co. Jail at Coquille.
Fight
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Tuesday, 1:13 a.m., Bunker Hill 7-11. An officer responded to a “request cover for deputy en route to fight at location.”
MIP
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Monday, 10:16 p.m., SOCC, Gray’s Harbor dorm complex, Hornberger cited for MIP and PCS Less than 1 Oz. Marijuana. Selzler cited for MIP.
Fight
A report of a fight on the 200 block of Hall Ave. Monday, 2:43 p.m., resulted in the arrest of a 27-year old male. According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log, Clayton Shay was found to be wanted on a Douglas Co. warrant charging him with Parole Violation on an original charge of Robbery II.
Theft
According to an entry on the Coos Bay Police log for Monday, 1:13 p.m., 900 block Noble Ave., 59-year old female “reports the theft of a cement Buddha sitting down laughing.”
Cougar
A possible cougar sighting was reported to Coos Bay Police on Monday. According to an entry on the police log, a 30-year old female reported the sighting at Southwest Blvd. & Old Wireless Road.
Head-on
Two vehicles collided head-on on the Charleston end of Libby Lane Tuesday afternoon. According to an entry on the Coos Co. Sheriff’s office, both drivers were injured. They were identified as 18-year old Gregory Beard, and 61-year old Sally Jacobs. The first quarter-mile of the east-west route was closed while emergency personnel responded to the accident scene.
Scrap metal
According to an entry on the Coos Co. Sheriff’s log for Tuesday, 1:19 p.m., a male and female were arrested on private property on Dement Creek while allegedly stealing scrap metal. The two were charged with Burglary I, Aggravated Theft, and Felon in Possession Firearm and on a Parole & Probation warrant. Maxine Shoemaker was additionally charged with a Parole & Probation warrant for Parole Violation.
Sexual Abuse
According to an entry on the Coos Co. Sheriff’s log for Tuesday, 7:51 a.m., a male “phoned and sent email reporting his sisters were abused several years ago by their father.”
WX
Cloudy with rain likely this afternoon along the Oregon Coast. Highs in the lower to mid 60s and southeast winds around 5 mph, but shifting to the southwest at 10-15 mph this afternoon. Widespread rain tonight with lows in the lower to mid 50s and winds from the south at 10-20 mph, but increasing to 25-35 after midnight.
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OREGON COAST SPORTS
NBHS Powder Puff Football
The 2010 Lady Bulldog Football game will be held on the 3rd of June at Vic Adams Field.
MHS Athletes of the Week
During the final MHS Booster Club meeting for the 2009-10 school year, Thursday, June 3, 11:30 a.m., Abby's Pizza, the Boosters will recognize two track athletes as Athletes of the Week. As nominated by their coach Rich "Mac" McIntosh, Blake Kemp and Hannah Francis: Blake led a valiant effort by a determined Pirate boys team to challenge a dominant team from Crater to win a third-straight State championship title. Blake ran lifetime-best races in the high hurdles, intermediate hurdles, and the 4x100 relay and placed second in the triple jump. The short relay time of 42.90a earned second place medals and will be recognized as the official school record. His 26 individual points were the second highest total of any 5A athlete and paced a team total of 63, seven more than last year's championship team. While impressive, this total fell short of the 86 amassed by a large, diverse, and impressive Crater squad that scored 39 more points than 2009's second-place team. Good athletes perform well in some competitions; elite athletes deliver lifetime best performances in championship contests. Blake is such an athlete. He earned the first of what we hope will be several individual state championships in the 300 intermediate hurdles during this meet and advanced to the third position on both hurdle All-Time lists. Hannah capped a brilliant senior season with 11 state championship points, throwing the discus farther than any Pirate athlete in the past 13 seasons and falling just six inches short of the school record held by her coach. Her throw of 130'11" was the unofficial 5A State Meet record until the eventual winner threw three feet farther. In the javelin, Hannah threw well enough for 6th place, earning All-state honors in a second event. Hannah's recent improvement in all three throws reflects a commitment to technical mastery, mature understanding of the events, and a fierce competitive drive. All three qualities will make her the leader of a rapidly improving core of athletes at Southwestern Oregon Community College and help them compete for a league title next year.
UO track
The Oregon track and field teams each slipped one spot in the final USTFCCCA rankings before next week's NCAA Championships. The women went down from No. 1 to No. 2, while the men went from No. 2 to No. 3. The poll put defending NCAA champ Texas A&M as the favorite, as the Aggies moved up to No. 1 in both polls. The two 2010 NCAA Indoor champs were second - Florida for the men and Oregon for the women. The rest of the top five for the men included Oregon, Louisiana State and Texas Tech, while for the women the rest of the top five was LSU, Florida State and Penn State.
OSU softball
The Oregon State softball team was second in the Pac-10 with nine All-Academic selections, announced Tuesday by Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott. The Beavers were led by senior Kelly Dyer (Eugene, Ore.) and sophomore Nicole Luchanski (Edmonton, Alberta), who were named to the first team. Dyer earned her third consecutive top team accolade, and the post-grad Sociology major already earned second team CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 honors, announced earlier this month, her second career honor. Luchanski is a Natural Resources major. Senior Katelyn Miller (Camarillo, Calif.) earned second team honors, her second career, with her first nod being as a sophomore. Miller is a Business major. Six others were named to the honorable mention squad. Seniors Tarah Black (Portland, Ore.), Dani Chisholm (Boring, Ore.) and Alana Ford (Chula Vista, Calif.) tallied their third honor, while junior McKenna Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) collected her second. New to the list, sophomores Mary Claire Brenner (Portland, Ore.) and Nikki Chandler (Houston, Texas) chalked up their first mention. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and either be a starter or significant contributor.
UO softball
University of Oregon junior catcher Kaitlin Vitek became the seventh Duck all-time to receive repeat All-Pac-10 First-Team honors Tuesday in an announcement by the Pacific-10 Conference. Thanks to her 3.65 cumulative GPA, the psychology and human physiology double major was part of the 10-person first team. Among honorable mention picks, senior outfielder Blair Williamson added her third straight honor, and sophomore pitcher Samantha Skillingstad claimed her first award. Oregon has received at least one first-team accolade each of the last nine years and 24 overall in the award dating back to 1991. Vitek joined former Ducks Kristi Leiter (2005, ’06, ‘07), Dani Baird (2004, ’05), Alyssa Laux (2002, ’03), Kathy Stahl (1994, ’96), Melissa Lemke Jeppsen (1995, ’98) and Heather Holte (1994, ’97) as former multiple first-team recipients.
OSU rowing
The No. 18 ranked Oregon State men's rowing team has spent the week in Cherry Hill in preparation for this weekend's Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships as the regatta begins on Thursday, June 3. Oregon State's varsity eight+, open four, and freshman eight+ crews will be racing at the championships. This week, the team has been training at the US Rowing Olympic Training Center at Mercer Lake outside of Princeton. They also met former OSU crewmember Josh Inman, who was a member of the 2008 US Olympic team.
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