Volume 18, No. 2
January 24, 2013
northcoastcitizen.com • 75¢
BIRDS MAY FORCE BEACH CHANGES
Inside
MANZANITA - The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will host an informational meeting at the Pine Grove Community House, in Manzanita, Thursday evening, Jan. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. to answer questions about proposed recreation changes on the Nehalem Spit coming in
See SNOWY PLOVER, page 6
PIRATE PRIDE Neah-Kah-Nie High School’s Pirate Pride Winter edition. Special Section Insert
More News
Above: As dredging continues along Nehalem’s waterfront west of Deer Island, concern has grown as to where the dredge spoils will eventually end up, and whether a popular fishing hole may disappear. Photo by Dave Fisher. Inset: At low tide last week, an island, made up of dredge material, appeared above the water line on the Nehalem River, close to shore and above the bridge crossing the river. The white ball marks the beginning of the dredge “spoils”, or deposited sediment. The diameter of the white dredge ball appears to be approximately 24 inches and suggests the top of the dredge spoils protrudes about 12 inches above the water. Photo by Ralph Thomas
Dredging along Nehalem’s waterfront causes a stir, literally and figuratively By Dave Fisher The Citizen
As dredging of the Nehalem River continues along the City of Nehalem’s waterfront, concerns have
LNCT TRANSITIONING ENTERING 11TH YEAR With its full-time executive director, the nonprofit becomes more staff-driven. Page 2
Index Classifieds...........................7 Events calendar...................5 NBFR District Log................2 Public Safety Log.................2 Golightly Gourmet..............8 Letters to the Editor............4
been raised as a “new island” comprised of dredge spoils has been created, an island that is clearly visible at low tide. Many question the removal of river-bottom mud
from one area and depositing it elsewhere in the river. The process is known as in-stream or water-on-water disposal, a process approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Oregon and Tilla-
mook County of Engineers as part of the extensive application process undertaken by the Port of Nehalem. Port Commissioner Rick
See DREDGING, page 6
Blue outlined area shows the proposed “dog on leash” area of Nehalem spit to protect nesting snowy plover.
Rinehart Clinic celebrates 100 years of history
Editor’s note: This year, The Rinehart Clinic celebrates 100 years of providing healthcare services in north Tillamook County. The North Coast Citizen will publish a monthly historical profile or vignette about the clinic’s founders, history, and stories from past patients and employees. Enjoy exploring the history of The Rinehart Clinic and its many contributions to the community. Here is the first profile, submitted by The Rinehart Clinic, of founder Harvey E. Rinehart, MD.
Clinic founder Harvey E. Rinehart, a leading citizen of north Tillamook County According to a Dec. 13,
1928 profile in the Wheeler Reporter, “Dr. H. E. Rinehart, physician and surgeon … might easily be considered one of the outstanding personalities of Tillamook County.” Harvey E. Rinehart, MD, and his wife, Ella, arrived in Wheeler in 1913 at the behest of mill owner C. H. Wheeler to work as the mill physician and establish a hospital/ clinic. Dr. Rinehart was born in 1885 in Summerville, Oregon to Dr. Willard E. and Dr. Belle C. Rinehart. He started his education at Oregon State College where he was a star football player and received his medical degree from the University of Oregon medical school in 1913. Upon their arrival in Wheeler, Dr. and Mrs. Rinehart learned
Rinehart Clinic staff, front (from left): Ethel Perkins, Louise Seepka, Dr. Harvey Rinehart, Kate Waterhouse, Tiki Dick, Edna Wright and Ed Hatch. Back (from left): Stuart Scott, Juanita Steiner, Edna Richter, Eleanor Bangs and Helen Hatch. Courtesy photo This made their first months that the mill would close for of blackberries and clams that in North Tillamook County a several months, undergoing first year.” challenge, and as Ella Rinehart a retrofit that would double Over the following decades, related to her grandson, Harry production with the instalH. Rinehart MD, “We ate a lot lation of a new larger saw. See RINEHART, page 5
Structural integrity of privately owned bridges poses concern for fire district By Dave Fisher The Citizen
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The failure of four privately owned bridges in Oregon since 2004, two of which involved fire apparatus crossing them, has the Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue District taking a closer look at least four such bridges in north Tillamook County within the district’s boundaries. In one instance, a private citizen was killed in one of the bridge failures. “It’s something we need to address sooner than later,” NBFR District Chief Perry Sherbaugh said at a special workshop in January for the benefit of property owners whose property can only be assessed by crossing a privately owned bridge. “It puts our folks in harm’s way and could lead to the loss of service to district patrons,” Sherbaugh added. “As bridges age, they can become a liability issue not only for the fire district but the bridge owners as well.” To avert disaster, the NBFR District board is studying a policy in which pri-
vately owned bridges must be inspected every five years or as stated in the report by a certified bridge inspector. Upon receiving the report, the fire district would post the load limit, updating it with each subsequent report as needed. “We’re still working out the details,” said NBFR District Board President Bob Forster of the policy Sherbaugh hopes to present to the board at its February meeting. Already approved, as an added incentive to get the inspection process underway as soon as possible, is a onetime contribution from the fire district to property owners of $500 per bridge inspection to help defray the cost. Made available to the dozen property owners in attendance at the workshop was a list of bridge inspectors recognized by the Oregon Department of Transportation, with the cost of bridge inspections shown ranging from $500 to $4,000. While Sherbaugh acknowledged that some of the privately owned bridges are most likely in good shape that may not be the case for others. Of the four such bridges
This wooden bridge leading to residences near Manzanita is one of four or five privately owned bridges the Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue District wants to have inspected to determine its load capacity. Photo by Dave Fisher located within the district and the possibility of a fifth bridge off Hwy. 53, the flat rail car
bridge on Anderson Rd. is a concern because of its age. The problem, Sherbaugh
noted, is that rail car bridges become available when the railroad retires them. They’re not new and, while they might have had a load capacity of up to 110,000 lbs. at one time, there’s no guarantee that is still the case, particularly when used in a bridge application. Additionally, fire apparatus over the years has gotten heavier. A 1984 Class A engine owned by the district weighs 12 tons while the 1997 version registers 19 tons. The new water tender the district purchased shortly after it was formed weighs 32 tons when full. In a worse case scenario, depending on the load limit of a bridge, the district might not be able to respond to an emergency with its heavier vehicles. Property owners will know in advance if, after receiving bridge inspection reports, the district will be unable to respond in certain emergencies. “Homeowners will receive a letter advising them that we will not cross their bridge if it poses a danger,” said Sherbaugh. “If we can’t get there, we can’t help.”