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Christmas every day . . ..................................... PAGE 4 New dog joins the force ................................. PAGE 2

December 20, 2023

Lincoln City’s Largest and Most Trusted News Source Since 1927

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Oregon schools targeted in online bomb threat Lockdown Implemented JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc. Bomb threats reportedly made at several Oregon School Districts, including the Lincoln County School District Dec. 11, promoted police and school districts’ responses.

The Lincoln County School District issued the following statement.

“On Monday, Dec. 11, two Lincoln County School District district staff received an identical email of a bomb threat. The threat was general in nature and didn’t specifically name any of our schools. The same threat was sent to several other school districts in Oregon.

“Our law enforcement partners were immediately contacted and are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the source of the threat.

At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the threat is credible.

In consultation with local law enforcement, all Lincoln County schools conducted a Code Yellow Lockdown and a visual

sweep inside and outside of the buildings. The District and law enforcement take all threats seriously and follow our established protocols.”

The Coos Bay Police Department (CBPD) said it was investigating an online threat made toward the Coos Bay School District (CBSD).

“In response to this information the CBPD

Watching whales

deployed all available resources to CBSD schools, completing initial security sweeps inside and outside each school,” CPBD stated in a Facebook post.

The CBPD said it continues to have an increased presence at all CBSD schools and said as of Dec. 11, investigators had not found anything to indicate the threat made to the CBSD was legitimate.

CBPD has been made aware that numerous other school districts throughout the state of Oregon also received the same online threat. An early information technology (IT) investigation has indicated that the threat originated from outside of the United States.

The CBPD has been See THREAT, Page 11

Popular annual event returns

Courtesy from Naomi Fast The Undertow’s famous mermaid fountain. See more photos with this story at thenewsguard.com.

The end of a Lincon City era stories along the way.

Beloved eatery ofWhen a business like that closes, it’s bound to make closing soon news.

Fort Stevens State Park Peter Iredale Shipwreck Neahkahnie Mountain Overlook Cape Meares Lighthouse Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint The Whale Watching Center Depoe Bay Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint Cape Foulweather Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Yachats State Recreation Area Cape Perpetua Turnout Heceta Head Lightouse Umpqua Lighthouse Shore Acres State Park Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint Harris Beach State Park

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Whale watching sites

NAOMI FAST Correspondent Country Media, Inc.

There’s still some mystery about their lives and seeing them in action is a thrill. Seeing them in real life is also a reminder of how we affect all marine life and have a responsibility to eliminate pollution and be careful stewards of the planet’s resources.

Chris Havel, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

O

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

regon State Parks will once again host Winter Whale Watch Week at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast Wednesday, Dec. 27 to Sunday, Dec. 31.

Every year thousands of gray whales migrate south through Oregon’s waters at the end of December, and state parks invites visitors to the coast to see their journey.

In a previous interview with Country Media, OPRD spokesman Chris Havel said people are fascinated by the whales for good reason.

“People are clever and good at inventing and building ways to survive and thrive, and wildlife, like whales, do the same thing through sheer awesome power,” he said.

“There’s still some mystery about their lives and seeing them in action is a thrill.

Seeing them in real life is also a reminder of how we affect all marine life and have a responsibility to eliminate pollution and be careful stewards of the planet’s resources.”

Havel adds that people are naturally attracted to the whales’ beauty, mystery, and power.

“But we also appreciate being reminded of our place in these natural systems,” and

it makes us all feel part of the family,” he said.

Trained volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites to help visitors spot whales, share information and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily during Whale Watching Week.

Volunteer opportunities are still available along the north and south coast if you register by Dec. 11 at https://orwhalewatch. org/volunteer/ The Whale Watch Week sites are some of the best places to spot whales on the Oregon Coast.

“We are excitedly waiting for the migration of the gray whales to come down from Alaska,” OPRD Park Ranger Peter McBride said. “We really enjoy sharing the experience with visitors. It’s been a tradition at Oregon State Parks for more than 40 years.”

A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available online on the official event webpage: https://oregonstateparks. o rg / i n d e x . c f m ? d o = t h i n g s t o d o . d s p _ whaleWatching See WHALES, Page 11

Even if Lincoln City is used to seeing businesses come and go, like the party paper and balloon shop that popped up at 2149A NW U.S. Highway 101 last year, and is now gone, it can still be a bit jarring to see a once vibrant store window look deserted.

Business turnover is especially noticeable along the widened stretches of the highway where visibility — but also traffic speeds — are high, and walkability is low.

The highway, though it has always played a role in commercial life in Lincoln County, can make it harder to stroll along, stop inside on a whim, and make friends at a new business.

And as they say in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” that good old Frank Capra film that tells the tale of the Bailey Building and Loan, “no man is a failure who has friends.”

But when a business that has been around for more than four decades closes, chances are it cultivated lots of multi-generational friendships, and told lots

Police Blotter ............ 3 Opinion ...................... 5

Classifieds.................. 9 Comics ...................... 10

VOL. 96 NO. 47

The statement In a statement to The News Guard about the closure, the Undertow’s current owners, Vickie and Tom Brosy, who happen to be Eleanor’s daughter and son-in-law, shared news of the Undertow’s closing.

And in an interview, they told a few more stories, one of their favorite pastimes while scooping ice cream for customers.

Eleanor’s Undertow, or “The ‘Tow” for short, all started in a corner of Russ Bailey’s bait and tackle shop, which they said was adjacent to the original Mo’s building.

See ERA, Page 12

TheNewsGuard.com

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That’s the case for Lincoln City landmark Eleanor ’s Undertow, tucked snugly west of the highway in the historic Taft district at 869 SW 51st St., across from a city-owned pocket of land where Mo’s is located. If a pink building with lots of mermaids and ice cream cones is coming to mind, that’s the place. And it is preparing to close its doors — and window — for good.

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The News Guard

TIPS Unique K9 joins the force SHERIFF’S OF THE WEEK JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

In October, the News Guard first reported efforts by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to deal with child exploitation.

The United States consumes more child exploitation material than any other country, and the consumption is increasing year after year, according to the LCSO. “Based on our detectives’ caseloads, we are seeing a corresponding increase in our community as well,” the LCSO stated in a release last fall announcing efforts to establish an electronic storage detection (ESD) K9 program.

After months of fundraising, followed by specialized K9 and handler training, the LCSO has announced that the first ESD K9 in Oregon has joined the county law enforcement agency.

Nose for crime ESD K9 Trinity is specially trained in scent detection which allows the dog to smell the chemical commonly found in digital storage devices. This allows ESD K9s to successfully locate hidden devices during searches that may have otherwise been missed due to deceiving device design or being concealed in irregular places.

The items Trinity will search for include hidden devices, such as cell phones, computers, thumb drives, memory cards, and

the office. Ghost, our Patrol K9, and ESD K9 Trinity have different roles and training,” The LCSO states in a release. “Most Patrol K9s, including Ghost, do not serve in roles that allow them to be approached and petted by community members. Due to her role and training, Trinity can be approached and petted by community members with Bettencourt’s approval,” the LCSO states.

Background

Trinity was donated to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office by the kNot Today Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to generate awareness, initiate prevention strategies, and assist in the development of innovative healing programs for sexually abused and exploited children.

Community members helped raise funds to help bring Trinity to our team, assist in training, and cover on-going program expenses.

LCSO administrators said they are grateful to Flashbacks Fountain & Grill and Rogue Spirits & Ales for hosting ESD K9 fundraising events, and K9s for Cops, for providing a platform to collect online donations. The fundraising goal was $25,000.

Trinity and her handler received their core training from Jordan Detection K9 and continue to complete additional training to expand skills and to stay updated on best practices, according to the LCSO.

Courtesy photo from LCSO ESD K9 Trinity is a 2-year-old black English Labrador Retriever shown here with her handler Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Det. Anthony Bettencourt. others containing evidence of child exploitation.

According to the LCSO, ESD K9s, like Trinity, can find hidden electronics in a variety of environments, including electronics that are submerged in water, hidden in floorboards, and other creative hiding places. In addition to locating electronics connected to child criminal investigations, Trinity and her handler, LCSO Det. Anthony Bettencourt, can find digital evidence related to other major criminal cases during investigations.

Trinity is a member of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit and is an affiliate member of the Oregon Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. ICAC is a national

network of coordinated task forces representing federal, state, and local law enforcement focused on investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.

Increasing support for children, families ESD K9 Trinity, is a 2-year-old black English Labrador Retriever. The dog offers more support than just her certification in electronic storage detection. The LCSO said Trinity provides comfort to child victims at scenes and their families during difficult interviews.

“Our team has also been able to seek comfort and a refreshing break with her friendly demeanor around

With the daylight being so short this time of year, many of us are leaving work after dusk.

Oregon crosswalk laws were written to provide a buffer of safety for pedestrians on the roadway.

A crosswalk exists at any public street intersection, whether marked with paint or unmarked. Crosswalks also exist between intersections (mid-block) only if they are marked with white painted lines. Under Oregon law (ORS 811.028) a driver has specific duties to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked.

At any other crosswalkswhether marked with paint or unmarked - drivers must stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and the next lane. Stop and remain stopped for

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

said.

The grant funds are made possible through Oregon Impact and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

8:05 p.m.

Caller in the 600 block of NW Inlet Avenue reports home broken into.

1:20 p.m.

Caller in the 1100 block of SW Coast Avenue reports theft of a radar speed sign.

1:49 p.m.

Caller in the 4800 block of SW Highway 101 reported finding an ID.

4:46 p.m.

Caller in the 2500 block of NE 3rd Street reported a subject was keeping items from her cleaning business and not returning them.

2:42 p.m. Caller in the 2300 block of NE Highway 101 reported a white juvenile male put $20 on the counter, grabbed a $30 vape pen and ran. Surveillance video is available.

Our goal is simple: to save lives and prevent injuries.

Lt. Jeffrey Winn, LCPD

students as directed by a crossing guard. Stop and remain stopped for a blind pedestrian using a white cane or a guide dog until the pedestrian is completely across the roadway.

Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians may be issued a citation.

Oregon laws affect pedestrians too.

Pedestrians are required to obey traffic signals and walk safely.

Pedestrians are also required to yield to vehicles.

Pedestrians are prohibited from suddenly moving from a place of safety into the path of a vehicle so close as to constitute a hazard. Pedestrians are also required to yield to a vehicle when crossing the roadway at any point other than a crosswalk.

Pedestrians who fail to comply with laws governing pedestrian movement may be issued a citation carrying a fine.

LCSO appoints new emergency manager

to the safety of our citizens and visitors, and these grant funds are a valuable resource that assist us in improving the traffic safety in our community,” Winn

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The Lincoln City Police Department is preparing to use the first of its 20232024 DUII Enforcement Grant funds during the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday season.

This time period is part of the national “High Visibility Enforcement,” which runs from Dec.13 through Jan. 1.

The national High Visibility Enforcement events are designed to increase the number of patrol officers on the streets nationwide with an emphasis on seeking out drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs and removing them from the roadways.

“The holiday season is known for being merry

and bright, but it is also a time when increased numbers of impaired drivers may be on the roadways,” LCPD Lt. Jeffrey Winn said. “The Lincoln City Police Department is pleased to be joining forces with other law enforcement agencies across the nation to crack down on impaired drivers. Our goal is simple: to save lives and prevent injuries. Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk; if you drive drunk, you will be arrested.”

Funds from the previous grant allocation were last used during the Labor Day weekend time period but no DUII arrests were made.

“The members of the Lincoln City Police Department are committed

LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Following an extensive search and competitive selection process to fill the vacant Lincoln County Emergency Manager position, the Lincoln C o u n t y S h e r i ff ’s O f f i c e ( L C S O ) has selected Samantha B u c k l e y, the LCSO Samantha A s s i s t a n t Buckley Emergency Manager for the position.

The appointment took effect Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

“Ms. Buckley demonstrates a strong working knowledge in the field of emergency management, is experienced in the vulnerabilities impacting Lincoln County and the proper response protocols to efficiently manage disasters when they occur,” Lincoln County

LCPD steps up holiday enforcement STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

Obey crosswalk right-of-way

Sheriff Curtis Landers said.

“One of Ms. Buckley’s strongest attributes is her communication skills and ability to build effective partnerships with cooperating agencies and our community to ensure effective response not only in the event of an emergency, but also through public outreach and preparedness prior to, as well as recovery efforts following a disaster.”

Buckley has worked in the LCSO Emergency Management Division for nearly four years. She also has experience working as a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator with Coos County prior to her employment with Lincoln County and as a Regional Emergency Coordinator. Buckley possesses a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, according to the LCSO. Buckley replaces Jenny Demaris who resigned in October.

POLICE BLOTTER Dec. 1 12:17 a.m.

Suspicious activity reported in the 1700 block of NW 44th Street.

1:16 a.m.

Caller in the 1000 block of NW 21st Street reported guest was intoxicated and belligerent threatening occupants of a neighboring room. He was asked to leave premises and refused.

Subject taken into custody by officers and transported to jail on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Trespass II. 9:41 a.m.

A subject in the 800 block of SW Highway 101 was arrested by officers on a Failure to Appear warrant and taken to jail.

5:52 p.m.

A subject in the 1500 block of NW 39th Street reported that someone used

his name at a traffic crash.

Dec. 2 5:45 p.m. Caller in the 2600 block of NE Highway 101 reported the theft of a hand truck.

Dec. 3 12:05 a.m.

Officers cited and released a subject in the 1500 block of SE East Devils lake Road for DUII. 11:57 a.m.

Police arrested a subject in the 1500 block of SE East Devils Lake Road for Giving Fales Information, Driving While Revoked, and three outstanding warrants. Vehicle was towed.

Dec. 4 6:32 a.m.

Caller in the 1900 block of SE Highway 101 reported a burglary.

8:15 a.m.

A subject arrested in the 3400 block of NE Highway 101 for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and transported to jail.

10:56 a.m.

Caller at NE 25th Street and NE Highway 101 reports theft of an air compressor and various small items have gone missing.

7:50 p.m.

Officers arrested a subject at NE 13th Street and NE Highway 101 on a Polk County warrant.

Dec. 5 5:42 a.m.

Officers arrested a subject in the 1700 block of NE Highway 101 for Parole Violation and transported the subject to jail.

2:58 P.M. Police take a subject in custody at NW 21 st Street and NW Highway 101 charged with Luring a Minor, Online Sexual Corruption of a Minor, Attempted Rape III, Attempted S o d o m y, Attempted Sex Abuse II, and Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon.

3:35 p.m.

Caller in reporting traffic on SE 14th Street has increased and cars are traveling at a high rate of speed. Caller is requesting more patrols to the area to deter speeding.

Dec. 6 12:40 p.m.

911 call in the 1400 block of NW 31st Street requesting a welfare check on suicidal male. Officer contacted the subject and transported him to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital for observation.

1:32 p.m.

Officers took a report of a welfare check in the 800 block of SW 65th Street.

The News Guard Wenesday, December 20, 2023

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Coast Moment

Jeremy Ruark/Country Media, Inc

A seagull perches on a past at Devils Lake in Lincoln City. See more Coast Moments at thenewsguard.com.

Celebrating Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe CALENDAR JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc. With colorful flowers, candles and traditional music, downs of locals gathered inside the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Lincoln City to celebrate el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

“This is a big celebration every year in Mexico,” Eulalia Del Valle Pegueros said. “Everybody is going to pray and sing. I am very happy. It is a miracle. It is a matter of the heart.”

The celebration is one of the most important holidays of the year for Catholics and for those of Mexican descent, according to Father Joseph Sebasty.

“This is a Hispanic cultural celebration honoring the Virgin Mary who was the mother of Jesus and mother of the church,” Sebasty said just before the event the evening of Dec. 12.

During the celebration, those attending clutched rosaries in prayer and sang songs praising the Virgin Mary. Following the services, several of the attendees dressed in colorful outfits participated in traditional dances.

The church has scheduled a Virgin Mass for family and children at 5:30 p.m. and a Christmas Solemnity midnight mass at 12:45 p.m. Dec. 24. The Nativity of the Lord Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Christmas Day. According to the online

Dec. 28 Game Night Gleneden Beach Community Club’s Game Night. Bring your own games or play one of the club’s stash. Come alone and find a challenger, or bring a friend. If you’re hungry or thirsty, bring a snack and/or beverage to share.

6:30 p.m. at 110 Azalea Street. Free. Fore more details, visit glenedenbeach.org.

On Going Music Enjoy Singing? The Lincolnaires, an informal singing group, meets every Tuesday from 10 a.m.to 11 a.m. at the Senior Center and is looking for more voices. Come and join us.For more information contact Karen Nichols 541669-1147.

Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc. Father Joseph Sebasty conducts services during the el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe celebration. website, Timeanddate, it is believed that a man named Juan Diego encountered the Virgin Mary twice in Mexico City, on Dec. 9 and Dec. 12 in 1531.

According to legend, Mary told Juan to ask the bishop to build a church on Tepeyac Hill. However, the bishop needed proof Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc. of Juan’s encounter and Above: Members of the St. Augustine Catholic asked for a miracle. Juan Church gather for the celebration.

Below: Eulalia Del Valle Pegueros, right, joins returned to the hill to see roses in a spot where members of the church to sing during the celebration. there were previously cacti. When Juan Diego returned, he showed the roses to the archbishop and also revealed an image on his cloak of the Lady of Guadalupe.

The bishop was convinced of the miracle and built a church in honor of the event.

Vets Lunch Veterans Free Homemade Soup and Sandwich offered twice monthly from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at the Lincoln City B.P.O. Elks # 1886 located at 1350 S.E. Oar Avenue in Lincoln City.

Lincoln City Senior Center Events Dementia Caregiver Support Group meets at 10 a.m. first and third Thursdays.

Tai Chi 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. No membership required. Donation to instructor suggested.

Folk Music Circle to begin meeting Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning in April.

Weekly Walk on LCCC track. No charge or membership required. 10:30 a.m. Mondays.

Chair Yoga 11:30 a.m. Mondays. No membership required. Donation to instructor suggested.

Central Coast Word Surfers Writing group 1 to 3 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. Free. Driftwood Public Library, 801 SE Highway 101 in Lincoln City Lincoln County Genealogical Society Regular meeting first Saturday of each month from 10-10:45 a.m. Programs begin at 11 a.m. We host a kaffeeklatsch before our meeting from 9:30 a.m. -10 a.m.

All are welcome to attend. Call 503-302-8892, or visit LCGSOregon.org.

If you have a community event coming up, send brief details with the date, time, location and contact phone/ email to jruark@countrymedia.net.

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The News Guard

Who We Are

Christmas every day

Christmas Cottage embraces the holiday spirit year ’round NAOMI FAST C o r re s p o n d e n t Country Media, Inc. Lincoln City’s very own North Pole is actually located on the south side of town, in the Nelscott district.

This is where the elves of Christmas Cottage are hard at work all year, bringing holiday decorations from around the world right here to the Oregon Coast.

Atop the roof of the building at 3305 SW U.S. Highway 101, three fiberglass Santas supervise the work and keep a jolly eye on the highway nearly 365 days of the year. That’s because Christmas Cottage is open for shoppers every day of the year except two: Christmas and Thanksgiving.

And it’s been that way for almost 50 years. The store has been a local landmark for decades, one that often comes up when Lincoln City residents give out directions: “Robert’s Bookstore? Just across from the Christmas Cottage;” or, “the DMV is on the opposite end of town from the Christmas Cottage.”

Owner Barbe JenkinsGibson blazed a trail for this store, which she said was the first of its kind in the state of Oregon, and is now almost the last.

Although other Christmas specialty stores followed in the Christmas Cottage’s footsteps, Lincoln City’s Christmas Cottage remains one of the only places like it in the state.

“Several other stores have come and gone over

the last 50 years,” JenkinsGibson said.

One of those stores, a similar year-round store called Christmas Treasures, was lost to the Holiday Farm Fire along the McKenzie River in the Labor Day Fires of 2020. The Holiday Farm Fire burned 165,800 acres, according to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI).

But Jenkins-Gibson said there is at least one other Oregon Christmas store, in Sherwood at the tree farm, although Sleighbells of Sherwood is only open half the year.

The Christmas Cottage, meanwhile, is about to celebrate a major milestone.

Founded in 1974, amid that decade’s energy crisis and gasoline rationing, the successful store met and overcame a few challenges over the years, expanded, and is now halfway through its 50th year. The 50th birthday party will happen in 2024.

J e n k i n s - G i b s o n ’s remarkable business savvy aside, the elves — which is what Christmas Cottage employees are known as — said that Barbe makes the store feel like a place intended for all the people who come in every day seeking joy, and for the employees who serve them.

But also, ornaments. There are thousands of them, depicting everything from angels, beer and crystal to xylophones, yetis and zoo animals. The immense selection of figurines and ornaments, many of which can be personalized, glitter on every shelf and

Courtesy photo from Naomi Fast Christmas Cottage owner Barbe Jenkins-Gibson shows a puzzle design that features each lighthouse photograph on a composed “antique” map of the Oregon Coast. twirl from the ceiling.

Jenkins-Gibson works to find products that inspire happiness, and the store is full of joyful items for every budget, including artisanal cards, phone stickers and keychains.

“I do try to represent all of the countries, religions, sexual orientations and races that I possibly can. We do not represent anything to do with politics. We are a happy place.”

Alongside ornaments from around the world, including keychains made in Vietnam, European glass ornaments, German nutcrackers, Santa figurines, and stationery, the coast is well-represented too.

In the local spotlight this year, the Christmas Cottage has an exclusive, locally-designed puzzle that the store produced in collaboration with The Photography Studio in Lincoln City, which was co-founded by JenkinsGibson’s husband Bob Gibson. Gibson’s puzzle design is in recognition

of the lighthouses of the Oregon Coast.

Gibson co-founded The Photography Studio with photographer Jeri Knudson, who died in 2022. Gibson said that about five years ago, he and Knudson took on a project to photograph all the lighthouses of the Oregon Coast. Many of the lighthouses are still guiding mariners to safe harbors, and all of them, even if now out of service, played a major role in the navigation of the rugged Oregon Coast.

Using their photographs, Gibson pieced together a puzzle design that features each lighthouse photograph on a composed “antique” map of the Oregon Coast.

“I wanted to create the perspective of the lighthouses in use before the implementation of modern technology and the reliance on electronics,” Gibson said.

Not all the photos were easy to take. For one, Gibson hired a boat out of Garibaldi to capture a lighthouse angle and view

that can’t be seen from shore.

“The Tillamook Rock Lighthouse posed serious challenges. It is located on a rock approximately a mile off the coast,” Gibson said.

“Prior to helicopters, the only access was by boat with a perilous transfer to a lift onto the rock outcropping. It is exposed to the full brunt of wind, tides, and swells from the Pacific Ocean. Once on site we had the skipper circle the lighthouse. We were left in awe of how people built and then staffed the lighthouse.”

Gibson said that even calm days present many challenges at sea. But he said the history and stories associated with each lighthouse are intriguing.

“It was certainly worth the boat trip and requisite Dramamine to photograph the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse up close and from different perspectives.”

The Christmas Cottage has plenty of the 1,000piece “Oregon Coast

Lighthouses” puzzles in stock. Even if you stop by just to get a puzzle, allow an hour or two at the shop.

Something will catch your eye and before you know it, you’ll be deep into a corner of the store, admiring the detail carved into a set of wooden ornaments, or marveling at the different styles of Santa figurines.

The very large rooftop Santas though, are of course not for sale. Jenkins- Gibson said she bought them about 30 years ago, and they are no longer made. They are also hard to clean and repaint, she added. But they are looking good now, at their rooftop stations on the bright pink building for everyone to enjoy. Don’t worry, they are bolted and cabled to the roof, so they won’t blow away, even in El Niño winter coastal winds.

Who We Are is a frequent News Guard presentation highlighting the people, businesses, and organizations in our community.

The News Guard Wednesday, December 20, 2023

News & Views

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VIEWPOINT

Leaders should focus on treatment not past mistakes GRANT HARTLEY Oregon Capital Chronicle News Guard Guest Column Addiction is a health issue — not a criminal issue.

O r e g o n i a n s overwhelmingly supported this understanding when they passed Measure 110 in 2020. But the promises of Measure 110 have faced significant challenges.

As we confront the fentanyl e m e rg e n c y across the Grant country, we Hartley must remain resolute in our commitment to treat addiction as a health issue.

The criminal programs and policies being pushed by those seeking to roll back Measure 110 will fail. I say this with confidence because they are pulling their tactics from a worn out playbook that forced individuals experiencing addiction through the criminal system for decades. This playbook harmed communities of color and low-income communities, while doing little to nothing to address and prevent addiction.

One rollback proposal seeks to recriminalize possession of user amounts of certain drugs and require treatment through a diversion program. This is not a novel idea. In fact, it is nearly identical to the Treatment First and STOP diversion programs that were in place in Multnomah County when voters passed Measure 110. Both programs had low levels of success. For example, in 2019 less than 20% of participants graduated the STOP program with 90 days of sobriety. That is hardly a model for the future.

We know that police and courts cannot solve or prevent the addiction crisis.

Our criminal system is already overloaded. Adding thousands more low-level, addiction cases will further destabilize the system. This will fail all Oregonians.

Much like drug treatment services, public defense in Oregon has seen decades of underfunding and underresourcing, resulting in a significant deficit of public defenders. A 2021 study by the American Bar Association found that Oregon has onethird the public defenders necessary to provide adequate representation.

This chronic lack of support and resources has created an unrepresented crisis in our state, where thousands of Oregonians charged with crimes have been denied the most fundamental right in our criminal system – the constitutional right to an attorney.

If Oregon recriminalizes drug possession, limited taxpayer dollars will be spent arresting and processing these individuals, who most likely won’t be able to access a public defense attorney. They’ll be told to wait for a lawyer to

become available, until eventually their case will be dismissed. We will once again see a revolving door of people struggling with addiction cycling through a system that cannot address their underlying disease.

Their involvement in the criminal system, however, often makes their addiction — and access to jobs, education, and housing — much worse.

Advocates of criminalization conflate addiction with public safety. While drug use can contribute to criminal conduct, criminal conduct is still illegal even if personal use drug possession is not. Measure 110 does not prohibit law enforcement from investigating and prosecuting crimes commonly associated with drug use — like possessing large amounts, manufacturing, distributing, driving under the influence and theft. Measure 110 simply recognized that addiction should be addressed as a health issue — with services, support and treatment.

Although the science and data behind the solutions-based approach of Measure 110 has not changed, it is clear that Measure 110 has not done enough. After decades of underfunding and divestment from addiction treatment and related resources, there is still not enough of it available to meet the overwhelming need across our state. In numerous studies, Oregon is consistently ranked last in the nation for access to treatment services due to this chronic lack of investment.

The investments from Measure 110 have improved access, but there is still a long way to go. Every morning, lines form outside detox centers with individuals ready to change their lives. My public defense clients have spent months on waitlists to access treatment services.

Significant investments by the Legislature would grow and expand access to treatment services.

It is clear that we have much more work to do to address and prevent drug addiction in our state. As our legislative leaders have said, we need to identify what’s out there that is working, what’s not working and why, and propose solutions that are going to be effective.

Oregon would benefit from an expanded and strengthened treatment system, rather than repeating the mistakes of the past.

O re g o n Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence.

Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle. com.

IN THE GARDEN

Keeping your Christmas tree fresh CHIP BUBL News Guard Guest Column

If you buy a tree directly from any of our great local Christmas tree growers or purchase one from a lot, the care you give the tree when you get it home is very important to the quality and safety of Chip your tree.

Bubl Cut trees can be left outside in a shady, moist spot for a number of days prior to bringing them into homes. If freshly cut, immersing the base in a five-gallon bucket of water is a good idea. When you bring the tree into the house, it will waken from dormancy and quickly start pulling a lot of water up through the cut trunk and out through their needles.

Buy a tree stand with a deep well that holds lots of water. Make a fresh cut in the trunk and then place your tree in the stand. Fill the stand with water and check the water twice a day for the first several days.

To keep the tree fresh, never let the tree run short of water, especially in the first 10 days. Don’t place the tree next to a heat register, baseboard or especially, a wood stove.

If the tree really dries it is a fire hazard and should be removed from the home.

Winter water for the birds A lot of us feed birds in

the winter. Yet how many of us think to provide those birds with water?

As easy sources of water freeze in cold weather, birds may have trouble finding the water they need. Birds use the water not only for drinking and bathing, but as a source of water-borne foods such as insects and algae.

Bird lovers can help by providing shallow puddles or bird baths. The containers should be from one to three inches deep, preferably with gentle sloping sides. The surface of the bath should be rough so the birds can get sure footing.

Place flat rocks at water’s edge to allow birds a place to rest or drink from. Make sure cats cannot reach the watering area.

Keep water unfrozen by adding warm water as needed. There are even some birdbath heaters available at specialty stores.

Odds and ends

• Peach leaf curl finds its way into the buds on your peach tree this month and in January. The best answer is to only plant scab-resistant varieties.

“Frost” is one variety that has done well here. But you can further reduce the problem by spraying completely and often with lime sulfur or copper.

Four separate sprays are ideal. Temperatures should be well above freezing when you spray. Two to three hours of drying time is ideal. With copper

Will you be traveling for Christmas?

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

Oregon U.S. Representative Va l Hoyle’s (OR-04) bill to restore fairness for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (Siletz) has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote.

The legislation will provide the legal ability for the Siletz and the State of Oregon to change a discriminatory legal clause that has severely limited the hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering abilities of the Siletz. Oregon U.S.

Senator Merkley leads the Senate version of the bill.

“The Siletz Tribe never should have been forced to give up their sovereign right to hunt, fish, and gather on their ancestral lands,” Hoyle said. “We have a responsibility to right this historic wrong and ensure the Siletz are treated as other Tribes are. As a new Member of Congress, I am grateful to have had the opportunity for this important bill to be my first standalone bill to pass in the House. I hope the Senate will move it forward as soon as possible so it can become a law.”

Yes No

Last week’s results How do you beat the holiday blues?

Read a book 5.6% Take a walk 55.6% Visit with family or friends 38.9%

• Slugs hid from the hot, dry summer in soil nooks and other crannies. This reduced their reproductive vigor but new slugs and fresh slug eggs are now appearing. The slugs are smaller than normal for this time of year but the 50+ degree days encourages their foraging. Gardeners are noticing damage on plants that rarely are a slug’s first choice.

The small gray slug (Deroceras) seems the most active. There are slug baits that will help. So will boards that you put out under which slugs will seek cover.

When turned over, the slugs are quite visible and slow. Chop, chop. Keep it up until numbers decrease.

Start again in mid-January.

You will reap the benefits of this slug removal program next spring when you plant your peas and tender lettuce starts.

• Shrubs and other plants under eaves may dry out during the winter.

When that happens, they may either perish directly from lack of moisture or may be more susceptible to damage from cold weather.

Got food safety or food preservation questions?

Give us a call at 503-3973462. You can also get your pressure gauge tested for free at the Extension office.

Food Preservation recipes and fact sheets can be accessed online at https:// extension.oregonstate.edu/ food/preservation.

Important notes Donate extra garden produce and/or money to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals programs. It always is greatly appreciated.

Have questions?

If you have questions on any of these topics or other home garden and/ or farm questions, please contact Chip Bubl, Oregon State University Extension office in St. Helens at 503397-3462 or a t chip.bubl@ oregonstate.edu.

Free newsletter The Oregon State University Extension office in Columbia County publishes a monthly newsletter on gardening and farming topics (called County Living). All you need to do is ask for it and it will be mailed or emailed to you. Call 503397-3462 to be put on the list. Alternatively, you can find it on the web at http:// extensionoregonstate./ columbia/and click on newsletters. To reach the Curry County OSU Extension Office, call 541247-6672.

Siletz Tribe fairness bill passes House

ONLINE POLL This week

fungicides, use a spreadersticker if the label calls for one.

• While you’re out there with the fertilizer, consider an application to your lawn, if you haven’t already put on any in the late fall. Use a fertilizer with a mix of quick and slow release nitrogen.

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“I want to thank Rep. Hoyle for her commitment to setting history straight for the Siletz Tribe and its members,” Siletz Tribal Chair Dee Pigsley said.

“House passage of her legislation is an important milestone, and its enactment will be the most significant, positive act of federal policy since Congress restored federal recognition to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.”

“The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians were forced to give up their traditional ability to hunt, fish, and gather on Tribal land as the price to

restore their homelands.

This historic injustice has stood for far too long,” Merkley said. “I am thrilled Representative Hoyle ensured this legislation, which I’ve been leading in the Senate, passed the House. This is a critical step toward justice. I will keep pressing for the Senate to do the same.”

Hoyle’s bill, H.R. 2839, will allow the Siletz Tribe to return to federal court to request the termination or modification of the consent decree from 1980 that unfairly forced the Siletz See BILL, Page 11

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

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Senator conducts town halls ahead of legislative session TONY REED Country Media, Inc.

Two local state legislators are looking ahead to the 2024 Oregon Legislative session in February.

Oregon Sen. Dick Anderson and 9th District Rep. Boomer Wright, spoke informally to about 30 people about a variety of issues and concerns, at open town hall meeting at the Florence Library Nov. 28.

Anderson noted the size of his district before giving his background.

“It’s a big territory, a three-and-a-half-hour drive but I don’t have to talk on the cell phone because it doesn’t work,” he joked, “But it’s a pretty drive.”

Anderson said he has retired, having spent 35 years in financial services, and six years as mayor of Lincoln City.

“I actually got mad at those 90 experts in Salem, called legislators, and that’s why I ran for state senate,” he said, adding that state representatives were starting to step on the toes of local government.

“Knowing the coast, and small businesses, and everybody that I figured they needed to hear our side. It’s been very productive and I’m happy to serve you.”

Anderson said he is vice chair of the Senate Housing Development Committee, and is on the policy Committee of Education which also involves policy making in child care. He is also on the House Ways and Means Committee, dealing with budget issues, as well as being on a subcommittee involved in natural resources. He joked that he serves as “the adult in the room” as the co-chair of the Senate Contract Committee.

“That comes into play when senators don’t get along, he said, “and file complaints against each other, so I get to sit in judgment and try to clear those things up.”

Top targets

Throwing money at it

“The intent of this, for me, is to really listen,” he said. “I never want to think I know what you need.”

Anderson said his primary areas of interest are housing and the need for it, accessible and affordable child care, accessible and affordable health care, (physical, mental and dental) and education.

I’m concerned with our education and the lack of accountability, lack of results and mainly, what appears to be low standards,” he said, noting that schools end up on the state budget cutting block.

“I remind you that with childcare and education, we are setting up our future generations so I’d like to get them the best we can.”

Anderson said that in his own experience, communities are healthy when residents, businesses, hospitals, and everyone else work together.

Anderson said the lack of child care plays a part in the labor shortage, because without it, a member of the household has to stay home and take care of kids.

He said that if improvement can be made in healthcare, child care, education and housing on the coast, more people will be inclined to move here for work.

Anderson said that on his commute inland every morning, he sees a long parade of headlights coming to the coast, which indicates those people are heading here to work.

“I can’t help but wonder, ‘wouldn’t they rather just live on the coast?’” he asked. “We love it. it’s a great place, if you can afford it.”

Dorothy Peterson was the first to bring up homelessness. Saying she had moved from Salem, she called it a huge problem.

Peterson noted lack of affordable housing, but the lack of support services necessary to keep people housed.

“It seems to me that you can’t do a one thing at a time fix,” she said. “You have to have coordination.”

Anderson agreed, saying a lot of state money went toward mental health issues last year but getting out to actual providers was another story.

“It seems, and I don’t mean to be critical but I am, that we in the legislature throw money at things, and don’t follow that money through for accountability,” he said.

Anderson mentioned a project in Lincoln County that will provide a 16-bed transitional recovery center in Newport. He said funding for the much-needed project came from many sources, but when it came to the state, nothing was offered.

He said he had to lobby to get $3 million dollars from the $170 million surplus the state was holding, to help fund the facility.

In addition to not following through, Anderson said state and federal legislators also do a bad job of managing expectations.

“We pass a bill, budget money and we walk away because we passed it,” he said, “and think things are going to happen, and it

Comments, concerns Mike Allen, founder of the Florence Climate Awareness Campaign, asked Anderson to work toward getting climate education into schools.

Allen said he felt kids

Courtesy photo Sen. Dick Anderson meets with a citizens during the Florence town hall. need to be prepared to deal “When we overpay our with the world we’ve left state taxes and expect a them. Allen spoke of a bill refund or kicker, we are that was introduced at the now expected to deduct it state level to that regard, from our current (year) tax which he said never left the filing,” he said. “It appears committee level. Anderson that Oregon does not trust replied that he didn’t recall its voters to handle their the particular bill. Anderson own assets and property.” said he was unsure of He asked Anderson and an overall answer, but Wright to introduce a bill suggested climate education that will reduce Oregon’s be integrated into science death tax to the federal education at an early age standard. and continued through Anderson replied that an graduation. Wright said it Oregon bill in 2023 which becomes problematic to did what Jacobson was introduce a new curriculum asking for. He said another into an already full day. bill proposed to freeze He suggested forming a property taxes for seniors. committee of legislators Anderson said the issue and teachers who would comes up at every session recognize the importance of and some legislators push the subject and find ways to for it. fit it into the curriculum.

Anderson told Jacobson Lloyd Little, a 32-year to send his letter to those veteran Siuslaw teacher, in majority in the senate said educators are typically who are stopping it from reluctant to change reaching the floor for a curriculums. He said many vote. will question how they Wright told Jacobson that implement those learning it was important his voice goals when they have no be heard, and recalled an time. instance where a previous Local real estate broker bill was turned around Michael Jacobson read late in the process because a letter aloud, opposing constituents flooded their Oregon’s “death tax,” voicemail and email boxes Saying Oregon has one of at the state. Anderson the top 10 highest taxes on agreed, saying he rarely heirs. Jacobson noted that responds to copy-and-paste taxes were already paid on form letters, but will more the assets the state will tax often respond to personal upon one’s passing, forcing letters with passion and a heirs to sell property in personal story. order to cover the taxes.

just doesn’t so I’m finding I spend more time tracking bills that I got approved but have not been implemented yet and just stay on it.

Not all members do that but that’s what I’ve been doing.”

He said that along with a child care bill, he is also following two housing bills trying to get something implemented to show for the funding.

Doug Barrett, who has worked extensively Confederated Tribes of Siuslaw Indians, said the casino has been struggling to attract and keep employees to run it, primarily because they can find no place to live in Florence or on the coast. As a drug and alcohol counselor, Barrett said more of his clients need mental health services than drug and alcohol treatment.

Florence Mayor Rob Ward wanted to speak about a lack of mental health services, saying the governor has given money for housing, which barely scratches the surface of what needs to be addressed.

“If you’re not going to address mental health along with it, you’re wasting money,” he said.

He said that in talking with 130 other mayors at a recent conference, most agreed that until Mental Health Services and housing need to be addressed together, the other mayors applauded.

“Everyone mayor is dealing with the same issue,” he said. “It seems like the state wants to give money to See SENATOR, Page 8

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St. Peter the Fisherman Lutheran Church

We will be blessed with two opportunities to worship on Sunday, Christmas Eve, at 10:30 a.m. and a Candlelight Service at 6:30 p.m.

Bring the family for a music-filled and inspiring Christmas candlelight communion service Sing carols and hear the message of hope that comes with the birth of our Saviour Join us in Lincoln City at St. Peter the Fisherman Church on SW 14th and Highway 101 We are now live streaming our services. For a link to the service contact the church at stpeter@yahoo.com.

The News Guard Wednesday, December 20, 2023

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Fentanyl emergency declaration part of fixing Portland JULIA SHUMWAY Oregon Capital Chronicle News Guard Guest Article

Gov. Tina Kotek and members of her Portland Central City Task Force say the city needs more police officers on the ground, tax breaks for businesses and a ban on public drug use.

Kotek and members of the task force, which has met privately since August, presented their recommendations at Monday’s annual Oregon Leadership Summit, an annual gathering of business leaders and public officials at the Moda Center.

Recommendations to revitalize the state’s struggling largest city range from the immediate – picking up trash – to the long-term: building 20,000 homes in downtown Portland by 2035. They’re an attempt to address downtown Portland’s myriad issues, including homelessness and public drug use, that have created difficult conditions for businesses and residents and caused the city’s national image to plummet.

“Sometimes turning on the TV, looking at billboards around the city or checking out new stories is like reading an obituary of Portland written by people who never truly knew it at its best,” Kotek said. “The truth is, Portland was never Portlandia.”

As Portland goes, the state goes While the efforts are focused on one city, Kotek said Portland’s success or failure matters across the state. She has visited 35 of 36 Oregon counties on her year-long listening tour, and in every part of the state

she heard that Portland is Oregon’s economic engine, she said.

“As Portland goes, the state goes. And I think leaders from around the state understand that,” said Dutch Bros CEO Joth Ricci, who hosted the event.

The task force includes Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County chair Jessica Vega Pederson, along with more than three dozen other elected officials and business and nonprofit leaders. It has met three times behind closed doors.

Some of its recommendations, including banning public drug use, will require legislative approval. Others will require lawmakers to open the state’s coffers: The Oregon Department of Transportation will ask for up to $20 million to clean up trash and graffiti on state property during the next year and a half.

And they’ll require cooperation from the state, Multnomah County and the city of Portland, something that’s been difficult in the past.

“We all want the same thing,” Wheeler said.

“We want this city and this state to recover and the only way we can do it successfully is through collaboration. We have to work together because nobody individually holds the key to success.”

Vega Pederson described the recommendations as “very provisional,” noting that many task force members only saw the full list a few days ago. The county, city and others will consider which recommendations to implement and how to do so, she said.

Fast Fact Chief among the recommendations is a proposal that the state, the county, and the city each declare a 90-day fentanyl emergency and establish a command center, led by the state, to triage the crisis.

Statewide emergency

fentanyl

Chief among the recommendations is a proposal that the state, the county and the city each declare a 90-day fentanyl emergency and establish a command center, led by the state, to triage the crisis.

The state would coordinate efforts by law enforcement, public health professionals, outreach workers and others.

Kotek directed Oregon State Police in September to do more to crack down on fentanyl dealers in downtown Portland, and the agency has had a larger presence in the area since.

The task force called for continuing that increased state police presence into 2024.

The task force also recommended having more city park rangers in downtown parks through April. And it urged the state board in charge of licensing police officers to ensure new Portland officers get the training they need.

At the legislative level, top Democrats are working on bills for the 2024 legislative session to amend the state’s voter-approved drug decriminalization law, Measure 110, and address the state’s addiction crisis.

As part of those efforts, the task force urged the Legislature to ban public drug use. The city of Portland passed a ban in September contingent on state action.

Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton, said the Legislature will consider that issue, as well as legislation making it easier for prosecutors to take on drug dealers. The Oregon Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that simply possessing large amounts of drugs isn’t enough to prove someone plans to sell those drugs, making it harder to prosecute dealers.

Other recommendations centered around h o m e l e s s n e s s .

Approximately 7,500 people are homeless in the Portland metro area, according to the 2023 Point in Time Count, out of 18,000 statewide, and hundreds of people sleep unsheltered in downtown Portland each night.

The task force called for expanding daytime services, including more publicly available bathrooms and showers, paid for in part by a $3 million commitment from Multnomah County.

Additionally, the task force recommended adding more shelter beds. Efforts are underway to add at least 350 new shelter spaces, including 50 standalone pods.

The group also called for a three-year moratorium on new local fees and taxes and creating a tax advisory group to provide targeted tax breaks. One option proposed by the group would be an expansion of a new city tax credit which allowed downtown businesses with at least

Michael Romanos / Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov. Tina Kotek reveals recommendations from a task force on Portland at the annual Oregon Leadership Summit, a gathering of business leaders and public officials at the Moda Center, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.

15 employees to receive a one-time credit of up to $250,000, split over four years, on their business license tax.

Wheeler said the city is also creating two new tax increment financing districts, including one in downtown. The districts, a common tool for economic development in cities, allow governments to use expected future increases in tax revenue tied to public improvements to pay for those improvements.

Portland has the highest combined state and local income tax in the nation, said task force member Charles Wilhoite, managing director of Willamette Management.

Neighboring Vancouver, Washington, has no income tax, and Portlanders fleeing Multnomah County cost the county $1 billion in income, he said.

Portland-based businesses, including Columbia Sportswear and Nike, will also pay for trash cleanup, said Columbia Sportswear

CEO Tim Boyle. Boyle, who described himself as having an “unhealthy obsession with trash,” said his company has donated to cleaning up litter and graffiti along a section of Interstate 405 driven by 100,000 cars daily, and he’ll urge other business owners and philanthropists to help pay.

Cleaning I-405 will cost about $40,000 to $45,000 for litter removal each month and $12,000 for graffiti removal, according to the task force. If the program is successful on that road, the committee would recommend expanding it to other roads.

O re g o n Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence.

Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@ oregoncapitalchronicle.com.

OHA campaign encouraging conversations about alcohol At a time when many people in Oregon are celebrating the holiday season with friends, coworkers, and loved ones, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is launching Rethink the Drink’s new winter advertising campaign to change the conversation about alcohol.

Campaign focus The campaign emphasizes the need for people to come together and support one another to be healthy and care for communities. That includes creating healthy environments that support people in their efforts to drink less alcohol.

The campaign reveals how common alcohol has become in community settings and asks people to consider ways they can best support their friends and loved ones – and their entire community – to be healthy.

Rethink the Drink, informed by significant community and partner engagement, aims to decrease alcohol consumption and related harms in Oregon.

Elements of this winter

campaign include a website; statewide TV, radio, digital and print advertisements; and Facebook and Instagram pages. Oregon is the only state in the country to initiate a public health campaign of this scale to reach adults 21 and older.

By the numbers While younger people in Oregon are drinking less, binge drinking and heavy drinking among adults are on the rise, and are responsible for an estimated 1 in 5 deaths among those ages 20-49.

Overall, excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death and disease in Oregon.

“During December and the holiday season, many people and communities come together at celebrations or events where alcohol may be present,” OHA Deputy State Health Officer and Epidemiologist Tom Jeanne said. “We’re trying to start a new conversation to help dial down the pressure around alcohol and help create more supportive community spaces for everyone.”

According to Jeanne, the new OHA campaign and messaging explore how alcohol has crept into so many settings of our

daily lives, whether that’s at the hair salon, a child’s birthday party, or a baby shower.

“Even in moments when people are trying to improve their health, such as a 5k run or during a hike in the woods, many of us find ourselves drinking more,” Jeanne said. “This campaign is about caring for one another and for our communities so that we can all be healthy and feel supported.”

What the OHA data shows Based on evaluation data from RMC Research for its first campaign in summer 2022, Rethink the Drink achieved its goals and exceeded expectations for the campaign. People in Oregon who saw the campaign: Had more conversations about their own drinking, friends’ and families’ drinking, and what excessive drinking is.

Thought more about their drinking habits.

Were more likely to plan on cutting back their drinking than those who did not see the campaign.

The share of Oregon adults who drink excessively is larger than most people realize – more

“

We’re trying to start a new conversation to help dial down the pressure around alcohol and help create more supportive community spaces for everyone.

“

STAFF REPORT Country Media

Tom Jeanne, OHA

than 1 in 5, according to the OHA. Most people in this group are not affected by alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder. However, by drinking excessively, people increase their odds of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life.

OHA uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of excessive alcohol use, which includes both heavy drinking and binge drinking: Heavy drinking, which can lead to chronic diseases and other problems over time, is eight or more drinks per week for women or 15 or more drinks per week for

men.

Binge drinking is consuming four or more drinks on one occasion for women or five or more drinks on one occasion for men.

For more information about differences among genders for what’s considered excessive drinking, visit https://www. rethinkthedrink.com/whatis-excessive-drinking.

The unjust harms of excessive drinking Certain populations experience more unjust stressors and disadvantages due to

racism, discrimination, and historical disinvestment in these communities, which has led to higher rates of alcohol-related harms, the OHA states. These include Black and Indigenous communities, as well as people with lower incomes and less education.

The OHA also finds excessive drinking causes health harms that include increased risks for cancer, liver failure, heart disease and depression. Beyond the health harms to the individual, excessive drinking affects the entire community, costing Oregon See ALCOHOL, Page 11

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The News Guard

Threat in contact with other local law enforcement officials and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and stated its investigation is continuing.

In response to the online threat, the Coos Bay School District issued the following statement.

“We want to provide our community with an update on the situation.

We have been in close contact with law enforcement officials, including the FBI, to address this matter

Senator Continued from Page 6 put a roof over someone’s head but where’s the money for the support services?”

He said the whole state is lacking services and it doesn’t help a patient in Florence if they have to wait six months to see a specialist. He said until housing and mental health are addressed together, neither will be solved.

Anderson said that matters of housing can be argued endlessly, but asserted that if one has housing, the stresses on their physical and mental health are much less than if they are living on the street. Anderson also expressed frustration with the legislative body and its inability to move in a singular direction. He said that while legislators refer to issues as a drug crisis, or a homeless crisis, or a mental health crisis, they need to start addressing those issues as a crisis.

Need to know One commenter, whose name was obscured, said Oregon has three times as many registered sex offenders as the national average, but said reporting requirements do not adequately disclose the number of offenders in particular areas. He said that with 700 reported offenders for every 10,000 residents, it would mean the Florence area hosts about 70 offenders. However, when looking at the website which reports their locations, he said only one appears. He said offenders are more likely to come to Oregon, if they know that they won’t be tracked or monitored and residents need to be aware of them.

Wright said he has made calls to district attorneys and police officials around the state who are willing to work toward a bill to change that.

“It’s in the works and if I’m reelected, we’ll have a bill in 2025 to change that,” Wright said.

Anderson spoke of a bill designed to recriminalize drugs, following the passage of Bill 110 in 2020 which decriminalized them.

He said that if someone only faces $100 fine for taking drugs, they will not likely feel they have a problem worth getting treatment for. On the flip side, even if they did want treatment, there are very few treatment facilities available, he said, noting that the bill was passed before facilities were built and staffed.

School stats Speaking as a citizen and not a city council member, Sally Wantz asked what legislators can do to inspire, improve and enhance the local school system, rather than cite numbers about its rankings against other state schools.

“The answer comes back to holding agencies accountable,” Anderson replied. “We put a lot of money into education, per student. I don’t know where it goes- it’s not getting to the student, in my opinion, so my rule keeps pushing

collaboratively. We take this matter seriously and are committed to ensuring the safety of our students and staff.

To keep our families informed, we will be sending out a Remind message shortly. While we do not believe the threat is credible, we understand concerns about safety, and an increased law enforcement presence will be maintained throughout the day. District operations will continue, but parents who are worried may pick up their students.

We appreciate your

“ The intent of this, for me, is to really listen,” he said.

“I never want to think I know what you need.

“

Continued from Page 1

Sen. Dick Anderson

on that. How is this going to help a student and where can we streamline?” Noting that school is vastly different than in his day, Anderson recalled a time when he asked a school nurse to speak to a group of older folks. “[It was] shocking, to say the least, about what happens in that school before a kid can even get to learning,” he said. “They come in with clothing issues and hunger and mental problems, depressed, sleeping in the cold, or in a car the night before, and it’s just so alarming to me.

I should have known but I had no idea… Before we get too critical about school systems, spend some time talking to teachers and [about] what it really takes … to get kids prepared so they are in an environment to learn.”

Asked how to create accountability for school funding, Anderson said it needs to be examined how funding per student gets “siphoned off.”

Regarding Wantz’s request to show schools in a more positive light, Wright agreed.

“We have amazing teachers in probably every classroom, we have administrators who care about the teachers and work hard,” Wright said.

“The problem is that the legislature is not listening to them. They’re not listening enough to say, ‘here’s the problem and we need help. Now we’ve got some power-hungry people in the legislature who think they know better so they pass laws to try to solve things without ever indicating, or trying to determine, what the problem is. We need to address problems, not necessarily go after solutions. We need to move along together.”

Wright said he’s encouraged by the Governor ’s Literacy Council, which is listening to teachers and looking at research about how best to teach. He called it an opportunity to make progress.

“If Mississippi, in three years can move from dead last, to the middle, we can do the same thing,” he said, adding that the goal is to release graduates into the world who are prepared to thrive and hopefully stay in their communities.

Following further discussion about education and other topics, Anderson concluded the meeting before going to another town hall in North Bend the following day.

cooperation and encourage you to reach out if you have any concerns or questions.

The well-being of our school community remains our top priority.”

Brookings-Harbor School District Superintendent Helena Chirinian posted the following on the district’s Facebook site.

“Brookings-Harbor School District leadership made the decision to dismiss early Monday, Dec. 11, due to a threatening message received by one of our staff members.

“Following our emergency dismissal

process, the Brookings Police Department searched all campus buildings and did not find anything suspicious.

“Many other school districts across Oregon received a similar communication to the one we received, and it is reported that the FBI is investigating numerous threats that are believed to be connected.

“It was determined there is no credible threat at this time, and we will resume regular classes and activities tomorrow. Teachers and counselors will be ready

to support students who are struggling to feel safe tomorrow (Tuesday).

“If you or your student become aware of any potential threat received in person, electronically, posted to social media, or anywhere else, please notify a school administrator or trusted adult right away.

“As always, thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students. Today’s dismissal was very orderly, thanks to all involved. We will be undertaking an after-

action review to improve processes for future emergencies. Please email me if you have suggestions for improvement.”

According to Portland media reports, schools in Bandon, Arlington, Cascade, Corbett, Colton, and Central Linn also received threats.

The FBI said it was aware of the recent threats made to schools, airports and houses of worship and was investigating. The agency urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies.

The News Guard Wednesday, December 20, 2023 December 20, 2023

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OHA revels new access to treatment, housing, overdose prevention SUBMITTED People seeking Measure 110 services and supports can now access a newly invigorated helpline to connect individuals more efficiently with treatment, housing, and overdose prevention providers within the statewide behavioral health resource networks (BHRNs).

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has announced that Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a non-profit organization based in Boston, was selected as the new contractor for the helpline, replacing Lines for Life.

The firm has extensive

experience working with federal and state government agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Department of Health and Human Services. HRiA operates helplines in three other states: Massachusetts, Illinois, and Vermont.

The 18-month contract totals more than $2.8 million. The firm is planning to undertake extensive statewide outreach and add new functionalities to the hotline such as texting.

This helpline will continue to be a statewide public resource for substance use screening and service referrals as well as a resource for those seeking

The new helpline number is 1-833-975-0505. to waive Class E citations, according to the OHA. Under its proposal, HRiA will operate the phone and text helpline, develop a comprehensive website to support the helpline, offer follow-up calls to support service access, and promote the hotline.

The new helpline number is 1-833-975-0505. The previous helpline phone numbers, 503-575-3769 and 541-575-3769, will continue to operate and

will feed into the new 833 number.

Since 2021, 577 people called the helpline. Nearly half of them had citations.

“We’re excited to partner with HRiA to refresh the Measure 110 helpline,” OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke said.

“We know the helpline has been vastly underutilized and we’re optimistic that HRiA’s trauma-informed and compassionate approach to supporting individuals in need of help will make it easier for Oregonians to access Measure 110’s life-saving services and supports.”

Measure 110 network providers reported continued increases in the

number of clients served statewide in all seven network service areas, according to the latest quarterly program reports filed with OHA. Overdose prevention and peer support services accounted for the largest client gains in the quarterly reporting and over all three quarters. Substance use treatment providers reported 41 percent more clients in quarterly gains and 104 percent over the first three quarters in operation.

Background In November 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, the Drug

Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act of 2020, which became effective Dec. 4, 2020, to better serve people actively using substances or diagnosed with a substance use disorder. In July 2021, the legislature passed SB 755, which amended the act and made it more feasible to implement.

People who provide drug treatment and recovery services and advocates for criminal justice reform wrote Measure 110 in response to the high rate of drug addiction and overdoses in Oregon, and the disproportionate impact of those outcomes on Oregon’s communities of color.

10 |

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The News Guard

December 18, 2023 Posting Date

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

Answers 1. An Italian bread.

2. “T.J. Hooker.”

3. 2010.

4. Charles Dickens.

5. Alexander Fleming.

6. France.

7. New Mexico.

8. Martin Brody.

9. Juris Doctor.

10. Katy Perry.

OLIVE

1. FOOD & DRINK: What is ciabatta?

2. TELEVISION: What is the name of the 1980s cop drama series starring actor William Shatner?

3. HISTORY: In which year did the Gulf oil spill occur?

4. LITERATURE: Who wrote the classic holiday novella "The Cricket on the Hearth"?

5. INVENTIONS: Who invented penicillin?

6. GEOGRAPHY: Monaco is bordered on three sides by which European country?

7. U.S. STATES: Which state's nickname is "The Land of Enchantment"?

8. MOVIES: What is the name of the police chief in the movie "Jaws"?

9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What does the J.D. stand for in a law degree?

10. MUSIC: Which singer had a breakout hit with "I Kissed a Girl"?

The News Guard Wednesday, December 20, 2023

| 11

Stranded, cold sea turtle gets a second chance OREGON AQUARIUM

COAST

A recently-stranded Olive Ridley sea turtle caught a flight to SeaWorld San Diego after receiving care at the Oregon Coast Aquarium (OCAq).

OCAq staff responded to reports of a stranded turtle at Beachside State Recreational Site near Waldport, Nov. 19. Staff transported the animal to OCAq for immediate triage, where it was identified as a cold-stunned adult male.

Dubbed Sir Acha for his “spicy” personality, the turtle required round-theclock care. At just below 60°F, his body temperature was 15° below the norm.

Cold-stunning occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold temperatures, rendering them weak and inactive. These turtles are at the mercy of the waves until they wash ashore.

OCAq staff transferred the turtle to increasingly warm baths to raise his temperature without shocking his system. Blood samples and x-rays were taken to assess the turtle’s internal status, and once given the all-clear from veterinary staff, a transport plan unfolded. The turtle would go to SeaWorld San Diego for long-term care and rehabilitation.

Sir Acha’s flight was made possible by the non-profit organization

Fast Fact If you find a sea turtle on the beach, immediately note its location, remain nearby to observe it, and contact the Oregon State Police Tipline at 800-452-7888 or the Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN) in Oregon, Washington, and California at 866-767-6114.

Turtles Fly Too. The network coordinates the use of general aviation and volunteer pilots to transport endangered species, critical response teams, and to educate the community on marine life conservation.

In preparation for his journey, Sir Acha was covered in lubricant to prevent dehydration and strapped into a custom stretcher designed to keep him warm and secure. Staff wished him the best as they loaded him on board.

SeaWorld staff will continue to assess Sir Acha and work toward his eventual release.

Olive Ridley sea turtles are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act; the reintroduction of even one turtle is enough to impact the overall population. Because of efforts by volunteers and staff, this individual has a second chance at survival.

Courtesy photos from OCAq Top: Sir Acha required round-the-clock care. See more photos with this story at thenewsguard.com.

Above left: The sea turtle is prepared for the flight to San Diego.

Above right: OCAq staff carefully transport Sir Acha to the airport.

Whales Continued from Page 1 An estimated 14,500 gray whales swam past Oregon’s shores last winter, according to the most recent population estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The journey is part of their annual migration south to the calving lagoons near Baja, Mexico, and the end of December is the peak time to see their migration south. An estimated 30 whales pass per hour.

The Whale Watching

Alcohol

Continued from Page 7 $4.8 billion per year from lost earnings for workers and revenue for businesses, health care expenses, criminal justice costs and car crashes.

“We all have a role to play in building healthy communities and addressing alcohol and substance use in our state,” Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (OADP) Director Annaliese Dolph said.

The OADP Strategic Plan calls for raising awareness

Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Visitors to the center can enjoy interactive whale exhibits and take in the panoramic ocean views.

Binoculars are provided.

Rangers from Oregon State Parks will also be on hand to answer questions about whales.

All Whale Watch Week visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow beach safety guidelines such as

remaining out of fenced areas, knowing the tide schedule and keeping an eye on the surf at all times. Go to https://visittheoregoncoast. com/beach-safety/ for a list of safety tips.

of harm associated with alcohol misuse, especially using prevention techniques.

“This is exactly what the Rethink the Drink campaign helps accomplish,” Dolph said.

According to Dolph, preventing misuse across the lifespan includes having honest conversations to help people to think about the alcohol they are consuming, and decrease family and community norms permissive of misuse.

“This can increase the perception of harm from

misuse and address the health harms faced by historically marginalized communities,” Dolph said.

Rethink the Drink is not telling people to stop drinking, Jeanne said.

“The campaign is asking people to pause for a moment, learn about the harms caused by excessive drinking, and think about the way alcohol is prevalent in their lives and communities,” Jeanne said.

“While the alcohol industry provides thousands of jobs for people in Oregon, and producers in our state

For more information about coast parks and c a m p g ro u n d s , visit oregonstateparks.org.

Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and videos from Winter Whale Watch on social media using #OregonStateParks and #ORWhaleWatch23.

The Whale Watching Station at Depoe Bay.

Courtesy photo from the OPRD

Rethink the Drink is an initiative of OHA’s Public

Health Division with a goal to build healthier communities by decreasing excessive drinking and the harm it causes to individuals, families and communities. Recognizing the value of Oregon’s beer, wine and alcohol producers and businesses to the state’s economy, culture and identity, Rethink the Drink is not asking people not to drink.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the effects of excessive alcohol use. While people of all education and income

levels drink excessively, certain populations experience higher rates of alcohol-related diseases.

These include Black and Indigenous communities, as well as people with lower incomes and less education.

Certain populations experience higher rates of alcohol-related disease due to discrimination and historical disinvestment that has contributed to fewer resources and support.

Rethink the Drink is committed to OHA’s larger goal to end health inequities in our state by 2030.

new hunting and fishing agreement with the Siletz Tribe, the State of Oregon can choose or be forced by litigation to return to the previous unconscionable agreement. The legislation is necessary to invalidate the consent decree.

The Confederated Tribes

of Siletz Indians have over 5,000 enrolled members and are headquartered on Oregon’s coast. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are the only tribes in the country that have consent decrees that

legally prevent them from negotiating for traditional hunting and fishing activities on their land.

Hoyle also said she supports similar legislation, H.R. 2850, which would address the consent decree that restricts the Grand Ronde Tribe.

make some of the world’s finest beers, wines and spirits, excessive drinking carries heavy costs for all Oregonians, whether they drink or not.”

If you or someone you care about is suffering from alcohol dependence or an alcohol use disorder, free confidential resources and support are available online or by calling or 800-923435.

About Rethink the Drink

Bill Continued from Page 5 to give up their traditional hunting and fishing activities as a condition for having their land and status restored.

While the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission recently approved a historic

12 |

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

The News Guard

Era Continued from Page 1 After serving up “scoops and smiles” take-out style, the café & ice cream parlor was established in 1980 by Eleanor Kramer, along with her mother Raychel, and their friend, Roy Koback.

Eleanor, who worked at the original Mo’s before that building was taken down by the city, later helped spearhead urban renewal projects in the area.

She ensured that people who shaped the area and donated land to the city, including the spot where the current Mo’s is, were memorialized, Vickie Brosy said.

“Mom had the plaques put up. She had to honor the Robison family, because that’s whose property it was. For the plaque at the end of the street, she wanted to honor Russ Bailey for all the lives that he saved in the bay. She ran her takeout stand in his bait and tackle, and knew he was always out there, helping people, saving lives, so Mom wanted him honored.”

“He pulled 20 or 30 people out of the drink,” Tom Brosy added. “Then, after starting at the Bailey’s, Mom came over here in ’85,” Vickie Brosy said, referring to the iconic pink building.

“She worked out a lease with a woman from Portland who owned the building.

Mom and her landlady Barbara struck up their friendship 44 years ago.

We still intend to keep that friendship. It’s interesting, Mom started really small, and we’ve come full circle.”

Full circle meaning, from Eleanor cooking hotdogs with a hot air machine before air fryers were a thing, to the full-fledged icecream parlor and sandwich shop, to downsizing again and maybe running a new seasonal style Undertow.

But for now, the Brosys said, reopening at a new location remains to-bedetermined.

The Brosys stated that after Eleanor’s passing in 2016, the Undertow had continued sailing along with Eleanor’s daughter Vickie and son–in-law Tom Brosy at the helm. The couple is grateful for all the support they’ve had through various challenges.

“We wish to thank and recognize all of those here and gone for their assistance throughout the years,” the Brosys said.

Through the pandemic, the Brosys stayed open as much as they could, eventually settling on closing the doors, but opening a window. Like a handshake, customers and friends could reach through the window to receive one of Tom’s fresh baked giant cookies, or, as they say at The ’Tow, a “scoop and a smile.” Vickie explained: “With COVID, we closed the first four months. We decided to do the out the window thing because it’s the only way we could, and we didn’t have a staff anymore. And so, it worked.

We kept the chowder, hot diggity dogs, Mama’s marionberry cobbler, so popular, and Granny’s quarter pound chocolate chip cookies. Granny was baking those cookies till she was 101. She was awesome.”

History Tom has been baking those cookies ever since Granny left off. He also makes the best cup of hot chocolate around. Both Tom and Vickie have a lot of energy: Tom Brosy, who was the first wine program assistant to maître d’hôtel and cellar master Phillip DeVito at the awardwinning Salishan Lodge, said he once used to bike to work. And Vickie once bartended and tap danced.

That was before the couple took over at Eleanor’s, just before Mama, as she is still fondly called, passed away.

If you know the restaurant by its pink paint or landmark

mermaid fountain more than the name Eleanor’s Undertow, especially if you first gravitated there in the post-COVID era with the ‘Take Out Open’ sign, you’re not alone.

“It’s because the signs keep blowing down!”

Vickie Brosy said.

“Last January we lost the last one. It was gorgeous, but we had another one made, and it was ready to go up. We stored it in the back behind the building, temporarily until we could get the candy cane painted again. Tom painted that candy cane over and over for years, which started to get difficult.

“Well, the sign got stolen one night, from behind the building. And then our friends who own the little antique mall, the one with the duck? Here they come about two weeks later and bring our sign to us. This couple that stole it, sold it to them, because they knew they collected signs.

Well, our friends knew it was ours. They didn’t say anything, they just bought it, and brought it to us. Isn’t that cool? They never told us what they paid for it.”

She added, “So we were about ready to put it up, and we got the word.”

That word being that Barbara, now in her 80s, needed to make changes with the property soon, along with her two additional lots, one of which is used as parking for Mo’s employees.

Since getting their heartbreaking news in the fall, the Brosys continued handing out cookies and cones through their takeout window, but that will end soon. Although the changes will impact every friend of Eleanor’s Undertow, the changes affect the Brosys most directly. The restaurant coming to an end is as simple and complicated as a decades-long friendship and a family-owned business can be. In the Brosys’ words: “We understand that most people assume we have owned the property all these years. Unfortunately, that is not the situation. The owner has decided to take a different direction with the entire property and has terminated our lease. With much grief and sadness, we will be ending our love affair with our beloved Undertow.”

The Brosys knew they needed to share the news with the community, but Vickie said doing so is bittersweet. She and Tom do look forward to taking a well- deserved vacation.

But Vickie said it has been her privilege to continue her mother’s legacy and share all that history and all the stories with friends. Giving that up, even if temporarily, is one of the hardest parts about closing.

“People still stop by looking for Mama. They’ll say, Eleanor helped raise me! My guestbook is full of beautiful entries.”

Inside challenge The other hard part is figuring out what to do with all the restaurant’s tables, decorations, and murals.

Step inside Eleanor’s Undertow now, and it’s partly a walk through history, partly an homage to Eleanor herself, along with Taft’s bygone era.

A multi-panel mural of Bailey’s Moorage Boat Landing depicts Dolly the Trolley, that used to run in town. Boxes of collectible plates and shop items are in various stages of being packed. The pink sign that was stolen and brought back, with the restaurant name, “Eleanor’s Undertow,” in big red letters, leans against a glass credenza.

There are chrome dinette tables, chairs Eleanor reupholstered, and even a player piano, adorned with portraits of Vickie’s mother and grandmother along with many more images of people, signs, and events.

There are even historic

Courtesy photo from Naomi Fast Tom Brosy shows off the Undertow’s popular large fresh-baked cookies.

Courtesy photo from Naomi Fast Vicky Brosy stands next to the business sign nestled inside the restaurant. See more photos with this story at thenewsguard.com. photos tucked in the napkin holders. The Brosys said the community is welcome to make appointments to come look at the items to see if there’s anything they’d like to buy for their collection.

In one of the photos decorating the player piano, Eleanor’s mother Raychel poses in 1928 with a cougar cub name Liza on her lap.

The cougar is related to the construction of Highway 101. In the 1920s, Vickie said her grandmother reluctantly agreed to provide room and board to highway engineers from New York. Raychel was under the impression they would stay a few months, but it turned out to be years.

At that time, there was a bounty on cougars, and the engineers shot a mother of cubs. Raychel said the orphaned cougars were “too cute to kill.” They became pets.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration mentions Taft in a personal reflection by J.F. Cameron.

He wrote: “In 1923 the area between Neskowin and Taft was a forest wilderness, inhabited by a few white settlers [...] and those members of the Siletz Indian Tribe who had remained when their reservation was reduced to the present one centered around Siletz, Oregon.”

Cameron wrote that there was no road between Neskowin and Otis then, except for a sandy wagon road between what is now Lincoln City and Taft.

According to a historical context report by Steve M. Wyatt, which is quoted on the City of Lincoln city’s website, Taft is the only still-existing community in North Lincoln County “whose Euro-American settlement predates the automobile age.” According to Wyatt, for centuries, the flat terrain near the mouth of the Siletz Bay and Schooner Creek provided a gathering place for Salish Indians. An ancestral tribes and homelands map on the website run by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians says the language of the area was Tillamook.

An act of Congress in 1850 changed the course of history. According to the Early Settlement Period page of the Siletz Tribes website, the Oregon Donation Land Act promised the titles of large parcels of land in Oregon to U.S. emigrants.

By the early 1900s, the area had become home to a Euro-American community, and by the mid-1920s, present day U.S. Highway 101 was serving as the area’s main street. With the highway, present-day 51st Street’s business district appeared, in Wyatt’s words, “seemingly overnight.”

Vickie Brosy descends from those emigrants, which

is part of the history she has worked to capture in photos and written summaries.

“In the early 1900s, this was also where Eleanor’s great grandmother Mary P. Sax traded with the indigenous tribes,” the Brosys stated. During Lincoln City’s urban renewal of that same area, Eleanor went to city hall often to advocate for Taft, Vickie Brosy said.

The area now, with its colorful ground murals and placards, is a bit like an undertow itself. There is seemingly a “below surface” current that catches visitors traveling along the surface current of the highway and carries them down to “where the Bay meets the Surf on SW 51st.”

Saying good-bye Eleanor’s Undertow will close its doors for good after Jan. 1.

Anyone interested in purchasing a memento from the store should contact the Brosys to make an appointment to stop by.

Contact them by email at eleanorsundertow@gmail. com, or call the Undertow’s land line at 541-996-3800, the sooner the better, because the window is closing.

More of the Brosys’ statement continues as follows: “If you have ever traveled through the Historic Taft District of Lincoln City over the past four decades, you’ve most likely gotten caught in our “Undertow.”

Our entire community and guests from around the world have enjoyed being served & entertained since the beginnings of this iconic establishment over four decades ago.

We wish to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers and friends for their loyalty and friendship for the past 43 years! We have loved seeing your smiling faces and hearing your great compliments and stories throughout the years as we’ve come to know each generation.

Your patronage and friendship over the years have been overwhelming.

We will genuinely miss seeing our fabulous customers and sharing our family history along with our local heritage as we served up all those scoops and smiles! Who knows... perhaps in the future we’ll be able to have a small version of “Eleanor’s Undertow” in this area enabling us to continue our awesome family legacy offering our delicious treats. We do want to keep in touch with our clientele.

Find us on FaceBook: “Eleanor’s Undertow of Lincoln City, Oregon.”

Come on by and “Get the Scoop” one last time before we close.”

showcase your business digital and print packages available contact katherine mace at 503-842-7535 or headlightads@countrymedia.net