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Fall into art

Let There Be Arts is planning its annual gala Page B1

75 CENTS | VOL. 85 | NO. 39 | 2 SECTIONS YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1927

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 | WEDNESDAY

www.TheNewsGuard.com

LINCOLN CITY, OREGON

Hospital plans put on hold Officials decide against seeking tax to fund replacement in 2014

PATRICK ALEXANDER The News Guard

A figurative boxing match A new Lincoln City couple is finally getting to unpack their moving boxes, after what they describe as a “nightmare move” in which they were left without their belongings for a month due to a dispute about weight. Larry and Judy Whittle say the delay is among a host of problems the couple had after contracting with Northern Van Lines to move their belongings from Sac City, Iowa, in mid July.

Up and running

The group charged with maintaining Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital has announced that it will not seek additional taxpayer support in 2014 to fund a replacement of the facility as it had originally hoped. Instead, members of the North Lincoln Health District agreed to repair the current facility on an asneeded basis until economic conditions improve and the impacts of state and federal healthcare reform become clear. At the Sept. 20 meeting of the District’s board of directors, vice-chair Esther

While plans for a new hospital have been delayed, a project to transform the former rehabilitation center building into a dormitory and conference facility has been completed. The building, which became vacant when the Lincoln City Rehabilitation Center closed its doors in 2011, has re-opened as the Health Professionals Education Center in a project largely funded by the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation, which contributed $115,000. In addition to 10 dorm rooms with shared shower and lounge facilities, the center has two conference areas, each with a capacity of 70 people. Foundation director Connie Isaac said the Schwartz said the hospital has been experiencing “peaks and valleys” in both revenue and utilization but

facility, built in 1967, is such that some departments are blocked from expanding by the presence of a large boiler. She said the look of any new facility might be influenced by the ways in which health care reforms change the role of the hospital in the community. One such reform, the recent launch of Coordinated Care Organizations or CCOs, is aimed at improving the health of people covered by the Oregon Health Plan at the same time as driving down treatment costs. “If we are keeping people healthy and well, they will not need to be admitted to the hospital,” Schwartz said, See HOSPITAL, Page A9

dorms are already providing accommodation for visiting medical students working in several hospital departments as well as for agency staff called in to cover shifts. Board Chair Mick McLean said the dorms could also come in handy in the event that a visiting doctor gets stranded by bad weather. McLean said the District is currently looking at its options for the remainder of the building space.

that both are on a downward trend. “The trend line is not in the direction where we

would want to go to the voters,” Schwartz said. Schwartz said the configuration of the current

See Page A8

Bike plan ready for roll out

INSERTS Chinook Winds; Sears; Roby’s Furniture; Walgreens; Safeway; Rite Aid; Bi-Mart; P&G Brandsaver

PATRICK ALEXANDER The News Guard

WEATHER GUIDE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS High Low Prec.

Tues., Sept. 18 Wed., Sept 19 Thurs., Sept. 20 Fri., Sept. 21 Sat., Sept. 22 Sun., Sept. 23 Mon., Sept. 24

58 59 57 62 60 64 64

46 48 54 53 50 51 48

0 0 .03 0 0 0 0

Weekly Rainfall: .03 inches Yearly Rainfall: 56.41 inches

WEEKLY OUTLOOK The first full week of fall should be sunny and dry. September’s rain total will be seriously low, which means the fire danger is high. Conserve water as you irrigate your garden. Expect a sunny weekend. Weather data provided by Roads End Weather Watcher Sheridan Jones

Lincoln City honors those in uniform and on the home front JIM FOSSUM The News Guard

L

incoln City’s annual celebration of military service saw an ocean of red, white and blue serve as a backdrop for ceremonies giving thanks to those who have served and continue to serve in the armed forces. More than 200 veterans received a special Veteran’s Service Medal at Chinook Winds Casino Resort’s Celebration of Honor on Sunday, Sept. 23. Meanwhile, the casino served free buffet meals to almost 300 veterans and active-duty military. The event featured speakers including Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Jim Willis and renditions COURTESY PHOTOS of the Star-Spangled Banner by Taft High student Alexander (Top) The Siletz Honor Guard bringing in the military colors. Getty. See HONOR, Page A2

(Above) the Field of Honor – 1,000 U.S. flags overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A plan aimed at transforming Lincoln City into a bike- and pedestrianfriendly town has received its first airing in front of City officials, with discussion focusing on what improvements are feasible and how to foot the bill for the proposed work. The draft Lincoln City Walking and Biking plan was created by staff and consultants, with the help of a public advisory committee (PAC), in a series of public meetings starting in August 2011. It catalogues the problems that city streets and Highway 101 create for cyclists and pedestrians and recommends solutions including sidewalks, bike lanes, shared paths and speed bumps. But, in a Sept. 18 preview of the plan to members of the planning commission and city council, planners warned that the City would need to introduce new taxes or fees to see the plan become a reality. “What we have now is barely enough to maintain the street system that we have,” Senior Planner Debra Martzahn said. Meanwhile, David Helton of ODOT said his agency does not have much funding for adding to its highways and is looking instead to extract as much efficiency as it can from the current system. See PLAN, Page A9

Council decides: ‘if it ain’t broke...’ PATRICK ALEXANDER The News Guard

Lincoln City leaders have opted to continue their relationship with the artists at the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio rather than inviting other firms to bid to run the attraction. At its Sept. 24 meeting, Lincoln City Council also decided to allow the artists to sell glass from the Cityowned studio premises, something that is prohibited under1the9/24/12 current 1:23 L10491 Power Ford 6x2 092612:Layout contract.

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Mayor Dick Anderson even indicated that he would support giving the artists a break on the rent for the retail space if they could develop a low-cost glass-blowing experience for kids. Sandy Pfaff, executive director of the City’s Visitor & Convention Bureau, said the studio’s future had been ‘dangling” since the spring when Anderson suggested exploring the idea of putting the expiring contract out to bid rather than simply rePM Page 1 newing it with Lincoln City

Glass Center, Inc. Pfaff told councilors the Lincoln City Glass Center artists were the only ones who responded to the City’s original request for proposals to run the center in 2002, eventually going on to open the studio in 2005. While the group was responsible for paying utility bills of between $15,000 and $18,000 a month, the fact that they initially paid no rent moved the City to prohibit glass sales from the See STUDIO, Page A3

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