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Discarded Railroad Ties a Watershed Cleanup Issue

May 2, 2012 E. County, Eddyville, N. County, Newport, Toledo No Comments

The MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) invites community members to come together for a meeting at 7:00 p.m. May 10 to talk about abandoned creosote-infused railroad ties, which are common in the area. The meeting is at the Eddyville Community Church (20712 Highway 20). MCWC coordinator Lisa Mulcahy encourages people to “beautify your communities by identifying piles of discarded railroad (creosote) ties in between Nashville and Toledo. Also, learn more about the salmon habitat restoration work going on in your local creeks,” she said.

Participants are asked to bring the location (an address or obvious landmark) of any remaining piles of creosote ties you know about so MCWC can continue to help in facilitating their removal. MCWC works to maintain productive streams and watersheds on the central coast. Projects are designed help improve water quality, preserve and restore river and bay habitat, and help salmon migrate to and from their spawning grounds. For more information or to report the location of discarded creosote ties, email Lisa Mulcahy, Yaquina Basin Planning Team Coordinator at yaquinawatershedcouncil@gmail.com, or call 541-264-0572.

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SNAP Incentive Program Coming to Toledo, Lincoln City

May 2, 2012 Hunger, Lincoln City, Newport, Toledo No Comments

The Lincoln City Farmer’s Market has become the latest to accept federal food benefits. Adults and families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) can use their Oregon Trail card at the Lincoln City Farmer’s Market to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, plant starts, meat, dairy and bread. Through Ten Rivers Food Web’s “That’s My Farmer” SNAP Incentive Program, people who spend at least $6 of their SNAP benefits at the market get an extra $6 in market tokens redeemable for fresh foods.

In Lincoln County, more than nine thousand people rely on SNAP monthly, bringing in an estimated $15 million into the local economy each year. 33% of Lincoln County children are on SNAP, far outpacing the national average. Ten Rivers Food Web spokeswoman Chloe Rico said the Newport Farmer’s Market saw a 102% growth in SNAP transactions in 2011 from 2010 after the program was started there. SNAP clients spent almost $5 thousand of their benefits on local food in Newport last year. The Toledo Street Market will also participate in the program this year. For more information call 541-602-7278, or email.

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County Rope Rescue Team Meets First Test

April 28, 2012 Depoe Bay, Newport, S. County, Siletz, Toledo No Comments

Rope Rescue equipment during training (Photo: Toledo Fire and Rescue)

The first activation of the Lincoln County Rope Rescue Team took place Monday, April 23, in response to an ATV crash on Barber Mountain. The team is made up of firefighters and first responders from several districts in the county, but train and work together when needed. The Central Division team was called just before 7:00 p.m, with participation by Toledo, Siletz and Newport members. Depoe Bay and South County members were on standby at their stations in case further assistance was needed. The rescue was for the operator of a quad that went about 10 feet off the road. Toledo Fire Division Chief Larry Robeson said the ATV had to be stabilized to keep it from toppling onto the driver, who was about 60 feet below.

Part of the path to the victim was over steep angle terrain, requiring specialized rescuer training and equipment. The team was able to get a paramedic downhill to stabilize the victim and provide pain relief, then they brought the victim back to the ambulance. The rescue took approximately an hour and a half. Oregon Department of Forestry personnel assisted with the rescue. Toledo Fire Chief Will Ewing credited Capt. Dennis Cannon of Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue for bringing the idea of a county rope rescue team to fruition through training and development of procedures.

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Library Changes Underway Countywide

April 27, 2012 County, Lincoln City, Newport, Siletz, Toledo, Waldport No Comments

The way patrons can use the Toledo Public Library are changing, due to a new alignment among regional libraries. By June 30, the Newport, Driftwood (Lincoln City) and Tillamook County libraries will no longer be part of the Coastal Resource Sharing Network (CSRN), to which Toledo belongs. Toledo library card holders can no longer place reserves from home on materials owned by those libraries. However, they will still be able to place a hold on items owned by the Toledo, Waldport, Siletz and Community College libraries. Toledo’s Library Director Peter Rayment said he and his staff are “committed to what we call ‘resource sharing’ – we’ll share what we have.” The difference is that Toledo patrons will have to obtain a second card to directly check out books from Newport, Lincoln City and Tilamook. Books may still be requested through the Toledo library through the inter-library loan system. Rayment said access to the Library2Go system, offering downloadable audio books, videos an e-books, remains unchanged.

District Librarian Diedre Conkling said the new “Chinook Library Network,” which includes Toledo, also gives direct access to materials from the Siletz Public Library, Toledo Public Library, Waldport Public Library, Oregon Coast Community College, Tillamook Bay Community College and Clatsop Community College. The new library catalog will be available to the public starting June 11. Rayment said Toledo and others opted for an open source sharing network, which he said is less expensive to set up and maintain than the proprietary system chosen by Newport, Driftwood and Tillamook.

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Text Message Helps Locate Missing Man

March 29, 2012 County, Lincoln City, Waldport No Comments

Oregon State Police (OSP) followed a text message using cell phone provider help to find a missing endangered man near Waldport Wednesday afternoon (March 28). OSP investigators used cellphone signal location records after Charles Garlinghouse, 59, of West Richland, Washington, sent a text to a family member saying “help.” According to Sergeant Cari Boyd a 36-year old man came to the OSP Newport Area Command office, reporting his 59-year old father missing and experiencing distress over personal problems. Garlinghouse’s son had traveled to the Lincoln City area after his father’s vehicle was found Tuesday by Lincoln City police in a local parking lot. After notifying family, Garlinghouse was placed at a local motel until they could come to help him. Garlinghouse’s son said he drove to Lincoln City and met his father early Wednesday morning. They arranged to meet again but Garlinghouse didn’t show up. He was located later that morning in the Depoe Bay area before disappearing again. Mid-afternoon Wednesday, Garlinghouse sent a text message to his son saying “help,” but attempts to re-contact Garlinghouse were not successful. A telephone contact an hour later revealed Garlinghouse was was having chest pains, difficulty breathing and couldn’t walk. He thought he was on Highway 20 near Corvallis and didn’t have medication for a heart condition.

After initial contact with OSP at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, an OSP detective contacted Garlinghouse’s cellphone company and learned his location was on Highway 101 about four miles south of Waldport. An OSP trooper spotted Garlinghouse’s vehicle and stopped it near milepost 163. Garlinghouse was taken by ambulance to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport for a medical examination. After release from the hospital, he was cited for DUII after an investigation, and was later released to his son.

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