Unannounced Tsunami Drill Goes Like Clockwork

Angell Job Corps staff and students move quickly during the drill

A tsunami evacuation drill at Angell Job Corps in Yachats took only 12 minutes to clear the building last month in an unannounced test. The Lincoln County Emergency Alert Notification System, “Everbridge” was used to send a “drill message” to the phones at the Angell Job Corps Center, asking students and staff to respond as if it was a real warning. Local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and County Emergency Management acted as observers, monitoring the response by 218 students and 38 staff. Angell Job Corps Center is an educational and career technical training program operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The program assists youth 16-24 with career, technical and academic training. The campus covers more than 11 acres, with three dormitories, an education building, a dining hall, gymnasium, student union, Wellness Center, and eight separate vocational training buildings. The drill was held January 6.

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Toledo Water Still Serving South Beach

The Toledo Water District continues to provide water to South Beach until Newport finishes repairs and shake-out on its line under the Yaquina Bay. Toledo Public Works Director Adam Denlinger expects “we can continue meet demand as long as Newport needs the support. Demand at this time averages 250 to 280 GPM (gallons per minute),” he said.  Newport expects to bring its system back on line later this week.

Newport put out the call for help late last week when its line from Newport to South Beach failed. Toledo was able to route fresh water to South Beach customers through a connection in the Surfland subdivision. Denlinger said, “The (Toledo Water) District at one time provided water to South Beach. About four years ago, through an agreement with the District and Newport the City of Newport reclaimed the South Beach community and began to provide service to that area. I was pleased to see that the connection had not been decommissioned,” Denlinger added.

According to plant operators, the Toledo water system has the capacity to provide water for Toledo, Seal Rock and South Beach simultaneously. The City of Toledo has a practice that provides for the sale of water to the City of Newport. A draft provisional Water Supply Agreement between Toledo and Newport is under review and will be available as soon as completed, Denlinger said.

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Toledo Supplying Water to South Beach

Because of a break in the drinking water line from Newport to South Beach, the City of Newport asked the Toledo Water District to divert some of its supply to South Beach during repairs. Toledo Public Works Director Adam Denlinger said “the Toledo water system has the capacity to provide water for Toledo, (Seal Rock) and South Beach residents collectively. Operators at the Toledo water treatment plant inform me that both source water intakes are fully functional and available if needed, with Toledo’s supply at maximum capacity,” Denlinger said. He added toledo plant operators are working closely with their Newport counterparts to control flows through the system.

Newport can obtain water from Toledo through a metered connection in the Surfland subdivision, Denlinger said. Newport expects repairs to be completed sometime today, with chlorination, and disinfection process to take a few days more. The City of Toledo has a practice that provides for the sale of water to the City of Newport. A draft provisional Water Supply Agreement between Toledo and Newport is being developed and will be available as soon as completed, Denlinger said.

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Water Conservation Still Urged; Water Safe

Toledo Public Works Director Adam Denlinger issued an update late this afternoon about the water district serving Toledo and Seal Rock:

“Toledo PW Crews have been monitoring high water conditions at the Mill Creek Reservoir. The reservoir has receded by 2-feet from 9:00pm last night. The Toledo Dam performed as designed, three 60-inch over flow tubes intended to remove excessive water flows continue to drop the level of the reservoir. PW operators will continue to monitor the site and respond as needed.

“Water Treatment Plant Operators began bringing water into the plant around 6:30.am this morning. Turbidity levels have dropped significantly allowing the plant to move water into the treatment process. The plant expects be near capacity in storage by sometime this evening. The City of Toledo and Seal Rock Water District would like residents to continue to restrict water usage throughout the weekend as both the District and the City of Toledo continue to respond to system needs. Again, the City of Toledo would like to assure customers that their water is safe to drink and meets State Water Quality Standards. This notice is in effect until Monday morning January 23rd. This notice will go out later this evening with the assistance of LC Emergency Operation Manager and the Everbridge Notification program.

“Wastewater treatment plant operators continue to monitor high flows through the system, the plant is currently in diversion, and partial treatment process is likely to remain in effect throughout the weekend. All lift stations are in operation at this time with some minor overheating which occurred during heavy runtimes. Operators will continue to monitor pumping facilities throughout the weekend, responding to localized street flooding in preparation for the next forecasted event.”

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Waldport Event Celebrates Oregon’s Most Famous Poet

Waldport joins a worldwide birthday celebration honoring the life and work of the late William Stafford, Oregon’s most famous poet, Saturday January 21. “Starting Here: A Stafford Celebration” is held from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Waldport Community Center (265 Hemlock St.). Admission is free and open to all ages.

Oregon writers will read a Stafford poem, as well as one of their own pieces written in the spirit of Stafford’s works. In addition, members of the audience are invited to read a favorite Stafford poem or to share a personal anecdote about the late Oregon poet laureate. Featured writers include: Herman Welch, Fred Strauss, Shirley Plummer, Drew Myron, and students from Seashore Family Literacy. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Waldport Public Library.

William Stafford was one of America’s most prolific poets, authoring more than 50 books in his 79 years. A professor at Lewis and Clark College, where he taught for 30 years, he was appointed Oregon Poet Laureate in 1975 and also earned a National Book Award. He was known for his encouragement of other writers and for his advocacy of free expression in writing and speech.

A pacifist, Stafford was a conscientious objector during World War II. He was confined in Civilian Public Service work camps in Arkansas and California, where he did work for the U.S. Forest Service. For the following fifty years, Stafford included poems of pacifism and reconciliation in his readings.

Stafford believed that treasures were to be found beneath your feet, and that searching for things that fit together was to follow the “golden thread.” About his own works, he once said, “I have woven a parachute out of everything broken.”

He died of a heart attack in Lake Oswego, Oregon on August 28, 1993. He was 79.

You Reading This, Be Ready – William Stafford

Starting here, what do you want to remember?

How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?

What scent of old wood hovers, what softened

sound from outside fills the air?

Will you ever bring a better gift for the world

than the breathing respect that you carry

wherever you go right now? Are you waiting

for time to show you some better thoughts?

When you turn around, starting here, lift this

new glimpse that you found; carry into evening

all that you want from this day. This interval you spent

reading or hearing this, keep it for life -

What can anyone give you greater than now,

starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

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