County Budget Hearing Tonight in Waldport

Lincoln County’s Budget Committee holds two more public meetings before moving to finalize the county’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget. There is a hearing tonight (May 2) in the Waldport City Council Chambers (125 Alsea Highway), and another May 23 in the Board of Commissioners conference room (room 108) at the County Courthouse (225 W. Olive Street).

Here is a link to the draft budget document.

Video of the first budget committee meeting held April 30 is now available online.

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Library Changes Underway Countywide

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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Three County Residents Arrested for Heroin Trafficking

Clinton Webster

Kelly Tryon

Four people were arrested this week in a heroin trafficking investigation, three from Lincoln County and one from Portland. An investigation by the Lincoln County Interagency Narcotics Team (LINT) and the Corvallis Street Crimes unit led to the arrest of Clinton Michael Webster, 26 from Newport, for delivery and possession of heroin. A search warrant served at his South Beach residence led officers to Jacob Daniel Lisi, 26, of Newport, who investigators said was frequenting the residence, a fifth-wheel trailer. During the search of the trailer, investigators said they seized evidence related to the sale and delivery of heroin. Lisi was arrested and charged with heroin possession and other charges. Further investigation revealed the name and vehicle description of a woman who was allegedly going to deliver heroin to Webster’s residence. Newport police spotted and stopped the vehicle, discovering more than 24 grams of heroin. The driver, Kelly Tryon, 28, of Waldport, was arrested for delivery and possession of heroin. Her passenger, Akasha Tamara Berard, 23, of Portland was also arrested for possessing the drug. LINT said the investigation of this case continues.

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Text Message Helps Locate Missing Man

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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Cutter Withdraws From District 10 House Race

Dann Cutter

Waldport City Councilor Dann Cutter announced today (March 9) he is withdrawing. He issued this statement today: “Four months ago I announced that I would seek the vacant seat in Oregon’s House of Representatives District 10. When I announced, my primary concern was the lack of a strong ‘moderate’ voice for our coastal district stepping up. That is no longer the case – both in the primary and in the general, my opponents are reasonable and thoughtful choices for the region.

“In running for office, one asks for a lot from family and friends, from employers, and from the electorate. While I am willing to run a strong campaign and continue to ask for support against someone with a radical agenda on either party (as we so often see), I am not willing to ask these concessions today when my opponents are fundamentally decent people who would make good Representatives.

“In the end, the Party committee chose to back a candidate I had suggested to them after I announced – there is no ego loss involved here, they felt that my suggestion was better suited to their current structure and I agreed. I could fight the fight – and would if I felt the GOP pulled to the far right or if the opposition didn’t reflect coastal values and needs – however that does not appear to be the case, Jerome Grant is a good man. I still have a lot to personally contribute, but can do that in many different ways.

“As of today, I have withdrawn my name for consideration for the seat. I will remain a city councilman, I will continue serving my community, and I will continue to be involved in state, regional and local politics. And I very likely will be back later when perhaps the sacrifices are not so great on my family and work, and the challlengers not so similar to my own message and ideals.

“Running for office is never an easy decision, nor is stepping away from a campaign; I thank you all for the interest, kind words, and support you have shown.”

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