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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
P UFFIN , M URRE
NEWPORT — Four pint-
sized puffballs are shaking
things up in the Oregon Coast
Aquarium’s Seabird Aviary.
The new arrivals, a common
murre nicknamed Alice and
tufted puffins nicknamed
“Stanley,” “Stewart” and
“Stella,” hatched between July
21 and Aug. 1.
“They just fill the palm of
your hand right now, no bigger
than a lemon, and most of that
is feathers,” said aviculturist
Heather Olson.
The baby birds’ diminutive
size is temporary, and they are
already packing on grams by
the day.
Each set of proud parents
spend their time snuggling
with their young chick to keep
it warm and deliver it tiny
whole fish to eat.
Aquarium staff perform
daily visual examinations of
each chick and weigh them to
ensure they are growing at a
healthy rate. No word on the
new additions’ genders yet;
that requires a blood test and
the little birds need to grow a
CHICKS CAPTURE HEARTS AT AQUARIUM
COURTESY PHOTO
A puffin chick receives a check-up by Newport Aquarium aviculturists.
bit more first.
Common murres nest
in the open on top of
rocks, just like penguins,
their famous doppel-
gangers from the south-
ern hemisphere.
Parents take turns
tucking the tiny 2 1/2-
ounce chick under their
wings to keep it warm
and shielded from curi-
ous members of the
aquarium’s flock.
Keen-eyed visitors
may spot one of these
baby birds nestled up
against their parents’
bellies in the Seabird
Aviary exhibit.
The young tufted
puffins will stay nestled
in their burrows, which
mimic the deep burrows
puffins use in the wild,
for the next six to eight
weeks.
The aquarium’s avi-
culturists check on
chicks during this time
by lifting covers that are
fitted above the end of
each burrow.
When each puffin chick’s
parents feel their offspring is
ready, they will leave the little
bird to its own devices, encour-
aging it to explore life outside
their burrow.
Baby birds are exciting
arrivals at the aquarium.
Aviculturists carefully assess
the existing population, the
genetic compatibility of each
breeding pair and requests for
birds from other facilities
accredited by Association of
Zoos and Aquariums.
If there is no place for a
chick from a certain breeding
pair, the keepers will replace
the couples’ egg with a similar
looking plaster-filled dummy
egg. This allows the birds to
practice natural breeding
behaviors without overpopulat-
ing the aviary.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium
is open every day through the
summer from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information and to
buy tickets, visit www.aquari-
um.org or call 541-867-3474..
Campfires, open flames prohibited in parks G EM W ALKERS ANNOUNCE
Due to extreme fire danger
conditions, the Oregon Parks
and Recreation Department
(OPRD) has prohibited all
campfires in Oregon State
Parks and other properties
owned and managed by the
department.
The ban includes but is not
limited to designated fire pits,
tiki torches and candles. The
ban also extends to fires on
ocean beaches.
“Our goal is to avoid any
accidental fires on OPRD prop-
erty that would further tax lim-
ited firefighting resources,”
said MG Devereux, OPRD
deputy director. “Most commu-
nities have sent local firefight-
ers and equipment to help with
wildfires throughout the state.
An unintentional fire in a state
park would add an unnecessary
burden to firefighting efforts.”
The state park ban doesn’t
apply to propane stoves and/or
charcoal briquettes for cook-
ing, but there may be local fire
restrictions that do limit
propane stoves and briquettes.
Visitors planning a trip
should check with park staff for
the most current information,
call the state park information
line at 1-800-551-6949 or visit
www.oregonstateparks.org.
This ban will remain in
effect for at least one week and
will be re-evaluated based on
fire status, weather and guid-
ance from state and local fire
officials.
ODOT, OSP begin national DUI campaign
SALEM – Over the next two
weeks, the Oregon Department
of Transportation, Oregon
State Police and law enforce-
ment agencies around the state
will join the nationwide effort
to keep impaired drivers off the
roads as the summer travel sea-
son winds down.
The “Drive Sober or Get
Pulled Over” campaign con-
cludes after the Labor Day
weekend. Last year in Oregon,
five people died over the holi-
day and one of those fatalities
resulted from an alcohol-
involved crash.
The campaign uses funds
from ODOT’s Transportation
Safety Division to pay for
overtime enforcement, with a
goal of keeping those driving,
riding or walking on the trans-
portation system safe.
Like the rest of the country,
Oregon is experiencing a spike
in traffic fatalities with a 33
percent increase so far in 2015.
Preliminary numbers show that
as of Aug. 14, 261 traffic
deaths were reported statewide
County seeks
public input
on parks plan
Lane County invites public
comment on its draft of the
20-year Parks Master Plan,
which will guide the manage-
ment of county parks from
2016 to 2036. This is the first
comprehensive update to the
original 1980 master plan.
The draft plan identifies
strategic investments in parks
and open space throughout
Lane County that is consis-
tent with identified recreation
needs and public input.
The drafted master plan is
available online at www.bit
.ly/1h3GVtW. Copies of the
draft master plan are also
available at the Siuslaw
Public Library, 1460 Ninth
St. in Florence.
There are five open house
meetings scheduled this fall.
The first will be Thursday,
Sept. 10, in the Council
Chambers at Florence City
Hall, 250 Highway 101, from
6 to 8 p.m.
compared with 197 over the
same period in 2014.
Pedestrian fatalities have
also increased: 47 so far this
year compared to 25 last year.
There are a variety of rea-
sons for the increase, but pre-
venting impaired drivers, riders
and pedestrians from taking to
the transportation system could
help keep that number from
growing.
Recent reports have noted
that traffic counts are also up
across the country, and Oregon
is no different. August is also a
busy time for vacation travel,
with people out and about not
only in cars but on motorcy-
cles, on bicycles and on foot.
No matter which mode, it is
vital that people stay alert and
focused on safety. ODOT’s
safety message this summer
has been focused on taking per-
sonal responsibility and getting
‘back to the basics’ to protect
yourself and your loved ones.
ODOT and OSP, along with
local and county law enforce-
ment and safety advocates
across the state, offer the fol-
lowing safety reminders for
holiday travel:
• Know before you go. Visit
TripCheck.com or call 511 for
the latest in road conditions
and incidents.
• Follow the rules of the
road. Watch out for bicyclists,
pedestrians and motorcyclists
— and bicyclists, pedestrians
and motorcyclists should watch
out for drivers who don’t ‘see’
you. Wear reflective clothing,
signal your intentions, help
make yourself be seen.
• Drive sober. Plan ahead so
if you are drinking or become
impaired, you will have plans
in place for alternate trans-
portation.
• Be watchful for emergency
vehicles. If you can do so safe-
ly, move over when you are
approaching any type of emer-
gency vehicle, tow truck or
roadside assistance vehicle
stopped on the roadside with
emergency lights activated.
• Get rested before you are
tested. Fatigued drivers are
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more frequent during holiday
weekends because of increased
travel and activity. Allow plen-
ty of time to reach your desti-
nation.
• Be alert for work zones. In
work zones, even when work-
ers are not present, all speed
limits still apply and fines dou-
ble. Inactive work zones still
have equipment, detours, and
incomplete changes in the
roadway so drivers need to
slow down and be alert.
• Buckle up every trip, every
time. Be sure to use child safe-
ty seats correctly.
• Turn off your mobile
phone and focus on the task at
hand. Whether you are walk-
ing, riding or driving, you
should be alert and you should
avoid distractions — they can
be deadly.
Everyone is urged to play a
role in keeping our roadways
safe by immediately reporting
aggressive, dangerous, and
intoxicated drivers to the
Oregon State Police at 1-800-
243-7865 or call 9-1-1.
S EPTEMBER
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the
Coastal Gem Walkers will be
walking the 10K Amanda
Statue route in Yachats. This
trail is rated 1b for the 5K
option with some uneven foot-
ing; the 10K is rated 2C for
uneven footing and some steep
inclines. Walkers will meet at
the Overleaf Lodge and 9 a.m.
to register. This route is not
appropriate for wheelchairs or
strollers.
Leashed pets are welcome
on these walks. Use a six-foot
JAUNTS
leash and carry water and
clean up materials for your
pet.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the
Gems’ monthly club meeting
will be held at the picnic shel-
ter behind the Commons in
Yachats. This will be a potluck
picnic. There will have a leg-
stretcher walk at 4 p.m., fol-
lowed by the picnic at 5 p.m.
and club meeting at 6 p.m.
For more information or
directions, call Jean White in
Florence at 541-997-8577.
• R ESIDENTIAL
• L AND
• C OMMERCIAL
• P ROPERTY
M ANAGEMENT
JIM HOBERG
Broker/Owner
Jim Hoberg is a Florence native,
and has been working in Real
Estate since 1989. He has served
as a Principal Broker for 20 years,
and is the “founding father” of West
Coast Real Estate Services, Inc. He
has obtained several designations
that require continuing education,
which keeps him on the cutting edge
of the industry and he is constantly
looking for ways to expand his areas
of expertise. Jim enjoys helping
people fi nd solutions to their real
estate needs and discovering why
Florence is such a great place to live.
1870 H WY . 126, S UITE A
PO B OX 3040
F LORENCE , OR
F AX 541-997-7654
541-997-7653
VISIT US ONLINE AT
WWW . JIMHOBERG . COM
Join a League!
Fall Bowling League Registration Going On Now
BEGINNERS WELCOME
I f n o b o d y k n o w s w h a t ’ s g o i n g o n ,
n o b o d y c a n d o a n y t h i n g a b o u t i t .
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Monday Night- Women's League
Tuesday Night- Men's League
Wednesday Aft ernoon - Seniors
Wednesday Night - Mixed Social
Th ursday Night - Men's League
Friday Aft ernoon - Seniors
Friday Night - Open Bowl/Family Fun
Saturday Night - Monte Carlo
Sunday Aft ernoon - Junior league
Sunday Night - Mixed Social
Everyone
is
Welcome
at
Holiday
Bowl
We also have open bowling,
fun for the whole family!
Holiday Bowl
27th and Highway 101. Florence
541-997-3332
Kids
Teens
Adults
Seniors