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About Port Orford news. (Port Orford, Curry County, Oregon) 1958-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2009)
Port Orford News THE MOST WESTERLY WEEKLY IN THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES Volume 53, No. 3 Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Inside Brice Price - Fifty Cents City council to meet twice monthly Public Policy workshop on police department is set for Jan. 27 By Matt Hall PON staff writer A look back at some of the history of the Port Orford Lifeboat Station. Page 4 Port Orford, Curry County, Oregon 97465 The Port Orford City Council met for the first time Thursday night, Jan. 15 with all new and returning councilors; David Smith, John Hewitt, Bill McArdle, Tim Pogwizd, Caroline Clancy and Scott Luhr present. Absent from the meeting due to health reasons was new Mayor John Roorbach. Also present were city staffers Bev Manes, Allen Wagner, Mike Murphy and City Attorney Shayla Kudlac-McKenzie. Hewitt, who was voted Council President, presided in the absence of the mayor. In citizen’s concerns: ◆ Wendy Thomas of Team Jubilee informed the council that a celebration of the 150th birthday of the State of Oregon would be held on Feb. 14. (For more information see “Exhibits wanted,” in the briefs.) ◆ Mary Colozzi pointed out that parking at Battle Rock Park was highly valued for tourism. “Approximately 22,000 vehicles came in and out last year came through the Visitor’s Center,” she said. “About 200,000 people a year - we need every available space.” ◆ Jack Pruitt echoed Colozzi’s sentiments, adding that parking spaces “with primo views should be left open to the See Council page 2 P.O. Chamber awards banquet set for Jan. 30 By Carol Berger PON staff writer Bioswale PHSʼs Phillip Adde spoke about Rain Gardens at Rotary. — Page 5 Basketball The Port Orford and North Curry Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Awards Banquet on Friday, Jan. 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the Port and Starboard Restaurant. Awards will be given out for Business of the Year, Organization of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Special Achievement, and Lifetime Achievement. The winners of the Christmas Lighting Contest At its Monday, Jan. 12 meet- ing, the Chamber held its elec- tions for 2009 board officers. David Smith will continue as president, Jim Billings as vice- president, Dian Marple as See AWARDS page 4 Life with Brice: Kevin Lent fished in cold waters High in 1982. Much credit goes to his Father Glenn Lent for teaching him a great work ethic as a youngster. Kevin and his brother Phil got their sea legs as children/ teenagers on their Dad’s gill-netter near Homer, Alaska. Kevin’s life led him virtually to most all fishing ports in Alaska as well as professional maritime experi- ence with the oil companies. The boat “Big Valley” served as a research vessel for ARCO and he served aboard this vessel. The most terrifying event of his life was a trip to shore for a critical part to shorten sea miles and days (for repair to a main engine) of trav- el, so he donned a survival suit and put towards shore in a “Boston Whaler” launch. (This happened in the Chuchi Sea which is one of the Local man spends eight seasons king crabbing on the famous Alaskan fishing vessel ʻTime Banditʼ By Brice Wagner PON staff writer The Pirates play hard but both squads lose to Days Creek in Saturday night Skyline League boys and girls hoop action. — Page 8 will also be announced, and Visitor Center volunteers will be recognized. If you haven’t already made your reservation, please contact Jim Billings, Chamber vice- president, at the Visitor Center (332-4106) as soon as possible. The saltwater runs in Kevin Lent’s veins. Kevin grew up in both Alaska and Port Orford and has literally lived a charmed life escaping life threaten- ing situations by some kind of built in instinct. Here is a short excerpt of his fishing and maritime experiences. Kevin was born and worked on the sea at least for a portion of his early years. He graduated from Pacific PON photo by Brice Wagner Kevin Lent of Port Orford has fished off Alaska. See LENT page 4 Coming up Port of Port Orford news Port Orford Rotary Club Port holds its second ‘Master Plan’ workshop The Port Orford Rotary Club meets each Thursday, at noon, at the Port Orford American Legion Hall. Pacific High Basketball Seniors get in for free at all PHS basketball games. The next tip off is at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23 vs. Elkton. Blanco Bell Ringers The Blanco Bell Ringers will meet for class at 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 26 at the First Community Church. Also inside By Carol Berger PON staff writer The Port of Port Orford held the second Port Facility Master Plan Workshop on Thursday, Jan. 15. Led by David Cheramy of Maritime Consulting International, the workshop was attended by Katy Eymann, Project Manager of Oregon Solutions (Portland State University). Cheramy recapped some of the informa- tion from the first workshop, held in November, and said that the port is finan- cially ‘fragile’ and needs to deal with shoal- ing, the jetty, and its present SPWF loan before moving on to utilize the Port Master Rays Food Place, McKayʼs Market Plan, which assumes that these issues are “fixed.” At the moment, there is not much breathing room for the port, which needs another $260,000 a year to break even. Cheramy’s focus in preparing the Port Master Plan has been on unused and under- used port assets. For this workshop, he had prepared a detailed notional layout of build- ings and parking areas, along with estimated costs. The live fisheries building would have a 233 x 50 foot first floor, with a mezzanine open to the public and public restrooms. It would also have the fish tanks and HVAC system. The second floor would have three tenant labs (near water, deep ocean, and seafood) and three tenant offices, along with the port office, a shared conference room, and an office for docents. Because this building needs to be welcoming and inviting to the public, it would have as much glass as possible, be open and accessible (through roller doors with air curtains in good weath- er), and be “not slab sided … not fortress- like.” The building would cost $2.7 million, which includes demolition of the current buildings, site preparation, replacing the current drain, and upgrading the utilities. The second building, with commercial retail space, would be adjacent to the live fisheries building and would be linked to it by a bridge between the second floors of See PORT page 4 CCEC Town Hall meeting: Port Orford, Part II Cost-cutting measures include a switch to a four-day week News briefs Mardi Gras/Etouffee is coming up No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a mask. What do you like: Feathers, sparkles, veils, paint, or metal? Make a mask just your way at a Port Orford Art Council sponsored class, at the POAC office, 1320 Oregon St., Saturday, January 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or the following Saturday, February, 7, 1 to 3 p.m. No registration is required. Complex masks (i.e. head- dress or armature types, painted dip-n-drape, or papier mache’) should be started, at least, the first session to be fin- ished on the second. Simple decorated half-masks may be done in the second session alone. Facilitators for the classes are Weld and Elma Champneys, Rose Panozzo, and Linda Nelson. Prices for projects range from $5 to $15, plus additional options. Etouffee dinner / dance, to be held a week following this last class, is a masquerade-friendly event. Here’s your chance to do Mardi Gras in style. Schedule change for Port Orford GED classes Adult Basic Education and GED classes will meet on Thursday evenings at the Port Orford Library to take advan- tage of evening library hours. Southwestern Oregon Community College is offering this class for those who want to study for their High School Equivalency Preparation (GED) or just want to increase their basic skills in writing, communication or math. Students will meet at the Jayel Gibson Conference Room from 5 - 8 p.m. Students may enroll at any time during the term. ABE/GED classes are also available in Gold Beach on Wednesday evenings. The cost for the 11-week session is $25. For more information or to register, those interested can contact the Southwestern Gold Beach Center at (541) 247- 2741 or the Port Orford Center, which is open on Thursdays, at (541) 332-3023. See BRIEFS, page 2 By Carol Berger PON staff writer Editor’s note: The following is a contin- uation of a report Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative Town Hall held in Port Orford on Thursday January 8. Due to the length of that report and limited space, here is the remainder of that report. For a full report, readers are invited to refer back to the Jan. 14 issue of the Port Orford which can be accessed online at portorfordnews.net. Cost-cutting measures, cont’d CCEC’s new donation policy limits any given donation from CCEC to $300-500. Groups must be non-profit, local, and fill P.O. Planning Commission Sustainable development discussed Grace Bonnell raises the issue at a short meeting By Carol Berger PON staff writer The Tues., Jan. 13 Planning Commission meeting was a short one, as the Battle Rock Heights Subdivision’s attorney, David Koch, requested an extension to the February 10 meeting, and the commission granted it, shortening the length of the meeting considerably as a result. The meeting started with elections of officers. Dave Holman will continue as chair, Karen Auborn will be the new vice-chair, and Patty Clark will remain secretary. Grace Bonnell of the Joan of Arc presented the commission with a packet of information on Sustainable Land Development International. SLDI Executive Director Terry Mock owns property just south of China Mountain and spoke with the Port Orford Watershed Council last May about sustainable land development. Bonnell said that SLDI helps small- to medium- sized communities to develop sustainable communities. Stating that development is going to happen in Port Orford, “whether or not we want it,” she said that it is up to the Planning Commission to guide that devel- opment. “Port Orford could become a ‘poster community’ … you are on the cusp ... We could be a small, historic, artis- tic, fishing, sustainable See PLANNING page 5 out a form. Individuals, and private, reli- gious, or political organizations are not eli- gible. Only eight-tenths of one percent of revenue goes to donations, and the bulk of those go to help youth in some way. The switch from five eight-hour days a week to four ten-hour days for employees See CCEC page 8 Oregon’s birthday stamp PON photos by Carol Berger The Port Orford Post Office cele- brated the release of the new Oregon Statehood stamp on Wednesday, Jan. 14 with bal- loons and with a cake made by clerk Marie VanAart. Postmaster Wade Lindsay holds a sheet of the stamps that celebrate Oregonʼs 150th birthday.
