Port Orford News
January 21, 2009 • Page 5
ʻHospitality 101ʼ gets funded
By Elaine Roemen
For the Port Orford News
Principal Tony Jones intro-
duced Pacific High School sen-
ior Philip Adde as student of the
Month for his outstanding con-
tribution to school life this year.
Philip has been attending
leadership workshops sponsored
by the Ford Family Foundation
He gave a power point presenta-
tion at the Rotary Luncheon on
the Bioswell that he and his fel-
low leaders from Port Orford
have been designing for the
grassy area behind the visitor's
center.
A bioswale, euphemistically
a "Rain Garden", is a shallow
ditch filled with permeable
materials, rocks and plants that
filter polluted storm water.
They not only add beauty to the
landscape, the bioswell will
absorb the dirty water from the
streets and parking lot and puri-
fy it before it flows into the near
shore environment. Since ero-
sion is a problem at this site, the
hope is that the bioswell will
reduce erosion by slowing down
the water flow. They hope to
complete their project by Oct
2009.
Also, Mr.Sean Wells,
Principal at Driftwood School,
proudly introduced 7th grader,
Stephanie Gordon for her posi-
tive contributions to school life
and her excellence in writing.
Rotary factoid: Did you
know that every week Sonja
Mason and her faithful team
prepare great home style meals
like pork roasts, tasty chicken,
PON photos by Matt Hall
ABOVE: Phillip Adde explains about the upcoming Rain
Garden planned fora Battle Rock Park. Below left is Adde
again, and Stephanie Gordon, both students of the month.
The Del Norte Workforce Center
is pleased to announce the launch
of the Hospitality 101 Initiative, a
three year, $2.1 million dollar grant
from the U.S. Department of Labor
Employment & Training
Administration to provide customer
service and skills training to the
hospitality industry along
America’s Wild Rivers Coast
(AWRC). This business-driven ini-
tiative will work in partnership with
our region's community colleges, chambers of
commerce and others, in training 750 employees,
both current employees and seasonal hires of
local businesses.
The goal of the initiative is to significantly
upgrade employee skills and training, resulting in
outstanding customer service for our visiting
guests and the region’s residents, while providing
businesses with a better-trained workforce to help
their bottom line. The training and entire initiative
are basically fundamental best business practices.
Our job is simply to make the training relevant
and affordable.
The initiative will target four sectors of AWRC
hospitality economy: Lodging, Restaurants,
Retail, and Special Attractions, for upgrading cus-
tomer service skills and specific job skills related
to the hospitality industry. Participants will com-
plete a course (or courses) followed by an intern-
ship that will lead to certification by the American
Hotel & Lodging Association.
All trainees will begin their certification
process with an introductory
course, “Hospitality 101.” This 12
hour seminar will cover basic cus-
tomer service, “soft skills” (dress,
appearance, basic communication
skills, work attitude, and other
“good practices” skills), concierge
skills, and Hospitality 101 (getting
to know your community). Courses
are scheduled to begin this spring
and will run concurrently at
College of the Redwoods and
Southwestern Oregon Community College for the
life of the initiative.
The Hospitality 101 Initiative will host three
inaugural events to acquaint business owners with
the opportunities this program has to offer them.
Join us at your leisure for wine and appetizers:
◆ Crescent City – Jan. 20, 4 -7 p.m., Hampton
Inn
◆ Brookings/Harbor – Jan. 28, 4 -7 p.m.,
Crissey Field State Park & Welcome Center
◆ Hwy 101 at the state line, our beautiful,
brand-new $6 million dollar Welcome Center)
◆ Gold Beach – Feb. 2, 4 -7 p.m., Gold Rush
Center
The Hospitality Team will be on hand to dis-
cuss the details of the initiative with you and
determine how the program can meet your indi-
vidual business needs, and answer any questions.
Please join us for an informative evening. For
more details and information call Mary Foote
707-464-8347 ext. 266 or Rick Hiser ext. 232, or
e-mail mary@hospitality101.biz.
Oregon 150th State Parks Calendar available
home made lasagna with
sausage and sometimes, my
favorite, pineapple upside down
cake!
◆ For more information
about Rotary go online at
www.portorfordrotary.org.
The Oregon State Parks & Recreation
Department has put together a special Oregon
150 calendar for 2009 to help celebrate the
sesquicentennial.
The calendar features a timeline of the some
of the significant events in the history of OPRD,
lists some of the special parks-related Oregon
150 events coming up this year, and features
beautiful photography of state parks, scenic
viewpoints, heritage areas and sites.
It is available from OPRD by calling (800)
551-6949 or on line at www.oregon150.org/mer-
chandise, the Oregon 150 website. The calendars
are now on sale for $10 each.
Joint Ocean Commission Initiative releases ocean policy report for West coast leaders
Washington, D.C. – The Joint
Ocean Commission Initiative
today released its much antici-
pated report, “One Coast, One
Future: Securing the Health of
West Coast Ecosystems and
Economies.” The report,
requested by Port Orford Mayor
Jim Auborn, along with 18 other
elected officials from California,
Oregon and Washington State,
offers guidance to local, state
and federal leaders on how to
improve the health of coastal
ecosystems and the economies
that depend on them through
integrated decision making.
“Protecting our oceans and
coasts starts at the local level,”
said Leon E. Panetta, co-chair of
the Joint Initiative and former
White House Chief of Staff.
“We are pleased to see so much
interest in finding solutions to
the critical problems facing our
oceans and coasts. The Joint
Initiative has provided the input
that will lead to meaningful
ocean policy reform at the state
and local level,” Panetta contin-
ued.
Former Port Orford Mayor
What is the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative?
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative
is a collaborative effort of the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy and Pew
Oceans Commission to catalyze ocean
policy reform. The Joint Initiative is guid-
Auborn said “The City of Port
Orford has enthusiastically sup-
ported the efforts of the Port
Orford Ocean Resource Team in
establishing the Port Orford
Stewardship Area and Redfish
Rocks Marine Research
Reserve/Marine Protected Area
pilot project, both of which are
leading examples of Ecosystem
and Community Based
Management as promulgated in
the recommendations in the
report.”
“One Coast, One Future”
offers specific and immediate
ways that local and state West
Coast leaders can collaborate to
implement a coordinated and
more productive approach to
managing the coast, as well as
ed by a ten-member task force, five from
each commission, and led by Admiral
James D. Watkins (U.S. Navy, Ret.) and
the Honorable Leon E. Panetta, chairs of
the U.S. Commission and Pew
Commission, respectively. The primary
goal of the Joint Ocean Commission
Initiative is to accelerate the pace of
change that results in meaningful ocean
policy reform.
pilot project.
“Communities along the coast
have an incredibly important
impact on regional and national
economies by contributing to
the tourism, boating and fishing
industries, as well as the food
supply,” said Admiral James D.
Watkins (U.S. Navy, Ret.), co-
chair of the Joint Initiative.
“The elected officials who
requested this report have
shown tremendous initiative in
exploring innovative ways to
secure and preserve their envi-
ronment, coasts, ocean and
communities. We commend for-
mer Mayor Auborn for his lead-
ership to be continued by Mayor
John Roorbach, the new City
Council, and the Port Orford
Ocean Resource Team. The
next step will be for the state
legislature and Congress to sup-
port and prioritize these critical
efforts.”
For more information on the
Joint Ocean Commission
Initiative, its work and to down-
load the full version of “One
Coast, One Future,” please visit
www.jointoceancommission.org.
ways state legislatures and the
federal government can support
their efforts. The report urges
these leaders to adapt and pre-
pare for climate change impacts
through an ecosystem-based
approach that recognizes the
interconnections among marine
life, climate, local economies
and the quality of human life.
The report also acknowledges
that many local West Coast com-
munities currently face alterna-
tive energy proposals, and sug-
gests ways that they can work
with other communities, govern-
ment agencies and developers to
implement effective solutions to
these pressing energy chal-
lenges. Recommendations in the
report include the following.
1. Identify a coordination area
and engage stakeholders in set-
ting goals.
2. Understand and monitor
ecosystem health.
3. Establish coordinating
mechanisms to bring together all
interested parties.
4. Make the land-sea connec-
tion.
5. Collect and integrate local-
ly-relevant information to better
inform decision-making.
6. Support integrated, ecosys-
tem-based approaches, particu-
larly at the local level.
7. Consider marine spatial
planning.
8. Plan for climate change
impacts at all levels of govern-
ment.
9. Maintain or enhance fund-
ing for core coastal and ocean
programs.
10. Send a clear message to
Congress and the administration
to fund and implement ocean
protection measures.
11. Creatively consolidate or
reallocate existing resources to
take full advantage of funding
sources.
12. Establish public-private
partnerships for funding and in-
kind resources.
Port Orford is already imple-
menting several of the recom-
mendations in the Joint
Initiative’s report, including the
Port Orford Stewardship Area
and Redfish Rocks Marine
Reserve/Marine Protected Area
ous and want to watch trained
personnel do their jobs.
However, in order for us to
do our jobs effectively and
quickly, we must concentrate
on our work. While it may
appear that an ambulance driv-
er is "just waiting" or a
pumper operator is "just stand-
ing around"; they are listening
to all communications, assess-
ing the scene for changes,
anticipating the next step.
They are also thinking about
potential problems, road con-
ditions, the need for more
help, ingress and egress for
more help, and continually
assessing the safety of their
partners other trained respon-
ders’ and the public.
Additionally, they are aware of
potential dangers far beyond
the immediate area involved.
Please respect our need for a
large area for scene safety. If
you are asked to step back
Please do so immediately.
Please do not engage
Emergency Services personnel
in conversation or question our
need for scene safety. Your
safety, that of the
victims/patients, and ours is at
stake. If we need help or assis-
tance from a bystander, we
will ask for it. If you believe
you have information essential
to our work, try to get that
information to a responder
who can pass their information
to the appropriate person
(often Law Enforcement can
help).
We all strive for the best
possible outcome on every
call. With your help, we can
achieve this goal.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Gayle Wilcox
Port Orford Volunteer Fire
Port Orford Community
Ambulance
Concerns about council
The first council meeting
with a new crew took place
with the new mayor being
absent and councilor Hewitt
presiding.
True to form, in violation of
ORS 192.610/690 the public
witnessed a council vote and
approval of the hiring of a con-
sulting firm to produce an
expert “statement of Public
Policy on Policing” to the tune
of $ 7,000.-
The Consultant had been
approached before December
1st 2008 under Mayor Auborn
after a slight by hand wording
led to the loosing of funds for
the Police Department.
Neither the public nor all six
councilors were informed of
the intent to approach an expert
to get the town out of the fiscal
police department mess.
The contract between the
city and ASG (the experts)
consists of less of half of a
page to describe “the product”
and over fourteen pages of
legal mumble/jumble keeping
ASG free of any hardships but
opening the stage for possibly
needed overruns.
Before December 2008 the
Police Chief was fired to the
tune of thousands of dollars,
justified by (former) mayor
Auborn with the loss of the
Police Department funding, the
remaining two officers can not
work efficiently for lack of
overtime funds.
The maintenance department
can’t buy material to patch our
water supply system, yet the
council (without the new
mayor) approves a contract for
$ 7,000.- to have a consulting
firm tell a hamlet of one thou-
sand (+) people how to, or
what is a town police.
Seems to me that that com-
mon sense is down the drain.
Overestimating their impor-
tance in the scheme of things is
crippling the council and run-
ning our town into bankruptcy.
I expect that in the not too
far future to see a new comic
strip in state-wide news papers
titled something like “The
ongoing saga of Hick town
97465”
Jack Marohl,
Port Orford
sustainable economics … We
could be the most progressive
town in Oregon, let alone the
west coast.”
Holman responded by saying
that “We have a lot of state laws
and ordinances that we must fol-
low, but we as a planning com-
mission, can be pro-active in
recommending ordinances to the
city council … for sustainable
development, and once they are
enacted, they become our city
laws … If we can be pro-active
in making some changes that
can benefit our town, that’s cer-
tainly what we all (want to do).”
Bonnell emphasized that
“what sustainable development
does is (in regard to) new con-
struction, new development, and
then it allows people who are
here (already) to upgrade if they
choose. It’s not forcing change
on anybody that doesn’t want
it.”
The next Planning
Commission meeting will be
Tues., Feb. 10 at the Gable
Chambers at City Hall.
LETTERS, from page 3
and the state grange is happy to
let us keep Sixes Grange open
for another year. Grangers will
continue to do what we can to
build our grange to the point of
having enough participating
community members to offer
all national grange activities.
These programs consist of
Agriculture, Community
Service, Deaf Awareness and
Family Health, Education,
Junior & Youth,
Energy,Legislative and
Scholarships. We will continue
with our " just for fun" Barn
Dances, Sales and beginning
Jan 28, weekly wednesday
night bingo.
We still are in need of more
active members to head these
programs. Please inquire about
these programs at
www.orgrange.org,
www.nationalgrange.org or call
332-1581.
For the history buffs
To all you readers of World
War II history. Here is a book
with local history and Japanese
sub crews narations of being
bombed off Port Orford--
Japanese fire bombs plane
over Grassy Knob/Port Orford
The book is “Silent Siege”
by Bert Webber a very inter-
esting read of territory from
Alaska to Southern,Californai
coast line and our military
defense then.
It is at your local Port
Orford Library and it will hold
your attention"!
Sincerely:
Brice Wagner,
Elk River
Public needs to stand back
Those of us in Emergency
Services understand the desire
of the public to watch and
somehow be involved in
Emergency Incidents. In such
small communities, the victim
or victims are often known and
concern for them is great.
Often people are simply curi-
FRA N C HISE O PPO RTUN ITIES
in Po rt O rfo rd , O R
R. .
r e -
O ne o f A m eri ca’
e p re
ca’s
s b est kno wn b rand s i s seeki ng ent r re
neurs t o d evel o p Franchi ses.
• Lo w Co st Invest m ent , Q ual i t y Pro d uct s and Servi ces
and Ind ust ry l ead i ng t rai ni ng , are j ust so m e o f t he
reaso ns t o Franchi se wi t h t hi s d ynam i c co m p any
• Rad i o Shack i s nat i o nal l y reco g ni zed , and has a
rep ut at i o n f o r q ual i t y p ro d uct and servi ce
• Sup p o rt i ve N at i o nal and Lo cal ad vert i si ng
If yo u t hink Rad io Shack co uld have a p lace in yo ur f ut ure,
and wo ul d l i ke m o re i nf o rm at i o n o n o ur p ro ven p ro g ram ,
co nt act o ur A rea D evel o p m ent M anag er:
PLANNING, from page 1
Dud & Suds
Laundromat
Ant onio N ovoa (909) 481-8561
will be closed for
remodeling/new equip-
ment Jan. 22- Jan. 30.
Look in the PON next
week for the exact
reopening date.
V
V isit our web site for mor
e info at www
.rad ioshack.com
more
www.rad
Franchise of
fering s ar
e mad e b y p r rosp
osp ect us (d isclosur
e d ocument ) only
offering
are
isclosure
only. .
Advertise your business or service in the PORT ORFORD
NEWS BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY for only $5 a
week - $20 a month! Call (541) 332-NEWS (6397), (541)
260-3638, or e-mail to portorfordnews@gmail.com
community that people would
want to come and visit and
would like to come and live in.”
According to Bonnell, Mock’s
organization recently sent a pro-
posal to now-President Obama’s
transition team. “Their contact
… is an opening for all of us
with our planning commissions
to make contact as well and get
city recognition and let our
needs be known … There is
going to be money for us.” She
closed by saying that “sustain-
able land development equals