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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
Spring cleanup time at Circle Creek
‘A great turnout
and a great day,’
director says
By KATHERINE
LACAZE
For The Daily Astorian
SEASIDE — The North
Coast Land Conservan-
cy’s Circle Creek Habi-
tat Reserve hummed with
activity in April when a
small army of volunteers
helped clean up the prop-
erty in time for public vis-
its over the late spring and
summer months.
The 35 volunteers were
split into groups who under-
took various tasks, such as
building and maintaining
trails, cleaning up and burning
old wood debris and planting
salal, a native plant species.
“It was a great turnout
and a great day,” Steward-
ship Director Melissa Reich
said. “We got a lot done
and the trails are looking in
great shape for the season.”
The annual project sym-
bolically marks the time
of year when the property
gets used more by the pub-
lic. Administrative and Out-
reach Assistant Lynette Vil-
lagomez said during late fall
and winter, the property,
which is part of an active
floodplain, is not accessible
to people because of precip-
itation. The trails usually
are opened around Earth
Day and closed in late fall,
depending on weather.
“Every spring, we’ll
Katherine Lacaze/For The Daily Astorian
About 35 volunteers showed up to the North Coast Land
Conservancy’s Circle Creek Trails Cleanup to prepare the
habitat reserve for the summer hiking season and upcom-
ing events.
come out here and do
cleanup and maintenance
and make it more inviting
for people to visit,” Villag-
omez said.
Of all the conservancy’s
properties, Circle Creek is
“one where we’ve chosen to
welcome people,” because
of its location, accessibility
and composition, she said.
Reich agreed, saying the
site has “been grazed for
a long time,” “has a his-
tory of human use” and is
one where the conservancy
is doing active restoration,
making it a great spot to
have seasonal trails open to
the public.
“It is “a good example
of the old forest and the
swamp,” she said. “You can
see them side by side.”
Tessa Scheller, a local
volunteer and member of
the conservancy’s Conser-
vation Committee, said she
believes welcoming and
encouraging the public to
spend time on the habi-
tat reserve is valuable as it
leads to an increased sense
of ownership and, subse-
quently, stewardship and
support.
“I think being out here
helps that,” she said.
Some people may suf-
fer from nature deficit dis-
orders of varying degrees,
she said. The conservancy
wants to reconnect humans
with the rest of nature so
they become “aware of the
rich diversity, even of plant
life, in their backyard,” said
Scheller, who also sits on
Katherine Lacaze/For The Daily Astorian
Volunteers helped build a new trail on the Circle Creek Habitat Reserve during the North
Coast Land Conservancy’s Circle Creek Trails Cleanup.
the board of the Northwest
Coast Trails Coalition.
Reich added that numer-
ous people have, at one
point, done a project or
some volunteer work on
the property and they are
watching it slowly trans-
form over time because of
their efforts.
“A lot of people are able
to feel connected,” she said.
The timing of the cleanup
project also coincided with
preparation for the conser-
vancy’s annual event, “The
Forest Remembers,” held in
late April.
The Circle Creek Trails
Cleanup was put on in part-
nership with the North
Coast Trails Coalition.
Katherine Lacaze/For The Daily
Astorian
Volunteers helped build a
new trail on the Circle Creek
Habitat Reserve during the
North Coast Land Conser-
vancy’s Circle Creek Trails
Cleanup.
Katherine Lacaze/For The Daily Astorian
Volunteers Judy and Paul
Fairdig, of Portland, partic-
ipated in the North Coast
Land Conservancy’s Cir-
cle Creek Trails Cleanup as
their service project for the
2016 Yale Day of Service.
Oregon honors fallen oficers at Salem ceremony
Goodding’s
name goes on
wall next year
By WHITNEY M.
WOODWORTH
Statesman Journal
SALEM — One hundred
and eighty-two lags lined the
driveway outside the Oregon
Public Safety Academy — one
for each law enforcement ofi-
cer who has died in the line of
duty since the 1880s.
Family members, co-work-
ers and friends of fallen ofi-
cers gathered Tuesday at the
annual Oregon Fallen Law
Enforcement Oficers Memo-
rial Ceremony. Each of the
lags tells a story, said Gov.
Kate Brown. Every single one
evokes a memory of service
and tragic loss.
The name of Coos County
Sheriff’s Deputy Gil Datan
was added to the memorial
in 2016. Next year, Seaside
Police Sgt. Jason Goodding’s
name will join Datan’s on the
wall.
“It is my sincere hope that
no additional names are added
to this memorial next year or
any year hence,” Brown said.
Law enforcement ofi-
cers from Washington state
and Canada as well as from
Oregon’s city, county, state,
tribal and federal agencies
congregated at the memorial
ceremony.
Brown
thanked
law
enforcement for their commit-
ment to their communities.
“Your dedicated service
to our state is not taken for
granted and is very much
appreciated,” she said.
Families of fallen ofi- law enforcement oficer and
cers illed the chairs at the the executive director of the
ceremony. The U.S., Ore- Concerns of Police Survivors,
gon and Canadian
recalled the loss
lags lew at half-
of having a fellow
staff, and the Port-
oficer killed when
land Police High-
she was serving as
land Guard played
a patrol sergeant.
a bagpipe-illed ren-
She advised friends,
dition of “Amazing
family members and
Grace.”
colleagues of fallen
Each family was
oficers to seek sup-
accompanied in and
port and grieve in
out of the service by
their own way.
a law enforcement Jason Goodding
“We understand
oficer
that your oficer’s
“We know there
death was public,”
are no words that can restore she said. “It’s very hard to
your loss, but know that the grieve in public.”
legacies of each of these ofi-
The National Law Enforce-
cers will not be forgotten,” ment Oficers Memorial Fund
Brown said.
released a roll call of 252
Dianne Bernhard, a former U.S. law enforcement oficers
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killed in the line of duty, 123
of whom died in 2015.
A lag was folded in Datan’s
honor and lower wreaths were
placed at the memorial wall.
Datan, 43, served 19 years
in law enforcement. On April
20, 2015, while on forest patrol
for the Coos County Sheriff’s
Ofice, Datan attempted to go
up a steep embankment on his
ATV. When the ATV rolled
over, Datan was thrown off
and killed.
Coos County Sheriff
Craig Zanni reminisced about
Datan’s reputation as a warm-
hearted deputy who volun-
teered with the ire department
and sent singing telegrams on
Valentine’s Day.
“He was quick with a smile,
and he loved life,” Zanni said.
Three academy students
read all 182 names, including
Datan’s, aloud.
By remembering fallen
oficers, we honor them and
give the nation hope, Bernhard
said.
She quoted words written
on a memorial wall by a fallen
oficer’s widow: “It’s not how
these oficers died that made
them heroes, it’s how they
lived.”
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