NED HICKSON , SPORTS EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3523 ❘
SPORTS @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JULY 1, 2015 ❘
SECTION B
Siuslaw News
Sports & Recreation
Park and ride
On the
Bite
A
WEEKLY
FISHING REPORT FOR
THE LOCAL REGION
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR
MID COAST LAKES
Fishing for the various
warm water fish species
can be productive during
the spring as lake tempera-
tures start to rise and fish
begin spawning. Anglers
See
FISHING 2B
S PORTS
Calendar
July 1
• FLORENCE
SOFTBALL
M ILLER P ARK
5:30 AND 7 P . M .
AT
July 2
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
• FLORENCE
Bike riders wait along the rim of the skate park at Miller Park, surveying the bowl before taking turns with skateboarders and performing tricks. The
park is open daily from 10 a.m. to dusk at the main entrance to Miller Park, next to the playground and baseball fields.
SOFTBALL
M ILLER P ARK
5:30 AND 7 P . M .
AT
S ANDBLASTERS
T IDE T ABLE
Entrance Siuslaw River
High Tide
July 1
1:03am / 6.0
Low Tide
6:33am / -1.3
6:20pm / 2.3
July 2
12:12am / 7.9 7:14am / -1.6
1:45am / 6.2 7:07pm / 2.2
July 3
12:56am / 7.9 7:55am / -1.8
2:27pm / 6.4 7:55pm / 2.0
July 4
1:42am / 7.7
3:09pm / 6.6
8:37am / -1.7
8:46pm / 1.8
July 5
2:31am / 7.4
3:54pm / 6.8
9:20am / -1.4
9:41pm / 1.6
July 6
3:24am / 6.9
4:40am / 6.9
10:05am /-1.0
10:41pm / 1.5
July 7
4:24am / 6.2
5:29pm / 7.1
10:52am /-0.3
11:48pm / 1.2
S S IUSLAW
IUSLAW
N EWS
148 Maple St.
Florence
541-997-3441
B Y N ED H ICKSON
Siuslaw News
Florence’s AAA American Legion
baseball team the Three Rivers
Sandblasters spent the weekend in the
sun around the diamond, hosting the
Eugene Challengers to a nonleague
doubleheader on Saturday.
The visiting Challengers took an
early lead and never looked back,
securing a decisive 10-3 win in the
opener.
The ’Blasters’ Jonathan Bennison
went 4-for-4 to lead the team offen-
sively, knocking in one RBI.
In the nightcap, the ’Blasters battled
back with some offensive firepower
from sluggers Ricky Jones and Zach
Inskeep, each of whom went 2-for-3 at
the plate to help keep the Challengers
within reach for a narrow 7-6 win.
Inskeep had a pair of RBIs and
Jones crossed the plate twice for the
Sandblasters.
Monday, Florence hosted the first
of a three-game series with the Mid
Valley Rockets.
B EACHGOERS
WALDPORT — Beachgoers are
reminded that Western snowy plover
nesting season restrictions remain in
place on area beaches until Sept. 15.
Violators put vulnerable eggs and
young of this federally threatened
shorebird at risk, and may also be
ticketed and fined.
Western snowy plover nesting areas
in Oregon are managed by the U.S.
Forest Service, Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, Bureau of
Land Management and Army Corps of
Engineers.
Each year, these agencies imple-
ment nesting season restrictions on the
beaches they manage to reduce distur-
bance to nesting birds. On beaches
known to be occupied by plovers,
vehicle and bicycle access to the
beach is prohibited during nesting sea-
LAND
R OCKETS
Ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the
eighth inning, Florence put the game
away with two more runs off the bats
of Bennison, Jones and Scott Gordon.
Gordon and Jones were each 3-for-
4 at the plate, with Gordon connecting
for a double and two singles. Jones
had two RBIs.
Bennison kept the offensive
momentum going with eight hits
spread over eight innings.
On the mound, Matthew Engholm
pitched a complete game, giving up
three hits and one run in the ninth
IN OPENER
before shutting down the Rockets for
the win.
Yesterday, the Sandblasters traveled
to Albany for a rematch doubleheader
at the Rockets’ pad (after press dead-
lines).
Today through Sunday, the
Sandblasters will be competing in the
Mickey Merriam Tournament at
Woodland Park in Eugene.
The next home game will be July 8,
when Florence hosts the Post 20
Dirtbags at Jiggs Dodson Field, in a
doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
REMINDED TO AVOID NESTING AREAS
JACK HAVERTY PHOTO
Plover nesting areas are federal-
ly protected.
son, as are camping and campfires,
dog walking and kite flying.
On plover nesting beaches, hiking
and horseback riding are allowed on
wet sand, while the dry sand is closed
to all uses during the nesting season.
“With the intense heat hanging over
Oregon lately, lots of people are hit-
ting the beach,” said Cindy Burns,
Central Coast Ranger District and
Oregon Dunes NRA Wildlife
Biologist. “It’s a great place to cool
off, but unfortunately we’re seeing a
lot of people going into areas where
they can disturb nesting birds.”
Particular areas of concern are the
Spinreel, Siltcoos, and Tahkenitch
beaches.
Forest Service staff, law enforce-
ment, and monitors are seeing signs of
both motorized and nonmotorized vio-
lations in restricted areas.
Western snowy plovers were listed
as a threatened species by U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in 1993. Habitat
loss due to the spread of nonnative,
invasive European beachgrass is one
major factor contributing to popula-
tion declines, as are other human
activities that disturb nesting birds and
attract predators to nesting areas.
In Oregon, where snowy plover
numbers have been increasing (though
still falling short of recovery), biolo-
gists believe a combination of habitat
and predator management, as well as
nesting season beach restrictions, are
contributing to the rebound.
“I love visiting Oregon beaches
with my family,” said Burns. “We
share this incredible resource with the
plovers and so many other animals.
“One of the best things we can do to
ensure they’re around for our kids to
enjoy is to respect their habitat, espe-
cially at critical times of the year.”
Have a Safe & Happy July 4th!
G ORGEOUS O NE -L EVEL H OME
Gorgeous 1 level home in Shelter Cove on 0.31 acre. This 2,167
sq ft home has newer wood floors, vinyl windows and sliders, and
a great enclosed deck to enjoy your landscaped back yard. Inside,
it shines with skylights, ceiling fans & a delightful seascape feeling.
Luxury living.
$350,000
Lynnette Wikstrom
Broker
Cell: 541.999.0786
#10995 MLS#15042332
lynnette@cbcoast.com
100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR • 541.997.7777
“We’re next to the Bridge.”
COAST REAL ESTATE