NED HICKSON , SPORTS EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3523 ❘
SPORTS @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JULY 23, 2016 ❘
SECTION B
Siuslaw News
Sports & Recreation
EUGENE — The Eugene
Emeralds have clinched a play-
off berth in the Northwest
League by winning the first
half title in the South Division.
This marks the first time the
Ems have made the playoffs
since 2011.
The Northwest League sea-
S PORTS
Calendar
REACH PLAYOFFS FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS
son is split in two halves and
the winner of each half secures
a spot in the playoffs. The first
playoff game at PK Park will
be Game 2 of the semi final
series, scheduled for Thursday,
Sept. 8, at 7:05 p.m., with the
potential for a Game 3 on
Friday, Sept. 9.
Emeralds playoff tickets will
go on sale at 10 a.m. on
Monday, July 25. Tickets will
be available for purchase at the
Toyota Ticket Office on MLK
outside the stadium and online
at the Emeralds Website.
The Ems have been in a
championship drought since
T IME ’ S
the 1975 season, but a resur-
gence of talent has arrived in
Eugene after the team switched
its affiliation to the Chicago
Cubs.
The Ems pitching staff has a
combined ERA of 3.33, which
leads the Northwest League.
The Ems also lead the league in
home runs with 19 and are sec-
ond in runs scored.
The Eugene Emeralds are the
short-season Class A team of
the Chicago Cubs. In 2015, six
of the top 30 Cubs prospects
spent time in Eugene including
Ian Happ, Donnie Dewees and
Eloy Jimenez.
SILENT SENTINEL
With 61 years of history in
Eugene, the Emeralds are the
longest tenured and only found-
ing member remaining in the
Northwest League.
For more information, visit
www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or
call the office at 541-342-5367.
On the
Bite
A
U PCOMING
EVENTS
Aug. 5-8
“Burn with a steady light,
Torch against the dark of night —
And forget not that the day, too,
has its shadows....”
• SIUSLAW FOOTBALL
3
THE LOCAL REGION
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR
— A UTHOR UNKNOWN , WRITING OF THE
H ECETA H EAD L IGHTHOUSE
CAMP
5 P . M .
AT SHS
TO
MID COAST LAKES:
Rainbow trout stocking
is complete along the mid
coast. Holdover trout will
be available in most lakes
through
the
summer.
Fishing for the various
warm water fish species is
good this time of year as
fish move to the shallows
for spawning. There are
numerous lakes in the
Florence area that can pro-
vide good opportunity.
Aug. 6
• COOL AT COAST
R OTARY GOLF
10 A . M .
O CEAN D UNES
Aug. 19
• SHS HALL OF FAME
I NDUCTION
SIUSLAW RIVER:
CEREMONY
5:30 P . M .
T HREE R IVERS
C ASINO R ESORT
AT
T IDE T ABLE
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Entrance Siuslaw River
For 122 years, the Heceta Head Lighthouse has stood resolutely overlooking its charge along the Oregon coast.
High Tide
Low Tide
July 23
2:34am/ 7.0
3:45pm/ 6.7
9:15am/ -0.9
9:40pm/ 1.5
July 24
3:24pm / 6.6
4:27pm/ 6.9
9:56am / -0.4
10:36pm/ 1.3
July 25
4:21am / 6.0
5:13pm/ 7.0
July 26
5:28am / 5.5
6:04pm/ 7.2
10:41am / 0.2
11:40am/ 1.1
11:31am / 0.9
July 27
6:45am/ 5.1
7:00pm/ 7.3
12:49am/ 0.8
12:29pm/ 1.5
July 28
8:09am / 4.9
7:59pm / 7.4
2:00am / 0.4
1:35pm / 2.0
July 29
9:29am/ 5.1
8:59pm/ 7.6
3:08am/ -0.1
2:46pm/ 2.3
S IUSLAW
N EWS
148 Maple St.
Florence
541-997-3441
WEEKLY
FISHING REPORT FOR
P
erhaps it’s the need to connect
with something that remains solid
and virtually unchanged even as
the world changes around it that draws
us like inquisitive fireflies to the rotating
beam of our
lighthouses.
B Y N ED H ICKSON
Braced
Siuslaw News
against both
time and
nature, there are few icons along the
coast representing a stronger image of
resoluteness and unwavering loyalty. In
some ways, they’re our fathers — strong,
silent types offering safe passage through
troubled waters, and whose momentary
beam both inspires and comforts in the
span of a lazy wink.
Long before “Lighthouse Week” was
established in Oregon in 1997, people
have been coming to visit these silent
sentinels along the coast. Last year alone,
more than 45,000 visitors climbed the
graveled path leading up to Heceta Head
Lighthouse, averaging 200 people per
day. This year has been no different—
and, in fact, will more than likely surpass
last year’s figures.
Altogether, there are eight beacons
still perched along Oregon’s coastline,
the intention of which was to allow each
distinctive beam to meet and cross with
the other so that ships would never be
without sight of light during their pas-
sage. While global positioning devices
and high-tech warning systems have
essentially made lighthouses obsolete in
terms of stark necessity, the fact that six
out-of-the-eight remain in operation hints
that our connection with them runs deep-
er than surface logic and thoughts of effi-
ciency.
In June 2000, when Heceta’s beam
was extinguished because of mechanical
failure after 106 years of continued serv-
ice, a grass roots campaign began
spreading throughout Florence and
beyond with the help of fishermen, com-
munity leaders and local citizens who
demanded that the light be reignited — a
notion that even kindled the support of
U.S. House Rep. Peter DeFazio who, a
year later, attended the rededication cere-
mony when the lighthouse resumed oper-
ation.
“There’s just something about them,”
said Debra Bender, a ranger with Oregon
State Parks who helped oversee opera-
tions at the lighthouse. “It’s like stepping
back in time and connecting with history.
It’s still there, still working, and you can
see it, feel it—and at night, it’s really
beautiful.”
Which is why, on an overcast
Thursday evening, two dozen or so peo-
ple made the short trip from nearby
Washburne State Campground for a
chance to see the Heceta Head
Lighthouse at night. Even though it was-
n’t a planned tour, it only took a few
hours to get the word out via a small
note attached to the park’s activities
board, and a little word of mouth.
After a brief introduction of the area,
two dozen flashlights suddenly illuminat-
ed the darkened path as the group began
making its way uphill toward the beacon.
Coming up on the old lightkeeper’s
house, everyone saw the rotating shafts
of light for the first time as eight sequen-
tial beams sweept over the surrounding
trees, across the shoreline, and 21 miles
out to sea in a one-of-a-kind pattern
repeated once every 10 seconds.
“Whoa!” was the response from one
young boy, as well as a few adults, as the
group continued up the road.
Gradually, the 65-foot high silhouette
of Heceta Lighthouse came into view at
the peak of the hill, which crests 205 feet
above the crashing waves. Because of a
growing mist, the light refracting through
tiny droplets in the air created a halo
effect around the revolving turret of light
emanating through eight panels of glass
lens.
Four volunteers had already arrived
and taken their places at various points
throughout the tour, all of whom came
on short notice to help educate the group
of curious folks drawn to the light.
Inside, volunteers explained the histo-
ry of the structure, which was named
after a Portuguese sea captain named
Don Bruno De Heceta, who happened
See
HECETA 4B
Cutthroat
For cutthroat trout, cast-
ing small spinners, spoons
or fly fishing streamers or
dry flies can be very effec-
tive. Angling for all species
in streams above tidewater
is restricted to artificial
flies and lures until Sept. 1.
Casting small spinners,
spoons or fly fishing
streamers or dry flies can
be very effective.
ALSEA RIVER: Cutthroat
The Alsea River is open
for cutthroat trout, casting
small spinners, spoons or
fly fishing streamers or dry
flies can be very effective.
Bait is not allowed above
the head of tide until Sept.
1.
SILETZ RIVER:
Steelhead, cutthroat
Steelhead fishing is fair.
This run typically peaks by
early July. Casting spin-
ners, drifting bait or using
a bobber and jig can be
effective. Cover water and
fish small and simple as
the river conditions are low
and clear. For cutthroat
trout, casting small spin-
ners, spoons or fly fishing
streamers or dry flies can
be very effective.
WILSON RIVER:
Steelhead, Chinook, cut-
throat
Fishing for steelhead
and spring Chinook is
slow. The water is low and
clear, so use lighter gear
and target the deeper hold-
ing areas. Trout angling
should be fair.
YAQUINA RIVER:
Volunteers needed to identify marine life
YACHATS — The public is invited
to help track marine biodiversity at
Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve during
two BioBlitz events, Aug. 3 and 4, host-
ed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation
Department, Audubon Society of
Portland, Oregon Marine Reserves
Partnership and U.S. Forest Service.
Both events are from 7:30 a.m. to
noon.
The Aug. 3 event is at Yachats Ocean
Road State Natural Site, just south of
the bridge in Yachats; the Aug. 4 event
is at Stonefield Beach State Recreation
Site, seven miles south of Yachats.
Participants should meet in the park-
ing lot and bring waterproof shoes,
raincoat, binoculars, water and snacks.
Participants will take a walk at low
tide to help identify the plants, animals
and other organisms in the rocky inter-
tidal habitat along sections of the Cape
Perpetua Marine Reserve, a protected
research area that covers 14.1 square
miles of ocean habitat between Yachats
and Florence.
Data collected will be used to docu-
ment the rich biodiversity of the area.
For information on the events, con-
tact state Natural Resources Specialist
Celeste Lebo at 541-563-8505 or 541-
272-9008
or
email
her
at
celeste.lebo@oregon.gov.
Information on the Cape Perpetua
Marine Reserve is at www.oregon-
marinereserves.org/cape-perpetua.
Cutthroat
For cutthroat trout cast-
ing small spinners, spoons
or fly fishing streamers or
dry flies can be very effec-
tive. Angling for all species
in streams above tidewater
is restricted to artificial
flies and lures until Sept. 1.
COOS COUNTY LAKES
PONDS: Trout,
AND
warmwater fish
There are trout available
for kids in the Millicoma
See
FISHING 4B
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
E MERALDS