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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2019)
2B | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | SIUSLAW NEWS ODFW R EGIONAL F ISHING R EPORT www.dfw.state.or.us/RR MID COAST LAKES: Stocking of mid coast lakes stopped in early June, but fishing for warmwater species can still be good in several area lakes, including Ollala Reservoir, Mercer Lake, Siltcoos Lake and Tahkenitch Lake. SIUSLAW RIVER: Fall Chinook, winter steelhead Winter steelhead fish- ing opened on Dec. 1 and fish will start enter- ing the Siuslaw system throughout the month of December. No good reports yet but things should be changing this week with warmer weather and rain in the forecast. Hatchery fish in the Siuslaw system return to Whitaker Creek (Siuslaw) and Green Creek (Lake Creek). Fishing should start to pick up soon with each rise in the river lev- els. Bobber fishing with bait/jigs, drift fishing, and casting lures are good techniques to catch a Siuslaw winter steel- head. Steelhead fishing remains open in the closed Chinook areas of the Siuslaw and Lake Creek. Due to lower than expected returns and conservation concerns, fall Chinook fishing on the Siuslaw remains closed upstream of the Tiernan boat ramp (downstream of Mapleton). Below the deadline the bag limit for fall Chinook is reduced to one adult Chinook per day and a limit of 3 through the remainder of the season. Chinook fishing con- tinues to be slow in the open area. All wild coho must be released for the 2018 fall salmon season. Lake Creek, a tribu- tary of the Siuslaw River, is closed for the 2018 fall salmon season. Trout fishing in streams will reopen May 22, 2019. ALSEA RIVER: Fall Chinook, winter steelhead Winter steelhead fish- ing has begun on the Alsea River. The popular North Fork Alsea fishery opened on Dec. 1. Fishing has been slow so far, the river is low and clear and water tempera- tures have dropped with the cold nights and east winds. During these conditions, the lower Alsea can be good as fish slow their migration and spend more time lower in the system. Expect things to pick up this week with the change in weather and more rain in the forecast. The Alsea still gets a good amount of the early returning stock that peaks in December and January, as well as a later stock that peaks in February and March. Expect more fish to show up with each rise in the river level from now through April. Bobber fishing with jigs/bait, drift fishing, and casting lures are all effective ways to catch these hard fighting fish. R e m i n d e r : Wi nt e r steelhead fishing remains open in the areas closed to Chinook. When fish- ing for winter steelhead remember to leave spawning Chinook and coho salmon alone so they can provide fish for the future. YIR from 1B Entering the final game, the teams were only sepa- rated by 2 pins, making it a one-game, winner-take-all situation for the title. In short, after 30 games of qualifying and seven match- es in the elimination, every- thing came down to one final game. The Lady Vikings kept things close, but in the end lost out to finish in second place narrowly losing to Henley/Mazama on their home lanes. “I have been to a lot of state bowling tournaments, including winning three titles, but this was some of the most intense bowling I have been a part of,” said coach and program coordi- nator Dusty Anderson, who added that rallying from behind in so many matches “was unbelievable.” In addition to a hard- fought second place finish for the Lady Viks, Abby Coday, a senior, was named by coaches to the league’s First-Team All-Star roster and was recognized as the state tournament champi- onship Most Valuable Player. Going… going… gone (April 7) The final remnants of the original Hans Petersen Memorial Field off of Quince Street were demol- ished on April 4 as excava- tors from Earth Works Excavation brought down the iconic bleachers struc- ture. It had been some 17 years since any cheers had echoed across the original Hans Petersen Field located off of Quince Street, below the Florence Events Center. With its official opening on Oct. 5, 1951, the first group of seniors to take the field included James Faulkner, Dean Small, Jim Wilson, Jack Dante, Richard Swigert, Ronald Harmon, Leon Coit, Bud Miles and Laurie Walker. The location served as the hub of Viking football for the next 50 years, its cleat-pocked earth absorb- ing the sweat, blood and tears of generations of Siuslaw fans and players as they shared moments of both elation and disap- pointment, defeat and tri- umph. The final group of Siuslaw High School seniors to compete on the field — Brandon Little, John Sims, J. Sandman, Sean Lang and Jordan Stone — gathered there morning of Oct. 5, 2001 to commemorate both the field’s 50th anniversary and its final season. The next fall, the field re-opened at its new loca- tion, behind Siuslaw Middle School on Oak Street. Since 2002, remnants of the original field have slowly been relocated, removed or torn down, leaving the iconic struc- ture that once housed the bleachers as the only reminder of the field’s long history. On Wednesday, April 4, 2018, that reminder disap- peared as excavators turned the structure into a pile of twisted metal and old lumber. The field’s beginnings stem back to 1948, when, on one September day, 82-year- old Hans Petersen was tragically struck by a car while crossing a street in downtown Portland. Known throughout Florence, Petersen was a local businessman whose love for children made him an endearing figure within the community. There are stories told of how he provided space in his construction company building for kids to dis- play their animals during the annual county fair — and of his often-heard wish for a community playing field that families could enjoy. It was that wish that members of the Hans M. Petersen Memorial Committee set out to grant on his behalf. After settling on the idea of build- ing a stadium, the commit- tee, chaired by Edward Niespo, approached the Seaman family about a hilly piece of land on the edge of the city covered with pine, rhododendrons and huckle- berries. The site’s ownership was shared by brothers W.A. Seaman and A.E. Seaman, along with W.A. Seaman’s wife, Olive, of Coos Bay. A deed was soon drawn up, transferring ownership of the land to the Petersen committee for a token $10 — just enough to cover legal fees involved in the transac- tion. By January of 1951, the new field was taking shape as residents and local busi- nesses donated time and materials, working together to build grandstands and complete the turf that would become not only a legacy for Hans Petersen, but a tra- dition for Viking fans in the decades ahead. Siuslaw track claims two state titles (May 5) Early success breeds future success. And if last year’s state performance by the Siuslaw track and field team is any indication, the Vikings can expect great things for the future. Two track members, sophomores Ryan Rendon-Padilla and Hannah Rannow, each brought home the state crown in their respective events — Rendon-Padilla in the javelin and Rannow in the 800 meters. Rannow also placed fifth in the 3,000-meter race (10:40.14) over the week- end. Rendon-Padilla launched a personal record throw of 181 feet, 7 inches for the javelin title; Rannow won the 800 event with a PR as well, finishing in 2:18.54. A total of five Siuslaw athletes scored points for the Vikings during last weekend’s two-day state meet at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, competing in what was the final high school state meet to be held at the facility before con- struction of the new Hayward Field begins, pos- sibly as early as the fall. It was a fitting end to the careers of the team’s only three seniors to reach state, throwers Trent Reavis and KC Tatum, and para-racer Josh Payne. Reavis, who was sidelined most of the season while healing from knee surgery, came in late and managed to secure a place at state in the shot put, eventually landing fourth at 51-10.5. Tatum threw the discus 133-9 to take eighth in the 4A. Payne, making a return to state, finished with a pair of personal bests, placing second in the para 1,500 meters (5:13.85) and third in the para 400-meter race (1:16.87.) Reavis graduated holding school records in the discus and IAAF javelin and could still break Siuslaw’s shot put record of 52-1, set in 1972 by Bruce Plaep, if he can do so by August 31 — the cut off for high school qualify- ing. All told, eight more indi- viduals and one team had top-14 or better showings at this year’s state meet, all of them underclassmen. For the girls, freshman hurdler Gracie Freudenthal was fifth in the 300-meter hurdles after clocking a PR time of 46.83. Junior Madison Reynolds was ninth in the shot put at 33-11.75; freshman Andrea Osbon placed 11th in the discus (96-3) and 12th in the shot put (32-11.25); freshman Brea Blankenship was 12th in the 1,500 meters (5:19.04); sophomore Anne Wartnik was 14th in the 1,500 meters (5:32.04) and the relay team of Naomi Shoji, Rannow, Blankenship and Freudenthal ran the 4x400 relay in 4:16.71 for 11th place at state. For the boys, sophomore Brendon Jensen ran both the 1,500 meters (4:27.21) and 3,000 meters (9:37.19), finishing 13th in both events. Freshman Ryan Jennings, competing in the 300-meter hurdles, finished 14th in 46.25. Athletes of the Year (June 2) During last June’s Athletic Excellence Awards Dessert hosted by KCST at Siuslaw High School, 26 athletes were recognized for their commitment and contribu- tions to athletics at Siuslaw and Mapleton high schools, as well as their individual accomplishments over the 2017-18 school year. Gathered with friends and family, each athlete at the dessert had been spotlight- ed at some point through- out the year — some more than once — as KCST’s Athlete of the Week. During the course of the last three sports seasons, the athletes being honored had contributed to a total of 19 new school records and won 17 individual district and state titles between the Vikings and Sailors. Among those athletes, 12 finalists Let me Showcase your property. Aileen Sapp Broker 541 999-5396 7th Street #1100 – Wooded 0.23 acre lot on an undeveloped street. 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Finalists for the girls included Abby Coday, Hannah Rannow, Gracie Freudenthal, Alexis Smith, Emma Collins and Brea Blankenship for the girls; boys finalists included Kyle King, Trent Reavis, Richard Huff, Jared Brandt and Ryan Rendon-Padilla of Siuslaw, along with Gabe Simington and Dominic Wells of Mapleton. “It was a tough group to select from,” said KCST news director George Henry. “There were so many outstanding student ath- letes, with each of them making big contributions to their teams’ overall success- es.” At the close of the awards ceremony, which included entertainment provided by Siuslaw’s cheerleading squad and specialty desserts prepared by Siuslaw High School’s culinary students and served by PRIDE mem- bers, Siuslaw sophomore Hannah Rannow and senior Kyle King were named as KCST’s Athletes of the Year because of their athletic accomplishments as well as academic achievement. Athletes of the Week 2017 - 2018 Makenzie York, Jordan Long, Brendon Jensen, Kendal Robinson, Dominic Wells, Hannah Rannow, Emma Collins, Trent Reavis, Isaac Griffes, Kyle King, Richard Huff, Brea Blankenship, Dylan Wynn, Patrick Hill, Abby Coday, Riley Jennings, Brady Libby, Jake Hickson, Ryan Rendon- Padilla, Haley Meier, Caleb Hennessee, Gabe Simington, Alexis Smith, Ariel Rosenbaum, Dylan Rogers and Gracie Freudenthal. Siuslaw honors 2018 HOF inductees (Aug. 15) As Siuslaw wrestling coach Neil Wartnik put it, “Life is like a relay race, handing the baton from one generation to the next. To get a clean hand-off, you need examples of leadership and excellence from those who come before you.” Wartnik’s words came early in the 2018 Siuslaw Hall of Fame induction cer- emony last August, spoken during his introduction of inductee and 1974 wrestling state champion Dwight Chapman, who echoed Wartnik’s sentiments about the importance of legacy. “The people who came before us — we stand on their shoulders,” said an emotional Chapman, who wore his father’s 1943 Siuslaw High School letter- man jacket to the ceremony. It was an evening full of reminiscing that spanned decades of Siuslaw tradi- tion, recognizing athletes and coaches from 1964 through 1994. Despite the span of three decades, it was clear that there was a com- mon thread of shared expe- rience from the generations of Siuslaw alumni who gath- ered to recognize some of the individuals who con- tributed to those the school’s legacies. Among them was the late Dennis Howell, a legendary first-team all-state lineback- er who was a member of the 1963 team that claimed the school’s first state play-off bid and went 11-1 upon reaching the state semi-fi- nals. Howell’s family was there to receive a plaque on his behalf, with past Florence Police Chief Lynn Lamm speaking about his life-long friend. “I’ve been telling stories about Denny since 1961 because, to put it plainly, he was an unforgettable char- acter who was as passionate as he was compassionate,” said Lamm. “He remains the toughest man I ever knew, and that’s after 40 years in law enforcement.” On Oct. 29, 1973, Howell lost his life in a tragic log- ging accident near Thorne See YIR 3B