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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2019)
SN Sports & Recreation ODFW R EGIONAL F ISHING R EPORT THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM SATURDAY EDITION | JULY 27, 2019 N EW LEGISLATION MOST SIGNIFICANT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN A CENTURY Two bills — one signed by the Governor earlier this month (HB 2829), and one recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 3742) — offer the most signifi- cant opportunities to fund fish and wildlife conservation in a century. This year, the 2019 Oregon State Legislature passed HB 2829 to create the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund to conserve and manage Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The bill puts $1 million in General Fund aside, to be matched by $1 million in pri- vate funds raised by ODFW, as seed money towards an alter- native, sustainable funding source. It also creates an Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee to rec- ommend how to spend monies from the Fund. The 2019 bill was based on the recommendations of a Task Force created by the 2015 Oregon State Legislature that explored alternative funding for fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation. Among other uses, the new Fund will be used to imple- ment the Oregon Conservation Strategy, a blueprint for con- servation in Oregon that sup- ports voluntary actions to con- serve species and their vital habitats before they become more rare and costly to protect. “In 2016, the Task Force for funding for Fish, Wildlife and Related Outdoor Recreation and Education conducted a survey of Oregonians. It was clear from the survey that Oregonians strongly value our state’s fish and wildlife, includ- ing many people who don’t hunt and fish. Yet the majority of the funding for ODFW’s programs are funded by hunt- ers and anglers,” said Mark Labhart, Chair of the Task Force. “The Legislature agreed and HB 2829 gets us started and well on the way to imple- menting the Oregon Conservation Strategy.” “The Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund will help ensure that future generations of Oregonians can continue to enjoy the incredible natural landscapes that are so central to our way of life,” said Representative Ken Helm (D-Washington County), who was one of the sponsors of HB 2829. Another significant funding source on the horizon is the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742), introduced on See WILDLIFE 2B www.dfw.state.or.us/RR MID COAST LAKES: Stocking of the mid-coast lakes began the first week of February and will continue into June. Check the stocking schedule online for dates and locations of stockings. These early stockings include: Alder and Dune Lake, Cleawox, Lost Lake, Munsel Lake, Thissel Pond, Mercer Lake, Big Creek See T IME O UT By Lloyd Little Retired teacher, coach and game offi cial FISHING 2B With more than55 years as an athlete, coach, parent and specta- tor, Lloyd Little has gained some insights and perspectives regarding athletics. Each week, he shares what he's learned about sports from his multiple points of view. Calendar July 31 • Florence Softball 5:30 p.m. Welton vs ACC (North) Beachcomber vs Lofy (South) 7 p.m. Welton vs Beachcomber (North) ACC vs Lofy (South) Aug. 6 JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS • SYSA registration National Night Out on at Miller Park Or register online at www.siuslawsoccer. com. For more infor mation, call 541- 600-4409 or email siuslawyouthsoccer@ gmail.com. Tide Tables Entrance Siuslaw River High Tide Low Tide June 27 9:23am / 4.6 8:43pm / 6.9 3:06am / 0.7 2:26pm / 2.8 July 28 10:29am / 5.0 9:35pm / 7.3 4:01am / 0.0 3:30pm / 2.9 July 29 11:24am / 5.4 10:27pm / 7.7 4:52am / -0.7 4:29pm / 2.8 July 30 12:13am / 5.8 11:18pm / 8.1 The ‘Next Level’ 5:39am / -1.3 5:23pm / 2.5 2019 Siuslaw High School graduate Lexi Smith has been invited to play catcher for America’s Team, which will compete against softball teams from around the globe. S MITH TO CATCH FOR A MERICA ’ S T EAM B Y J ARED A NDERSON Siuslaw News It started with a fake bunt. “There was a runner on second, and they went to steal third,” softball catcher Alexis Smith said of a summer ball game she played a few years ago. If Smith were to go by the book, “the second basemen gets a lead almost on third base to get us to throw to the shortstop on second. And then, when we throw to sec- ond, the runner on third would score,” Smith said. But that’s not what hap- pened in this case. “I was smart enough to throw to third because I knew what they were doing,” she said. “There was a runner on second, and the runner went to steal third. But I threw down to third to get her. It got past her, and then the short- stop was backing her up. The shortstop got it, and the girl was running home — and she threw it to me and I caught it.” The runner was in a pickle, going back and forth between bases. “We were just throwing it back and forth and she was running. And then I got it and graduated, she was Sky-Em League Second Team All- League honoree and was selected from among the Oregon School A c t i v i t i e s Association’s 4A classification of all- league rosters throughout the state. And Smith was just chosen for America’s Team, an educational pro- gram that brings NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS Lexi Smith played catcher for the Lady various sports — Viking for two years, receiving all- from softball to vol- leyball — to differ- league honors both seasons. ent countries in an she wasn’t stopping. So, I just attempt to bridge put my guard up and she ran cultural divides through into me. And she fell, but I sports. was still standing. Most of my “She established herself as teammates didn’t know what one of the top catchers in 4A was going on, they were con- softball this year. She is a hit- fused. But I knew it. I just ter that will provide a lot of threw to third. It takes a lot of pop in our lineup,” said playing to realize what people Brittany Hendrickson, who is are doing, and what ways you the head coach at Mount can score runs.” Hood and is coaching team Smith has been standing Oregon for an 11-game tour tall as a catcher in a wide vari- in Australia next year. ety of teams throughout her “I got an email from the career. As a catcher at Siuslaw See SMITH 3B High School, where she just Until you are a professional athlete playing in an all-star competition, athletes every- where are moving to the “next level.” As young athletes, most of our competition is age-re- lated. Birth certifi cates are carried by worrisome parents thinking their early maturing super star may be accused of being too old. Th is was defi nitely my ques- tion a few years back when I watched the NFL punt, pass and kick competition on TV. One 13-year-old male partici- pant had a full beard and tow- ered over his fellow compet- itors. As athletes compete in skills competition in a variety of sports, the goal is to reach the next level. Most oft en, I read about college athletes foregoing their remaining years of eligibility to move on to that next level. Th e rising salaries and increasing prize money rewarding profession- al athletes seems to have an infl uence on the decision of some underclass players to turn professional. Once athletes enter a mid- dle or high school’s selected sports programs, their “next level” is generally dictated by their grade levels with pro- gression following a grade-ap- propriate level of competition, i.e., athletes advancing from seventh-grade to eighth-grade sports teams. Upon entering high school, there are multi- ple levels of team selections. Depending on the sport and skills an athlete possesses at the high school level, progress generally moves from frosh to junior varsity to varsity. Small- er schools, like Mapleton, will oft en have fewer levels, with teams are chosen by coaches from players who show up for tryouts. It is then that an ath- lete’s “next level” may some- times warrant skipping the lower-tier teams. See LITTLE 3B July 31 12:57pm / 6.1 6:25am/ -1.8 6:15pm/ 2.2 Aug. 1 12:08am / 8.3 1:40pm / 6.5 7:10am / -2.0 7:07pm / 1.8 Aug. 2 12:59am / 8.3 2:22pm/ 6.8 7:54am/ -2.0 7:58pm/ 1.5 M ARINE B OARD WARNS PADDLERS , FLOATERS OF LOW WATER LEVELS Marine board warns pad- dlers, floaters of low water lev- els It’s that time of year when lower water levels create safety challenges for paddlers and floaters, especially inexperi- enced recreators who are unfa- miliar with how to safely maneuver their craft around obstructions near the banks or just below the surface of the water. The Oregon State Marine Board offers the following tips on how to have fun and stay safe: • Always float with a friend, especially in paddlecraft or float tubes. Have at least two boats or float devices and a plan if you become separated. Always fill out a float plan or give detailed information to a friend or family member about where you’re going, when you expect to return, what clothing you’re wearing, and who’s with you. Also, put contact infor- mation on your craft so if you get separated, the craft can be returned. • Keep your wits about you. Boating in rivers can be extremely relaxing; so much so, that it’s easy to be hypno- tized and less aware of your surroundings. Always keep a sharp lookout and routinely scan from left to right and right to left for logs, submerged objects, and the watch the See LEVELS 2B
