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Bookworm?

We’ve got your weekend covered. See Page B1

75 CENTS | VOL. 85 | NO. 34 | 2 SECTIONS YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1927

AUGUST 22, 2012 | WEDNESDAY

www.TheNewsGuard.com

LINCOLN CITY, OREGON

Creature suffers from child infestation PATRICK ALEXANDER The News Guard

Feelin’ Racy? Registration is now taking place for the 22nd annual Lincoln City Sprint Triathlon, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 at Regatta Grounds Park on Devils Lake. The event begins with a .75K lake swim, followed by a 15.5K bike ride around Devils Lake, and finishes with a 5K out-and-back run. Individuals and two-person or threeperson teams are invited to participate. Early registration is recommended. All athletes will receive a long-sleeved technical T-shirt, swim cap, refreshments, and a great race. Prizes will be awarded to overall winners, and the top three finishers in each age group will receive ribbons.

One of the things that Lincoln City officials liked about the Devils Lake Creature sculpture was that it would be attractive to children – getting them interested in both art and the math involved in its construction. But it seems the piece has proved a little too attractive to kids who are more interested in climbing up the creature’s back and sitting on its head. Sandy Pfaff, executive director of the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau, who acts as liaison

to the Public Art Committee, said kids started climbing the sculpture soon after it was dedicated on Aug. 4, with the problem getting worse as time went on. “It started looking like an anthill,” she said Pfaff said the City foresaw a problem with people trying to climb the sculpture and attempted to dissuade them with a politely worded sign warning that the piece is fragile and not to be used as a Jungle Gym. The sign lasted a few days before being stolen. Pfaff said the City originally planned to install a low fence around the

sculpture but, in response to the climbing spate, have temporarily surrounded the creature with orange webbing and caution signs. Within a week, in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 19, someone set fire to the webbing, leading to a late night call out for local firefighters. While a permanent fence remains an option, Pfaff said, the City wants to try a less obtrusive method first. “The concern was not trying to fence this thing off so that the whole point of it

PATRICK ALEXANDER/THE NEWS GUARD

While the Devils Lake Creature appears to be enjoying his See INFESTATION, Page A3 lakefront home at Regatta Park, he would prefer if children would refrain from sitting on his head.

Mushball tourney a hit

See page B1

INSERTS Chinook Winds; Roby’s Furniture; P&G Brandsaver; Walgreens; Sears; Safeway; Rite Aid; Bi-Mart

PATRICK ALEXANDER The News Guard

WEATHER GUIDE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS High Low Prec.

Tues., Aug. 14 Wed., Aug. 15 Thurs., Aug. 16 Fri., Aug. 17 Sat., Aug. 18 Sun., Aug. 19 Mon., Aug. 20

67 67 61 61 63 63 66

53 52 52 52 53 54 53

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

JIM FOSSUM/THE NEWS GUARD

Justin Mena slides safely into home plate to help lead Lincoln City’s men’s team to a victory Sunday in a mushball tournament at Kirtsis Park. Tournament, city and law enforcement officials said the event, marred by rowdiness last year, was canceled last winter, rescheduled and went off without a hitch and proved beneficial to the city’s economy.

Weekly Rainfall: .0 inches Yearly Rainfall: 55.97 inches

WEEKLY OUTLOOK The familiar coastal weather pattern of cloudy mornings and sunny afternoons should continue. A very slight possibility of patchy drizzle interrupting the dry spell. The weekend days should start with sunny mornings. Weather data provided by Roads End Weather Watcher Sheridan Jones

Making progress on VRDs

Behavior in check following last year’s rowdiness JIM FOSSUM The News Guard

F

or a sport whose name you can’t even find in the dictionary, mushball certainly caused a mishmash of controversy over whether it would be beneficial for the community to stage for the 20th straight year at Kirtsis Park last weekend. Bucking the odds, the tournament, canceled last winter over a series of alleged behavioral issues, went off after all and proved entertaining and economically prosperous for local businesses that benefitted from the influx of nearly 20 Portlandarea teams and their fans. “It seemed to go better, smoother, but you can’t police the fans,” said former Taft High 7-12 baseball coach Shawn Ehrenfelt, who stepped aside as tournament organizer this year but took in a couple of

games to watch his twin sons, Brad and Zach, play. “But 17 teams coming down is big for our town. It’s definitely a big boost to the economy.” The two-day tournament, which was overseen this year by longtime participants Daniel Cochran and Sandy Stuart, was won Sunday, Aug. 19, by Lariat 11-10 over fellow Portland-area team You’re Out in nine innings of the scheduled seven-inning title game. Lincoln City’s men’s division representative, Off at the Beach, was eliminated 8-6 earlier in the day despite All-Star acclaim for Nolan and Lars Kellow. Meanwhile, the local women’s team won both of its games against Portland-area teams to win the three-team girls competition. ‘The tournament was very mellow this year and a lot of fun,” Stuart said. See MUSHBALL, Page A3

The group working to draft recommendations for a rewrite of Lincoln City’s vacation rental dwelling (VRD) rules has reached a consensus on how to regulate parking as well as the concept of dividing the community into “Yes” and “No” areas for short-term rentals. The group, which includes local residents, property managers and business owners, agreed that, without a citywide permit system to regulate parking, there is no practical way to limit the number of vehicles that VRD guests bring to their rental homes. Professor Richard Birke, the conflict resolution expert facilitating the group’s discussion, said that while the City can enforce rules about how many vehicles a VRD has in its driveway, it is effectively powerless to deal with extra vehicles parked on the street. He said a permit system could solve the problem but would require all residents to have permits in order to park on the city’s side streets. While some members said they would support such a system to help deal with excessive numbers of parked cars at all properties, whether rentals or not, the majority of the group felt a citywide permit system would be burdensome and off-putting to visitors. “The parking’s an issue,” Historic Anchor Inn owner Kip Ward said, “but it isn’t a big enough issue to set the town on its head over. See VRD, Page A2

Ford group promotes Regatta Park stage JIM FOSSUM The News Guard

of Devils Lake. Their mission is to replace the stage that was torn down in the early 1980s and featured such artA group of local citizens ists as noted Portland-based with an interest in theater blues, R&B and soul singerare seeking a big supporting songwriter Curtis Salgado. cast in an attempt to erect “I believe building a stage a public stage for open-air at Regatta Park is a grand performances at Regatta idea because it would be a Park. wonderful addition to our More than 30 members community,” FILP’s Suzanne of the North Lincoln County Allen said. “A stage in a park Cohort of the Ford Institute can be a gathering point for Leadership Program (FILP) the people in the commuhope to revive a long-past nity and make the park even tradition of community more of a destination than it gatherings for music and L10389 Power Ford 6x2 082212:Layout 1 8/20/12 3:57 PM Page 1 entertainment on the shores is currently.”

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The group says the stage, to be located west of the park’s playground, will increase outdoor social activities, increase opportunities for community collaboration, provide a venue for musicians and performers, highlight the connection between art and the environment, attract people of all age groups, enhance offerings to tourists and increase revenue for the city. “I became involved in the project because I

JIM FOSSUM/THE NEWS GUARD

Ford Institute Leadership Program members each find their See REGATTA, Page A3 own way to mark the spot where a stage is proposed for Regatta Grounds Park.

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