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WEEKEND EDITION

Friday January 17 2020

www.currypilot.com

SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946

Brookings, Oregon

Winter Storm

Two alive as sneaker wave hits V

CLOSES HIGHWAY TO GRANTS PASS

icki Mizel and Doctor Siggy are lucky to be alive. Mizel was “swallowed up and tossed around” by a sneaker wave that hit the beach just before noon Jan. 11 north of Gold Beach. That same day, similar waves resulted in the deaths of two children near Cannon Beach. Mizel and her cat, Doctor Siggy, who walks along with her on a leash, had taken advantage of a break in the weather to enjoy the sun and stroll the beach. They were walking on a stretch near the parking area at the north end of Nesika Road, where it dead ends. “It’s a beach we’ve been going to for five years,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about king tides and sneaker waves.” Predicted for that day at Wedderburn was a 7.9-foot high tide at 11:22 a.m., according to the website saltwatertides.com. King tides are both extraordinarily high and low ones that occur once or twice a year, usually when Earth is closest to the sun, often in January. Sneaker waves occur more frequently and unexpectedly, suddenly running up on the beach beyond where previous waves were reaching. They occur as waves amplify each other when they combine, instead of canceling each other out. Those waves can knock people down, fill their clothing and shoes with sand and water, and drag them out to sea because they can’t get up. “When the wave hit, the undertow and

More Reviews on Page A4

Upper elevations between Grants Pass and Gasquet could see up to 12 inches of snow this week. Photo courtesy the Caltrans District 1 Facebook Page.

O

Jessica Goddard and Brian Williams Staff Writers

fficials closed U.S. Highway 199 early Thursday morning, from its junction with U.S. Highway 197 to the California-Oregon border, because of heavy snow and fallen trees in the Smith River Canyon. By 9:49 a.m., reported the California Department of Transportation, the highway had been cleared and was reopened - only to be closed again at 10:43 – and reopened again at 1:10 p.m. The California Highway Patrol said in a Facebook post prior to the road being reopened that vehicles were being escorted through the canyon. Caltrans, Frontier, Pacific Power and Charter were on Highway 199 assisting and working to keep the roads clear. Heavy winds and rain jeopardized safe travel, and a winter storm warning for Gasquet and Hiouchi was in effect through Thursday. The snow was expected to diminish during the

Linda Pinkham Staff Writer

More Alive on Page A3

evening, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast called for up to 12 inches of snow at the upper elevations between Grants Pass and Gasquet. Meanwhile, Crescent City had a hazardous-weather warning in effect through Thursday evening, with moderate to heavy rains and possible hail in the forecast. A flood watch was in effect until noon. “With persistent rain over the last week, creeks and streams are already elevated. The additional rainfall will likely result in some small streams and creeks overtopping their banks on the coastal plain,” according to the weather service website in Eureka. The weather service warned of localized city flooding near the coast. RogueWeather.com posted on its Facebook page that roads throughout southern Oregon and northern California were difficult to impossible to navigate on Thursday, and that the storm’s repercussions were likely to continue through Friday.

Vicki Mizel feels lucky to be alive, and grateful that her 17-year-old cat, Doctor Siggy, still has one of his nine lives left. Photo by Linca Pinkham.

New outdoor adventures on deck for South Coast Tours S

Linda Pinkham Staff Writer

outh Coast Tours has a new boat - and big plans - for the upcoming tourist season. A 27-foot, 225-horsepower Honda motorized Bombard Explorer will add to the company’s portfolio of outdoor adventures. The boat is a “rigid inflatable,” which South Coast Tours owner and guide Dave Lacey says is “nearly unsinkable.” “Rigid inflatable” means it has a fiberglass hull, with the inflatable pontoons around the outside of the boat, said Lacey. In May, South Coast Tours will begin its eighth season. The business out of Port Orford and Gold Beach has grown exponentially. “We sold 14 spots in 2012, and in 2018 we did 817,” said Lacey. “And (we) grew again in 2019, but we have not run the numbers yet.” Said Lacey, “We offer freshwater and saltwater kayaking, as well as stand-up paddle boarding and fishing, surfing lessons, snorkeling, multiple types of van tours, and now boat tours totaling 21 different options.” The company employs five seasonal

Index

Classifieds.................A10-12 Crosswords...............A4 Calendar....................A8 Comics......................A4 Art Scene..................A8-9

Weather HIGH LOW

Thurs 44 37

guides, including Lacey, and will have six in 2020. “We pay a good starting wage of $20 per hour, and guides get a raise every year they come back for another season,” he said. “Guides also get tips regularly, and are usually done with work before noon so they can have another job later in the day if they choose.” The Pilot caught up with Lacey to learn more about the company’s new equipment and planned tour opportunities. The Pilot: What made you decide to make this investment in a motorized boat? Dave Lacey: Paddle sports are a small part of the visitor profile for the Oregon coast. Having this vessel will appeal to more people, a more diverse age range, and to folks with different physical abilities. We are always looking for new ways to provide adventure. With all of our growth and success up to this point, I felt like it was time to make the move to utilize more horsepower, to get visitors and locals alike out to see the amazing local geography and wildlife that inhabit the south coast. More Adventures on Page A3

Past four days

Wed 50 32

Tues 44 39

Mon 51 40

5-day forecast, tides and complete weather: Page A8

Tides LOW HIGH LOW HIGH

Call us 541-813-1717

This 27-foot boat will be outfitted to take guests out on the ocean for whale, wildlife and bird watching. Photo by Dave Lacey.

Sat Fri Sun 4:52 AM 5:43 AM 12:03 AM 11:30 AM 12:44 PM 6:36 AM 5:15 PM 6:47 PM 1:52 PM 11:04 PM 8:15 PM

Fax 541-813-1931

Sunrise/Sunset RISE SET

Fri 7:41 5:13

Sat 7:40 5:14

Online www.currypilot.com

Sun 7:40 5:15

Mon 7:39 5:17

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