WEEKEND EDITION
Friday February 7, 2020
Inside Valentine’s Day happenings page A6 www.currypilot.com
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Brookings, Oregon
Gold Beach adding fuel tax to ballot T
Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
he Gold Beach City Council passed a resolution to put a fuel tax on the ballot at a well-attended meeting on Feb. 3. The council also discussed the road diet reconfiguration of U.S.
Highway 101 through town and pondered code amendments restricting short-term rentals in residential zones. The fuel tax would fund necessary repairs of cityowned streets. To get the measure on the upcoming May primary election ballot, the council needed to
approve the resolution at the Feb. 3 meeting. The fuel tax failed in a previous election held in Nov. 2018, despite the council having received overwhelming citizen input about preferring a fuel tax over an additional monthly fee added to water and sewer bills.
Comments on the survey indicated citizens preferred tourists share some of the road repair burdens. The fuel tax would be collected by motor vehicle fuel dealers from customers and would add approximately a penny per gallon to the cost. The resolution passed
unanimously, with councilor Anthony Pagano absent. Road Diet On the topic of the road diet, the only citizen comment came from Grady Grant of Gold Beach, who voiced support for slowing traffic down through town.
Community benevolence
“I bike through town with my daughter and it’s terribly unsafe as is,” he said. Mayor Karl Popoff started the council discussion of the road diet off by noting that he had received an email More Ballot on Page A5
First month of Dungeness crabbing disappoints But quality is ‘really, really good’ Jessica Goddard and Brian Williams Staff Writers
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(Top left) Pamela Winebarger accepts a $400 check from Scoutmaster Mike Hamilton. (Top right) The Hamilton family took a picture with Santa — Liam, Mike and Eden Hamilton (front left to right) and Taira Hamilton (back). (Bottom left) The den members went ‘shopping’ at the food bank in a role-playing scenario where they learned about homeless and hungry members of their community. (Bottom right) Pamela Winebarger, director of the food bank, shows the fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables stored at the food bank. Photos courtesy of Taira Hamilton and Stacy Skaggs.
Cub Scouts raise $400 for food bank Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
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rookings Cub Scout Pack 124 presented a $400 check to the Brookings Harbor Food Bank on Jan. 7. They earned the money through a photos-with-Santa fundraiser held Dec. 14. They also held a bake sale, with $250 from that going to the scouts.
The cub scout pack members range from kindergarten through fifth-graders, and includes both boys and girls. The idea for the fundraiser came after the Wolf den visited the food bank. The Wolves are first- and second-graders. When they toured the food bank, they got to learn about how to serve the community and the homeless as one of their badge requirements, said den co-leader Taira Hamilton. Paul Slosser is
the other leader of the Wolf den. Pamela Winebarger, executive director, allowed the den to come in and tour the food bank when it was closed. “They did some role-playing and pretended they were in that situation,” Hamilton said. “She checked them in like they were
he Dungeness Crabbing season is off to a slow start in Brookings and Crescent City, Calif., this year and the recent turbulent weather has only complicated matters. “We’ve had a lot of bad weather, not too many days out fishing,” said Russ Burkman, owner of Pacific Ocean Harvesters in Brookings. But what is being caught “the quality is awesome. It has been really, really good,” Burkman said. Fishermen were anxious to begin crab fishing when the season opened on Dec. 31, after being delayed twice due to the crab quality. So far, the season has been disappointing, yielding a low overall poundage of crabs, according to Crescent City Harbor Commissioner Rick Shepherd and Burkman. It is not the worst year Crescent City and Brookings has seen, but it’s certainly not the best. “It’s not a horrible year, but it’s not a banner year by any means,” Burkman said. “Not as many crabs as in past years.” Burkman did not know exactly why there were less crabs in the region adding that “it’s just different from year to year.” Many boats went down the California coast to avoid the season delay, fishermen who stayed local may catch the amount they would on an average year. Without the common fleet of 200 crabbing boats, the smaller numbers have raked in close to their usual share, or at least the larger boats have. “If we had a whole bunch of boats, nobody would have caught anything, but this is the least amount of boats I ever can remember,” said Shepherd, who has fished in More Crabbing on Page A7
More Scouts on Page A5
Incumbent Commissioner Court Boice files for re-election He is running for second term for Position 3 in Curry County
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Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
urry County Commissioner Court Boice has decided to run for a second term for Position 3. The paperwork and fee of $50 were filed on Jan. 21. To date, Boice is the only candidate who has filed for Position 3. Boice first ran for and won the position after David Brock Smith was elected to the Oregon State Legislature. “He called me up and said, ‘You need to run for commissioner,’” Boice said. “Then I got elected, and I’ve never forgiven him,” he teased. “I’m running again because who else is going to do it? Who else is going to take the pressure of this job? It’s tremendous. Now that I’ve
Index
Classifieds.................B3-6 Crosswords...............A4 Calendar....................B1 Comics......................A4
been in for three years, I’m starting to find my footing a little bit. I’m really energized to do another four years.” Boice has joined an alliance of commissioners from neighboring counties (Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Douglas), confers often with state and federal agencies, and serves on numerous boards and committees. “I’ve attended all these boards that nobody else would do,” he said. “In my opinion, they are so important.” He attends a roster of board meetings that numbers more than 20 organizations. He has worked with federal and state elected officials to secure more than $11 million of funding for the county over the past three years, including $2 million for the South
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Curry Emergency Room, $1.7 million state funding and $1.2 million federal funding for Sudden Oak Death, and $1.2 million for Emergency Forest Restoration after the Chetco Bar Fire. “Nobody can say I’m not dedicated,” he said. “Nobody can say I’m not bringing the funds back. Nobody can say I’m lazy on the boards. It’s not just about bringing money into the county but about doing your job, focusing, being fulltime and working well with people.” Boice says that he models his leadership style after past Oregon statesmen, such as Governor Vic Atiyeh, Secretary of State Norma Paulus, Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and Congress-
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man John Dellenback. “These leaders had a legacy of problem solving and collaboration, which has had a lasting impact on me,” Boice said. “Using those traits, I have focused on building relationships, making corrections, and positioning this county toward a future of economic prosperity. Together with our talented staff, we’re regaining security for Curry County families, employers and citizens, while improving public safety and quality of life.” Boice’s past service includes economic development and many volunteer boards. He served eight years on the Oregon State Marine Board and ran a successful small More Boice on Page A8
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Commissioner Court Boice has deep roots in Curry County, where he wants to serve a second term as a commissioner. Photo courtesy of Court Boice.
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