WEEKEND EDITION
Friday December 27 2019
www.currypilot.com
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Brookings, Oregon
A spirit of Oregon marks Coast Guard helicopters W
A member of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, looks up at the new tail art on an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Bend. Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Bend.
hen you see U.S. Coast Guard helicopters flying across southwestern Oregon, look for the artwork on the aircraft. In honor of Native American Heritage Awareness, according to the Coast Guard, the command of Sector North Bend has adorned MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopters with original artwork modeled after cultural references from the confederation of local tribal nations. The Thunderbird artwork was designed among the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians and the 13th Coast Guard District. In traditional tribal stories, the Thunderbird was father of the ocean, father of the food, giver of the tides and bringer of the storms. His favorite people were the Salmon People.
If the Salmon People, or any other water peoples, were shown any disrespect, then fishing could suffer, great storms could form or tsunamis strike. The “salmon with waves” in the wing of the design references a traditional tribal story that warns against such disrespect. The “way up above road” on the tail of the design represents the trail to the Creator, and the “scallops” (triangles) featured throughout are commonly found on traditional tribal basketry. “I think the public should remember that these symbols have existed in this area for thousands of years,” said Confederated Tribes cultural stewardship manager Jesse Beers. “And that they speak to the need for stewardship and respect for our foods, More Spirit on Page A3
New Year’s Eve
A crabber’s life
Curry County’s Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Events Cheers to New Year’s Sleepover The Clubhouse Playcenter and Daycare Cost: $45. Bring sleeping bag, pillow, mat overnight bag 5 p.m.-9 a.m. New Year’s Eve Ball The Landing North DJ Deb, prizes for bestdressed 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Great Gatsby ‘20s New Year’s Eve Party Prizes for the bestdressed Hunter Creek Bar & Grill 9 p.m.
Investment huge
Roaring ‘20s New Year’s Eve Party Dress in costume Backstreet Bar 9 p.m.
before first pot is set he commercial crab season is finally on, starting this coming Tuesday. But do you have any idea what it takes to get that delicious crustacea on your table for New Year’s dinner? Brookings crabber Jim Day filled in The Pilot about the industry. Brace yourself. While crab fishermen can’t begin running gear until Dec. 31, they get started much sooner than that. They can begin 72 hours before the official opening day, with a “set day” starting at 8 a.m. this Saturday. “Once the season is underway, they will be out running gear every day
they can get out,” Day said. “After the season slows down, they will go out every three or more days, setting the traps with clams for a ‘long soak.’” Earlier in the season, the baits used are mackerel, squid and sardines. “Most of the crab fishing vessels here in Brookings are family-run individual operators,” Day said, although a few fishermen do operate several boats. Crab fishing is an expensive business to get into. In addition to an ocean-worthy boat, the crab permits are the next big financial hurdle. Those permits can be for 200-, 300- or 500-crab pots. Depending on the size of the boat, a 200-pot permit can run $40,000 to
$60,000. A 300-pot permit will run anywhere from $100,000 to $175,000. A 500-pot permit runs upwards of $250,000 to $400,000. Think about this before you complain about the price of crab. And that’s just the beginning. Each crab pot itself costs $150 to $200, before you start adding buoys and ropes to them. If you plan to fish in deeper water, you need longer ropes. And each trap requires three buoys. Then, there’s the added cost of bait, fuel, insurance… Day decided to sell his crab permit last year, with no plan to go out this year. “It’s been six to eight years since we’ve had a good year here,” he said.
Police chief hits 2-year mark G
Chief Tracy Wood
More Chief on Page A3
Classifieds.................B3-6 Crosswords...............A4 Calendar....................B1 Comics......................A4 Art Scene..................B2
(Top) Crab pots with buoys and ropes are staged for loading onto boats. (Bottom) Boats loaded with crab pots are waiting at Port of Brookings Harbor for the season to open. Photos by Linda Pinkham. He added that once again it isn’t looking like it will be a good year. When crabs were tested before opening the current season, the weights and numbers were lower than for other points to the north, showing 400 pounds here, with 15 or 20 crabs per pot; versus 600 to 700 pounds, with 40 to 60 crabs per pot.
More Events on Page A2
“Some boats from this area have already left to fish in Astoria or Coos Bay,” Day said. “The tests give you an idea of what’s out there.” Perhaps that explains why crab fishermen get even crabbier when the season is delayed. “It makes it hard to pay the bills, much less cover the expenses,” Day said.
The Gold Beach
Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
old Beach Police Chief Tracy Wood celebrated his two-year anniversary on the job Dec. 23. But he’s certainly not a newcomer to the department or to Gold Beach. Wood has been with the Gold Beach Police Department for a little over eight years, and was with the Curry County Sheriff’s Office for eight-plus years before that. Born in Agness, Wood was raised in Bandon.
Index
New Year’s Eve Party Chetco Brewing Company Spence Brothers Band, Mike Powell 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
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Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
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