MIDWEEK EDITION
Tuesday December 10 2019 www.currypilot.com
Brookings, Oregon
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Another delay for crabbing season Staff Report
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he opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season along the entire Oregon coast now is delayed until at least Dec. 31, following testing that shows crabs are still too low in meat yield in half of the designated areas along the coast. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife had announced Nov. 14 that the season would be delayed until Dec. 16 because of the low meat yield. That delay has been extended. The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season in Oregon as a rule is tar-
geted to open Dec. 1, but can be delayed to ensure a high-quality product for consumers and to avoid wasting the catch. Crab quality testing in late November and early December showed that many areas within the tri-state region still did not meet the criteria for opening the season. The delayed opening will allow for crabs to fill with more meat, said state officials. Testing will continue, to determine if the season can open Dec. 31, be further delayed, or be split into separate areas with different opening dates. In conjunction with the delayed ocean commercial season, the commercial
harvest of Dungeness crab in Oregon bays is now closed for the remainder of the year. Commercial Dungeness crab is Oregon’s most valuable fishery. Last year’s delayed opening still brought in the second-highest ex-vessel value ever, at $66.7 million, with 18.7 million pounds landed, just above the 10-year average. Meantime, recreational crab harvesting is open coastwide in the ocean, bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers and jetties. Recreational crabbers are encouraged call the shellfish hotline at 800448-2474 for closures before crabbing.
Crab pots stand idle along the bayfront in Brookings. Photo by Jeremy C. Ruark.
Will big-time wind energy get off the dime here? F
A restored fire lookout atop Bear Basin Butte is an isolated camping experience. Photos provided.
On top of the mountain Isolated ‘luxury’ atop Bear Basin Butte David Hayes Staff Writer
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asquet resident Mike Cuthbertson is among an international clientele looking for an out-of-theordinary camping experience. About a decade ago, he learned of the opportunity to stay at a restored fire lookout atop Bear Basin Butte. Its isolation and lack of amenities - running water, power - might scare off the typical weekend camper. Indeed, the U.S. Forest Service recommends getting there by four-wheel-drive vehicle. It’s about 21 miles as the crow flies from the Smith River National Recreation Area Visitor Center in Gasquet … although it takes more than 2 and a half hours to get there through winding, old-growth forest roads with numerous long, washed-out sections. For Cuthbertson, however, the payoff is worth the effort. “It has a fantastic view. It’s a magical place, up there,” he said.
Bear Basin Butte is a two-for-one rental. The site comes with a cabin that sleeps about eight, and a lookout with a 360-degree view of endless, beautiful wilderness. Cuthbertson said the cabin comes with an outhouse, a barMore Mountain on Page A4
Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
ormer Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury kicked off a panel discussion Saturday about an offshore wind energy proposal that could bring 4,330 sustainable operations and maintenance jobs, 13,620 construction jobs, and thousands of service jobs to the south coast. “It is a remarkable opportunity for all of us,” Bradbury said. The forum, organized by Curry County Commissioner Court Boice, was held at Southwest Oregon Community College in Brookings. Factors such as technology, wind resource and market conditions point to the viability of the proposal, said officials. Technology Dennis Beetham, CEO of DB Western Inc., said he already had developed the engineering systems and found investors who are willing to create those jobs, which would consist of assembling and maintaining offshore floating wind turbines out of either Coos Bay or Humboldt Bay, and placing them off
the Oregon and northern California coast. The wind turbine parts would be shipped to the port, assembled and towed out to sea. Because of the depth of the Pacific Ocean and the existence of earthquake faults, the turbines would need be placed on submerged floating barges. Beetham said DB Western could manufacture 300 megawatts of generating capacity within five years, after a 10-MW demonstration project is evaluated. Precedent has already been set overseas, where 20,000 offshore wind turbines are operating off western Europe, compared to five in the U.S., on the East Coast on fixed, not floating, bases. Resource The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has determined that a region that extends from Coos Bay to the north and Eureka to the south is a “superb” wind resource for offshore wind generation. Wind speeds are measured at greater than 10 meters per second (m/s), or 22.4 miles per hour, for the More Wind on Page A5
Light parade, Santa sure to brighten Brookings Coastal Christmas Light Parade set for Saturday, Dec. 14
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Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
hristmas-lighted cars, floats - even horses - are set to brighten up the night and bring good tidings to all Dec. 14 in Brookings. The Coastal Christmas Light Parade and Santa Party will begin at 5:15 p.m., with Santa leading the colorful parade as he rides in a Brookings Fire Department truck. The parade lineup starts at 4:30 p.m. at Azalea Middle School and proceeds down Oak Street to Railroad Avenue, then to Mill Street, finishing at Oasis Park, where Santa will chat with kids and share hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies with those in attendance. “We get about 300 people
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at the party,” said Kathy Breshears, the parade’s organizer. “More people come out just to watch the parade.” Last year, more than 20 entrees participated. “It’s small, but it grows by a couple each year,” Breshears said. People come from as far away as Crescent City to participate in the parade. Parade prizes are awarded at the party. Judging for the parade will be in front of KURY Radio on Railroad Avenue, by the radio station’s disc jockeys. Anyone can enter the parade. Entries are eligible to win donated prizes from Redwood Massage, Ironside Fitness, Fat Cats Pizza, Wild River Pizza, Dairy Queen, and more to come. The event is free, although the group does accept
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5-day forecast, tides and complete weather: Page B1
donations to help offset next year’s expenses. The biggest cost is insurance: $300 for one night, said Breshears. Including the refreshments, total costs are approximately $500. The group held a garage sale to help cover the costs for this year. The organization began as volunteers decorating the entire town more than 20 years ago, and created the parade to go along with the decorations. This year, the decor was handed over to Nature’s Coastal Holiday, allowing organizers to concentrate on parade logistics and the Santa party. To sign up for the parade or help with the party, call or text Kathy Breshears at 541251-2353.
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Santa gets a lift from the Brookings Fire Department for the parade that will take him to the Santa party in Oasis Park. Courtesy photo.
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