WEEKEND EDITION
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Page B1 Saturday, July 27, 2019
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Brookings, Oregon
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Opening Ceremony at the Fair
The 2019 Curry County Fair opened July 24 with a ribboncutting ceremony at the front gate. From left to right are Margie House, OSU Extension Service agent; Bob Chianti, Curry County Fair Board chair; Nikki Sparks, county fair manager; Chris Paasch, Curry County commissioner; and Debbie Cumley, Curry County treasurer. The fair runs through today. See related 4-H story inside.
Carol Hungerford Publisher
Two really large steps forward
S
teve and I are meeting an increasing number of nice, helpful people in our new communities of Crescent City, Brookings and surrounding area. And we’re fortunate to be working with some equally helpful, quality people staffing The Triplicate and The Pilot. One of those staffers is Jeremy Ruark, who’s actually been employed by Country Media for a decade. Before joining Country Media, Jeremy had worked for, among other media organizations, KGW-TV in Portland and KVAL-TV in Eugene. He’s also served as corporate radio news director for a Central Oregon radio group. His first management assignment for us was as editor and publisher of our weekly Seaside Signal, then later as editor for eight years of our weekly newspaper in Lincoln City. Not long ago, we again promoted Jeremy, this time to editor and publisher of our two weekly newspapers in St. Helens and Clatskanie in Columbia County, Oregon. A day or so after assuming ownership of The Pilot and The Triplicate on July 1, we asked Jeremy to spend a month in Brookings helping us staff the news side. Jeremy says he wants to remain at The Pilot as our long-term editor. We couldn’t be happier! Despite being a much-seasoned newsman with several decades of experience, Jeremy is not one to retire in place while boring you with tales of his successes in years past. Rather, whatever his current job, it has always brought out his best work. One of Jeremy’s key strengths is his insistence on building meaningful, trusting relationships with readers and news sources alike. He truly wants to do best by everyone, with no regard for social status or office. Another of his strengths, stemming from his work in broadcasting, is his insistence on using digital media … up-to-the-minute reporting via the newspaper’s website and social media (that will materialize as we enhance our digital sites). He’s the perfect fit for our company’s mission in Curry and Del Norte counties. So please join us in welcoming Jeremy as The Pilot’s new editor! Meantime, we say thank you and good fortune to three More Carol on Page A3
Index
Classifieds.............. B6-10 Comics...................... B4-5 Crosswords..................B5 Obituaries.....................A4-5
Pilot photo Jeremy C. Ruark
Pelican Bay staff is evacuated, isolated M
Cody Mann Staff writer
ore than a hundred Pelican Bay State Prison employees were quarantined after a suspicious substance was found in a letter. The employees were reportedly released the following morning. A statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said a letter that claimed to contain a suspicious substance was received Tuesday, July 23, in the administration building at the prison. Investigators sealed the letter in a bag to contain the threat of exposure and the building was evacuated. No injuries were reported and an investigation is ongo-
remained closed as of press time. Terry Thornton, CDRC deputy press secretary, gave a statement to news station KRCR in which he said 116 employees who work in the administration building, mailroom and warehouse were put on a precautionary quarantine because of the suspicious letter. He said the employees were released Wednesday morning with no signs of illness or injury. Operations at Pelican Bay State Prison are otherwise normal and the inmate population is unaffected, according to Thornton. Centinela State Prison reportedly received a similar letter and evacuated staff from its mailroom. There were no injuries reported in that incident either.
A security tower overlooking Pelican Bay State Prison. Pilot photo Cody Mann
Arts, crafts event to occupy Stout Park T
he Pelican Bay Arts Association will host the seventhannual “Festival of Art” the weekend of Aug. 3-4. This fine-art and crafts festival will include juried original works from more than 70 vendors, as well as the “Kid’s Art Zone,” live music hosted by KCIW, creative art demos and a food court. “This event is a wonderful thing for the community and all of our talented artists,” said event coordinator Leslie Wilkinson. The festival will be held at Stout Park, adjacent to the Manley Art Center and Gallery on Oak Street. It has become widely recognized as the best art festival on the southern Oregon coast, said Wilkinson. “Multiple art genres, including fine art (painting, drawing, pottery), fiber arts, crafts, jewelry, and photography make the festival a one-of-kind gathering for regional and local emerging and established artists creating unique artwork,” she said. “Attendees will be able to find new, one-of-a-kind pieces available for sale, while enjoying the casual atmosphere among the shade-covered walkways in Stout Park.
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ing. Prison officials from the state are working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to identify the substance contained in the letter. CDRC said local law enforcement was considering potential secondary exposures and taking necessary steps to mitigate safety concerns. A Humboldt Countybased hazardous material team was called to the prison the day the letter was received. Preliminary testing was done and the FBI is conducting follow-up testing of the substance inside the envelope. CDCR assistant secretary Jeffrey Callison said results of the FBI analysis have not yet been received. He confirmed that the prison’s administration building
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“Here Fishy Fishy,” by Steelmyart, a nod to all our wonderful sea creatures. Courtesy photo
“I think that really makes us stand out in the world of art festivals.”
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Back by popular demand will be the “Kid’s Art Zone,” hosted by
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Soroptimist International of Brookings. Located near the food court, the kid’s zone will offer crafts for youngsters to make while parents take a lunch break. There will be coffee and pastries available, craft beer and wine, plus BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs and crepes. “Another thing that makes us special is our music,” Wilkinson said. Scheduled musicians hosted by KCIW will include Lon Goddard, Connie Houston and Rapp Brush, among others. And there will be an open mic noon-3 p.m. on Saturday for those wishing to perform. “Of course, our event wouldn’t be complete without the railway running” Wilkinson said. “Tony Parrish will have the Stout Mountain Garden Railway running both days. “The Stout Mountain Railway is a crowd-pleaser, delighting kids and adults alike,” she said. “A great way to let your imagination take over while watching the trains wind through Stout Mountain.” More information is available in the insert included July 31 in both the Curry Coastal Pilot and the Del Norte Triplicate.
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