1
INSIDE
INSIDE
Cheese Factory unveils new Visitors Center overhaul
YOW Recipe: Potatoes: Boil ‘em, mash ‘em...
Page A4
Page A2
Headlight Herald
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
VOL. 127, NO. 42 • $1.00
TORNADO WREAKS HAVOC IN MANZANITA
The sky is not the limit
NSC sends drones to the edge of space
As part of an unmanned flight test for NASA and the FAA, Near Space Corporation (NSC) successfully flew a drone from the edge of space to operate as a surrogate test bed for technologies supporting new Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles (SRLVs) currently under development. The Sept. 26 test, conducted for NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, was the first of many flights that will be taking advantage of a unique FAA High Altitude Certificate Of Authorization (COA). The flight, which was designed to help evaluate how advanced FAA surveillance technologies could be applied to winged SRLVs also broke new ground in the emerging UAS regulatory arena. NSC has been conducting flight tests of Mars airplane prototypes and other high altitude unmanned aircraft since
n See SPACE, Page A9
INDEX Classified Ads..................... B5-10 Crossword Puzzle.....................B2 Fenceposts........................... B1-2 Letters................................... A5-6 Obituaries.............................. A10 Opinions............................... A5-7 Sports................................ A14-16
Headlight-Herald photo/ Brad Mosher
Fran McReynolds (above) considers her job as the director of the Tillamook Forest Center to be “the best job in the world.”
Headlight-Herald photo/ Jordan Wolfe
A tornado tore up Manzanita Oct. 14, damaging 128 structures, including two businesses, and taking out one-third of the city’s trees. By Ann Powers editor@northcoastcitizen.com Manzanita residents weathered the storm, but the worst may be yet to come – as in dealing with the aftermath of the tornado that ripped through the coastal community on Oct. 14. “Now that it’s over the cleanup begins,” Tillamook County Commissioner Mark Labhart said during a briefing the following morning at Manzanita City Hall.
“And some of the issues around all that start happening and sometimes those are worse than the disasters themselves.” Manzanita’s recent disaster came in the form of a water spout coming ashore at 8:18 a.m. last Friday, resulting in an EF2 tornado. It brought winds up to 130 mph and carved a nearly milelong, 700-foot-wide path heading northeast toward U.S. Highway 101. Tornados are measured on a
scale from EF0 to EF5, with the latter producing strong winds that can level buildings, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Officials said a second waterspout-turned-tornado made landfall at 9:09 a.m. near Oceanside that same day. No damage was reported in that incident, and no injuries or deaths were reported in either situation. The Manzanita twister damaged
n See TORNADO, Page A13
Skatepark: grass seed versus rain By Brad Mosher bmosher@countrymedia.net The new Tillamook skatepark at Goodspeed Park may need only a little touch-up in the future, but the area around the park will have to be reseeded again because of the recent rainstorms, according to a member of the Tillamook City Council. The area next to Third Street in front of the skatepark was recently seeded with grass, but much of
that has already been washed away onto the sidewalk, Tillamook City Councilor Doug Henson said Thursday. “The biggest challenge is with the grass. It is going to be quite difficult because you can’t keep the kids off of it. Now, with this monsoon rain … it has germinated, but we are getting so much rain that it is washing it out (the seeds). “So, we are going to wind up going through the winter having some muddy exposed areas. We
are going to try and educate the kids to steer their approach to try to minimize it (the impact). We don’t want to be constantly power-washing the concrete. “It would be a safety issue. As we head into the rainy season, you will see a substantial decrease in its usage – not because there is anything wrong with the park, but the kids are smart enough to know its dangerous.”
n See SKATE, Page A9
Tillamook Forest Center at 10 By Brad Mosher bmosher@countrymedia.net The Tillamook Forest Center is continuing its celebration of its 10th anniversary with a focus on mushrooms and on the rainforest for the rest of October and November. But that is not all it is doing. It is the only interpretive forest center of its kind in Oregon and is designed to help Oregonians develop a better understanding and connection with the local forest. The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust started planning the center in 1996, and by 2006, it was open to visitors. The Coast Range mountains east of Tillamook had a series of massive burns in the 1930s and 1940s, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland – more than 550 square miles. The massive reforestation effort was started by students from the Tillamook area, and that is the focus of one of the interpretative displays inside the center. That repeated massive burning and the reforestation was the genesis which led to the creation of the center and also the way the state looks at its
n See FOREST, Page A3
Get to know the county commissioner candidates
David Yamamoto
Tell us about yourself I was born and raised in Selma, Calif., a small farming community in the Central San Joaquin Valley and was driving tractor for my father by age 10. I have a BA in Psychology and after graduation started in the forest products industry where I spent the next 22-plus years, culminating as general/sales manager for two wood pressure treating facilities specializing in utility poles and highway wood. Upon my arrival in Oregon over 20 years ago, I became a long-term care specialist (working for myself as an independent contractor) helping seniors confront issues of aging in place. I also became a licensed Real Estate Broker (again as an independent contractor) one-and-a-half years ago. What experience do you have for Commissioner? Over the years, I have become involved in some 20 county organizations and committees, please go to my website at www.dave4bocc. com for a complete list. When you consider the varied responsibilities of a county commissioner, I feel I have a great background to hit the ground running. My volunteer activities include: Pacific CityWoods CAC executive board and Chair, Land Use Committee; Chair, Tillamook County Futures Council;
Northwest Area Commission on Transportation; Territorial Sea Plan Advisory Committee; Tillamook County Health and Human Services Community Advisory Council; Tillamook County Economic Development Council Small Business Advisory Committee; Tillamook County Citizens Corp Council; Tillamook County Transient Lodging Tax Committee; Tillamook County/ OSU “Envision” Coastal Futures Project, etc.
n See YAMAMOTO, Page A11
Jennifer Purcell
Tell us about yourself My husband Mike and I have been married for 24 years and currently live in Bay City. We have lived in Tillamook County for 13 years, raising our three children in Neah-KahNie schools. We are former restaurant owners and I worked for 20 years as an independent consultant in market research, strategic planning, and organizational development. I value community service and my involvement spans a wide range of interests. I have served on a variety of committees, including the Tillamook County Futures Council, Tillamook County Parks Advisory Committee, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Neah-Kah-Nie School District Budget Committee, and Neah-Kah-Nie High School Site Council.
What experience do you have for Commissioner? I have experience addressing complex issues, bringing people together to share ideas and identify priorities, and moving ideas to action. It is my skills in collaborative processes, coupled with my experience in local and state
government, that will provide the leadership needed in the coming years. As Tillamook County’s Solid Waste Program Coordinator, I managed a $3 million operating budget and various capital projects, including construction of the County’s Hazardous Waste Facility. I am currently a member of the Governor’s Regional Solutions Team. My work in-
n See PURCELL, Page A11