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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Dick Anderson Rally. . ........... PAGE A2 Sinkhole Delays Traffic.. ...... PAGE A2

February 12, 2020

Serving Lincoln City Since 1927

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Soccer coach sees potential growth for the game in LC

City approves food truck, pod ordinance MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net

MAX KIRKENDALL newsguardeditor@countrymedia.net

It’s no secret that soccer is a big deal in Lincoln City. And after the Taft 7-12 boys soccer team made it all the way to the semifinals of the State Playoffs this past fall, head coach Ryan Ulicni started thinking even bigger for the town’s soccer program. For the past five years, Ulicni has been drafting an idea to create a non-profit organization that would provide year-round soccer to the community, and build an indoor soccer arena to support it. After his successful second season with the Taft Tigers, Ulicni got to work and created his non-profit group titled ‘Sand Tigers Inc.’ It was the first step in what he first began dreaming of before coming to Lincoln City three years ago. “Moving from Pendleton, Ore., where soccer is kind of nonexistent, it’s very hard to pitch this kind of a plan,” Ulicni said. “I still worked on it, still wanted to do it and everybody thought it was a great idea, but there just wasn’t any support. Here, there is the support. There are people behind it that would love to see this happen. I’m doing the work and I think it’s going to pay off in the

See SOCCER, Page A4

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Lincoln Pops Big Band will be playing Latin, blues and jazz at this year’s Valentine’s Day Dance at The Beach Club on Feb. 14 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Swinging Sweethearts on Valentine’s Day THE NEWS GUARD

Bring your sweetheart to celebrate Valentine’s Day at The Beach Club. Central Oregon Coast’s own Lincoln Pops Orchestra (also known as Lincoln Pops Big Band) will be swinging and hopping at The Beach Club on Friday, February 14 from 7-10 p.m. Dinner and drinks will be served in the ballroom. The Lincoln Pops Big Band, led by John Bringetto, has

evolved into one of the finest big bands in Oregon and is dedicated to preserving and passing along the heritage of the big band era. Members include current and retired professional musicians, band directors, former high school and college players, a college student and a high school student. With five saxophones, six trumpets, four trombones, piano, guitar, bass, drums, congas, vibraphone and four vocalists, the Pops put on a dynamic show.

The band will be playing music from the swing era, Latin, blues and hard-driving jazz. The Beach Club is located at 2020 SE 22nd Street in Lincoln City (the old Elks Club building). The interior has been completely refurbished, and as well as a great dance floor, there is a full bar and restaurant on site. Tickets are available only at the door, cash only, $14 per person. Minors are welcome to stay until 10 p.m. For more information call 541-272-9597.

In November, the Lincoln City City Council worked through a draft of an ordinance that permitted food trucks or ‘mobile food units and mobile food pods,’ to be able to operate within the city limits. After several discussions between both the council and the Lincoln City Planning Commission, the City has reached an agreement to approve the ordinance. The City Council held a public hearing meeting on Feb. 10 to discuss the final details of the ordinance. The Planning Commission submitted their final recommendation for the ordinance on Jan. 7 and after looking over the packet, several councilors had concerns about some of the nuts and bolts of the provisions. One of the concerns was regarding the Commission’s recommendation to prohibit the operation of class one and class two mobile food units, which sell pre-packaged items, such as the operation of non-profits like the Taft Boosters. “They’re not selling cooked food, so we’re eliminating their ability to fundraise essentially… I’m not in support of that,” Councilor Riley Hoagland said. However, City Attorney Richard

See TRUCKS, Page A4

Oregon Coast Community College achieves independence OREGON COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Oregon Coast Community College is now an independently accredited institution. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the college was informed of the decision by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. OCCC hosted a celebration sharing the news on Thursday, Feb. 6. The 33-year-old college serves Lincoln County through its locations in Newport, Waldport and Lincoln City. OCCC students pursue Health Care, Aquarium Science, Teaching, Early Childhood Education, Associates, and Transfer degrees at Oregon Coast, along with Adult Basic Education and numerous other certificate and degree programs. “Up until this year, every diploma earned by the students at Oregon Coast over the past three decades bore the name of an ‘accrediting college,’ through which Oregon Coast delivered instruction,” said OCCC President Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge. Since 2014, OCCC gradu-

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Chief Academic Officer Dan Lara, who played a pivotal role and invested countless hours into the behind-the-scenes, 24/7/365 work that eventually led to Accreditation for Oregon Coast Community College. ates earned diplomas and credits from Portland Community College. “Other small community colleges in Oregon followed the same path over their early decades,” Ryslinge said. “Oregon Coast was the last community college in Oregon to lack its own independent accreditation.” In May 2004, Lincoln County voters approved $24 million in bonds to build the college’s North, Central and South County facili-

ties. Construction on those buildings was completed in 2009. In 2014, Ryslinge was named president of OCCC and was charged by the OCCC Board of Education with the task of leading the college to independent accreditation. The process Ryslinge led involved many students, as well as every member of the staff and faculty at Oregon Coast over the past six years. Virtually every college system and process was

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President Birgitte Ryslinge receives a standing ovation for leading OCCC to Independent Accreditation. examined and improved. The work was documented through the submission of multiple reports and selfevaluations totaling thousands of pages of written reports and appendices. During that time, the college also hosted two separate NWCCU teams comprised of community college presidents and deans representing institutions from throughout the Northwest. A complete history of the college’s pursuit of independence can be found at oregoncoastcc.org/ accreditation.

INDEX Voices........................... A5 Obituaries................... A5 Classifieds............ A6–A8

VOL. 93 NO. 7

Police Blotter.............. A9 Calendar....................A10 Sports.........................A11

What it means As an independently accredited institution, Oregon Coast Community College will manage processing and

distribution of financial aid for its students, including work study. College credits will transfer as earned at OCCC, and the college will maintain its students’ transcripts, streamlining the process students need to go through to request transcripts and other records when transferring to other colleges and universities. The college will be able to set its own qualifications for faculty hiring (as opposed to following standards established at Portland Community College). Further, OCCC faculty will have control over selection of textbooks and materials most appropriate for their coursework, while also

See OCCC, Page A4

Building for Lincoln County OregonizedConstruction.com thenewsguard.com

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