Sentences Commuted .................................... PAGE 4 Taft Sports ................................................ PAGE 12
December 20, 2022
Serving Lincoln City Since 1927
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Christmas spirit
Volunteers wrap toys, assemble Christmas food baskets for the needy
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JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media. Inc.
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olunteer Santa’s have been working for the past several weeks to assemble hundreds of Christmas food and gift baskets for the needy. Each year, donation buckets crop up around town, where people can donate new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food items that will fill the holiday baskets delivered to families in need. This year’s community donations filled the baskets, which were scheduled to be delivered throughout the community Dec. 17 by a variety of the volunteers, including members of North Lincoln Fire & Rescue and employees from Les Schwab. Lincoln City Eagles Christmas Charity Program Chair Alaina Jones has been involved with the charity project since 1986. “It is something that makes me feel good,” she said. “This is the biggest charity event that we have all year, and it is dear to my heart.” Jones said the one main challenge this year has been people waiting longer before they put in their application for the Christmas baskets. “The earlier they put in their application, the easier it is for us, so the last few days have been pretty chaotic because of the latest of the applications,” she said. “It makes us work harder and struggle to find toys to fill, what the kids are asking for.” Jones said the baskets will be distributed to approximately 300 families, with approximately 600 children. “Donations have been good this year and businesses have been generous,” she said. “That part has been the easiest part.” Jones said over the years, the need for the food and gift baskets has grown.
This is the biggest charity event that we have all year, and it is dear to my heart. Alaina Jones, Lincoln City Eagles
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“We are trying to do more food this year,” she said, “because of the rising food price, so hopefully, families will be able to have a few more meals.” A variety of food is packed into each basket, including cereals, soups, vegetables, meats, chile, tuna fish, peanut butter, and fruit snacks for children as well as toilet paper and other similar items. Without these baskets, many of the families would not have meals,” Jones said. “We also still have families displaced from the Echo Mountain Wildfire that are in motels and don’t have cooking facilities, so we are giving gift cards to most of them to McKay’s Grocery store. We hope that we are helping.” Shelley Shandra, with other members of the Sea Gals, a local women’s group, was busy wrapping toys for the Christmas baskets inside St. Peter’s Church in Lincoln City. “I am a member of the Eagles, and of course we are all here to help out,” Shandra said. “This is important because there are so many families in need. This is a wonderful project. We are very grateful that we can help out, just a little bit.”
PHOTOS BY JEREMY C. RUARK / COUNTRY MEDIA, INC.
A number of volunteers gathered recently to wrap Christmas presents. The gifts will go into baskets for the needy.
LCSD superintendent retiring Dr. Karen Gray to leave office June 30 JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
Lincoln County School District (LCSD) Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray has announced her retirement. Gray will be leaving the district June 30, 2023 after service since her appointment by the Lincoln County School Board in March 2018. In a one-on-one interview with Gray, The News Guard gains her insight about her time as superintendent and what challenges the district faces as it moves forward. The News Guard: Why are you retiring now? Dr. Karen Gray: I am retiring now because I have worked faithfully for the last five years for the LCSD and I just turned 65. I have been working in education since I was 21 and it is time for someone else to continue this fabulous work we have begun. I would like to get to know my family again. Being a superintendent takes all your heart and soul and now I feel to turn that to something else while I am still healthy. The News Guard: What has been the most challenging for you as superintendent at the LCSD? Gray: Aligning our educational systems K-12 across the entire district. When I came here there were “islands of excellence”. Ev-
Dr. Karen Gray
eryone did what they thought was right and it was hit and miss. The district fell into correction. Now, because of the hard work and immense talent of the staff, administration and school board, we have successfully developed district-wide systems of excellence. The News Guard: What has been the most rewarding for you as the LCSD superintendent? Gray: The most rewarding part of my experience here has been the relationships I have developed and experiencing the quality of the people I have met here. The administrative team we have in LCSD is incredible. I am rewarded by observing and enjoying their accomplishments and the student outcomes I am seeing have been the most rewarding. I will never forget LCSD
and the wonderful people I have had the privilege and honor to serve and to serve with. The News Guard: What challenges do you see facing the district as it most forward? Gray: The challenge moving forward is Keeping The Train Moving on the Track we have Build! Stability of the work we have done and continuing to be critical of its outcomes while making constant improvements. Staying the course and not fainting. The News Guard: What advice or recommendations COURTESY PHOTO FROM THE OPRD would you have for the new A whale emerges out of the ocean into the air along the Oregon shoreline. superintendent to help overcome those challenges? Gray: The advice I would give my successor is to aim straight and do not waiver. Talk to people and JEREMY C. RUARK “We really enjoy getting folks out to the listen deeply. Communicate Country Media, Inc. coast for Whale Watch Week,” said Park Rangas much as you can while er Peter McBride. being kind and compassionFor the first time since 2019, Oregon State “It’s something that Oregon State Parks has ate at all times. Take the high Parks will host Whale Watch Week in person been doing for more than 40 years now, and road. Listen to your guts along the Oregon Coast Dec. 28 – Jan. 1. we’re really glad to be able to bring it back in because your guts will never Previous Whale Watching events were person,” he said. do you wrong. And try to cancelled during the pandemic. A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available have some fun! Every year thousands of Gray whales online on the official event webpage: https:// In a statement, the Linmigrate south through Oregon’s waters at the oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=thingstocoln County School Board end of December, and Oregon Parks and Recdo.dsp_whaleWatching complimented Gray for her reation Department (OPRD) invites visitors to An estimated 19,000 Gray whales are exwork. the coast to see their journey. pected to swim past Oregon’s shores over the During her time in LCSD, Trained volunteers will be stationed at most next several weeks as part of their annual mishe has led the district of the 17 sites to help visitors spot whales, gration south to the warm calving lagoons through a pandemic and also share information and answer questions from near Baja, Mexico. The end of December is laid the strong groundwork 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. The sites are some the peak time for their migration; roughly 30 of the best places to watch for whales on the See GRAY, Page 11 Oregon Coast. See WHALES, Page 11
Whale Watching Week returns
TheNewsGuard.com
WEATHER
INDEX Police Blotter ............ 2 Opinion ...................... 6
Classifieds.............. 7-8 Sports ...................... 12
VOL. 95 NO. 50
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