Walkout continues. . ........................................ PAGE 3 Acroiris Cultural Program......................... PAGE 10
June 6, 2023
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Taft alumnus graduates from Naval Academy RYAN HOOVER Country Media, Inc.
Remembrance
Jeremy C. Ruark/Country Media, Inc.
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Hundreds lined Highway 101 at Depoe Bay to attend the 78th annual Fleet of Flowers ceremony on Memorial Day. The ceremony began in 1938 to honor Depoe Bay fishermen Ray Bower and Jack Chamber who lost their lives in an effort to save their friend Ernest McQueen who with two teenage boys aboard the Norwester, got caught in a storm. In remembrance local fishermen took their boats and threw flowers upon the waters while scattering
close proximity, increasing the likelihood that someone is going to get hit or a child running and playing will get run over.” Winn added that when the area is so crowded and congested with vehicles, emergency services have a difficult to impossible time See SAFETY, Page 12
See GRADUATE, Page 12
the ashes of their former mates. The ceremony was discontinued during World War II but the memorial service was revived after World War II and the names for those who had died in action were added to the list. The event has evolved to include not only those who have lost their lives at sea, but also anyone who has found pleasure, beauty, solace, or adventure upon it, or those who have expressed a desire to have their ashes placed into the ocean. Lincoln City veteran Roger Robertson has been attending the Fleet of Flowers for approximately 50 years. “Fleet of Flowers is the most meaningful activity that takes place on the Oregon Coast,” Robertson said. “It is a time of reflection. A time of remembrance. It is a time of beauty. The beaty of the boats as they are fully loaded with flowers, and you see that Coast Guard helicopter hover over the top of the boats. It is just a feeling that you can only get when you are here.”
BEACH SAFETY
Decision: should vehicles be restricted from the beach?
JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
The public commenting period for a proposal to restrict vehicles at two popular Lincoln City beach access points is underway. The Lincoln City Council has requested the administrative rule amendment for the restriction through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). Currently, vehicles are allowed on the ocean shore within 150 feet of NW 34th Street and NW 15th Street in Lincoln City, according to OAR 736-024-0025. The restrictions One proposed change would ban vehicles year-round at NW 34th Street in Lincoln City. The parking lot is already closed to vehicle traffic by city ordinance. The second proposed change would close vehicle access to the beach from on NW 15th Street May 1 to Sept. 30 or whenever conditions were unsafe. The access is already closed by city ordinance from May 26 to Sept. 5. The proposed change would also expand the area of shore
open to vehicles from 150 feet to 300 feet on each side of NW 15th when access is open. “We’re proposing these changes in cooperation with the city as we both try to improve the quality of the beach experience and keep people and vehicles from mixing on a busy beach,” says OPRD spokesperson Chris Havel said. “The tricky part is striking a balance between those concerns and easy, fair access to the tremendous gift that is the Oregon ocean shore.” The danger First responders, such as officers from the Lincoln City Police Department (LCPD), report that the vehicle congestion on the beaches increases life and safety issues. Over the past several years, the 15th Street beach access area has been experiencing a substantial increase in the amount of vehicular traffic accessing and parking on the beach, according to LCPD Lt. Jeffrey Winn. “The situation becomes a safety issue when there are so many vehicles in the area that it becomes overly crowded and ve-
Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc. North Lincoln Fire & Rescue District water rescue crews attempt to pass a vehicle stuck in the sand at the bottom of the 15th Street beach access June 7, 2014. This is one area under consideration to be closed to motor vehicles. hicles begin driving and parking past the areas where it is allowed,” Winn said. “This substantial number of vehicles operating in the small area amplify the safety concerns because you have people, including children, walking, playing, exploring, and relaxing in the same areas where vehicles are now driving around them in very
The journey Last month, Jin graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland as part of the class of 2023. Graduating from the Academy means that Ensign Jin leaves with his Bachelor’s of Science in Robotics and Engineering while also being commissioned as an Ensign with the U.S. Navy, a position equivalent to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Jin graduated in the top ten percent of his class and received an invitation from Tau Beta Phi, the nation’s second oldest honor society that invites the top fifth of engineering majors to its organization. The U.S. Naval Academy requires that graduates give back by serving in the Navy for a number of years. Jin said there are several options that can be pursued, and he’s chosen to serve as a U.S. Navy Pilot, which will require two to three more years of training in flight school. After flight school, his service for the U.S. Navy officially starts. “The education is free, so you really give back by serving in the Navy. And I chose the Navy pilot [path], so I’m really in it for the long run here,” Jin said with a chuckle. Next, Jin will head to Pensacola, Florida for flight school. Because the next flight school program is booked full, he will get to start a master’s degree while he waits for his turn to get his wings. “They’re having me go down to Pensacola, Florida. So, I’ll be there doing flight school,” Jin said. “Because flight school is so backed up right now, we go down there early and start a third of a master’s degree, so we’re not just sitting around. I think it’s called a naval post-graduate school.” Jin said his last four years at the Academy have been filled with just as many challenges as rewards. One major challenge Jin and his class faced was the dramatic shift that occurred from COVID-19. “COVID hit the academy pretty hard. I think it was the end of Plebe year when we were sent home, and we remained at home after Spring break,” Jin said. “We came back Sophomore year and the entirety of sophomore year was done out of our dorms. It was one of the worst times of the academy.” While Jin said COVID-19 altered his own and others’ experience at the Academy, like by taking away an entire summer of training due to closed facilities, he is grateful his class was able to bring back the usual traditions after the pandemic restrictions lifted. “The class of 2023 was tasked with bringing a sense of normalcy back to the brigade, back to the school. I think we did a really good job at doing that as the only
Community gathers for annual Fleet of Flowers JEMEMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
Nearly four years ago to date, David Jin had just graduated from Taft High School in Lincoln City. Spending his free time playing football and maintaining a 3.89 GPA, Jin was a bright student with big plans for his future. He chose to pursue a future with the United States Navy by attending the U.S. Naval Academy, starting his program in June 2019. “I’m excited for it, but also really nervous,” Jin told the News Guard in 2019. Since that interview, Jin has gone through many ups and downs. He’s experienced the challenges of attending the U.S. Naval Academy David during a global pandemic. Jin He’s been voted the number one Midshipman in his freshman class. He’s watched friends leave or get kicked out of the Academy. But through it all, Jin persevered. Now, David Jin is officially a commissioned officer in the rank of Ensign in the United States Navy.
TheNewsGuard.com
WEATHER
INDEX Police Blotter ............ 3 Opinion ...................... 5
Classifieds.................. 7 Sports ...................... 12
VOL. 96 NO. 21
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