Be Bear Aware ............................... PAGE 8 Swine flu human case in OR . . ...... PAGE 3
September 13, 2022
Serving Lincoln City Since 1927
$1.50
The 19th Annual Celebration of Honor in Lincoln City JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
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he 19th Annual Celebration of Honor will be presented at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort Sept. 14-18 in Lincoln City. The public event recognizing active-duty personnel, military veterans, and their families. The News Guard reached out to Chinook Winds Casino Public Relations Manager Heather Hatton for insight about the event. The News Guard: When did the Celebration of Honor first begin, why and who started the event? Heather Hatton: This is our 19th year. It started with a few members of our community, and staff from the casino partnering to celebrate men and women who served and are serving our country. The News Guard: Why is it important to continue such an event? Hatton: Honoring veterans is important to the Siletz Tribe making the partnership an important event that has become a signature event for the community. The News Guard: The Field of
Flags has always been very impressive. Where to the flags come from, who sets up the flags each Celebration and what feelings do those setting up the flags have about such a significant presentation? Hatton: The Field of Flags is very impressive. Unfortunately, the past two years we haven’t been able to put the field up and now we don’t have space for the flags to be erected. The organization that owns the flags are no long putting them up in the state of Oregon. There are no flags this year other than the flag displays with the Military vehicles and the Travelling wall. The Kiwanis group is also putting up flags to celebrate the event Saturday, Sept. 17. The News Guard: What is the range of veterans’ groups that attend the Celebrations and where do they come from? Hatton: We have veterans and active duty from all around the Pacific Northwest. We see a majority of visitors from the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. COURTESY PHOTO FROM CHINOOK WINDS CASINO
See CELEBRATION, Page A5 This is one of the displays placed at the Chinook Winds Casino to recognize veterans.
$10,000 for Sitka Center Cash to help fund children’s arts
COURTESY PHOTO
A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a proactive effort to reduce wildfire risk during hazardous fire weather conditions.
COURTESY PHOTO
The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis will a $10,000 grant from the Oregon Arts Commission to enhance youth art programs. STAFF REPORT
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he Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis is getting a financial boost from the Oregon Arts Commission. The center in the unincorporated area of Lincoln County will receive $10,000 to support arts access with Sitka Center’s Youth Program, providing hands-on arts education to more than 1,200 Pre-kindergarten to 8th grade students in partnership with local schools during the 2022-23 school year, along with a four-week summer art educations series for more than 100 underserved and rural youth in Tillamook County. Statewide awards Twenty-four arts organizations, including the Sitka Center, will each receive a $10,000 grant award to illuminate the power of the arts for K-12 students through $240,000 in FY2023 Oregon Arts Commission Arts Learning funding, the Oregon Arts Commission announced today. All funded projects feature partnerships with Oregon schools reaching communities across the state. “So many schools lack adequate funding for arts education,” Oregon Arts Commission Executive Director
Brian Rogers said. “We are grateful to these arts organizations for providing creative and enriching experiences for our youth. Arts education inspires further development and creative problemsolving skills, important for Oregon’s future leaders.”
The Arts Learning grants are designed to:
• Support high-quality projects that provide a responsive opportunity for learning in and through the arts to benefit K-12 students. • Foster exchange of knowledge between artists and educators The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by Oregon’s Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of Business Oregon (formerly Oregon Economic and Community Development Department) in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use
of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. Funding support The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Applications were evaluated by a review panel based on project quality and responsiveness, project support and project impact. Priority for funding is given to projects that primarily impact schools in one or more of the following categories: • Title 1 participation • Location within a county with more than 16.9 percent of the population experiencing poverty. • Or location in a rural community. Although grant recipients are listed with their organizations’ base location, the population they reach is typically outside of their immediate community – often in rural and underserved parts of the state. For more information about the Oregon Arts Commission, visit www.oregonartscommission.org.
VOL. 95 NO. 34
JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
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lectrical power has been restored to the Lincoln County and other areas affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) within the Pacific Power district. Pacific Power estimates that 1,700 customers north of Lincoln City in Otis and the Rose Lodge area were impacted by the (PSPS) Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 Pacific Power’s weather team had been tracking the wind event for several days, providing updates daily that indicated where the most need would be for crews to be staging, given the combination of low humidity, high winds and dry conditions, Pacific Power Public Relations Representative Drew Hanson said. Before the event, Pacific Power worked closely with local emergency management planners at cities and counties in the utility’s districts with table-top exercises for best preparation. The utility also planned to bring in additional crews and equipment to Lincoln City late Friday as a proactive effort to be ready to respond to any weather-related event. “It’s the normal equipment, such as polls, wires, trucks and professional line persons that we have readily available,” Hanson said. “They will be out there inspecting,
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so it will be an active time as the crews work to make a quick and safe restoration of service.” He added that such events are another reminder for local residents to be prepared for power disruptions, no matter what the season. After the winds decreased Decreased wildfire weather conditions early Saturday allowed the utility’s personnel to begin patrolling lines to perform safety checks. Vegetation debris was cleared in some spots and minor wind damage repair was required in other areas. Step restorations, such as turning on power section by section, then took place with customers re-energized by Saturday afternoon, according to Pacific Power Vice President of Operations Allen Berreth. “Community safety and reducing wildfire risk are top priorities for us,” Berreth said. “We thank our customers for their patience and understanding through this event. I also acknowledge the all-hands-on-deck approach from Pacific Power personnel. Our team emphasized safety for our customers, communities and co-workers. We thank the crews patrolling and repairing lines, the staff monitoring conditions and volunteers at the community resource centers.” Governor’s caution
See WILD FIRE, Page A4
TheNewsGuard.com
WEATHER
INDEX Police Blotter ............... 2 Classifieds..................... 6
Extreme wildfire danger triggers power shutoffs
TUE.
WED.
THU.
FRI.
SAT.
SUN.
MON.
61º/53º
60º/52º
60º/52º
59º/52º
59º/51º
59º/52º
59º/52º