The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance, your Local Health and Medicare agents. Call 541-882-6476.
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Overnight, cloudy with a low of 40, and 5 mph winds.
A slight chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain after 11am. Snow level 7000 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 55.
Today’s Headlines
Friends of the Children has moved into their new location
From their press release: “Construction delays gave us a little extra time in our beloved Altamont clubhouse (below, left), where we have worked with youth for 23 years. But on October 30th, we finally moved our Klamath Falls home base to Old Fort Road (below, right). This once-dilapidated property is now a knockout community asset thanks to widespread support and the visionary design of architect Yabori Calvo.
Here, program youth (70 this year) can read in a sunlit library, learn cooking skills in a well-equipped kitchen, meet with tutors and a licensed clinical social worker in quiet rooms, express their creativity in the art room, and exercise on hiking/biking trails designed by Klamath Trails Alliance. They will find the peace and belonging they need to build relationships, skills, and hope”.
All residents of the Klamath Basin are invited to a self-guided tour of our new Friends Of The Children clubhouse at 1515 Old Fort Road on Sunday, November 12th, 1 pm – 5 pm. Please stop in! No need to rsvp.
Do you like pumping your own gas?
It’s been just a few months since it became legal for Oregonians to pump their own gas, but that’s apparently long enough for Oregon’s largest union to conclude that it’s time to undo the change.
OPB reported this week that the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 branch will field a ballot measure asking Oregon voters to roll back the self-serve law.
Oregon used to be one of only two states that banned self-serve gas, and the policy held firm through several attempts to abandon it in recent decades. But the tide turned this year with the passage of House Bill 2426, which changed the rules to only require attendant service at half the pumps at each gas station, giving operators the option to switch the other half to self-serve — and many of them did so as soon as Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill in early August.
The union’s proposed Fuel Safety and Accessibility Act was filed Wednesday, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s online tracking system, and the text of the measure appears to not only repeal HB 2426 but also roll back an intermediate step that Oregon took several years ago to allow limited self-serve in rural counties.
The measure makes no mention of that exception, stating only that gas must be dispensed by attendants across the board unless the customer is on a motorcycle. (OPB, KFLS 102.5FM)
Gayle Yamasaki, a project manager at Klamath Community College (KCC), has been appointed by the Oregon State Legislature to serve a four-year term as a commissioner representing Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC).
Yamasaki is one of four individuals recommended by the Office of Gov. Tina Kotek and approved by the state Legislature to serve. The HECC board is comprised of 15 individuals, including faculty, staff and student representation from community colleges and universities. Board members volunteer to serve four-year terms, with an option for renewal, while university representatives serve two-year terms.
The primary purpose of HECC is to oversee post-secondary education and workforce training in Oregon, working closely with the state Legislature, community colleges, universities, and workforce development initiatives to ensure equitable affordability and accessibility for Oregonians. This includes administering funding in collaboration with the Legislature, serving as the governing body for policies affecting student accessibility, and approving programs and certifications.
Yamasaki was originally recommended in February following a call for commissioners. She interviewed with the Oregon governor’s office, and following recommendation of Yamasaki’s appointment in August, the Oregon Senate approved her to begin serving a four-year term starting in October. Yamasaki is among four new members recently appointed to HECC.
As a first-generation college student herself, Yamasaki brings an empathetic personal experience to her role in assuring post-secondary education opportunities remain affordable. Her work experience in addition to her current role at KCC includes past work at Oregon Tech, the Klamath Falls City School District, along with ongoing service with the Oregon Cultural Trust and Oregon Community Foundation. She has worked in a wide range of education-related roles, including time spent developing education programs in American Samoa and on the Navajo Nation reservation.
As the state representative for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, the area she serves is vast. Geographically the fifth largest congressional district in the United States, the region stretches from Hood River and Pendleton to Klamath Falls and Burns, encompassing the vast majority of Eastern Oregon and its many community colleges and universities. (Herald and News)
Oregon big game hunting seasons are well underway and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is reminding hunters how to keep their hunt legal.
In Oregon, hunters must have a valid big game tag in their possession for the species and area they are hunting. Both paper and electronic tags are recognized.
Over the past few months, troopers have encountered numerous hunters without big game tags in their possession. In many situations, the hunters utilizing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) electronic licensing app had failed to redeem their tag voucher. The most common issues are hunters with a Sports Pac who forget to redeem the appropriate tag voucher or hunters who had successfully drawn a controlled hunt and then failed to purchase the electronic big game tag for that hunt or species.
With Oregon’s general and controlled rifle elk seasons coming up in November, OSP is reminding hunters to double-check the electronic licensing app for the correct tags for their planned hunts. Within the app, valid big game tags will be displayed within each hunter’s recreation portfolio.
For those opting to use paper licenses and big game tags, be sure the tag is legible and in their possession when hunting. Successful hunters must immediately validate the tag per the instructions on the paper tag, or within the ELS application. The MyODFW app is available for download for both iOS and Android phones and allows hunters to validate their tag even when outside of cellphone reception areas.
For additional information about big game hunting and hunting and angling regulations, visit the ODFW website or OSP’s Fish and Wildlife website.
(ODFW)
PJ drive for Klamath County Foster Kids
The Klamath Quota club are collecting new PJ’s for foster kids. You can drop off new pajamas at Oregon Department of Human Services, Caldwell Banker real estate office on So 6th, the Elks club and the following churches .
First Presbyterian church
Shasta Way Christian Church
Hope Lutheran Church
New Horizons Church
Foothills Christian Fellowship
55 and Alive group at Klamath Christian Center
Thank you very much from The Klamath Quota Club and BasinLife.com
Friends of the children of the Klamath Basin will launch its Annual Potato Sale fundraiser Saturday, November 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the parking lot of Klamath Falls Subaru on Washburn Way.
Beginning November 6, potatoes will be available for delivery in Klamath Falls.
The potatoes are premium russets donated by CAL-ORE Produce. They will be sold in 20-pound boxes for $25, with all proceeds directly supporting youth mentoring in the Klamath Basin.
New this year is online ordering through https://ddock.co/199bdd. Buyers can also call 541-273-2022.
Friends of the Children – Klamath Basin is a chapter of a nationwide organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring. We select youth facing the greatest obstacles and commit to working with those children for 12+ years. Learn more at friendsklamath.org. (submitted press release)
Around the state of Oregon
One person was injured in a reported explosion at the Oregon State University campus Monday afternoon, according to police and university officials.
In a statement, the Corvallis Police Department said officers responded to the reported explosion around 2:30 p.m. at McNary Field, which is a park on the northeast side of the OSU campus. Officers and medics from the Corvallis Fire Department arrived to find one person with “significant injuries.”
The victim, identified as a 22-year-old man from Cottage Grove, was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police do not believe that he was a student at OSU.
Oregon State issued an urgent alert shortly after the explosion, telling people to avoid the area and follow instructions from authorities. They added that anyone else injured should call 911.
Police deployed an aerial drone and bomb-sniffing dog in the area to ensure that the area was safe. While CPD said that there is no further threat to the public, the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. (OSU)
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer told supporters Monday that he won’t seek reelection, ending his congressional career after nearly three decades and setting the stage for a potentially contested Democratic primary to fill his Portland seat.
Blumenauer, 75, has represented Portland on the federal, state or local level for 50 years and ascended to the U.S. House in 1996 in a special election after then-Rep. Ron Wyden was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected 13 times, coasting to victory in the Democrat-heavy 3rd District every two years. He received 70% of the vote in his reelection bid last fall.
Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal is expected to announce she is running for Blumenauer’s seat, multiple sources with direct knowledge of her plans told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. She could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. It is unclear if other Democrats will also compete for the seat.
Blumenauer serves on the powerful Ways and Means committee and previously chaired the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. (Oregon news)
U.S. health regulators are warning consumers not to use more than two dozen varieties of over-the-counter eyedrops because of the risk of infections that could lead to blindness.
The Food and Drug Administration advisory applies to lubricating drops sold by six companies, including CVS Health, Target, Rite Aid and Cardinal Health. Consumers should stop using the products immediately and avoid purchasing any that remain on pharmacy and store shelves, the FDA said in a statement Friday.
The agency asked the companies to recall their products last week, because FDA inspectors found unsanitary conditions and bacteria at the facility producing the drops. The FDA did not disclose the location of the factory or when it was inspected.
No injuries related to the products had been reported at the time of the announcement, but the FDA encouraged doctors and patients to submit cases through the agency’s online reporting system. (FDA press release)
Two people are recovering after getting stranded in the snow in the Cascade Mountains in separate incidents last week.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it rescued a woman and a man from the mountains last Wednesday. The woman was reportedly hiking through Willamette National Forest’s Jefferson Park when she got stuck in quickly accumulating snow. The man was mountain biking on Hawk Mountain when he became stranded by heavy snow. Officials say both individuals had to spend the night in the snow before crews managed to get to them to rescue them.
(Oregon news)
The operators of a southern Oregon dam and the company that repaired it face additional fines for violating state permits and polluting the North Umpqua River near Roseburg.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined the Winchester Water Control District and the foundation repair company TerraFirma on Thursday more than $134,000 for violating a key state water permit and water quality laws while repairs were underway on the Winchester Dam in August and September.
The agency said the water district and company allowed concrete to spill into the river, placed unpermitted mats made of heavy truck tires in the river, potentially polluting it, and failed to provide safe passage for migrating fish.
The North Umpqua is home to endangered and threatened salmon and home to lamprey significant to the nearby Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The Winchester Dam is also upriver from a key drinking water source for the city of Roseburg and the Umpqua Basin Water Association.
The latest fines come on top of a near-record fine from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for $27.6 million for causing the preventable deaths of more than half a million juvenile lamprey. The department alleged the company and the water district poorly executed a fish salvage plan when they drew down a reservoir, ultimately leaving the lamprey exposed and dying for days.
(odfw)
A California murder case accusing a Gold Hill man of killing a child is advancing into next year.
69-year-old Fred Cain III faces a felony homicide charge in Solano County, California, for the 1987 death of a six-year-old boy from Valleho, California. Cain’s case is advancing to a preliminary (pre-trial) proceeding in Solano County Superior Court set for January 22, 2024. It follows his arraignment date last Friday for the murder charge.
Jackson County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) said last month its detectives helped California investigators arrest Cain for the cold case homicide September 18, 2023 at his residence in the 9500 block of Old Stage Road in Gold Hill, noting, “Cain waived extradition in Oregon and will be transferred to Solano County to face charges of murder, kidnap, and sodomy.”
The Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abram’s Office (SCDA) Cold Case investigators were reviewing a 1987 case involving a child abducted near his home in Vallejo, whose body was discovered four days later on Sherman Island in Sacramento County. SCDA said an autopsy revealed the child victim had been sexually assaulted. (JCS0)
Campus Veteran Resource Center Grants Awarded to Oregon Colleges
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) is pleased to announce it has awarded grants totaling $1,000,000 to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at helping student veterans at Oregon’s public universities and community colleges.
Veteran Resource Centers are important investments in helping veterans transition from military service to college life, complete their education goals, and successfully transition to a career and their community.
The purpose of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant Program is to augment these existing campus resources, by funding innovative and impactful projects or programs designed to improve the lives of student veterans and help them succeed.
All 14 of the institutions who applied received a portion of the available grant funds, ranging in awards from $49,720 to $100,000. Awardees include Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Klamath Community College, Lane Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon State University, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Rogue Community College, Southern Oregon University, Southwestern Oregon Community College, University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University.
The proposed projects were evaluated by a committee composed of Veteran Service Officers, education partners, members of the Oregon National Guard, and other partners who provide direct services to veterans.
“A post-secondary degree or course of study at a public university or community college is a critical pathway for many veterans to transition out of the military into a successful civilian career,” ODVA Interim Director Dr. Nakeia Daniels said. “But unlike most students, veterans often have very different life experiences from their peers.”
“Campus Veteran Resource Centers provide critical veteran resources and offer support networks with other student veterans, which can drastically improve outcomes and help ensure success for student veterans in their educational endeavors and future careers.”
Highlights of some of the funded projects include:
- Funding support for Campus Veteran Coordinator positions, who work to ensure student veterans have access to benefits and supports they have earned.
- The development of veteran-specific campus orientation and welcome programs for student veterans and their families.
- The establishment of peer mentor programs and other support services to foster deeper connections among peers, resulting in increased veteran retention and succeeding in school.
- Purchase of technology and electronic equipment for student use.
- Purchase of tutorial software for veterans in the areas of college-level writing and math skills, tutoring, or a lending library.
- Travel to state and national conferences to promote student veteran professional development and employment networking opportunities.
- Programs that are designed to provide resources and assistance to address student veteran food insecurity, mental health & wellbeing struggles, transportation barriers and other emergency supports.
- Veterans’ events, ceremonies, career fairs, and skill building workshops.
- Marketing and advertising to expand outreach to historically underrepresented and underserved veterans.
More information about this grant can be found on ODVA’s website at www.oregon.gov/odva/agency-
Helping your neighbors and their families stay warm just got easier. Pacific Power will match every dollar you donate to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more.
Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find they include an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. To enroll in the fixed donation program, customers can call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-888-221-7070 or Donate to Energy Assistance (pacificpower.net).
This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power.
Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need within the same county in which the donor resides.
Last year, donations from Pacific Power’s customers, employees and the company helped 1,591 individuals in need throughout Oregon, including 793 adults, 196 seniors, 174 people with disabilities and 602 children. This year, Pacific Power will match up to $144,000 in donations.
Customers who need bill assistance themselves can speak with Pacific Power representatives at 1-888-221-7070 who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs, while directing them to agencies that may be able to help.
(pp and l press)
Several thousand low-income people have been booted off Medicaid in Oregon even though they still qualify for the free health and dental insurance, while thousands of others have been told they will retain coverage even though they don’t qualify.
Many of those who’ve lost benefits are children.
The Oregon Health Authority said in a news release Thursday that “medical benefits for 2,268 people had incorrectly ended at the end of September.” It added that “1,226 people incorrectly received notices explaining that their benefits would end at the end of October.”
It’s unclear whether even more have wrongly lost coverage, whether those two groups are related or how many children have been affected overall.
The Capital Chronicle asked the agency about this problem more than a month ago, and it has still failed to answer basic questions about the children.
Losing coverage could cause hardships for families inadvertently booted from the program, especially if they need specialized or intensive care. County and federally supported clinics provide care to low-income residents, but they don’t usually have dialysis or surgery centers, for example. Hospitals emergency rooms will tend to emergencies. (Oregon news)
In Portland today, police are asking the public’s help locate the suspect in a May 14th shooting in the Cully Neighborhood that killed one man and left two other people wounded.
Police are looking for Jesus Ivan Perez-Toribio, 33, who was indicted by a Multnomah County Grand Jury in the shooting on Oct. 27th. He is described as a Hispanic male, 33 years old, 5’7” tall, and 160 pounds. His photo has been released so the public can be assisted in learning his location so he can be arrested.
In the press release today, the Portland Police Bureau said anyone who knows of Perez-Toribio’s location should not approach him and instead call 911 or 503-823-0449 and reference case number 23-125743.
The investigation began on May 14th earlier this year when North Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 6500 block of Northeast Killingsworth Street. When the officers arrived, they found three injured victims. EMS responded to the scene to treat the victims. The suspect or suspects had left the scene before officers arrived and no immediate arrests were made. Detectives responded to the scene to investigate.
One of the victims, Jose Valentin Perez, soon died of his injuries. The names and conditions of the other two victims have not been released.
On Oct. 27, after the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office brought the case to a Grand Jury, Perez-Toribio was indicted for murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and assault in the second degree. Jose Perez’s family has been notified of the indictment and provided a previously unreleased photo of him.
According to police, anonymous tips can be sent through Crime Stoppers of Oregon. Anyone wishing to submit a secure and anonymous tip regarding any unsolved felony crime should visit www.crimestoppersoforegon.com or visit the App Store and download P3 Tips for your smart phone or tablet.
A former Salem jewelry store owner faces new charges for scamming customers. Douglas Gamble owned Timeless Jeweler.
He’s accused of swapping synthetic stones for natural diamonds and selling lab-grown stones as real diamonds. He was arrested in September and since then 18 new victims have come forward. A total of 27 victims lost between 700-thousand and 800-thousand dollars.
Salem Police are investigating the deaths of two people from shootings.
Sunday morning, police responded to Liberty Road South and Browning Avenue on a report of shots fired and a person leaving the scene in a vehicle. One victim died at the scene. Officers pursued the suspect’s vehicle, it crashed through the property of two businesses on Commercial Street and the driver was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No other injuries were reported.
(Oregon news)
An outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to bagged, precut onions has sickened at least 73 people in 22 states, including Oregon, U.S. health officials say.
The diced onion products were sold at food service and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada and at retailers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Retail sites included Stater Bros., Bashas’ markets and Smart & Final stores in Arizona and California and Smart & Final and Chef’s Store in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Only the 3-pound bags were sold in Oregon. The onions were served in some Spokane schools. Federal officials report 15 people nationwide have been hospitalized, including a handful in Oregon.
Gills Onions of Oxnard, California, has recalled packages of diced yellow onions, red onions, onions and celery and a mix of onions, celery and carrots, known as mirepoix. The products recalled had use-by dates in August 2023. They are no longer for sale in stores, but consumers may have them — or foods made with them — in freezers
(Oregon news)
The highly anticipated new Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Portland is set to open its doors today.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow morning. The luxury hotel will also begin welcoming its first guests tomorrow. The 35-story hotel has 251 rooms and is the first Ritz-Carlton property to open in the Pacific Northwest. (Oregon news)
Police have identified the person suspected of attempted murder and stealing a car in Seaside early Friday morning as 18-year-old Isaiah J. Thompson, who is also accused of stealing a car in Multnomah County in April.
Seaside police responded at 12:20 a.m. after a 911 caller said they’d been attacked and had their Ford Mustang stolen near the 100 block of Ninth Avenue, officials said.
The assault victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to a statement from the City of Seaside. Seaside police said Saturday they had probable cause to arrest Thompson on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle, eluding police and reckless driving.
After a high speed chase that ended in up Washington County near Hillsboro on highway 26 with the intersection of highway 47, Thompson allegedly crashed the car and fled on foot.
Officers from Beaverton, Hillsboro and Tigard, as well as Washington County sheriff’s deputies, were searching the area for Thompson and were using drones and police dogs.
Police asked anyone with information to call Seaside Detective Michael Crowe at 503-738-6311.
(Oregon live)
Search and Rescue Crews Saved Two People As October Snow Catches People Off Guard
Major snow that began to fall in the Cascade Mountains on Wednesday caught some people off guard as they tried to explore hiking and biking trails in Oregon.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office conducted two separate search and rescue missions on Oct. 25, plucking two people from remote areas in the mountains, officials said in a news release Friday.
The first call came in from a rescue beacon at about 7:35 a.m., the sheriff’s office said. A woman hiking through Jefferson Park in the Willamette National Forest had run into heavy snow that was accumulating quickly, and needed help getting out.
Crews who were dispatched to the trail spent the day trying to hike to the woman, but were ultimately stymied by upwards of 4 feet of snow and white-out conditions that continued throughout the day, officials said.
That evening, at around 7 p.m., the sheriff’s department received another report: a mountain biker who was stranded on Hawk Mountain as heavy snow fell in the Mount Hood National Forest.
The biker, who’s from Australia, had cell service on top of the mountain where he texted his father back home. His father contacted the Australian consulate, who in turn reached out to the sheriff’s department.
Rescue crews attempted to call the biker, but his cell phone had died, they said. They then tried to hike up Hawk Mountain to find him, but ran into the same snowy conditions that stopped crews in Jefferson Park.
Both the stranded hiker and biker would have to spend the night stuck in Oregon’s snowy mountains.
The next day, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reached out to other organizations, including search and rescue crews from Linn, Lane and Deschutes counties, as well as the Oregon Air National Guard, for help.
With their resources combined, the rescue crews were able to rescue both people from the mountains.
People routinely get stranded in the Cascade Mountains, especially when remote areas see sudden snowfall. Every winter, search and rescue organizations urge travelers to keep an eye on weather conditions before going out, and to keep emergency supplies in their vehicles just in case. (SOURCE)
Snow is beginning to fall in the mountains of Oregon and ODOT has started to close the Old McKenzie Pass Highway, OR 242, for the winter season. Only the west side will be closing at this time.
On the morning of Monday, Oct. 30, crews will close the highway from the western gate at OR 126 to top of the pass at Dee Wright Observatory. The east side of the highway from the observatory to Sisters will remain open until weather becomes too severe or until Nov. 9, whichever comes first. Weather on each side of the pass varies, and it’s not uncommon to close or open each side of the highway separately.
McKenzie Pass is a secondary, scenic highway. Weather, costs and logistics make it impractical to maintain for travel year-round. In the winter, we focus our staff and resources on main highways to keep them plowed, open and safe.
When the highway is closed, it is closed to all users and is not maintained. Travelers going past locked gates and closure signs could encounter hazards and working equipment on the road, and there are no services or cell coverage.
Every year, McKenzie Pass opens and closes with the seasons. Dates vary depending on road and weather conditions.
McKenzie Pass became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of Oregon 126. Even during its time as the main route between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon, the narrow, twisting roadway and high elevation (5,325 feet) made the highway too difficult to maintain and keep clear during the winter months.
(ODOT)
Acres State Park Annual Holiday Lights Shines Again
COOS BAY, Ore. — From Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Eve, visitors near and far will travel to Shore Acres State Park in Coos Bay for the annual Holiday Lights.
With the help of more than 1,500 volunteers, hundreds of thousands of lights will be strung throughout the botanical gardens at the park to mark the winter tradition, which brings thousands of guests and dollars to the south coast each year.
Janice Langlinais, executive director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, says there are a few steps to keep in mind when coming to see the holiday lights, including the timed entry system.
“It is not a timed entry per person. It is per parking space. So when people are booking their space, they are booking a time-specific parking spot no matter how many people are in the car,” said Langlinais. “If people have a state park pass, a coastal passport or another special pass from the state parks, the five dollars is waived. They still need to book the spot and the time that they’re going to go.”
There’s also a shuttle from the Charleston Marina to Shore Acres that will run every Thursday – Saturday evening as well as on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Langlinais says Holiday Lights started in 1987 with 6,000 lights. It was the first time visitors could enter the garden house where holiday treats are served.
“Now, all these years later, there are 325,000 lights, animated sculptures. It is a total winter wonderland. From an economic impact standpoint, it is extremely important for our communities to have visitors here in the winter. This is the slower time for tourism. It brings people here to help our restaurants stay open during the holidays, our attractions,” said Langlinais.
The $5 parking passes are available for hour long time slots between 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. daily.
High Desert Museum’s new Endangered In the High Desert Exhibition Opens Nov 11th
BEND, OR — What do a 100-pound chinook salmon, ten-inch-tall pygmy rabbit and vibrant San Rafael cactus all have in common?
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — a half-century-old law that aims to protect vulnerable species from extinction — all three of these species are currently classified as endangered in some regions of the High Desert. Defined by the ESA, an endangered species is one that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.”
Opening on November 11, the High Desert Museum’s Endangered in the High Desert exhibition will call attention to species in the region that are either facing or recovering from the threat of extinction. This intriguing and informative exhibition is a component of the Museum’s yearlong exploration of the Endangered Species Act, 50 years after it passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 355-4 in the House of Representatives. President Richard Nixon signed it into law.
“Fifty years later, the Endangered Species Act continues to be an influential law that has generated a significant amount of dialogue in its time,” says Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We look forward to exploring this significant legislation and its many complexities in the High Desert region.”
Visitors will first encounter a floor-to-ceiling map introducing many of the exhibition’s ambassador species — 24 of the 29 featured species that represent the many listed, de-listed and at-risk but not yet listed species in the High Desert — and their locations in the region. A playful mural of the High Desert landscape details each of the ambassador species. This massive mural splits into four distinct sections, first differentiating between endangered, threatened and delisted species at the state and federal levels. The fourth section asks guests to consider the future of several species in the area, including the monarch butterfly, western bumble bee and Pacific lamprey.
With vibrant colors and engaging photography, this exhibition is meant to ignite conversations about these plants and animals – including lesser-known species like the whitebark pine and the Oregon spotted frog – while also calling attention to the ecological connectivity within the greater ecosystem.
“Species depend on access to healthy habitat to survive” says Donald M. Kerr Curator of Natural History Hayley Brazier, Ph.D. “In designing the exhibit, we wanted to depict plants and animals in the context of landscapes and waterscapes. The exhibit’s images and murals convey that endangered species conversation does not happen in a vacuum; the broader ecosystems matter.”
After Museum visitors experience the brand-new Endangered in the High Desert exhibition, they can encounter a handful of the ambassador species in-person. Just a short walk from the exhibition, a bald eagle — a delisted species — lives in the Museum’s care. Six threatened and delisted species currently live in the Museum’s care: the bull trout, Foskett speckled dace, steelhead trout, peregrine falcon, bald eagle and desert tortoise. Small signs placed throughout the Museum will distinguish between these species and others living on Museum grounds.
Endangered in the High Desert is part of a yearlong series of exhibitions and public programs at the Museum to explore and reflect on the ESA’s impact in the High Desert and beyond. This includes the current exhibition Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, open through February 11, 2024, as well as Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, which opens Saturday, December 9.
Endangered in the High Desert will be on display through July 7, 2024. This exhibition is made possible by the Visit Central Oregon Future Fund and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, with support from DoubleTree Hilton and Waypoint Hotel. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/
One of Bend, Oregon’s best attractions has long been Drake Park, downtown. Now it offers visitors another draw: a handsome boardwalk that offers a safe and scenic walking path along the Deschutes River.
Visitors can now enjoy the Drake Park boardwalk, which opened in August, offering an improved walking path over the edge of Mirror Pond that connects to nearby Pacific Park.
The Bend Parks and Recreation District allocated $7.3 million for the project, which broke ground in February 2022, though the cost eventually ballooned to $8.3 million, according to The (Bend) Bulletin, which reported on the boardwalk’s completion.
The parks district said the project was not only meant to offer a better walking path, but also to address concerns like environmental impacts and ADA access in Drake Park.
(Oregon news)
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Play our $5K U-PICK-EM Contest all season long! Click the pic!
