8 July 2014
Weekend events exceed expectations
The crowd quieted just before ten pm Friday night as the sound of a single trumpet playing the Star Spangled Banner filled the air near the boardwalk in Old Town.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cal Applebee said Ron Green, playing from a balcony overlooking the river, set the mood and introduced what Applebee called ‘spectacular’ fireworks.
The Old Town area was packed to capacity all weekend with thousands of visitors jamming into shops and restaurants.
Applebee said there were more than 150 people on the lawn of the Silver Sand Dollar to witness the pie and watermelon eating contests. Eaters in four different age categories competed to see who could devour the most slices of cream pie in two minutes. Following that, competitors were invited to try their teeth at watermelon. One double winner emerged. After devouring more pieces of pie than anyone else in the 13 to 18 age category, Trent Reavis of Florence did the same thing with the melon.
Wings and Wheels Fills Airport
Weekend festivities didn’t end with the fireworks. The annual Wings and Wheels car and airplane show at the airport drew a capacity crowd on both sides of the fence Saturday. 14 custom aircraft flew in for the day, but organizers said there were 97 vehicles on display. The registration fees were split between the Lions Club and the airport with each getting about $12-hundred. Parking duties were performed by supporters of the Siuslaw Wrestling program. For their efforts they walked away with $1,560.
One highlight of the day came when two Siuslaw Valley Firefighters demonstrated how they don their protective gear… from their boots to their air packs. When they were done, the disc jockey then played the song “the stripper” and in an impromptu display, the firefighters reversed their demonstration… stopping before they went too far.
Solo Motorcycle Death in Douglas County
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies say a Reedsport man died near Loon Lake on the Fourth of July after taking a solo night ride on a borrowed dirt bike.
21-year old Chad Davenport had been camping with friends on Camp Creek Road. He said he was going for a ‘quick’ ride at about 8:30 that evening. When he didn’t return a search ensued. Investigators say Davenport failed to negotiate a corner and went off the road, landing on some boulders near the stream. He was not wearing a helmet.
Protest ends with three arrests
Demonstrators at a wood-fired power plant in Eugene yesterday were protesting planned logging in a former portion of the Elliot State Forest east of Reedsport. They say it would harm old-growth forest and habitat critical to endangered species.
The state sold the land to the Seneca Jones Timber Company earlier this year.
Three protesters were arrested after one man helped two others chain themselves to equipment at the plant on Highway 99 north of Eugene.
Dozens of protestors were escorted off the mill site by Lane County Sheriff’s Deputies.
The Seneca General Manager called the episode a – quote – “slight inconvenience”.
