Sea Lion Caves monitoring new mom

Coast Radio News
Local News
11 May 2015

Wrapped in fishing line, sea lion gives birth inside caves

At Sea Lion Caves, 12 miles north of Florence, the are keeping an eye on a female Steller Sea Lion that gave birth Mother’s Day on a rock island inside the cave.

The new mom has what appears to be a fishing hook in her mouth, with fishing line and a large “flasher”, used to attract salmon, wrapped around one flipper.

Sea Lion Caves General Manager Boomer Wright said it will be nearly impossible to help the sea lion right now because of where she is.

Boomer Wright – “They would need a boat to be able to get to it, so they would have to come in from the outside which would be very dangerous. The other thing is that she’s mobile enough that she could jump into the water, even though her front flipper is handicapped; she could leave the pup completely. And if they tried to tranquilize her and then she jumped into the water, she’d drown.”

Wright said the sea lion appears to be thinner than what they would expect; even for giving birth. That could mean she’s not able to gather enough food. Right now, the only solution involves time.

Boomer Wright – “Now, what they tell me, of course, is that, in time, as long as she’s able to continue to catch food, that eventually that will wear a hole and conceivably that could fall out.”

For now, they are contacting the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport and will keep an eye on mother and her offspring.

Slow ballot returns

Voters appear to be taking their time returning their ballots for next week’s election. One week into the process, less than 12-percent of the approximately 200-thousand ballots in Lane County had been submitted.

Lane County Elections mailed out 208,366 ballots May 1st. As of close of business Friday, fewer than 25-thousand in all had been returned.

Voters across the county are deciding a $35-per year vehicle registration fee to pay for road and bridge repairs and maintenance.

Locally, races for the Port of Siuslaw Commission, Western Lane Ambulance and Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue boards will be decided.

Several races have drawn only one or no candidates.

Ballots must be returned no later than eight pm, one week from tomorrow… May 19th.

City Budget Panel to meet three times

The City of Florence Budget Committee will meet this evening at City Hall to take testimony on a variety of matters related to next year’s municipal budget.

In one public hearing they’ll consider testimony on state shared revenues as required by Oregon statute. In a separate hearing, also tonight, they’ll take testimony from the public on the overall 2015-16 budget proposal that was introduced last week.

The budget panel, made up of the Mayor, four city councilors and five citizens, will also hear presentations from city department heads about their budget needs and plans for the coming year.

A continuation of the hearing will be tomorrow night at six pm at the Florence Events Center.

A third night of budget hearings Wednesday will include the Florence Urban Renewal Agency Wednesday, also at six pm, at the FEC.

Oregon Soldier Coming Home

The remains of an Oregon soldier killed in Korea 64 years ago will be laid to rest in the Roseburg National Cemetery this Friday, May 15th.

Ben Lee Brown was from the Four-Mile area south of Bandon when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950.

He was 17 years old.

He died February 11th, 1951 in a deep valley during an attack by Chinese and North Korean forces.

Brown’s remains were actually returned to the U.S. in 1993 as part of an agreement with North Korea. Using DNA matching, the Army was able to confirm a positive match with his brother and a sister. Military officials say there are still more than 78-hundred Americans unaccounted for from the Korean war.

(information from Matt Jarvis)

New signs could speed emergency beach response

(AP) Numbered, neon-green signs have been popping up along the Oregon coast as part of a program to help visitors identify their location in an emergency.

North Lincoln Fire & Rescue Captain Jim Kusz told The Oregonian that many tourists don’t know a specific beach’s name or other reference points. A caller to 9-1-1 can now, for example, say they see a big sign with the number 135, and emergency responders know where to go.

The signs stretch for more than 360 miles, from the tip of Fort Stevens State Park in the north to Crissey Field State Park at the California state line. Other safety signs warn visitors of the dangers of rip currents, sneaker waves and rolling logs.

Building permits promote safety

Officials in the City of Florence Building Department say there are a lot of home improvement projects going on, but many of them don’t have the necessary permits… that can lead to faulty electrical conditions; unsanitary plumbing; and unsafe construction. If you use a licensed and bonded contractor, they know the rules, but often the work is done by homeowners themselves. That’s ok, says Building Permit Technician Eric Rines, as long as the home is not for sale or rent within two years.

Eric Rines – “That still doesn’t exempt you from getting the building or plumbing or mechanical permits to do the work. The permits are still required.”

It’s much better to get the right information before you do the work.

Eric Rines – “The best thing to do before you start any project is just to pick up the phone and call me down here at the building department and ask me, “is this something I need to get a building permit for?”

Permits and inspections are intended to make things safer; reduce fire hazards and prevent damage in the event of storms.