15 July 2015
Trio of boating accidents prompts concern
Local firefighters, medics and Coast Guard crews responded to three boating emergencies within a brief period earlier this week on the Siuslaw River. Nobody was injured, but all three combined to serve as a reminder to be careful when heading out on the water, says Siuslaw Valley Fire Chief Jim Langborg.
The first incident was Sunday. A sport fisher in the lower river ran out of fuel and was in danger of being carried out to sea on the outgoing tide. The Coast Guard and the fire rescue boat responded. They were able to safely retrieve the boater. While they were still on the scene, a kayaker capsized and got tangled in the rudder lines of his boat. He was very close to the fire boat and was able to call for assistance. Langborg said the man could have drowned had they not been immediately available.
The third incident happened late Monday afternoon further up stream. A sail boat near Cushman was capsized in the wind. Rescuers helped the boater to safety.
A concerned Langborg said all three incidents point out the need to check your gear before you get out on the water; and to be careful once you get there.
Power up for Power of FlOreNcE with plenty of food
The menu sounds great. Popcorn, pancakes, pie and ice cream, burgers and dogs, lemonade, even dog and cat food.
Those are the center pieces of just some of the activities planned for Saturday during the fifth annual Power of Florence.
Organizer Kaylee Graham says the slogan for the day is “Each one, one day, making a difference, together.”
It’s not all about the food though. It’s primarily about coming together and working on community projects. There will be park cleanups; weed pulling; blood donating; painting; and lots of fund raising.
At least 20 events will be in the parking lot at the Grocery Outlet Center. No fewer than 17 others will be scattered around the community.
Graham says if you have an event you want to register with the Power of Florence, simply log on to their website. That’s also a good place to see a complete list of the day’s activities.
Fuel prices spike in Cali
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is at the lowest point for this time of year in five years. It did increase by two cents in the past week to $2.80. Oregon’s average price gained a penny to $3.15; and the local average cash price held steady at $2.97.
Things haven’t been so stable in California where the average price shot up by 37 cents in the past week to $3.72 a gallon.
Western states continue to be the highest in the nation with the top eight prices on average are found in order in California, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. Of those states, only Utah’s average is below three dollars a gallon.
South Carolina and Mississippi are the states with the lowest average prices on average: $2.41 and $2.46.
Unexpected by-product of seaweed research
Scientists at Oregon State University have recently secured a patent on a new strain of seaweed. It grows quickly, is packed with protein, and has twice the nutritional value of kale.
It also has one other very important characteristic.
The scientist who developed it says it has a “strong bacon flavor when cooked”.
Dulse grows wild along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. It is commonly used as a nutritional supplement for humans and can bring as much as $90-per pound in the dried form.
Researcher Chris Langdon and his colleagues at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport have been working on a new and improved variety of dulse for about 15 years. Their initial goal was to create a super food for commercially grown abalone.
Langdon said there has never been a lot of interest in using the red leafy seaweed in its fresh form. But, in the course of his studies, he made that amazing discovery that when strips of dulse are fried, they taste like bacon.
Right now, there are no commercial dulse growing operations, but there could be in the near future. Students in the OSU MBA program are working on a marketing plan for new lines of specialty foods; and exploring the potential for a new aquaculture industry.
Health officials warn to skin those clam necks
Oregon health officials are warning people to take caution when eating soft shell clams after siphons, or the “neck” of the clam, have been found in tests to carry high levels of arsenic.
The warning, from the Oregon Health Authority, recommends removing the skin from the siphon before eating them.
Soft-shell clams are found primarily in estuary and intertidal regions along the coast… including the mud flats on the Siuslaw River.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality performed tests on a variety of shellfish species along the coast as part of the Toxics Monitoring Program. The DEQ tests found the clams contain unusually high levels of inorganic arsenic… but primarily in the skin.
The study shows clams on the south coast have the lowest levels… the highest concentrations are on the north coast… and the central coast clams are in between.
Bank says customers fall prey to computer scam
A Florence based bank says several of their customers have fallen victim recently to phony “computer tech support” scams.
In all of the cases, the victims have been contacted by phone from someone purporting to be from Microsoft or Windows, telling the person it’s been detected their computer has been “breached”. For a small fee, the caller can fix it.
Ellen Huntingdon with Oregon Pacific Bank says that’s when the caller asks for debit or credit card information.
They don’t “fix” the computer because there is likely nothing wrong with it in the first place. But, by the time the call is concluded, the victims have wound up with several charges against their account from all over the world.
Huntingdon says never give your personal information to someone who calls you unsolicited. She also says computer companies don’t monitor your computer to make sure it’s operating properly.
