By Jerry Keene, Editor
Dear Oceansiders:
Some Oceanside residents have expressed concerns about the impact on emergency responses in light of ODOT’s closure of Highway 131 between the Village and the main Fire Station in Netarts. To address this, we have moved a volunteer to our Oceanside Station. (Our fire department is 99.9% volunteer). Even so, we cannot currently guarantee 24-hour, 7-day a week coverage for emergency calls. Staffing remains a long-term challenge even aside from the road closure, and we are exploring a number of options to address it.
Regarding routes and response time, some good news is that we are working with Stimson Lumber to utilize their private logging roads. The new Cape Meares Loop also expands our options but may be subject to closure due to icing in cold weather. We are also coordinating with Adventist Ambulance Services to give them best routing depending on conditions. The bottom line is that the current situation will unavoidably lengthen our response time to emergency calls, but we are doing everything we can to minimize them.
ODOT has not provided NOFD with any updates on the planned closure beyond the information already made public. They estimate that the highway will be closed through January 6, 2025, and perhaps longer depending on the results of their investigation into the conditions that caused the failure.
Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns!
Jeff McBrayer
Fire Chief
Netarts-Oceanside Fire District
Cell: 503-354-7247
Office: 503-842-5900
Power Outage Highlights the Need for an Emergency Generator
Donations are Over Halfway to Our Goal
Most if not all Oceansiders lost power several times this week as a storm hit the coast. What if the power had stayed off for days … or a week? For many, this week’s outage brought home the need for a community generator at the Oceanside Chapel Assembly and Assistance Area where Oceansiders and visitors could charge their phones and devices during extended emergencies. That is why we announced a campaign last week to solicit donations to the Oceanside Protection Society that will be used to purchase a potentially life-saving power source of benefit to all.
We are gratified (but not surprised) that Oceansiders rose to the occasion this week by donating $3500 of the $6000 needed in just a few days. That only leaves $2500 to go! For those who missed it last week, the Oceanside Protection Society (our 501(c)(3) community foundation) is seeking tax-deductible donations to fund a grant to OVERT for purchase of a propane power generator.
Please make your tax-deductible contributions to:
Oceanside Protection Society
P.O. Box 425
Oceanside, Oregon 97134
OPS is also exploring options for online donations. Shoot a request for more information to The Oceansider at the email address below. Thank you!
Oregon Supreme Court Rejects Oregon Coast Host’s
Effort to Revive Its Challenge to County STR Rules
This week, the Oregon Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal brought by
Oregon Coast Hosts to challenge the groundbreaking
Short Term Rental Rules enacted by the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners in 2023. Their “Order Denying Review” effectively ended months of litigation and appeals brought by the advocacy group to set aside the new regulations, which adopted major changes to preexisting rules governing STR occupancy, parking, operations and complaint procedures. After losing in the trial court, OCH filed successive appeals to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), the Oregon Court of Appeals and, finally, the Oregon Supreme Court.
January 6 Oceanside Community Club Potluck – 6 p.m.
Oceanside Community Hall
And that’s the view from Oceanside!
jerrykeene@oceansidernews.com
www.oceansidernews.com
