Chinook Canoes Trade Again, October 3rd

On October 3, the Chinook Indian Nation and the tall ship Lady Washington will commemorate the first meeting of Chinookan people with citizens from the young United States.

In 1792, sixty thousand Chinookan people lived along the lower Columbia River. When Robert Gray visited the river that year, the Chinook were masters of one hub of a trading network that extended up the Columbia River as far as Montana and along the Pacific Coast to southeast Alaska and California.

A free living history event titled, “Chinook Nation - U.S.A.: International Trading Partners, 1792-2010” will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 3. The program is offered through a partnership between the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington State Historical Society, the Chinook Nation, the National Park Service and the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority.

SEASONAL FLU VACCINES AVAILABLE AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ON NW OREGON COAST

Flu season is approaching again, and various local outlets have vaccine available.

Receiving a flu shot greatly increases your chance of avoiding influenza and Preventing its spread. Each year seasonal flu results in more than 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths.

The following providers are offering vaccine:

· Fred Meyer, Warrenton Injectable seasonal vaccine for ages 15 years and up. $25, walk-ins welcome.

· Holladay Drug, Seaside call for vaccine availability.

· Rite Aid, Warrenton Injectable seasonal vaccine, Mondays and Tuesdays 1-5 p.m. for ages 18 and older. $24.99

· Rite Aid, Seaside Injectable seasonal vaccine on Friday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. for ages 18 and older. $24.99

· Safeway, Seaside Injectable seasonal vaccine every Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for ages 16 and up. $28

· Safeway, Astoria Injectable seasonal vaccine by appointment only for ages 16 and up. $28.

· Walgreens, Warrenton Injectable seasonal vaccine for ages 15 and up. $29.99

Rite Aid and Safeway stores also have the new “High Dose” seasonal vaccine for ages 65 and older for those whose doctors consider them high-risk medically.

The Clatsop County Public Health Department at 820 Exchange, Astoria also has limited supplies of injectable seasonal vaccine for ages 6 months and up, and FluMist nasal spray for children 2 to 18 years without certain medical conditions. Cost is $30 and insurance can be billed. Call (503) 325-8500 for more information.

Influenza is a respiratory illness that is most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing. For that reason, people are urged to follow these practices:

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue away.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

· Try to avoid contact with sick people.

Those who do contract the flu are urged to remain home for seven days, and at least 24 hours after the last symptoms disappear, to reduce the risk of spreading the illness at work or school.

For most people, flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, as well as diarrhea and vomiting in more severe cases. In most cases the illness requires only bed rest, liquids and other normal flu treatment.

South Clatsop Slough Scramble

ASTORIA ­ As Tough as Lewis and Clark, and the People They Met!

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park celebrates the community's newest trail with a free fun run & hike Saturday, September 25th. The trail overlooks the recently restored historic South Clatsop Slough. Runners and hikers will cover the kind of steep terrain the explorers wrote about in their journals, terrain that the native Clatsop people covered with agility and speed.

"We want our trails to let people experience the northwest coast the way people have experienced it for thousands of years ­ on footpaths"� said park Superintendent David Szymanski. "This new trail is a great addition to the Fort to Sea Trail and the accessible Netul River Trail and, in fact, connects the two."

Park maintenance employees put the finishing touches this week on the South Clatsop Slough Trail, which was constructed during the summer with Recovery Act funds. The project allowed the park to hire eight Youth Conservation Corps employees and two trail workers. The local teens helped to cut, grade and gravel the new hiking trail and will be invited to participate in the opening event Sept. 25.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the north end of the Netul Landing and travels a roughly three mile loop through the park. Though the Clatsop went barefoot and the explorers wore only moccasins, modern-day runners and hikers might want more raction. Wear the shoes you would wear for a challenging trail run or hike. Hikers are welcome to carry walking sticks.

The event will be held rain or shine.

Registration forms for the scramble are available online, or at the Visitor Center. You can also register at the race start on the day of the scramble, from 9 to 9:45 a.m. While there is no cost to participate, T-shirts will be available for sale for $16 the day of the event. The route is not accessible for a wheelchair or stroller. Please, no pets.


The Scramble is sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association, which supports park education and interpretative activities. For more information, please go to the park website, or call (503) 861-2471, Ext. 214.

Coast Community Radio Announces New Manager

Brownsmead, Oregon resident Joanne Rideout has been chosen as the new general manager at Coast Community Radio. The board of directors for the Tillicum Foundation, owner and operator of KMUN, KTCP and KCPB spent months interviewing candidates hailing from Florida to Texas to Guam.

Joanne Rideout's professional background includes experience in the fields of education, journalism and coop management. She has been a journalist, working for Associated Press and writing for national magazines and other publications. She spent more than a decade teaching and writing on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in Arizona and is the former editor of the Hopi Tribal newspaper, Tutuveni.

For a number of years she lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and served on the management team of Gentle Strength Cooperative, the first natural foods co-op in the Phoenix Valley.

She began volunteering at KMUN shortly after moving to Brownsmead in 2002, starting out as a reader on Bedtime Stories. Rideout later went on to host weekday folk shows and other programming, and was later hired by former station manager Lisa Smith as news host and reporter for the station. During that time, she produced radio stories for KMUN, the Northwest News Network and NPR. Rideout left employment with KMUN in 2006 and took a job as staff reporter for the Coast River Business Journal in Astoria. Like many area residents, she became a ham radio operator in the aftermath of the 2007 Great Coastal Gale.

Currently, Rideout produces three shows for KMUN as a volunteer: The Ship Report, a Senior Moment, and Animal Talk, and has occasionally subbed as news host for All Things Considered.

Rideout expects to commence her new duties on or around October 11th.

ODOT to install new solar nav lights on Astoria Megler Bridge

ASTORIA— The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be installing solar powered navigation lights on the Astoria-Megler Bridge as part of a pilot project approved by the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA). The work is expected to take place next summer.

The project includes the installation of new lights, solar panels and batteries on the bridge piers and superstructure. The existing lighting system will remain in place as a backup for a minimum of one year while the solar powered lighting system is tested.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge was built in 1966, and connects Oregon and Washington over the Columbia River on U.S. 101. It still contains the original navigational lighting system. However, the existing electrical conduit has deteriorated and needs replacement. The FHWA approved the $355,000 pilot project funded through an Innovative Bridge Research and Development Grant.

“If this pilot project is successful, we would like to consider using these durable solar powered systems for other coastal and remote area bridges,” said Benjamin Tang, a preservation managing engineer with ODOT’s Bridge Section in Salem. “In this case, it was lucky timing because we were planning on replacing the corroded conduit for this bridge and researching alternate lighting systems for other bridges anyway.”

While there will be no roadwork on the bridge deck, there may be some small delays to traffic. Intermittent single lane closures may be required to position and install equipment on the superstructure.

Chill – It Was Only a Drill: AHAB Siren Results

South Bend, Washington – As part of a true “end-to-end” test of the tsunami warning system, the All Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) siren system was tested today. Following the statewide Drop, Cover, and Hold Drill at 10:15 a.m., the AHAB sirens were activated using the actual warning tone and the standard voice test message.

The cause for the AHAB siren in Seaview not activating during today’s drill will be investigated. Residents with questions or concerns may contact the PCEMA office at (360) 875-9340 or (360) 642-9340.

Tillamook Bay Clean Up on Saturday

This bi-annual one day event gives locals and visitors alike an opportunity to put hands and feet to their stewardship by spending a few hours picking up accumulated litter along the bay's beaches and waterways. Sponsored by the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council and Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, this partnership includes support from the county solid waste department and recycling centers.

This year's event will be held in Garibaldi; registration is at the TEP office, located at 613 Commercial Street (next to the Port of Garibaldi office). The cleanup will focus around the Port of Garibaldi.

Pre registration is recommended and all volunteers will receive a free lunch voucher to the Tillamook Farmers Market and 2nd Street Public Market good for that day only!

If you would like to participate in this event or would like more information, please contact Kaylee Haertel at (503) 354-2187 or kaylee(at)tbnep.org

LOCAL FOUNDATION TO AWARD $40,000 IN EDUCATION GRANTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CLATSOP, COLUMBIA, TILLAMOOK AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES

The G.A.P.S. Foundation (the supporting foundation of the Northwest Regional Education Service District), is pleased to offer its fourth annual grant program.

Grants totaling $40,000 will be awarded to eligible educators for projects that directly impact young children and students in the following areas: Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education, Special Needs and Underprivileged Youth (Examples: Low-Incidence, Developmentally Delayed, At-Risk, Alternative and Behavioral Programs and Migrant and Indian Ed Programs), Northwest Outdoor Science School, and Professional/Technical and Vocational Programs.

Public schools educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, and Washington counties are eligible to apply for grants between $100 and $1,000. The application process runs Monday, Sept. 13, through Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Awards will be announced Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010.

Additional information and the online application can be found at www.gapsfoundation.org.