By MARK FLOYD/OSU News Service Oregon is known for having a small population of “resident” gray whales that appears to live off the Pacific Northwest coast in the summer and fall – and not taking the long migration north to the rich feeding grounds of the Arctic Ocean. As it turns out, the resident gray […]
Other Yachats Community News
Yachats fire board to begin contract talks with firefighters
The Yachats Rural Fire Protection District and its newly unionized firefighters will start negotiations for the first time Monday, Feb. 18. The seven full-time Yachats firefighters voted to join the Newport chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters last August. Yachats was the last fire department in Lincoln County to unionize, but there had […]
Proposed Yachats lodging tax increase draws opposition, warnings
QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Most Yachats motel owners are strongly opposed to a proposed increase in the city’s lodging tax, contending that coupled with the city’s unusual food tax the city is putting too great a financial burden on tourists. They are also critical of lack of communication between the City Council and businesses that fuel Yachats’ […]
Yachats City Hall will trim back office hours amid staffing issues
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Yachats City Hall will trim back its public office hours starting in April as the city tries to find two key employees and City Manager Shannon Beaucaire completes an organizational review and staffing proposal. The City Hall office is currently open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The new hours starting April […]
Yachats council changes direction on charter revisions
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council tossed out hours of work fine-tuning changes to the city charter Wednesday when it took the advice of its attorney to instead simply use a “model” language from the League of Oregon Cities. The council will use model charter language on how to operate with a city manager-council […]
Yachats Fire District asks voters to renew levy in May
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Voters in the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District will be asked in May to approve a five-year operating levy for the district. The board voted 3-0 Thursday to ask district residents to renew the levy, which expires June 30. It is one of two levies and a tax base the district uses […]
Valentine Day vow renewal offered twice this year
Valentine’s Day is always special at the Little Log Church in Yachats. This year doubly so. For the 24th year, independent minister Mary Crook will perform an annual ceremony of renewal and commitment Thursday, Feb. 14. But this year the group ceremony will be offered twice — at noon and 5:30 p.m. Hundreds of people […]
Whale-watching license plates go on sale Friday
Just in time for whale watching season, a new Oregon license plate with the image of a gray whale mother and her calf will be available at Department of Motor Vehicles offices beginning Friday, Feb. 1. DMV has ordered 10,000 of the specialized plates, the state has announced. The plate will cost $40 to order […]
Friends, families gather at Yachats Lions Club annual crab feed
The first of three seatings at the annual Yachats Lions Club crab feed had a line out the door before its 12:30 p.m. Saturday start. But once inside the Yachats Commons, friends and families started making quick work of hundreds of pounds of crab. Among those eating — and some drinking their own wine […]
Yachats looks to raise its lodging tax to 10 percent
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council is proposing to tack a percentage point onto the city’s lodging tax to capture more money from increased tourism to help pay for at least three projects and bolster the city’s general fund. The city’s lodging tax would rise to 10 percent from 9 percent. Together with another […]