Owners of Yachats’ only bookstore hand off business to new, but familiar owners

February 20, 2020

BY CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com The sad news is that a beloved Yachats institution closed Monday. The glad news is that in just days it will re-appear under a new name, with new management, at the same location and with much the same purpose. “Mari’s Books and…” in the C&K Market plaza in downtown Yachats has been a fixture in town for

“Cinderella” wraps up its three-week run on Friday and Saturday

February 19, 2020

By KATHERINE LJUNGQVIST/YachatsNews.com NEWPORT – Coastal Act Productions has come a long way since it first performed “Cinderella” 11 years ago. The youth-oriented Lincoln County theater group used to struggle for money, scraping by on grants and personal loans to get plays to the stage. Now, with stable funding, director Jody Hanna decided to revisit the classic Rogers and Hammerstein

Cape Perpetua marine reserves seeks comments on plans for research and conservation

February 13, 2020

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Efforts to include Cape Perpetua among Oregon’s state-protected coastal sanctuaries took more than a decade. Now, after even more years of planning, the first management plan addressing scientific research and conservation goals for the 34-square-mile Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve is nearly ready for roll out. A draft of the plan is available for review from the

Idea of dog park on Yachats’ ball field may start larger conversation on what to do with land

February 6, 2020

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Mary Aebi and Carita Edson each have a pair of dogs that enjoy being off leash and playing with other canines. But that can be a problem on the beaches and trails around Yachats. So they’ve been approaching the city’s Parks and Commons Commission with a proposal to create a fenced dog park on portion of

Best Bets for the week of Feb. 21-29

February 6, 2020

Newport: Seafood Wine Festival The annual Newport Seafood and Wine Festival started Thursday night at the South Beach Marina in Newport. The festival, in its 43rd year, has become a four-day extravaganza that attracts 20,000 to 25,000 people and features commercial and amateur wine competitions, culinary professionals offering a tasty variety of seafood delights and regional artisans showcasing their craft.

This weekend’s Yachats art quilt show treats old practice in a new way

February 6, 2020

By KATHERINE LJUNGQVIST/YachatsNews.com The Yachats’ Commons will be transformed into an art gallery for three days starting Friday with the return of the Yachats’ Art Quilt Show. Some 45 artists from four countries will be sharing pieces inspired by this years’ theme “Gems of the Ocean II”. The mastermind behind this impressive display of artistry is Ruth Bass of

“The Hub” in Waldport provides a glimpse into homeless, poverty issues in south Lincoln County

January 30, 2020

By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT – A tall, rangy man in worn jeans and parka rushes into the storefront near the Waldport Café. “Hey, bro,” he greets the man on duty as he strides past shelves and racks crammed with clothing and blankets. Heading straight for the children’s section, he grabs a package of baby diapers and heads back out

Dispute between State Parks and Lane County has closed Heceta lighthouse for more than a year

January 23, 2020

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Each year more than 800,000 people pull off U.S. Highway 101 to visit the Heceta Head Lighthouse state scenic viewpoint 12 miles south of Yachats. Of those, nearly 50,000 make the windy, half-mile uphill hike to the park’s centerpiece, the Heceta Head Lighthouse. What almost no one has done for nearly a year, however, is actually

Ninth annual agate festival expected to draw thousands of rock enthusiasts this weekend

January 16, 2020

By KATHERINE LJUNGQVIST/YachatsNews.com The Gem of the Oregon Coast will host the Ninth Annual Yachats Agate Festival at the Yachats Commons this weekend, drawing rock enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest to share and show minerals, gems, crystals, fossils, and of course, agates, during peak rock hunting season along Oregon’s beaches. The festival’s schedule is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Yachats shoppers, Lincoln County stores already adjusting to Jan. 1 ban on single-use plastic bags

January 2, 2020

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com Yachats residents are joining all Oregonians this week in figuring out how to navigate a new statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. But from the looks of things, the task shouldn’t be too daunting. That’s due, in no small part, because Lincoln County residents who shop in Newport are already familiar with that city’s own plastic-bag ban,