Issuu

SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946

www.currypilot.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2026

Brookings, Oregon

New Brookings Mayor Phoebe Pereda on Leadership, Values, and the City’s Future FROM THE CITY OF BROOKINGS

When Phoebe Pereda was first encouraged to consider public service in Brookings, her reaction was immediate. “Absolutely not,” she recalls.

At the time, the community was emerging from a period marked by strained public trust and leadership change. Several residents approached her, urging her to step forward. Though initially resistant, Pereda found herself returning to a persistent question: Why not? That honest reﬂection revealed fear, self-doubt, and the personal cost of service. She knew that

stepping into public leadership would require sacrifices of time, energy, and comfort. As she wrestled with those realities, Pereda spent time in prayer and reflection, asking whether serving in this way was something she was being called to do. She ultimately came to believe that stepping forward—despite discomfort—was the right and responsible thing to do. “To work diligently for the welfare of one’s community is an exceedingly valuable thing,” Pereda says. “With that recollection, came the conviction that for me to be unwilling was not right and I was convinced to say yes.” What began as a step of faith soon became one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her life. “Serving our community in this role has stretched and shaped me in meaningful and lasting ways,” she reflects. “At its core, my motivation is about obedience

to doing what I believe is right, even when it requires personal sacrifice. That meant confronting my fears, examining my motives, and ultimately saying yes to serving the people and place I call home.” Learning Leadership Through Example Pereda’s time on City Council—particularly serving alongside former Mayor Isaac Hodges—deeply shaped her understanding of civic leadership. She first observed Hodges’ leadership during the same difficult period of rebuilding trust that initially drew her into public service. “He consistently chose steadiness, humility, and teamwork,” Pereda says. “His approach wasn’t reactionary or divisive, but patient, respectful, and focused on the long-term health of the community.” Please see MAYOR Page 4

Federal judge ends oft-used exemption to

environmental review for logging on federal land of acres in Fremont-Winema National Forest in southern Oregon. The decision is the result of a 2022 lawsuit brought against the U.S. Forest Service by regional conservation groups Oregon Wild, WildEarth Guardians and GO Alliance. Since 1992, the U.S. Forest Service has been able to bypass environmental reviews required by federal law for logging projects on federal land, if the logging is meant to “improve forest stand conditions,” habitat or prevent wildﬁres, without “signiﬁcant effect” on the human environment. The agency established the carveout as one of 25 that could be invoked to circumvent a rigorous environmental review process in certain situations that require logging and prescribed burns on federal forestland. But in 2022, after the U.S. Forest Service used the exemption to approve without envi-

BY: ALEX BAUMHARDT

Oregon Capital Chronicle

A federal judge in U.S. District Court in Medford found the 34-year-old exemption to environmental review on some logging projects lacked statutory limits A 34-year-old rule exempting some commercial logging projects on federal lands from environmental review is unlawful, a federal judge recently ruled. Judge Michael McShane in the U.S. District Court in Medford earlier this month struck down the exemption, and with it, reversed recent approvals for three commercial logging projects covering tens of thousands

Please see LOGGING Page 3

The Chewaucan River Flowing through the Fremont Winema National Forest in Southern Oregon. A judge recently reversed approvals for three commercial logging projects in the forest because they relied on an exemption to environmental review that has been found unlawful.

Brookings Property Watch Program will be the main point of contact and once an agreement is approved, the CRO will meet with the representative and prominently post a Property Watch sign with the year so that officers can quickly and easily identify a participant property and take action to assist in keeping the property safe. Use this link to find the agreement and sign up today: https://www.brookings. or.us/346/Property-Watch-Program If you have questions about the Property Watch Program you may contact Community Resource Officer Sophia Lucero at 541-373-0333 or Community Resource Officer Gabby Dominguez at 541-373-1511. You can also email propertywatch@ brookings.or.us for further information.

FROM BROOKINGS PD Property Watch is a partnership with our community that focuses on assisting owners of commercial properties, businesses, and apartment complexes in curbing unwanted activity that occurs after business hours or when the owner or manager cannot be contacted. Without explicit authority granted by the person in control of the property, officers are often unable to address non-crime related nuisance issues and some crimes, notably trespassing. The Property Watch program allows the person responsible for the property to sign an agreement partnering with this department and authorizes officers to act on the owner’s behalf when they are not there. This is a free program that is renewed yearly. The Community Resource Officer

INDEX

Phone Number: 707-460-8655 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

Police Blotter Calendar of Events

Classifieds Crossword Answer Crossword Puzzle