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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2025 Brookings, Oregon

Port Orford Once Again Rode the Winter Waves of Art, History and Sustainable Seafood

Albacore Tuna Q & A: Commercial fisherman Wilson Thompson, of F/V Fantasy, led an Albacore Tuna cutting demonstration as well as answered questions from the crowd.

BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

The picturesque ﬁshing village of Port Orford hosted the inaugural Winter Waters Festival, a celebration of the Southern Oregon Coast's rich maritime heritage and burgeoning sustainable seafood industry. “We were incredibly excited to celebrate local seafood and seaweed on the

Ocean Educator: Alanna Kieffer, marine biologist, ocean educator and Winter Waters Co-Founder lea a demonstration on how to cook and eat Pacific Dulse seaweed.

South Coast this year through Winter Waters,” said co-founder Rachelle Hacmac. “It was our first time bringing the series this far down the coast and Port Orford was a great fit for a weekend-long event because it’s a true fishing village with a passionate, seafood-loving community.” Nestled along the rugged coastline, Port Orford, known for its iconic "dolly dock," where fishing boats are hoisted

from the sea, transformed into a hub of artistic expression, historical exploration and culinary discovery. Organizers aimed to connect consumers directly with the region's vibrant local food systems. Winter Waters is an Oregon initiative dedicated to promoting seaweed as a culinary ingredient and strengthening local Oregon Coast food systems. The organization focuses on educating consumers

about sustainable seafood sources and providing unique culinary experiences. With its blend of art, history and a focus on sustainable seafood, the Winter Waters Festival made a signiﬁcant impact on Port Orford, drawing visitors and celebrating the unique character of this coastal community. “Port Orford SeaFest, and the other Please see WAVES OF ART Page 3

Local Nursery Grows Community Spirit This is part of a Women in Business Series

BY LINDA LEE

Pop-Up Shop: Customers delight in the variety of plants offered at Dragonfly’s pop-up shop at the Chetco Brewery in Brookings.

Curry Coastal Pilot

What began as a simple vegetable start venture at a farmers’ market has blossomed into a thriving nursery business with multiple locations, driven by passion, resourcefulness and a strong community connection. Janine Manning and her mother, Pamela James, co-owners of Dragonﬂy Farm and Nursery, have recently expanded their operations, opening a new location in Port Orford, adding to their original Langlois property and their popular pop-up shops in Brookings. "It was an unexpected expansion," Manning explained. "We were approached about a lot in Port Orford by someone who wanted us there and they gave us such a great deal; it was too good to pass up." Dragonﬂy Farm and Nursery,

Original Location: Dragonfly Farm and Nursery’s Home Base in Langlois.

which celebrated its 10th year open to the public this past Earth Day, originally focused on organically grown vegetable starts and herbs; however, they quickly expanded to include a wide variety of plants, from indoor succulents to towering trees, sourcing materials from Oregon, California and Washington. "We sell anything from an indoor air plant succulent all the way to a 30-gallon tree that's seven feet tall," Manning said. "And we still grow about 95% of our own veggie starts, always organically." The mother-daughter team, who are fifty-fifty owners, have grown their business significantly since hiring their first employee in 2016. They now employ twelve people, fostering a “big family” atmosphere. Their success, Manning emPlease see DRAGONFLY Page 3

Thousands of Oregonians slam Republican senator’s attempt to end mail ballots vote by mail in this state,” the Port Orford Republican said during a Monday hearing of the Senate Rules Committee. The bill, which is unlikely to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate, would ask voters to approve switching from mail voting to in-person voting on Election Day beginning in 2028. It also would repeal multiple recent laws aimed at making voting easier, including laws that added prepaid ballot-return envelopes and allowed the counting of ballots mailed and postmarked by Election Day that arrive at clerks’ offices up to a week later. Brock Smith’s proposal would allow people to vote by mail if they’re unable to vote in person on Election Day — if they ask for the ballot at least 21 days before an election and submit a valid Oregon driver’s license, driver permit, state identification card, U.S. passport or military identification card. Supporters of Oregon’s electoral system have long praised the state’s vote-by-mail system for its convenience. Oregon

JULIA SHUMWAY

Oregon Capital Chronicle

Thousands of Oregonians submitted letters opposing a Republican senator’s long-shot attempt to ask voters whether to repeal the state’s decades-old mail voting law, swamping the Legislature’s website on Monday. The outcry against Sen. David Brock Smith’s Senate Bill 210 could serve as a preview of what’s to come if his proposal or a separate initiative led by one of Brock Smith’s Republican rivals makes it to the 2026 ballot. Oregonians have voted entirely by mail since 2000, after nearly 70% of voters approved switching to mail ballots in 1998. A quarter-century later, and after Republican party leaders including President Donald Trump spent years spreading debunked claims of voter fraud, Brock Smith argued that Oregon voters should get to decide again. “I think it’s time, which is why this is a referral for Oregonians to either reafﬁrm or deny

INDEX

Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, speaks on the Senate floor on Feb. 12, 2024. turnout in both presidential and midterm elections far exceeds the national average, even after automatic voter registration added hundreds of thousands of

eligible but unengaged voters to voter rolls beginning in 2016. But proponents of ending mail voting, including Rep. Court Boice, R-Gold Beach, said con-

venience shouldn’t be the goal of the state’s electoral system. “The folks that I represent, the majority, want voting and Please see BALLOTS Page 8

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Avenue, Unit 7, Brookings, OR 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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