Oregonian’s can fish, crab and clam for free during the first weekend in June! During Free Fishing Weekend, fishing licenses and tags are not required. All other regulations apply including bag limit and size restrictions. People who already have a combined tag for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut are encouraged to use it as it provides data for fish managers.

The following events held are Saturday, June 1st:

Eel Lake at Tugman State Park, 9am – 3pm. At a series of stations, kids will learn how to identify fish, tie knots, and cast, along with fishing courtesy and water safety. There is a free lunch, fishing tackle gift bag and the chance to catch trout out of a net pen. Also, the Coast Guard will conduct a mock water rescue with a helicopter.

Powers County Park, 8am – 12pm. The 23rd annual kids fishing derby is open to all kids 16 and younger. There are prizes for largest fish in several age categories and young anglers can learn fish identification and try the casting contest. Call the Powers Ranger District for information, 541-439-6250.

The Coast Guard reports that remains in the top 10 contributing factors in accidents and fatalities. In 2011, there were 296 accidents with 243 injuries and 125 deaths attributed to alcohol consumption, nationwide. Alcohol or other substances impair judgment, vision, balance and coordination and the effects are amplified on the water due to the motion of the boat and glare, wind and sun, increasing the likelihood of boating accidents and fatalities. And the reality is any amount of alcohol impairs a person to some degree, usually starting with their inhibitions.

In Oregon, a boater is considered legally “under the influence” with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. What this means is the boater will automatically lose boating privileges and pay a fine. Marine deputies can still arrest boaters for observed impairment below 0.08 percent BAC, which can still lead to a boating under the influence conviction. An impaired boat operator who is arrested for BUI faces fines of up to $6,250 and/or up to one year in jail, loss of boat operation privileges and suspension of boat registration for up to three years.

Play it safe by:

* Leaving alcohol at home or on the shore. Instead, take along non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of water.

* If you are feeling fatigued, take a break on land and return to the water when you are re-energized and alert.

* If you dock somewhere to eat and choose to drink alcohol with your meal, wait a minimum of one hour for each drink consumed before operating your watercraft.

* Being alcohol-free while onboard is the safest way to enjoy the water. Intoxicated passengers are equally at risk of injury and death.

* Operators and passengers should wear properly fitting life jackets. To learn more about life jacket types, styles and legal requirements, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/safety/lifejacket.aspx.

* Take a boating safety course. In Oregon, all boaters must now take a boating safety course and carry a boater education card when operating a powerboat greater than 10 horsepower.

* Never boat alone -especially when paddling.

For more information about safe boating in Oregon, visit www.boatoregon.com

You may mail or e-mail the information to South Coast Hospice, Attn: Carol Gardner, 1620 Thompson Road, Coos Bay, OR, 97420, or E-mail: sch@schospice.org For information please call 541-269-2986.

Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations

You can instantly send a $10 donation to the Disaster Relief fund via text message: text the word REDCROSS to 90999. The donation will show up on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your balance if you have a prepaid phone.

OKStrong Disaster Relief Fund: http://www.ok.gov/okstrong/

United Way of Central Oklahoma: http://www.unitedwayokc.org/

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf - You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation via cellphone.

AMERICARES: http://www.americares.org/?linkid=donationlogo/

Samaritan’s Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

For Animals: http://www.okhumane.org/

REMEMBER: 

The Federal Trade Commission has guidelines about charity donations, including these tips:

• Donate to charities you know and trust. Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events, like the tornadoes.
• Ask if a caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what percentage of your donation goes to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you get — consider donating to a different organization.
• Don’t give out personal or financial information — including your credit card or bank account number — unless you know the charity is reputable.
• Never send cash: you can’t be sure the organization will receive your donation, and you won’t have a record for tax purposes.
• Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance,Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
• Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting theNational Association of State Charity Officials.

The first meeting will be Wednesday afternoon at the Charleston RV Park Recreation room on Kingfisher Road, starting at 2pm. The second meeting will be Wednesday night at the North Bend Library starting at 6pm.

Snow levels may drop down to lower passes like Sexton Summit as well, but with the longer days and higher sun angles, soil and road temperatures should be warm and it will be difficult for snow to accumulate at high elevations. Cold night temperatures will bring below freezing temperatures east of the Cascades Tuesday night and Wednesday night.

For more information call 541-297-2523 and support Relay for Life, Team Nat and Team Nathan.