On October 2, 2014, a letter from U.S. Coast Guard Rear, Admiral Richard Gromlich, to the City of Newport, Port of Newport, State Representative Gomberg, and others announced the decision to eliminate the rescue helicopter stationed in Newport, Oregon and to close the Newport Air Facility on November 30, 2014. This decision was announced without any prior notice to the community or its political representatives.
In response to this urgent local crisis, many community members in Lincoln County mobilized to protest the announced closure of the USCG Air Station in Newport. At the beginning of November, I was called in as a researcher by a committee of local leaders formed to fight the proposed closure.
Who has the time, energy, and know-how to sort through dozens of news clippings, multiple email chains, US Coast Guard documentation, and over 30 pages of public testimony to distill the complex facts of a crisis situation into a 2-page fact sheet that can serve as a community and lobbying resource? Who can turn this job around in less than a week? A RARE AmeriCorps member, that’s who! The word about my presence in the community was rapidly spreading and there was an existing familiarity with the RARE mission and the capabilities of its charges. As a result, creating a fact sheet about the announced closure became my primary focus during the early part of November.
My task was to distill all the theories and facts generated by a variety of news outlets, individuals, and entities into a 2-page fact sheet as soon as possible. This fact sheet was released under the jurisdiction of Lincoln County, the City of Newport, and the Port of Newport. It was hosted on the Port of Newport website and distributed far and wide, and it was even linked from an Oregon Public Broadcasting “Think Out Loud” online feature.
I worked hard on this task! And I am proud of the small role I played as a RARE AmeriCorps member in my local community’s efforts to keep our Coast Guard helicopter. Many of my neighbors, colleagues, and elected leaders worked much harder than I did to ensure the safety of our fishing fleet, our first responders, and (especially!) our visitors on an incredibly beautiful, but ruthless, stretch of the Oregon coast. I’m honored to have been part of such an inspiring team and to say, for now, that we have won battle.
About the Author: Rachel Cotton’s professional interests are in community economic development, sustainable development, participatory GIS, and affordable housing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Portland State University. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys reading, cycling, and exploring new places. She is currently learning how to surf while enjoying life on the Oregon coast.