George Bennett, Sole Proprietor, GRI, ABR

Like many who visit our beaches I enjoy clam bakes and cook outs with my beverage of choice on the beach with music and conversations by a bon fire that burns into the early hours of the morning. I don't scuba dive but the divers I've met here in Port Orford tell me it is one of their favorite places. Many have made it a yearly tradition and for those who are here on the 4th of July we have a spectacular display of fireworks at the Battle Rock Park beach.

One of the best trip reports I've seen was written after a 4th of July trip by Tony Mangefeste and posted to OregonScuba@egroups.com.

Tony signed up with Seasports boat charters from Springfield, OR. The Captain for this particular outing was John Cheeseman. Their destination was Port Orford, OR for dives at Redfish Rocks which are about 6 miles off shore and Island Rock which is about 14 miles off shore. On this trip Island Rock. Below is an excerpt from Tony's trip report about Island Rock.

"Max depth: very deep! 700'+

Most sea life: 100 feet and shallower. (you can see the shelf at 130 or so, I couldn't go that deep due do
my Nitrox mix at EAN30, but the vis and sunlight was penetrating even at 100 feet to not require a light!)

Life: Bull kelp, bottom kelp, kelp greenling, canary rockfish, lincod, other varieties of rockfish, sea urchins, anemones, dahlia anemonies, jellyfish, squid, cold-water coral, hermit crabs, dungeness crabs, mussels, oysters, octopus (I didn't see any, but I saw an empty lair), and one unidentified fish.

Water Temp: 41 degrees and cooler.

Current: Yes, definitely!

Tides: minimal

Surface: swells, very windy, offshore waves

I have never seen water that clear in the Pacific Northwest before. We anchored at 56' and once I entered the water, I could see the bottom! As a matter of fact, I was picking out rockfish on my decent! I did a spectacular dive with tons of fish life, hundreds of Sea Bass, some lincod, and a whole field of Giant Sea Urchin! (ouch) I made it to 111 feet, heard one of the other divers spearfishing, looked around, and I saw his silhouette above me. After the dive, I asked him how deep he was (he was the only one with flourescent green fins), and he said he never went deeper than 40', so you can do the math. I highly recommend that the club make a trip out there. We were there for 3 hours during a tide
exchange, and visibility never changed!"

I have heard many variations of this account but Tony said it best. A memory like this is yours for the taking when you visit Port Orford, OR.

In 2005 there were 27 Real Estate Agents working for 7 Real Estate Brokerages in our local market. Today there are 6 active agents working in the one and only remaining brokerage. The sales volume is down to 16 sales in the last 12 months. The sales agreements are fewer in number, more difficult to negotiate, and much more brittle than they were in the recent past. We have gone from Boom to Bust in 4 years and lost more than 75% of our R.E agents. Some the older agents have decided that it was time to retire. Some have left the state in search of opportunities in the few areas of our country that are growing inspite of our nation's problems. Others have found work locally in other industries. While a few have decided to go inactive until the market comes back. With the current forecast there is serious doubt that the local market can support the 6 remaining agents. Tough times are no stranger to folks in our town. We have survived forest fires, floods, and major contractions in the Timber Industry and the Fishing Industry. We, the remaining Realtors, understand that the road ahead will be difficult but we travel it with the hope for a better tomorrow and the knowledge that our hard work and our first rate customer service will sustain our brokerage and create tomorrow's opportunities. It comforts us to know that we can still help friends, neighbors, and members of our community sell their homes at the best price their properties can achieve in the current market; and it strengthens our resolve to help buyers find the right home at the right price with the best terms. We continue to volunteer our time in our coastal village and work with our neighbors to build a stronger, healthier, and more robust community. We have seen tough times before and we know that tough times don't last

Proper drainage of storm water and ground water is necessary to protect the integrity of your buildings and your cut slopes.

To appreciate the value of proper drainage it helps to understand the quantity of water draining from an average domestic home in the area of Port Orford. For perspective it also helps to compare that quantity of water to the average daily usage per household. The average yearly rainfall for Port Orford is 79 inches.

So to determine the quantity of water draining from an average home calculates the following:

1. Average annual rainfall is 79 inches = 6.6 ft
2. Average area in square feet = 1700 sf.
3. Cubic ft of water to drains 6.6*1700 = 11,220 cu. Ft.
4. The number of gallons of water in a cu. ft is
   7.48 gallons. To calculate the number of Gallons
   of water going into the drain multiply
   7.48*11,220 = 83,926 gallons total
5. Average daily water usage per household = 250 - 300/day
6. Average yearly water usage per household = 91,250 - 109,500 gallons/year

We drain household waste water into public sewers or into private septic systems but storm water runoff which can be as much as in volume or more and it is all to often improperly addressed. The daily volume going into drainage during our 9 month wet season is approximately 83,926 gal divided by 270 day.

83,926 gal. divided by 270 = 311 gallon avg. per day in drainage

This amount of water can cause serious integrity issues in your foundation and/or your cut slopes. Ask your realtor for the names of geotechnical engineers or soils engineers that can help you plan for proper siting and proper handling of your storm water drainage that will protect your investment without creating problems for your neighbors.

For most people buying land for a home is a major investment both financially and emotionally. Buyers, developers, and communities can avoid grading, building and maintenance problems by having a geotechnical survey performed to determine soil conditions before construction begins. A geotechnical survey can be used to calculate the potential and probability of stability, safety, and security issues associated with planned or existing homesites. Before building or buying a home, you should know about anything that could present a risk to your home or homesite such as:

1. Ocean-front home
   • Tsunami zone and risks of high velocity storm surges
   • Beach and/or bluff erosion from storm surfs, wind, and rain
2. Flood hazards
   • Avoid homes in a flood plain
   • Avoid river-front homesites near areas where there is bank erosion
   • Avoid areas with poor drainage and/or high water tables
   • Avoid alluvial fan areas with a history or evidence of flash floods or mud flows
3. Soils have high shrink-swell properties
4. Slope and unstable soil make erosion and soil movement a major problem
   • Sites is too close to edge of terrace
   • Man-made deep cuts in hillsides to create flat areas which require high foundation walls and/or high retaining walls
   • Sites located in areas of poor drainage including sites with high water tables
   • Sites with soil creep or mantel creep
   • Sites in an area with a history of landslides where slope reinforcement has been used and/or numerous road repairs have been made
   • Sites below a steep back slop that might fail
   • Sites located in areas of sheared rock, fault zones, or near geologic contact zones where there are two or more different types of rocks/soils come in contact with one another
   • Sites where grading and soil removal was extensive
5. Soil conditions exist that corrode pipes easily and require frequent replacement
6. Soil properties are favorable for lawn, shrubs, trees, flowers, and vegetables without extensive soil modification.

If you, your builder, or your agent discover anything while performing your own site survey and area evaluation then don't hesitate to contact a licensed geotechnical engineer for professional advice.

The Port Orford cedar plays a significant role in the cultural, medicinal, and religious life of the indigenous peoples living along the coast between Coos Bay, OR and the Klamath River in CA It played a significant role in the ceremonial life of coastal natives and it was often used in spiritual purification rites. They also believe that the tree possessed healing powers and every part of the tree was utilized.

Strangely enough, the Japanese also revere the wood from the Port Orford cedar and prefer to use it in the construction of their temples, shrines, and home altars.

The milled wood of the Port Orford cedar has a straight tight grain that takes on a fine finish that is smooth to the touch. It has a creamy white hue that is peaceful and calming in its appearance. But it is the rose-like scent and the ginger aroma of the wood that makes the longest lasting impression on wood lovers. In addition to the uses specified above it has been used to build sailing ships and dories as well as custom built arrows, guitars, furniture, flooring, paneling, siding, and decking.

According to the fossil records it was plentiful in this 200 mile long by 40 mile wide narrow strip of rain-soaked coast approximately 50 million years ago. However several decades after the first American pioneers discovered the strength, straight grain, and decay-resistant qualities of its wood the stands of Port Orford cedar would become scarce due to logging and to a root fungus.

It was first collected in 1854 a by botanist working for Lawson & Son Nursery in Edinburgh, Scotland and subsequently called the Lawson Cypress. It is also called a Ginger Pine (due to the ginger fragrance of the wood) though locals still call it a Port Orford cedar even though technically speaking it is not a cedar tree.

The Port Orford cedar has distinctive appearance that makes it easy to identify amongst the Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks, Red Cedars, Shore Pines, and Sitka Spruces. It is a handsome tree that regularly reaches 164 – 230 feet tall, 12 feet in diameter with bark that is 6 – 12 inches thick. Wikipedia explains that this tree has feathery foliage in flat sprays, which are somewhat blue-green in color and scale-like (see photo below). The seed cones are globe shaped, 7 - 14 mm in diameter, with 6-10 scales, green at first, maturing brown in early fall, 6-8 months after pollination. The male cones are 3 - 4 mm long, dark red, turning brown after pollen release in early spring. The bark is reddish-brown, and fibrous to scaly in vertical strips.