Skybound Gallery owner Dave Silwones has signed a five-year lease for Port Station One (Toledo's former Public Safety building) for an arts demonstration and gallery space. He will use much of the building; the remainder will become new offices for the Port. Move-in will occur around January 1. Port Commissioners authorized the deal at their regular meeting October 19, held in Siletz. Silwones wants an artist-in-residence operation like his Skybound Gallery at 305 N. Main, but with industrial arts like sculpture and glassblowing.
This new development is exciting because Dave Silwones’ plan works well with our own need to move, due to a tenants’ interest in the Port’s current office space on NW 1st.
The city deeded its former public safety building to the Port in 2009 with the understanding it would be developed into incubation space for new business. Silwones' plan is a perfect fit.
As an incubator for artists it would not only bring in new business, but also create a tourist draw. “There are no other demonstration shops on the coast and I don’t know if there are any of that size outside Portland or Seattle. That space has the opportunity to really shine as a destination for people to come to,” he said.
Silwones said Port Station One “has everything I could want
– the space, the art park, plenty of power, lots of parking. It is zoned properly. With that, I would be able to bring both experienced artists – and I have several who have expressed an interest – and new emerging artists into an incubator, so they can learn from experienced people, and also learn the business.” He sees the gallery/studio drawing from across the Pacific Northwest. “The Northwest has the largest concentration of glass artists in the world. The Tacoma Museum of Glass is an example of that. I would like to tap into that excitement and take advantage of that. Fine arts are very enjoyable and we’re having a good time (at Skybound), this would offer something new that many people may not be familiar with,” he said.
Here is a 'before' picture, showing the Jeanoah as she has looked for the last several years.
A visit with them today allowed a glimpse of the new wheelhouse as it is being wired for electricity.
They are also hard at work enclosing the bow using a 'whaleback' technique which will also expand it upwards, increasing its seaworthiness for the west coast and Alaskan waters where it fishes for king crab, among other high-demand, fresh-from-the-sea products. 
They will also be reconstructing the entire back deck using new stainless steel framing and new hardwood and composite decking to help minimize wear and tear from the crab pots. Doug says the crabbers have to replace some of their wood decking every year because it is subjected to so much hard use.
Sherwin Williams in Newport donated the stain that was applied to the board-and-batten outer layers to protect it from the weather.
Aair-Care 
It has been an awesome project that will soon house a youth boating club that will assist young people in learning to love boats and boating, and has been assisted by many local groups. We couldn't have done it without their generous support.
Under contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers, 
Last year, the project was well underway when it was abruptly halted. The original contract called for 119,000 cubic yards to be removed from the slough, with the last 50,000 removed this month. Peter Friedman and Ray Bucheger, with FBB Federal Relations, were instrumental in getting the project completed, as were the Governor's Economic Recovery Team and Dave Harlan, Ports Manager for the Oregon Business Development Department. 
Participants in the Yaquina Run-Off people-powered boat race line up for the starting horn, above. You can choose from a 3-mile short course or a 9-mile long course. It's a beautiful paddle on the Yaquina River.
We saw some very beautiful wooden boats from all over the Northwest.
MaZu under sail. She is a 
Rick Johnson, above, local shipwright, provides instructions and hands-on help with the boats.
We had lots of other activities over the weekend too, including a free fiddle workshop in the new Youth Boating Club's floating clubhouse, live music all weekend, a poker paddle, excellent food booths, art and craft booths, and of course, plenty of boat lovers to chat with.