Did you miss it the first two times? Join us for another community screening of Bag It! Try going a day without plastic.  Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways.  In this touching and often flat-out-funny film, we follow “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world.  What starts as a film about plastic bags evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its effect on our waterways, oceans, and even our own bodies.  We see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up with us and what we can do about it.  Today.  Right now. Doors open at 1:45pm and the film will start by 2:15pm.

Big thanks to all who came out and helped dig out the dock debris from South Beach this past weekend. Special thanks to the Oregon Coast Community College Student Government and Oregon State Parks Beach Ranger Ryan Parker.

Did you miss it the first time? Join us for another community screening of Bag It! Try going a day without plastic.  Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways.  In this touching and often flat-out-funny film, we follow “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world.  What starts as a film about plastic bags evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its effect on our waterways, oceans, and even our own bodies.  We see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up with us and what we can do about it.  Today.  Right now.

After a showing of over 50 activists and lots of great testimony from local citizens, businesses and members of the public, the Newport City Council motioned 5-2 to draft an ordinance to eliminate single use plastic checkout bags in the city of Newport. Thanks to all who have been supporting this effort and let’s keep it going! Contact newport@surfrider.org to get more involved and help support the campaign efforts as we move forward. Next up, another screening of Bag It, in case you missed it the first time around. We’ll be screening that on November 15, 6:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Newport. We hope to see you there!

Join us on October 17th and show your support. RSVP for the city council hearing ahead of time and get a Ban the Bag t-shirt. We need compelling testimony from you and especially our bushiness supporters! Haven’t signed our petition yet? Click below and show your support to help put an end to single use plastic checkout bags in Newport!

Sign the petition

The time has come for Newport to finally stand up and ban plastic bags! Our members and volunteers have been hard at work with outreach and education work over the past couple of years and in the past few weeks have been hitting the streets hard generating support from local businesses. In just a few weeks, nearly 50 local businesses have come out in support ridding these bags from our beautiful coastal community. The time to act is now, sign the petition if you haven’t already, send your personal email support to the city council in support. Join us in the fight to Rise Above Plastics today! Own a business and want to join in, contact newport@surfrider.org to get signed on and we’ll follow up with a business packet for you and a Bring Your Bag sticker for your business to demonstrate your support of the efforts!

Join us this Friday, September 09 from 6-8pm to learn more about our Ocean Friendly Rain Garden project at Newport City Hall and get your hands a little dirty! Come volunteer with us from 6-7 for a little garden maintenance and then join us for a BEER ON US and social hour at Bier One from 7-8! Volunteers can email beth_hawkyard@peacemail.com to learn more or just show up at the south lawn (where the farmer’s market is held) to join us for an hour of quick and dirty maintenance and education on the garden. Volunteer participants will receive more information and literature on our ocean friendly gardening program and a ticket for a complimentary pint at the Bier One social following. We hope to see you there!

The Oregon Open Ocean Classic SUP / paddleboard race is on August 27-28th, 2011. The World Paddle Association (WPA) has sanctioned both races and will provide stand up paddlers with qualifying points towards the downwind and Pacific Northwest regional series. Go here to learn more and register. Last year, Surfrider member Matt Spencer took the crown and is looking to reclaim!

The classic ocean race is an 8 mile, North to South downwind course around Yaquina Head and counts towards the WPA PNW Downwind points series. This years start will be at Otter Rock and the finish at Nye Beach in Newport. Standup and prone paddlers will charge through the surf, then downwind in great ocean conditions along the beautiful Oregon shore.The Le Mans beach start will have participants running to their boards and racing through the surf to reach the open ocean. Once outside the surf, paddlers will head offshore ~1 mile and then South 6 miles riding the prevalent 10 -30 knot winds and swell around Yaquina Head. The finish will be through the surf at historic Nye Beach in Newport. Be sure to mark this one on your calendar, it will be a blast. And by the way…proceeds benefiting the local Newport Chapter of Surfrider Foundation, cause they’re cool like that!