(Newport, Oregon) - There will be a murder in Newport this weekend, and the public is asked to help solve the case in both Nye Beach (pictured above) and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.October 8 and 9 are the dates of the Nye Beach Murder Mystery – a benefit for the Aquarium and Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It’s an interactive “whodunit” of sorts, a mystery set in 1898 where a colorful local character gets whacked at nearby farm.
There will be a seasonal spooky aspect to this storyline, as the murder takes place at a well on the farm. This well is associated with many unsubstantiated local legends, disappearances, and ghost stories. Some even claim it is the most haunted well in OregonIt’s all based on the murder mystery, “Body in the Bloody Water Well” written by Ram Papish. The spring murder mystery in Nye Beach has proven so popular that local officials decided to resurrect the festival and combine it with this benefit aspect.Participants are encouraged to wear 1890’s costumes throughout the event, and the cast will later vote for best costume at the “Big Reveal” Saturday night. 
The event begins Friday, October 8 at 7 p.m. at the Oregon Coast Aquarium with a Sleuth Social, where guests will get to go all “CSI” on the suspects and interrogate them. Bring your best “good cop, bad cop” routine out for this one. All this happens while enjoying light appetizers and no host beverages. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for youths 5-15 years old. Children under 5 years old are free.The festival continues on Saturday morning when guests pick up clue packets at Nye Cottage Beads in Nye Beach (on Coast Street) at 9 a.m. Participants will then go digging for the murderer by visiting designated merchants in the Nye Beach area from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and meet suspects – in full character and costume - to gather clues. Saturday evening at 7 p.m. brings the “Big Reveal,” where the person responsible for the crime will be revealed and prizes will be awarded for best costume at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. There will also be a raffle and photo opportunities for participants.Murder mystery packets are $10 and available at Nye Cottage in Nye Beach. The packet includes two sleuth cards good for admission into the Aquarium for the Big Reveal Saturday night and discounts from local area merchants. For more information call 541-265-6262.
Friday, October 8. 7 p.m. Sleuth Social at Oregon Coast Aquarium. Saturday, October 9. 9 a.m. Guests pick up clue packets at Nye Cottage Beads, Nye Beach, $10 per packet. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Clue search at participating Nye Beach merchants 6 to 8 p.m. The Big Reveal at the Oregon Coast Aquarium; the culprit is revealed, costume prizes, raffle and photos.For more information, visit the Aquarium’s Web site at www.aquarium.org.More Central Oregon Coast Event HighlightsOctober 19 & 20. Talent Show Auditions, for the “What’s Your Talent?” 3rd Annual Variety Talent Show. Auditions 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Show happens October 29 and 30. Lincoln City Cultural Center. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-921-8611 or 541-994-9472.
October 23. Glass Gala at Inn at Spanish Head to kick off the 2010 – 2011. Finders Keepers Promotion. Evening includes a raffle, silent auction, and DJ. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner starts at 7 p.m. $70. Lincoln City, Oregon. 800-452-2151 or www.oregoncoast.orgOctober 22-23. Yachats Guitar Fest. An evening of acoustic guitar music. 6 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 5th. Yachats, Oregon.October 23. Mushroom class with Wild Gourmet. 9 a.m. Regatta Grounds. W Devils Lake Rd. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-992-3798October 30. Halloween Harvest Festival. 10 a.m. Various spooky and scientific events. Oregon Coast Aquarium. 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road. Newport, Oregon. 541-867-3474. www.aquarium.org.More About Newport Restaurants, Dining.....
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Eerie images are inevitable on the Oregon coast at night, given the right conditions: pictured here is the secret spot in Cannon Beach where the glowing sand showed up.(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – It may be a moot point now, but for at least a couple days, the Oregon coast was exhibiting more than a few enticing aspects of the whole “Second Summer,” including glorious weather, glowing sand and some apparently strange low tide events.Clear skies and no wind helped fire up some tiny critters in the ocean that create what’s known as the “glowing sand” phenomenon, which really made a striking appearance in Cannon Beach and Manzanita on Monday night.The creatures in question are a form of phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates, which are microscopic and are part of the basic food chain in the ocean. These, given the right conditions, show up on wet sand after dark as tiny, bluish green sparks that ignite when you walk on them.Look for a dark beach with no ambient light from homes, streetlamps or the moon, and you may be able to find them.
Above Manzanita, on a starry, moonlit night.In this case, they showed up in great numbers in at least one spot at the southern end of Cannon Beach and in Manzanita. Conditions for these were prime, so it’s quite possible the dinoflagellates were in other parts of the Oregon coast as well.In this particular spot in Cannon Beach, there were some large pools of water where the creatures really showed themselves off. In these situations, when you put your foot in the pools, it’s like a small galaxy explodes beneath your feet for a second. It’s quite spectacular. In Manzanita, they were fainter, possibly because some drizzle had moved in, which often kills off this form of phytoplankton. But they were definitely in the wetter sand.
Cannon Beach: normally the tide line is around this rock structure.Dinoflagellates give off energy when touched or moved, much like a firefly. "We tried numerous times, like dozens of times, to get pictures of this," said BeachConnection.net editor Andre' Hagestedt. "But no go. They're just too faint to register on a regular digital camera."Also spectacular was the minus tide event hitting this part of the coast, although how spectacular this was may be up for grabs. At least one observer from BeachConnection.net noted the tide line was some 200 feet farther out than normal. Usually, at this spot in Cannon Beach, the tide is in and around this rock structure. However, at around 10 p.m. – which was officially posted as a .1-foot minus tide – the water line appeared to be around 200 feet out beyond that rock.
Moon photo courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside AquariumKeith Chandler, manager of Seaside Aquarium, doubted that story.“We’ve got a half moon-driven tide right now, so there’s not big tides either way,” Chandler said.Chandler believed the tide could not be that far out, and a .1 minus tide is not that much of a minus tide.Still, BeachConnection.net editor Andre’ Hagestedt stands by his observation of that tide situation, so it may well be a mystery how big of a low tide event that actually was on Monday night.The Second Summer weather situation may have dissipated for a while on the coast, as the next few days call for rain on the beaches – at least through the weekend. Monday and much of next week looks a bit more on the sunny side and with temps in the 60’s, however.
Newport's Nye Beach area can sometimes be where the glowing sand shows up.More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....