Local News – Habitat Beachwalk – Chowder Tasting – Trans Plan – Book Festival

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Local News

Monday, September 24, 2012

Stroll in the Sand Draws a Crowd

Kate Redwine didn’t know how much money they raised for Habitat for Humanity, but she knows they raised plenty of awareness.  The financial results for Habitat’s annual Beachwalk fundraiser are still being calculated, but, says the Executive Director, if you based the results on the weather and the level of participation it’s bound to be successful.  Hundreds of people, many of them entire family groups, walked the stretch of beach between the North Jetty and Driftwood Shores between nine and one Saturday.

A new addition to the walk this year was the sand sculpture contest at Driftwood Shores which drew dozens of entries, including a replica of Habitat’s current neighborhood under construction… Keener Place.  Redwine said all of the neighborhood’s current residents showed up as a group to create the sculpture.   Habitat’s fundraising goal for the weekend was $50-thousand… the amount it takes to purchase materials for one home.  Results are expected to be announced later this week.

Chowder Tasting

Well over 500 people participated in the People’s Choice Chowder Tasting Saturday afternoon at the 17th annual Chowder Blues and Brews.  Six different professional entries were sampled with the People’s Choice award going to Trio’s Restaurant at Three Rivers Casino.

The samples were handed out in a ‘blind’ tasting.  Trio’s was entry #5, by the way.  The judge’s panel selected the entry from Vancouver, Washington’s Burger Bungalow – number three in the blind tasting – as the winner of the $500 cash prize.  Second place in the professional judging was the entry labeled number four… the Sport Haven Marina from Brookings, Oregon.  The other entry numbers in the blind tasting:  ICM Restaurant was labeled  #1; the Maple Street Grill #2; and Kelly’s Cantina #6.

In the amateur category, the wining entry was a shrimp chowder by Janeen Ross of Eugene.

Florence Trans Plan

The Florence City Council opened the hearing June 18th, they’ve taken testimony on seven different occasions and tonight will be the eighth as they continue to evaluate the lengthy draft transportation systems plan.  Work on the update began nearly three years ago, resulting in a list of six-dozen different projects and proposals that are being ranked in order of importance and probability of funding by the council.  In order to implement the plan, the council must also make changes to several different sections of city code, as well as the comprehensive plan.  The council meets tonight at city hall, seven pm.

Florence Festival of Books

71 authors and six publishers will be participating in this Saturday’s second annual Florence Festival of Books at the Florence Events Center.  The six-hour event has three goals… to expose writers to potential publishers and readers; allow publishers to make contact with authors; and give readers a glimpse at the writers behind the words.  17 local authors are among the 71 writers signed up.  One of those is a senior at Siuslaw High School; Todd Denning has written “The Gift of Love” which is just being released this week in both Spanish and English.  It’s expected to be available at the festival.