December 13, 2012
Gifts Lagging for Christmas Baskets
Budget estimates for the Community Christmas Basket project have been reduced by about four thousand dollars… but organizers say they’re still at least that much short. Carol Bennett is in charge of the food basket portion of the program. She says based on the lower than expected contributions they’ll be cutting back on some of the items they place in the estimated 425 holiday food boxes. That will bring her budget down to $17-thousand. But, she adds, she only has commitments right now for about $13-thousand. Bennett says the Soroptimist backed project will be getting a few items from Florence Food Share like stuffing and cranberries, but she relies on cash donations from the community for things like turkey and potatoes. Bennett pointed out donations to Food Share, while important, don’t go to Christmas Baskets. Separate cash donations can be mailed to Soroptimist at P.O. Box 1209, Florence, or given to any Soroptimist member.
Dunes City Talking Septic Again
Dunes City Councilors will hold a private executive session this evening midway through their regular monthly meeting. When they return to public session to discuss correspondence with their legal counsel, they are expected to hear an update from City Recorder Fred Hilden on a proposal to repeal a city ordinance requiring mandatory septic tank maintenance. Councilors are expected to take action on the mandatory program and replace it with a voluntary program backed by a public education outreach.
Also on the docket for Dunes City this evening will be action on a new proposal to establish an ordinance governing code enforcement. Councilors will hear a first reading of that.
The Dunes City Council meets at seven pm.
Wind Energy
A northwest company will receive four million dollars from the U.S. Department of Energy to assemble and deploy five wind turbines about ten miles off the Oregon Coast. Seattle-based Principle Power will install the ‘semi-submersible’ floating foundations; each with a 6-megawatt generator in deep water west of Coos Bay. The devices will be assembled in Coos County before being deployed by barge. Washington Senator Patty Murray supported the grant funding saying it would help “pave the path for collaboration with West Coast Fishermen”.
Local Dancers En Pointe with the Nutcracker and the Eugene Ballet Company
A Holiday icon will grace the stage in Florence next week… the Nutcracker, performed by the Eugene Ballet Company under Artistic Director Toni Pimble.
Toni Pimble – “Well, the truth is that it’s a lot of fun as a ballet. And of course, it has Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker music which is possibly the most well known classical ballet score music.”
They present the Nutcracker dozens of times each season, all over the Northwest. One thing that makes it special and keeps it fresh is the interaction with local students at each stop.
Toni Pimble – “In each state that we go to and each town that we go to we include the local students. So that by the time we finish our tour we probably work with a thousand children every year if not more.”
40 local dancers from Sweet Creek Ballet, under the direction of Lauren Madden have been rehearsing since October and will fill several dozen roles on stage in Florence Tuesday, December 18th at the Florence Events Center.
Tickets are available at the FEC Box Office or online…