30 January 2013
Port of Siuslaw Commission Election…
Four of the five positions on the Port of Siuslaw Commission will be up for election on the May 21st ballot. Three four-year terms will be up this year… those currently held by Port President John Scott and Commissioners John Buchanan and Robert Thorp. Joshua Greene was elected to a four-year term in 2011, but has announced he will be resigning next month following his election to the Florence City Council.
No official announcement has been received as to whether the other three will be seeking to return. All candidates for Port Commission must be registered voters who are residents of the port district. It covers a large geographic area that includes Florence, Dunes City, Mapleton and the upper drainage of the Siuslaw River as far as Walton, Lorane and Blachly. Filing information can be had at the Port of Siuslaw Office, the filing period officially opens February 11th and closes March 21st.
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Reedsport Charter
Three years ago the Reedsport community reorganized the junior and senior high schools, combining them into one charter school. The move gave the shrinking and financially strapped district more flexibility and access to some additional funding. One component of that flexibility is a two-week break between semesters that is used to “foster creativity and pursue knowledge”. Regular classes are suspended and students sign up for either full or half-day electives taught by community members with a specific expertise. This year the “Braves Sessions” as they’re called are covering everything from Acrylic Painting to Zimbabwean Culture. Regular classes resume Monday, February 4th.
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Local Gas Prices
For the first time in two years the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Oregon dipped below the national average price this week. Oregon’s average increased by three cents this week to $3.35 a gallon, while the national average, as measured by Triple-A went up a nickel to $3.36. Locally, the average increased by two-cents and is at $3.27 a gallon. Prices in Florence continue to run well below the major population centers in the state… in Portland the average is $3.34, Eugene is at $3.38 and in Bend it is $3.39.
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Small Offshore Quake
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded about 170 miles off the Oregon Coast last night at 7:15. Within three hours the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center had reported that only four people had logged reports that they had actually felt it. Officials say the quake was at a depth of nearly 6 ½ miles due west of the Coos Bay entrance. They also say there was no danger of a tsunami.
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