14 February 2013
North Florence Sewer expansion essentially done…
Most of the underground work is completed on the North Florence sewer extension project. Florence Public Works Director Mike Miller says the contractor; Ray Wells Incorporated; will take the next few weeks to finish up.
Mike Miller – “Pretty much getting wrapped up. The contractor has the sewer work done. There’s a couple little projects they have to do. They have a couple of sewer manholes to actually abandon and remove in the highway; a little bit of paving to do and restoration work.”
Landscape restoration in front of Fred Meyer should be done shortly, along with sidewalk replacements. But, there will likely be one holdup.
Mike Miller – “The tricky thing around here is weather, uh, with paving. And, if you go by strict ODOT standards there’s no paving until late March; April.”
If the weather cooperates in the next couple weeks, the part of Highway 101 that has been torn up to accommodate the work could be restored. But, says Miller… the Oregon Department of Transportation could make them tear it up and redo it when the weather is warmer and dryer.
O&C Solution Sought
A long term solution on management of hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Oregon that has been set aside with the purpose of generating revenue since the 1930s is being sought in Washington D.C. Oregon Representatives Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden are asking Natural Resources Committees in both the House and Senate to find a way to productively manage what is called O&C lands.
It was part of a land grant to the former Oregon and California Railway Company nearly a century ago. It was returned to federal stewardship in the 1930s and a management agreement written up at that time required that proceeds from active timber production be returned to counties where the land lies. Spotted owl and salmon conservation efforts have halted much of the logging over the past two decades.
Radio Auction to Benefit Listeners
More than 170 items with a total value well in excess of $30-thousand will go on sale tomorrow and Saturday in the semi-annual radio auction. Most people in this area associate auctions as being benefits for worthy causes. In this case, says Coast Radio owner and General Manager Jon Thompson, the worthy cause happens to be radio listeners. “We’ve collected a variety of products and services from our advertisers” he said. “Those will be sold at sometimes deep discount on the auction block Friday and Saturday”. A complete listing of the items are in Wednesday’s Siuslaw News as well as on KCST-dot-com. Most of the regular programming will be suspended during the auction.
Dunes City
The Dunes City Council will have the first reading on a nuisance abatement ordinance and continue an ongoing discussion on a septic maintenance ordinance this evening. Dunes City Recorder Fred Hilden will also report on a proposal to create an ad hoc committee to work on organizing the “Oregon Dunes Triathlon”. The council meets at Dunes City Hall this evening beginning at seven pm.
