2 October 2013
DC Stalemate Limits Opportunities
The federal government shutdown is in its second day. That means the U.S. Forest Service is continuing to implement closures at offices and recreation sites across the region. Locally that means the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area center in Reedsport and the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center to the north are closed. It’s unclear whether or not other recreation sites will be barricaded.
Many Forest Service campgrounds were scheduled to be closed for the season by this week anyway.
The National Park Service has closed access to lodges, visitor centers and other facilities in Oregon, including Crater Lake, The Oregon Caves and the John Day Fossil beds. Officials say roads that go through national monuments will remain open, but access gates will be closed to specific sites.
In Newport, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Natural Area is closed and several Oregon State University employees were locked out of a building at the Hatfield Marine Science Center that is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
One Day Session Stretches to At Least Three
A projected one-day special session of the Oregon Legislature has now stretched into the third day with a joint committee at the Capitol working yesterday to begin advancement of a series of bills proposed by the Governor.
Hearings came nearly ten hours later than planned yesterday as Governor John Kitzhaber and legislative leaders spent the day trying to nail down details and line up votes in favor of the bills that would make changes to public employee retirement benefits; rearrange some taxes and prevent local governments from regulating genetically modified foods.
Votes in the full house and senate are expected later today.
Gas Prices Down
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Florence dipped by two cents in the past week. Today’s average price is $3.49 a gallon, 15 cents below the Oregon average price as measured by Triple-A; 10 cents above the national average price. Marie Dodds with Triple-A says barring a hurricane or some other unexpected disruption to gasoline production and distribution, prices should continue to decline steadily in the coming months.
National Sports Commentator Reflects on His Broadcast Roots
His audience now numbers in the millions as the host of ESPN’s Sport Center Los Angeles, weeknights at ten pm. But Neil Everett actually started his broadcasting career right here in Florence.
Neil Everett – “I’m honored to say that that’s where I begun because we’ve all come from somewhere and I couldn’t be prouder to say I’m from there.”
Everett was just out of journalism school at the University of Oregon and was half of the morning show team that went on the air with KGBU Radio in 1985. The other half of that duo was Jon Thompson
Neil Everett – “Well you know I was the news guy and Jon was the sports guy.
That station went off the air within three years, but Thompson, an employee of KGBU, was able to gather financial backing and get it back on the air on AM 1250 October 1st, 1988 as KCST. Everett says even though he speaks to a national audience every evening, local voices are very important.
Neil Everett – “It is incumbent upon local radio to remember its roots and to serve those most loyal listeners which are the people of Florence.”
That local connection will be explored this afternoon during KCST’s Our Town, the monthly public affairs program.
