8 January 2014
Annual State of the County Address Delivered
It was a year of ups and downs for LaneCounty in 2013. Some of the highs included voter approval of a five-year, $79-million local option tax levy that will be used primarily to fund operations at the jail.
Some of the lows, as described by outgoing Commission Chair Sid Leiken, were things like the August firing of County Administrator Liane Richardson and the failure to convince a major food processing company to locate in Coburg.
Leiken pointed to several other economic development successes for the county in the last year. Those included the securing of a call center that will bring 180 jobs to Veneta.
Leiken also had praise for several county employees, including the interim administrator Alicia Hays who he says has – quote – “made a very positive change in the organization”.
Monday’s celebration and address was followed by a regular board of commissioners meeting yesterday in which Eugene commissioner Pat Farr was selected to serve as chair for the coming year. Farr identified major goals for this year which included finding a permanent replacement for the administrator… as well as continuing economic development efforts.
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Police in Reedsport are urging residents there to be cautious about answering their phones.
Sergeant Tom Beck, also serving as interim Police Chief, says they’ve received complaints of residents getting “robo-calls” telling them that their Mastercard or Debit Mastercard has been “locked” due to security issues.
The recipient of the call is then directed to press “one” for customer service and asked to input their credit card number.
Beck says simply hang up.
Credit card companies never call card holders to ask them what their numbers are. Security experts say this type of scam is used as a way to get your card information so it can be sold.
Beck says if you should get a call like this, turn your card over and call the customer service phone number printed on the back and report it.
He adds, if you feel you have been a victim of credit card abuse or fraud to notify your local police department or contact the Oregon Department of Justice.
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Students at Siuslaw and MapletonHigh Schools interested in the new expanded “co-ed” Rhody Festival Royalty Court have until January 24th to submit their applications.
Court organizer Dee Osborne says the Rhododendron Festival Court program is intended to provide scholarships; promote community outreach and volunteerism; as well as offer networking and mentoring opportunities for outstanding young men and women in the area.
For the first time, young men are being invited to apply… Osborne says they hope to have five of each gender… all should be high school seniors.
Applications for the court are available at the ChamberVisitorCenter; SiuslawHigh School and the Chamber of Commerce website.
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The Siuslaw Public Library is selling books.
No, not their collection in the stacks intended for regular borrowing.
These books are volumes that have been donated specifically for raising money for the Friends of the Siuslaw Public Library.
Friends President Sherry Curry says they’ve been sorting thousands of fiction, non-fiction, children’s and even audio books for the sale.
In fact more than 7-thousand titles will be on sale this Saturday and Sunday at the Library.
Members of the Friends group get first access… between nine and ten AM Saturday with the general sale running until four that day. Sunday’s sale will be from noon until four.
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