1 September 2014
Get your Flo-Grow…
Area residents later this month can get up to one free cubic yard of what is being called “Flo-Grow”. It’s a composted combination of ground yard debris and sludge left over from the sewage treatment process.
Florence Public Works Director Mike Miller said the city recently received clearance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to begin distributing the soil amendment for lawns and gardens.
The combination has been ‘cooking’ for the past two years. It’s the result of an effort to find a way to dispose of the waste… the final by-product of the sewage treatment process… without having to haul it to a landfill.
Crews began mixing it together in 2011 and allowing it to compost.
Flo-Grow is not packaged, so if you want it, you’ll have to either bring your own containers, or haul it in a pickup.
Residents can have up to one cubic yard on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis September 17th and 18th.
Cover Oregon turnaround takes longer than planned
The turnaround expert hired to fix Cover Oregon has stayed longer than expected; did more than planned; and left behind a big bill.
Clyde Hamstreet completed the job of stabilizing Oregon’s health care exchange. But the cost of his work, as well as that of two associates, has added up to nearly $600-thousand. Plus, he hasn’t submitted his invoice for August.
Governor John Kitzhaber asked Hamstreet to take over the exchange in April after Kitzhaber forced out three top officials.
Hamstreet was initially signed to a $100-thousand contract in April, but the scope of his contract quickly grew and the dollar amount was amended as well.
The original job was expected to last just four to six weeks, but extended into five months because the reorganization turned out to be a bigger job than expected.
Back to school
It’s back to school this week for area students. In Florence, students in kindergarten through sixth grade will return to class tomorrow, along with ninth graders. Seventh and eighth graders, plus the upper classmen at the high school will join the rest of the students on Wednesday.
In Mapleton, grades K through 12 will hit the books tomorrow as well. Students in Mapleton this year will have access to free breakfast and lunch. Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said because of the high number of low-income households in the area, schools will be reimbursed for every meal served.
