Lane County Budget Concerns
The Lane County Budget Committee got to work in Eugene yesterday. They’re already aware that this budget year is going to be very tight. West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich said the end of the Secure Rural Schools Act which provided funding to timber dependent counties came to an end this year. That means reduced revenues.
Jay Bozievich – “Probably budget wise, pretty close to their worst right now. When I took office we were in the taper-down of the secure rural schools act. This budget year we’re in right now is the last payment. Starting this next budget year we’re on actual harvest monies; which is far lower than even the lowest secure rural schools year.”
By comparison, this year Lane County received just over $6-million in timber money… compared to next year when officials expect to get less than half of that.
Into the wild…
Some people take a walk through the woods and see the beauty of nature; others see lunch.
Kelsey Terry and Jan Nelson from Homegrown Public House in Florence are among the latter. They’re sharing their expertise Monday in a special continuing education course being offered by Lane Community College in Florence. Marsha Sills with LCC says the pair will lead a foraging walk at Sweet Creek Falls Monday morning, then the entire class will retire to Whiskey Creek Organics. The class will also tour that facility while Terry and Nelson prepare lunch for the group using many of the items they’ve harvested along the way.
For information on how to enroll in the one-day course you can call LCC Florence at 997-8444.
Prescription take back box back in action
Area residents will now have an environmentally safe way to dispose of excess and unused prescription drugs. The drug disposal drop box at the Florence Justice Center has been reopened.
It had been removed last year for a variety of reasons. One of those was that some people were using it to dispose of “sharps”… used needles and lancets. Those are not allowed.
Only solid prescription drugs… no liquids… from residential and family users. Megan Messmer with the City of Florence said it is not intended for use by commercial facilities.
The box is inside the entry of the Florence Justice Center just off Ninth Street and is available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Florence gas prices at $2 on average
Higher crude oil prices, increased demand and reduced production continue to be the listed causes for an increase in retail gasoline. Locally, the average cash price for a gallon of regular increased five cents this week to two-dollars-even.
Oregon’s statewide average, as measured by Triple-A, went up two cents and is at $2.17 this week.
The national average price went up six cents and is at the highest point so far in 2016… $2.04 a gallon.
Goodby to a mascot
The Reedsport Community Charter School is beginning the process of saying farewell to the high school’s mascot. After about six decades of being known as the Reedsport Braves, the school has to meet a deadline of June 2017 to do away with the symbol or lose state funding.
School district officials had hoped to gain approval of continued use of the Brave as their mascot from the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. But, tribal officials reminded the school they had adopted a policy several years ago saying the use of such mascots and accompanying symbols – quote – “perpetuate hurt, embarrassment, harassment and discrimination against Native Americans.”
Reedsport superintendent Dan Forbess (for-BUSS) told the Register Guard he’s not sure what mascot would be chosen to replace the Brave.
Body of missing skipper recovered
The body of the skipper of the commercial fishing vessel that capsized just inside the Coos Bay entrance March 23rd has been recovered. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed this morning that the remains of Jerry Barkley were recovered as a salvage team from Northwest Marine Services lifted the 62-foot trawler from the water with a crane barge.
Barkely was at the helm of the vessel as it was attempting to cross the bar fully laden with its catch. Two crewmembers and an observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were rescued when they were thrown into the water as the Patty A.J. turned sharply, rolled and capsized.
The U.S. Coast Guard has lifted restrictions on the channel now that it has been cleared. The Patty A.J. is the fourth vessel to sink near the Coos Bay Entrance this year.
