Even Good Time Charlie won’t get the Blues
The curtain has already gone up on the 2017 Florence Winter Music Festival. Students from area schools were entertained… and educated… yesterday in two performances by Cabin Fever Northwest at the Florence Events Center. The popular country-folk band will be the second act on stage again Saturday morning at the FEC, coming up immediately after singer-songwriter RJ. Ballard. In all, ten different musical acts will perform over the two-day music festival. Bands will be on stage beginning at 10:30 am Saturday, then again at 11 Sunday.
Two headliners will perform Saturday evening. Former American Idol contestant Haley Johnson opens at seven for singer songwriter Danny O’Keefe. O’Keefe has written songs for many performers, but is most known for his 1970s hit Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues.
Johnson will return to the stage Sunday to close the festival when she performs at 2:40 pm.
It’s not just about the music: dozens of vendors will be offering hand crafted and locally sourced items while the music plays both days. The artisan fair is free, but there is an admission charge for the music.
Tax season begins January 23rd
If you’re one of the few that file your personal income tax returns by the middle of January, you’re likely ahead of the IRS and the Oregon Department of Revenue.
Both agencies are accepting tax filings right now, but, but they won’t begin processing them until at least January 23rd when tax season begins. If you do have a refund coming, don’t expect them to issue that until after February 15th.
That’s a fraud prevention move says Bob Estabrook with the Oregon Department of Revenue. He says employers don’t have to get forms W-2 and 1099 to tax agencies until the end of January.
Officials want to wait for those and so they can compare income and withholding amounts to your return.
He also says they will process the returns in the order received, so it you’re first in line, you’ll also probably be first to get your refund. E-filing is the fastest way… if you do that and request your refund by direct deposit, you could be the first on your block to get your money back.
DeFazio calls for maintenance dredging
Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio, along with other members of the Oregon delegation, reached out this week to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeking additional funding for maintenance at several Oregon ports.
DeFazio, the leading Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, says despite the ongoing need, many Oregon ports were not included in the funding appropriations signed last month by President Obama.
Projects on the Siuslaw River as well as on the Chetco at Brookings were included, but six other projects, including the Umpqua, were not.
In a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, DeFazio pointed out that the Army Corps does have the estimated $10-million to cover the cost of the projects at Depoe Bay, Port Orford, Bandon, Garibaldi and Reedsport.
Flo City Council meetings to begin earlier in 2017
If you’re going to a Florence City Council meeting this year, be sure to check your schedule. Elected officials decided this week to begin their twice-monthly meetings at 5:30 pm instead of six.
City Recorder Kelli Weese said the time change will become effective with the February 6th meeting at City Hall.
Emergency Cold Weather Shelter to open again
The Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter will be open again tonight at the Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw. Reverend Greg Wood said registration will begin at five pm with dinner shortly after.
The white flags with the light blue symbol for shelter announcing the opening of the shelter have been flying in several locations around town all week due to cold weather. Wood said previously they have drawn many unhoused people for a hot meal and a warm and dry place to sleep. He said based on weather forecasts they will also likely open again tomorrow night. The weather is expected to begin warming a little bit beginning Sunday, but overnight lows will likely still be in the mid 30s that night. By Monday though, the lows will likely be in the mid 40s, giving volunteers a break.
Siuslaw Geography Bee finals
21 students at Siuslaw Elementary and Middle Schools will be competing Tuesday in the local finals of the National Geographic Geography Bee. Pat Wondra at Siuslaw Middle School said the students scored highly in the preliminary qualifying round, answering 25 “moderately hard multiple-choice questions”. 11 students from the fourth and fifth grade along with ten more from sixth, seventh and eighth grades will compete. Top scoring students could qualify for the state competition later this year.
Wondra said the competitions are not open to the general public, but parents and other family members are welcome to attend.
