Election Intimidation
We are less than two weeks away from election day and the act of returning your ballot is a private and confidential thing. Nobody has the right to examine your ballot before you drop it in a ballot or mailbox, nor do they have the right to ask how you voted, photograph you or your vehicle, or obstruct or interfere with your ability to vote. Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson says the right to vote is taken very seriously in Lane County and encourages voters to report voter intimidation to the Secretary of State’s Office. She also recommends all voters return their ballot through an official channel by delivering it to the Elections Office in Eugene, in one of the 21 official drop boxes around Lane County, or dropping it in a mail box. If you use the mail, no postage is required and it must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, November 8th. There is one drop box in our area, just outside the front door of the Florence Justice Center on Greenwood Street just off 9th. One final bit of advice… don’t forget to sign the back of your ballot envelope.
Siuslaw Vision
The Siuslaw vision organization has been working on research to determine what the needs of the community and region are in respects to making the region a place people want to live. They have researched 6 different topics with one of them being the impact the region has on young families. Child care was one of the topics. Susie Lacer is with Siuslaw Vision and says they have been working with groups, including the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce to broaden the opportunities for young families.
“there’s obviously individuals who are working who need help with child care, there are people wanting to start a business of offering child care, there are all the government agencies that have a part in it and regulating it and supporting it and offering training so we connect all those different people and groups together.”
Lacer says Siuslaw vision also has money set aside for things like consultants that can offer training for some of the groups that may want to start a business. She says they are mainly a connector that brings people that are working on similar projects that may not have been introduced previously.
Gas Prices Fall Again
Gas prices fell again across the region yesterday even after the weekly report was released from AAA Oregon. Prices had a one day drop in Florence of 8 cents. Gas can be found as low as $4.89 locally. Marie Dodds with AAA says the west coast is seeing the highest drops of anywhere in the United States, but that is partly due to the west coast seeing the highest jumps over the past 6 weeks. Oregon has dropped more than 24 cents the third largest drop for a state behind Alaska and California. She says one of the reasons is that people are currently driving less and easing strain on the supply after refineries return to normal operations.
Foam Filled Dock
Foam filled the area around the docks yesterday morning causing concern for some residents and business owners near the boardwalk. Paul Olmsted with the Oregon department of Fish and wildlife says there was no cause for concern. The foam, he says, comes from nutrient rich ocean water that is churned up from high seas. He says how far up the estuary is comes is dependent on the incoming tides and how big they are. It is a natural process Olmstead says and nothing to cause alarm.
