Council hears rate testimony, marine reserves clear hurdle, work on 101 bridge beginning and grad night.

About 30-people were on hand yesterday afternoon at Florence City Hall to ask questions and provide comment on the creation of a new $2-per month street lighting fee and a 13-percent increase in water and waste water rates. Mayor Phil Brubaker said there were several comments, but no real opposition to the proposal that would take effect in July.
210 – “We have not wrapped up the discussion about it. It’ll be on the agenda for our June 15th city council meeting at the time we take up the entire budget and I’ll be giving a chance for people to weigh in again at that time.”

If approved by the council, residents would pay about $9 per month more for the service in addition to the lighting charge. All customers would be billed monthly for city utilities, as opposed to bi-monthly. The rate hike is coming in response to higher operating costs, projected maintenance and anticipated increases in electricity rates.

Establishment of Oregon’s first two marine reserves, along with funding to continue a discussion of up to four others, cleared the Oregon House yesterday. The unanimous vote was very different from the bitter battles that ensued when then-governor John Kitzhaber first proposed a network o marine conservation areas to offset damage from overfishing. The two reserves, if approved now by the Senate, would be offshore near Otter Rock in the Newport Area, and off the Southern Oregon Coast near Port Orford. Coos Bay Representative Arnie Roblan says the fact that the two reserves are small and primarily for research helped sway fishermen who were afraid their livelihoods would be threatened. The bill taps $1-million from damages awarded over the New Carissa Shipwreck to implement the recommendations of the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council.

Transportation officials say there will be minimal disruption to daytime traffic, but beginning next week a $5.3-million, two-year project to modernize electrical and mechanical components on the Siuslaw River Bridge will get underway. Chuck Lemos (LEE-mose) said lane closures should be expected weeknights between eight pm and seven am. The first phase of work will involve removing paint and applying a new finish to the underside of the lift spans. Electrical work should begin sometime in July.

109 graduates at Siuslaw High School will walk down the aisle tonight at eight pm. Ceremonies are a week earlier than usual due to budget reductions made last year that reduced the number of school days. Several students will speak at the commencement. Jacob Mitchell and Kay Robertson were recipients of the Richard N. Whitmore outstanding senior boy and girl of the year awards. Mitchell, along with Sam Pearson, Jackie Fitch and Amanda Pilcher are all Valedictorians with four-point-oh grade point averages. Daniel Scott is Salutatorian.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

The Oregon State baseball team opens up NCAA Regional play this afternoon against Texas A&M. First pitch from Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled for noon Pacific. Right-hander Sam Gaviglio starts for the Beavers against Aggies southpaw Brooks Raley. The four-team regional is double-elimination. The winner advances to one of eight Super Regionals. Those winners advance to the College World Series in Omaha. The Beavers, of course, won the series in 2006 and 2007.

The University of Oregon men's golf team capped its season with a 22nd-place finish in the NCAA Championships. The Ducks entered the tournament as the 18th seed in the 30-team field. Only the top eight schools advanced to this weekend's match play. Coach Casey Martin says his young team competed hard, but didn't play as well as hoped. Freshman Daniel Miernicki posted a two-over par 73 to lead the Ducks for the third straight round at the Inverness Golf Club in Ohio. Miernicki is one of four freshmen on the five-man team, so the Ducks should be strong in the coming years.