Cuts for senior and disabled services looming; Florence to consider coastal goals; Dunes City CCI talks stormwater; and the switch to DTV... will it?

Draft budget proposal to impact senior and disabled services…

It’s down to the wire for advocates of Oregon senior citizens and those with disabilities to make their case to state lawmakers. Passage of the proposed Department of Human Services budget could mean cuts that will affect thousands of Oregon families and compromise the effectiveness of the state’s care-giving industry. The draft budget proposal would cut 38-percent Pof in-home care and 40-percent of nursing home funding. Jerry Cohen, the head of AARP-Oregon, says he understands that money is tight, but feels the cuts would be too deep.
200 – “We’re all sharing some pain and some responsibility. So, it is a matter of balancing both cuts and revenues in a fair and equitable manner.

Cohen says the proposal would eliminate almost 6-thousand care-giving jobs and effectively turns away $200-million in federal matching money because the state wouldn’t be funding its portion of some programs. Lawmakers agree cutting social services is never easy, but they say it’s necessary to try to reverse the state budget shortfall.

Oregon News Service provided the audio for this story…

With the annexation of Driftwood Shores, the City of Florence added something it’s never had before… ocean beaches. That means portions of the three coastal statewide planning goals now apply to the city’s comprehensive plan. The Florence Planning Commission and City Council will meet in a joint session this evening at City Hall to hear about proposed amendments relating to those goals. A work session begins at seven, followed by a public hearing on the matter. City Manager Bob Willoughby says it’s expected that the Planning Commission will take action tonight and the council will take the matter up June 29th. // The Dunes City Committee for Citizen Involvement… the C-C-I will convene tonight to review a proposed stormwater ordinance. The ordinance is intended to protect water quality in Siltcoos and Woahink lakes. The committee will convene at six pm, take public comment on the matter and then discuss it.

The digital age for television starts this Friday… or does it? A lot is being made of the official day for the switch to DTV which could render rabbit ears on televisions across the country worthless without a digital converter box. Subscribers to satellite and cable systems will be unaffected by the conversion, but so will members of translator associations such as the one operating in Florence. West Lane Translator Association will not be making the transition this week. They’re not required to. W-L-T boardmember Larry Bloomfield says they’re still working out the details and the switch could come as early as this fall. An informational meeting about the DTV switch is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, 12:30PM at Siuslaw Public Library.

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

College and high school baseball players throughout Oregon are anxious to hear their names called today as Major League Baseball holds its annual draft. The Oregon State Beavers appear likely lose their starting catcher as junior Ryan Ortiz is expected to get drafted, sign a pro contract and leave the Beavers after earning all-Pacific-10 Conference first team honors the past two seasons. The Oregon Ducks, meanwhile, seem assured of losing Tyler Matzek, their top recruit. The high school left-hander throws in the mid-90s and will get millions of dollars if he's drafted early in the first round as expected.