It's over... lawmakers go home; three months easing pain creates a work of art; Florence Planners to wrap up Ocean Dunes and fire at Dean Creek

It's over: Legislature goes home after 2009 session.

After six months on the job the Oregon Legislature has gone home. The gavel came down last night on a session dominated by recession and its impact on state tax revenues. Democrats controlled the house and used their majorities to patch a budget together, raising taxes and passing bills that will still result in layoffs and shorter school years as well as higher tuition at universities. They say they did a good job in a tough time and focused on jobs. Republicans say the session will be remembered simply for tax increases. Opponents of tax increases on businesses and the wealthy say they will pursue statewide votes on those issues.

The winner of an international art competition is self-taught and spent three months easing her own pain as her wounded soldier-son recovered by creating the face of a Geisha and cherry blossoms out of beads. Charmaine Pesnell said she would call her son every day, then focus on her creation as a way to give her peace. Her design contained more than 20-thousand Toho beads and won first place at this year’s Bead and Button Show in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. She and U-S Bead Warehouse manager Kim McDaniel will spend a week in Japan. The bottle cover itself will remain on display for a year at the Toho bead factory and museum in Hiroshima.

The Florence Planning Commission is expected to focus one last time tonight on a 97-unit housing development that neighbors say will bring too much traffic to their neighborhood. Backers of the Ocean Dunes Planned Unit Development dispute that but say they’ll route construction traffic away from neighborhood streets to minimize impact. A public hearing on the proposal was closed last week. City staff members say with some conditions it meets code requirements and they are recommending approval. The planning commission meets at seven pm at City Hall.

120-acres of prime elk habitat will go up in flames along Highway 38 near Reedsport this week. It’s all part of a plan to improve forage at the popular Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. Controlled burns in the meadows and pastures of the viewing area will be done this week by Bureau of Land Management crews. Bill Elam with the BLM says the viewing areas and restrooms may be closed temporarily during the process.

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

American Legion Baseball:
The two teams put up a combined 31 hits as Salem’s Post Nine downed the Three Rivers Sandblasters in seven innings last night, 23-13. It was the fifth straight loss for Three Rivers, their third consecutive in conference play. Sheldon Astria earned the win; Kyle Davis the loss. Three Rivers will be back on the diamond tonight in Florence at five against the Mid-Valley Rockets.

Northwest League Baseball:
Eugene’s Jason Hagerty was one-for-four last night, but that one single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Bo Davis to break a three-three tie and the Emeralds hung on for a 4-3 Northwest League victory over the Everett Aqua-Sox last night. Mauricio Tabachnik allowed one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings of relief for the win; David Erickson picked up his third save of the year coming to the mound with one out in the eighth and retired five straight batters in order to preserve the score. The two teams continue their series in Eugene tonight.