New Superintendent assumes role at Siuslaw; gas prices may have found season high; and protestors continue to block timber sale east of Reedsport.

New Superintendent takes over at Siuslaw…

He’s officially been on the job a week, but he’s been in and out of Florence and the Siuslaw School District several times since accepting the position earlier this spring. Superintendent Jeff Davis made his first official appearance Monday night before the school board and laid out a plan for his transition. One of Davis’ highest priorities?
205 – “Probably the linkage with the community, and so, communication with the community, the various agencies and civic groups. I would like to extend a warm welcome to them to become a vital part of the relationship with our school system.”

Davis says he’s spending a lot of time right now asking questions…
206 – “Coming in with some fresh eyes, asking questions, penetrating questions as to why we do things the way we do. With that, we talk about what’s working, what’s working well, what’s worth preserving, what needs to be changed, what are the challenges?”

He acknowledged the past several months have been very stressful and he says he wants to focus on getting beyond that and the main mission of the district… education.

After a slight rise before the holiday weekend, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline fell slightly to $2.66 today. That’s 12-cents less than the statewide average as measured by Oregon Triple-A, which dropped two cents in the same period to $2.78. Marie Dodds with Triple-A said the national average fell by three cents to $2.60 a gallon. She adds gas prices may have peaked for the summer as historically the highest prices have been around Independence Day. Much of the first half of 2009 has been marked by a steady climb in oil and gas prices after market lows late in 2008. Two states still have prices that average above the three-dollar mark… Hawaii at $3.29 and Alaska at $3.06. California’s average price is $2.96 and in Washington, the average is $2.85 a gallon.

Protestors continue to barricade a logging road in the Elliot State Forest southeast of Reedsport, protesting a sale of second-growth timber on 79-acres known as Umpcoos Ridge. Demonstrators for the environmental groups Earth First! And Cascadia Rising say they want to protect native forest habitat and will remain at the site until the sale is cancelled. Kevin Weeks with the Oregon Department of Forestry said authorities have met with protestors, but no move has been made to arrest them. They’re using overturned vans and other items to block the road into the site.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

American Legion Baseball:

Thomas McCarthy’s back-to-back solo homeruns yesterday helped the Corvallis Richies to a 7-nothing shutout over the Three Rivers Sandblasters in Florence. But, it was Jake Likewise’ three run shot following a two-out error in the sixth inning that sealed the deal. The ‘Blasters move from one top team in the zone to the other as they travel to Willamette University tonight in Salem to take on the Withnell Dodgers. That game at 5:00… airtime on 106.9 FM is at 4:45.

Northwest League Baseball:

Three Eugene pitchers combined to toss a four-hit shutout as the Emeralds evened the five game series with the Boise Hawks at two games apiece last night. The Emeralds scored six runs in the effort. Starter Matt Jackson faced the minimum number of batters through five innings, allowing only one single, walking one and striking out three. The rubber game of the series is set for tonight in Boise.