School district in $500,000 hole; Noted anti-nuclear activist in Florence; Green show opens Saturday; and legislative town hall set for Sunday

Demands for cash increase… but funds continue to deteriorate at Siuslaw Schools…

Another year of declining enrollment and revenues, along with increased demands to fund the district’s retirement obligations mean it will likely be a lean year financially again at Siuslaw. Superintendent Jeff Davis delivered his first message to the budget committee this week. That message: the district is about a half-million dollars short of where it needs to be in order to continue all current programs. Davis pointed out that 21 positions have been eliminated over the past two years, but didn’t say whether or not any further reductions would be required in the coming months. One of the largest challenges, he said, was the growing obligation to fund Siuslaw’s share of the Public Employee Retirement System. Estimates show a potential 16 to 19 percent increase in funding for the plan will be needed by 2012. Davis says that means the district has to begin setting aside money immediately in order to meet that requirement. Just over $300-thousand was set aside this year and a similar amount will be allocated in the coming year. Another funding challenge: facilities. Davis says there are not adequate funds in the Capital Facilities Budget to pay for needed repairs to the Elementary School roof. The budget committee will meet again later this month.

From the standpoint of the nuclear industry, he’s Oregon’s most expensive speaker. Lloyd Marbet an internationally known anti-nuclear activist will appear this evening in Florence. Marbet is frequently credited with helping stop licensing of several utility reactors in Oregon and Washington. He’ll present a talk on climate change and alternatives to nuclear energy this evening at Siuslaw Public Library… the presentation is from six to eight pm.

Going green is the natural way to go and visitors who get to tomorrow’s first ever Florence Green Fair at the Events Center naturally by riding their bicycles will be treated to a half-price discount. The show features 41 different exhibitors, all with products and tips on how to be more environmentally sensitive says organizer John Bartlett.
213 – “We have a seminar on affordable and sustainable remodeling. Arnie Roblan’s going to be here also, at 11:30, he’s going to talk about the legislation that has to do with green and sustainability in the state of Oregon.”

There’ll be an extensive organic and local food display as well as other consumer products. The show runs from ten to five, the cost is $2.

Oregon Ninth District Representative Arnie Roblan along with his counterpart from the Tenth District… Jean Cowan… and State Senator Joanne Verger will be in Florence Sunday afternoon from two to 3:30. Verger says the Town Hall meeting at Siuslaw Public Library will provide for a two-way conversation. In addition to recapping the February special legislative session she hopes to hear from residents about their concerns.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - No injuries or damage are being reported
following a magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck Thursday off the
Oregon coast. The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden,
Colo., says the quake was centered about 231 miles west of Yachats
at a depth of about six miles -- shallow in earthquake
terms. Geophysicist Randy Baldwin says quakes of that magnitude are
common in that area.

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Missoula authorities say they have
arrested a 22-year-old man accused of killing a woman in Oregon.
Steven Waney Cleland was taken into custody Wednesday on negligent
homicide and manslaughter charges stemming from a shooting death in
Polk County, Ore. He fled the state after a grand jury indicted
him. The woman's name was not released in charging documents.
Cleland is awaiting extradition.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A year before a man was found dead in his bed
at the Oregon State Hospital, the state had investigated another
death in the same ward. The findings were in a report released to
the Oregonian on Wednesday after a public records request. The
report cited problems at the ward, and state investigators reviewed
whether a hospital psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Robinson, had been
negligent. Moises Perez was found dead on his bed in 2009. A year
before, 56-year-old David Morse hanged himself and died days later
at a hospital.

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - A former Roseburg police officer has been
sentenced to three months in jail after pleading no contest to a
harassment charge stemming from a sexual relationship with a minor.
The News-Review reports that 33-year-old Russell Clay Carr was
originally charged with third-degree sexual abuse, but that was
dropped in exchange for him pleading no contest. Detectives
recorded conversations between Carr and the girl.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland police say a 2-year-old child and
an infant are OK after a man stole their mother's van while they
were inside. Detectives say the woman left the keys and the
children in the van while she stopped at a southeast Portland
business yesterday. Police think the thief ditched the van a few
blocks away after realizing that the children were aboard.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Gov. Ted Kulongoski yesterday vetoed three
bills lawmakers approved in February. One of the bills could have
led to permission for some psychologists to prescribe mental health
medications; another would have enabled beverage distributors to
set up cooperatives to handle recycled bottles; the third would
have allowed active teachers to be on the State Board of Education.

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - Former Ashland Daily Tidings editor Scot
Bolsinger has been sentenced to three years in prison for cheating
business partners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Bolsinger pleaded guilty Wednesday and agreed to pay restitution.
He's already in prison serving a 20-month sentence for sexually
abusing a 16-year-old girl while teaching at a private school near
Salem.

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - Unusually heavy surf has exposed the steel
skeleton of an old shipwreck on the southern Oregon Coast. The
324-foot Sujameco ran aground at full speed in heavy fog in 1929
near North Bend. The remains of the ship are regularly exposed in
winter, but this year has been unusually good. This week the ship
has been visible from bow to stern.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
On the Schedule…
Pac-10 baseball is on tap in Corvallis this evening as the number 17 ranked Oregon State Beavers open up a three-game weekend series against UCLA. Number 22 Stanford will host Oregon for a three game series.

Siuslaw Track and Field will be competing at the Springfield Twilight meet this evening; Viking Baseball will be in Hidden Valley tomorrow at noon for a double header; and Siuslaw Softball will host the Taft Tigers also tomorrow at noon.

Oregon Basketball:
The hunt for a new head basketball coach continues at the University of Oregon. Butler head coach Brad Stevens signed a 12-year extension with that school keeping him in Indianapolis through 2022. Oregon is looking for a replacement for Ernie Kent who was let go at the end of the regular season.