Temporary Tax Reductions Key to Annexation Issue
If voters in Florence say ‘yes’ on May 18th to the annexation of property inside city limits into the Siuslaw Valley Fire District, the property tax rate for the district will go down from $1.54 per thousand to 87-cents. That’s a reduction of 67-cents that will benefit those living outside Florence. Likewise, the current city council has agreed to reduce their tax rate from $2.86 to $2.47… a 39-cent discount. But, Florence property owners will also see the fire district tax on their statement, meaning they’ll pay a net increase of 48-cents per thousand. Florence Mayor Phil Brubaker says it’s an increase, but it will be money well spent.
201 -- "Everybody knows that taxes can be a burden and they certainly are to many. To me, this is such a critical service that it's worth the money."
Both the Florence City Council and the Fire District Board have agreed to the five-year reductions, but those agreements aren’t binding on future panels. And that means, says Brubaker, voters in future elections need to remember the promise and speak up.
200 -- "That puts another element in the political landscape. One of the first things our voters should ask future city councils running for office, do you pledge to hold the $2.47 rate? And that's a fair question because future councils would have to reaffirm if you will, this contract."
Ballots will be mailed by the end of this week and are due back by May 18th.
A new program of hazing double breasted cormorants began on the Siuslaw River over the weekend. Volunteers with the Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program, working under the guidance of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will buzz the river in swift-moving watercraft every day between now and June 20th. The object is not simply to harass the birds, but to protect young salmon that are making their way to the ocean. The cormorants eat juvenile salmon and steelhead… at times a lot of them… and in an effort to protect the runs, fishermen have been recruited to put their boats to a little different use. Scientists will try to track where the birds go when they’re moved off the estuary.
For the second year in a row, Florence high schooler April Dimmick will be singing with the Oregon Bach Festivial. Dimmick, a junior with the Oregon Connections Academy High School, wants to be an opera singer and, says her voice coach Laura Merz, that goal is nearing reality. Merz said Dimmick was selected from hundreds of hopefuls as an alto for the summer 2010 Youth Choral, performing between June 24th and July 5th at Eugene’s Hult Center. The Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy, the program she’ll be in, will also provide hours of instruction and other music courses. Merz said Dimmick’s fee for the program is more than $800. She’s seeking donations to help offset that cost.
The Florence Planning Commission will meet tonight at City Hall to consider a request to initiate adoption of the 2010 Florence Parks and Recreation Master Plan. That approval would require amendments to the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan and city codes. That meeting is at seven.
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A man accused of trying to abduct a
2-year-old boy from a Boy Scout family carnival near Eugene pleaded
not guilty.
The Register-Guard reports the 23-year-old Eugene-area man,
Azoulas Yurashunas, was ordered Monday to remain under house arrest
with electronic monitoring until his next court hearing.
Police accuse him of luring the boy away from the crowd April 17
at a church. The boy was found in the parking lot by a woman who
returned him to his mother.
The suspect told police he only tied to help the boy after
seeing him accidentally hit his head on a sign. Yurashunas said he
is a former Eagle Scout who went to the event to meet with a troop
leader. He has no adult criminal record in Oregon.
---
Information from: The Register-Guard,
http://www.registerguard.com
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Gresham couple are scheduled to be
arraigned today after they were indicted by a Multnomah County
grand jury in the death of 5-year-old girl. Police say the girl
suffered years of abuse and neglect at the hands of her father and
his live-in girlfriend.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Fire investigators are working to
determine what ignited a blaze at Portland's Eastside Foursquare
Church. About 70 firefighters battled the flames last night at the
wooden building. At one point, fire commanders pulled all their
crews out and called for more help. No injuries are reported.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Beaverton middle school teacher whose
"Crash the Tea Party" Internet campaign drew national attention
is back in the classroom after more than a week on paid leave.
Beaverton School District officials continue to investigate whether
Jason Levin used school time or property to work on his site, which
encouraged people to infiltrate the movement to discredit the
conservative activists.
SHERWOOD, Ore. (AP) - A Washington County deputy's home visit to
check on a 15-year-old boy frequently absent from school led to the
arrest of the youth's parents for investigation of child neglect
and marijuana distribution. The deputy says that when the boy's
father answered the door of their Sherwood-area home, he smelled
marijuana. Inside, the officer found 51 plants.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland School Superintendent Carole
Smith is proposing to close Marshall High School and make it a
magnet school. In a plan outlined last night, Smith would also
convert vocationally oriented Benson High from a four-year school
to a career-tech center that students around the district could
attend part time as juniors and seniors.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Investigators are studying videotape of a
TriMet bus that struck and killed two pedestrians at a downtown
Portland intersection on Saturday night. Officials say it could
take days to find out what caused the bus to hit five pedestrians
croissing the street. Investigators say the bus had a green light
and that the pedestrians had a walk signal.
GLIDE, Ore. (AP) - Fire has destroyed a two-bedroom home in
Glide and burned two other structures. Fire officials say
firefighters who live near the scene helped residents safely out of
their homes yesterday. No one was injured and the American Red
Cross was called on to help a displaced family of five.
PHOENIX (AP) - The Phoenix Suns overcame an early 14-point
deficit to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 107-88 last night and
take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series. Phoenix can
advance to the second round by beating the Blazers in Portland on
Thursday night.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Athlete of the Week:
Siuslaw baseball standout Trevor Roberts is Coast Radio Sports’ Athlete of the Week. The Viking hurler pitched a complete game against Brookings-Harbor allowing only two hits and striking out seven on the way to victory. In an earlier start, Roberts allowed two hits and struck out five in three innings of work… this week’s honorable mention goes to Raelyn Robinson, who set a Hans Peterson Track and Central Coast Invitational meet record in the girls’ 1500 meter with a time of 4:50.26.
Duck Basketball:
Creighton basketball coach Dana Altman signed a seven year deal to take over the helm of Oregon Basketball. The 51-year old spent 16 seasons at Creighton, finishing with a 327 and 176 record. He replaces Ernie Kent, Oregon’s winningest coach who was dismissed after 13 seasons at his alma mater with a 235 and 174 record.
On The Schedule:
Rain and field conditions may prompt a delay in a scheduled Far West League baseball game in Florence today between the Siuslaw Vikings and the South Umpqua Lancers. The Lady Viking softball team is set for a game in Myrtle Creek against the Lancers.
It’s Civil War Baseball this afternoon at PK Park in Eugene as the Oregon Ducks host Oregon State at six for non-conference play.
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