Parks Master Plan hearing to reopen - Recall survivors 'vindicated' - news from around the state

Parks Plan hearing to reopen…

Florence Planning Commissioners decided earlier this week they needed more information about a proposed new Parks Master Plan for the City of Florence.
205 – “We still had a lot of questions, especially on the area of service so we, we will be reopening the hearing on the, all the items that fall under the legislative category.”

Commission chair Jan Nieberlein (NEE-burr-line) said after initially closing the hearing earlier this month, additional questions arose about such things as how much land would be set aside for future parks. That’s why the commission opted Tuesday night to reopen the hearing.
206 – “Our normal August meeting, first meeting, would have been the tenth. But in order to give staff time to address some of the questions that came up we’re going to move that first meeting to the 17th of August.”

Nieberlein said the commission works hard to consider all sides.
207 – “We have to look at all their issues and I don’t think the commission is insensitive. I think that we try to get as much input as possible and that’s why we’re reopening.”

In other business Tuesday night the Florence Planning Commission took time to honor a long-time member. Chris Atkins was appointed to the panel about 5 ½ years ago and has also served as its chair. He and his wife, Eileen Atkins, are leaving Florence. Nieberlein said Chris Atkins has been an outstanding planning commissioner who worked hard and was always prepared. The City Council will appoint a replacement.

Heceta Water District Commission chair Bob Hursh says he and two other commissioners that survived a recall effort this week “feel vindicated”. He said the recall committee made “false accusations” and was thankful a majority of voters agreed to retain the trio. Even though some may view the recall as a ‘wasted effort’ there is some good that can come of it according to Hursh who admitted he and other commissioners need to do a better job of informing water customers about district business. Just meeting legal requirements for notices and public information was not enough and Hursh said they’ll make an “extra effort” to ensure customers are well informed. Chief Petitioner of the recall, Gene McDermott said he was disappointed about the recall results but would remain involved.

In the end it turned out to be much ado about nothing. A mild earthquake rumbled six miles beneath the ocean floor yesterday morning about 9:15, 80 miles west of Florence. It registered a 5.3 and there were no reports of anyone feeling it on dry land. Florence Police Communications Supervisor Kim Greenwood said it didn’t trigger any tsunami warnings and the only phone calls she received asking about the quake were from news outlets.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that
the state cannot take away children from a mother who tests
positive for marijuana without evidence that shows her drug use
endangers the children. The decision reversed a ruling in the case
of a 19-month-old and a 6-month-old the state attempted to take
from a woman who tested positive for marijuana during an
investigation of the father's drug use.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A Blachly couple, the adoptive parents of a 9-year-old boy
have been given lengthy prison terms after admitting they brutally
abused the child, who came into their home in 2005 as a
foster child. Alona Lee Hartwig was sentenced to a mandatory term
of 10 years, 10 months and her husband Rodger Hartwig Jr. got five
years, 10 months. The boy was hospitalized for more than a month.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Polk County Sheriff's office says
deputies found more than 3,700 marijuana plants from an outdoor
grow operation spotted in densely wooded corner of the county. They
also found generators, pumps and camping gear. Lt. Jeff Isham says
the plants were ripped from the ground but kept for evidence. No
arrests were made.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The backers of what would be the first
non-tribal casino in Oregon have gone to court hoping to show state
officials were wrong to keep their measure off the November ballot.
Two developers want to open a casino near Portland, but the state
constitution would prohibit that.


BEND, Ore. (AP) - A 60-year-old Bend developer whose wife
mistook him for an intruder is in critical condition with a gunshot
wound. KTVZ-TV reports that 39-year-old Angelicque Trono said she
was awakened by a noise and sent her husband Stephen Trono to
investigate. She told police she mistook her husband for an
intruder and shot him.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal judge in Portland has sentenced
the leader of a tax evasion scheme to the maximum five years in
prison. Joseph Saladino of Boise and others convicted with him
contended that personal income in the United States is not taxable.
They filed 1,800 returns on behalf of clients who claimed to owe no
income tax. Had the IRS not rejected the returns, the tax loss
would have been almost $10 million.

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Bend police say a well-known developer has
been hospitalized in critical condition after his wife mistook him
for an intruder and shot him. KTVZ-TV reports that 60-year-old
Stephen Trono was critically wounded yesterday. Police say Trono's
39-year-old wife, Angelicque, said she was awakened by a noise and
sent her husband to investigate. She told police that she later
mistook her husband for an intruder and shot him.

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - Animal rights activists have claimed
responsibility for firebombing what they call a mink farm near
Astoria. The North American Animal Liberation Press Office
published an unsigned communique online claiming responsibility for
Tuesday's attack. A building, a boat, a car, two forklifts and a
front-end loader were reported damaged. Clatsop County Sheriff Tom
Bergin says the residents got rid of their mink after earlier
attacks.

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - The Coast Guard says a man whose 16-foot
boat capsized about a mile south of the Coos Bay south jetty has
been rescued by another boater. The Coast Guard responded yesterday
morning after receiving a report of the capsizing. The Good
Samaritan transferred the man to a Coast Guard response boat.

PORT ORFORD, Ore. (AP) - A 73-year-old man missing since Monday
near the southern Oregon coastal town of Port Orford has been found
alive in the Rogue River National Forest. The Coast Guard says a
Curry County Search and Rescue team found the man yesterday at Josh
Creek, about 14 miles east of Port Orford. The Oregonian identified
the man as William Cox and reported that his nephew had reported
him missing on Monday morning.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:
The Eugene Emeralds went from the bottom to the top with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Spokane Indians last night at PK Park in Eugene. Ems catcher Rocky Gale started Eugene’s come-back rally with a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth, then recorded his first career stolen base when he took third and scored the winning run on an fielding error. The win leaves the Emeralds 16-and-23 overall, but they’re currently one-and-oh in the second half of the season… officially in a three-way tie for the lead in the West Division with Salem-Keizer and Vancouver. They’ll face off with Spokane again tonight.