Dunes City clarifies finances - chemical free weed control - chowder cookoff

Campaign claims prompt clarification

A campaign mailer sent out by three Dunes City Council candidates showing a steadily declining general fund balance in that city alarmed several residents there in the past week. Dunes City Recorder Fred Hilden said he received several phone calls that expressed fears of insolvency. The rest of the story, Hilden says, lies with information not included in the mailer.
210 – “It’s not that any of the data that was being portrayed is necessarily inaccurate. It’s just incomplete, in as much as the city does have other funds that are not necessarily readily available to operate the city, but they are available to keep the city from becoming into a position of bankruptcy.”

The mailer, sent out by Duke Wells, Richard Anderson and Troy Sathe warn that if Dunes City runs out of cash residents may not have a say in whether or not a tax would be levied. Hilden admitted the general fund balance quoted in the mailer is accurate, but while revenues are tight… there is plenty of cash to operate the city and they’re not in danger of default.

A collaboration consisting of 20-different partners, all with the goal of protecting and improving water quality and fish habitat on the lower Siuslaw River recently completed its first year. Florence Community Development Director Sandra Belson says the Siuslaw Estuary Partnership held two public outreach programs. The group is funded by the partners as well as the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Residents in the Triangle Lake area have teamed up with a pair of non-profit groups to reduce the amount of herbicides that will be sprayed along Highway 36. The residents, along with the Oregon Toxics Alliance and Walama Restoration Project will cut and bag the seed heads from two types of Knappweed… considered a noxious and invasive species. Oregon Department of Transportation Area Five manager Mike Spaeth says the project will reduce the amount of herbicides used by his agency.

There’ll be a baker’s dozen of clam chowder varieties available for tasting during the People’s Choice segment of this weekend’s Oregon Coast Professional Chowder Cookoff. It’s all part of the Chowder Blues and Brews Florence Fall Festival at the Events Center. Defending 2009 champion SportHaven Marina from Brookings and 2008 champion Tides Inn Bar and Grill from Reedsport will be offering samples along with 11 other entries, including five from Florence. The People’s Choice tasting begins at noon Saturday. A panel of professional judges will sample the chowder earlier in the day.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - John Kitzhaber's campaign says President
Barack Obama will come to Oregon Oct. 20 and make an appearance to
support the Democrat's bid for governor.
The Register-Guard says details of the visit are not yet
available. It would be Obama's first trip to Oregon since the 2008
presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is
holding rallies Thursday in Eugene and Friday in Portland to
promote GOP candidates.

IRRIGON, Ore. (AP) - Morrow County sheriff's deputies say a
2-year-old boy was killed when he was pulled into an onion-potato
harvesting machine. Undersheriff Steven Myren identified the victim
of Tuesday's accident as Aden Martine Marguia. Myren says the boy's
35-year-old father, Sergio, was testing a replacement belt on the
harvesting machine when Aden got too close and was pulled into the
machinery at a storage facility near Irrigon.

NETARTS, Ore. (AP) - The Coast Guard says two people have died
after their small boats capsized on Netarts Bay on the Oregon
Coast. A third person was rescued and taken to Tillamook County
Hospital for treatment. Petty Officer Eric Chandler says
information about the victims of yesterday's accident weren't
immediately available.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon woman has pleaded guilty to
aggravated murder for killing a pregnant woman from Maryland last
year and cutting the unborn child from her womb. Korena Roberts was
sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in
the 2009 death of 21-year-old Heather Snively. The baby also died.

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) - Yamill County authorities say a
62-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly driving under the
influence of intoxicants -- twice in just 13 hours. Sheriff Jack
Crabtree says a Newberg-Dundee police officer arrested James Arthur
Lingren on Tuesday evening. A Yamhill County sheriff's deputy
arrested him again at 10 a.m. Wednesday. He was taken to the
Yamhill County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned today.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland judge hears two motions today
from the father and stepmother of a 7-year-old boy missing since
June. Kaine Horman's motion questions the source of money Terri
Horman used to pay her lawyer, an amount he claims totals $350,000.
Terri Horman's attorneys deny she paid that much. Kaine Horman has
filed for divorce.

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - Organizers of a gay pride parade set for
Saturday in downtown Ashland say they expect more than 300 people
to march. Chairwoman Gina DuQuenne tells the Daily Tidings the
parade will include a float memorializing five gay teens from
across the U.S. who have committed suicide in the past month after
being bullied or harassed due to their sexuality.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A Salem investigator says Joshua Turnidge
seemed unconcerned at first when police arrested him at his home,
but later appeared to be sobbing while in a police interview room.
The detective testified yesterday at the aggravated murder trial of
Turnidge and his father, Bruce, in the bombing of a Woodburn bank
that killed two police officers and critically injured a third.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The EPA says Oregon's only coal-fired
electrical generating plant has been violating clean air laws for
more than a decade. The Oregonian reports the EPA notified Portland
General Electric last week that improvements at the Boardman plant
in 1998 and 2004 increased pollution and should have triggered
controls to limit sulfur dioxide. The utility says it doesn't
believe it violated the law.

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

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:
Prep Volleyball:
The Siuslaw Vikings held on to their position at the top of the Far West League standings with a close three-game win, 25-22; 25-23 and 25-18, over Sutherlin last night. Briona DeSantis had ten kills and two aces. Liegh Aurich added three aces of her own as the Vikings swept the first half of league play. // The Reedsport Braves are 8-1 in Sunset League play. They downed Gold Beach last night in three games. On the schedule … Mapleton is at Alsea this evening.

Also on the schedule tonight… Far West League Football. Tomorrow’s school in-service day has moved many games up a day. The Brookings-Harbor Bruins will be in Florence this evening for a seven o’clock game. The pregame show on KCST is at 6:45. Reedsport will be at Glide.