County budget woes - Confluence 2011 - healthy food for Oregon Food Bank

Downward spiral of public revenue means matching course for services…

It’s been a trend that has been in the works for quite some time… continuing reductions in revenue and increasing demands for services.
202 -- "What I see is we're headed in that direction in steps. We've actually taken several steps over the last several years down that stairway of bad services and we're going to take that next big step next year with that $7.7-million."

West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich spoke in Florence yesterday. He said the commission took steps last month to soften the effects of an estimated $8.8-million shortfall for next year by eliminating some services this year.
200 - "We cut approximately 1.1 million so now the projected shortfall is $7.7 million. Basically that amounts to an 8 percent cut in our general fund."

It still means some tough decisions in the works…
201 -- "60 percent of our general fund is public safety so you're looking at taking four or five million dollars out of our public safety system. You remember that whole battle over jail beds. That's more than those 84 jail beds cost."

After those cuts are taken Bozievich says it won't be over... administrators predict at least another $10-million deficit the year after. With no chance for additional revenue that means county residents need to prepare themselves for fewer and fewer services.

The Oregon Food Bank in Portland received the first of three huge truckloads of fresh produce this week. It was purchased using a grant specifically to improve the nutritional value of emergency food boxes handed out to tens of thousands of needy families, including some in the Florence area. Janeen Wadsworth with OFB says healthier foods have become a priority because of the epidemic of obesity.
203 – “We want to definitely be proactive in bringing a nutrition component in for folks that oftentimes just don’t have the income to go out and buy it on their own. Let’s face it, produce and proteins are more expensive than a lot of the carbohydrates and higher-fat foods.”

The $50-thousand grant was made by the Bank of America Foundation. Wadsworth says the money not spent on produce will be used to purchase other healthy items in bulk.

The doors open at noon tomorrow at the former Jewett School in Gardiner as “Confluence 2011” comes together. They’ll remain open until ten Saturday night, then again Sunday from noon until seven as a total of eight different bands, three breweries, eight wineries and dozens of food and craft vendors. The award winning wine, beer, seafood and music festival is produced by the Reedsport Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $10 for Saturday, $7 for Sunday and a weekend pass is $15. Free shuttle bus service is available from Winchester Bay, two locations in Reedsport, plus the former I-P mill site in Gardiner.

Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Oregon State Police say a trooper
received minor injuries when a snow-laden tree fell on his patrol
car. Police say Senior Trooper Ken Snook was driving at about 25
mph on Highway 199 near the California border yesterday morning
when the estimated 12-inch diameter tree crashed across the hood of
his car. Snook was able to get out of the car and call for help.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - President Barack Obama has issued a
federal disaster declaration for six Oregon counties to help them
recover from winter storm damage. The Oregonian says the
declaration Thursday was sought by Gov. John Kitzhaber after
flooding, landslides and other damage occurred last month in
Clackamas, Clatsop, Crook, Douglas, Lincoln and Tillamook counties.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon is getting $48 million to help
build the infrastructure for health insurance exchanges that would
allow people to get coverage under last year's health care law.
Federal officials hope the Oregon Health Plan and six other
Medicaid programs use the grants to develop computer systems that
can be tailored for use in other states.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - Barack Obama is coming to Hillsboro for
his second visit to Oregon as president. Obama will make a
three-hour stop in the Portland suburb today. He'll tour Intel's
campus in Hillsboro and check out the company's initiatives to
encourage young people to become high-tech scientists and
engineers.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Attorneys for a group of people who allege
sexual abuse by Jesuit priests have filed 37 lawsuits in U.S.
Bankruptcy Court in Portland, seeking about $3.1 million. The
Oregonian says the lawsuits contend that the Society of Jesus,
Oregon Province, paid money to various church-related entities
before filing for Chapter 11 protection two years ago, and the
money actually should be considered part of the order's assets.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - The manufacturer of a new generation of
rooftop solar panels is getting a $197 million federal loan
guarantee to expand a plant being built in Oregon. Sen. Jeff
Merkley says the plant in Wilsonville is bringing 1,000
construction jobs and 500 manufacturing jobs to Oregon.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The White House says President Barack Obama
will name Intel Corp. CEO Paul Otellini to the president's advisory
council on jobs and competitiveness. Otellini has criticized
Obama's economic policies. Obama is visiting Intel's semiconductor
manufacturing facility in Hillsboro today as part of a West Coast
swing to promote his agenda to make the U.S. more competitive
globally.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service has named a new
regional forester for the Northwest. Kent Connaughton has been
regional forester for the Eastern Region since 2007. Connaughton
got his master's in forestry from Oregon State University.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Taking a look at Coast Radio Sports…

Andrea LeClaire scored 17 points, but the Mapleton Sailors fell to Triangle Lake last night 72-28 in a Mountain West League girls’ basketball playoff. The Lakers will advance now to a seeding game tomorrow in Harrisburg for a chance to compete in the state tournament. Also tomorrow, the Mapleton Boys will be going up against Mohawk at 12:30 for a chance to make the playoffs.

A half dozen Viking wrestlers will be on the mats in Sutherlin tomorrow at the Skyline-Far-West Regional Wrestling meet. 125 pound district Champion Jason Graber will be there along with Neal Larson, Sonny Tupua, Aaron Te’o, Jessie Kuntz and Taylor Porter will be competing to make the state 4A wrestling meet in Portland next week.

Back to the prep basketball court, the Siuslaw Lady Vikings will be playing to maintain a share of 2nd place in the Far West League when they wrap up the regular season at home tonight against Sutherlin. Airtime on Coast Radio Sports is at 5:45… tipoff at six. The boys play immediately following.

College Basketball tomorrow… It’s Civil War Saturday in Eugene and the Oregon State Men travel to Matthew Knight Arena for the first time to take on the Ducks. Airtime on both KCST and KCFM is set for 12:30… tipoff at one.