Friday, September 30, 2011
"BEFORE" AND "AFTER" - HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE STATE SCENIC VIEWPOINT NOW OPENFlorence OR - Work that began Aug. 16, 2011, on the Heceta Head Lighthouse parking lot and trail is finished, and the park is now open to visitors. The lighthouse tower, however, remains closed. A separate major restoration of the lighthouse will keep the lighthouse closed until late 2013.
The US Forest Service (USFS) and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) partnered on the $340,000 project to stop flooding in the west parking lot, and move and improve the erosion-prone trail leading to the lighthouse. Funds came from the Federal Highways Heceta Head Enhancement Project.
The picturesque park is well known for its iconic lighthouse, beach and historic lighthouse keepers' bed and breakfast. A private concessionaire managed by the US Forest Service runs the bed and breakfast. The park welcomes more than 800,000 visitors each year.
First time ever emergency Food Box distribution exceeds 1 million in Oregon and southwest Washington
For the first time ever, distribution of emergency food boxes in Oregon and southwest Washington topped 1million as growing levels of long-term unemployment forced more and more people to fall into poverty and to seek emergency food."I have never seen the demand for emergency food this high," said Rachel Bristol, CEO, Oregon Food Bank. "Joblessness is taking a tremendous toll on our families. Hiring has stalled, keeping Oregon's unemployment rate high. Low wages and limited benefits forced even people with jobs to seek emergency food. As a result, poverty has increased significantly. More than a half-million Oregonians now live below the poverty rate."
The Oregon Food Bank Network of 20 regional food banks and 923 partner agencies provided a record 81 million pounds of food and distributed 1,024,000 emergency food boxes - a 12 percent increase over the previous year - to families in need from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011.
Since the beginning of the Great Recession, food box distribution has increased 30 percent increase. The OFB Network now distributes almost a quarter-of-a-million more food boxes annually than it did before the recession.
Regional food banks across the state see the need continuing to grow.
"In 2004-05, the Bend area had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state," notes Steve Murray, who directs food and energy programs for NeighborImpact, serving Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties. "For the past several years, Central Oregon has had one of the highest rates in the state.
"When the housing bubble burst, we lost our real estate and construction industries," he explained. "I see nothing to make me think those industries will come back anytime soon."
Last year, distribution of emergency food in Central Oregon climbed 21 percent, according to Oregon Food Bank annual statistics.
"I've been working in food-banking for 15 years," said Niki Sampson, who heads Klamath/Lake Food Bank, "and, this year, for the first time, I'm scared. The need for food keeps going up. Food box distribution increased 12 percent last year.
"We're seeing more people seeking food who are underemployed," she said. "People tell us, ‘I've paid most of my bills, but I have only four bucks left until payday. I just need a little help feeding my kids.'"
"Hunger hurts families, children, seniors and those who are disabled," emphasized Bristol, noting that Oregon was the state with the highest rate of child food insecurity in 2009 and that 50 percent of school-age kids now qualify for free-or-reduced-price meals.
"Children who are hungry have more trouble learning in school. And a number of studies now show that childhood hunger and malnutrition can result in irreversible health problems in the future," Bristol said.
In an average month, an estimated 260,000 people in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., ate meals from emergency food boxes. Of those, almost 86,000 were children.
In addition, soup kitchens served 3.9 million meals during the past year. And 98,000 people received supplemental food through other OFB Network agencies and programs.
"We were only able to meet this staggering demand for emergency food due to record levels of U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities and the tremendous generosity of the entire community: individuals, groups and businesses."
USDA commodities increased from 10 million to 18 million pounds with the help of stimulus funds, strong support from Oregon's congressional delegation and USDA efforts to support American farmers and ranchers through bonus buys of agricultural products.
"This year, we face a very different story," Bristol said. "Stimulus funding has ended. And we anticipate a 30 percent decline in USDA commodities."
As the OFB Network enters the 2011-12 fiscal year, Tom Kelley, who heads UCAN Food Bank in Douglas County, already sees food distribution continuing to climb. "In my 20 years in food-banking, we've never distributed more than 3,500 emergency food boxes in a month, and we've never served more than 13,000 household members in a month. We topped both of those numbers in August. It's a huge jump for us."
"In this tough economy, we need the support of the entire community more than ever," Bristol said. "No one should be hungry. With sufficient public will and support of the entire community, we believe it is possible to eliminate hunger and its root causes."
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Highlights
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 regular meeting
Official minutes available once approved by board
Circus animal ordinance
The board voted to draft an ordinance for placement on the May 2012 election ballot banning elephants and other exotic animals from display within the county.
The ban would be limited to exotic animals used in circuses and other entertainment venues and would not cover rodeos and horse shows, 4-H and FFA events and educational displays. The ordinance would only cover the unincorporated county.
The ban was promoted by Astoria resident Janice Robertson and other supporters, who say elephants and other animals used in many travelling circuses suffer cruel and inhumane treatment.
The ordinance will be brought back to board for a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.
Ambulance plan reviewed
The board heard a report from County Manager Duane Cole on a pending update to the county’s Ambulance Service Area (ASA) plan, and approved the recruitment of members of an advisory oversight committee.
The ASA plan spells out the boundaries and minimum service standards for the service area, which covers the entire county. The current plan was adopted in 1996; the state of Oregon notified the county earlier this year that the plan was due for an update.
The plan update does not involve any change to the existing franchise agreement with the current service provider, MEDIX. The franchise agreement runs to 2016.
Health plan letter
The board approved a letter to be sent to the Governor’s Office regarding the pending changes to the Oregon Health Plan and reorganization of OHP service providers into Coordinated Care Organizations. The new program, approved by the Oregon Legislature and scheduled to launch in 2012, is designed to provide a continuum of integrated care for OHP patients’ physical, mental and dental health services, while at the same time reducing the state’s Medicare and Medicaid expenses.
The county’s proposed letter, drafted with input collected from local stakeholders by Public Health Director Margo Lalich, expresses concerns about data-sharing, unfunded mandates, allocation of funds saved by the program, and counties’ role within new regional structures.
Hood to Coast report
The board heard a report from organizers of the Hood to Coast Relay on the 2011 event, Bob Foote and Felicia Hubber. They said the number of running teams, which was increased from 1,000 to 1,250 for this year’s event, will be reduced to 1,050 for the 2012 running, due to congestion at the finish area in Seaside.
The event raised $517,000 for the American Cancer Society, they said.
Other Business
In other business the board:
-Approved a letter of support for a grant request from the Port of Astoria for federal funding to upgrade its Pier 3 facility for expanded log and lumber export activity. Commissioner Debra Birkby voted no, citing concerns about increased log truck traffic.
-Appointed Gary Sunderland, Bree Phillips and Clarke Powers to the Board of Property Tax Appeals. Patrick Jensen was appointed as an alternate.
-Approved a proclamation recognizing Oct. 1-8 as Oregon Days of Culture.
Official minutes available once approved by board
Circus animal ordinance
The board voted to draft an ordinance for placement on the May 2012 election ballot banning elephants and other exotic animals from display within the county.
The ban would be limited to exotic animals used in circuses and other entertainment venues and would not cover rodeos and horse shows, 4-H and FFA events and educational displays. The ordinance would only cover the unincorporated county.
The ban was promoted by Astoria resident Janice Robertson and other supporters, who say elephants and other animals used in many travelling circuses suffer cruel and inhumane treatment.
The ordinance will be brought back to board for a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.
Ambulance plan reviewed
The board heard a report from County Manager Duane Cole on a pending update to the county’s Ambulance Service Area (ASA) plan, and approved the recruitment of members of an advisory oversight committee.
The ASA plan spells out the boundaries and minimum service standards for the service area, which covers the entire county. The current plan was adopted in 1996; the state of Oregon notified the county earlier this year that the plan was due for an update.
The plan update does not involve any change to the existing franchise agreement with the current service provider, MEDIX. The franchise agreement runs to 2016.
Health plan letter
The board approved a letter to be sent to the Governor’s Office regarding the pending changes to the Oregon Health Plan and reorganization of OHP service providers into Coordinated Care Organizations. The new program, approved by the Oregon Legislature and scheduled to launch in 2012, is designed to provide a continuum of integrated care for OHP patients’ physical, mental and dental health services, while at the same time reducing the state’s Medicare and Medicaid expenses.
The county’s proposed letter, drafted with input collected from local stakeholders by Public Health Director Margo Lalich, expresses concerns about data-sharing, unfunded mandates, allocation of funds saved by the program, and counties’ role within new regional structures.
Hood to Coast report
The board heard a report from organizers of the Hood to Coast Relay on the 2011 event, Bob Foote and Felicia Hubber. They said the number of running teams, which was increased from 1,000 to 1,250 for this year’s event, will be reduced to 1,050 for the 2012 running, due to congestion at the finish area in Seaside.
The event raised $517,000 for the American Cancer Society, they said.
Other Business
In other business the board:
-Approved a letter of support for a grant request from the Port of Astoria for federal funding to upgrade its Pier 3 facility for expanded log and lumber export activity. Commissioner Debra Birkby voted no, citing concerns about increased log truck traffic.
-Appointed Gary Sunderland, Bree Phillips and Clarke Powers to the Board of Property Tax Appeals. Patrick Jensen was appointed as an alternate.
-Approved a proclamation recognizing Oct. 1-8 as Oregon Days of Culture.
CLATSOP COUNTY INVITES REQUESTS FOR NONPROFIT GRANTS
The Clatsop County Commission on Children and Families and the Board of Commissioners will once again distribute grants to local nonprofits that assist people in need.
This year, in the effort to increase available funding and efficiency, the board and CCF have combined their funding processes, providing grants of up to $25,000 to high quality programs that can demonstrate viable collaboration to integrate and align services to as many children, youth, families and citizens of Clatsop County as possible.
Programs must demonstrate that they:
· Provide services to all county residents, as opposed to residents of a specific geographic area, with a demonstrated ability to effectively assist citizens in need;
· Work collaboratively with other groups and actively seek and receive significant portions of their funding from sources other than the county;
· Address a need not now being addressed by other groups or agencies;
· Have missions that are consistent with the Board’s and Commission on Children and Families priorities.
· Contribute to the Governor’s goals of preparing children for school readiness.
There are seven sections listed as part of the policy and criteria for applicants to answer. The policy and criteria are available online at www.co.clatsop.or.us.
Applications must be submitted to the Clatsop County Commission on Children and Families Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 200, Astoria, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.
The Commission on Children and Families will review all proposals and make funding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for approval at one of its regularly scheduled meetings.
Recipients will be required to sign a grant agreement obligating the agency(ies) to carry out the program as described in the application.
For more information contact the Clatsop County Juvenile Department at (503) 325-8601.
This year, in the effort to increase available funding and efficiency, the board and CCF have combined their funding processes, providing grants of up to $25,000 to high quality programs that can demonstrate viable collaboration to integrate and align services to as many children, youth, families and citizens of Clatsop County as possible.
Programs must demonstrate that they:
· Provide services to all county residents, as opposed to residents of a specific geographic area, with a demonstrated ability to effectively assist citizens in need;
· Work collaboratively with other groups and actively seek and receive significant portions of their funding from sources other than the county;
· Address a need not now being addressed by other groups or agencies;
· Have missions that are consistent with the Board’s and Commission on Children and Families priorities.
· Contribute to the Governor’s goals of preparing children for school readiness.
There are seven sections listed as part of the policy and criteria for applicants to answer. The policy and criteria are available online at www.co.clatsop.or.us.
Applications must be submitted to the Clatsop County Commission on Children and Families Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 200, Astoria, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.
The Commission on Children and Families will review all proposals and make funding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for approval at one of its regularly scheduled meetings.
Recipients will be required to sign a grant agreement obligating the agency(ies) to carry out the program as described in the application.
For more information contact the Clatsop County Juvenile Department at (503) 325-8601.
CLATSOP COUNTY VOTERS TO DECIDE CIRCUS-ANIMAL BAN
Clatsop County voters will likely be asked next year to decide whether elephants and other exotic animals should be banned from circuses and other public displays.
The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to draft an ordinance for placement on the May 2012 primary election ballot.
The action comes as a result of a lengthy campaign by a local resident and supporters who urged the board to halt what they describe as cruel and inhumane treatment of animals in traveling circuses, some of which have appeared at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds.
The ordinance will be based on a draft version presented to the board for its review Wednesday. The ordinance, based on a similar law passed by the city of Redmond, Wash., is narrowly worded to specifically prohibit only elephants and other exotic animals as defined in state statute: felines and nonwolf canines except for domestic cats and dogs, bears except for black bears, crocodiles and nonhuman primates.
Rodeos and horse shows, 4-H and FFA exhibits and educational displays would be exempt from the ban. The ordinance would only cover the unincorporated areas of the county, not the cities.
The ordinance will be brought back to the board for a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Astoria resident Janice Robertson, who first approached the county to request the ban in early 2010, urged the board to forego a ballot measure and adopt the proposed ordinance itself.
Chair Dirk Rohne, who serves as the board of commissioners’ liaison to the Clatsop County Fair Board, said he personally believed that the public had the right to decide whether or not to attend circuses, but added he would support placing the issue on the ballot.
The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to draft an ordinance for placement on the May 2012 primary election ballot.
The action comes as a result of a lengthy campaign by a local resident and supporters who urged the board to halt what they describe as cruel and inhumane treatment of animals in traveling circuses, some of which have appeared at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds.
The ordinance will be based on a draft version presented to the board for its review Wednesday. The ordinance, based on a similar law passed by the city of Redmond, Wash., is narrowly worded to specifically prohibit only elephants and other exotic animals as defined in state statute: felines and nonwolf canines except for domestic cats and dogs, bears except for black bears, crocodiles and nonhuman primates.
Rodeos and horse shows, 4-H and FFA exhibits and educational displays would be exempt from the ban. The ordinance would only cover the unincorporated areas of the county, not the cities.
The ordinance will be brought back to the board for a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Astoria resident Janice Robertson, who first approached the county to request the ban in early 2010, urged the board to forego a ballot measure and adopt the proposed ordinance itself.
Chair Dirk Rohne, who serves as the board of commissioners’ liaison to the Clatsop County Fair Board, said he personally believed that the public had the right to decide whether or not to attend circuses, but added he would support placing the issue on the ballot.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY VALUE APPEALS MOVE TO OREGON TAX COURT
Taxpayers with industrial property valued by the Oregon Department of Revenue must now appeal to the Magistrate Division of the Oregon Tax Court if they disagree with the state's valuation.
Before this change, taxpayers could appeal to the counties in which the properties were located or to the Magistrate Division.
The change takes effect today (September 28). You must file your appeal with the Magistrate Division by December 31.
This change affects nearly 1,600 taxpayers.
The department appraises and values all industrial properties in Oregon that have real property, machinery, equipment, buildings, and structure values of more than $1 million. This includes 893 sites with a combined market value of about $15 billion.
Industries include electronic and high tech, wood and paper, food processing, metals, chemicals, plastics, and printing.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund or make tax payments, or call 1-800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or e-mail, questions.dor@state.or.us. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 1-800-886-7204.
Before this change, taxpayers could appeal to the counties in which the properties were located or to the Magistrate Division.
The change takes effect today (September 28). You must file your appeal with the Magistrate Division by December 31.
This change affects nearly 1,600 taxpayers.
The department appraises and values all industrial properties in Oregon that have real property, machinery, equipment, buildings, and structure values of more than $1 million. This includes 893 sites with a combined market value of about $15 billion.
Industries include electronic and high tech, wood and paper, food processing, metals, chemicals, plastics, and printing.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund or make tax payments, or call 1-800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or e-mail, questions.dor@state.or.us. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 1-800-886-7204.
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