November 24, 2015 eClips
State Library eClips
- The Silicon Forest economy: Outposts have the most workers, pay three-quarters of the wages
- So much for transparency as a priority for Gov. Brown — Opinion
- Corporate tax initiative starts with strong support from Oregon voters
- Rep. Vic Gilliam: ‘I am likely one of the thousands of Americans’ with ALS
- Oregon Scenic Waterways Program poised to add Molalla, Chetco rivers
- Granny flats: Multnomah County will retool some tax bills
- Brazen killing of OSP superintendent shocked Salem
- DHS foster care system gets committee review
- State orders unlicensed contractor, doing business as Florence Hearth and Patio, to close and pay $18,000 in restitution to clients
- Hearings give public peek inside Oregons judicial fitness system
- Eugene traffic engineer performed professional engineering work for six years but lacked required state license
- Let rural Oregon decide cougar hunting issue — Guest Opinion
- Cleanup has risks, remedies — Guest Opinion
- House Rep. Vic Gilliam fears he is suffering from ALS
- State says offshore wind project too expensive
- Study documents health hazard from coal trains
- White House Defends Refugee Screening Process
- Study: Coal Trains Pollute More Than Diesel Trains Into The Columbia Gorge
- WindFloat power too expensive for utilities
- TSA explains decision to abandon screening
- Public records reform shouldn’t add to bureaucracy — Opinion
- Board of Forestry fails to protect Southern Oregon salmon — Guest Opinion
- Fifth-year plan moves forward
- Fifth-year deal offers shot at preserving program — Opinion
- Turning the tide on attendance — Opinion
- Population report offers rural surprises — Opinion
- Beef:Big business
- E. Oregon could get water quality specialist
- Committee: Court must decide tactic on canyonlands
- Teenage pregnancy a top worry
- Lawmakers: Safety should be priority
- Dredging proposed for Skipanon River
- Bill offers hope for forest fuel reduction
- Life looks different at Tongue Point Job Corps — Opinion
- Delayed crab season carries an environmental message — Opinion
- Saving our public records — Opinion
- Pot odor poses a dilemma — Opinion
- $2.6 billion worth of trouble — Opinion
- Fee abuse a concern in tight Bend rental market
- Airstrip community close to approval in Crook County
- Oregon wolf decision based on facts, not fears — Opinion
- Wolf decision a victory for rural Oregon — Guest Opinion
- DIVERSITY OF VOICES: Opinions vary on marijuana
- NEOEDD will seek state grant to boost programs for local entrepreneurs
- Commercial crab closure expands on West Coast
- History documents available in online library
- Our View: Some common sense solutions on school safety — Opinion
- New York Times Hails Oregons New Law Allowing Contraception Without Doctors Prescription
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THE SILICON FOREST ECONOMY: OUTPOSTS HAVE THE MOST WORKERS, PAY THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAGES (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon’s tech sector is famously reliant on out-of-state companies Airbnb, Amazon, eBay, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Squarespace and others all have substantial outposts in the Portland area.
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SO MUCH FOR TRANSPARENCY AS A PRIORITY FOR GOV. BROWN — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
“It was clear transparency was not a priority in the prior administration,” Gov. Kate Brown told a legislative committee last week. “I changed that my first day on the job and every day since.”
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CORPORATE TAX INITIATIVE STARTS WITH STRONG SUPPORT FROM OREGON VOTERS (Portland Oregonian)
A proposed ballot measure that would sharply increase taxes for the largest corporations doing business in Oregon starts out with strong support from voters, according to a survey taken by a Portland research firm.
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REP. VIC GILLIAM: ‘I AM LIKELY ONE OF THE THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS’ WITH ALS (Portland Oregonian)
Silverton lawmaker Vic Gilliam sent a message to constituents Monday making public what had been a private health crisis: He’s facing a “likely diagnosis” of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable neurodegenerative condition better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
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OREGON SCENIC WATERWAYS PROGRAM POISED TO ADD MOLALLA, CHETCO RIVERS (Portland Oregonian)
Addition of parts of the Molalla and Chetco rivers to the Oregon Scenic Waterways Program passed a final hurdle and now await approval by Gov. Kate Brown to become the 21st and 22nd rivers in the system.
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GRANNY FLATS: MULTNOMAH COUNTY WILL RETOOL SOME TAX BILLS (Portland Oregonian)
A state agency told Multnomah County officials they should change tax bills sent recently to Portland property owners who built granny flats detached from their homes.
Those owners saw tax bills that were double, tripled or more from previous years, a county commissioner said. The county assessor’s office received a letter from the state Department of Revenue late Friday that recommends officials calculate those property valuations differently.
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BRAZEN KILLING OF OSP SUPERINTENDENT SHOCKED SALEM (Salem Statesman Journal)
Sue Tichenors family moved frequently during her childhood because her father worked for the Oregon State Police. No matter what city they lived in or what school she attended, she could always count on coming home to a house full of uniformed officers.
Her father was Holly Holcomb, the first superintendent to rise from the ranks.
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DHS FOSTER CARE SYSTEM GETS COMMITTEE REVIEW (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown and interim-Department of Human Services Director Clyde Saiki have named the members of an advisory committee that will independently review Oregon’s child foster care system.
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STATE ORDERS UNLICENSED CONTRACTOR, DOING BUSINESS AS FLORENCE HEARTH AND PATIO, TO CLOSE AND PAY $18,000 IN RESTITUTION TO CLIENTS (Eugene Register-Guard)
An unlicensed construction contractor in Florence must pay restitution to clients and shut his business, after repeatedly violating state law, state regulators said Monday.
James Gabriel, 61, who did business as Florence Hearth and Patio, must pay nearly $18,000 in restitution to four clients.
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HEARINGS GIVE PUBLIC PEEK INSIDE OREGON’S JUDICIAL FITNESS SYSTEM (Eugene Register-Guard)
As public disciplinary hearings for an Oregon judge who refused to perform same-sex marriages begin, the public is able to get a rare glimpse of the states judicial disciplinary system.
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EUGENE TRAFFIC ENGINEER PERFORMED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING WORK FOR SIX YEARS BUT LACKED REQUIRED STATE LICENSE (Eugene Register-Guard)
-City reassigns Tom Larsen after he admits he failed to renew his license-
State regulators are investigating the city of Eugene’s former traffic engineer for performing unlicensed work for the city for six years, after he failed to renew his Oregon professional engineer license in 2008.
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LET RURAL OREGON DECIDE COUGAR HUNTING ISSUE — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
The Register-Guards Nov. 16 editorial, Cougars in the crosshairs, confirmed my strong belief that there is a growing divide between rural and urban Oregon and likely rural and urban America. We live in two different worlds and do not agree on much.
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CLEANUP HAS RISKS, REMEDIES — GUEST OPINION (Portland Tribune)
-Priorities must be set and met for remediation of Portland Harbor Superfund site-
There is no doubt that the cleanup of Lower Willamette River sediments that pose risks to human health and the environment is important and necessary.
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HOUSE REP. VIC GILLIAM FEARS HE IS SUFFERING FROM ALS (Portland Tribune)
Gilliam, 62, in his fifth term representing Oregon House District 18, said in an email Monday that he may be suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
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STATE SAYS OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT TOO EXPENSIVE (Portland Tribune)
Oregon utility officials said on Monday they do not want to purchase power from the first offshore wind pilot project proposed for the West Coast, because it would be too expensive.
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STUDY DOCUMENTS HEALTH HAZARD FROM COAL TRAINS (Portland Tribune)
Open coal trains passing through the Columbia River Gorge emit far more harmful particulate matter than other diesel trains, according to new research led by University of Washington professor Dan Jaffe.
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WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS REFUGEE SCREENING PROCESS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Some Oregon and Washington lawmakers have called for at least a temporary halt to refugee resettlement.
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STUDY: COAL TRAINS POLLUTE MORE THAN DIESEL TRAINS INTO THE COLUMBIA GORGE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
A study from the University of Washington shows coal trains are releasing more pollution into the Columbia River Gorge than freight trains.
The trains emitted about twice the particulates as diesel freight trains, according to the study.
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WINDFLOAT POWER TOO EXPENSIVE FOR UTILITIES (East Oregonian)
The Seattle-based company Principle Power needs a commitment by May 2016 that Oregon ratepayers will purchase electricity from the 16- to 24-megawatt project known as WindFloat proposed off Coos Bay, in order to qualify for the remaining $40 million in a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
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TSA EXPLAINS DECISION TO ABANDON SCREENING (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Inconsistent passenger loads cited as one factor-
Air service unpredictability and a need for stable passenger loads at the Klamath Falls airport were listed as reasons why the Transportation Security Administration will not return screening services to the airport.
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PUBLIC RECORDS REFORM SHOULDN’T ADD TO BUREAUCRACY — OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Gov. Kate Brown’s pledge to pursue public records reform is welcome news, if it leads to real improvement in government agencies’ response to records requests. But those improvements should focus on the agencies themselves, not on creating a new state bureaucracy.
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BOARD OF FORESTRY FAILS TO PROTECT SOUTHERN OREGON SALMON — GUEST OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
I was standing on a bridge in town recently, watching salmon below me move upstream. These fish were at the end of a long journey. A journey that started in this very creek years before when they emerged from the gravels, made their way to the ocean and now had fought their way back upstream to spawn and start the cycle anew.
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FIFTH-YEAR PLAN MOVES FORWARD (Albany Democrat Herald)
If Oregon lawmakers agree, fifth-year college programs will be available to all high schools next year, regardless of size and students won’t have to wait for a diploma.
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FIFTH-YEAR DEAL OFFERS SHOT AT PRESERVING PROGRAM — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
State Sen. Sara Gelser has a plan to preserve some semblance of these innovative fifth-year college programs that mid-valley school districts have pioneered, and shell be presenting the plan to her colleagues in the Legislature when it convenes in February.
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TURNING THE TIDE ON ATTENDANCE — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
It pretty much stands to reason: If you don’t actually go to school, you’re less likely to learn. And if you’re less likely to learn, you’re less likely to graduate.
So its a concern when the state Department of Education reports about the amount of chronic absenteeism in our schools. The department defines chronic absenteeism as the number of students who miss more than 10 percent of class days.
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POPULATION REPORT OFFERS RURAL SURPRISES — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
For much of Oregon’s existence, when we talked about the urban-rural split, we meant it literally: For decades through the mid-20th century, the state was divided almost evenly between city slickers and country folks. In fact, as late as 1960, more Oregonians lived in rural settings than in our cities.
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BEEF:BIG BUSINESS (Argus Observer)
-County helps cattle claim 1st spot in state ag-
For the first time in two decades, beef is Oregon’s No. 1 agricultural commodity.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced this summer that cattle and calves claimed the top spot in 2014, unseating greenhouse and nursery products. It was good news for ranchers who have been bolstered by strong demand and stronger prices for the last couple of years.
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OREGON COULD GET WATER QUALITY SPECIALIST (Argus Observer)
Eastern Oregon may get an Oregon Department of Agriculture water quality specialist dedicated to the region.
Ellen Hammond, water quality specialist for central and southeast Oregon, said, she is moving into the new statewide monitoring coordinator position with the Agriculture Department. With that change, areas of responsibility will be redrawn and two additional water quality specialities for the region will be hired.
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COMMITTEE: COURT MUST DECIDE TACTIC ON CANYONLANDS (Argus Observer)
Members of an advisory committee leading Malheur Countys opposition to a proposed Owyhee Canyonlands conservation area will ask the County Court to decide how they should proceed.
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TEENAGE PREGNANCY A TOP WORRY (Argus Observer)
Teen pregnancy is one the biggest health issues in Malheur County. So is access to contraceptive care and education, according to the 2014-15 Malheur County Community Health Assessment issued by the Oregon Public Health Division.
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LAWMAKERS: SAFETY SHOULD BE PRIORITY (Argus Observer)
As politicians on a national and international scale debate the fate of Syrian refugees, some local lawmakers say they support recent calls for scrutiny of the United States refugee program.
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DREDGING PROPOSED FOR SKIPANON RIVER (Daily Astorian)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking comment on a proposal by the Port Warren Moorage Association to dredge up to 1,000 cubic yards of accumulated sand and silt from below the mean high water in the Skipanon River from within the Port Warren Condominiums Moorage.
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BILL OFFERS HOPE FOR FOREST FUEL REDUCTION (Daily Astorian)
-Proponents of forest fuel reduction to combat wildfires are hopeful the key part of a bill they back will become law soon as part of federal budget funding.-
As ranchers throughout the West deal with the aftermath of catastrophic summer wildfires, proponents of legislation to reduce fuel loads in federal forests say theres a good chance it will pass Congress before the end of the year as part of funding the federal budget
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LIFE LOOKS DIFFERENT AT TONGUE POINT JOB CORPS — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
-Tongue Point Job Corps graduates are a window on the stratified American economy.-
The unrelenting ethic is about results.
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DELAYED CRAB SEASON CARRIES AN ENVIRONMENTAL MESSAGE — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
Closures are also a blow to the economy
There are parts of the world, even parts of the U.S., where eating crab is not for the weak of stomach. Thankfully, this definitely isnt one of them.
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SAVING OUR PUBLIC RECORDS — OPINION (Baker City Herald)
Oregon’s Public Records Law is an admirably concise and straightforward piece of legislation.
At least it used to be.
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POT ODOR POSES A DILEMMA — OPINION (Baker City Herald)
Few things are as subjective as our reactions to, and our attitudes about, odors. And in general, subjective matters make for poor laws.
Yet as the Baker City Council ponders whether to adopt an ordinance that could require people who grow marijuana to confine the distinctive scent to their property, we dont want to dismiss as irrelevant the complaints from downwind residents.
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$2.6 BILLION WORTH OF TROUBLE — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Oregon voters might be asked to approve a major increase in business taxes next year. Yet the measure itself is written to tug at heartstrings and hide the fact that it would be bad for Oregon.
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FEE ABUSE A CONCERN IN TIGHT BEND RENTAL MARKET (Bend Bulletin)
Bends tight rental market may be leading to a surge in what housing advocates call fee stacking, the process of collecting application fees from would-be renters even after landlords or property managers have chosen their preferred tenant.
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AIRSTRIP COMMUNITY CLOSE TO APPROVAL IN CROOK COUNTY (Bend Bulletin)
-Recent decision leaves one final step before housing could be developed at airstrip-
A land use case that started more than a decade ago over a potential aviation housing community in Crook County could finally be one step away from being resolved.
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OREGON WOLF DECISION BASED ON FACTS, NOT FEARS — OPINION (Blue Mountain Eagle)
Oregon has taken a giant leap forward in managing wolves by taking them off the state’s endangered species list.-
Wolves are thriving across the West. In Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon they are becoming a fixture on the landscape. A wolf pack has even turned up in Northern California.
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WOLF DECISION A VICTORY FOR RURAL OREGON — GUEST OPINION (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-Wolf supporters use the delisting as a means of fundraising.-
Some of the first governance meetings held in Oregon were convened in 1843, due to concerns over wolves killing livestock. It required more than 100 years of concerted effort before the last Oregon wolf was presented for bounty in 1946. Due entirely to their ill-advised reintroduction, the same issue is being actively debated today, more than 170 years after the first control efforts began.
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DIVERSITY OF VOICES: OPINIONS VARY ON MARIJUANA (LaGrande Observer)
The question has supporters and foes of the sale of recreational marijuana buzzing in Union.
Should Union opt out or in?
The question rolls lightly off the tongue but weighs heavily on the minds of Unions city councilors and citizens.
Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick as an all important deadline approaches.
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NEOEDD WILL SEEK STATE GRANT TO BOOST PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS (Wallowa.com)
-Wallowa County entreprenuers benefit from several sources of support.-
The Northeast Oregon Economic Development District NEOEDD will be applying for money recently made available by Gov. Kate Brown and Business Oregon, the states economic development agency.
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COMMERCIAL CRAB CLOSURE EXPANDS ON WEST COAST (The World)
-Opening of season will be delayed until domoic acid is gone-
Domoic acid, a naturally occurring marine toxin, is placing the start of Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishing season into a state of limbo. But, officials say, there is a silver lining waiting when the season does start.
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HISTORY DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE IN ONLINE LIBRARY (The World)
Oregonians and other historians are now able to harvest information about hundreds of historical books and studies in an online History and Archaeology Library created by the Oregon Heritage division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
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OUR VIEW: SOME COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS ON SCHOOL SAFETY — OPINION (The World)
-Securing our schools isn’t a new idea; it just takes conviction-
The Oregon Task Force on School Safety report released this week contains some excellent recommendations for common-sense steps that can be taken to keep our school campuses safer.
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NEW YORK TIMES HAILS OREGON’S NEW LAW ALLOWING CONTRACEPTION WITHOUT DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION (Willamette Week)
State Rep. Knute Buehler R-Bend made large gain on traditionally Democratic issue.
The New York Times today took a break from its tempestuous love affair with Portland to examine a more substantive issuewhat the Times calls “ground-breaking new laws” here and in California that will allow women to obtain birth control medication and devices without a prescription.
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