Talk about the weather…

6 March 2014

Coast Radio News
Local News

Let’s Talk About the Weather

Scattered power outages, reports of trees and limbs down throughout the area and lots of rain at times were pretty typical yesterday and overnight.

But, fortunately, no reports of any real damage have surfaced from a ‘late-season’ storm that pounded the Florence area.

All area roadways were reported as being clear and open, with one exception.  Southbound drivers on Highway 101, four miles north of Gardiner, are advised to be cautious of excess debris in the roadway.  That’s a condition that has existed for several weeks and is expected to continue.

Overnight wind gusts of up to 35 miles an hour were recorded in Florence; nearly twice that in outlying and more exposed areas.

The heaviest rains came early yesterday with a 24-hour accumulation as of midday Wednesday that was close to two inches.

The 24-hour accumulation as of mid morning today was only three-quarters of an inch.

Winds are expected to subside through the day with sunshine forecast for tomorrow.

Siuslaw Dredging in Doubt?

Initial budget proposals for dredging on the Siuslaw River are not very promising for the coming year.

The President’s budget was released this week and buried deep within the ‘line-items’: a proposed allocation of $32-thousand for survey work on the Siuslaw.  Port Manager Bob Forsythe pointed out last year’s proposed budget was for the same amount, but an additional $698-thousand was eventually allocated for dredging and maintenance.

Forsythe and Port Commission President Ron Caputo are headed to Washington D.C. this weekend.  They’ll spend the week meeting with lawmakers and key staff-members.

Oregon Reads

Got up on a cool morning.

Leaned out a window.

No cloud, no wind.

Air that flowers held for awhile.

Some Dove somewhere.

Those are the opening lines from “Just Thinking”, one of the poems in the collection entitled “Ask Me”, the 100 essential poems of William Stafford.  The Oregon Library Association is asking every one in Oregon to read it in the coming months.  Siuslaw Public Library Director Meg Spencer says it’s part of the “Oregon Reads” project.

Meg Spencer – “To celebrate the 100th birthday of William Stafford who is a really celebrated Oregonian poet.  He spent many years as what is now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate, he was the Oregon Poet Laureate; he won the National Book Award.”

Siuslaw Public library will be holding 17 different events between now and early June to give resident readers a chance to participate.   During the last Oregon Reads project, in 2009, an estimated 80-thousand Oregon readers participated.  Complete details on this year’s promotion can be found at the library.