13 August 2015
Winter Folk Festival hits reset
Organizers of what was once the single largest fundraiser for the Friends of the Florence Events Center say they’re going to change things up in January. Proceeds from last year’s Winter Folk Festival were down, and organizers are saying they will “revitalize” the weekend of music and hand-made merchandise.
“Jonathan Edwards 2012” by Bede735c – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_Edwards_2012.JPG#/media/File:Jonathan_Edwards_2012.JPG
The hand-made merchandise will still be there… as well as the ever popular pie sale… and an emphasis on all things “folk”.
It will now be known as the Winter Music Festival, though, and will diverge slightly from the strict early 60s protest folk music.
Rachel Pearson, one of the co-chairs, said half of this year’s musical acts will be returnees from previous festivals. The sounds will still be quite familiar, focusing on what she calls the “ABCs”: Americana, Bluegrass, and Celtic.
Headliners will include Jonathon Edwards. His 1971 hit “Sunshine” went to number 4 on the hot 100 billboard charts. The Trail Band from Portland will present the “Kids Koncerts”.
The 2016 Winter Folk Festival is scheduled for the third weekend in January.
Dunes City Community Expo set
Dunes City leaders will prove next week that there is such thing as a free lunch. An August 22nd Community Expo at Dunes City Hall will offer speakers on several different topics, including emergency preparation; septic system care and maintenance; and drinking water quality.
Dunes City Administrator Fred Hilden says there will also be several vendors; emergency vehicle displays; and… food.
Wildfire temporarily closes Territorial Road near Lorane
A fast moving wildfire near the headwaters of the Siuslaw River quickly burned more than 60 acres yesterday afternoon. The fire, near Lorane… south of Eugene… prompted the overnight closure of Territorial Highway. The road opened to one-lane traffic with a pilot car just before six this morning.
The fire started near the highway and threatened two homes and a barn. It quickly spread up a hillside and onto land owned and managed by Weyerhaeuser.
Crews spent the night working on the blaze; they’ll continue through today.
Deputies and bankers warn of scams
Officials don’t collect fines by phone
The Lane County Sheriff’s office is reporting once again that area residents have been reporting calls from someone claiming to be from the Sheriff’s office and demanding payment for an outstanding warrant.
Sergeant Carrie Carver says the caller uses the names of actual Sheriff’s Office employees. They claim to have a warrant, or that the intended victim has missed jury duty, and the person is subject to immediate arrest.
There is a way to make it all stop according to the caller… All they need to do is purchase a “green dot money pack” from a local retailer and when the alleged officer calls back, they can pay their fine over the phone.
You can also make it stop by simply hanging up.
Carver says officers do not call people to collect fines over the phone. The green dot money packs are used because they are untraceable.
Florence man victimized by online scam
An 80-year old Florence area man reportedly lost $10-thousand of his savings to wire-fraud scheme.
Ellen Huntingdon with Oregon Pacific Bank didn’t identify the victim, but said he was contacted by an unknown caller who said he needed to update his computer. The caller then gained access to the man’s money market account and transferred $5-thousand from that account into the man’s checking account.
The man was then convinced the money actually came from the caller and was asked to reimburse them via Western Union. He did so… twice.
Huntingdon says don’t ever give personal information over the phone, internet or email unless you know exactly who you are corresponding with and why.
Never share information with anyone that you did not initiate contact with; shred all papers with personal information; and be very protective of your social security number.
If you are asked for information and you don’t feel comfortable about providing it… call your bank or financial institution at the number you usually use and tell them what is going on.
Toxic algae blooms reaching annual peak
Blooms of toxic blue-green algae are under appreciated and poorly monitored, posing risks to recreational and drinking water quality. A report published recently by scientists from Oregon State University and the University of North Carolina says the toxic cyanobacteria may also pose a global health threat.
Tim Otten, a post-doctoral scholar in the OSU department of Microbiology, says the biggest health concern is that there is very little regulatory oversight. Testing for the organism is not required by state or federal regulators.
Problems with the toxins typically reach a peak this time of year and 2015 is no different. Researchers say several years of drought have reduced the water flow and allowed water temperatures to become warmer, creating a ripe environment.
