Saturday, May 09, 2009

Weyerhaeuser Eyes Potential Wood Bio-Mass In Its Future In Cowlitz County

Weyerhaeuser VP Touts Woody Biomass During Longview Visit
Friday, May 8, 2009 1:09 PM PDT
By Erik Olson - TDN.com

Weyerhaeuser Co.’s operations in Cowlitz County — including a year-old sawmill, newsprint manufacturer Norpac, log exporting and timberlands — are performing well, even as the company struggles through the recession, a top-ranking Weyerhaeuser Co. executive said in Longview Thursday.

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Friday, May 08, 2009

U.S. LNG Facing Much Controversy And Uncertainty

Karen Broyles - For Energy Current
5/8/2009 10:29:51PM GMT

West Coast projects remain controversial

The three LNG projects proposed in Oregon continue to generate controversy, mainly focused around FERC's process of reviewing and licensing LNG facilities.

Three LNG projects, Oregon LNG, Bradwood Landing LNG and Jordan Cove LNG, have been proposed for construction and operation in Oregon.

They have generated concerns among state and local officials, environmental groups and local residents over the projects' impact on the local environment and wildlife, safety risks and impact on local industries such as forestry. Some critics also view the projects as a means of using Oregon as a backdoor to supply more energy to California.

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Daily Astorian L.T.T.E.: From Port Commissioner Kathy Sanders

GRP - This harkens back to those dark days at The Port of Astoria when this type of conduct was a common occurance and for "The Port" to survive, this has to end and end immediately.


Daily Astorian Letters To The Editor
Friday, May 08, 2009
5/7/2009 1:15:00 PM


Letter: No need for retaliation at Port - I am writing this because a number of you have asked how things are going for me on the Port of Astoria Commission. In truth, this public servant is growing a bit weary.

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Thursday, May 07, 2009

Newport: What to do with World War II Era Ships?

By Winston Ross
The Register-Guard

May 6, 2009 ... NEWPORT — Remember the New Carissa? That mammoth, stubborn wood chip freighter that defied demolition experts and ship-breakers and salvage ... http://www.registerguard.co/

They say the job of hauling away the New Carissa freighter is not quite done yet . ...

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From Onward Oregon:Oregon House Bill 2186 - Low Carbon Fuel Standard

HB 2186 will establish a low-carbon fuel standard, reducing the carbon emissions of our fuel by 10% over the next decade. It puts an end to alternative fuel “greenwashing” by calculating the total carbon footprint of fuels—including production, transportation to market, and combustion.

Full Article: Read and decide for yourself it's value by emailing your Rep.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Press Release: Patrick McGee, Write-In Candidate For Astoria Port Commission, Position 5


Subject: Press release from Patrick McGee, Write-in Candidate for Astoria Port Commission, Position 5

Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 16:43:48

May 6, 2009

For Immediate Release.

Press Release

My name is Patrick McGee and I am a Write-In candidate for Astoria Port Commission, Position 5 in the May 19, 2009 Special Election.

Why would I want to run for a seat on Astoria Port Commission?

Well, it certainly isn't that it would be a personal victory of any sort, or a political prize but, more a sense of a need to stand up and avail myself for "Public Duty" and offer one more option to the voters concerned with our port's future.

I feel I can help and make a valid contribution to working with the other members of Astoria Port Commission in the doing of "The Publics' Business" in setting forward looking policies that will make "the Port", once again, a viable and productive asset to our community.

I am not ignoring those elements of positive progress already made especially the current efforts at a new air service and the important negotiation of the purchase of Tongue Point which I supported back in my run against ex-Commissioner Bernie Bjork in a previous election and the further development of our cruise ship services.

I firmly believe The Port of Astoria, along with every other Lower Columbia River Port, should be working and productive ports unified in a common effort to effectively develop the infrastructure to maximize our own share of future river commerce, which can only put more of us to work.

I believe we can no longer prosper the "Sit and Wait" attitude, as it seems we have for years, with schemes thrust upon us rather than determining what best suits us overall and then go out into the world, literally, with a Task Force of our own to sell ourselves and what we can offer to cohesive and compatible industry to make their home here.

I believe The Port of Astoria can be a critical element of that force.

I want to see hundreds, if not thousands, of us working at good, family wage jobs in good, sound industry dispersed effectively and strategically to our best advantage throughout all of Clatsop and adjacent counties both sides of our river community.

Most of all, I want to take action to make this happen rather than it just be more empty campaign rhetoric.

What can I bring to the table? 30-plus years in the Construction Development and Design industry which is 97% condition evaluation, interpretation and problem solving.

If you are curious as to my position on LNG in our community,I firmly believe that it is not right for us and that, given the time, we can do much better but, that decision is not for me to decide, it's in the hands of all the citizens of Clatsop County and surrounding communities.

I will be happy to answer all relevant questions by email at kc2patrick@q.com or by phone at (503)325-1844

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

California Governor Calls For Talk On Legalizing And Taxing Marijuana

Ryan Grim
ryan@huffingtonpost.com HuffPost Reporting From DC

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called on Tuesday for an open debate on legalizing and taxing marijuana. A recent Field Poll showed that 56 percent of Californians support taxing and regulating marijuana as a way to address the state's fiscal crisis. Schwarzenegger was asked at a press conference if it was finally time to legalize marijuana......

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Clatsop County: The Write-In Vote

Do you count write-in votes for individuals?
Oregon law states the only time county election officials shall tally write-in votes separately is: If the total number of write-in votes for candidates for the same office equals or exceeds the number of votes cast for any candidate for the same office on the ballot who appears to have been nominated or elected; If no names of candidates are printed on the ballot for an office. Otherwise, the vote counting machine keeps a total of all the write-in votes for an office, just not per individual.

Concealed Weapons Bill Passes Oregon House

Concealed weapon secrecy bill passes House
By Brad Cain - The Associated Press

Posted to Web: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 12:13AM
SALEM — The Oregon House overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday to limit public access to information about concealed handgun permit holders.

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Sunday, May 03, 2009

Conservationists Find Eager Sellers In New Real Estate Market

By Matthew Preusch - The Oregonian
Saturday May 02, 2009, 4:32 PM


The housing downturn made it possible for the trust to buy 27 acres on the butte from a housing developer last year, preserving it from development.
If while hiking through Portland's new woods at Clatsop Butte Park you pause among the cedars with their brightly budding conelets, thank the recession for this moment of Zen.


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