News from HCAC, Ralph Martin, Chair
Our next meeting is Monday, June 2nd at 10:00 AM at the Harbor Fire Hall. If you attended our last meeting and had a chance to look at the Charter, you would find several changes that we have made in the latest version we will have on Monday. It still will not be written in stone and we have a little more fine tuning to do, but we are very close. Come and check it out.
For the month of June, Signatures Gallery, in Brookings, is showcasing "Images of Orkney" by photographers Donald and Nancy Rommes. Don, a neonatologist, takes photographs for the Bureau of Land Management. He has exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. As well as photographing, Nancy also creates audio tours for the National Park Service. Displayed are the masculine and feminine viewpoints of Orkney Islands, Scotland. Both Don and Nancy will be at the gallery during the Second Saturday Art Walk on June 14th, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Signatures Gallery is located at 519 Chetco Avenue, Brookings, Oregon. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from Noon to 5:30 pm. Phone number is (541) 469-1085.
To see the full show, go to www.signaturesgallery.com
Reprinted from the CurryNavigator.com, Sven Edgar Eldring, editor
You are invited to make comments on this topic or to e-mail me at eldring@nwtec.com.
I hope to report soon about new developments, which probably will not be published in the Curry Pilot - and the Pilot does not have an interactive website.
Also note that the new budget will be revealed on Tuesday, May 20th - watch for big new expenses.
On July 17, 2007, one port commissioner stated: "we need to start advertising (to sell assets) now." The sentiment was also voiced by Guy Alvis, Ports Program Specialist for OECDD, "Then you have the ability to sell things." Bear in mind that Alvis stated that if Dave Scott’s employment were terminated, the OECDD would have to re-start the refinancing negotiations and it would take 18 months. And who approved the grants, without giving any thoughts (?) to the difficulty of repayment?
A few days ago, someone told me that there were "For Sale" signs advertising two port buildings. I wanted to check it out on Thursday, May 15th, but found no signs.
Commissioner Kathy Lindley wrote a Public Forum piece on April 7, 2007. She pointed out some questionable acts of the previous port manager, Dave Scott, which resulted in large, unnecessary expenses for the port. She also wrote:
"Are there people who want the refinancing to fail?
I answer, 'yes!' "
Would the tasks of the commissioners not be easier now:
- if efforts by several commissioners to curtail the activities of the previous port manager had been successful?
- if the new commission had not reversed several sound financial decisions of the old commission?
- if the multi-million dollar endowment offer had been accepted?
- if the commission had accepted last fall an offer to renovate the commercial retail building?
- if the harbor master had been more active?
- if the festivals, including the salmon derby, had been a little bit more generous to the port?
- if the payments to the previous "bookkeeper" had not been higher than the salary of the previous port manager?
Submitted by Michael Brace
Curry 9-1-1 Director
From left to right: Michael Brace 9-1-1 Director, Gold Beach Police Chief Russ Merkely, and Commissioner Marlyn Schafer with some of the new emergency radios.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently awarded Curry County a grant in the amount of $84,142 for the purchase of portable radio equipment. This week, that equipment arrived and will be disbursed to fire departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the county.
The grant was written by County 9-1-1 Director Michael A. Brace. “This project was designed to give the various agencies in the County the flexibility to add to their respective communication abilities,” stated Brace. “They can not only talk to us here at dispatch, but amongst themselves as well.” The radios can be programmed with numerous frequencies that span all law enforcement, fire, and medical agencies.
The project will support the continued interoperable communications capabilities of the infrastructure identified in the Curry County Interoperability Plan, the Curry County Telecommunications Strategic Plan, the Curry County Emergency Operations Plan, as well as the County's numerous Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA's), mutual aid agreements, and contracts it holds with the allied agencies located at its respective communications sites.
Commissioner Marlyn Schafer, the Sheriff’s Office liaison commissioner was pleased with the radio grant. “Its important that our emergency services people can talk to each other in a true disaster, but its equally as important that we have someone like Mike who can write these grants, so we can receive the funding.”
The County also recently completed a $3.0 million upgrade to its interoperable communications infrastructure. This project consisted of five new repeater towers with microwave capability as well as narrow-band capable, digital communications and was paid for by grants and Title III funds. In addition, a $500,000 upgrade to its 9-1-1 Center was recently completed, increasing the center's square footage by 700%, in the basement of the Sheriff’s Office.
The 9-1-1 Center is also getting a $14,000 equipment upgrade that will improve court and jail security. This equipment will be paid for by state court security funds. “All in all,” said Brace, “we have nice equipment to step into the future with.”
PUBLIC NOTICE
From Curry Commissioners
The Curry County Board of Commissioners will hold a Special meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Courthouse Annex, 94235 Moore Street, Gold Beach, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and to decide the process for filling the vacant Sheriff’s position and to approve the Consent Calendar. Other matters may be discussed. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact the Curry County Commissioners’ Office at (541) 247-3296 or 1 (800) 243-1996.
