Commentary

Comments: Where distance is no barrier

Written November 13th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 14 responses.

Being far removed from the action does not disqualify people from being interested in what goes on, right? Or from letting others know what they think?

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Albany news, comments, distance, residency

Albany considers tax on new construction

Written November 10th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 28 responses.

Albany city officials would like developers to build housing that more people can afford. To that end, the city council is talking about taking three steps, one of which is enacting an excise tax on new construction.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: affardable housing, Community Development Commission, construction excise tax, housing, housing implementation plan, low income tax abatement

Solid colors give wrong impression

Written November 9th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 18 responses.

On its website, the Oregon Secretary of State does a good job reporting election results on statewide and local contests. The color maps the office produces are helpful, but they also imply that Oregon’s regions are far more sharply divided politically than they are.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: election maps, Oregon counties, secretary of state, Trump and Harris

Albany council bans feeding of wildlife

Written November 7th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 20 responses.

In response to complaints about wild turkeys, the Albany City Council has voted to outlaw the feeding of wildlife except for songbirds and waterfowl.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: feeding wildlife, songbirds, waterfowl, wild turkeys, wildlife

4-2 vote OKs change on Grand Prairie

Written November 6th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 6 responses.

Residents south of Grand Prairie Road just learned what people elsewhere in Albany learned before: You can’t rely on comprehensive plans or zoning to keep your neighborhood composed of only single-family homes.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Albany planning, Grand Prairie Road, housing, zone change, zoning

Behold this new RR crossing: Nice job!

Written November 5th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

On this election day in 2024, everybody is going to be interested in how it went and won’t be looking here. So let me report on something slightly less significant.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Burkhart Street, Portland & Western, railroad, Willamette neighborhood

‘Motor voters’ in action at courthouse

Written November 4th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

There’s a drive-up ballot box on the back side of the Linn County Courthouse in Albany. For a little while there on Monday night, it was a busy place.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: 2024 election, drive-up ballot box, Election Eve, general election, Linn County Oregon, Linn Couthouse