(See the response at the bottom.)One of of the initiatives up for an Albany city election on March 12 would require voter approval of new city debt. Disregarding for the moment any problems with the wording of the proposal, it is tempting to think that if such a measure had been in effect years ago, we might hear less […]
In Linn County, the Albany & Eastern Railroad has filed trespassing complaints against a handful of property owners who must cross the tracks to get to their homes. The owners have refused to pay the railroad’s demands for a one-time payment plus annual fees for permission to come and go to and from their […]
Good thing nobody was under this tree in Albany’s Bryant Park when a big branch came off and crashed to the ground in one of the parking lots. The park has been closed to vehicles since earlier this winter. Elsewhere at Bryant, a big tree fell across a park road and has been cut up to let walkers through. It’s […]
We haven’t heard about cougar sightings in or near the mid-valley lately. But our Oregon mountain lions have made their appearance in at least two of the bills introduced in the 2013 legislature, getting under way on Feb. 4. One is Senate Bill 428, introduced by Sen. Larry George, a Republican from Sherwood. He offered the bill on […]
Solving the immigration dilemma would be possible if we took a couple of sensible steps. But we won’t take either one. So the coming battle over immigration will be loud and long, and there may be no good solution in the end. The main problem, as everyone says, is that we have about 11 million illegal […]
See the reaction at the end.The coal train controversy has come to Albany, unlikely as the prospect of actual coal transport through the mid-valley seems. A local group led by Peter Goodman of North Albany is worried about the plans by the Port of Coos Bay to become a coal-export terminal. This plan would entail […]
Some people around the country are worried about electric meters known as “smart meters,” and from the standpoint of privacy and personal autonomy they may have a point. But if you’re a customer of Pacific Power here in Oregon, you don’t have to worry just yet. Last week the Chicago Tribune reported that in Naperville, […]
