Murl Gene Bright, 85, of Blodgett, (Logsden) Oregon, died Feb. 18 at his home. He was born March 13, 1926 in Coburg, OR to Pete and Susie (Griffin) Bright. A complete obituary will follow at a later date. Arrangements by Affordable Burial & Cremation Co.
In observance of “Love Your Library Month,” the Siletz Valley Friends of the Library host a book and bake sale at the library Saturday, February 25, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The library is located at 255 South Gaither, next to the post office. Hard bound books, paperbacks, videos and DVDs will all be on sale. The sale coincides with the library’s 58th birthday, which features an open house. The Friends group is raising money to power wash and stain the exterior cedar siding of the five year-old building. The Lincoln County Library District pays for staff, books and computers, but the Friends group, who originally raised the money for the new library, still shoulders many costs associated with keeping the library clean, maintained and operating smoothly. The estimate for the siding work is $18,000 and can only be accomplished in the summer, so the group is trying to raise the funds in the next few months. Donations may also be mailed to SVFOL, P.O. Box 130, Siletz, OR 97380. For more information, call 541-444-2855.
Dr. Woodrow Monte with Becky Miller and his book's cover illustration
Toledo artist Becky Miller’s art is featured in a recently published book by internationally-known food scientist Woodrow Monte, PhD. Miller also edited and laid out “While Science Sleeps, a Sweetener Kills.” Monte had been having breakfast at Toledo’s Main Street Cafe one morning when he happened past Skybound Art Gallery, where Miller was working as an artist-in-residence. Monte, whose home is in New Zealand, had been looking for an illustrator for the cover of his book. When he spotted Miller’s “Hands of Providence” painting, featuring a shepherd and his sheep, it reminded him of home and he went inside to meet the artist. After the cover art was finished, Monte asked Miller to do a few interior illustrations, which became dozens. Later, after he discovered Miller had also worked as a book editor and writer, he hired her for layout and editing as well.
“While Science Sleeps, a Sweetener Kills” reviews more than 30 years of Monte’s research into the nutritional causes of civilization’s major diseases and talks about them in everyday language. Monte is a food scientist, researcher, and Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. Monte’s thesis is that many modern afflictions, including a variety of cancers, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other conditions are related to the existence of methanol, found in canned fruits and vegetables, tomatoes, cigarette smoke, and the artificial sweetener aspartame, used in many sugar-free products, notably sodas and gum. Miller has the book for sale locally. It is also available through online retailers.
Toledo’s annual flower basket display is on target for Mother’s Day again this year, according to organizing volunteer Marnie Branstiter. The basket program has been a fixture since it was started in 2001 by her mother, late Mayor Sharon Branstiter, and has always been a complete volunteer effort. “A lot of people think it is a City project,” Branstiter said, but it is not. “It has always been run 100% on donations.” Branstiter expressed gratitude at a $515 contribution to the program from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Fund this winter. It helps because “donations are down the last couple of years, probably due to the economy.” Although there has been a small reserve fund in the program “for 2013 there may not be a reserve,” unless donations pick up, Branstiter said.
Although the flowers have been ordered and payment is lined up, Branstiter said the 2012 fundraising goal “has about $2,500 to go.” She is hoping this year’s efforts can build a reserve fund back up, and has some fundraising activities in the works. Branstiter works with the Main Street Program’s Design Committee on the program. Donations to the fund should be made out to the “Toledo Community Foundation” with the note “Flower Basket Fund” and mailed to PO Box 193, Toledo Oregon 97391. For information call 541-961-3701 or email.
The Toledo City Council Wednesday adopted a water rate study and passed a resolution authorizing the sale of $6.7 million dollars in revenue bonds. The bonds will finance the construction of Phases I and II of the city’s water system improvement project. Because it was passed as a “non-emergency measure,” the bonds cannot be sold for at least 30 days. The study, from Civil West Engineering, recommends a rate increase sufficient to generate revenue to pay off the first two phases of the city’s water capital improvements. Although the study recommends rate increases, any actual change in rates will be discussed by the council later. The recommendation is for a base water rate of $27 per month and a water consumption rate of $4 per thousand gallons. If that recommendation is adopted, the average Toledo water bill would rise from $32.39 per month to $48.40 per month.
The idea is to set rates high enough to pay back bonds will be used to finance the projects. City officials stress that a future rate increase is only on the water portion of the city utility bill. Charges for sewer, lighting and street maintenance will not change. Copies of the water rate study are available at City Hall and will soon be posted on the city website. The changes proposed by the study would move Toledo from one of Oregon’s lower water rates to a rate near the statewide average. Council members spent almost an hour in Tuesday’s work session discussing the merits of a higher base rate versus a higher water consumption rate, which groups may be unfairly penalized by each, and whether some type of low-income assistance could be made available.
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