Enyeart’s New Posting Takes Him To Korea

(Updated 7:30 p.m. 2/2/12)

The Oregon Military Department announced today that Toledo Police Chief Dave Enyeart will become Chief of Staff, United States Forces Korea, after his promotion Monday to Major General. As reported in January, Enyeart will receive his second star in a ceremony at the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem at 3:00 p.m. Feb. 6. “I am honored but also very humbled with this promotion to Major General,” Enyeart said. “I am looking forward to the challenges and learning experience with this new position in United Forces Korea.”

Toledo City Manager Michelle Amberg said Enyeart is scheduled to deploy to Korea February 8 and will return March 13. During his absence, Dispatch Supervisor Maria Waldrip will take on some additional administrative responsibility and Sergeant Mike Helton will have more oversight of patrol. However, Amberg said Enyeart will still be in touch with day-to-day operations electronically. His Korean assignment will take him out of Oregon from time to time, “a maximum 158 days a year,” according to Amberg.

Enyeart began his career in the U.S. Army in 1978. He received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant through Officer Candidate School in June 1985 and joined the Oregon National Guard as a Mortar Platoon Leader. During three decades he has had three overseas deployments, two to Afghanistan and one to Sarajevo. He joined the Toledo police department in 1999 and was promoted to Chief in 2010 before his deployment to Bosnia.

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Toledo Pool Closes Early Due to Weather

The Toledo pool will be closing early today (Jan 16, 2012) after the 3:30 – 5:00 Rec Swim. Evening lap swim and senior exercise class are canceled.

The pool programs for Tuesday January 17, 2012 are:

11:00a-1:00pm Lap Swim

3:30p-5:00pm Swim Club

5:00pm-7:00pm Swimming Lessons and Lap Swim

7:00pm-8:30pm Family Swim

Toledo Aquatics Manager Joe Andrews said the closure “is for our staff and patron safety traveling home Monday evening and coming in Tuesday morning.  He reminds patrons to call the pool 541-336-3181 if there is a storm/weather event or holiday to check before they come in.

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Toledo Pool Closed Today

From Toledo Pool Manager Joe Andrews: The Toledo Swimming Pool will be closed all day January 15, 2012 and will remain closed until 9:00am Monday morning. This will cancel the early morning lap and exercise swim Monday morning typically offered from 6:00a-9:00a.

The pool programs for Monday January 16, 2012 are:

9:00a-11:00a Toledo High School Swim Team Practice

11:00a-1:00pm Lap Swim

3:30p-5:00pm Rec Swim

5:00pm-7:00pm Lap Swim and Evening Senior Exercise Class

The primary reason for this is for our staff and patron safety traveling home Sunday evening and coming in Monday morning. The National Weather Service calls for ongoing snow and rain with already slippery conditions. While weather conditions may improve between now and tomorrow morning, I am going to error on the side of safety and have the facility be closed.

People are reminded to call the pool 541-336-3181 if there is a storm/weather event or holiday to check before they come in.

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Struggle to Save Rural Post Offices Continues

Work continues to keep a couple dozen rural Oregon Post Offices open. Activists held “Occupy Your Post Office” events at 23 locations December 19. In October, 41 rural Oregon communities were told their post offices would be closing as early as January 15 as a cost-saving measure for the Postal Service. In addition, four processing facilities are slated for closure. Communities across Oregon united to fight back through every avenue they could think of, from community meetings, letters to Congress, and petitions. The United States Postal Service then announced a five-month moratorium on rural post office closures, while 21 rural post offices in Eastern Oregon have been taken off of the closure list.

Local Occupy groups and the Rural Organizing Project (ROP) of Scappoose are demanding that Congress fixes a 2006 law requiring the Postal Service to pre-fund retirement benefits for 75 years. According to the ROP, without intervention by Congress, there is danger that the postal service will be increasingly privatized – something ROP said rural communities and union postal workers cannot afford. ROP wants three thousand petition signatures to deliver to Oregon Congressional offices in favor of keeping rural Post Offices Open. Here is a link to the petition. The ROP wants completed petitions mailed by January 27 to PO Box 1350, Scappoose, OR 97056.

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Council Hears About Water Rates, Discusses Path For Mayoral Selection

Toledo water rates need to rise further to keep up with costs, according to consulting engineer Garrett Palo of Civil West Engineering. Palo presented a rate study at the Toledo City Council work session Tuesday night, noting the Toledo Water District budget is holding its own, but that’s it. “This fund, while viable and positive in terms of balance does not have a consistent surplus. You are getting by. But you have also had enough money to maintain your water system.” He said Toledo is in relatively good shape compared to similar sized communities, because it has enacted water rate increases over time during most of the last 30 years. However, the city has less expensive water than many. The average published rate for Oregon water districts is $55. Toledo’s average is about $37. The figure is based on the benchmark 7,500 gallons per month per Equivalent Dwelling Unit, although the average Toledo customer uses 5,350 gallons per month. Palo’s study recommends the average $37 wate bill increase to just over $48 to enable proper funding. The rate increase would address inflation, and increases in operating costs. Toledo’s water reconstruction plan would be paid for with borrowed funds.

Click chart to reveal Toledo household income spread

Affordability was discussed by council members. Although the state pegs the idea of “affordability” to a mean household income, councilors talked about the fact that many Toledo households are well below the mean annual income of just over $40 thousand per year.

Councilors also discussed the process they will follow to name a successor for Monica Lyons, who resigned last week due to health considerations. The City Charter is clear that the council “shall be filled by appointment by a majority vote of the remaining members of the council.” A mayor can be selected from among council members or the general public. Toledo resident Sandy Blackman has been encouraging public discussion and involvement of the process; four members of the public were in attendance Tuesday to hear what counselors had to say. Blackman said she “wanted to be part of the discussion and…encourage people to get involved.” Toledo resident Bill Dalbey encouraged the Council to “open the position (of Mayor) for applications, to broaden the field of candidates.” The body agreed to place the matter on its January 18 agenda as a discussion item. It would not appear as an action item, at which point the public can comment, until at least the February 1 meeting.

(Correction: the original publication said the next Council meetings were January 15 and February 7. This has been corrected.)

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