Newsline, July 17, 2010
Skyline Rural Watch Newsline
Mailbox: newsline [at] srnpdx [dot] org
Urgent: alert [at] srnpdx [dot] org
Phone: (503) 621-3501
July 17, 2010
PUBLIC SAFTEY:
Wild Fires Could Happen Here
"The wet weather this spring prompted a heavy growth of brush," said Hillsboro Fire Chief Gary Seidel. "Now, we have had a period of warm, dry and windy days. That has dried out all the fuels to a level where we are concerned about wildfires, even within our city limits."
Fire District Bans Outdoor Burning
TVFR NEWS RELEASE
Date: July 14, 2010
On Thursday, July 15th, the Washington County Fire Defense Board will enact a Burn Ban for Washington County. Effective tomorrow, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) has instituted a Burn Ban for its entire service area including all nine cities and unincorporated areas within Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah County.
The Burn Ban includes the following situations:
1. Backyard burning
2. Agricultural burning
3. Land clearing or slash burning (not associated with Oregon Department of Forestry jurisdiction)
The Burn Ban does not include the following situations:
1. Recreational burning (e.g., cooking fires, backyard pits.) Individuals intending to burn in this manner should use extreme caution.
2. Ceremonial fires or small fires used for religious or ceremonial purposes may be approved. This type of fire requires a permit issued by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
Individuals found to be in violation of these requirements during the burn ban may be issued a citation and/or found liable for any property loss and suppression costs resulting from a burning incident.
For more information, visit www.tvfr.com.
Contact: Brian Barker, Public Information Officer, 503-441-9324 (pager)
FYI from Oregon Dept of Forest regarding fires on public lands:
Jan. 1-July 16, 2010
Fires by cause:
Lightning: 29 fires burned 21 acres
Human: 125 fires burned 90 acres
Total: 154 fires burned 110 acres
GOVERNMENT:
Land Use News
County Pays Dorothy English: On July 15, Multnomah County handed a $1.15 million check to Dorothy English's grandson to settle a Measure 37 land-use claim. Mrs. English became a well-known figure in the Oregon property rights movement after the County turned down her request to subdivide her 20 acre McNamee Road property which she had owned since 1953. After her death 2 years ago at the age of 95, her family pressed on for a final judgment in the case, all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court. An additional $1.15 million was paid to the law firm that represented English. (Source: The Oregonian 7/15/10 and OPB 7/15/10)
ENVIRONMENT:
Paint recycling, yes you can
Wondering about the best way to dispose of leftover paint after your summer projects? Thanks to a first-in-the nation paint stewardship law, you will soon be able to drop off your unwanted paint at local stores for recycling. Much better than dumping it down the drain or taking up precious garage space! Ace Hardware in Aloha is currently taking paint and other locations will be added as the program grows. Learn more at PaintCare.org
Water use
While the temperature rises, sit back, relax and watch your lawn go brown. It's that simple. You'll save money as you conserve water and keep fertilizer out of our rivers and streams. As soon as the rain hits in November, our green lawns will reappear. It's all part of the natural process here in the Pacific Northwest. So, go brown. Mother Nature will thank you for it.
Get more water-friendly, money-saving tips:
* If you do water, only use one-inch per week (a tuna can's worth)
* Water in the early morning or late evening when the temperature is cooler
* Mow grass higher to promote deep roots and healthy soil
* Mark your calendar to aerate, thatch and reseed with a Northwest grass this Fall and Spring
* Plant natives that require less water and fewer chemicals
NEIGHBORS
Pete Nortman passed peacefully away in his home on June 30 at the age of 79. Pete has lived on Skyline since 1960. He loved living up here. He is survived by his son Kirk and his wife Brigitte and pre-deceased by his son Ben
Jay Raymond passed away on June 19 at the age of 52. He is survived by his wife Tamera; son Collin; daughters, Natalie and Renee; and 5 grandchildren. For many years, Jay donated a hand-carved a piece of jewelry to SRN's Summer Gathering. He was a jeweler (founded Gold Leaf Fine Jewelry), guitarist, woodworker, and good neighbor.
WHATS NEW @ SRNPDX.org
The 20th annual SRN Summer Gathering is 4 weeks away and now you can find complete information about the event on the website at http://www.srnpdx.org/summer-gathering. There are suggestions on items to donate for the auction at the Gathering along with a form you can fill out and submit online to let us know what you're bringing. As always, volunteer help is very welcome and there is a sign-up form online for you to indicate which team(s) you'd be interested to join. And there is a map and directions to the new venue for this year's Gathering. Check back for the latest information on the 2010 Summer Gathering.
About the Newsline:
Skyline Rural Watch Newsline is a part of Skyline Ridge Neighbors (SRN) and has been produced since June 1994 as a means to communicate neighborhood information. The Newsline is produced by Laurel Erhardt (editor) with help from Miles Merwin, Rich Edwards, Libby Merwin, Sharon Barthmaier, Jennifer Jenkins, Sara Bowersox and Sen Speroff.
The Newsline depends on you as a source of accurate information about local crimes, upcoming events, and other news pertinent to the area. If you have information you would like considered for the Newsline, you may do so by e-mailing the information to newsline [at] srnpdx [dot] org, or leaving a message at (503) 621-3501. Urgent, timely items (crimes, lost pets) should be emailed to alert [at] srnpdx [dot] org.
If you would like more detailed information about any item on the Newsline, request that information & SRN will e-mail it to you if available.
You can subscribe to the Newsline at the Skyline Ridge Neighbors Website, SRNPDX.org. Tell your neighbors about this free Newsline service.
About Skyline Ridge Neighbors:
SRN is a neighborhood association serving much of unincorporated northwest Multnomah County and some adjacent areas within the city of Portland. SRN is registered as a neighborhood association within Multnomah County, registered as a non-profit public benefit corporation with the State of Oregon and approved as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the IRS Code. SRN is operated by volunteers and with donated funds entirely.
If you would like to donate to SRN in support of its activities, such as this free Newsline service and the publication of its quarterly Skyline Ridge Runner, send your donation to “Skyline Ridge Neighbors”, c/o Karen Garber, 16238 NW McNamee Rd., Portland, OR 97231 Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.