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The Canyon Weekly May 21, 2014
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Volume 5, Issue 21
Your local news source for the North Santiam Canyon
Serving the communities of Lyons, Mehama, Elkhorn, Mill City, Gates, Niagara, Detroit, Breitenbush, Idanha and Marion Forks
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Fishermen’s Bend volunteers get national recognition
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Floyd and Opal Jensen have contributed over 17,000 hours at the park
Floyd and Opal Jensen, volunteer campground hosts at Fishermen’s Bend Recreation Site near Mill City have been awarded BLM’s national “Making a Difference Lifetime Achievement Award,” for contributing more than 17,000 hours of volunteer service at the park. “It’s the people we meet each day that keep us coming back,” said Floyd. For the past eleven years, Floyd and Opal have arrived at Fishermen’s Bend in early April to help prepare the park for opening. After the park opens, they greet and provide information to visitors, check in campers, sell firewood, keep the restrooms and campsites clean, train new hosts, and assist the park manager with the recycling program, volunteer youth groups, and invasive species removal. Floyd, a retired structural firefighter for 33 years, has used his wood working and mechanical skills to build cabinets, bird and bat houses, and to repair whatever needs to be fixed. In October, they help close the park, before driving their RV home to Merced, California where they spend the holidays with their family. A national ceremony will be held in Washington DC on May 29. Floyd and Opal will receive their award at BLM’s State Office in Portland, and they will participate in the Washington DC ceremony via video connection.
Floyd and Opal Jenson discuss the day’s list of duties with Fishermen’s Bend Manager Steve Baldwin. Photo and press release courtesy of BLM Public Affairs.
A few fishing winners from Detroit Lake last weekend: Manny Bias (left) caught his first fish at Detroit Lake State Park, and Kylee caught a $50 tagged fish as part of the annual Detroit Lake Fishing Derby. Fish ON!!!
Elections: voters approve police, fire services tax Linn Co. Law Enforcement Levy and Idanha-Detroit Fire District Levy both pass; City of Idanha gets revised charter
Editor’s note: Election results are valid as of 8pm on May 20, 2014. Final results may take up to a week.
By Michelle Gates Linn Co. Law Enforcement Early results show that voters in Linn County approved to continue the existing Law Enforcement Levy for another four years. According to election documents, the levy will be used to restore services to the 2011 level and re-open 48 jail beds. Law enforcement services will be maintained until 2018. The tax levy will raise nearly $102,000,000 over four years, at a rate of $2.83 per $1,000 assessed value. 76% of the funds will go to the sheriff’s office, 10% to criminal prosecution, and 14% to juvenile offenders. Nearly 56% of voters supported the measure. With all but one of the precincts counted, 11,168 voters said yes
and 7,205 voters said no. Idanha-Detroit Fire District Early results show that voters in the Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District passed a measure to approve a nearly $215,000, five year tax to support the fire district. The district requested the money from voters to maintain emergency operations. “The Board believes that the District’s fire and life safety response services are an important asset to our community and should be funded at an increased level so as to better serve our community,” according to the ballot statements. “Many of the District’s calls for service involve medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents. (We) propose to use the new tax revenue to fund positions necessary to provide safe staffing levels for emergency (cont’d on page 2) calls.” 1