I Want To Know
Just another Blogs.theworldlink.com weblog
Can cans and bottles be taken from garbage bins?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 06.11.09 under I want to know
Question: I’ve been told it is illegal to collect cans from public garbage bins. Is this true?
Answer: It’s not illegal.
According to Coos Bay Chief Rodger Craddock, people do it all the time.
“There are people who make their livings going through trash cans all day long,” he said. “They’re just going from location to location.”
It is unlawful for someone to go on someone’s else’s property without permission to dig through their garbage.
“But if they’re on a property open to the public, then I think that’s free game, and it’s been treated as such,” he said.
But, don’t leave a mess in the process. That would be offensive littering, which is a crime.
Picking through a private citizen’s trash is a no-no, but if a trash can and recycling bin is in the street, it could be fair game, although officers may stop and ask the can diver what he’s doing.
“People do go through people’s garbage to steal their identity.”
North Bend Sgt. Brian Allen said public dumpster diving doesn’t seem like a big deal.
“If someone is throwing it out and it’s worth 5 cents then why not let someone pick it up,” he said. “It would be like throwing a nickel in the trash can.”
He said he wasn’t so sure about private garbage and recycling bins, but he said going on someone else’s property for cans could result in a criminal trespassing charge. Allen didn’t seem to keen on the idea of picking through private citizens’ trash.
“I think someone should have a reasonable expectation of privacy if it’s on their own property,” he said.
Finally, Bill Richardson, the manager of West Coast Recycling and Les’ Sanitary, said public dumpster diving is fine, but taking items from bins marked “West Coast Recycling,” would be stealing.
“Yes, it is our property, because it’s in our bin and it’s marked on our bin,” he said.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to news@theworld link.com.)
Patent process can be slowly frustrating
[ No Comments ] Posted on 06.11.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know if Mary Geddry, CEO of Rogue River Wind, has a patent on the wind turbine she is developing? Who is paying for the development of the prototype and her expenses? Does Rogue River Wind have any principals other than Ms. Geddry?
Answer: Geddry says she filed a full utility patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office in November 2008. It normally takes the patent office 18 months to publish a patent and even longer to review it, said a spokesman for the office. He couldn’t confirm that Geddry had filed an application because his system only includes published applications, but he said it’s likely she has one in the works.
“If she says she has a patent pending and she doesn’t, she’d be violating the law,” he said.
Geddry is the only principal of the company, though she has several investors from outside Coos County whose money has helped pay expenses. She’s also invested some of her own money, Geddry said.
The project has been delayed as she recently cut ties with Ric Morrisonn, who was tasked with building the prototype. Geddry is working with a company in Portland to complete the first model and hopes to have it ready for testing by the end of the month.
“I’m really anxious to get them done,” she said.
(I Want to Know offers readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to news@theworld link.com.)
How do you keep ballots safe?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 04.22.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know what happens with the recall election ballots. Where are the mail-in ballots stored as election workers bring them to the courthouse leading up to the election?
Answer: The recall ballots will be treated the same as all other election ballots, Coos County Clerk Terri Turi said.
Once the printed ballots are received from the printer, they are stored in a locked security room within the Elections Office. Only full-time office staff and the county clerk have access to the key to the security room, Turi said in an e-mail.
Before mailing, election board workers, who are sworn election deputies, assemble ballot packets in-house. They are trained and then supervised during the entire ballot processing procedure.
Assembled ballot packets are sealed and strapped into mailing trays, kept in the county election office until maintenance staff takes them to post office for mailing. The entire process is under the supervision of full-time election staff member.
Returned ballots, either received through official ballot drop sites or the U.S. Postal Service, are kept in the election office. Recall ballot processing is the same as other elections, with voter signature verification, compiling in precinct order, inspection by the election board workers, and tallying on Election Day, Turi said.
All voted ballots are kept in the security room unless being handled during the processing period.
Turi said citizens are welcome to come to the office to watch the process.
“We are very proud of the work that we do in the Election office,” she said in the e-mail. “Ballot security is something we take very seriously.”
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. E-mail questions to news@theworldlink.com.)
Timing played role in port stimulus award
[ No Comments ] Posted on 04.13.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know why the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay only received $2.5 million in federal stimulus funding for its rail line repairs when it needed around $33 million?
If creating jobs is the primary goal, how does this project not qualify, especially when we have already poured $16.5 million into the purchase? What would be the approximate construction, rail line operation and manufacturing job creation and retention, including trucking, in approximate dollars over the next 10 years if this rail service is restored?
I also want to know the job creation in dollars for the top five projects the Oregon Transportation Commission provided stimulus funds March 18 totaling $101.1 million. How long will each of the top five projects take to complete? When will they start?
Answer: The port was working from a weak position trying to get stimulus funds. Its projects weren’t all ready to begin by the middle of June and it was competing against road improvement projects in this region.
The Oregon Transporta-tion Commission received 336 applications with $500 million in requests for about $101 million. It wanted to spread around the money, said spokesman Patrick Cooney.
“It was a balancing act,” he said.
The port’s funding was limited to the $2.5 million requested to repair three tunnels. Cooney suggested it was the commission’s understanding that repairing those tunnels would get the line open again.
Martin Callery, director of communications and freight mobility for the port, said upgrades to the bridges crossing the Umpqua and Siuslaw rivers also were the port’s priorities, but the commission rejected those.
The commission only considered projects that could have money committed to projects by June 17. According to the port’s application, the two bridge projects couldn’t start that soon.
“That wouldn’t have been acceptable,” Cooney said.
Also, two of the five largest projects that received funds are in this region, including repairs to Interstate 5 in Douglas County ($8.3 million), as well as paving on state highways 38 and 138 ($4.6 million).
Those two projects would create or sustain 112 and 64.5 jobs respectively, according to state estimates. Cooney said the state based its estimates on 14 jobs per million dollars allocated.
The other three projects that received the most funding were improvements to Highway 22 in Polk County ($9.2 million and 129 jobs), modernizing facilities at the Port of Portland ($8.8 million and 123 jobs) and improved switching in the BNSF railway ($6.9 million and 95 jobs).
Based upon the state’s estimates, the $2.5 million allocation to the port will either create or sustain 35 jobs.
The port plans to contract with an operator to run the railroad. Callery estimates train operations could generate 12 to 18 jobs in the first couple years after the line reopens. After that, employment levels will depend on the demand for rail service.
Coos Bay dog law says leash ‘em; NB not so for all
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.29.09 under I want to know
Question: Do Coos Bay and North Bend have leash laws for dogs? What right do I have to tell a person to put his dog on a leash when it’s threatening mine, which is leashed?
Answer: North Bend and Coos Bay have laws about restraining animals, but they’re a bit different.
North Bend
This city uses a state statute that makes it a violation for one’s dog to run at large. Doing so comes with a $309 fine.
North Bend’s municipal codes explain its physical restraint laws pertain to vicious or dangerous animals. Any such animal that isn’t restrained is considered a public nuisance. It’s also unlawful for any owner who knows his animal is dangerous to not keep it under physical restraint. “Under physical restraint” means in a pen or cage, within a building or structure, or on a leash, rope or chain.
City Administrator Jan Willis said the 1974 ordinance doesn’t mean that all dogs need to be leashed all the time. North Bend doesn’t have a general leash law.
“(It) means if you are walking a dog and you know it has a tendency to attack or bite, then they need to be under physical restraint,” she said.
North Bend Police Chief Steve Scibelli said the ordinance is enforced by the police department, and officers tend to cite owners several times a year. Violators can face fines of up to $300.
“We don’t have a leash law per se. Most dogs are under their owners control that are out,” Scibelli said, adding that occasionally a pet will get into trouble. “That’s when the ordinance comes into play.”
If officers receive a report of a vicious animal, they respond, along with an animal control officer if one is available.
He suggested that owners try to avoid confrontations between their pets and other animals. In a case where the other animal is vicious, a person should ask the other owner to call the dog back. If the dog remains a threat or is aggressive, Scibelli said police should be notified.
“Try and get us a description of the animal. Any information we can gather from the reporting party we appreciate,” Scibelli said.
Police Chief Rodger Craddock said his city’s animal control laws say it is unlawful for an owner to allow an animal to run at large or trespass on someone’s property.
“It does not specifically list a leash, but I think one can infer it does when it says you can’t allow an animal to run or be at large,” Craddock said in a phone message to The World.
Penalties for a violation of animal control laws can be up to $500.
In parks, dogs are required to be on leashes and controlled by their owners at all times. Dogs are not allowed on the beach or in swimming areas of Empire Lakes. Owners, except blind people with guide dogs, are required to pick up after their dogs.
— Jessica Musicar, Staff Writer
Cancer death rate is second highest
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.11.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know if the cancer rate in the Bay Area has increased since 1986. Have there been more deaths from cancer in the Bay Area? I would appreciate the numbers. It seems I see more in the obituaries.
Answer: The state’s cancer registry only has reports dating back to 1996, but they indicate the number of new invasive cancer cases has decreased in Coos County. During the same period deaths related to cancer haven’t changed. From 1996 to 2005, Coos County averaged 472 new invasive cases per year and 211 deaths from cancer. The report indicates Coos County’s incident rate decreased slightly over the 10-year-period, while the fatality rate was stable.
Bonnie Kubli, registrar for the Bay Area Hospital cancer program, said in an e-mail the Coos Bay facility has seen a fairly stable number of cancer patients.
Adjusted for age, Coos County has the second-highest rate of cancer deaths in the state, 231.2 per 100,000 residents. The state’s report indicated the rate is statistically significantly higher than the state average of 198.3.
Kubli indicated the rate may come down in the future as efforts to reduce smoking are implemented.
“In time, we hope that research, education and preventative medicine will drastically reduce the cancer burden for everyone,” she said.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to news@theworldlink.com.)
Lighted stop signs help drivers stop at sign
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.05.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know why there are two flashing stop signs in downtown Coquille. How long have they been there and how much did they cost? Are they permanent?
Answer: The flashing stops signs at the intersection of Adams and Second streets were purchased in late 2005 at a cost of about $40,000. They are here to stay.
City Manager Terence O’Connor said previously there was a four-way flashing red light at the intersection, but drivers often didn’t stop. When pulled over, many people told patrol officers they didn’t see the device. City officials fished around for a better way of designating the stop and landed on the flashy signs.
“Rather than put a regular street light in, which would be significantly more expensive … we looked around and found this technology.” O’Connor said.
The signs which start flashing as cars drive up to the intersection seem to be working better than the flashing light, O’Connor said. They city hasn’t heard any complaints though the lights do tend to be bright at night.
“We have them bright for those nights that it is foggy and rainy, so they still would be able grab the attention of drivers as they came to that intersection,” O’Connor said.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can send questions to The World newspaper, P.O. Box 1840, Coos Bay Ore. 97420; or by sending e-mail to news@theworldlink.com.)
When will property taxes drop?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 03.03.09 under I want to know
Question: The value of many Coos County homes has now fallen below the property tax bill’s “real market” value. So, when will the assessor begin to reassess these homes, thereby providing needed assistance to struggling homeowners?
Answer: Coos County Assessor Adam Colby said declining real market values most likely will not affect assessed value — the figure property taxes are based on. The reason is the two values are calculated on different formulas.
Real market value is defined as the price a property would sell for in a transaction between a willing buyer and willing seller on the assessment date for that tax year, Colby said. The current assessment date is Jan. 1, 2008. Real market values are unlimited in how much they can grow or — in the current market — shrink.
Assessed value, on the other hand, is figured on a predictable rate of growth. First established in 1997 after Oregon voters passed Measure 50, a measure which set limits on the growth of assessed values, the maximum assessed value on a property grows 3 percent annually. Assessed values can grow more than 3 percent under some circumstances, such as if improvements have been made to a property. Typically, assessed values are about 56 percent of real market value. In a declining market the figures could get closer, but the only time property taxes would decline is if the assessed value of a property was higher than the market value. Then the assessor would figure taxes on market value as the lower of the two.
Colby estimates 2009 re-appraisals will reflect plunging market values when the tax roll is updated in late September, but because market values and assessed values are independent of each other, taxpayers still could see an increase in their property taxes.
Additional questions can be directed to Assessor Adam Colby at 396-3121, ext. 275.
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(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to news@theworldlink.com.)
Feral cat? Trapping is only option
[ No Comments ] Posted on 02.09.09 under I want to know
Question: I want to know what can be done about feral cats in the city of North Bend. Who do we call for assistance? Is it legal to trap them myself?
Answer: Animal Control Officer Rick Hoover, who works out of the Coos County Animal Shelter, said it’s primarily up to community members to deal with the feral cat issue by trapping and then having the animals spayed or neutered.
It is legal to trap wild felines if they are on your own property, but the cats must be taken to the animal shelter, he said, to ensure they aren’t someone’s pets.
“Just because someone says a cat is feral doesn’t mean it is feral. Cats have the right to roam according to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Hoover said. “If it’s just a domesticated cat that is wandering in the area and you trap it, you must return it to the owner.”
If residents don’t want to remove a cat via trapping, there is no other option, he said. Animal control officers do not go out on cat calls. He explained there are simply too many feral cats in Coos County and Animal Control — part of the Coos County Sheriff’s Office — has neither the time nor the manpower to deal with the undomesticated creatures. There are only two animal control officers for the county, Hoover said, and he believes there are at least as many feral cats — if not more — as there are people in the region. There are approximately 63,000 people in Coos County.
The animal control officer said feral cats are a problem because they continue to breed and are oftentimes diseased.
“If you have two of them, then they could multiply out to be almost 400,000 in seven years time. … The numbers are just incredible,” he said.
“You can’t handle a feral cat bare-handed. It will tear you to ribbons.”
The best solution to the problem is population control, Hoover stated. This could be best accomplished if residents in the county backed a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, he said.
“That’s the only answer to the animal problem,” he said.
One inexpensive resource to reduce overpopulation is The Neuter Scooter, which spays and neuters pet and feral cats. The Scooter does the work for $20 per feral animal and $50 for pets.
The organization has scheduled neuter clinics on Feb. 26 in North Bend and Feb. 27 in Gold Beach. The North Bend clinic is full. Requirements include bringing the cat or cats in a live trap. Cats must be evaluated by surgery technicians — if they are determined to be feral the $20 fee will apply, otherwise people will be expected to pay $50. For more information about the Neuter Scooter, those interested can visit http://www.neuterscooter.com.
Other groups, including the Friends of Animals with Need or FAWN in Coquille, raise funds to spay and neuter felines and canines to control overpopulation and reduce the need for euthanasia.
— By Jessica Musicar, Staff Writer
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to The World newspaper at news@theworld link.com.)
Jetty repair is reason for hauling big rocks
[ No Comments ] Posted on 02.09.09 under I want to know
Question: For the past several weeks we have noticed huge flatbed trucks carrying boulders, some the size of cars and trucks, going north on U.S. Highway 101. Where are these coming from and where are they going? We see them daily, and many of them each day.
Answer: The rocks are coming from the Smith Pit south of Bandon and the Hall Quarry in Sixes. They are headed for Coos Bay’s North Spit for use in the repairs of the North Jetty.
John Craig, project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said residents can expect to see trucks going by with rocks for at least a couple more weeks, while they supply more rocks on the North Spit.
The jetty repair project is scheduled to be completed by the middle of March. About 30,000 tons of rock will be placed on the jetty, which was damaged during storms in December 2007. Rocks also have been blasted and trucked in from quarries along the Interstate 5 corridor, Craig said.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can e-mail questions to The World newspaper at news@theworld link.com.)