Tonight's Oak Lodge Community Council Agenda

AGENDA
March 22, 2006
(Oak Lodge Sanitary’s office) on Tri-Met's No. 34 River Road bus line.
Oak Grove, Oregon

Click on the Comment link below for the full agenda.

Special Events on Ag and Forest Land in the county

County Ordinance 207 is up for review. Drysiders, for years, have allowed special events on ag/forest land, and a winery in Stafford has requested the county allow them to do what's been legal and permissible in residential and business areas of the county for years.

The ORS allows counties to permit such in ag/forest areas, within limits; what should those limits be? The state's maximum allows up to 3,000 people, per event, with up to five events a year, on ag/forest land, if there's enabling legislation by the county. Should the rules be tighter? Should there be additional requirements? Should the county allow this at all?

I think so; after all, first, and foremost, the land belongs to its owners to use as they see fit, provided they don't limit the ability of their neighbors to use their adjacent land, and provided there's no risk to life or limb.

Back home, I was a Civil War (whoops, sorry, granny, a "War of Northern Agression") re-enactor. It just isn't something you can practically do in the confines of a residential area, and ag or forest land for this is perfect.

Mrs Clackablog is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, who keep crafts and traditions alive, while playing at jousting and other forms of mock combat. Again, this is something best done in a rural area, as half-ton oatburners do not fit well in suburban parkland.

Surely, the county's staff can evolve guidelines; specific limits on noise at property lines, a requirement for private state-licensed security and or first aid/AED/CPR-trained marshals on site, perhaps a mandate for other safety-oriented requirements as well as a performance bond to forfeit if the event causes problems. A waiver for groups which have a track record of not causing problems is also equitable.

If you concur, then an e-mail, by close of business Monday, to Ms Erlien Kittleson, The Adm. Ass't. to the Planning Director, and to Gary Hewitt, Variances and Forest District Applications. On a weekend, I'm flyin' blind not knowing the exact person to write to, but if neither of those folks are ight, they will know who is, and a list of all the possible county planning contacts may be found here.

Oak Lodge Community Council meeting Wednesday

Richard Jones reports:

The Oak Lodge Community Council March meeting is Wednesday, the 22nd, at our regular location (Oak Lodge Sanitary’s office) on Tri-Met's No. 34 River Road bus line.

We have a number of interesting Land Use items and as a special speaker we will have ODOT talking about the rebuild of McLoughlin including the installation of some addition islands. This will be our opportunity to speak up and give our input early in the process. If ODOT goes away thinking we love our current islands BEWARE!!

Strong winter storm system expected later today and tonight

Statement as of 10:24 am PST on March 8, 2006
Expires 10:00 AM PST on March 09, 2006

(NWS, Portland OR) A strong frontal system will move across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington later today and tonight bringing gusty winds and low snow levels to the area. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph can be expected throughout the Willamette Valley... Clark County and the lower Columbia region later this afternoon and
evening as the front moves through the area. The snow level will lower after the front passes this evening... to around 500 feet in northern areas and 1000 feet in the south. Some light snowfall accumulations will be possible above 1000 feet... generally an inch
or less. By Thu morning... some rain mixed with snow is possible on the valley floor as colder air moves into the area and lowers the snow level to near 500 feet. Another storm system with very cold air is expected to move through the area Thu night.

[Civitas] Calendar of Public Meetings for March 2006 affecting Oak Lodge

Meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.
Click here for the list.

Locations:

County Commission Board Offices are at 2051 Kaen Road.
Educational Service District office is at 4101 SE Lake Road.
Homewoods Heights is at 17999 SE River Road.
Milwaukie Center is at 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive.
Mt. Scott Fire Station of CCFD No. 1 is at 9339 SE Causey Avenue.
North Clackamas School Board is at 4444 SE Lake Road.
OLSD is the Oak Lodge Sanitary District at 14611 SE River Road.
PSB is the Public Service Building, 2051 Kaen Road.
SSC is the Sunnybrook Service Center, 9101 SE Sunnybrook Blvd.

If you want to take the bus to get there, visit this new free trip planning service from Google or use Tri-Met's own Trip Planner.

RIP, Harry Browne

There's a lot not to like about Libertarianism.

There's just some folks who not only can't take care of themselves and rend the heart when they botch their lives, over and over again; they also ruin the lives of those around them.

Ther's also a small but highly effective minority of folks who just plain run amok; the uninsured driver, the drug users who scatter toxic waste left and right as they make their evil brew, and the persistant driving drunk, among many others. Visualize the mushroom clouds we'd see if plutonium, uranium and thorium were not regulated.

That being said, I admired Harry Browne, the 1996 & 2000 Libertarian candidate for the presidency.

"I hate death." Dryly, he continued, "If I were president, I would outlaw death. And just like every other law, Congress would be exempt."

Tonight, I learned of his demise. Please, just read his Principles of Government and tell me he wasn't an unsung genius.

Who’s in charge of this choo-choo train? A witless draft-dodger, an inept duck-hunter, an historical illiterate, and an overrated twofer.

I think Fred On Everything's a little soft on Shrub, et al., this week. Hope he makes up for it next week.