Sweet Home to begin 2-year livability initiative

SWEET HOME — Three representatives from The Conservation Fund and the Federal Highway Administration will arrive in Sweet Home Sunday to begin a three-day look at the community’s strengths and weaknesses as a gateway community to public lands. In September, Sweet Home was named one of four communities in the United States — one in … Read more

Solutions Team’s role in community forest coming to end

The South Santiam Community Forest Corridor Oregon Solutions Team is ready to call it quits – in a manner of speaking – after holding its final planning meeting Monday evening, Dec. 16, at the Sweet Home Community Center. What that actually means is that although the Solutions Team’s days are numbered – specifically by a target … Read more

Anti-poverty initiative gets under way

ONTARIO — The Malheur County Prosperity Impact Pilot Project was launched Thursday during a meeting at the Four Rivers Cultural Center, with a focus on supporting the creation of a career technical education program for local high school students. The event drew business, education and non-profit representatives as well as county and state agency representatives…

Career technical education plans advance

Treasure Valley Community College’s board of education voted unanimously Tuesday to sign a declaration of cooperation regarding plans for a new career technical education center. The agreement shows commitment from the college to continue moving forward with the project, which was recently chosen by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber as part of an Oregon Solutions Project. … Read more

Poverty to Prosperity advances

ONTARIO — Local residents, businesses and organizations will be asked to put their commitment to the Poverty to Prosperity initiative on the dotted line during a meeting on Nov. 21. Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes, who is leading the Oregon Prosperity Initiative, is scheduled to attend the meeting, which will be at 1:30 p.m. in … Read more

Career education plans proceeding

Ontario — Plans for a career technical education center in Ontario are moving forward, albeit slowly, according to Superintendent Nicole Albisu’s update at last week’s school board meeting. Though still looking for funding, the career technical education center project has been chosen by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber as part of an Oregon Solutions Project, Albisu … Read more

Gateway Green fundraising effort tops $120,000

A crowdsourcing campaign raised $123,880 toward development of a new 25-acre park in east Portland that would include trails, bike paths and a nature-themed play area. Known as “Gateway Green,” the proposed park is a land-locked greenspace owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation between Interstate 84 and Interstate 205. Gateway community leaders have been … Read more

Mobilizing

GOLD BEACH, OREGON – Something important is about to happen in Curry County, nearly 2,000 square miles of forests and farms in the southwest corner of Oregon, bordered by California to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west. Some 3,876 Curry County families live in mobile homes. That’s a big chunk of its housing … Read more

Oregon ag board to discuss juniper control, water quality

State ag board will hear an update on state water policy and juniper control. The Oregon Board of Agriculture will hear about juniper utilization projects, learn about water quality improvements and review agriculture department budget and legislative reports when it meets Sept. 17-19 in Prineville. The need to control or find a commercial use for western juniper, which covers hillsides in much of … Read more