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Weather News

A new storm moving into British Columbia today will spark potentially life-threatening flooding in the storm-battered Pacific Northwest.

According to Western Expert Meteorologist Ken Clark, “This is a particularly dangerous situation from the Cascades on west and also in extreme eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon and northern Idaho.”

Heavy rain will fall across the Pacific Northwest through tonight as Pacific moisture surges onshore ahead of a storm. Mild air flowing into the Northwest will push snow levels above 7,000 feet.

The heaviest rain will be directed at western Washington and northwestern Oregon, including Seattle and Portland. Two to four inches of rain today will add to totals received prior to daybreak.

The moisture rising in response to the higher terrain could produce between 4 and 8 inches of rain on the western slopes of the Cascades, with the potential for locally higher amounts west of the mountains.

The Severe Weather Center lists the numerous winter storm- and flood-related watches and warnings in effect from the Northwest coast to the eastern slopes of the northern Rockies.

The heavy rain will combine with runoff from melting snow to cause rapid rises of streams and rivers. Several waterways west of the Cascades are already nearing flood stages.

Oregon band to march in inaugural

Portland’s Get a Life Marching Band has been picked to be in President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural parade Jan. 20.

It will join about 100 other bands. About 1,400 bands applied.

Members are mostly from Oregon and southwest Washington, but some come from as far as South Dakota. All have marching band experience from school and range in age from their 20s to their 60s.

I marched in Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural parade in 1977. I was almost 17.

Knicks consider trade to bring back Marcus Camby

There was a report of the Knicks being involved in a deal that would send Quentin Richardson to the Clippers and Lee to Portland, with the Knicks getting back Camby and former Knicks first-round pick Channing Frye. Walsh, however, denied having discussed that trade with the Clippers and Blazers.

Do the Blazers need another front court guy?

Bids deadline for South Waterfront park extended

The deadline for bids on South Waterfront Neighborhood Park improvements has been extended one week to Jan. 15. The project consists of building a two-block park in the South Waterfront District, bordered by Southwest Moody and Bond avenues and Curry and Gaines streets.

The work is being done under two permits, one for the park and one for the street improvements. The project is estimated at $2.8 million.

Designed by Hargreaves Associates, the park will feature a large central lawn, play and gathering areas, gardens, shrubs, trees and sculptures. Construction is scheduled to begin in late February and wrap up in late summer.

“South Waterfront Neighborhood Park” is a placeholder name. The Portland Parks and Recreation Naming Committee will choose a permanent name for the park and forward the recommendation to new parks Commissioner Nick Fish. He will then forward the recommendation to Portland City Council.

Because, you know, the condos have sold so well, we’ve got to have a park for all the families that live there. Besides, with that great freeway access, people will flock to the park.

Financial uncertainties for owner of three Oregon dailies

Lee Enterprises, a major publishing company that holds three Oregon daily papers, says it may have troubled covering debts for the next two years because of reductions in revenue.

The company publishes the St. Louis Post Dispatch but also the Albany Democrat-Herald, the Coos Bay World and the Corvallis Gazette-Times in Oregon.

An outside auditor also expressed worry that the company will not be able to continue as a “going concern” if it cannot refinance some loans.

Lee also publishes the Longview Daily News in Washington.

The newspaper industry generally is undergoing drops in advertising because of the recession and a move of readers and advertisers to the Internet.

I mean – how many of us do the legwork and actually find the news?

Maybe a bigger question is – what happens to society when there are no newspapers. What happens when no one reports on things like the bank bailout?

How will investigative reporters be compensated?

Oregon 150 is planning a bunch of events this year.   Does 150 years as a state feel “special” to you?

Here is the Act of Congress (February 14, 1859) admitting Oregon to the Union.  I had no idea we were a Valentines Day state…

[Update] – a quick look through the Oregon 150 website leaves one – underwhelmed – by the events and celebrations planned.   I could find only one – a 150 years of art in Oregon in Benton County, I think.   Very lame.

Bacon Explosion: The BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes

The other day the guys from BaconToday.com contacted me in search for some barbecue bacon recipes. Of course I have plenty of great uses for bacon in a barbecue pit, but the longer I thought about it, the more I wanted to step it up a notch and clog a few arteries for those guys. Behold, BACON EXPLOSION!!! Here’s what you’ll need…

2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbeque sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbeque rub

This tempts me. But I’m not sure the heart would survive!!!

PGE customers will soon pay higher rate for their electricity

Customers of Portland General Electric, the state’s largest utility, will see their rates increase by an average of 5.6 percent starting today.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission released its decision Monday regarding PGE’s rate case, ending a public review process that began in February.

Regulators approved an overall price increase of roughly 7.6 percent, which will be allocated across all PGE customer classes. With adjustments, including a reduction to reflect less-than-anticipated power costs in 2007, customers will see the 5.6 percent increase in their electric bills.

I guess we should be happy that the rate change is only 7.6% – rather then the 15% PGE asked for.

Larry Salci’s Latest Trainwreck

Larry Salci, the former president and CEO of (St. Louis) Metro, is back in the news.

Salci this week announced that his current firm, Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, has ceased operations and will have no employees as of tomorrow, December 31.

Salci took over as president and CEO of Colorado Railcar, a manufacturer of luxury diesel rail cars and coaches, last April. Five months earlier — in December 2007 — Salci resigned from Metro following the agency’s stunning loss in a lawsuit filed against Cross County Collaborative, a group of design and build companies that first worked on MetroLink’s Shrewsbury extension. In addition to $21 million in legal fees, Metro was also forced to pay members of CCC an addition $6 million.

How could TriMet decide to put any confidence (not to mention money) in this guy? Lest we forget, the owner of Colorado Railcar is also known for some dodgy dealings. Read this story about the Orlando Transit’s dealings with him…

Company behind TriMet WES railcars fails

Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, the company TriMet kept alive the past year with more than $5 million in public money, went out of business last week, unable to attract new financing.

I’m astounded by some of the statements from TriMet in this article

The agency contracted with Colorado Railcar in 2005, aware that the company was in financial peril. Agency executives said they also were aware that the company’s owner, Tom Rader, had prior business troubles in the rail industry, including being forced to scrap a specialty train commissioned by cigarette maker Philip Morris. Philip Morris paid $70 million before stopping the project.

TriMet board members said they were not told of Rader’s business history when they approved the $17 million contract. Internal agency records contain no reference to that past.

“Nothing was mentioned to us about the owner’s problems,” said board member Robert Williams, a retired union official. He said such information “would have made us have a lot more questions.”

Board member Tiffany Sweitzer, a real estate developer, said that had the board known, “we probably would have done some further checking into his background and maybe stopped the process.”

Don’t these guys have a fiduciary responsibility to the public to do some research in before signing contracts? Some heads should roll over this.