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WALTERVILLE: McKenzie Fire & Rescue is asking area residents to help make this the best Toys for Tots campaign ever. The department is continuing its tradition of supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toy for Tots Program. The Walterville Station is the local drop off point for the collection of toys for needy children this holiday season. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off by December 10th to allow time for toy collection and distribution. The receptacles are located at 38925 McKenzie Highway in Walterville. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

EUGENE: East Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart began hosting a series of community meetings around his district in September. Next month he'll hold two in the McKenzie Valley with community members invited to join Commissioner Stewart for community conversations and refreshments.

Items of interest are expected to range from ideas about  forest policy to land use, and from public safety to the economy.

Both meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The first is set for Thursday, October 23rd, in the Upper McKenzie Community Center, 54745 McKenzie River Drive in Rainbow. The second will be held on Tuesday night, October 28th, in the Walterville Community Center, 39259 Camp Creek Road in Walterville.

McKenzie Valley residents were cut off from the rest of the world last Wednesday when a moving van hit an overhead fiber optic line across from the Walterville School. The 2:30 p.m. accident affected about 2,000 households, according to Qwest spokesman Bob Graveley. People within the 822 and 896 prefixes could only call each other but could not call outside their local areas. The incident knocked out cell phone service as well before crews reestablished the communications network around 9 p.m.

Graveley said Qwest sent a request to the Associated Press to forward an announcement to local broadcast media about the incident. The advisory suggested people contact their local fire station if they had an emergency. Unfortunately, it isn't clear if that message was broadcast - several McKenzie area residents say they never heard any announcements.

Local farmers say the latest shot of rain is not what they expected and comes at the wrong time.

WALTERVILLE: McKenzie Fire & Rescue has six new volunteers, including two former volunteers who recently returned to the department, Gary Deardorff and Craig Maxwell. Gary will respond from the Walterville Station with Craig responding from the Vida Station. Both bring experience, knowledge and skills and the department is glad to have them back.

The other four - Cory Davis, Jason Smith, Tamara Rosebrook and Darrin Stewart - are new recruits. They completed the department's Spring Recruit Academy and are a welcome addition to the ranks. Cory and Tamara will respond from the Camp Creek Station with Jason and Darrin responding from the Walterville Station.

Once every two years, the McKenzie Home and Garden Tour offers area residents an opportunity to see some of the McKenzie River Valley's most interesting and unique properties. Join friends and neighbors on Saturday, July 19, 2008, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. for this self-guided tour. Featuring beautiful homes and gardens from Leaburg to McKenzie Bridge, this event benefits the McKenzie River Medical Clinic.

Tickets are $15 (children under 12 free) and are available at Walterville Feed & Tackle, Vida Community Market, McKenzie River Clinic, Harbick's Country Store, Meyers General Store and Spirit Shop, Ironwood Nursery, Down to Earth, Gray's Garden Centers, Shamrock Flowers & Gifts, Little Red Farm Nursery, or on the website www.McKenzieHomeandGardenTour.com

Categories: Breaking News Lane County Adult Corrections Dante Dapolonia The case of the "waddling bandit" may have taken a decisive turn.

WALTERVILLE: Finding a replacement for retiring McKenzie Fire & Rescue Chief Dale Ledyard continues to elude the district's board of directors. At their May 20th meeting, the board again had to accept a letter of withdrawal from someone they'd offered the job.

The first round of applications had a September 13th deadline. Since then the district has had to re-advertise the opening after two other successful candidates also reconsidered and withdrew.

The latest, Terry Sott of Vancouver, had been offered $78,000 to head up the department, which consists of five paid staff and approximately 80 community volunteers - covering the ranks of firefighter to Assistant Chief. The District serves 36 square miles including the communities of Walterville, Camp Creek, Leaburg, Vida, and Nimrod.

EUGENE: In a 3 to 1 vote, the Eugene Water & Electric Board approved spending $559,900 last Tuesday night to purchase the Goodpasture site for a new boat landing on the McKenzie River. The decision netted property owner, Hanne Bukkahave, a better deal than the utility's latest property appraisal, which listed the three-acre plot's fair market value at $425,000.

After discussions, the commissioners (with the exception of Mel Menegat) agreed to move ahead with the purchase. Their action, according to utility spokesman Marty Douglass, came in reaction to the fact "the boat landing is being pursued to fulfill a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirement for the Leaburg and Walterville hydroelectric facilities, and that the decision to select the Goodpasture site was made following an extensive public process that received considerable media attention." Read more