| County settles on car registration price tag
Multnomah County commissioners have settled on a price tag for their bridge-funding measure planned for the May 20 ballot: a $24 annual increase in car registration fees. The money would be earmarked to replace the Sellwood Bridge and make other improvements to the county's six Willamette River bridges. In past weeks, county officials had talked about creating a local vehicle registration fee, with voter approval, costing between $15 to $27 a year. Now they have fixed the amount at $24 a year for 20 years. The county will take the proposal out to the community for feedback, and to begin developing support for an expected vote on the fee increase. Four town halls are scheduled to brief the public on the plan for a bridge safety fund: Thursday, Jan. 31, 6 to 8 p.m., Multnomah County East, Sharron Kelley Room, 600 N.E.
Sarkozy, Rudd visit Afghanistan
Kevin Rudd and French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew into the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday to meet with Karzai and visit their respective country's troops participating in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. In a morning meeting, Sarkozy "assured President Karzai of his government's long term political and military support with the people of Afghanistan," according to a statement from the Afghan president's office. Rudd, who was elected in a landslide victory Nov. 24, appeared with Karzai at a news conference, where he repeatedly said that the Australian commitment to Afghanistan is strong. "We will be, as I said before, in this country, Afghanistan, for the long haul. It's important for us to be here in partnership with NATO countries," Rudd said.
Column: Non-annual guide to the ‘08 presidential candidates™
Tuesday will be Utah's time to shine with its own primary. But with so many presidential candidates in this year's election, how is a Utah voter to decide? Perhaps you can't tell the difference between John Edwards (dropped out), John McCain (still in) and John Tesh (crappy musician). Maybe you think Hillary Clinton is shrill, Mitt Romney is wishy-washy and Mike Huckabee is just plain crazy. How are you to know for sure, though, just how shrill, wishy-washy or crazy they might be? For that reason, we've put together Nick and Ryan's Non-Annual Guide to the Presidential Candidates™. Learn about the candidates, learn about their issues and, most importantly, learn whether they prefer Ginger, MaryAnn or Mary Hart (that's two "Entertainment Tonight" jokes in one column! Zing!). Although we might know next to nothing about the presidential candidates, we dutifully and American-ly pass on that lack of knowledge to you, in no particular order.
Owner is cited for tree removal
I'm all for protecting our heritage and keeping our city clean! But I remember a few years back when there was a bad snow and one of the trees the city planted along 8th street broke and went through a property owner's front window and he called the city about it. The city told him there was nothing they could do because they didn't want to pay for the window and told him it was his tree so he cut it down!!! There wasn't a shade tree commission then I don't think but since there is one now they should take care of the other problems I see in the city there are trees that hang in front of stop signs, there are trees that have rotten limbs,and trees that are about to bring down power lines!! what is being done about this??? If this happens to another property owner are they going to be told it's your tree and another tree is cut down,and who will pay for the damage?????? .
Teen 'beggar' kills Pakistan's surgeon general in suicide attack
A teenage boy allegedly dressed as a beggar blew himself up Monday near a military vehicle carrying the Pakistani Army's surgeon general; seven other people also were killed. Meanwhile, gunmen burst into the offices of a British-based aid group in northwest Pakistan, shooting four local staffers to death and burning down their building. The assaults, both blamed on Islamic extremists, were the most serious outbreak of violence since parliamentary elections a week ago, in which the ruling party affiliated with President Pervez Musharraf was routed by two main opposition parties. In the attack that killed Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Ahmed Baig, the army's top medical officer, the "beggar" approached the general's car on foot on a busy street in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, authorities said.
3am Girls Enjoy Sienna Miller And Rhys Ifans In-Flight Entertainment
PROFESSIONAL girlfriend Sienna Miller is pictured on the cover of the Mirror in the company of a grinning Rhys Ifans. "IN BED AT 37,000FT," comes the headline. "Sienna and Rhys's amazing jet antics." Inside and: "Sienna revels in a flight of passion. WE SEE HER FROLIC IN 33in BED ON PLANE WITH RHYS." And so we find ourselves aboard a flight from Los Angeles to London. The paper's 3am Girls, Clemmie Moodie and Danielle Lawler, are sat a few seats away from Miller and Ifans. The voyeurs look on as Ifans removes his top and jumps "giggling" into Miller's bed. A few seats to one side is James McAvoy. He is reading a sudoku book, possibly researching a new film on the life and times of Chris Sudoku, the Most Boring Man In London (1822-1898).
Borough go-slow on cards
LEWISHAM borough could be the first in the capital to get 20mph speed limits across the whole area. Lewisham Council's sustainable development committee, which scrutinises the council's work on environmental issues, wants to make Lewisham the first London borough to be completely 20mph. Showers in workplaces for cycling employees, tax-free loans for workers to buy bikes, more cycle racks and more free cycle training for children and adults are also among the proposals raised. .
Towns use marketing to create, promote identity
Schultz is an industrial developer who was part of a group that helped Effingham turn 3,000 lost jobs into an additional 4,000 to 6,000 manufacturing jobs. He wrote a book, "BoomtownUSA," on his work and now, still living in Effingham, speaks around the country about building and marketing town identities. "Branding is the buzzword they use now," Schultz said. "Branson, Mo., is a good example." Thirty years ago, Schultz said, Branson was little more than a small town in southern Missouri. Town leaders came up with an idea to market Branson as a live theater showplace. Now the town boasts thousands of theater seats in about 50 live theaters. All of this in a city that, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, has only 6,050 residents. Moorseville, N.C., is another example. In 1989, the city decided to market itself as Race City U.S.A.
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