Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018 ܂ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Health advisory issued for Detroit Lake Discovery of toxic blue-green algae spurs authority’s warning Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A health advisory has been issued for Detroit Lake following the discovery of toxic blue-green algae, the Oregon Health Authority said on May 23. Water testing at the reservoir east of Salem con- firmed toxin levels that can be harmful to humans and animals, the agency said. Visitors should avoid swallowing water while swimming, water skiing or power boating in areas where blooms are identified, OHA said. Exposure to the toxic algae can produce symptoms that range from dizziness and nausea to difficulty breathing. Three toxic blooms have been identified in locations around Detroit Lake — at Blowout Arm, Heater Creek Arm and near the dam. "The toxin levels are high, especially in the Blowout Arm, " said Rebeca Hillwig, natural resource specialist with the Oregon Health Authority. “Young children and pets are our biggest concern because they're most like- ly to gulp water or put things in their mouths, and it can have serious health effects." Algae blooms in late spring and early summer are common at Detroit Lake. It’s the second year in a row the advisory came right before Memorial Day Week- end. Longtime residents and business owners noted that people should be aware, but shouldn't avoid the lake because of the bloom. "As someone who grew up at the lake, we have never altered our plans to avoid the water due to an algae bloom and we have never gotten sick," said Dean O'Donnell, a longtime resident and owner of Mountain High Grocery in Detroit. "In general, we do not drink See LAKE, Page 3A The discovery of toxic blue-green algae has health officials warning visitors at Detroit Lake to avoid swallowing water while swimming, water skiing or power boating in areas where blooms are identified. STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE Scotts Mills man wins 5 things to ‘Forged in Fire’ show know about Oregon’s tax ‘kicker’ Tracy Loew Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK State economists announced May 23 that increas- ing state revenues likely will trigger Oregon’s “kicker” tax refund for the 2017-19 biennium. But what exactly does that mean? Here are some answers: What is the kicker? Unique to Oregon, the kicker is technically a tax surplus credit, triggered when revenue for a two-year budget period exceeds projections by at least 2 per- cent. Voters approved a ballot measure creating both a personal and corporate tax kicker in 1980. In 2000, they voted to enter the kicker into the Oregon Constitution so lawmakers can’t suspend it and keep the money, something that happened twice in the early 1990s. And in 2012, voters approved a measure that sends the corporate kicker back to the state to provide addi- tional funding for public schools, rather than return- ing the money to Oregon businesses. Scotts Mills resident Tony Fetters, 56, stands in his shop. CHRISTENA BROOKS/SPECIAL TO THE APPEAL TRIBUNE How much will I get? Blacksmith walks away with $10K after topping three other craftsmen Christena Brooks Special to Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK The ancient art of blacksmithing has been Scotts Mills resident Tony Fetters’ passion for three decades, and now his championship on the TV show “Forged in Fire” has stoked his ambition and the demand for his work. In late March, Fetters was the History Channel show’s weekly champion and winner of $10,000. He battled the clock and three other blacksmiths from around the country in a three-round elimination con- test to forge weapons for a panel of judges in Brook- lyn. “I had a blast,” Fetters, 56, said. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” In the episode, which filmed last summer, Fetters and his fellow blacksmiths flew to New York City to take on the daunting task of forging knives out of 50- caliber flintlock pistols. After two elimination rounds, he and Frank Sausto, of the Bronx, each returned home to make a gladiator’s sica, a curved sword, in five days. “I’d never seen a sica before,” Fetters said. “When I first saw one, I was thinking, ‘Did someone break that sword?’” He then set out to make his own version of the weapon – designed for stabbing around an oppo- nent’s shield – in his shop, a film crew documenting his every move. He forged a beautifully patterned blade with a wooden handle, finished a day early, and flew back to the studio “feeling pretty confident,” he said. On this second visit, Fetters’ wife, Darlene, came along. She went sightseeing while her husband and Sausto watched the show’s judges use each of their blades to slice bamboo shoots, hack a shield and strike a liquid-filled dummy in a final “kill test.” The cut-above performance of Fetters’ blade – along with its appearance – earned him the $10,000 prize and put his sica on the judges’ wall. “When they announced the winner, I looked up for a second and just said, ‘Thank you God,’” Fetters said. The kicker isn’t certain until the final numbers are in. That will happen during the last revenue forecast for the biennium, in August 2019. The current forecast calls for about $555 million to go back to taxpayers and $152 million to go to schools. State economist Mark McMullen said he's in the process of estimating what that will mean for the av- erage taxpayer. In 2017, when the personal kicker totaled $464 million, the average refund was $227. When will I get my check? Oregon stopped mailing kicker checks in 2011. In- stead, you will get a credit on your 2019 tax return, which you file in 2020. You’ll only get the credit if you paid taxes the previous year. Where does the money come from? Money for the personal kicker comes from all Gen- eral Fund revenue sources except for corporate tax revenues. Why is the kicker so controversial? See SHOW, Page 3A Opponents say the kicker contributes to Oregon’s roller-coaster budget cycles because it prevents the See KICKER, Page 3A 200 glass Christmas ornaments hidden within Willamette forest Tracy Loew Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Two hundred glass Christmas tree ornaments will be hidden along non-wilderness trails in the Willam- ette National Forest for adventurers to find beginning last weekend. The goal of the ornament hunt, sponsored by the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, is to increase outdoor recreation and connect locals and travelers to public lands. The event runs through Oct. 2, the anniversary of the National Trails System Act. The Willamette National Forest, with about 1.5 mil- lion acres, provides recreational opportunities, fish- ing, hunting, foraging, firewood, minerals, wood products and, of course, Christmas trees. Ornament finders can register their ornaments on See FOREST, Page 3A Online at SilvertonAppeal.com Vol. 137, No. 23 News updates: ܂ Breaking news ܂ Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: ܂ Photo galleries Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal 50 cents ©2018 Printed on recycled paper