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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2011)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, August 3, 2011 Metro seeks citizen ideas and opinions on urban growth boundary This fall, the Metro Council will decide whether to expand the urban growth boundary and, if so, where. This decision will affect how the region’s communities develop and thrive. It will have an impact on investments in good jobs and safe neighborhoods, protection of farms and forest land and getting more out of investments in existing schools, parks, side- walks, streets and other public structures. A proposal has been released for public comment. Metro held an open house on July 28 in downtown Hillsboro. If you missed the open house there is still time to learn about the proposal and offer your opinions. More information about this proposal can be found online at www.oregon metro.gov/greatplaces. In October, when a final urban growth boundary vote is scheduled, the council will face two main questions. First, it must decide if the boundary has the capacity to accommo- date housing needs for the next 20 years. It must also deter- mine whether the boundary Main Street Pizza 680 S. Main Oak Village Shopping Center Banks, Oregon 503-324-5858 Receive $2 off any large Pizza. $ 2 Off 00 Expires 8-31-11. Coupons cannot be sold or duplicated. Main Street Pizza 680 S. Main Oak Village Shopping Center Banks, Oregon 503-324-5858 Receive $1 off any medium Pizza. $1 Off 00 Expires 8-31-11. Coupons cannot be sold or duplicated. Would you like to browse: • Personalized Shopping Lists • The Weekly Ad • Thousands of Recipes All on your computer from home Sign up at jimsthriftway.com 660 So. Main, Banks • 503-324-2171 has enough industrial land to allow for expansion in the same time period. The council could decide that there is adequate land for more housing, but if it does determine expansion is needed, it will choose from seven areas for expansion. Metro planners have deter- mined there is a need for industrial lots over 50 acres. There is only one area – a 310- acre parcel of land north of Hillsboro, south of U.S. 26 – that staff has recommended for industrial expansion. You can send your com- ments via email to 2040@ore gonmetro.gov, or letter to the Metro Council 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232. The next formal step for the Metro Council is an October 6 public hearing. A final public hearing and council vote is scheduled to take place Octo- ber 20. Fuel saving tips for towing your boat With fuel prices high, trailer- ing a boat has become more expensive. However, there are some easy ways to stretch that tank of gas with your tow vehi- cle. Here are ten tips from Boa- tUS: • Basic maintenance: Keep your tow vehicle’s engine tuned and replace the engine air filter S TRASSEL ’ S A UTO R EPAIR & H YDRAULIC H OSES 2-4-6 S PIRAL W IRE S UCTION H OSES A DAPTORS - 3/16” TO 2” A MERICAN & M ETRIC F ITTINGS B ULK O IL P RODUCTS 276 S UNSET , B ANKS 503-324-9808 on a periodic basis. • Drive ahead: Moderate your use of the accelerator pedal by “driving ahead” – by looking ahead and anticipating traffic, you will likely brake less aggressively and reaccelerate without having to be heavy on the fuel-hungry accelerator pedal. Take it easy when start- ing from a dead stop. • Stop “cruising”: With auto- matic transmissions, stay off the cruise control, especially when traveling in hills or moun- tains. Cruise control cannot anticipate going up or down a slope, and tends to use more fuel when the transmission kicks down to a lower gear to compensate for speed loss on a hill. • Tire tip: Keep tires properly inflated to the recommended PSI on both the tow vehicle and trailer. Check PSI before every trip. • Cover up: On long trips, use a tight-fitting boat cover when towing, which helps decrease wind drag and im- proves fuel economy. • Lighten up: Lighten the load by carrying just what you need for the day or weekend in the tow vehicle and onboard your boat. Also, at about six pounds per gallon of gas, try to keep the boat’s fuel tank near empty when trailering long dis- tances. • Drain it: Never leave water in a live well or bait tank. At a little over eight pounds per gal- lon, carrying an extra 25 gal- lons of water in these built-in tanks can represent 10% of the boat’s total weight. Filled wake- board boat ballast tanks or bags can also add significantly more weight – from several See Boat on page 19
