The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Nov. 25, 1971

Nearly 600 people showed up to the public hearing concerning the designation of the South Santiam as a Scenic Waterway, forcing the meeting to be moved to the junior high school gym.

Sweet Home area residents joined together to fight off the “intruders” from Corvallis and Eugene who spoke out strongly in favor of saving the river in its “natural state for future generations.”

Local residents based their arguments against the proposal on economics, while proponents based their arguments on aesthetics. Logging industries said the proposal would handicap their operations, while others said the proposal could put a stop to the construction of Cascadia Dam.

Some people from Jefferson said the dam is needed to help control floods in that town. Even the chairman of the Santiam Fish and Game Association said the dam would be a “wise use of our natural resources” and help the water quality of the whole system.

In addition to Sierra Club members and other Corvallis residents speaking in favor of the designation, one local resident expressed favor, and one long-haired resident of Cascadia gave the shortest testimony by stating: “I don’t want anybody at Cascadia.”

Diane Dresler, a 15-year-old 4-H junior leader, won first place in an essay contest sponsored by the Northwest Brown Swiss Dairy Association Inc.

Diane has been a member of the 4-H Lively Livestock Club, led by Eldon Moffat and Jack Wheeler.

Nov. 13, 1996

The city’s proposed $1.9 million tax base failed, leaving Sweet Home officials looking for ways to cut back on spending. The tax base for next year’s budget will be $293,750. Serial levies that end next summer include budgeting for emergency services and the library.

Also hanging heavy over the city is the passage of Measure 47, which rolls property value assessments back to 1994 levels, or 1995 levels minus 10 percent, whichever is less. In order to fund the police department, fire department and library, the city needs to pass a serial levy next spring.

The River of Life Fellowship has spent almost two months now in its new, and first, building.

The Mennonite church, which started as a group of 25 persons meeting in homes for Bible study, has grown to about 120 attending meetings at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church building on Old Holley Road.