Between the Lines

Patrick Emerson at the Oregon Economics Blog announced a bit of news that's been floating around for a couple of days: Le Patissier, the French pastry shop in town, has reopened: Corvallis is a nice town, full of nice restaurants, bars and cultural amenities. But there is only one thing in Corvallis that is, in my view, truly exceptional, and that is Le Patissier... So it is with great joy that...

Benton County announced that Greg Verret will become its Community Development director. He's been the acting director since June, when Peter Idema retired. Verret started in the department more than eight years ago as an associate planner and has overseen a department stretched pretty thin over Measures 37 and now 49. He also worked with county commissioners on the county's new water quality...

Jeanne Raymond is the newest addition to the Corvallis City Council. The city posted details about next steps on its Web site this morning: She will be sworn in at the June 2, 2008 noon City Council meeting, which will be held in the Downtown Fire Station at 400 NW Harrison. Everyone is welcome to attend! She'll have the opportunity to wrangle with balancing sustainability issues right off the...

I got an e-mail from regular reader retired1, who asked me a bunch of good questions by e-mail about the city/university plan to rebuild 14th and 15th Streets on the OSU campus. So, I made a few phone calls and pulled together some answers. Q: Can you get a copy of the plans to widen 14th - 15th and publish them in the paper? A: Plans are available in paper form at City Hall, and will be...

Gas price averages, week of May 19: Oregon This week Last week Month ago Year ago Regular $3.82 $3.75 $3.49 $3.20 Diesel $4.59 $4.45 $4.31 $2.95 Corvallis This week Last week Month ago Year ago Regular $3.73 $3.71 $3.49 $3.37 Diesel $4.48 $4.44 $4.30 National rank: Oregon's gas prices are 16th highest in the nation. Most expensive: Alaska, $4.06 Least expensive: Arizona, $3....

Here's some news that didn't make it into today's Council story, but that I thought needed to find a home: At it's Monday meeting, the Council discussed the scope of the Chintimini Park improvements and senior center expansion bond that will go to voters in November. The bond is planned to increase the amount of space on hand for programs for seniors, as well as that available for broader...

Took a brief hiatus over the weekend to entertain a friend from out of town. Oregon sure showed her stuff with spectacular weather. But it's Monday and I'm back... ...with a couple of things to report in advance of today's noon City Council meeting: Seventh St. Station, LLC is taking the city back before the Land Use Board of Appeals, this time over the Council's decision to close S.W. D Avenue....