Center Street closing for speed hump install

A portion of Center Street will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to install a speed hump.

The area affected is between Santiam Highway and 13th Avenue Southeast. Albany crews will put in the hump just north of 13th. Motorists are asked to use alternate routes such as Chestnut Street and 16th Avenue.

Another speed hump was installed on Center last week as part of a test to determine if the humps cause traffic in the neighborhood to slow down.

OSU educator named to environmental panel

Environmental engineer and educator Kenneth J. Williamson, Ph.D., of Corvallis, has been confirmed by the Oregon Senate as the newest member of the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission.

Dr. Williamson, appointed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in December 2003, will serve a four-year term. He fills the vacancy created when Commissioner Tony Van Vliet left the commission in late 2003 after serving eight years. The commission has one remaining vacant position.

The EQC is a five-member citizen panel that serves as the policy and rule-making board for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Dr. Williamson is head of Oregon State University's Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and brings 30 years of professional environmental engineering experience to the commission.