Creek spill

The story: Cleanup crews spent Thursday removing vegetable waste from several places in a normally dry drainage ditch in south Albany. The material spilled from a broken pipe that parallels the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near The Bark Place on Pacific Boulevard. The break probably occurred on Sept. 25. The pipe carries vegetable waste from National Frozen Foods on 30th Avenue to an irrigation site on Beta Drive.

The latest: The cleanup is essentially completed and was done well, said April Graybill, a water quality specialist with the state Department of Environmental Quality in Salem. Graybill inspected several locations along the ditch Thursday afternoon. Now she is awaiting a water sample report that details what was in the spill and information from National Frozen Foods as to how large the spill was. The preliminary estimate was 80,000 gallons. Graybill said the spill never made it into Oak Creek, which is to the north of the ditch. Signs placed at one point near the ditch called the waterway Southeast Oak Creek.

Cathy Ingalls

ROV research

The story: In late September a group of LBCC students and instructors were at Paulina Lake in Central Oregon using their remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), the Allan Throop, to conduct research on an unusual spire rising from the bottom of the lake. A group of 10 were scheduled to spend two days collecting samples and conducting research to help determine the creation of the 50-meter pinnacle.

The latest: LBCC students conducted a test dive at 10 meters on the first day and then attempted a 40-meter dive - 10 times deeper than the ROV had ever gone - the next day. Several system failures plagued the dive, including the implosion of buoyancy tubes, which caused the Throop to list to one side at 30 meters. The crew was able to rescue the Allan Throop but collected only one rock sample and a few seconds of video. Greg Mulder, who led the group, said the team will try again next year and is scheduled to return to Paulina Lake and continue the study in August 2009.

Steve Lathrop

Lebanon schools chief

The story: The Lebanon School Board voted unanimously at a special meeting Sept. 15 to enter negotiations "for an immediate resignation" of Superintendent Jim Robinson. Board Chairman Josh Wineteer said he would not comment further on what negotiations would entail or what might happen if Robinson refuses. According to a prepared statement, board members want the superintendent's resignation because "the current working relationship is irreparable" between them and members are concerned about further harm to district and community morale. Robinson has said he stands willing to work with anyone.

The latest: The Lebanon School Board will meet with attorneys in closed session Monday for an hour prior to the public meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. The public agenda includes a discussion of the superintendent's contract as an item under "general business," the last topic of the evening. Robinson said there has been "talk between attorneys" but nothing new in the way of proposals.

Jennifer Moody

Showcasing cuisine

The story: Albany couple Matt and Janel Bennett traveled to New York City to showcase cuisine from their Sybaris restaurant at the James Beard House, an honor bestowed on few chefs, only a handful of whom have been Oregonians.

The latest: "It was a blast," Matt Bennett reported last week. Bennett said the Willamette Valley menu was well-received, especially the wine. While in New York the team also served more than 100 hungry firefighters from Engine 39, Ladder 16. Martin Reynolds of Chinook Winds did much of the cooking for that event, with Bennett assisting. Matt and Janel also attended a media event for travel and food writers, where they handed out samples of Oregon truffle ice cream and showed participants different varieties of Oregon wild mushrooms. While the Bennetts said they have no immediate plans to go back to New York, they were pleasantly surprised by the helpful New Yorkers they met and would love to return someday. "The Beard House people talked about having us back, which would be great," Matt Bennett said.

AnneMarie Knepper