The race for Governor is too close to call, according to a new poll done for a Portland television station by the firm Survey USA.  It found Chris Dudley leading former Governor John Kitzhaber 46-to-44 percent.  About two months ago, the same poll had Dudley leading by seven points.  But pollsters say Dudley is doing better among older Oregonians, considered more likely to vote.  And Dudley is widening his lead in the money-raising race.

The Oregon State Marine Board wants mid-valley boaters to rate local boat ramps and facilities.  It’s part of a survey done every six years, to help the Marine Board decide where to put its money.  The board makes grants to public and private marinas and boating facilities around Oregon.  There will be a meeting in Albany at the old armory building on August 31st, where members of the Marine Board will listen to the public.  That meeting starts at 7PM.

The search for little Kyron Horman is a criminal investigation, now.  Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies say more than 1300 searchers have completed a fruitless search within a two mile radius of the boy’s school, and those from out of the area will go home.  Searchers have also focused on Sauvie Island, six miles away.  A 25-thousand dollar reward has been posted for information in the case.  A spokesman refused to to say whether investigators think the seven year old was kidnapped.

The owner of a Portland cafe who kicked out a cop sipping coffee last week says he’ll do it again.  John Langley says anarchists are welcome at the Red and Black Cafe, but no cops.  Langley says his policy is designed to keep his anarchist-loving customers ‘safe’ from cops.  He says his intolerance is not discrimination, because cops choose to put on the uniform.  Langley says anarchy is self-accountability, and that his anarchist buddies don’t need or like police.  He says any officer who tries to come in to the cafe will be kicked out.

You could see John Kitzhaaber all over the ballot this November.  The 2009 lesiglature authorized “fusion candidates”–who actively seek the nomination of more than one party.  Kitzhaber says he will seek the Independent Party and the union-dominated Working Families Party nominations for Governor.  He already has the Democratic Party nod.  Republican Chris Dudley won’t say if he will try to double or triple-team voters.  The Independent Party is under fire for allegedly selling nominations.

The Army Corps of Engineers says lay off the booze if you’re boating this weekend.  It says drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental deaths.  The Corps suggests you never over-estimate your swimming skills, watch out for colder water this time of year, always wear a life jacket while boating, and be especially careful at the end of your boating day, because  hours of exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare, and wind produces fatigue in humans that is similar to drunkenness.

Governor Kulongoski says the 560 million dollar budget shortfall for the rest of the biennium confirms his fears that it will be a long climb out of the recession for Oregon.  Kulongoski said he won’t call the Legislature into session to deal with it, because it would likely feature partisan gridlock in an election year.  So he’s directing state agency heads to come up with plans on how to cut nine percent from their budgets for the rest of the biennium–and he’s ordering them to meet with union officials to minimize layoffs of union workers.

A hand-picked panel of the Governor’s says Oregon faces a decade of defecits unless lawmakers do more to control state spending.  The task force says even an economic turnaround won’t help much.  The group analyzed state spending growth and economic activity to come up with its prediction.  Governor Kulongoski responded that the state’s budget problems must be better understood by the public and decision-makers, and that there isn’t just one solution—such as cutting state spending.