Division Street road work

Work on East Division Street is moving along well, City of Forks Public Works Director Dave Zellar told the Forks City Council at their Monday evening, Aug. 27 meeting. He said existing pavement will soon be ground up along the stretch of road that runs from the intersection of Spartan Ave. up to the Forks Community Center area along Maple Street. Fresh paving will then take place followed by installation of sidewalks along the south side of the street.

Sales tax revenue

Sales tax revenue tallies from this spring and summer showed a marked decline compared to the same periods in 2011, City Treasurer/Clerk Audrey Grafstrom reported. This is mostly due to the completion of the Forks High School addition project early this year, with some once high-spending accounts showing zero income this year.

Stephenie Meyer Day funding

The City Council, Mayor Bryon Monohon and Treasurer Audrey Grafstrom addressed an ongoing problem with spending reports for $7,500 provided to the Stephenie Meyer Day – Twilight celebration committee. The funds were allocated earlier this year from the city’s transient accommodation tax tourism promotion funds. The City is holding a directors notebook bought from owners of a Twilight filming location in Oregon used in the first film in the Twilight movie series. The book was purchased by the committee to be used as an attraction for Twilight fans and has been a point of controversy over how the city funds were spent by the committee.

Monohon suggested the committee come up with $1,000 in justifiable receipts for the city funds reportedly spent on the book as a forward step in reconciling the committee’s spending. He chalked up the funding reporting problem to the committee’s inexperience in promoting a public event.

The annual Stephenie Meyer Day/Bella’s Birthday celebration is scheduled for various locations in Forks the weekend of Friday, Sept. 14 thorugh Sunday, Sept. 16. Up to 2011 the event was mostly staged by the Forks Chamber of Commerce.

Stephenie Meyer Day chair Stacie Chastain told the City Council that a large number of Twilight fans are expected to attend the celebration this year.

Go to www.stepheniemeyerday.com for more information on the event.