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WEDNESDAY EDITION
VIKS LOSE
TO PIRATES
❘ OCTOBER 14, 2015 ❘ $1.00
Local Red Cross
ready for action
COAST LIFE — B
SPORTS — C
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
HONEY
of a
HOBBY
FLORENCE, OREGON
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
I
Florence resident one of only five certified
journey beekeepers in Oregon
t started out as a simple plan. Take 10 acres
of recreational land up the North Fork of the
Siuslaw River, plant some apple trees and
enjoy the fruits of your labor. That was the idea
Max and Clara Kuhn had for their land.
“After two to three years, the trees weren’t
doing very well,” Max Kuhn admitted. “I tried to
figure out why and learned that there were prac-
tically no bees up there.
“As I investigated, I became introduced to the
honeybee. Since then, I’ve become more and
more interested in honeybees and less interested
in the orchard. But now they are both doing
fine,” he said.
Kuhn has taken to beekeeping like a bee to
honey. He has recently been certified as one of
only five journey beekeepers in Oregon and is
studying for his master beekeeper certification.
Currently, Oregon does not have any certified
master beekeepers.
See
BEES 7A
A TASTE OF ROYALTY
COURTESY PHOTO
Beekeeping enthusiasts learn to extract
honeycombs from one of 13 beehives
on Max Kuhn’s 10-acre orchard near the
North Fork of the Siuslaw River.
Pepperoaks
‘pocket park’
earns upgrade
Grant provides funding for
play equipment, landscaping
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
The festival included clam
chowder samples, live
music at Gazebo Park and
commemorative wooden
nickels given out by “King
Ferdinand” and “Queen
Isabella,” Jared Anderson
and Meg Spencer.
PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Festival dishes up coast’s best chowder in Old Town
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
The fifth annual Columbus Day
Chowder Festival had more than
250 taste-testers in Old Town
Florence on Sunday. Eight ven-
dors were part of the four-hour
chowder fest, centralized around
Gazebo Park on Bay Street.
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C5
Coast Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . A5
Surfside
Restaurant
at
Driftwood Shores Resort won
first place for its chowder, fol-
lowed by Mon Ami Cafe in sec-
ond and Bridgewater Restaurant
in third.
A special feature of recent fes-
tivals is the presence of royalty, as
Meg Spencer and Jared Anderson
dressed as Queen Isabella and
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
King Ferdinand, rulers of Spain
while Columbus voyaged to
America.
Florence Area Chamber of
Commerce Executive Director
Cal Applebee said the chowder
fest exceeded last year’s atten-
dance by 30 percent.
On
Saturday,
Marianne
Brisbane organized a wine walk
THIS WEEK ’ S
to nine galleries, cafes, shops,
restaurants and Old Town
Barbershop during the Second
Saturday Gallery Tour.
“I heard it was a smashing suc-
cess despite the inclement weath-
er,” Applebee said.
Guy Creighton, of San
Francisco, won a treasure chest
during the two-day festival.
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
68 51
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65 56
62 55
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
Florence City Council made a resolution to
accept a grant from the Local Government Grant
Program (LGGP) and Oregon Parks and Recreation
Department at the city council meeting Oct. 5.
The City of Florence applied for a LGGP grant in
January 2015 to rehabilitate Pepperoaks Park.
LGGP approved the grant application in September.
Florence Public Works Director Mike Miller said,
“The grant provides the city with $24,712 in fund-
ing. The required match is $16,750.”
According to the staff report, the city’s match can
be in the form of funds or equivalent amount in
labor, materials or services.
“It is our intent to purchase the playground
equipment with the grant proceeds and install/reha-
bilitate the park by utilizing city staff and equip-
ment, thus minimizing the expenditure of general
fund dollars,” the report said.
Pepperoaks Park is a “pocket park” off 35th Street
on 34th Place and south of Rhododendron Drive. It
currently has a basketball court and tetherball.
The project involves replacing existing play-
ground equipment, applying a wood fiber fall sur-
facing and installing a handicap accessible ramp.
During July’s Power of Florence, city volunteers
removed old sod and did cleanup in the park.
“What we’ve done recently is brought in material
for topsoil, so we can have a nice planted area,”
Miller said.
The play equipment will consist of three different
structures: an all-in-one structure with climbing and
slides; a climbing structure featuring ropes and
handholds; and a swingset. The basketball court will
also remain in the park.
“They are very nice pieces of equipment,” Miller
said. “It’s going to be very well received for that
park. It’s something that is desperately needed in
that park for play.”
He added, “There are a lot of children that live in
that area. It’s kind of changed, ... with more homes
in that beginning, entry level. That means a level of
increase in children.”
Mayor Joe Henry said, “It’s another step toward
our goals of developing parks.”
“I’ve seen some of these new playground instal-
lations and they’re really fun, colorful and with a
whole modern look to it — and safe,” Councilor
Joshua Greene said. “I’m glad to see that we’re
doing this.”
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