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❘ APRIL 15, 2017 ❘ $1.00
104
Easter Sunday, April 16
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 30
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
PeaceHealth federal mediation makes minor progress
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
he first mediation session
between PeaceHealth Medical
Group and Oregon Nurses
Association (ONA) representatives
under Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service supervision, April
10, has had some success.
Both sides acknowledged limited
progress in the previously stalled
negotiations.
T
A federal mediator was called in
after six failed attempts at negotiating
a new contract for the 75 nurses
working currently without contract at
Peace Harbor Medical Center. The
previous contract expired Dec. 31 and
a one-month extension lapsed Jan. 31.
Mediation differs from face to face
negotiations. The mediator meets sep-
arately with one side at a time, then
relays responses and recommenda-
tions to the other side in another
room.
ONA negotiator and Peace Harbor
Registered Nurse Elaine Beers said,
“Happily, there were small amounts
of movement from PeaceHealth.”
An ONA negotiations update report
stated, “The employer finally agreed
to pay differentials comparable to the
prevailing standard in nearly all cate-
gories. We also agreed to language
regarding the order of cancellation for
low census, the availability of relief
nurses (must be available for four
scheduled shifts per month instead of
the current three) and a clearer defini-
tion of preceptors.”
See
MEDIATION 9A
Dunes City
addresses
cannabis issue
Waving
flags
Council members voice
concerns, disappointment
on inability to stop growers
T
Local DAV
members donate
American flags
to Siuslaw
Elementary School
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw Elementary School now proudly flies the American flag
thanks to the efforts of second-grade teacher Kim Stokes and DAV
Commander David Stitt (right, with Stoke’s second-grade class).
iuslaw Elementary School
second-grade teacher Kim
Stokes noticed something
was missing when she started
teaching at the school two years
ago. There was no American flag
on the flagpole.
When she asked about this, she
was told differing reasons as to
why.
“I was told the flag had gotten
ripped. I was told the rope was too
S
frayed,” Stokes said.
She decided to do something
about this.
“I called the Florence Elks
Lodge and they offered to donate a
flag,” Stokes said.
Unbeknownst to Stokes, the
Siuslaw Middle School had also
requested a flag from the Elks.
Signals got crossed and only one
flag was ordered. When she tried
to make arrangements to pick up
PHOTO BY JOHN STOKES
the flag she learned the middle
school had already acquired the
flag.
Local
Disabled American
Veterans (DAV) Commander David
Stitt learned of the flag problem
through elementary school custodi-
an and veteran Ken Hill.
See
he April 13 Dunes City Council meeting
had full attendance for the first time this
year, as Mayor Rebecca Ruede returned from
an extended absence
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
due to health con-
Siuslaw News
cerns.
Ruede gaveled the
meeting to order at 7 p.m. and welcomed the
audience to the meeting.
The highlight of the first part of the meeting
was the reading into the record a proclamation
from the mayor designating May as Health and
Fitness Awareness month in Dunes City. This
coincides with the fourth annual Dunes City
Triathlon, scheduled to take place on Saturday,
May 13.
The council had a number of housekeeping
items on their agenda.
One of these items was the decision by the
council to authorize the added expenditure by
the city to start live-streaming the council’s
meetings. This means the meetings will be
available for viewers to watch on TV and via
computer.
The council also approved the expenditure of
$500 to Darling’s Marina to support its first
Independence Day firework show. The event
will be professionally staged and the cost is
estimated to be $5,000.
One agenda item drew councilors’ particular
attention as the evening progressed — the
pending resolution to prohibit the cultivation,
for sale to distributors, of cannabis within the
boundaries of Dunes City.
There was public testimony on both sides of
the issue.
After hearing the public statements, the
council retired to executive session to decide
the matter.
At the close of the lengthy executive session,
Dunes City Council emerged and chose not to
adopt the resolution to prohibit the cultivation
of cannabis.
The councilors then proceeded to make short
statements reiterating their disappointment at
the city’s inability to prevent the cultivation
efforts.
Councilor Robert Orr said, “I think there are
serious concerns with the growing of marijuana
FLAG 9A
See
DUNES CITY 11A
Siuslaw School Board meeting draws large crowd
Attendees divided on ‘Sanctuary’ issue, which was not an agenda item
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
he April 12 Siuslaw School
District Board meeting con-
vened precisely at 6:30 p.m. to a
full house. The meeting had
been moved from the district’s
main office to the library of the
Siuslaw Elementary School to
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Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . A10
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accommodate the expected
crowd, which was much larger
than normal.
Most of the nearly 100 indi-
viduals in attendance were not
students or parents of current
students. They were community
members that were on hand
should the board consider adopt-
ing a new form of official
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“Sanctuary” policy.
Those in attendance were
concerned how any new regula-
tion adopted might supercede or
replace current state and federal
policies governing the district.
While the discussion of these
and other hot-button topics con-
tinued among the attendees
before Thursday’s board meet-
THIS WEEK ’ S
The Pledge of Allegiance
was one of the few things
the attendees at the April 12
Siuslaw School Board meet-
ing actually agreed upon.
ing, the issue of “Sanctuary”
was not on the board’s agenda.
See
DISTRICT 11A
TODAY
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Both PeaceHealth and
nurse representatives
agree to continue
round of talks