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THE COMMUNITIES OF FLORENCE • DUNES CITY • WESTLAKE • MAPLETON • SWISSHOME • DEADWOOD • YACHATS AND ALL POINTS BETWEEN
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Newly elected council sworn in
6
997-808
Cronk to take
editorial helm
of Siuslaw
News
S TORY AND P HOTO BY J ACK D AVIS
PHOTO BY THERESA BAER/SIUSLAW NEWS
I
n a dual session for the Florence City Council Monday night, Jan. 5, three members of the past council stepped down and
councilors and the new mayor elected in November took their seats at City Hall. Florence City Council now consists of
George Lyddon, Susy Lacer, Mayor Joe Henry, new Council President Joshua Greene and new Council Vice President Ron
Preisler. Former Mayor Nola Xavier passed the gavel to the council after an emotional goodbye and many thank yous to city
staff and colleagues. More photos on page 3A.
Theresa Baer and Ryan Cronk
Siuslaw News Features Editor Ryan Cronk has
been chosen to replace retiring Siuslaw News
Editor Theresa Baer. Baer, 62, who has been editor
since August 2007, will be leaving to spend time
with her parents near Los Angeles. Friday, Jan. 16,
will be her last day at the paper.
Cronk, 29, a native Oregonian, was hired as a
reporter in 2008 and promoted to features editor in
January 2012. Cronk will be only the third editor of
the Siuslaw News since 1982.
“Ryan has shown the professionalism and atten-
tion to detail so necessary in the job of editor,” Baer
said. “He is also well respected by the rest of the
staff. It is easy to say I am leaving the paper in
capable hands.”
Cronk graduated from the University of Oregon
School of Journalism in 2008 and spent six months
working for the Cottage Grove Sentinel before
accepting the reporting position at the Siuslaw
News.
“I’m deeply honored and excited to take on this
important leadership role,” Cronk said. “I’ve lived
See
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
One lost dog drew the attention of many in the community, which eventually led
to his finding his way home.
S TORY AND P HOTO
BY T HERESA B AER
Siuslaw News
Early in November, Janet
Porter, of Florence, took her bevy
of pets up to Herman Cape Peak
for a good walk. The diverse pack
of rescue dogs relish their com-
fortable and safe lives with the
Porters and are well behaved, and
excited to be out in the woods.
But on this trip, Foo, a 6-year-
old Norwegian elkhound, took
off for the hills. He would not
come back when Janet called.
She waited and waited and called
and called, but he was off into the
great wild. Eventually she had to
return home without him.
Over the following weeks,
Janet and husband Alan Porter
returned repeatedly to Herman
Peak searching for Foo, occa-
sionally leaving food for him,
occasionally meeting others and
telling them of their search.
The Porters care deeply for
Foo. He came as a stray to their
house in Mississippi about five
years ago. Alan said the dog had
mange and heartworms and was
nearly starved. Foo’s family now
includes, in addition to the
Porters, Lucy, a Labrador mix
about 10 years old; Blodwyn, a 5-
year-old corgi; Panzer, an 8-year-
old “mountain cur” the Porters
call him; and Gidget, a beagle
mix; all found or rescued near
Mississippi where they lived until
the big move to Oregon about a
year-and-a-half ago.
Now they have a home on
Mercer Lake Road, where they
EDITOR 11A
Reward offered
for info leading
to arsonist
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 7,
2014, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue responded to
a fire at a commercial building at 19th and Pine
streets in Florence. The building housed the law
offices of Scott Bailey and Ron Gerber. Also locat-
ed in the building was the Emergence drug and
alcohol treatment program. The building and much
of the personal property were a total loss. Bailey
and Gerber report that they were able to salvage
most of their client files, including estate-planning
documents.
An investigation has determined that the fire was
intentionally set. The International Association of
Arson Investigators is offering a reward up to
$5,000 for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the person or persons responsible for
the fire.
Anyone with information about the Dec. 7 fire is
urged to contact Detective Joe Feland of the
Oregon State Police at 541-440-3321.
Your
INSIDE
W E D N E S D AY
Classifieds
B6
Library Tidings A5
Ned Hickson A8
Obituaries
A2
Opinion
A4
Police
Scoreboard
Sports
Tides
Weather
A2
B3
B
B1
A11
Weather
T ODAY
T HURSDAY
F RIDAY
S ATURDAY
Partly
sunny
57
45
Partly
sunny
56
47
Mostly
cloudy
54
45
Some
rain
53
44
Janet and Alan Porter flank Jill Barrett-Swinney, a driving force behind the search for the
missing dog. They, along with their other rescue dogs, gathered at the Twin Lakes Store
north of Florence to receive a huge Christmas basket of pet goodies. Foo, the wandering
Norwegian elkhound, is front right, still sporting his bandaged paw, which was wounded
during his adventure in the woods.
also keep horses.
Jill Barrett-Swinney also fre-
quents Herman Cape Peak. This
time of year she likes to take off
into the woods by herself to hunt
elk. Dressed in full camouflage,
Jill startled Alan, who had
returned to hunt for Foo, and he
told her his story of the missing
dog.
Jill took the story seriously and
began her own campaign to find
Foo. She told her friends and
other people who frequented the
area. She told Howard and
Honore Pazdral, who own prop-
erty on the peak, and the word
spread. People, many of them
strangers, contacted the Porters to
check on Foo and hiked the area
looking for him.
Janet said she couldn’t help but
See
LOST 11A
Sports—B
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Siuslaw News