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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF FLORENCE • DUNES CITY • WESTLAKE • MAPLETON • SWISSHOME • DEADWOOD • YACHATS AND ALL POINTS BETWEEN
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Best of the
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E N T S
New sponsor
for Heceta Head
Conference
BEST
After conducting annual conferences for the
last nine years, the Heceta Head Coastal
Conference (HHCC) will transfer sponsorship
of the event to the Oregon Sea Grant Program,
located at Oregon State University.
The announcement was made jointly this
week by Craig McMicken, chairman of the
HHCC, Inc., and Rich Holdren, interim direc-
tor of Oregon Sea Grant in Corvallis, Ore.
With a $5,000 grant from the state
Department of Land Conservation and
Development, the first conference was held
Oct. 29, 2005, at the Florence Events Center.
The conference theme that year was “Oregon’s
See
S TORY AND P HOTO BY A MY B ARTLETT
Siuslaw News
Ayden Rhea Shirtcliff–Dascher entered the
world Jan. 13 at 9:52 p.m., the first child born
in 2014 at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical
Center in Florence.
Ayden, son of Anthony Dascher and Sierra
Shirtcliff of Gardiner, weighed 9 pounds and
15 ounces and is 21-1/2 inches long. Maternal
grandparents are Stasy Shirtcliff of Lynnwood,
Wash., and Robert Tabler Jr. of Reedsport.
Paternal grandparents are Terri Dascher of
Swisshome and Jeff Dascher of Reedsport.
Ayden has two older sisters, Kaitlyn, 6, and
Rhealeigh, 4-1/2. As the first baby born locally
in 2014, Ayden’s parents received gifts from
PeaceHealth as well as from the Siuslaw
News’ Baby New Year Contest.
Siuslaw Awards recognize community’s superior businesses, citizens.
S TORY AND P HOTOS BY R YAN C RONK
Siuslaw News
S
iuslaw Bank, which celebrated its 50th
anniversary this week since opening its
doors in Mapleton in 1964 followed by
a branch in Florence four years later, took
home the top prize Wednesday evening at the
seventh annual Siuslaw Awards banquet.
Dee Osborne, Siuslaw Bank vice president
and manager of the Florence and Mapleton
branches, accepted the Stu Johnston Business
of the Year for 2013 award on behalf of her
colleagues.
“We’re very happy to celebrate 50 years of
giving back to the Mapleton and Florence
community, and I’m just so honored,” said
Osborne, who has worked for the company for
27 years.
Each year the Siuslaw Awards, sponsored by
the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, rec-
ognize excellence in local businesses in five
categories as well as two residents who are
making a difference in the community.
The Stu Johnston Business of the Year
award is given to a business that has demon-
strated long-term or significant success and has
shown strong and active community involve-
ment. This year’s other nominee was Oregon
Pacific Bank.
“We could have actually changed the name
of this category to ‘Battle of the Banks’ this
year,” quipped Cal Applebee, executive direc-
tor of the chamber, “but fortunately they’re
friendly competitors for the benefit of our
community.”
Siuslaw Bank, which now boasts 10 offices
in Lane County, continues to give back to the
community with its employee volunteer pro-
gram. All 11 of the Florence employees — out
of a bank-wide total of 125 — donated 440
hours of their time last year to volunteering.
They also pledged nearly $2,000 to United
Way of Lane County, a non-profit that helps
local programs and individuals in need.
“Thank you, Florence, for giving back to
Siuslaw Bank as we have given to you,”
Osborne said.
This year’s awards featured 17 nominations
in five categories, including Business of the
Year, Community Caring, Curb Appeal,
Excellence in Customer Service and Non-
Profit Achievement. Members of the communi-
ty nominate businesses, and an anonymous
judging panel selects the winners.
See
“This is the first time in my life that I have not been involved in a fire department.”
AWARDS 6A
Anthony Dascher and Sierra Shirtcliff
with their son Ayden, born Jan. 13
— JOHN BUCHANAN, 50-PLUS YEARS IN FIRE SERVICE
FAREWELL TO THE CHIEF
Firefighters, friends honor John Buchanan at retirement celebration.
B Y A MY B ARTLETT
Siuslaw News
COURTESY PHOTO
John Buchanan, former SVFR fire chief
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“John lives, eats and
breathes the fire service,”
Steve Olienyk said of his
long-time
friend
John
Buchanan.
A 20-year member of the
fire district board, Olienyk is
one of the organizers of a
retirement celebration held
today in honor of Buchanan,
the former fire chief for
Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue. The contributions
Buchanan made during more
than 50 years in the fire serv-
ice will be highlighted dur-
ing the event, as colleagues,
officials and legislators take
the podium.
The chief retired at the end
of 2013 after transforming an
out-of-date fire agency with
a $250,000 yearly budget, to
a state-of-the-art $1.9-mil-
lion-a-year operation. He
also initiated the creation of
the West Lane Emergency
Your
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2 • F AVORITE F RONT P AGES 2014
Operations Group, which has
led to the region being pre-
pared to respond and recover
from emergencies and disas-
ters.
Back in Florence after a
visit
to
California,
Buchanan, 73, looked rested
earlier this week, but said he
is still adjusting. It is under-
standable he might feel a bit
lost.
“This is the first time in
my life that I have not been
involved in a fire depart-
ment. My dad was a fire-
fighter when I was born. It
has always been a part of
me,” he said.
His friends have heard sto-
ries of his father, Evan
“Buggs” Buchanan, a volun-
teer firefighter for Rio Vista
Fire
Department
in
California. As early as age 5,
the firefighter’s son would
listen for a siren, and if not
already at the station, he
See
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HECETA 6A
Two weeks in, city’s
first 2014 baby born
Siuslaw Bank employees Lacie Johnson, Melissa Phillips, Lindsey Johnson and Dee Osborne accept the Business of the Year award
at Wednesday’s banquet. Top, Eric Tanikawa and Kylie Brandt are named First Citizen and Future First Citizen, respectively.
Always Something Happening
CHIEF 7A
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