Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2015)
COUPONS INSIDE www.shoppelocal.biz SATURDAY WWW.THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF FLORENCE • DUNES CITY • WESTLAKE • MAPLETON • SWISSHOME • DEADWOOD • YACHATS AND ALL POINTS BETWEEN 124 Y T H E A R • I S S U E N O . 49 JUNE 21 • 2014 Big reels stop turnin’ 75 C E N T S Street reconstruction projects set to begin Area residents might have noticed construction crews working on Nopal Street last week. That work is the start of street reconstruction projects that will be taking place in vari- ous areas throughout the city over the next month. Starting with Nopal Street, contractors with Johnson Rock Products will be reconstructing the following streets: • Nopal Street from Ninth to 10th streets • The intersection of Ninth Street and Rhododendron Drive • 15th Street from Highway 101 to Spruce Street • 25th Street from Highway 101 to Spruce Street In July 2012, the city established a street maintenance fee to help provide the necessary funds to maintain streets. The city is leveraging the street maintenance fee by borrowing additional funds to complete larger projects. The loan is allowing the city to totally rehabilitate (remove the existing pavement and base rock material and reconstruction of the street) the above streets. Johnson Rock Products has already removed curbs and gut- ters on Nopal Street, including substandard sidewalks, in order to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act See STREETS 6A Mapleton School District approves 3-year contracts PHOTO BY RYAN CRONK/SIUSLAW NEWS F lorence Cinemas will reopen this summer as City Lights Cinemas, thanks to new owners Michael Falter (left) and his wife Susan Tive (second from right) who have reimagined the multiplex as a hybrid theater that plays both new movies and independent films. With help from friends Ryan and Amber Uhlhorn, the Bellingham, Wash., couple began the process of removing the theater’s old 35mm film projectors Friday afternoon to make way for new digital equipment next month. The complete story will be featured in Wednesday’s issue of the Siuslaw News. Bozievich to run unopposed in fall election Jay Bozievich will not face a runoff election for West Lane County Commissioner this fall, according to the certified recount results released by Lane County Elections Thursday. Bozievich had 18 votes above the 50 percent- plus-one margin required to prevent a runoff. Dawn Lesley gained one vote in the recount. Bozievich took 7,708 votes or 50.12 percent. Lesley’s count was very close: 7,634 or 49.64 percent. There were 37 (0.24 percent) write-in votes. An automatic recount is required if the number of votes cast for a candidate differs from a majority of votes cast for the office by one-fifth of 1 percent or less. Both the East and West Lane County Commissioner elec- tions fell within this margin, triggering the recount, which took approximately two days for the two seats. Complete election results are available on the Lane County Elections website at www.lanecounty .org. B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News During the June 11 board meeting, the Mapleton School District approved three-year contracts for all certified and classified personnel, and adopted the approved budget for the 2014-2015 school year in the amount of $3,499,897. According to Superintendent Jodi O’Mara, “This is the sec- ond year of our biennium, so it is pretty solid funding.” “We settled our three-year contract with all 15 certified staff members (teachers) and 14 classified staff members (support personnel),” O’Mara said. “All include a 3 percent salary increase per year and a 2.5 percent benefit increase each year for three years for full-time employees.” Teachers agreed to reduce personal leave days from five to four, but will receive an additional professional development day. Adjustments were also made to the extra-duty salary See MAPLETON 6A THREE RIVERS MARKS 10 TH ANNIVERSARY Special games and events are planned through the end of the month to celebrate. B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the Three Rivers Casino and Hotel opening in Florence. To commemorate its first decade, the facility will be hold- ing a number of special events throughout the week beginning with a $10,000 blackjack tournament tomor- row and culminating with a Bingo Bash on Saturday, June 28. The Three Rivers Casino and Hotel complex is owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. The original casino opened in June 2004. At that time, the 98-acre facility consisted of a single tent-style structure housing 265 slot machines and a small restau- rant. The rest of the property was a parking lot with two prefab administration office structures surrounded by sand dunes. The tent structure and manufactured offices are gone, replaced by the current Three Rivers Casino and Hotel. The new complex opened in 2007 and features a 93-room hotel, five dining options, more than 700 slot machines, gaming tables and a 700-seat event center. In 2012 the Confederated tribes acquired the adja- cent 18-hole Ocean Dunes Golf Links, all part of a master plan to turn Three Rivers Casino and Hotel into a regional destination resort. According to Chief Operations Officer Mike Rose, “Ten years ago this month we opened up our little tent facility, with 125 team members (staff) and now we have more than 500. The thing that is most amazing is See INSIDE S AT U R D AY Ambulance Angling Classifieds Community Courts A2 B1 B6 A5 A2 Neighbors Obituary Opinion SideShow Sports Your A4 A2 A4 B5 B Three Rivers Casino and Hotel dominates an area nestled in the dunes east of Florence. It plans to continue expanding. The casino first opened in 2004 in a pre-fabricated tent near its current site. (courtesy photos) CASINO 6A Weather T ODAY S UNDAY M ONDAY T UESDAY Partly sunny 64 50 Partly sunn 66 51 Partly sunny 65 51 Partly sunny 65 52 12 • F AVORITE F RONT P AGES 2014 SPORTS — B