Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2015)
6 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015 Candidates begin filing Monday storm downs trees, for special districts election disrupts school activities B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News People wishing to join coun- ty boards can now begin filing for candidacy. The deadline to be on the May special districts ballot is March 19. A handful of candidates have already filed for positions. The Lane Community College Board has four open positions, Mapleton School Board has three openings and the Siuslaw School Board has five. The Mapleton Fire Department Board has three seats available. Current Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue (SVFR) Board Member Steve Olienyk is up for re-election. The SVFR Board also has two other openings. Swisshome-Deadwood Rural Fire Protection District has three openings. Of the local water districts, Heceta and Mapleton both have three open positions. Siuslaw Library District has one open seat. The Port of Siuslaw has two open positions, as does Western Lane Ambulance District. For more information on fil- ing a candidacy and to find forms, go to the Lane County Elections website, www.lanecounty.org, or call the Lane County clerk at 541- 682-4234. The last day for voters to register and still be able to vote in the May 19 Special Election is April 28. Strong winds cancel events, but no major damage reported B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News The windstorm on Feb. 9, with gusts exceeding 60 miles an hour in some places, knocked down trees and brought two inches of rain to the Florence area. According to Public Works Director Mike Miller, though, “It was a fairly routine event.” The storm peaked midmorn- ing, causing the most damage in Florence between 8 and 10:30 a.m. Siuslaw School District announced that they canceled all evening activities due to hazardous weather conditions. There also were no activity bus runs nor athletic practices after school. “My crews started the day at 7 a.m., so they were already here and ready to roll,” said Miller. “For us within the pub- lic right-of-way, there wasn’t much damage other than cleanup. We had some signs down on Highway 101, but ODOT covers that.” While trees came down throughout the area, the only damage to a public facility occurred at Singing Pines dog park, where falling trees land- ed on a fence. “It was pretty minor damage that will only require us to go OPB features Becker artwork Florence Regional Art Alliance (FRAA) is presenting an exhibit by artist Paula Becker at Oregon Pacific Bank through the month of February Paula Becker is a profes- sional writer and budding pho- tographer who has made her home in Florence since 2008. In her previous life as a cor- porate marketing executive and consultant, Becker said she craved the opportunity to spend more time in nature and less on city streets. While she is just beginning to build a portfolio of Oregon images, most of her work cen- ters around photography trips and seminars she has taken in Italy, France and Holland. Becker said she believes that all of nature is meant to inspire. She wants to use her photo- graphic images to encourage and uplift, motivating viewers to live in possibility. “I believe that if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then pic- COURTESY PHOTO This and other work by FRAA artist Paula Becker is on display at Oregon Pacific Bank through February. Vets from 1A “We come out here once a month. I’ve been out here on days when not one person came to see us. If the numbers don’t go up, we’ll have to ditch Florence and go some- where else where there’s a need,” Robertson said. The Florence DAV has 178 members. Stitt said, “We try to support and help them out the best we can. I’ve been doing this for 19 years. I love my vets.” Stitt, who served in the U.S. Army, wants the commu- nity to know about the MVC service. “It was a request from the commander of the disabled military veterans,” he said. The DAV started in Florence in 1979. It’s a perma- nent facility with top of the line services for veterans. Its officers provide advoca- cy for veterans for veteran- related issues, dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs and providing local resources. Stitt praised Shannon Johnson, a service officer. “With all the respect in the world, … Shannon is probably the best service officer we ever had down here,” he said. About the MVC, Stitt said, “They’re nice people out there. I really appreciate it. We just mainly want the exposure for our veterans.” The MVC will be at the Disabled American Veterans parking lot at 1715 21st St. For more information about Mobile Veteran Centers, call Carl Robertson, a Vet Center counselor, at 503-753-0223. For more information about the DAV, call the Florence office at 541-998-1562 or go to www.dav.org. Welcome to 80 Years of Excellence! We Make All Our Own Ice Cream – Over 50 Flavors – Including Sugar-free Ice Cream & Non-fat Frozen Yogurt in a variety of flavors. “Over 5 Generations of Old Fashioned Goodness!” Tw o l o c a t i o n s i n F l o r e n c e H i g h w a y 1 0 1 N & B a y S t r e e t i n O l d To w n Wa l d p o r t • W i n c h e s t e r B a y • A s h l a n d • S i s t e r s FRAA ART CENTER tures and words together can be priceless,” she says. who demonstrated leadership specifically in athletics. John Dodson received that award and is currently attend- ing Treasure Valley College in Ontario, Ore., where he plays on the baseball team. According to 2015 Rotary president Sadie Ward, this year’s scholarship will be awarded to the Siuslaw High School senior who has demon- strated leadership in their school and community with an emphasis in business, as well as demonstration of financial need. Applications are due March 3, and will be awarded at the award ceremony in late May. The amount will be deter- mined based on actual coins returned and any additional funds from the auction the committee and foundation may recommend. Scholarship applications are available at the high school and through the Aspire pro- gram. Canary Road were without power for one-and-a-half days.” She added, “We have full- time crews that are ready in case of storms.” CLPUD also has two tree crews who work year-round to clear rights of way. This storm was not as big as recent windstorms in December, with gusts over 70 miles per hour, or in January 2012. “That was a major storm event with a lot of property damage,” Miller said. Winter storms come through the coast about once a month. “If we’ve got work already planned, it takes time away from our schedule to manage the storm event,” he said. “But the thing to take away is that we do watch the weather. We’re prepared for bigger storms.” FREE EVENTS THIS MONTH: For details, check our website at www.fraaoregon.org Munsel Lake Plaza (just north of Fred Meyer) Hours Open: Tues-Friday - Noon to 4:00 p.m. Phone: 541-999-0859 Rotary seeks President’s Scholarship applicants There’s a tradition that goes around the Florence Rotary Club this time of year known as “coin jars.” Rotarians are notorious for coming up with creative ways to raise money, and this one is no exception. Each member receives a personal coin jar a couple of months before the annual Rotary Auction and is encouraged to fill it up with spare change. Filling the jar with paper money or a check is also acceptable. In addition, the club is divided in half, with older members competing against newer members to see who can raise the most money. Money raised by the coin jar campaign goes for a special scholarship designated by the club president. The president decides the criteria for the award, and the amount given depends on the total raised. The 2014 President’s Scholarships of $2,500 went to a Siuslaw High School senior stretch the fence back into place,” he said. At a location near 37th Street, trees fell across power lines. The Public Works crews had to cone off the area until the lines were de-energized. Although some homes lost power, none of the public facil- ities suffered more than flick- ering lights. Miller said, “Nothing trig- gered the need for emergency generators.” Central Lincoln People’s Utility District (CLPUD) rep- resentative Chris Chandler said, “To prepare for storms, we build our infrastructure to withstand winds more than 100 miles per hour. We can’t build, however, to prevent trees from falling. “Trees knocked down two transmission poles, which is a huge repair and very difficult. Some of our customers out 1 2 3 4 • 2-5pm Oil painting w/Michael Wood 5 • 10am-noon Beginning Knitting 6 7 • 9am-12pm Oil painting w/ John Leasure 8 9 10 • 2-3pm Demo: Zentagle 11 • 2-5pm Oil painting w/Michael Wood 12 • 1-3pm Introduction to Zentangle Version 2 13 • 4-6pm Speakeasy: Poetry as a Soul Food A Comm. Feast 14 • 9am-12pm Oil painting w/ John Leasure • 3-5 2nd Sat. Gallery Tour 15 16 17 • 2-4pm Bead Weaving Bracelet 18 • 2-5pm Oil painting w/Michael Wood 19 20 21 • 9am-12pm Oil painting w/ John Leasure 22 23 24 25 2-5pm Oil painting w/Michael Wood 26 • 1-3pm Th e Shady side of Zentangle 27 • 4-6pm Speakeasy: Inspiration What Inspires You 28 • 9am-12pm Oil painting w/ John Leasure • 2-pm Demo: Watercolor vs. Acrylic WORD Feb. 27, Friday 4-6 p.m. - SPEAKEASY: Enjoy a glass of wine and lite snack and lively discussion on “Inspiration- What is it and where do you get it?” Feb. 28th, Saturday, 2-3 p.m.- Acrylics versus Watercolor. Instructor: Silvia Trujillo using a still life subject to demonstrate painting in both media. COMING IN MARCH: New Art Center Exhibit for members: Still Life and Portraits. Bring in your artwork on Monday, March 2nd, 10:00 a.m. Featured Artist for March - James Selby ON THE STREET Do you believe in love at first sight? “Probably not. I think we both feel you really have to get to know a person.” —B OB K USH , 71 —M ARY K USH , 70 J ACKSONVILLE , O RE . “Yes, I do, because I’ve been there. I’ve been there many times. It doesn’t mean it’s a sus- taining love. That’s the only problem. Alfie, here, falls in love at first sight with everyone he meets.” —M IKE W OOD , 70 F LORENCE “I do! The first time I saw my husband was four years ago, while we were working together at Big Lots. I knew when I saw him that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.” — C OREY M IDDELTON , 25 F LORENCE “Yes I do. You are looking right at her!” —H OWIE C USACK , 65 –D ESIREE M EULLER , 59 F LORENCE HAVE A QUESTION WE SHOULD ASK? TELL US! E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM Come on in and try the new tastes of Pizza hut. Open: Sunday thru Thursday, 11am - 10pm Friday and Saturday, 11am - 12pm 1940 Hwy. 101 • Florence • 541-997-7770