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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015 7 A Last Resort Players Florence hires interim finance director Reynolds, current finance director, takes on city manager role March 1 host auditions Saturday Auditions for the June per- formance of “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” are being held Feb. 28 and March 1, at 2 p.m., on the main stage of the Florence Events Center. All rolls are for adults. In this riotous play, an eclectic group of six mid- pubescents (played by adults) vie for the spelling champi- Specializing in Women’s Cut and Color 1569 9th Street Florence B Y C HANTELLE M EYER onship of a lifetime while can- didly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home life. Those planning to audition should bring sheet music or an accompaniment track, a head- shot and resume. More inormation is avail- able at www.lastresortplayers .org, or by contacting Paula Burnette at 541-997-4092. 541-902-7712 Siuslaw News At Florence City Council’s Feb. 17 session, the council decided to hire an interim finance director when Erin Reynolds, who currently holds the position, assumes the role of city manager on March 1. Andrew Parks, president of Government Executive League Oregon, Inc. (GEL), will become a contracted employee of the city. Reynolds said, “What we looked at is the timing of fill- ing this position. It doesn’t City from 1A Continuing his speech, Henry said, “Look at us now as we kick off a strong effort to focus our energies on growing and diversifying Florence’s economy.” Stimulating the Florence economy will involve working with the community. Henry looks forward to developing a realistic vision and action plan; community- building to improve livability and quality of life in Florence; retaining and expanding local Market A quiet word about your hearing. We’re very good listeners. from 1A “… It also aired on Hawaii news, because the vendor that does this program is based in Hawaii. From those initial air- ings, it has received 65,500 views online. So that’s fabu- lous,” she added. Right now, several of the ads focus on the sand dunes and dune buggy rides. Spruce Point Assisted Living presents: work so great with the budget season coming up. The time that it takes to recruit a full- time finance director wouldn’t allow a new finance director to be here in time to get us through the budget season. … “We’re asking you to enter- tain the idea of filling the posi- tion on an interim basis, much like we’ve done with City Manager Larry Patterson.” Parks will work for an all- inclusive, contract services fee of $9,000 per month, with GEL covering any of his other expenses. He will be in Florence for around 10 days a month, two to three days a week, and be available remotely. “Andy Parks comes to us very highly recommended, and I in turn recommend to you that you consider this pro- posal and review this con- tract,” said Reynolds. “I would be very happy to have him come alongside and provide not only assistance to me as the city manager, but to our department directors, employees and to you as a council. I think that he will do a great job getting us through this budget season, rolling for- ward the long-range financial plan and even looking at some other tasks that I know we are looking at for financial report- ing, quarterly updates, creat- ing a finance committee and things along those lines. I think he’ll be a great addition to our team for the next 4-1/2 months until we can fill that finance director position,” she said. Temporarily filling the finance director position allows Florence to maintain its financial standing through the conclusion of the budget sea- son. businesses and industries; marketing to tell the Florence story and determining and tar- geting new industries. Parks and roads also will be a focus in the coming year. Florence maintains 88 miles of roadway, 5 miles of pedestrian and bike paths and 54 acres in 12 city parks. The city is seeking funding to improve conditions, espe- cially for Rhododendron Drive. “This council is working to improve communications and hopefully your trust in local government,” Henry said. “Shortly the city will be on Twitter and we are now on Facebook,” he said, crediting Megan Messmer, assistant to the city manager, with build- ing more communication links. To Florence-area residents, the mayor said, “This council appreciates your input. We might not always agree, but we want to hear from you. If you have a concern or a ques- tion, let us know. We will seek to find an answer. … “I encourage all of you to become involved. … Our city is stronger if we all are engaged.” Henry praised the commu- nity’s compassion in support- ing the Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter and Siuslaw Outreach Services. He also thanked many pub- lic officials for their work in the community. “Let me request your help in moving our city forward and engaging our community. … When you travel outside the city or talk to others, encour- age people to look at us now because we are a city in motion,” Henry said in con- clusion. “One of the things I love about featuring local dune buggy products here is that it’s actually the first place on the coast moving south where you can access the dunes,” she said. “If we’re trying to penetrate the Portland market, they have a lot of easy access to the north- ern coast, but they can’t get this product. People were actually calling us when they saw our print campaign last summer, wanting to go on a dune buggy ride, which warmed our hearts greatly.” Travel Lane County also partnered with the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce to create the Uncurbed Adventures campaign. That ad, which features local actors and several Florence- area venues, can be found at www.florencechamber.com. As she concluded, Westlund said, “We’re always hungry for videos and photographs, espe- cially of Old Town. … You really have the best merchant old town on the coast. We want to be hitting that harder. We want to introduce that to Portlanders. We think yours really tops the merchant old towns on the coast.” For more information on Travel Lane County, go to www.eugenecascadescoast.org or call 541-484-5307. For more information on Travel Oregon, which features destinations around the state, go to www.traveloregon.com or call 503-967-1560. SAFETY SafetyMan says “Always be Safe to Ensure an Active & Independent Lifestyle” Brad Smith, Au.D. Sandi Ybarra, Au.D. Gail Leslie, Au.D. Doctors of Audiology Port Join us as we host a lecture series to increase safety awareness on fall prevention, common home injuries and provide solutions to keep you and your loved one safe. Classes are FREE to the public. Durable Medical Equipment Can Keep You Independent THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2:00 PM THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015, 2:00 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015, 2:00 PM 541-686-3505 401 East 10th Avenue, Suite 110 www.hearingassociates.net Surviving the Heat THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2015, 2:00 PM Falls Are Preventable Beyond Balance FLORENCE: 541-997-7617 1525 12th Street, Suite 2 Eat Healthy for Life and Prevention of Diabetes THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015, 2:00 PM Managing Activities of Daily Living EUGENE: S FIRST THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 2:00 PM Modifying Your Home for Safety THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015, 2:00 PM All Participants will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Gift Card. To RSVP and to find out about our Move In Specials call (541) 997-6111 or visit us today! Managed by Spruce Point Assisted Living Hearing is believing 375 9th Street Florence, Oregon 97439 www.PrestigeCare.com The wait for primary care is over. McKenzie Primary Care Associates welcomes new providers. John Egar, M.D. (board-certified, internal medicine), and Mildred Rowley, M.D. (board-certified, family practice), have joined the team at McKenzie Primary Care Associates. Along with Phillip Taggart, M.D. (board-certified, internal medicine), they welcome new patients at their Florence location. Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans welcome. Ask us about preventive care services your health insurance may cover at no cost to you. Same-day appointments often available. Call 541-997-1251. 4480 G Highway 101N • Florence 541-997-1251 Prestige Senior Living, L.L.C. from 1A The city planning com- mission turned down the revised proposal to move the location further up river. A third proposal will be pre- sented to the planning com- mission March 10. “We plan to mount a com- munity support effort at that meeting,” port commission President Ron Caputo said. “Hopefully we will have 20 to 30 people there to con- vince the commission that it is pretty nice to stop at a floating rest stop when you have been out fishing for three or four hours.” According to Port Manager Bob Forsythe, the port is tasked with maintain- ing the facility, but will receive funds from OSMB to buy the necessary equipment and receive $15,000 annual- ly to pay for upkeep. “Remember,” Forsythe said, “this restroom is only going to be in the river 16 weeks out of the year.” The rest of the year it will be stored in one of the port’s storage buildings. A resolution to adopt a $5 per night, per site rate increase for the RV park will be decided at the next port meeting, March 18. Forsythe said this would be the first rate increase in four years. He cited the need for electri- cal and other upgrades as justification for the increase. There will be a public hearing during the March 18 meeting to discuss the pro- posed RV site rate increase before the vote. Port com- missioners also will consider a 3 percent annual commer- cial moorage rate increase at the meeting.