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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 Candidacy deadline nears for Special Election B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News The Lane County May 19 Special Election is two months away, but candidates who wish to be considered for positions must file before the 5 p.m. deadline on March 19. There is a noon filing dead- line for explanatory state- ments, candidate statements and measure arguments. The last day for voters to register and be eligible to vote is April 28. Candidates have filed for various open positions in the Mapleton and Florence areas. As of Tuesday, John Simington Jr., Carl West and Michelle Holman have applied for three open director posi- tions in Mapleton School District. Three candidates have applied for three director posi- tions at Mapleton Fire Department: Carol J. Baxter, Guy Hansen and Ann M. Miller. Larry P. Baxter and Frank A. Wilson are the candidates who have applied for two out of three open positions in Mapleton Water District. Siuslaw Public Library District has three open director positions with terms to be determined. So far, Susy Lacer, Patricia Riley and Jane E. Yecny have applied. Western Lane Ambulance District has two four-year director openings. Karl Enlund, Brian Jagoe, Cindy A. Russell and Richard E. Childs are candidates. Siuslaw School District has five open director positions, and two people have applied, Tamera A. Butler and Suzanne Mann-Heintz. Port of Siuslaw has one applicant, Nancy Rickard, for two commissioner openings. Heceta Water District has three open commissioner posi- tions. Debby Todd and Chuck Gesik are the applicants so far. Long-time Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue (SVFR) board member Steve Olienyk is run- ning unopposed for his direc- tor position. One position at SVFR has two candidates — Tony Phillips and incumbent Rob Ward — and Ave Bernard, John A. Carnahan and incum- bent Cindy Spinner are candi- dates for the third position. 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. 7 A Port lobbies Congress for more funding B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News Port of Siuslaw relies on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep the Siuslaw River navi- gable. The Corps is responsible for dredging the river channel to remove accumulated sand and silt and the maintenance and repair of the two jetties that jut out from the mouth of the river. Congress allocates the funds necessary to pay for these serv- ices and competition for those funds are fierce. The Port of Siuslaw is just one of more than 360 commercial ports in the U.S. vying for those funds. Each year, the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) hosts its annual mission to Washington, D.C., to set up meetings between Senate and house mem- bers, governmental agencies, like the Corps of Engineers, and port representatives. This year, 72 PNWA mem- bers, representing 41 different entities, met in the District of Columbia March 1 through 5 to make their case for funding. “When we meet with them to tell them what our needs are this year it is meaningful,” Port of Siuslaw Manager Bob Forsythe said, “because those 72 people represent a lot more people. They pay attention.” Forsythe acknowledged that it is expensive for the port to be a part of the delegation, but it pays dividends. “Every year I have gone to the PNWA meeting in the District, we seem to come away with $100,000 more in funding for the following year,” he said. “These funds pay for the dredg- ing that is necessary to keep the channel of the Siuslaw River open for commercial and pleas- ure boats.” The elephant in the room is the degraded condition of the jetties, both at the mouth of the Siuslaw River and other port entries up and down the West Coast. Jetty funding has lagged behind maintenance and repair needs for decades. “One of the recurring conver- sations I have with U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio and others is about our jetties,” Forsythe said. “Almost every port that has jet- ties is doing the same thing. The Corps is right there behind us, saying help us, help us. Dredging is always an issue, but that goes hand in hand with the jetties. The worse the jetties are, the more dredging has to be done.” According to Forsythe, the two jetties at the enterance to the Siuslaw River have lost a total of 473 feet in length, due to ero- sion and storm activity. The estimated cost of repairs, including repositioning the angle of the jetties, is $120 mil- lion. F AMILY H AIR S TYLING Look your LOVELIEST to WELCOME SPRING... PHOTO BY JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS Siuslaw Pioneer Museum in Old Town Florence sports a new roof in addition to being mortgage-free, thanks to funds received from the estate of Jean Chapman. Museum board members plan for future upgrades, including an elevator, but will need additional funds. Haircut/Style $20.00 COLOR SPECIALS • SENIOR DISCOUNTS Open Mon, Th urs, Fri • Sat. by appt. 1525 12th Street 541-999-4215 • Judy Museum from 1A “We were doing pretty good on that until the last couple of years,” Phelps said. “The recession or something slowed Your #1 Local Yard, Garden, and Landscape Experts! Ready...set...GROW! Plant now for early summer harvest! Veggie starts, fragrant herbs, onion, and seed potatoes Just Arrived Japanese maples, new rhododendrons, fl owering cherries and plums in full bloom Plant an instant orchard 4-way grafted apple trees—Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Red Gravenstein, & Braeburn in one! Asian pear trees too! Check out our new line of colorful indoor pottery Pretty, bright colors. Great for orchids, violets, more! Feed your hummers! THANK YOU! Th ank you for visiting our exhibits at the Home & Garden Show! Come on by the store for more great ideas and everything you need to get growing! Lisa Walter-Sedlacek & David Sedlacek, owners Beautiful blown glass hummingbird feeders and mosaic bird feeders Our organic soils and compost can help increase your success! the giving way down.” Even though the museum is debt free, future expansion projects far exceed the balance of the funds remaining from the bequeathal. Plans include expansion of Show the museum’s library area to create an artifact intake and storage area, a work area and added display area. “As we gather more funds we will probably extend the covered porch area,” Phelps from 1A “We base the success of the show on comments about the quality and variety of vendors we receive from those attend- ing and vendor feedback and sales. By all accounts, it was a great show for many of the vendors and a tremendous show according to some. ... Show reviews from those who attended were extremely posi- tive,” said Thompson. More than 2,000 people attended this year’s show. The Florence Home and Garden Show will return in INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS Th e City of Florence is requesting proposals for catering services for the Florence Events Center (FEC). Th e FEC intends to establish multiple contracts to a pool of qualifi ed contractors providing Catering Services. Th e closing date for proposals is March 19, 2015 at 4:00 PM. Interested parties can view and download a Request for Proposal (RFP) application by visiting www.eventcenter.org or by contacting the Florence Events Center at 541-997-1994. Proposals will be accepted at the FEC located at 715 Quince Street, Florence Oregon, 97439. “We’re glad to get you growing!” Award-winning Landscaping Service LCB#6718 Patios • Water Features • Fire Pits Outdoor Lighting • Irrigation Systems Home & Garden Décor NURSERY • LANDSCAPING • GARDEN CENTER 88493 Hwy. 101 Florence Open 7 days • Just 2 min. N. of Fred Meyer 10% Senior Discount Every Tuesday 997-5973 www.LaurelBayGardens.com Find us on Facebook said. “Four more display rooms are planned, in addition to an elevator to make the sec- ond floor accessible to every- one. This is where we need to direct these legacy funds.” 2016 with its milestone 20th annual event. Bank from 1A Employees volunteer their services, including thousands of hours of company-paid time. Portland Business Journal recognized Siuslaw Bank as one of the top philanthropic companies in the state. Also, the bank received the Community Caring Award from the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce in 2009. Dee Osborne, vice presi- dent and manager for the Mapleton and Florence branches, said, “I think Banner Bank is going to be great for the community. It’s all the same staff that you love in both Mapleton and Florence.” Some staff members have been part of the bank for more than 20 years. Banner Bank can be accessed online at BannerBank.com. In Mapleton, it can be reached at 541-268-4462 and at 10756 Highway 126. In Florence, call 541-997- 3486 or go to 777 Highway 101. Always Something Happening 541.997.1994 | 888.968.4086 715 Q UINCE S TREET | F LORENCE , OR 97439 | WWW . EVENTCENTER . ORG Voice Your Opinion! EDITOR@ THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM