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WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JULY 22, 2015 ❘ $1.00
Register for annual
book festival
SAND
JAM
SPORTS — B
INSIDE — A3
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Archie
Knowles
saved
POWERFUL FLORENCE
Power of Florence volunteers connect, collect, clean up for service day
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
MAPLETON
FLORENCE, OREGON
Lane County receives
state grant to reopen
popular campground
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Archie Knowles Campground,
located four miles east of Mapleton on
Highway 126 and closed by the U.S.
Forest Service (USFS) in 2012, will
reopen under the jurisdiction of Lane
County, thanks to an $84,976 grant
from the Oregon Parks and Recreation
Department.
The local government grant will
allow Lane County to rehabilitate and
reopen the 4.5-acre campground and
day-use area located along Knowles
Creek. According to county staff,
reopening the campground has been a
priority of area residents since the clo-
sure, when a group called “Save
Archie” was formed to promote the
reopening of the site.
The USFS closed the campground
— named after a former forest service
ranger who was the child of early area
settlers Albert and Lillian Knowles —
because it was deemed too expensive
to renovate and maintain. Lane County
has been in negotiations with the forest
service to take over the campground
since its closure three years ago.
“I am pleased to have played a small
part in the reopening of Archie Knowles
Campground,” said West Lane County
Commissioner Jay Bozievich. “The
credit goes to Lane County Parks staff,
the staff of the Siuslaw National Forest
and, most of all, to the community mem-
bers who would not let this gem of a park
stay closed.”
When learning of the reopening,
Angie Wilkerson, deli manager at
Randy’s Riverview Market in Mapleton,
said, “That will be awesome. A lot of
people like to camp there.”
Work on the campground is sched-
uled to begin in November and will
include updating the water, waste and
electrical systems and renovating the
restrooms. The project will also pave
all campsite spurs and create a camp-
site compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
The project is expected to be com-
pleted in time for reopening Memorial
Day, May 30, 2016.
NK/SIUSLAW NEWS,
PHOTOS BY RYAN CRO
SHANNON GRAHAM
AND
R
SME
MES
AN
MEG
Volunteers (clockwise from top left) take a Power walk, paint at Miller Park, spruce up Rolling Dunes Park, plant trees at East Woahink
Lake Day-Use Area, hold a Ducks vs. Beavers fundraiser, grill hot dogs to support the local humane society and wash cars for CROW
on Saturday. The day included 48 different events at locations all around the Florence area.
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
T
he fifth
annual
Power of
Florence
on Saturday was a
powerful experience
for the many volun-
teers, organizations
and community
members that made
the day of service
possible.
Led by 15-year-old
founder Kaylee Graham,
the day included 48 official
events. Graham and
Florence Mayor Joe Henry
opened the day at 9 a.m.
with the Power Walk
through Old Town.
“Power of Florence was a
tremendous event,” said
Henry at Monday’s city
council meeting. “It was a
great day and a fun time.”
Some groups began
working by 8 a.m. to beat
the summer heat.
“There were a lot of
groups that put in a lot of
effort,” Graham said. “I
thought it went really well.
... So many great things
were done around town.”
Besides the events out in
the community, many
groups hosted booths at the
Party in the Parking Lot at
Grocery Outlet. These
booths provided informa-
tion, collected donated
items and sold lunch and
treats.
There also was live
music and entertainment
from David Wiegan, Marty
Adams, John Stone, Jason
Wood’s vocal students, and
Children’s Repertory of
Oregon Workshops
C O O L P L A C ES
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum
TO VISIT THIS SUMMER
278 Maple St., Florence ❘ 541-997-7884
A T A GLANCE : The Siuslaw
Pioneer Museum is the home of
historic displays, pictures and
other information about the
Siuslaw River area, including the
pioneers and the City of
Florence. These displays feature
the pioneers whose occupations
were primarily as loggers and
fishermen.
In the early days, the Siuslaw River was the
primary and nearly exclusive means of travel in
the area. Visitors to the museum will have the
INSIDE
S PECIAL F EATURE :
This summer we are
highlighting unique
spots that make the
central Oregon coast
one of the coolest
places to live and play.
A new location will be
featured each week.
Ambulance Runs . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A2
B6
A5
A4
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A6
THIS WEEK ’ S
single group that put on an
event or helped out.”
According to Shannon,
the day’s events exceeded
50 because more people
participated, proving that
residents have made Power
of Florence their day.
The Grahams provided
results from some of the
organizations:
Service projects
• The Florence Area
Democrats collected eight
bags of litter from two
miles of Highway 126.
opportunity to see real settings
that these early pioneers lived in.
The museum’s Research
Library has documentary infor-
mation regarding local history
and pioneer families. An audio-
visual presentation shows a brief
history of Florence along with
information on early shipwrecks.
COURTESY PHOTO
Museum hours for the sum-
mer are noon to 4 p.m. every day. Admission is
$3 for adults and free for children under age 16,
if accompanied by an adult, as well as members.
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
67 55
67 53
71 57
68 56
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
(CROW) song and dance
campers.
“It was a little quieter at
the parking lot this year
because the temperature
was so hot at 92 degrees,”
Graham said. “It was the
best day for lemonade.”
She also said that the
food, entertainment and
company was great.
“It was so fun and amaz-
ing seeing so many people
working around town,”
Graham said.
Her mother Shannon
Graham added, “So many
awesome people came out.
We want to recognize every
S IUSLAW N EWS
125 TH Y EAR ❘ I SSUE N O . 58
C OPYRIGHT 2015
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