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Surfing
the sand
❘ AUGUST 1, 2015 ❘ $1.00
‘WIGGLY’ DOG
ADOPTION
SPORTS — B
INSIDE — A3
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
Officials issue emergency order to limit
fire-prone activities along coast
S TAFF R EPORT
Siuslaw News
With record-breaking temperatures
scorching the state this week,
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and
Oregon Department of Forestry have
issued restrictions for all fire-prone
activities in the Florence and Dunes
City areas.
“Due to the current fire weather
forecasts, and to bring the entire dis-
trict into the same precaution level, I
am issuing the following emergency
order,” Fire Chief Jim Langborg said
Thursday. “I hereby order the follow-
ing restrictions for all lands protected
by Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue,
including the City of Florence and
Dunes City.”
Progress in
‘motion’
Effective immediately until further
notice:
• No open flames are allowed out-
doors, including campfires, warming
fires, cooking fires or ceremonial
fires. Fires are only allowed at pub-
lic-owned campgrounds with devel-
oped fire pits. Gas powered barbe-
ques are allowed, but are restricted to
use on hard, nonflammable surfaces
such as patios, driveways or green
irrigated lawns.
• No power equipment, such as
mowers, chainsaws, stump grinders,
etc., may be operated on or near dry
grass, brush or trees at anytime.
Mowing of green, irrigated lawns is
allowed before 1 p.m. and after 8
p.m.
• No smoking outside of buildings
or vehicles in any area with dry grass,
brush or trees.
• No operation of welding or
metal-cutting equipment outdoors in
areas with dry grass, brush or trees.
• All logging operations, includ-
ing power saws, cable yarders, trac-
tor/skidder, feller-buncher, forwarder
or shovel logging operations, are pro-
hibited.
• All construction operations
involving dozers or graders are
restricted to streets or roads, devel-
oped building sites or other areas of
nonflammable surfaces.
• Lot clearing is allowed with fire-
fighting capabilities on site. This
includes 200 gallons of water with
pump and hose. One hour of fire
watch is required.
See
HEAT 9A
ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP
Florence council checks in
on 2015 city goals
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
F
INSIDE
lorence City Manager Erin Reynolds
presented a mid-year update on
Florence City Council’s 2015 City
Goals at the council meeting on July 20. She
evaluated each of the city’s seven goals in
light of recent additions to city staff, new
committees, physical plant maintenance and
the beginning of two Rhododendron Drive
improvement projects.
In light of Florence’s mission — to meet
community expectations for municipal servic-
es, provide a vision for civic improvements,
maintain a quality environment and to posi-
tion Florence to have an economically viable
and sustainable future — the five city coun-
cilors chose seven main goals at the start of
their terms.
According to Reynolds, a management
team “polished the initial goals.”
“We’re reiterating that we are sustaining
and improving seven areas that already make
Florence ‘Oregon’s Premier Coastal
Community,’” Reynolds said.
The seven goals deal with such issues as
city service delivery, economic development,
livability and quality of life, financial sustain-
ability, organization and operations, trust and
communication and public safety.
“The Economic Development goal required
a twist (in our phrasing), emphasizing that we
must first create a strategy and then sustain
and improve that effort once created,” said
Reynolds.
So far this year, the city council appointed a
new city manager and a chief for the Florence
Police Department; new committees were
formed to address economic development and
public arts; the city and other agencies have
strengthened intergovernmental relations;
numerous volunteer opportunities donated
many hours of work; city staff and the council
finalized a 2015-16 budget; and created an
online social media presence on Twitter and
Facebook.
Reynolds added that city staff, elected offi-
cials, volunteers and the community achieved
the goals by having a strong mission state-
ment and direction.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge
your hard work as public servants and elected
officials who are unpaid,” Reynolds said to
the councilors. “The mayor and council have
provided us with their vision and direction.
Along with community support, we are
together able to put our ‘city in motion.’”
Moving forward, Reynolds is positive
about maintaining this motion.
“We are excited to work with our commu-
nity in sustaining and improving city opera-
tions on all fronts,” she said.
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
J
oe and Betty Swann from York, Pa., arrived in Florence on Monday in their rebuilt 1912 E-M-F touring car. At 5,011 miles
traveled, Florence is the midway stop on a 10,000-mile odyssey that will circumnavigate the United States. The Swanns left
York on May 30. To date, they have traveled through Pennsylvania; New York; Ontario, Canada; Michigan; Wisconsin; North
Dakota; Montana; Washington; Vancouver Island, B.C.; Juno, Alaska (by ferry); and Oregon. They plan to arrive back in
York in October. While in Florence, they stayed at the home of Rudy and Ursula Dittl.
Blue-green algae concerns addressed at meeting
Tim Otten, a
microbiology
researcher at
Oregon State
University,
discusses the
rise in toxic
algae blooms
around the
state to a full
house at
Woahink Lake
meeting hall.
Increase in toxic algae blooms
threaten water, people, marine life
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
More than 40 concerned
residents braved the heat
Wednesday evening to hear
a presentation by Tim Otten
of Oregon State University
on the risk assessment of
toxic blue-green algae
(microcystis) blooms.
The presentation, spon-
sored by the Siuslaw
Watershed Council, was
held at the Woahink Lake
community yurt.
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Word on the Street . . . . . . . A9
Otten, a microbiology
researcher who has been
studying toxic blue-green
algae blooms for several
years, told the group that
outbreaks were happening
more frequently and often
with more intensity now
than in previous years.
“There are three factors
that promote algae growth,”
Otten said. “First, there is
too much nitrogen and
phosphorus.”
According to Otten,
nitrogen and phosphorus
THIS WEEK ’ S
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
increase track population
growth.
More people require
more food, which requires
more fertilizer that is prima-
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
72 57
70 56
72 57
70 57
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
rily made up from nitrogen
and phosphorus.
He explained that adding
nitrogen or phosphorus to
an algae bloom sample will
S IUSLAW N EWS
125 TH Y EAR ❘ I SSUE N O . 61
C OPYRIGHT 2015
increase the growth. Adding
both will cause the greatest
amount of growth.
See
ALGAE 9A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
FIRE USE RESTRICTED DURING HEAT WAVE