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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 Poetry events set for October Art The first 20 students from ages 13 to 17 will receive free tickets. A $5 fee covers the performance and workshop in Hip-Hop poetry. Bring a clip- board, notebook or laptop. Purchase tickets at the FRAA Art Center, 120 Maple St. in Old Town. The event is sponsored by Three Rivers Casino Resort, Florence Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Organic Pest Control. For more information, visit www.fraaoregon.org, or call Bettie Egerton at 503-910- 3625. Watch for the quarterly poetry contest Friday, Oct. 9. from 1A The three-sided, hand paint- ed tiled column represents three of the most well known features of Florence: the Port of Siuslaw, the Siuslaw River and the dunes. “Off and on, it took me about two months to com- plete,” artist Kat Cunningham said. “I went out and shot pho- tos of actual scenes so that peo- ple could recognize that this is the town they live in.” FRAA President Harlen Springer first presented the public art project to the Port of Siuslaw in November 2014. The port was already dis- cussing locating art along the boardwalk area east of Bay Street. After the positive response to the initial presentation, FRAA decided to approach the City of Florence as well. “We took that presentation to the city council and showed them what FRAA had done already,” Springer said. “The city passed a resolution that formed a citywide, city-spon- sored public art committee. Hopefully in years to come there will be a lot more public art around.” Once port commissioners had approved the concept, funding became the next hurdle to overcome. “The port has been com- pletely supportive,” Springer explained. “It donated this piece of land. Following that, Stocks. Bonds. CDs. IRAs. Mutual funds. Andy Baber, AAMS® Financial Advisor . 1010 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8755 www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC City from 1A The city’s interest in increas- ing economic development goes hand-in-hand with local state and county governments that are creating initiatives in energy and resources. According to Henry, govern- ment support is there, but the city first has to step forward with potential projects. The focus of those projects, FLORENCE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESENTS ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! Florence, Oregon’s SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015 8:30 am - 7 pm JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS FRAA public art steering committee members Bob Forsythe, Bettie Egerton, Jennifer French, artist Kat Cunningham, Sharon Stiles, Ron Hildenbrand and Harlen Springer celebrate the unveiling of the group’s first public art project last Friday. Other mem- bers (not pictured) include Wendy FarleyCampbell and Kelli Weese. we had very generous contribu- tions from Bob Forsythe and Western Lane Community Foundation.” In total, $7,500 was raised to fund the project. In March, FRAA issued a call to artists to solicit propos- als for the public art piece. In June, Kat Cunningham’s pro- posal was selected by FRAA and she began work on the project. Friday afternoon, the artistic labor of love was unveiled to an appreciative crowd that included port and city officials and many members of the Florence artistic community. A reception at the new FRAA Art Center in Old Town followed the unveiling. he hopes, is to “attract some entities or companies that can create jobs that provide a living wage. That will allow people to buy a home, stay here and raise a family.” One supporter the city may partner with is the Eugene- based RAIN: Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network. Another is FertiLab Thinkubator, from the Eugene- Springfield area. Both services help entrepre- neurs develop products, net- work, find mentorship — and FertiLab also provides work- space. If those programs worked with Florence, they would pro- vide local residents with resources that aren’t currently available to people who have creative ideas, but no outlet. Reynolds is scheduling two informal “Coffee Meet-Ups” to start to grow support among the local population. “They’re going to help us and show us how to do it,” Reynolds said. “I think we can go out and make this work. If we can get one business going because of it, it’s great.” Henry said, “What might work really well in Florence is that start-up, encouraging atmosphere for entrepreneurs and people that are innovative. I think that what we have as a resource is the mentors.” He wants to work to create the environment where innova- tors can meet with mentors. Reynolds said, “The reason why Florence is more premier — and we like to be competi- tive — than some of our coun- terparts on the coast is because we were successful in turning from a resource-based econo- my, with the fishing and the timber. It was a very strategic and intentional thing that they did with Old Town, tourism FLORENCE EVENTS CENTER “Gemutlichkeit” FESTIVAL & BREAKFAST - $10.00 FESTIVAL ONLY - $5.00 VARIETY OF GERMAN FOOD, CRAFT BEERS, ACTIVITIES AND FUN! KINDER KORNER OFF Implants NOW WIENER DOG RACES 3pm 1am e event 8:30a y m ad -1 mission to th all da $10 includes Dr. James Ridley,DDS FREE CONSULTATION 10am TO 4pm EAKF AS T R B S IS N A W IW K 45% ENTER TAINM E NT DANC ING GAME S BIER • BRATS Authentic German Food, Wine & Cider Benefi t for Florence Area Non Profi ts WWW.FLORENCECHAMBER.COM Underwriter: Th ree Rivers Casino Resort Event Sponsors: Port of Siuslaw & Old Town Inn Distinguished Sponsors: 101 Th ings To Do • Banner Bank • Bi-Mart • Burns’s Riverside Chapel Coast Radio • Drift wood Shores Resort and Convention Center Florence Heating & Sheet Metal Inc • Fred Meyer Stores • Oregon Pacifi c Bank PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center • Sea Lion Caves Siuslaw News • Spruce Point Assisted Living TR Hunter Real Estate • Th e Shippin’ Shack/Siuslaw Signs See the DentureMaster’s difference, we do it all right here! 206 Nopal Street Florence, OR 97439 CALL NOW 541-997-6226 VISIT THE GREENMAN Celebrating our FIRST ANNIVERSARY! Thank you for your patronage. Remember that every Tuesday is “Tie Dye Tuesday” Wear tie dye into the store on Tuesdays and get 10% off all purchases. 375 Laurel St. Mon-Sat. 9am-5pm 541-741-3106 “Someone told me, ‘Now we have a place to tell people where to meet. We can meet at the Florence scenic col- umn,’” Cunningham said. “I love that.” __________ Follow Jack on Twitter @SNews_Jack. Email him at jack@thesiuslawnews.com. and capitalizing on the recre- ational tourism and being a full-service city here. You have what you need here to survive and live and flourish.” She added that Florence appeals to people because of its affordability and mild, temper- ate climate. “I don’t know if it’s some- thing where you can say it’s going to be like it ever was before, but I think every one is OK with that. (Our economy) won’t be like it was before. And there are talents and resources left over that add to who we are today and what can work well here,” she said. Currently, the city is work- ing to create a climate where developers want to come in. Reynolds described the Florence Planning Depart- ment’s strengths in working with developers on a seven- acre plot of land near the Florence Events Center. This new construction, which could begin in the first half of 2016, will bring senior housing and medical and build- ing jobs. “This is our first success in our fledgling economic devel- opment,” Henry said. Florence is also trying to work closer with other local taxing authorities, like the Tribes, Dunes City, schools and the Port of Siuslaw. They have many of the same goals, Henry said, so working together creates an economy of scale. “I think the key to our suc- cess will probably be some- thing we haven’t thought of yet,” he said. “That’s where those innovators come in.” Reynolds followed with, “Which means you have to cre- ate the environment that the mayor has created by saying, ‘Hey, we’re here and we’re open to business.’” They hope this environ- ment for change, growth and development will bring small-scale manufacturing, transportation, energy and more art to the area. “Our job is to try to make Florence attractive and visi- ble,” Henry said. “We have to get out there and market Florence, so people in turn will come and get it done. “I do think our city can grow, and can grow economi- cally. We’re just getting start- ed.” __________ Follow Chantelle on Twitter @SNews_Chantelle. Email her at cmeyer@thesiuslawnews.com. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK October celebrates the spo- ken word with The Break-Beat Poets’ special performance and workshop Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Florence Regional Arts Alliance Art Center. The workshop will be from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by a question and answer session at 5:30 p.m. Four members from the group of 78 nationally known poets will wow Florence with this new wave of poetry. Break-Beat excites the Hip- Hop generation. Poetic rhythm has long been appreciated, but this new brand of verse cap- tures the lyrical and rhythmic quality of today’s music. 9 A