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WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ DECEMBER 30, 2015 ❘ $1.00
W INTER S PORTS
P REVIEW
JANUARY EVENTS
CALENDAR
INSIDE — A8
SPORTS — B2
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Heceta
Water PUD
declares
emergency
CHRISTMAS DINNER
SETS NEW RECORD
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
WATER SHORTAGE
FLORENCE, OREGON
Water curtailment issued
for Collard Lake area north
of Florence after landslide
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
On Dec. 23, Heceta Water People’s Utility
District (HWPUD) called an emergency
board meeting to notify board members and
inform residents in the Collard Lake area that
a water curtailment was necessary to ensure
public safety.
The board declared an emergency water
shortage and a Level 4 emergency water cur-
tailment.
HWPUD is asking homes on View Road,
View Cul-de-sac, Ocean Way, Collard Lake
Road, Collard Lake Loop and Collard Lake
Way to reduce water usage by 30 percent
until March 1.
According to HWPUD, the devastating
landslide on Mercer Lake Road on Dec. 18
reduced the PUD’s capacity to fill the Mercer
Lake tank.
“The slide originated on Chapman Road
above Santa Road,” said HWPUD District
Manager Carl Neville.
A large section of the PUD’s main fill line
for the Mercer Lake tank runs along
Chapman Road, and is approximately 8 feet
from the slide’s originating point. As of
Monday, the ground around Chapman Road
continues to flow water down the hillside.
On Dec. 18, the PUD decided to shut off
the water line to make sure that the line was
not part of future damage.
Neville said that engineers began working
on an alternate option to bring water to the
neighborhood.
Engineer Aaron Speakman from Dyer
Partnership in Coos Bay addressed the board
and explained some of the reasoning.
“We agreed it’s a good decision not to pur-
sue that pipeline anymore,” Neville said.
At the board meeting, Siuslaw Valley Fire
and Rescue (SVFR) Fire Chief Jim Langborg
and Fire Marshal Sean Barrett indicated the
fire department’s willingness to help public
safety.
“Jim and his crew were just asking how
they can help. They’re great like that,”
Neville said.
SVFR responded to the Mercer Lake Road
landslide, which killed a 70-year-old woman
and her dog. Since then, the department has
made sure residents in at-risk areas know
what to do in case of further slides.
See
WATER 7A
PHOTOS BY CATHERINE ROURKE
Elks Lodge volunteer Bonnie MacDuffee pours some holiday cheer while serving free meals Christmas Day with 75 other volunteers.
Estimated 950 dinners served at Florence Elks’ 8th annual event
E
xceeding last year’s record-breaking numbers
by almost 100 dinners, the eighth annual Elks
Community Appreciation Dinner on Dec. 25
served approximately 950 dinners.
Elks Lodge kitchen liaison
“We received about $1,305
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Bill Brown said, “We went
in donations,” Brown said.
________________
through 320 pounds of
“The Elks kick in the rest all
turkey, eight hams and 84
year long.”
pies, plus stuffing, potatoes and green
Elks spokesman Howard Ziebell said,
beans.”
“The dinner is our way of thanking the
More than 70 volunteers cooked,
community for supporting the lodge.”
served and cleaned dishes. The dinners,
The Elks also see the dinner as a way
which were free to guests, were served
to offer the community a time to gather
from 12 to 3 p.m. Christmas Day.
together and enjoy a good meal amid a
“Kitchen help started cooking hams
festive holiday atmosphere.
and turkeys at about 4 a.m. Christmas
“Florence has an aging population and
Day,” Brown said.
there are a lot of people who are alone,”
Each diner also received a free raffle
Ziebell said. “This is a nice way for
ticket and a chance to win one of five
them to get out and interact with others.”
gift baskets.
River Cities Taxi provided free rides
According to Brown, the cost of the
to and from the lodge for diners need-
dinner is approximately $5,000.
ing transportation.
Event co-chair and
head cook Julie Brown
(above, far right)
arrived with other
kitchen volunteers at
4 a.m. to prepare 320
pounds of turkey at
the Elks Lodge.
Port’s property acquisition may hinge on environmental testing
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Port of Siuslaw commis-
sioners held a special meeting
Dec. 18 to discuss several top-
ics, including if and how to
move forward on the purchase
of a 50-acre parcel located just
north of the North Fork
Births . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A2
B8
A5
A4
Siuslaw River Bridge along
Highway 126.
The board has agreed to
place an earnest money offer
on the property, owned by Don
Wilbur LTD, but has concerns
about environmental testing
that might be required by state
and federal agencies.
Interim Port Manager Dina
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
School Zone . . . . . . . . . Insert
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
McClure said, “It would
behoove the port to have some
time to contact the (Oregon
State) Marine Board and the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife to see what they
would require in the event we
want to pave the property and
turn it into additional parking
and a boat ramp.”
THIS WEEK ’ S
McClure said the port would
need more than the 60 days
requested in the initial earnest
money draft agreement to do any
testing that might be required.
She said the contract was still
being negotiated and there was
room for discussion, suggesting
to extend the closing date to
May or June. She also pointed
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WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
out the potential downside of not
doing appropriate research.
“I contacted our insurance
agent who contacted Special
Districts of Oregon and there
were some comments about
making sure we take the time to
do our due diligence,” McClure
said. “They said the Port of St.
Helens has to spend $7 million
to deal with a piece of property
that they found contamination
on, and they are recommending
that the port look into what kind
of environmental testing we
think would be required for what
we want to do and have the time
available to do that.”
S IUSLAW N EWS
125 TH Y EAR ❘ I SSUE N O . 104
C OPYRIGHT 2015
See
PORT 7A