THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
❘
/ SIUSLAWNEWS ❘
@ SIUSLAWNEWS
SATURDAY EDITION
VIKS NAB
DOUGLAS
❘ JANUARY 30, 2016 ❘ $1.00
PHYSICS
IN ACTION
SCHOOL ZONE
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 9
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
Siuslaw explores new high school bond funding
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
During the Jan. 13 meeting, Siuslaw
School Board members discussed
placing a bond measure on the May 17
ballot to fund a new high school.
This would be the first capital-
improvement bond measure submitted
to voters by the district since the $15.6
million middle school construction
bond was approved in 1999. That bond
will expire in 2019.
A new state school district capital
improvement grant, which could pro-
vide up to $4 million toward the proj-
ect, added to the sense of urgency.
Siuslaw School District Business
Manager Kari Blake said, “For the first
time, the state has sold bonds at the state
level so that districts could utilize those
Districts were ranked one through
197, with those in greatest need placed
at the top of the list and given priority
access to the funds. Because Siuslaw
was ranked 165, the district was
required to apply for the grant and
then be put into a lottery with other
districts less in need.
See
SCHOOL 8A
TH
Dunes City
E
gains major with the 2016 Rhododendron Court
triathlon
SENIOR
sponsor
COURt
CATCH
Three Rivers Casino Resort
backs 4th annual open-water
swim, bike and run event
WAVE
PRINCESSES
Hanna Anderson
Taylor Coolidge
Lyndsey Keppol
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
JUNIOR COURT PRINCESses
INSIDE
Dunes City interim administrator Jamie Mills
announced at the Jan. 14 council meeting that
Three Rivers Casino Resort had agreed to be a
$4,000 presenting sponsor for the May 7 Dunes
City Triathlon and Duathlon.
“Oregon Dunes Triathlon and Duathlon is a
fantastic opportunity to bring in competitors
from all over the state to
visit our local area,” said
Mike Rose, chief operat-
ing officer at Three
Rivers Casino Resort.
“We are thrilled to be a
presenting sponsor in this
year’s races.”
The Dunes City
Triathlon, now in its
fourth year, has grown
every year in participants
and spectators. Last
year’s event attracted 203
participants and more
than 200 spectators.
The race is the first
open-water triathlon and
the first USA Triathlon
sanctioned event of the
season. It is also the only
Olympic-distance
triathlon on the Oregon
coast.
The race begins with a 1,500-meter (.932-
mile) swim around a course set up in Woahink
Lake, followed by a 40-kilometer (24.8-mile)
bike race and culminating with a 10-kilometer
(6.2-mile) run that finishes atop the tall sand
dune at the south end of Cleawox Lake.
The event also has a Duathlon that includes
the bike and run portions, without the swim-
ming.
Both races have shorter “sprint” versions of
approximately half the distance.
Dunes City continues to seek additional
sponsors at $100 community supporter, $500
silver sponsor, $1,000 gold sponsor, $2,500
platinum sponsor, $4,000 presenting sponsor
and $7,500 title sponsor levels. For more infor-
mation, call Dunes City Hall at 541-997-3338.
Under new business at the meeting, the
council announced that Tom Mallen and Brett
McKnight have been appointed to the Planning
Commission and that Mallen, McKnight, Jim
Ryan and Larry Overman were appointed to
serve on the budget committee.
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B9
Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . A10
Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Rhealeigh Dascher
— first grade
Riley May Selig
— second grade
Lexis Flansberg
— third grade
Kristin Wall
— fourth grade
Sunshine Armer
— fifth grade
JUNIOR COURT PRINCES
Tony Garcia Galvan
— first grade
Roman Meadows
— second grade
Chance Jones
— third grade
Cort Waggoner
— fourth grade
Kenji Tanikawa
— fifth grade
COURTESY PHOTOS
New team-focused format announced for this year’s court
“C
atch the Wave” is the theme of
the 109th Rhododendron
Festival this year, and the 2016
Rhododendron Court will get
into the momentum with a whole new format.
“This is a pivotal year,” said Rhody Court adviser
Cindy Wobbe. “This year we chose to continue the
conscious effort of moving away from a pageant.
We want to hold on to the
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
showcase, but we want to
________________________
focus the whole Rhody
Court program on mentorship, citizenry, community
service and bringing our young people up to be
good citizens.”
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Word on the Street . . . . . . . A9
THIS WEEK ’ S
Three Siuslaw High School
students make up the entire
Senior Court this year: senior
Lyndsey Keppol and juniors
Hanna Anderson and Taylor
Coolidge.
The Florence Area Chamber
of Commerce and Eric Tanikawa
worked to add five Junior
Princes to the festival court.
“I am really excited to help
coordinate the Junior Prince
Court and for them to be part of
a Florence tradition,” Tanikawa
said in an announcement last
year.
The five boy students are
Tony Garcia Galvan, first grade;
Roman Meadows, second grade;
Chance Jones, third grade; Cort
Waggoner, fourth grade; and
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
48 37
47 36
48 42
50 46
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
Kenji Tanikawa, fifth grade.
Five students make up the
Junior Court Princesses. They
are Rhealeigh Dascher, first
grade; Riley May Selig, second
grade; Lexis Flansberg, third
grade; Kristin Wall, fourth
grade; and Sunshine Armer,
fifth grade.
With the 10 members of the
Junior Court, that left the three
Senior Court Princesses outnum-
bered.
“Rather than pit three high
school girls against each other
and have one winner, we decid-
ed to create a team environment
so each senior court member
will have a team,” Wobbe said.
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 24 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
See
RHODY 8A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
dollars for capital improvement.”
Through a complicated formula, the
state has ranked all 197 school dis-
tricts according to poverty levels with-
in the community, property tax values
and enrollment.
Blake said the state legislature has
set aside about $125 million for the
current biennium, of which up to 60
percent may be used this school year.
State program could grant up to $4 million toward construction