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WEDNESDAY EDITION
TRACK
CHAMPS
RHODY
FEST 2016
SPECIAL PROGRAM INSIDE
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 40
Bay Street
open for
business
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
109 TH ANNUAL RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL
RIDE THE WAVE
ODOT construction
under bridge cleared
for Rhody Days
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
DUNES CITY
Triathlon
nets $4K
thanks to
sponsors
Event turns a profit
for the first time in
its 4-year history
Siuslaw News
Oregon
Department
of
Transportation (ODOT) prom-
ised that no lane closures will
take place on Bay Street in Old
Town after 10 a.m. on Thursday,
May 19, through the end of the
Rhododendron Festival on
Sunday, May 22.
Assistant Project Manager
Mike Stennett said ODOT crews
will most likely still be working,
but will work within the con-
tainment system rather than
block traffic during some of
Florence’s busiest days.
Both lanes of Bay Street are
open under the bridge to allow
full access to the Veteran’s
Memorial Park and additional
public parking by the old Lotus
Restaurant.
“Some parking is still affect-
ed,” Stennett said.
He said a sandtruck and some
other ODOT equipment remain
parked near the construction
site. The entire small parking lot
south of Bay Street and directly
under the bridge is closed to
public access.
ODOT’s Siuslaw River
Bridge Cathodic Protection
Project is making repairs to the
bridge’s existing concrete and
reinforcements and applying-
protection and seismic restraints
to help maintain the integrity of
the bridge.
Crews are also replacing the
ornamental bridge rails and
improving pedestrian access to
the bridge.
Work is to be completed by
the end of March 2019.
Work will continue on the
north end of the bridge within
the containment above the park-
ing lot south of Bay Street and
on the first over water span.
❘ MAY 18, 2016 ❘ $1.00
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
D
avis Amusement Carnival prepares to “Catch the Wave!” at the
Port of Siuslaw with the 109th annual Rhododendron Festival,
which starts Friday and runs through Sunday, May 22. The carni-
val’s rides and treats will be open to the public today at 4 p.m.
and throughout the rest of Rhody Days. For more information, look in
today’s paper for a special Rhododendron Festival program.
Dunes City Mayor Rebecca
Ruede announced during the May
12 city council meeting that the
Oregon Dunes Triathlon and
Duathlon event, held earlier this
month, turned a profit for the first
time in its four-year history.
The event netted approximate-
ly $4,000 after expenses, accord-
ing to Ruede. She attributed the
significant increase in revenue to
the overwhelming financial spon-
sorship support provided by 34
local businesses, organizations
and individuals.
Athletic participation was also
up for the fourth straight year,
with more than 300 athletes com-
peting. Ruede confessed that the
Dunes City Council team finished
second to the team fielded by
state Sen. Arnie Roblan, but they
did beat the City of Florence team
due to the fact that they were a
no-show.
“We couldn’t have asked for a
more Dunes City Chamber of
Commerce day. It was beautiful.
Everyone was on cloud-nine,”
Ruede said. “It was a great
event.”
Dunes City Manager Jamie
Mills said, “One local Florence
business hosted a gathering for
the volunteers and athletes fol-
lowing the event. They contacted
city hall shortly after to tell us
that was their biggest film night
in the history of that business and
they will be more than happy to
do it again next year.”
See
TRIATHLON 9A
ELECTION 2016
Looking
for election
results?
INSIDE
Readers looking for results
from the May 17 Primary
Election in Oregon will have
to wait until Saturday’s issue
of the Siuslaw News to see
them in print.
The results were made pub-
lic last night beginning at 8
p.m., after the paper’s print
deadline, but an updated tally
can be found online under
Breaking News on our website
www.TheSiuslawNews.com.
Lane County Elections will
continue to provide updates
on the results until all ballots
are processed.
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B8
A5
A2
A4
FAHS now known as Oregon Coast Humane Society
increases the number of animals who
get to spend their nights in a loving,
responsible home instead of a shelter,”
Garrett said.
The shelter’s reach recently expand-
ed into southern Oregon through dili-
gent follow up by OCHS staff, volun-
teers and a tabby-striped Scottish fold
named Buddy, who entered care at the
humane society last year after his
owner passed away.
Florence’s only FIV+ cat.
It was a perfect fit to move Buddy to
Sanctuary One in Jacksonville, Ore.,
which houses one of the only specially
sages each week about lost pets, adop-
designed FIV+ facilities in the entire
tion programs and even donations from
state. He can now live out his days in
the community in South Carolina.
the lap of luxury at the new facility, but
Becoming OCHS should help both
he and the five other FIV+ cats there
Florences provide better service to
also are available for adoption.
their area shelters.
“The trip proved successful for all,”
“It takes all of us to do this work,”
said OCHS Marketing Director Alison
said OCHS Shelter Manager
Taplin. “We
Tanya Garrett.
found Buddy
“Developing new partnerships directly increases the a new home,
The humane society has
developed relationships with
number of animals who get to spend their nights in a solidified the
the Cat Adoption Team in
budding rela-
loving, responsible home instead of a shelter.”
Sherwood, Ore., and the
tionship with
—TANYA GARRETT, SHELTER MANAGER
Willamette Humane Society
the Sanctuary
in Salem, Ore., to help
One team and
Florence-area cats and dogs find their
Buddy has Feline Immunodeficiency forged a new one with the Southern
forever homes.
Virus (FIV+) — a disease transmitted Oregon Humane Society.”
“The more lives we can touch by to other cats through bodily fluids and
developing new partnerships directly nontransferable to humans — and was
See SHELTER 9A
Florence animal shelter’s name change
focuses on regional partnerships
S TAFF R EPORT
lorence Area Humane Society
announced Monday that it is offi-
cially changing its name to
Oregon Coast Humane Society
(OCHS). The humane society board of
directors has been pondering the name
change since earlier this year.
“The name change reflects the orga-
nization’s focus on network and out-
reach programs with myriad animal
welfare facilities across the state,” the
announcement said.
The name change also clears up con-
fusion stemming from a humane socie-
ty located in Florence, S.C., with a sim-
ilar name. Local shelter staff receive
multiple calls and social media mes-
F
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
63 50
57 45
59 47
62 50
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
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