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SATURDAY EDITION
HIGH-FLYING
ACTION
LEARNING
TO RIDE
SPORTS — B
INSIDE — A3
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 51
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Ambulance,
fire districts
to share
leadership
FLORENCE, OREGON
SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM
MOBILE DELIVERY
Starting
up and
taking off
RAIN programs focus
on new ventures,
attracting customers
Both boards of directors
view intergovernmental
agreement as ‘win-win’
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
At their June meetings, the boards of
directors of Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue and Western Lane Ambulance
District signed an intergovernmental
agreement (IGA) for shared administrative
services. Fire Chief Jim Langborg will be
the head of operations for both agencies
starting Friday, July 1.
The signed IGA is a policy decision by
both boards to share and combine admin-
istrative services “in an effort to improve
organizational efficiencies and save tax-
payer money.”
“What we do today affects tomorrow. If
we do this right, this could really have
some long-term positive implications for
our community and the services we pro-
vide,” Langborg said.
Western Lane Board President Mike
Webb said, “I see it as a win-win. It looks
to me to be a very good starting point from
which we can begin to build this kind of
relationship.”
Western Lane first considered sharing
administration services while it drafted its
2016 strategic plan. In February, Interim
Executive Director Brian Burright and
Webb approached Siuslaw Valley about
the possibility of an IGA.
“This is a request that Western Lane
made to allow us the consideration and
explore our option to fill a vacancy in our
executive director position,” Burright said.
After meetings to gauge interest,
Siuslaw Valley agreed to pursue the IGA.
The planning process entailed three meet-
ings in May and June and participation by 15
representatives of the community and board
members, administration and employees of
Western Lane and Siuslaw Valley.
Webb said, “The process has been
painstakingly slow — with a purpose. We
started out with a broad overview, nar-
rowed it down and addressed every con-
cern that was brought up.”
The IGA details the administrator’s role
over both districts, timelines for the imple-
mentation plan, a chain of command and
the creation of an administrative advisory
committee. Both boards will oversee the
administrator.
Siuslaw Valley Board President John
Scott said, “It’s a win-win for both sides.
We have a legally reviewed agreement that
See
❘ JUNE 25, 2016 ❘ $1.00
IGA 7A
PHOTOS BY JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw School District cafeteria staff members
Vicki Prociew, Diane Larson and Scarlet Craspay
hand out free lunches to youth June 23 as part of
the district’s mobile van lunch program.
School district offers
free lunches for youth
maroon van pulls up, the back doors open and
free lunches are handed out to anyone 18 and
younger. No questions asked.
Under the supervision of Siuslaw School District
Food Services Manager Dave Bitner, this new mobile
lunch program runs Monday through Friday this sum-
mer for local youth.
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Food for Lane County ran
Siuslaw News
the program for years, accord-
__________________
ing to Bitner, but because they
are located in Eugene, managing the Florence pro-
gram became problematic and the program’s manager
asked Bitner and the school district to take over.
“It sounds daunting,” Bitner said, “but in reality, it
is just a continuation of what
we have done all year.”
See LUNCH 7A
A
e Bitner
Manager Dav
ls.
Food Services
for lunch mea
prepares fruit
City of Florence and
Regional Accelerator and
Innovation Network (RAIN)
held their ninth meeting in the
Florence area at Ocean Dunes
Golf Links on June 1. The
Founders Fireside Chat featured
three success stories by Lane
County-based start-ups.
Local entrepreneur Carl
Hulan, founder of mobile-
device app Lofoodal.com, intro-
duced the meeting and RAIN’s
venture catalyst, Caroline
Cummings.
“The purpose of RAIN is to
spur economic growth, espe-
cially in the traded sector of the
economy,” Hulan said.
He has been working closely
with Cummings and RAIN’s
resources to further grow his
app that connects local farmers
to consumers.
Cummings said, “If you have
a big idea, we can work with
you. I connect you to mentors,
capital, space and anyone you
need to help you get your busi-
ness going faster than you
would doing it alone.”
RAIN offers periodic
Accelerator programs with 12
weeks of mentorship, small
cohorts and specialized training to
help start-ups define their audi-
ence, refine their products and
take off into the business world.
RAIN and the City of
Florence are working with part-
ners Lane Community College,
Small Business Development
Center and Florence Area
Chamber of Commerce to bring
a pre-Accelerator to the coast.
Cummings is working on
getting grant money from the
Ford Family Foundation, but
promised to bring “some sort of
program to help” even if it isn’t
RAIN’s usual 12-week course.
The June 1 meeting’s three
speakers — Derek Schloss,
Katie Brown and Todd Edman
— spoke about their early start-
ups, current projects and how
RAIN helped them reach “the
next level” in growth.
See
RAIN 7A
SCHOOL ART PROGRAM MOVES FORWARD, ENLISTS ARTISTS
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Seven local artists signed up for the
Arts in Schools project after meeting
with Lane Arts Council (LAC) repre-
sentative Laren Suveges and Siuslaw
elementary and middle school princi-
pals June 30 to learn about the coun-
cil’s program at the Florence Regional
Arts Alliance (FRAA) art center.
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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LAC has operated the Arts in Schools
program since 1978. Suveges said it is
the organization’s longest running pro-
gram and is designed to supplement dis-
trict art studies curriculum. Because of
the distance between the council’s head-
quarters in Eugene and the Siuslaw
School District, it is the only Lane
County school district not participating
in the program.
Suveges, elementary school Principal
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Mike Harklerode, middle school
Principal Andy Grzeskowiak and FRAA
President Harlen Springer hope to
change that with the help of local artists.
The program helps train artists to
teach their area of artistic expertise to
students in various grade levels.
“We explained the program to them
in detail,” Springer said. “We also had
the two principals share their interest
and support for the program. Overall,
THIS WEEK ’ S
the artists were very enthusiastic about
the program and the idea of participat-
ing in it.”
The seven artists that signed up for
the initial meeting are Melanie Heard
of Children’s Repertory of Oregon
Workshops (CROW), Carol Clark
who works in oils, watercolors and
pastels; John Leasure, oils and acrylic;
Catherine Deuter, oils, graphite and
colored pencils; Jane Connelley, col-
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Full Forecast, A3
ored pencil, watercolors, sculpture and
mosaic tiles; Rosie Hill, zentangle;
and Jo Beaudreau, photography,
mixed media and art basics.
“By the end of July these artists will
be contacted again to go through a vet-
ting process to ensure that what they
teach and how they teach it is appropriate
for a school setting,” Springer said.
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ART 7A
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