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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2016)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016 Fourth from 1A Fire Marshal Sean Barrett said, “We received the normal ATV calls for a holiday week- end.” This included aiding a hiker with an emergency on Hobbit Trail, north of Florence off Highway 101. Barrett also said the fire department put out several fires from illegal or improper- ly used fireworks in the Florence area. “We usually get one call like that a year,” he said. Starting on June 28, the department received a call about legal fireworks set off in a driveway that ignited nearby grass. Other incidents through the weekend involved fire- works too close to dry grass and brush. “One fire moved towards the new, nice Sandpines West subdivision. It could have been bad, but we got there in time,” Barrett said. Five fires began in the brush — most likely from fireworks — on South Jetty Road on July 4, before Siuslaw Valley assisted with the Port of Siuslaw and Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual fireworks display in Old Town Florence. “Be careful where you use fireworks and keep a bucket and water on hand,” Barrett said. “Be aware of your sur- roundings and make sure noth- ing gets out of control.” Siuslaw Valley firefighters got the chance to enjoy the holiday weekend by participat- ing in Wings and Wheels Fly- In and Car Show on Saturday at the Florence Municipal Airport. “They enjoy getting to do that,” Barrett said. 7 A CELEBRATING OUR INDEPENDENCE More photos from the area’s 4th of July weekend events Voice your opinion! Submit letters to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com. Chamber NEW LIFE CHURCH UPC hosts FREE BBQ at MILLER PARK JULY 9TH 11:30AM UNTIL 2:00PM. 45% OFF Implants NOW FREE CONSULTATION See the DentureMaster’s difference, we do it all right here! Dr. James Ridley,DDS 206 Nopal Street Florence, OR 97439 CALL NOW 541-997-6226 from 1A The chamber has been the City of Florence’s tourism and marketing coordinators for the past two years. Its mission is to “champion the future of the greater Florence community as an innovative leader in eco- nomic vitality and active lifestyle.” As such, it focuses on mar- keting and tourism, economic development, annual and sea- sonal events and member serv- ices. Chamber Executive Director Bettina Hannigan said, “Our vision for Florence is a place to live, grow and raise our families and enjoy our golden — or, as my mother-in-law says, rusty — years. This is what we at the chamber call our leadership purpose.” One way the chamber is “making the circle bigger” is by collaborating with the Florence Events Center, Port of Siuslaw and the City of Florence to extend the influ- ence of the region. The Marketing Team, led by Chairwoman Cindy Wobbe, also brings together key mem- bers. “We get all the partners at the same time to discuss how we can collaborate and lever- age our marketing dollars, for we all have a limited pot to work with,” Wobbe said. “It’s FRAA ART CENTER really energizing to get differ- ent people in the same room who are excited about our community and what we have to offer, and taking it to the outside world.” Using the slogan “Too Much to Do in Just One Day,” the chamber has worked with the Transient Room Tax “to fuel our outreach to tourists, as tourism funds funnel into our overall economy,” the report said. Wobbe also showed the eco- nomic impact of several of the chamber’s biggest events. “Visitor spending at cham- ber events is $2.3 million,” she said. “It’s important to see the impact those three days of the Rhododendron Festival have on our community, bringing in $2,109,079. That’s directly injected into our local econo- my. It’s our signature event.” Old Town promotional events, such as Monday’s Fourth of July Fireworks and Pie and Melon Eating Contests, the Chowder Fest and Wine Walk, Florence Holiday Festival and Florence First Friday, bring in $15,000. This past weekend was the chamber’s Independence Day Festival, bringing in a project- ed $56,000 in visitor spending, and the Wings and Wheels Fly-In and Car Show on Saturday, a collaboration with the Lions Club, bringing in $70,000. “It’s important to put a dol- lar value on why we market our community to the outside world, and what that repre- 120 Maple Street Phone: 541-997-4435 Hours Open: Wed-Fri noon-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm Classes and Workshops How to Place Glass/Shiny Objects into Watercolor Paintings with Barbara Moore Learn the technique to make vases/ bowls in your watercolors look realistic. July 25th and 26th 9 am - 4 pm and July 27th, 9 am - 12:30 pm $140/member, $155/non-member Pre-registration at FRAA required 10 days prior to class start. Contact Polly 918-453-3244 or Barbara 918-869-8718 for questions Material list available at FRAA Whimsical Hand Building Ceramics with Alissa Clark Every Wednesday, 3 - 5 pm Per weekly session: $10/member, $15/ non-FRAA member, Clay/Firing extra No experience required. Class held at Alissa’s Studio at 180 Laurel Street. Register at FRAA or with Alissa. Contact Alissa for questions: 503-957-5222 Ceramics for Kids with Ben Calhoun and Alissa Clark Thursdays, 4-5 pm starting July 14th Fees and location same as class above. No experience required. Will ship at cost. Oil Painting with Michael Wood Wednesdays 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm Contact: fmwood@msn.com for details, fees, and more information Painting with John Leasure Saturdays (July 2, 9, 23 and 30) Fridays (July 15 ) 9:00 - 12 noon Contact: jnleasure@hotmail.com or 541-991-2754 for details and fees. For more information about classes, visit fraaoregon.org. To register for these classes, please call or visit FRAA at our art center on Maple Street. e c N ren W Flo O for ne i R gaz U a s M w e N Towns in America” in April and The Oregonian named Florence “People’s Choice” for best Oregon coast getaway earlier this year. “The dollar amount effect is incalculable, and we’re going to ride this Expedia wave for a long time,” Wobbe said. Many chamber members and others are now displaying the award icons on their mar- keting. Councilor Joshua Greene said, “Congratulations on what you’ve done. I’m so excited for the focus and refocus that’s happened with social media. It really is the way we operate today.” Wright said, “We’re making sure our online presence is doing everything we need for us and we’re pushing it for- ward.” “It’s working,” Wobbe said. “This year will be even more exciting. We think we’re your marketing solution for the City of Florence and we think we’re rocking it out of the park. I hope you do too.” The councilors thanked the chamber membersfor the pres- entation. “You have a great team in place,” said Mayor Joe Henry. “Stable economic develop- ment, tourism, education and community all play a signature part of the chamber’s overall focus,” Hannigan said. “We can all agree that we want to see a city that brings opportu- nities for our families and our children.” Shelter Turning 20 The Oregon Coast Humane Society Tanya Garrett And Alison Taplin T Spoken Word Poetry Class for Teens with Noah Schultz and Stephen Fowler Teens will be guided through writing their own poems and performing them. At the end, there will be a Teen Spoken Word Poetry Slam for them to perform their work. Free to all. Mondays, Jul 11 - Aug 29, 3 - 5 pm For questions call Bettie Egerton, 503-910-3625 Creative Writing Workshops - Writers on the River with Catherine Rourke Upcoming classes: July 16th, August 20th 9 am - 11 am $20/member, $25/non-FRAA member To register, call 541-708-2120 or email CJReditor@gmail.com sents to shop owners, busi- nesses and employment,” Wobbe said. To better target the outside market, the chamber has shift- ed focus to online marketing and social media. Robbie Wright, owner of Siuslaw Broadband, is on the chamber’s Technology Committee. “One of the biggest things we did was migrate the site to a very mobile-friendly web- site. It was really critical for us to do, especially before Rhody Days,” he said. Now, florencechamber.com is more navigable for smart- phones, tablets and people on the go. “Our website is our single most important marketing tool,” Wobbe said. “From there, traffic distributes into areas of interest.” Easily shareable content — vital for users of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites — and the instant success of local resident Deborah Heldt Cordone’s video of orcas on the Siuslaw River helped bring the chamber into a new realm of visibility. Wobbe said, “We’re getting noticed all over the place. It’s the power of social media. Influential people like blog- gers, travel bloggers and peo- ple from Expedia have noticed us. We’ve received two awards this year due to the effect of social media.” Expedia ranked Florence one of “The 30 Most Beautiful O A Coming and Going Conversations with the former and incoming school superintendents Ethel Angal And Andy Gzreskowiak Sponsored by: Andy Baber, Edward Jones Investments Holloway and Associates, CPAs PeaceHealth, LCC Florence The Archives, Photo Restoration Specialists Siuslaw Public Library The Power of fl OreNcE Kaylee Graham and Ava Glowacki Florence Relay for Life Bobbie Harris Wednesday, July 6th 4-6 PM on KCST, 106.9 and Thursday, July 7th 10 - Noon on KCFM AM1250/FM 104.1 With Host Bob Sneddon CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK PHOTOS BY SIUSLAW NEWS STAFF
