THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
❘
/ SIUSLAWNEWS ❘
@ SIUSLAWNEWS
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JULY 9, 2016 ❘ $1.00
Sand drag racer
finishes strong
VIEW TO
A BRIDGE
INSIDE — A3
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 55
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
WATER CURTAILMENT ENDS FOR COLLARD LAKE AREA
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
Heceta Water People’s Utility District (PUD)
posted notice on door hangers and on its website
that the seven-month water curtailment for 95
residences in the Collard Lake area ended Friday.
The PUD’s board of directors called for the
curtailment on Dec. 23 after a landslide on Dec.
18 left one woman dead and reduced the PUD’s
capacity to fill the Mercer Lake tank.
Residences on View Road, View Cul-de-sac,
Ocean Way, Collard Lake Road, Collard Lake
Loop and Collard Lake Way had to reduce water
usage by 30 percent during the curtailment.
“Everyone was very good about curtailing
their water usage,” said HWPUD Office
Manager Vickie Kennedy. “We are very happy
with our customers.”
The curtailment ended with the completion of
a new line to the Mercer Lake Reservoir, suc-
cessful water testing and the installation of a
temporary pump. The permanent pump will be
completed once the final components arrive.
“The PUD’s heartfelt thanks go to the incredi-
bly patient water users in the Collard Lake area
and the untiring Siuslaw Valley firefighters who
have hauled water for over six months,” a news
release said.
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue formed an
intergovernmental agreement with the PUD to
deliver water in one of its two water tenders.
Fire Chief Jim Langborg said the agreement
was a “win-win” for both agencies as it allowed
‘Canoe’ in the making
See
WATER 7A
Coos Bay
Rail Line
awarded
$11M grant
Historic tunnels along
route to be repaired
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
D
irector Barri Chase (center) discusses the next scene with actors and crewmembers of “The Watchman’s Canoe,” an independent
feature-length film currently being shot around Florence, including Ada Fishing Resort (above) and the North Jetty area, through
July 13. The film — written, produced and directed by Chase — is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who moves to a reser-
vation in the 1960s. It stars both local talent and mainstream Hollywood actors that include Roger Willie (far right) and Adam Beach.
Boys and Girls Club earns
high marks from members
Police offer $500 reward
for info on stolen guns
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Local club outperforms others in youth survey
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane
County members recently participated
in a National Youth Outcomes Initiative
survey conducted by the Boys and Girls
Club of America (BGCA), and the
results showed the club far ahead of
other Oregon, regional and national
clubs in most categories.
The survey asks a series of questions
on many topics including academics,
graduation expectations, overall experi-
ence, staff expectations, safety and fun.
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . .
Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B5
A8
A2
A4
This is the first year the club has par-
ticipated in the annual survey that
polled 46 local elementary and Teen
Center members ages 9 to 18.
Boys and Girls Club Executive
Director Chuck Trent said, “The kids
answered these questions on their own.
The elementary program used a written
booklet that was placed into a sealed
box after it was completed and then
shipped to BGCA. We don’t see any of
the data and have no way of telling
who the kids are.”
See
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Word on the Street . . . . . . . A7
SURVEY 7A
THIS WEEK ’ S
Siuslaw News
F
lorence police and the
City of Florence continue
to seek information about
stolen guns from a burglary at
True Value Hardware store in
Florence on June 30.
An AK-47 rifle, a short-bar-
reled shotgun and three Glock
handguns were missing after
the burglary in the Dunes
Village Shopping Mall was
reported early that morning.
Florence police are offering
a $500 reward for information
leading to the arrest and con-
viction of the suspect or sus-
pects involved.
City of Florence Public
Information Officer Megan
Messmer said the serial num-
bers from the guns have been
uploaded to a national data-
base and that the police are
reviewing the video surveil-
lance.
“We’re working through
this,” Messmer said. “We need
the public to help us find who
did this.”
Anyone with information is
asked to call 541-997-3515.
See
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
62 55
66 52
66 52
65 51
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
U.S. Department of Transportation
awarded the Port of Coos Bay and
Coos Bay Rail Line $11 million this
week to rehabilitate nine crumbling
tunnels along the rail link between
Eugene and Coquille. The rail line
will receive the money by mid-
September.
The grant money will help Coos
Bay Rail Line restore 82 miles of
line and nine tunnels along its route
from Coquille to Eugene, passing
through Cushman and Mapleton, east
of Florence.
All nine of the rail line’s tunnels
are at or near 100 years old and in
need of repairs, maintenance and
rehabilitation.
Coos Bay Rail Line connects with
Union Pacific Railroad near Eugene
and with rail shippers in the western
Lane, Douglas and Coos Counties
region of southwest Oregon.
John Burns, chief executive officer
for the Port of Coos Bay, said, “We
are absolutely delighted that the U.S.
Department of Transportation recog-
nized the vast support we have for
our rail line and the economic oppor-
tunity it brings to the region.”
Coos Bay’s application was one of
only 18 selected for funding among a
total of 212 submitted from across
the United States.
“This is great news for southwest
Oregon,” said U.S. Rep. Peter
DeFazio, member of the House
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure. “This funding will
greatly improve the safety and relia-
bility of train operations, result in a
reduction in emissions and highway
congestion as more cargo switches
from truck to rail and offer a long-
term, low-cost option for shippers.”
DeFazio and U.S. Sens. Ron
Wyden and Jeff Merkley supported
Coos Bay’s application to the FAST-
LANE (Fostering Advancements in
Shipping and Transportation for the
Long-term Achievement of National
Efficiencies) grant program.
“The success of the port’s grant
application could not have been pos-
sible without the tremendous support
from our federal delegation, commu-
nity members and elected officials,”
Burns said.
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 18 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
RAIL 7A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Heceta Water PUD restores
service to 95 residences