Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2016)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 7 A More photos from Power of Florence from 1A July 16, 2016 PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER & JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS Council Burns’s Riverside Chapel Florence Funeral Home Your Community Friend- Compassionate Care for you and your loved ones. 2765 Kingwood St. Florence, OR 24 Hours 541-997-3416 burnsriversidechapel.com Let me Showcase your property. Tim Sapp Owner / Principal Broker 541 999-8230 87827 Sandrift St – 4 garages, in- cludes 2 RV! Spacious 2 bdrm, 2 bath with vaulted ceilings and woodstove in the living room. $289,000. #2602- 16150949 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 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 Simplify your financial life. Let’s talk. Andy Baber, AAMS® from 1A Ruede added, “The dedica- tion of this couple to make sure our citizens are treated fairly and in compliance with state, federal and local laws, rules and regulations has helped to City from 1A into modular units while the maintenance building was con- structed. A permanent office structure would be completed in Phase II as funds allowed. According to the staff report, Scott/Edwards Architecture (S/EA) outlined the potential cost savings of combining Phase I and Phase II based on economies of scale. The archi- tect and city staff realized they could save $800,000 by com- bining the two phases, with another $100,000 saved from the use of modular buildings and inflation. City Manager Erin Reynolds School from 1A In May, district voters nar- rowly defeated a $36.9 million bond measure to build a new high school to replace the cur- rent 46-year-old campus. “The biggest immediate challenge is getting the mes- sage out again and getting the community informed about the high school bond,” Grzeskowiak said. “We really got rushed into the process this last spring. We got lucky and got into the draw (for $4 mil- lion in state grant money) and we basically compressed what is normally a 12- to 18-month process into about 12 weeks.” According to Grzeskowiak, the shortened bond process didn’t give the district a chance to thoroughly inform the community of all the rea- sons why new construction made more sense than exten- sive remodeling, or worse, just doing nothing. He said the administration has been inter- nally talking about the need for a new, code compliant make Dunes City ‘A Nice Place to Live.’” Judy Martin accepted the recognition plaque on behalf of both her and her husband, who was unable to attend. In other business, the council voted to approve Resolution Series 2016, No. 10, to refer to the voters a proposed 3 percent city tax on the retail sales of recreational marijuana sold within the city limits. The resolution will be placed on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot. The council also announced that the second annual Dunes City Community Expo will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall. In addition to experts and demonstrations, State Sen. Arnie Roblan and State Rep. Caddy McKeown plan to attend. Refreshments and food will be served. needed the council to approve changes to S/EA’s contract. “I ask for affirmation that you want us to move in this direction of an expanded Phase I that includes the administra- tion building,” Reynolds said. The council voted to approve the architectural serv- ices contract update. Mayor Joe Henry said, “We started out with a $6.5 million building, and I think that (Public Works Director) Mike Miller, staff, Erin and every- body have done a great job of keeping it to a $3.5 million building. You saved millions.” S/EA’s new Phase I will include continued research into the site and city codes; the design of schematics, including site plan, floor plans, exterior elevations, interior and exterior renderings, building systems and draft specifications; and the creation of construction documents for bidding, permit- ting and construction. S/EA will also assist with the permit- ting and bidding processes. The revised agreement with S/EA includes architectural services for both buildings and totals approximately $302,000. The city’s budget for the Public Works Operations Facility includes a total project cost of $3.5 million. The proj- ect cost $175,000 in fiscal year 2015-16, and $3.325 million is budgeted for 2016-17. Messmer said, “Our plan is to work through design and engi- neering in August and begin working with the Planning Department in the process. ... Our goal is to be moved in by June 30 of next year.” Once the office building is complete, Florence’s Public Works and Planning and Building Departments will move in. “We will have the best of what we need in the city,” Reynolds said of the new facility. At this point, there is no timeline for the clearing of the current Public Works facility, 989 Spruce St., though the city plans eventually to revert the property into a city park. building for almost five years. “I’m not out to scare any- body with ‘if we have an earthquake everything is going to fall down,’” Grzeskowiak said. “You can’t predict an earthquake, but if we make modifications to the building we fall into current code com- pliance and then we do have to make everything compliant. We could end up spending an exorbitant amount of money and still not address space, safety or technology needs. “People kept talking about earthquakes,” he continued. “It is about code compliance. Once you open a wall, its not just earthquake code, its Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, it’s about asbestos removal. The high school was built in the late ’60s and opened in the early ’70s, so there is asbestos in the building. It is all currently sealed, but as soon as you start digging into a wall and work- ing with conduits, then all of a sudden you have an issue.” Grzeskowiak said he plans to have a revised bond time- line to present to the school board during the July 27 meet- ing. His other priority is improv- ing attendance and increasing the high school’s graduation rate. “Kids that are typically strug- gling to graduate are kids that are missing a lot of school, and they have been missing a lot of school since kindergarten, first- grade and second-grade,” Grzeskowiak said. He said students who miss 10 to 12 days a year have a 20 percent less chance of graduat- ing. They also miss a total of 1.5 years of school by the time they are seniors. “One-time events like fami- ly reunions don’t hurt kids,” Grzeskowiak said. “But if every other Friday a kid just takes off because they can, that impacts the student’s chances of graduating. “If you have done 10.5 years of school while everyone else has done 12, having trou- ble graduating shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody,” he added. Grzeskowiak wants parents to be informed of the state guidelines for keeping students home for illness. “If you have had a fever in the last 24 hours, if you have had diarrhea in the past 24 hours or if you have vomited within the past 24 hours, don’t come to school. Otherwise, come to school. That’s the message we want to get out,” Grzeskowiak said. The school has several after-school resources avail- able for students and parents who are in need of tutoring or extra homework time. “Twilight, on all levels, has a strong homework component with certified teachers,” Grzeskowiak said. “The Boys and Girls Club has done a tremendous job this year with their onsite tutoring. Being at the middle school, I’ve had a lot of kids talk about how much help they get going to the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center.” Grzeskowiak said several church groups also offer after- school programs with tutoring. “Specifically I think the Boys and Girls Club has done a very good job. They have really turned things around this year with their teen pro- gram. Their numbers are up and the middle school kids are excited about going.” Grzeskowiak credits the school staff and administrative team with turning around the decline in graduation rates. “They are going above and beyond the call, trying to get kids re-engaged with school,” he said. With his extensive back- ground in the district, Grzeskowiak may be better suited than anyone to lead the district through the challenges of the coming years. “In three to five years, I’m hoping that we are having this conversation in the commons of the new high school talking about the positive changes that have happened with the expand- ed opportunities for kids and the positive turnaround in gradua- tion rates,” he said. Spruce Point Assisted Living and Memory Care Community Living, Loving, & Thriving Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other h her memory related illnesses can be very overwhelming. We’re here to help. We are offering these FREE informative events to provide support and education. Alzheimer’s Disease: The Truth Behind the Myths Financial Advisor Wednesday, July 13, 2:00pm . 1010 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8755 www.edwardjones.com Dementia Drugs, Facts and Myths Wednesday, August 10, 2:00pm Advance Directives Wednesday, September 14, 2:00pm Member SIPC Space is limited for these FREE educational events. For more information and to reserve your seat please call (541) 997-6111, or visit us today! (541) 997-6111 375 9th St Florence, OR 97439 www.spruce-point.com
