SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016
Safety
from 1A
They also felt that Florence
police did not always respond
in a timely manner to calls
about suspicious activity, drug
use or drug dealing.
Turner said the information
flow online makes some things
seem more urgent than other
calls that do not show up on
social media.
“Even though Florence is
relatively small, we do get a lot
of calls for service,” he said.
On Monday, Turner and
Commander John Pitcher vis-
ited Miller Park around 2:40
p.m. after receiving a call from
dispatch about a “juvenile
problem.”
“We went out there to answer
one of these complaints, to see
if we could see if people were
doing anything wrong,” Turner
said.
He was glad to find that
the group in question was not
suspicious.
“I hope it was an interaction
with the police where they saw
we are there to help, interact
and make this a better deal for
everyone,” Turner said.
Reynolds said the interac-
tion had some good takeaways.
“One complaint can gener-
ate some good conversation,”
she said.
Turner and Pitcher met some
of the originators of the social
media posts while at the park.
They talked about things peo-
ple could do to keep Miller
Park safe.
“If the park is getting heavy
use, there are fewer problems,”
Turner said. “If it’s getting less
use, there is more illegal use
and activity.
“We do have specific hours
at the park, and heavy usage
times. Both of those keep the
area fairly well policed.”
Miller Park has video cam-
eras and the police do regular
patrols. Turner calls the sur-
veillance “deterrents,” as they
do not always lead to “cap-
tures” of perpetrators of suspi-
cious activity.
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Miller Park’s size, the sea-
sonal presence of transients
and the vegetation make it dif-
ficult for police to be as effec-
tive as he would like.
“Without resources it’s hard
to do capture. You can do
deterrents, but as far as doing
capture — as soon as we’re
present there are a lot of places
to exit the park,” Turner said.
“We’ll continue to do patrols
through there. If all we can is
deter, that’s fine.”
Mayor Joe Henry asked
Turner what the council and
city can do. Turner said one
“unpopular” option would be
to make the entire park a non-
smoking area.
“We don’t want to violate
any one’s right to the park.
Since we don’t have a ‘no
smoking’ ordinance, we can’t
tell from a distance if there is
problematic activity,” he said.
Lane County has plans to
create a juvenile smoking
deterrent program.
Henry said, “We are going
to work with Lane County on
this. Possibly we could consid-
er no smoking in Miller Park.”
Turner also does not advise
adding a curfew to the park.
“We have to be cognizant of
our juvenile population. They
do have to have something to do
and some place to be,” he said.
He reiterated that everyone
has rights to the park.
“When we were leaving, we
contacted a number of people
at the front of the park, playing
with their children and enjoying
the park. We want that activity
to go on without problems,” he
said.
School
Remodel
“We’ll also be coordinat-
ing with the ReVision Florence
Project,” Messmer said. “Our
goal is to incorporate this as an
example of what can be done as
we improve public spaces.”
ReVision Florence is a
streetscape design to improve
the visual, pedestrian, gateway
and safety aspects of Highways
101 and 126 in Florence. It is
a combined effort of Florence
Urban Renewal Agency, the
city and Oregon Department of
Transportation.
Councilors Susy Lacer and
Joshua Greene inquired about
the incorporation of art into the
design of the remodeled City
Hall, and Mayor Joe Henry
asked about the exterior design.
Messmer assured the council
that the Public Art Committee
will be part of the process.
“Right now, the concep-
tual design we have mostly
shows spatial needs and not the
design elements yet,” she said.
“Whether public art is outside
or inside with a display area for
community art, we’ll be work-
ing on that.”
Greene wanted to make sure
that design elements are incor-
porated into the architecture.
“I think the whole fascia and
front of the building could be
more inviting, friendly and more
modern,” he said. “Right now,
we have a very 1970s modern
style. You can easily accentuate
certain pieces and make it look
pretty cool without spending a
lot of money.”
Improvements will also
be added to the new council
chambers. Better technology
will allow those present to hear
speakers and view presentations
and allow those watching online
better lines of sight.
“With a new chamber, we’ll
have the ability to build technol-
ogy in, rather than as an after-
thought,” Messmer said.
While the improvements take
place, logistics demand that city
staff and departments vacate the
premises. Departments will be
split between the new Public
Works Facility and an unused
space at the Florence Justice
Center. Meetings will take place
at the Florence Events Center.
In the next months, the city
will start seeking architectur-
al planning services to begin
design and engineering work.
Messmer said, “This will be
our facelift of the facility and
show what others can do as we
move forward.”
Forum
“The PeaceHealth Talent
Acquisitions team has been
very supportive, and have been
dedicating an amazing amount
of resources to help us find
viable, promising candidates,”
said Nena Harvey, director of
operations for PeaceHealth
Medical Group operations for
Florence. “PeaceHealth lead-
ership at all levels is com-
mitted to finding providers to
care for the health needs of
this community.”
Nationwide physician short-
ages are expected to balloon
in the next five years, estimat-
ing that by 2020 there will
be 90,000 fewer physicians
than needed, according to the
new Association of American
Medical Colleges work force
projections.
Questions from the public
will be solicited before the
meeting and included in the
discussion.
at Sandpines
1201 35th Street at Kingwood, Florence
Highway 101 & 35 St.
541-997-4623
from 1A
As the planning process con-
tinues, Messmer said the city
would hold several outreach
events for community input.
(541) 997-6111
375 9th St
Florence, OR 97439
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from 1A
Two topics, the summer
lunch program and the resur-
rection of the high school bond
issue, were the primary focus of
the meeting.
Grzeskowiak reported that
the summer school lunch pro-
gram, which runs through Aug.
19, was averaging 105 lunches
per day, which is above the 100
lunch threshold Food Service
Manager David Bitner said he
would need to fully fund the
program.
Concerns were that the
number of lunches served
would drop below 100 after the
Twilight summer school pro-
gram ended July 19.
Currently, a school van
distributes sack lunches to chil-
dren up to 18 years old at four
locations, plus the elementary
school, Monday through Friday.
For the compete lunch schedule,
go to www.siuslaw. k12.or.us.
The program also serves free
breakfasts at the elementary
school location at 8 a.m.
For the upcoming school
year, the district is planning
on offering free lunches to all
students for the 2016-17 school
year.
“The only reason we didn’t
go forward with (the 100 free
and reduced lunch program
to every student) this year is
because it was our first year
as a self-directed food service
and that was the recommenda-
tion from Oregon Department
of Education. But now, we are
going to move forward with it,”
L L F F Y L
from 1A
• How PeaceHealth will keep
its patients informed when new
providers become available.
The City of Florence and
PeaceHealth recognize the
recent provider changes can
leave the community and
patients in a state of unease.
Ease Pain and Stress and Improve Quality of Life.
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WORD
Students learn about technical the-
ater during one of three Children’s
Repertory of Oregon Workshops (CROW)
summer programs for area youth.
ON THE
STREET
What have you learned about putting on a show during camp?
“I learned that being behind
the scenes of a play is hard.”
—M AYA , 9
“I have learned a lot about
technical theater — mostly how
things work, what things are
meant for and what things are.
My favorite is when we do art
projects to learn things.”
—C HLOE , 10
“I’ve learned that it’s harder
than it looks to do theater. My
favorite thing was turning into
a zombie and attacking people.”
G RACI , 12
Maya, Chloe and Graci transform into zombies at the Florence Playhouse
using skills learned in a CROW summer camp about technical theater.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed above are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Siuslaw News or its advertisers.
S HELTER C OVE V IEW H OME
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JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak (center, left) and
chairman Bill Mcdougle (center, right) take the helm of
the Siuslaw School District board at the July 27 meeting.
Grzeskowiak said.
According to
“Instead of waiting until
Grzeskowiak, the
2018 (to attempt another
new program ended
the year in the black,
school bond), I think we
with state and federal
can organize and be ready
funding covering the
entire cost of the pro-
to go by May 2017.”
gram.
—ANDY GRZESKOWIAK,
The financial
SIUSLAW
SUPERINTENDENT
demographics of
the Siuslaw School
“One of the criticisms I heard
District make it eligi-
was that we wrote (the bond)
ble to apply for the 100 percent
in very vague general terms. In
program.
looking over some successful
“Once we go 100 percent
bond campaigns, I saw very
free and reduced, all of the
specific linear items. If we lay
paperwork and all of the data
this out and bring it to the peo-
entry pieces go away,” he said.
ple then they will see that we
Grzeskowiak also addressed
are not hiding anything.”
the failed bond measure for a
Grzeskowiak said he wanted
new high school. He said he
to target specific community
wants to re-launch the bond
groups, meet with them and
measure while it is still fresh in
answer all the questions.
voters’ minds.
“Allowing them to feel that
“Instead of waiting until
they are part of the process will
2018, I think we can organize
be important,” he said. “We
and be ready to go by May
were rushed by time.”
2017, if that is the board’s
desire,” he said.