SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016
7 A
Dunes City Expo offers emergency prep advice for residents
PHOTOS BY JACK DAVISSIUSLAW NEWS
D
ozens of Dunes City residents took part in
the second annual Dunes City Expo held at
Dunes City Hall on Aug. 20. Dignitaries
included State Sen. Arnie Roblan and Dunes City
Mayor Rebecca Ruede (far left). Seventeen vendors
and exhibitors held informational discussions and
demonstrations about emergency preparedness,
septic care, drinking water quality and other topics.
Fires
from 1A
Siuslaw Valley sent three
engines, one truck and three
support vehicles in response, a
total of 12 firefighters.
Barrett said, “It became very
obvious that the fires were
intentionally set. We found
eight starts of fire, with only
one causing the sprinkler acti-
vation.”
The fires mainly affected 12
offices in the west wing of the
building. The estimated loss is
about $25,000 for structure
damages.
Barrett said the multiple
fires did not cause more dam-
age because they ran out of
fuel.
He also said the fires could
have been set at any point in
the night or morning, since the
building’s sprinkler system did
not have a working bell alarm.
“There was definiely crimi-
nal intent involved,” Barrett
said.
Later that day, around 1:50
p.m., emergency responders
were sent back to 12th Street
after receiving a call about a
“smoking box” that was found
outside the Florence Elks
Erosion
from 1A
“Nationwide slopes permitting
is not available through FEMA,
so individual formal National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and
Lodge near a backdoor.
Police asked about 15 peo-
ple inside the lodge to evacuate
the building while the Eugene
Bomb Squad was called to
respond.
Barrett said, “We had to
evacuate the building in case
the box decided to do some-
thing unexpected.”
The box, about the size of a
metal cashbox, had a rock
placed on top of it. Smoke
appeared to be issuing from
inside the container for at least
two hours during the incident.
Barrett said certain kinds of
metals and chemicals could
create smoke from inside a
closed container.
As of press time at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, the Bomb Squad was
still on its way.
Florence Police Commander
John Pitcher said, “We don’t
know for sure when the box
was placed. It wasn’t here this
morning when we were work-
ing the fire (at the Business
Center).”
Police said it was unclear if
the two incidents were related,
and that the investigations are
ongoing.
Florence Police Detective
Brandon Ott is leading the
National Incident Management
Systems (NIMS) consultations
are required, which could take up
to 135 days after the scope of
work is approved by FEMA,”
Leskin said.
If the original in-water repair
proposed by project engineer
PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Police and firefighters are investigating a series of fires
set in the interior of the Florence Business Center on 12th
Street (above), which were discovered the morning of
Aug. 23. Later that day, on the same street, emergency
responders evacuated the Florence Elks Lodge due to a
suspicious box found outside the building (at right).
investigations. Anyone with
information about the incidents
is asked to contact Detective
Ott at 541-997-3515.
“It’s been a busy day,”
Barrett said.
Jack Aiken is used, the Corps,
NIMS and FEMA will all have
to sign off on the work.
Leskin suggested having
Aiken work up a second pro-
posed solution to determine
whether to do an in-water proj-
ect and go through the lengthi-
ly permitting, or move the proj-
ect up eight feet and simplify
the permitting by removing
NIMS from the process.
He proposed to bring Aiken
to the port to present both plans
and then have commissioners
decide which plan to use.
Eugene Foot and Ankle
Health Center
Podiatric Physicians & Surgeons
We are looking for :
• Barbers • Beauticians • Estheticians
We provide you with towels,
client scheduling and more!
No limit to service!
We offer very competitive
No Appointment Necessary!
space
rental fees!
Come in to Glo and
talk to Kristen!
We offer comprehensive,
conservative, and
surgical management of
all of your foot and ankle
needs.
www.eugenefootandankle.com
138 Maple Street • Florence
541-997-1844
A LICE B RAUER C HRISTIAN P RESCHOOL
Face
Painting
Florence
4480 Highway 101 Building G
Mon/Tues (541) 997-2319
ur
Get yo ogs
D
Hot ater!
and W
Frank’s 101 Barbershop
THE FISH ARE
COMING!
All is better with my health and
spiritual well being!
h ank you friends and current
clientele for all your patience!
Stocks.
Bonds. CDs.
IRAs. Mutual
funds.
541-999-9800
396 Hwy 101 - Florence
Coat/ Hoodie GIVE-AWAY!
Andy Baber, AAMS®
Saturday, September 3rd
9 am - 1 pm
Florence Foursquare Church
Financial Advisor
1010 Highway 101
Florence, OR 97439
541-997-8755
www.edwardjones.com
(next to A&W)
Assorted styles and sizes available
New Life Lutheran Church
21st and Spruce
If you would like to donate items, please drop them off at
the preschool before August 23rd! (Please no big items).
For more information please call: 541-603-1562
for the grant was already in the
budget along with two other
capital maintenance items.
After the regular meeting,
the commission convened an
executive session to discuss the
port property located at 1499
Bay St., and also to give Leskin
a six-month job performance
evaluation.
Commissioners reconvened
the regular session and voted to
raise Leskin’s salary from
$62,500 to $65,000 per year,
beginning Aug. 1.
Commissioner Terry Duman
said, “For the record, he
received good to excellent eval-
uations from all members of the
board.”
Eugene
1680 Chambers St.
(541) 683-3351
.
GARAGE SALE FUNDRAISER
Saturday, August 27, from 8 am - 2 pm
“Aiken may say definitively
it makes sense to go above or
below (the water). I will bring
that back to the commission for
approval,” Leskin said.
The funding for the project is
still not in place.
Commissioner Mike Buckwald
asked, “Are we getting money
from FEMA or not?”
“Yes,” Leskin said. “We
don’t have a dollar amount
because we haven’t been
approved, but we have quali-
fied for the 75 percent FEMA
grant.”
Port
Administrative
Assistant
Dina
McClure
assured commissioners that the
25 percent the port would need
Donations of new or gently used
jackets/hoodies are needed
especially toddler/teen sizes.
Member SIPC
Questions? Call 541-997-6337