THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
❘
/ SIUSLAWNEWS
❘
@ SIUSLAWNEWS
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ OCTOBER 19, 2016 ❘ $1.00
SAILOR SENIORS PREP
FOR FINAL HOME GAME
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 83
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
STORM WATCH
FLORENCE, OREGON
City sends in Coast Guard
City USA application
Teapot
without a
tempest
INSIDE
Since the very first KCST Great Pumpkin
giveaway 27 years ago, the annual event has
been a birthday party with a different sort of
twist. Instead of bringing a birthday gift, peo-
ple attending get something to take home: a
pumpkin.
That was true in 1989 when KCST Radio
General Manager Jon Thompson decided to
give away hundreds of pumpkins to celebrate
KCST’s first anniversary on the air.
It will hold true again this Thursday, Oct.
20, when Thompson, Coast Radio and
Florence True Value team up for the ninth
time.
“Over the years, we’ve done different
things at the Great Pumpkin,” said Thompson,
“but one thing has remained the same — and
that’s the pumpkins themselves.”
The large orange gourds have been handed
out to kids under 18 years old each year.
Since 2008, another common thread has
been the participation of the Lemhouse fami-
ly, owners of Florence True Value, the Saw
Shop and Old School Furniture. They will
host the event once again in the side parking
lot of Old School Furniture and the Saw
Shop. They provide the space and the pump-
kins, as well as games and activities for the
kids.
Coast Radio puts together a live broadcast
and coordinates the free hot dogs, from Keri’s
Dunes Café and Florence Dairy Queen, and
A&W Root Beer, from A&W in Florence, as
well as treat bags filled with candy for the
kids.
KCST News Director Bob Sneddon says,
“Not only do we have the crew from True
Value, but we get a huge turnout from the
Florence-Siuslaw Lions Club to cook and
serve, along with Siuslaw Valley Firefighters
to hand out the pumpkins.”
This year an estimated 2 tons of pumpkins
will go to kids, while they last. The party is
scheduled, rain or shine, from 3 to 5 p.m.
with the pumpkin giveaway begins at 4 p.m.
sharp and continues while supplies last.
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A2
B6
A5
A4
SPEAKS TO
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Florence Mayor Joe Henry submits the City of Florence’s application to become a “Coast
Guard City USA” to Station Siuslaw River’s commanding officer Chief Boatswains Mate Tim
Tregoning as U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Deborah Heldt Cordone looks on during the Oct.
17 city council meeting.
Council also approves property annexation, hears reports
A
fter three months of
preparation, the City of
Florence
officially
handed over its Coast Guard
City USA application to Chief
Boatswains
Mate
Tim
Tregoning, officer in charge of
U.S. Coast Guard Station
Siuslaw River, and Coast Guard
Auxiliarist Deborah Heldt
Cordone during the Oct. 17
council meeting.
“This is a designation only
given to a few cities in the
United States. There are only
two others in Oregon, one in
Astoria and one in Newport,”
Florence Mayor Joe Henry said.
According to Henry, the city
received 35 letters of support
from organizations and individu-
als, including U.S. Rep. Peter
DeFazio and state, county and
local officials.
“This designation recognizes
the community support for the
U.S. Coast Guard unit here on
the Siuslaw River,” Henry said.
The U.S. Coast Guard will
now consider the application for
acceptance.
City Planning Director Wendy
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Farley-Campbell said, “The
application will go up the chain
of command from Senior Chief
Tregoning to Admiral Zukunft,
Commandant of the U.S. Coast
Guard, and then to Congress.
The application needs approval
all the way up, including
Congressional approval, to
become a Coast Guard City.”
The application was presented
in both digital format and hard
copy. It included an introductory
letter, a short history of the Coast
Guard in Florence, background
on the City of Florence, an
extensive list of community
action and outreach supporting
the Coast Guard, an illustrative
photo montage of events and
supporting letters written by
government officials, communi-
ty members and organizations.
“I am confident we will be
seriously considered for the des-
ignation,” Farley-Campbell said.
“There are many letters of sup-
port, including from three U.S.
Congressmen from the State of
Oregon. At the very least, we can
become
a
Coast
Guard
Community, but our highest
hope is to become a Coast Guard
City, which has more stringent
criteria.”
In other business, council
members approved the annexa-
tion of several parcels of proper-
ty located along Highway 126 at
the request of property owner
Donald Saxon.
Henry said, “We are talking
about that building that has been
on stilts for the past 10 years.
This is an example of what we
have been working really hard
on for the last several years.”
Saxon said, “The attitude in
the city has changed for the
better. If this had been four or
five years ago nothing would
happen around this town. I
appreciate that everyone has a
better attitude. The (city) staff
and you folks have made it easy
for me.”
The annexation will bring the
property onto the city’s tax rolls
while allowing city services
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
See
CITY 7A
Representatives of Court Appointed
Special Advocates of Eugene, (CASA),
spoke at this month’s Florence Friendship
Club Oct.13 about the need in the Florence
community for its services.
Director
of
Development
and
Communications for Lane County Katie
Gatlin and Volunteer Coordinator Robben
Lyons spoke to the club at Driftwood Shores
and explained CASA’s mission, training and
support system.
Emphasizing the growing need for volun-
teers, Gatlin said CASA provides supple-
mental support to young people that are in
difficult domestic situations.
Gatlin said, “There are over 1,000 young-
sters in foster care in Lane County and many
of them benefit greatly from CASA.”
Gatlin went on to explain that CASA
members make a huge difference in chil-
dren’s quality of life.
There are currently 12 children in the
Florence area with CASA and 45 youths
waiting for assistance.
Gatlin emphasized that CASA volunteers
often provide the most consistent adult
influence in the children’s lives.
In addition to directly advocating for chil-
dren, CASA also saves the public significant
amounts of money.
“Last year, over 400 youngsters worked
with CASA in Lane County, saving the
county approximately $17,000 in additional
legal fees and court costs.” Gatlin said.
Training is extensive, generally taking
about six months. Volunteers can attend
workshops and classes in Eugene or online.
The volunteers are then sworn in by a
judge authorizing them to advocate in court
for an abused or neglected child.
Lyons also pointed out the many benefits
to children that CASA provides, including
being the eyes and ears for the court while
making informed recommendations to the
court.
CASA representatives also help to assure
that children receive all services necessary
to survive.
Lyons and Gatlin presented at Monday
night’s Florence City Council meeting.
To become a volunteer or to donate, con-
tact CASA at 541-868-3087.
An eye to the future
Community retrospective looks back at
important activism in the Siuslaw region
The
Gallery
Each of the panels
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
Above Silver Lining
is focused on a par-
Boutique
on
ticular topic. Panels
Highway 101 opened a retrospec- feature graphics and images
tive of 25 years of social activism in addressing environmental degrada-
Florence on Saturday.
tion, indigenous peoples and
The event highlighted, on a num- women’s issues, health care, corpo-
ber of large panels with all types of rate expansion, anti-war efforts and
information displayed, the different local zoning priorities.
issues and controversies that have
The organizers of the month-long
been part of the ongoing discus- event hope that this presentation
sions in the community over the last will not only reinforce the strong
quarter century.
sense of purpose in the area, but
Gallery owner Kimberly Fleenor also show the importance of citizen
said the gallery has a history of being participation in Florence.
a place to share and explore ideas.
Stu Henderson, one of the exhib-
“The Silver Lining Boutique has it’s organizers, said, “The show is
always been a safe haven for one way that the people who were
thoughts. I believe in inclusion, not
See GALLERY 7A
exclusion,” she said.
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
62 48
54 46
52 43
50 38
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Siuslaw News
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Great Pumpkin
Giveaway set for
Thursday
ORGANIZATION
F RIENDS
‘Storm’ not as severe as
NOAA predictions
Florence dodged the first major storm of
the fall season last week. The predicted heavy
rains did show up, but
B Y J ACK D AVIS
without the predicted
Siuslaw News
60 to 80 miles per
hour wind gusts that
could have been disastrous.
According to city of Florence Public
Works Director Mike Miller, one tree blew
down blocking one lane of Rhododendron
Drive early Monday morning, but city crews
had it removed before it caused any trouble.
No power outages were reported in
Florence, though Central Lincoln PUD
reported one outage in Mapleton on
Thursday.
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Fire Chief
Jim Langborg reported no weather related
incidents through Sunday.
“It was quiet and that’s what we were hop-
ing for,” Langborg said.
Many residents used the storm warning to
winterize their yards and decks.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Agency sent out an apology for the storm
predictions that did not materialize.
V OLUNTEER