SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
from 1A
their most important campaign
issues and are sharing them
with their constituents — fel-
low third graders.
Presidential
candidate
Grace Dodson said, “I love
nature and I love the beach,
but I see a lot of trash on
the beach. It makes the turtles
sad. We need to clean up
the beach. We can help ani-
mals that we share the water
Districts
from 1A
“We have a pre-identified
series of goals for the first four
months and then build out to
the end of the year,” he said.
“That helps both our boards to
say, ‘OK, these things have
been achieved, this is what we
are doing, yes, we should con-
tinue on with this.”’
The two departments will
also be linked with an interde-
partmental intra-net connec-
tion.
“We are about 65 percent of
the way to completing an
intra-net. It is like an employ-
ee portal. We could have poli-
cy manuals in there. The goal
is to have employee manuals
and employee forms on there,
different tools that are avail-
able to all our employees. It
would be only accessible to
us,” Langborg said.
He also said SVFR, like
other volunteer-staffed fire
departments across the coun-
try, struggles to attract and
keep volunteers.
“SVFR has several chal-
lenges ahead for us similar to
the challenges facing every
volunteer fire department in
the U.S. right now. That is the
recruiting and retaining of vol-
unteers. We have done several
things to address that issue.
One is to do more things to
recognize our volunteers. We
now swear them in, we pay
them more for their education
and we try to get them more
trained,” he said.
and land with.”
On Nov. 8, as the nation was
selecting its next president, the
students practiced casting bal-
lots in a classroom voting
booth. In addition to voting for
the candidates of their choice,
they also voted on two ballot
measures.
The participatory process
will conclude in January with
the winners of the election
giving acceptance speeches
that will coincide with the
presidential inauguration.
Last year the department
budgeted for a part-time vol-
unteer coordinator to help
recruit volunteers. Langborg
applied for a Staffing for
Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) grant
available through the Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency (FEMA)
SVFR was awarded a
$659,114 grant and Langborg
will soon have a full-time
Recruitment and Retention
Coordinator on staff. The four-
year grant will cover salary,
training and equipment.
Florence, Mapleton, Dead-
wood and Swisshome will all
benefit from the grant pro-
ceeds.
“We have worked it in con-
junction with Mapleton, Swiss
Home and Deadwood, because
they are having challenges in
recruitment and training,”
Langborg said. “Smaller dis-
tricts are not as fortunate as we
are. They have challenges pay-
ing for things. (With this
grant) we can help them pur-
chase protective equipment
and get them trained as fire-
fighters.”
SVFR has been interview-
ing candidates for the position
and Langborg said they plan to
make an offer to one of the
candidates tomorrow after-
noon.
“We hope to have someone
in place from the middle of
this month to the beginning of
December, depending on the
individual and their availabili-
ty,” Langborg said.
Last Resort Players’ ‘Pirates’ features new conductor
Last Resort Players (LRP)
are performing Gilbert and
Sullivan’s classic comic
operetta “Pirates of Penzance”
again this weekend at
Florence Events Center.
Friday, Nov. 11, and
Saturday, Nov. 12, will have
performances at 7 p.m. and
Sunday, Nov. 13 will have a
2 p.m. matinee.
While it takes many tal-
ented performers to bring a
show together, Director Leah
Goodwin and the LRP pro-
duction team struck gold
when they invited Jen Weier,
24, to step into the role of
music director and conduc-
tor.
“Laura Merz connected
me,” Weier said. “She gave
LRP my name and got me
plugged in. And oh my gosh,
I love Leah Goodwin and the
board.”
Merz is the artistic music
director for “Pirates,” along
with Goodwin as director
and Mary Conley as assistant
director and stage manager.
“I am so, so, so blessed to
be with them. I have not
done a lot of musical theater,
so I’ve learned a whole lot
Upriver
from 1A
“First of all,” Elsea asked,
“what happens if it does slide this
year, and what is the long term
plan to stabilize the road on a per-
manent basis?”
Elsea was joined in his presen-
tation by Orin Schumacher, Lane
County road maintenance manag-
er, who told listeners the results of
their analysis of the road condi-
tion.
“We’ve been monitoring the
road closely, especially since we
received about 11 inches of rain in
October. And there has been no
movement, which is a good sign
for that road,” he said.
The forum also shared the
work the Visioning Committee
from them. They are so kind
and forgiving, supportive
and thankful,” Weier said.
Weier grew up in South
Dakota and graduated from
the University of Nebraska.
She always wanted to live in
Oregon, so spent last year in
Portland before deciding to
move to Florence.
“I just wanted to live on
the coast. I kept driving out
here and I thought I should
live here,” she said. “I found
so much more going on here
than I expected.”
Weier fit into the musical
crowd so well because of her
history in music.
“I started playing piano
when I was 4 years old and
I’ve been doing it ever
since,” she said. “I took a
semester of conducting in
college and thought I would
never use it, but now I’m
conducting the community
chorus in town, Bell Choir
Chorus at the Presbyterian
church and the orchestra and
35 musicians on stage for
‘Pirates of Penzance.’”
“Pirates” opened last week
to acclaim, and Weier said
the crew’s hard work shows.
PHOTO BY KATHLEEN WENZEL
Jen Weier has been in Florence for less than a year and
is already changing the sound of musical theater.
“The pitter-patter of the
music is really difficult to
get the words out and make
sure we can hear it all. But
they are doing so well,” she
said.
Weier is an example of
moving to town and getting
involved. She had a word of
advice for people who are
interested in trying out for a
choir, orchestra, play or
musical.
“I definitely say go for it
and try it out. If you don’t
know how you will fit in a
program, just get in there and
make changes. Get involved,”
she said. “They are often very
flexible and filled with great
people on the boards. We can
have a lot of fun.”
For more information on
LRP, go to www.lastresort
players.org. To purchase tick-
ets for “Pirates of Penzance,”
go to eventcenter.org or 715
Quince St.
Upriver communities
hear about plans to stabi-
lize the region and grow
as a community Nov. 1.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
has completed regarding a plan
for addressing the future needs of
the growing community in the
Siuslaw region, an area encom-
passing western Lane County.
Committee member Meg
Spencer, director of Siuslaw
Public Library District, recapped
those recommendations and dis-
cussed ongoing plans for their
implementation.
Other presenters included
Frank
Nulty,
Community
Emergency Response Team
director, Mapleton School District
Superintendent Jodi O’Mara and
representatives from PeaceHealth
Peace Harbor Medical Center.
Path
from 1A
In addition, the Phase
II water main and road-
way improvement proj-
ect started last week.
“This project will
include 16-inch and 12-
inch water mains; storm
water improvements;
retaining walls east of
the water treatment
plant and two six-foot
bike lanes and one five-
foot sidewalk on one
side of Rhododendron
between Ninth and
Hemlock streets,” Miller
said.
For more information,
go to ci.florence.or.us.
Make A Difference Monday
DOING THE
MOST GOOD
Thank You! Western Lane County
The Salvation Army of Western Lane County thanks you for tremendous outpouring of
support received during its fi rst Red Kettle Campaign during last year’s Christmas Season.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY- NOVEMBER 14, 2016
Please, take a moment now to write a generous check to your favorite charity,
church or organization serving Western Lane County. Mail it to them today with
a personal note of encouragement to those who serve
‘the least amongst us’ and help make our community stronger and better in
every way. Offer to volunteer if appropriate, or donate needed supplies and
services that they may otherwise need to pay for. In this way, you will help our
local associations, clubs, charities, churches, museums, art galleries and social
services agencies DO THE MOST GOOD. The organizations that are members of
the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce listed on its web site:
www.fl orencechamber.com.
Your gift will serve the needs of others less fortunate than yourself or enhance
the educational and cultural opportunities in our community.
Your gifts will make a difference!
May God Bless You and Grant You and Yours
A Happy Thanksgiving and a Very Merry Christmas Season!
Celebrate Giving with Others!
Honoring 100 years of
Sigslaw River Coast Ggard Station
Parade Begins at 1pm
Great viewing along the Port Parking Lot and Bay Street.
Tributes and treats for Veterans will be available at Veterans Memorial Park
and at several local restaurants including the Firehouse and Th ree Rivers Casino Resort.
2016 SPONSORS
OREGON COAST MILITARY VEHICLE CLUB • BANNER BANK • SIUSLAW NEWS • TR HUNTER
SUNCOAST BOOKKEEPING • GROCERY OUTLET • WALLY’S PORTABLE TOILETS
THREE RIVERS CASINO RESORT • SEA LION CAVES • OREGON PACIFIC BANK
FLORENCE LION’S CLUB • RON’S PAINT • COLDWELL BANKER COAST REAL ESTATE • LES SCHWAB TIRES
POTTER’S TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE • 1285 RESTOBAR • TRUE VALUE • RONALD PRESTON
MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY- NOVEMBER 14, 2016
Bring your friends and family, or come meet neighbors who love to give to others. Your
cans of food and $15 will give you a meal and non-alcoholic beverage at these locations.
Breakfast- Darlings Marina & Resort - 4879 Darlings Loop-Dunes City
Lunch- Pop’s Smokehouse & BBQ - 12300 OR 126- Mapleton
Dinner- Siuslaw Riverside Restaurant - 1340 Bay St. Old Town Florence
Your cans of food will be given to Mapleton and Florence Food Share.
The Salvation Army – Western Lane County – Bill Olson Gift Planner
P.O. Box 1041 • Florence, OR 97439 Call 1-800-481-3280
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Vote
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