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❘ NOVEMBER 12, 2016 ❘ $1.00
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126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 90
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
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B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
ECONOMY
Florence
approves
$9.8 million
bank loan
Dick Anderson by fewer than
300 votes out of more than
62,000 cast.
Voters soundly defeated
Measure 94, to amend the
constitution to eliminate
mandatory retirement ages
for state judges, and Measure
97, to increase corporate
minimum taxes on sales of
more than $25 million to
fund education, health care
and senior services.
At a cost of $45 million,
the Measure 97 fight was the
most expensive ballot meas-
ure fight in Oregon history.
Measure 95, to amend the
ore than 75
percent of
Oregonians cast
ballots in the 2016 general
election Tuesday, far above
the estimated 55 percent
national average.
Voters approved five of
seven ballot measures and
returned all five incumbent
U.S. Representatives, includ-
ing Dist. 4 Rep. Peter
DeFazio, to Washington D.C.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden was
also re-elected for another
six-year term.
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
narrowly beat out challenger
state constitution to allow
investments in equities by
public universities to reduce
financial risk and increase
investments to benefit stu-
dents, passed by more than
70 percent.
Measure 96, to amend the
constitution to dedicate 1.5
percent of state lottery net
proceeds to fund support
services for Oregon veterans,
passed by an overwhelming
83 percent approval vote.
Both education-related
measures 98 and 99 passed
with a two-thirds yes vote.
Measure 98 requires state
funding for dropout-preven-
tion, career and college
readiness programs in
Oregon high schools.
the measure is estimated to
cost $147 million annually
and requires the legislature to
determine how the program
expansions will be funded.
Measure 99 creates an
Outdoor School Education
Fund, that will be continu-
ously funded through the
state lottery, to provide out-
door school programs
statewide.
See
ELECTION 11A
RED, W H I TE AND TRUE
City Council receives update
on grant to partially fund
School Resource Officer
During the Nov. 7 city council meeting, coun-
cilors amended and approved a resolution author-
izing Mayor Joe Henry and City Manager Erin
Reynolds to execute
B Y J ACK D AVIS
agreements to close a
Siuslaw News
financing
agreement
proposal by Banner
Bank to finance $9.8 million of city debt at a tax-
exempt bank-qualified interest rate of 2.92 per-
cent.
The interest rate is guaranteed for 10 years.
The term of the loan is broken down to 20 years
for $8.5 million and 10 years for the $1.3 million
street improvement portion of the loan.
The $8.5 million will be used as follows:
• $3.7 million to the Florence Urban Renewal
Agency
• $3.3 million to cover the cost of a new city
public works facility
• $1.5 million for water improvements
Henry said, “A large portion of the debt with
Banner Bank is refinancing of the existing credit
line to a lower rate.
“The Banner Bank agreement was very favor-
able to the city and I want to thank both Banner
Bank and the city staff for providing financing
for our ‘City in Motion’ at historically low rates
that will bode well for us in the future.”
Henry also read a proclamation declaring
November Military Family Appreciation Month.
The city hosted a military family reception prior
to the meeting.
In other business, the board received an update
on a $125,000 grant from the U.S. Department of
Justice to help fund a four-year Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) School
Resource officer. The grant will fund part of the
first three years, with the city completely respon-
sible for the fourth year.
The grant must be approved by the city coun-
cil and the Siuslaw School District Board of
Directors before the grant funds can be accepted.
The COPS Resource Officer, slated to start in
the 2017-18 school year, will work at all three
Siuslaw district schools to help reduce absen-
teeism and improve graduation rates.
City Project Manager Megan Messmer gave a
progress report on the new public works facility
to be located on 27th Street.
According to Messmer, a bid decision is to be
made by Dec. 19.
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CITY 11A
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN AND JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
T
he Florence community honored area veterans
and “saluted the U.S. Coast Guard,” the
parade’s grand marshal, at the annual Florence
Veteran’s Day Parade on Friday. Hundreds of youth,
veterans, families and community members attended
the parade to watch area veteran groups, the
Oregon Coast Military Museum, Boys and Girls
Club of Western Lane County’s new marching band
The Tsunamis, bagpipers, community organizations
and more as they traveled from Florence Events
Center to Historic Old Town. Siuslaw High School
Band played under the Siuslaw River Bridge as the
parade ended at Veteran’s Memorial Park.
Inspired by
their stories...
High school holds assembly
to honor area veterans
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
iuslaw High School Leadership Council
recognized local veterans for their serv-
ice to America in an assembly on
Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The event was held in the gymnasium at
Siuslaw High School and was attended by all
grade levels at the school.
The student organizer for the event,
Student Body President Claire Waggoner,
was motivated by a lack of recognition for
veterans at the school.
“Last year I was really disappointed that
we didn’t have anything when it came to
Veterans Day, so I wanted to make that
change when it came to Veterans Day this
year,” she said.
In addition to the motivation of initiating
an event at her high school, Waggoner was
inspired by a trip to the nation’s capital.
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THIS WEEK ’ S
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw Senior Claire Waggoner, right,
speaks with Florence veteran Steve
Olienyk during a veteran recognition
Wednesday at Siuslaw High School.
“This summer I was in Washington, D.C.,
and I was at a World War II memorial when
there was an honor flight there,” she said. “I
got to visit with a lot of veterans and I was
really inspired after hearing their stories.”
Waggoner was determined to share her
experiences in Washington and to work more
diligently towards creating a special event for
veterans in Florence.
She was pleased and surprised with the
response of her teachers and fellow students.
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“A lot of the teachers reached out to me,
telling me about their family members in the
military, that I didn’t even know had family in
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 22 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
See
ASSEMBLY 11A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Election recap 2016: Few new faces emerge as winners in local, state races