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SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 7, 2017 ❘ $1.00
SPECIAL EDITION INSIDE
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
SOS seeks
new executive
director
Freshly driven snow
Position requires an
individual with a robust
skillset, lots of energy
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
T
he mission statement for
Siuslaw Outreach Services
(SOS) is simple yet pro-
found. It is committed to providing
compassionate, respectful and con-
fidential support to those in need. A
straightforward objective for the
organization and its staff, but one
that is difficult to accomplish. And
unfortunately, a mission that is
seemingly never ending.
Area receives first major snow storm in 5 years
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
A four-wheel drive Jeep navigates the ice and snow on Bay Street during Wednesday’s snowstorm, an unusual sight in Florence.
Agencies take precautions,
show few emergencies
Possible second ice storm
is forecast for Lane County
he Florence area received
between four and eight inches
of snow Jan. 4, causing schools
and government offices to close or open
late. Mapleton
B Y J ACK D AVIS
and
Siuslaw
Siuslaw News
school districts,
Lane Community
College and city hall were among the
Wednesday closures.
This is the first major snow accumu-
lation in Florence since March 2012.
Florence Public Works and Oregon
Department of Transportation (ODOT)
crews’ road sanding efforts apparently
paid off, as no serious weather related
accidents were reported by emergency
According to the National Weather Service, a new ice
storm is on its way to Lane County this weekend that
could wreak as much havoc as the December ice storm
did on Eugene, the county and much of the state.
Lane County Emergency Management urges all resi-
dents of Lane County to prepare now:
• Stock up on firewood, propane and generator fuel
• Stock up on drinking water for family, pets and live-
stock
• Make sure you have plenty of non-perishable food
• Recharge batteries; purchase and charge back-up bat-
teries for medical devices
• Stay aware of vulnerable trees weakened from the
December ice storm. Examine trees for branches and
limbs that have started breaking away and take measures
T
services in the area.
Florence Public Works Geographical
Information Systems Officer Brenda
Cervantes said, “ODOT crews laid
down a layer of magnesium chloride
(salt) in key locations around town and
then starting about 5 a.m., public works
crew began putting down 10 to 12 cubic
yards of sand on the roads. I think they
were successful because we didn’t have
any mishaps.”
A cold front continued to drop tem-
peratures below freezing Wednesday
and Thursday evenings, causing icy
patches to linger for several days.
See
SNOW 11A
See
The new year brings with it a new chal-
lenge as SOS is currently seeking a
replacement for it’s most recent director,
David Wiegan, who left the position at the
end of 2016.
During an interview with Interim
Director Bob Teeter discussing the ongoing
transition in organizational leadership, he
indicated that the mission, not the person
behind the big desk, is the key to positive
growth moving forward.
“I firmly and emphatically believe in the
mission of SOS, and that is to provide
compassionate, respectful and confidential
services to people in need, and we have a
lot of people in need in our community,”
Teeter said. “Last year we served 2,900
individuals, and this year the number will
be close to that again, so obviously there is
a need for what we do.”
According to Teeter, the mission state-
ment of SOS is meaningful on a number of
levels. Most importantly, it sends the mes-
sage that the community and the individu-
als that make up Florence care.
Bart Mealer, a member of the SOS
Board of Directors, believes the main
challenge facing the new director will be
PREPARE 11A
See
DIRECTOR 11A
GRAND STANDS
Mapleton High School installs new gymnasium bleachers
apleton High School and
Nor-Pac spent Wednesday
and Thursday installing
new bleachers in the school’s gym-
nasium.
Mapleton
School
District
Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said the
installation
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
is the latest
Siuslaw News
step in the
s c h o o l ’s
revitalization process that was
funded with the recent passage of
the bond measure, approved by
voters in November.
“We have been able to complete
three bond related projects,” O’Mara
said. “The first was the high school
septic tank, the second was the resur-
facing of the track and the new
bleachers is the third project.”
The new bleachers will cost about
$35,000, with approximately half
coming from the Mapleton Booster
Club. The remainder will come from
the voter-approved funding measure.
While this project should be com-
pleted shortly, others will require
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MONDAY
TUESDAY
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MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
INSIDE
Workers from Nor-Pac work on the installation of new bleachers at
Mapleton High School Thursday. The new bleachers will be unveiled
tonight when Mapleton basketball teams host Crow at 5:30 and 7 p.m.
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Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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THIS WEEK ’ S
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
more thought and time to finish.
Mapleton School District has until
2018 to complete all bond-related
projects. The planning and prepara-
tion for the more extensive and
involved parts of the refurbishment
are being finalized.
“The next step in the bond process
is that our steering committee has
been meeting. They are currently in
the ‘design phase,’ so what we are
doing now is assessing what flooring
S IUSLAW N EWS
3 S ECTIONS ❘ 28 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2017
See
BLEACHERS 11A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 2