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SATURDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 21, 2017 ❘ $1.00
D EMOCRACY
PIRATES
PLUNDER VIKS
STARTS SMALL
SPORTS — B
OPINION — A4
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 6
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
PORT OF SIUSLAW
Caputo delivers
‘State of the
Port’ address
D
uring the Jan. 18 Port of Siuslaw com-
missioners meeting, President Ron
Caputo gave the annual State of the Port
address.
Caputo said, “Under the leadership of Port
Manager Steven Leskin, the port has
increased revenue,
B Y J ACK D AVIS
and decreased
Siuslaw News
expenses. The port
continues to make
needed repairs to its properties, while saving
money for future repairs. Rental properties,
the RV park and campsites are in full use
during fishing season and continues to be a
good source of revenue for the port.”
In the port’s Independent Auditors Report
dated June 30, 2016 and presented to port
commissioners during the Dec. 21 meeting,
the port showed an increase in operating
revenues of $65,868 and a decrease in oper-
ating expenses of $19,378.
Caputo concluded the report by saying,
“We will strive to conduct port business and
maintain our properties in the best interest of
our tax payers.”
In other business, Leskin told commis-
sioners that staff was working on a proposal
to tear down the two large blue metal dry
storage sheds located in the middle of the
RV park.
“Part of the reason we want to bring them
down now is changes in floodplain insur-
ance. The floodplain maps that have come
out will lead to higher insurance costs,”
Leskin said.
He also cited the overall deteriorated state
of the buildings, liability issues and potential
repair costs as additional reasons to demol-
ish the two buildings.
“It is just time for them to come down,”
Leskin said.
He added, “We are talking to salvage peo-
ple about actually salvaging the buildings.
We want to keep it out of the landfill.”
Leskin said he had considered putting
more full service RV sites on the property,
but the cost concerned him.
“Staff suggested replacing (the sheds)
with dry camping, something that would be
affordable.”
According to Leskin a 2-year-old estimate
to excavate and gravel the shed area, after
their removal would cost approximately
$13,000.
See
PORT 7A
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Grace Dotson takes the oath of office to be third-grade class president, administered by Siuslaw High School 11th-Grade Class
President Kyle King, himself a former third-grade class president.
S TATE
OF
GRACE
Third-grader Grace Dotson and classmates experience democratic process first-hand
S
iuslaw Elementary School teacher
Dolly Greene is determined to show
her students that elections are more
than just an activity for adults during this
inauguration weekend.
The process began in November, when
Greene thought an exercise in civic participa-
tion would be benefi-
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
cial to her students.
Siuslaw News
To that end, the third-
graders under her
tutelage were encouraged to participate in a
“mock” election.
“I want students to practice selecting leaders
through voting, understanding that voting is the
right and responsibility of citizens of the United
States,” Greene said. “The students have
responded in an enthusiastic way to our social
studies focus on the election process. I believe
they are able to see the classroom as a micro-
cosm of the world.”
The students discussed the election process
as it progressed last fall and Greene mirrored
the actual events with classroom exercises. Her
students had issue-related discussions, they
engaged in debates, nominated candidates and
made speeches.
The classroom activities were designed with
a specific purpose in
mind according to
Greene.
“I created a social
studies activity cen-
tered on a mock elec-
tion. I included
debates, a town hall
meeting and voting
to allow students to
participate in the
election process at an
elementary school
level,” she said.
The
individual
students interested in
running for president Students at Siuslaw
and vice president democracy first-hand
participated in the
“Town Hall,” during which they fielded ques-
tions from their classmates. They took the con-
cerns and questions raised by their classmates
and discussed them with their running mates.
Then the students decided on the issues that res-
onated with them and incorporated them into
their “platform.”
The election for Green’s class took place
on Nov. 8, the same day as the national
election. All students present voted for the
Elementary School learn the effects of
in Dolly Greene’s third-grade class.
candidate of their choice.
This year’s election winners were Grace
Dotson, who was elected president, and Laura
Dean, who was selected as vice president.
Dotson is described by her teacher as ener-
getic and creative with strong leadership skills
and Dean is characterized as dependable, con-
scientious and hard working.
See
PRESIDENT 7A
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue seeks new chaplain
Chaplain Darrell Murphy moves on after 11 years serving emergency personnel in fire, ambulance, police districts
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
iuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue (SVFR) will
hold an informal gather-
ing Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6:30
p.m. at the fire station, 2625
Highway 101, to interview
potential replacements for out-
going
chaplain,
Darrell
Murphy.
Murphy, 68, and his wife
Judy will be moving to
McMinnville to be closer to
family members. He plans to
continue as chaplain for the
McMinnville Fire Department.
Murphy, a former pastor,
INSIDE
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Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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moved to Florence from
Canby 11 years ago, after serv-
ing as the Canby Fire District
chaplain for nine years.
“When I came here, there
wasn’t a real chaplain pro-
gram, so I developed what I
saw as a need for the commu-
nity,” Murphy said. “I’ve
always been a person that
cares about people. That’s
what my life is — taking care
of people.”
Fire Chief Jim Langborg
said, “I’ve been in emergency
services for 22 years and there
are only two chaplains during
that time that I would consid-
er to be quality chaplains and
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Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A3
Darrell is one of them. I mean
no disrespect for the other
chaplains.
“A fire department and
emergency medical services
chaplain is a different game.
People may think it has to do
with preaching and praying,
but it isn’t,” he added.
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
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50 40
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51 34
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue District Chaplain
Darrell Murphy (center),
Recruiting and Retention
Officer Pete Warren (left)
and Fire Chief Jim
Langborg (right) will inter-
view prospective chaplain
replacements Tuesday.
According to Langborg, the
fire department keeps the term
“chaplain” because of tradi-
tion. He said that today, the
term “crisis management spe-
cialist”
more
accurately
describes the role of present
day chaplains.
“They work with family
members who are going
through a hard time. They
work with responders who
are dealing with issues, either
in their personal life or just
after a call, or both. The reli-
gious aspect is minimized,”
Langborg said.
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2017
See
CHAPLAIN 7A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Port set to move ahead with
storage shed removal