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WEDNESDAY EDITION
2017
Wedding Guide
VIKINGS TAKE
OUT BRUINS
SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
SPORTS — B
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 7
❘ JANUARY 25, 2017 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Participants in the Jan. 21 Women’s March in Florence line up on Highway 101 to show off their signs, banners and support for various causes.
WO ME N ’ S M A RC H DR AW S HU N D R ED S T O P R O TE S T
Peaceful, positive approach attracts march participants from all walks of life
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
undreds of
Florence-area
residents par-
ticipated in a march on
Saturday, Jan. 21, to
highlight issues of social
justice. The rain and
cold did not deter the
crowd, which was much
larger than anticipated,
with organizers estimat-
ing between 250 and 350
people.
H
The Florence Women’s
Empowerment March was
one of more than 600 events
held world-wide in support
of Saturday’s Women’s
March on Washington, D.C.
The local event was sup-
portive of the intent of the
Washington March, without
being opposed to any one
person or party.
The decision to not be
“anti” anything, and to focus
on what organizers and par-
ticipants were “for” was
essential to organizer Nin
Bebeau.
“It was very important to
me to be positive,” she said.
“I have always felt it was
better to be for something, to
be moving forward, to be
SVFR considers
cost recovery
ordinance
District taxpayers would be
exempt from recovery fees
uring the Jan. 18 Siuslaw Valley
Fire and Rescue District (SVFR)
board meeting, directors agreed to
move forward with adopting an ordinance
to allow SVFR to recover certain expens-
es incurred during
B Y J ACK D AVIS
public safety inci-
Siuslaw News
dents outside of the
district limits, or to non-resident visitors
traveling through the district.
Fire Chief Jim Langborg told the board,
“The thought process behind this ordi-
nance is that the taxpayers pay for all this
equipment and personnel. Those traveling
through our area are not taxpayers and
don’t pay. This is trying to get some cost
recovery from those people that don’t pay
taxes in our area. At least our basic cost for
the incident, so our taxpayers don’t have
to pay for it all.”
Langborg referenced what the Oregon
Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) had
written as an example of the language to
be used.
“We looked through the OSFM policy
and wrote them down a little more suc-
cinctly in this policy,” Langborg said. “We
talk about actual personnel charges. They
all fit within the OSFM model and are all
based on actual cost.”
According to the proposed ordinance,
a pump fire engine with a four-firefighter
crew would bill out at $100 per hour and
D
INSIDE
See
RECOVERY 11A
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B6
A3
A5
A4
heading towards a better,
more inclusive future.”
Bebeau and her team hand-
ed out a small pamphlet to
potential marchers that out-
lined their intent and wishes
for the march,
“Every point in our book-
let was ‘pro’ something. We
are for women’s rights, we
are for human rights and we
are for rights for all ethnici-
ties and races,” she said.
Participants gathered at
Class Act Theatre at the cor-
ner of Rhododendron Drive
and Kingwood St., where
they created signs and regis-
tered for future events.
The large group then pro-
ceeded up Rhododendron Dr
ive to Highway 101 and
along the march route.
The hundreds of marchers
at the event were from a
variety of local groups and
many were unaffiliated.
The wide array of opinions
that were reflected in the
signs being displayed, with-
out resorting to hateful
speech, was just one of the
pleasant surprises that
Bebeau experienced during
the march.
Another was the turnout,
which greatly exceeded
expectations.
See
MARCH 9A
Marchers were a diverse and colorful group that includ-
ed young and old, men and women, Democrats and
Republicans and more.
I N H ONOR
Approximately 300 people came to
pay their respects on Saturday, Jan.
21, during a firefighter’s memorial
service held at the Florence Events
Center for Florence native and former
Siuslaw Valley Fire
& Rescue (SVFR)
battalion Chief Asa
Hammon
(right),
who was tragically
killed Jan. 11, while
working near heavy
machinery.
COURTESY PHOTOS ROBIN BARRETT
HGE, Inc. chosen to design Florence City Hall remodel
City approves expanded remodel budget to include Justice Center ‘round room’
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
lorence City Council chose
Coos Bay architecture firm
HGE Inc. to design and over-
see the $1.9 million remodel of the
Florence City Hall building during
its Jan. 23 meeting.
In addition to the remodel, coun-
F
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A3
THIS WEEK ’ S
cilors approved a city staff recom-
mendation to spend approximately
$250,000 to finish a 2,700 square
foot portion of the Florence Justice
Center, called the “round room,”
where city staff will conduct busi-
ness during the city hall renovation.
Project
Manager
Megan
Messmer said, “Planning commis-
sion and city council meetings will
occur at the Florence Events Center
during construction.”
The Justice Center space will be
turned back over to the police
department after the city hall
remodel is completed.
The remodel will expand the
existing city hall building from
9,600 square feet to 10,200 square
feet.
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
50 40
52 38
57 39
57 41
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
According to Messmer, the archi-
tectural design work will take place
this winter and spring. City staff
will transfer to the Justice Center
after upgrades are finished this sum-
mer and will relocate back to city
hall after the remodel is completed
in January 2018.
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2017
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