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WEDNESDAY EDITION
O REGON ’ S
MAPLETON
RAISES THE BAR
HIDDEN
TREASURES
SPORTS — C
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 19
Visitors Center
to get updates
Construction set to continue
through March 17
❘ MARCH 8, 2017 ❘ $1.00
INSIDE — B
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
21ST ANNUAL
FLORENCE HOME & GARDEN SHOW
BIG weekend
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
for tiny trends
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors
Center was closed Tuesday for the start of ren-
ovations. The center will be open throughout
the week, though visitors will be directed to
use the back door.
F
INSIDE
lorence Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors
Center, 290 Highway 101, is undergoing ren-
ovations this week. Construction is scheduled
to be completed on Friday, March 17.
“We’ll be remodeling to increase the usable
space and increase our efficiency,” said Chamber
Executive Director
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Bettina Hannigan.
Siuslaw News
Some of the
changes include
updating electric power and adding ethernet cables.
Lofy Construction and Full Spectrum Computers
are completing the construction and electric work,
respectively.
The biggest change will be relocating the visi-
tor’s area from its current location right inside the
lobby to a new office.
“The change will give us a lot of real estate on
the walls to represent information for our mem-
bers,” Hannigan said.
One of the important things, she said, is to keep
volunteers happy and engaged. The changes will
help create a friendly environment for both cham-
ber volunteers and those visiting the center.
The current check-in area will be walled off,
creating a conference room and work space.
“It will be a lot more efficient use of the space,”
Hannigan said. “It’s going to make it a little bit
easier to find a place for everyone.”
The new space will allow room for the cham-
ber’s board of directors, event committees and vol-
unteers to meet and work together from a “warm
and welcoming environment,” Hannigan said.
“It makes it a lot nicer to have this here, with the
close access to our kitchen for those long meet-
ings,” she added.
The electric updates will add additional outlets
and lay cables for future projects, such as the pos-
sibility of digital phones and touch-screen monitors
for tech-savvy visitors.
There will be new cabinetry throughout the
building to story materials and supplies.
“It’s exciting, but it’s kind of overwhelming,”
Hannigan said of the project.
The center was closed Tuesday at the start of
construction, but the Visitors Center will remain
open as much as possible throughout the 10-day
project.
“We’re going to try to keep greeting people
through the back door. Limited service will still be
available, and our volunteers will be giving what
assistance they can to people who stop in,”
Hannigan said.
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce can
be reached at 541-997-3128. It is always open
online at www.FlorenceChamber.com.
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A3
A5
A4
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
M
ore than 3,200 people attended the 21st annual
Home and Garden Show at the Florence Events
Center this weekend. A wide variety of vendors
from Florence and other parts of Oregon shared prod-
ucts and information with attendees. Events Center
Director Kevin Rhodes said, “This year's attendance at
the Florence Home and Garden Show had an over-
whelming response, even with the inclement weather.
Coast Radio owner Jon Thompson works extremely hard
every year to put on a great event and the 2017 show
was no different. Siuslaw News co-sponsores with Coast
Radio and, between the two organizations, they contin-
ue to put on a top quality show. One attendee told me
afterwards, ‘I believe this year's show was the best one
yet, I had a really fun time.’ That just tells us it was not
only informative, but entertaining as well.” The three-
day show featured tractors, a tiny home, tasty treats and
Laurel Bay Gardens’ “Taste of Spring” centerpiece dis-
play, along with giveaways and prize drawings. The
Florence Home and Garden Show is sponsored by
Three Rivers Casino Resort, Bi-Mart and Central Lincoln
PUD. It is presented by Coast Radio and the Siuslaw
News.
Florence improves fire flow capacity
City combines multiple projects to create economy-of-scale savings
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
City of Florence Public Works
has contracted Carter and
Company, Inc., from Salem, to
expand water line capacities in
several locations west of
Highway 101 to increase fire
hydrant fire flow.
Public Works Director Mike
Miller said, “We are installing a
16-inch water main from Second
Street and Kingwood Street,
north to Rhododendron Drive
and then out Rhododendron
Drive back to Ninth Street. We
are also extending a 12-inch
water line from the intersection
of Kingwood Street and
Rhododendron Drive, east to
Highway 101.
“This will allow us to provide
additional water out towards
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
THIS WEEK ’ S
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Construction workers install larger water mains along
Rhododendron Drive to improve fire hydrant fire flow.
Peace Harbor Medical Center. Johnson Rock Products, from
That area is lacking in fire flows. Coos Bay, to install an 8-inch
If the hospital wanted to expand water main across Highway 101
in the future, they wouldn’t be at Eighth Street.
able to unless this infrastructure
This project is part of the
is in place.”
city’s larger waterline replace-
In addition, the city hired ment project that is scheduled
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
52 48
51 46
51 44
52 44
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
for late fall from Maple to
Quince streets.
“The timeline for the water-
line crossing of Highway 101 at
Eighth Street was accelerated in
order to provide needed fire
flows to the Options Counseling
Center project, located on Maple
Street across from the U.S. Post
Office,” Miller said.
The water main upgrades are
being done in conjunction with
several other projects in the area,
including storm water infrastruc-
ture improvements, retention
walls, bike paths and concrete
sidewalks.
“There are a lot of economies-
of-scale in the fact that the water
and storm water project is going
forward. The additional cost of
doing a full pave, as opposed to
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