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INSIDE — A9
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 27
Unclear 501c3 status
reason for the one-year
postponement
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
The abrupt and unexplained cancella-
tion of last month’s Siuslaw School
District’s annual Indian Education
Powwow was addressed during
Monday night’s meeting of the Native
American Parent Committee.
In a statement issued by committee
members, the committee explained that
due to an unknown loss of its 501c3
status under the prior volunteer treasur-
er, “...the recent discovery of this by
the current volunteer treasurer of the
Parent Committee, and the written
threat of criminal prosecution, led to
the extremely difficult decision to can-
cel the 24th Annual Indian Education
Powwow in order to protect all parties
involved with the powwow.
“This was not a decision that the
Parent Committee took lightly, nor was
the threat of criminal prosecution taken
lightly,” committee members expressed
in the statement. “It was a heart
wrenching decision that we were forced
to make out of necessity.”
The Native American Parent
Committee then thanked the communi-
ty for its support.
Following a unanimous vote, the
Powwow has been rescheduled for
Saturday, March 17, 2018.
JAZZ EVENT
DRAWS HUNDREDS
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Parent
Committee
clarifies
Powwow
cancellation
❘ APRIL 5, 2017 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
S IUSLAW V ALLEY F IRE & R ESCUE
FLORENCE, OREGON
TRAINING ACADEMY
SVFR conducts important ‘Hot Box’ training
Firefighter trainees go through a series of drills designed to simulate real life situations
M
ost people are familiar with
the old adage, “practice
makes perfect.”
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue
Training and Volunteer Coordinator
Captain Jeff Larson feels that while
perfection may be difficult to achieve,
practice is indeed essential to his mis-
sion.
“It’s all about decision making. We train for
real-world incidents in a high-paced, safe man-
ner, whether it be a structure fire, a motor vehi-
cle accident or a medical call,” Larson said.
“This way, when the alarm sounds and the
community needs our help, we can jump out of
bed at 3 a.m. and make the right decisions to
keep ourselves, other fire fighters and the com-
munity we are protecting alive.”
This past weekend, Larson oversaw a series
of practice exercises for a group of firefighter
recruits at Fire Station No. 4 on Sutton Lake
Road. These exercises were conducted at the
“Hot Box” — a structure that looks like a small
house — situated behind the fire station.
The Hot Box serves as a real-life opportuni-
ty for trainees to learn the techniques and prop-
er methods for entering a burning building and
extracting occupants or victims.
Larson ran his charges through a series of
drills that took place while the Hot Box was
billowing smoke from its door and windows.
The trainees followed Larson’s lead as they
approached the structure, crouching down and
lightly running their hands over the exterior of
the building’s door to ascertain the temperature
inside.
Then, Larson instructed the group on the
proper use of equipment that draws out the
smoke in the box, allowing firefighters to enter
and extract any unconscious occupants.
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Above, Siuslaw Valley Captain Jeff Larson
(second from left) instructs firefighter
trainees on the dangers and proper tech-
niques of entering a structure on fire.
Right, firefighters practice using fire extin-
guishers. The training simulates condi-
tions firefighters might encounter in actu-
al emergency situations.
A second, smaller staging area to the side of
the box was set up with a large barrel filled
with trash and debris and set ablaze.
This step in the training was designed to
allow the trainees the opportunity to use fire
extinguishers to suppress the fire.
These are just some of the drills that the
trainees will take part in before they are ready
to participate in actual emergencies. Both
of these drills have real-incident applications
to situations they are likely to encounter in the
course of their work as first responders.
See
TRAINING 7A
Florence residents debate ‘sanctuary city’ status
People speak out on state, federal laws even though topic not on city council agenda
Body discovered
in forest near
Mapleton
Sheriffs seek public’s
assistance in investigation
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO)
is working to identify a body discovered
in the Siuslaw National Forest last
Friday.
On March 31, a hiker discovered the
deceased subject in the forest.
“It is still early in the investigation,”
said Sgt. Carrie Carver, LCSO public
information officer. “There is not a lot of
information we can give out at this
time.”
LCSO is investigating the death with
the Lane County Medical Examiner’s
Office, and is working to determine the
identity of the victim. Currently, the
sheriff’s office is considering this death
suspicious in nature; however, cause and
manner of death have not yet been deter-
mined.
“We are putting this out there in the
hopes of eliciting a response from the
public,” Carver said. “If you live in the
area, any information you have could be
important.”
Anyone with information related to
this case should contact the LCSO Public
Information Office at 541-686-4179.
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uring the April 3 Florence City Council meet-
ing, the council chamber at City Hall was
filled to capacity with pro and con advocates for
Florence being designated
B Y J ACK D AVIS
a “sanctuary city.”
Siuslaw News
The mostly respectful
audience listened as sever-
al speakers for each side addressed the councilors
during the public comments part of the session.
Loud applause accompanied each speaker’s
address.
Before the sanctuary city comments were
heard, one speaker proposed that because Oregon
has been designated a sanctuary state for years,
the council should read a proclamation and put up
D
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Florence resident Mike Danowitz (front)
shares his views on sanctuary cities with
the Florence City Council and audience
members during the April 3 meeting.
signs stating, “Florence is a hate-free communi-
ty.”
Mayor Joe Henry, in an attempt to give equal
opportunity to each side, queried the list of people
who were signed up regarding their position on
the issue. He then selected several representatives
from each side to address the council.
Resident Mike Danowitz said the issue was not
about being hate free, but about crime and home-
lessness. He shared his experience from living in
Southern California.
“They were flying the illegals in and the crime
rate went up. You saw more vagrants on the street.
See
DEBATE 7A
Bozievich, Trapp address town hall attendees on county issues
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
est Lane County
Commissioner Jay
Bozievich and Lane County
Sheriff Byron Trapp held a
town hall meeting at the
Florence Events Center
Wednesday, March 29.
Commissioner Pat Farr also
attended.
Topics discussed included
the future of the 82,000-acre
Elliott State Forest land
south of Florence, a new
federal land management
bill, renewal of a Lane
County jail levy on the May
16 ballot and a proposal to
build a new county court-
house.
W
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“The 59-year-old
other mile, one-mile
court facility is com-
square swath of land
pletely inadequate
that ran the entire
for a county our size
length of a proposed
and for today’s mod-
north-south rail line
ern standards for
through Oregon and
how courts are run,”
Northern California
Bozievich said. “The
in the 1800s. The
facilities are com-
land grant was
pletely inadequate.”
offered to entice the
Bozievich
also
Oregon and Calif-
gave an update on
ornia Railroad to
federal funds that
build tracks along
may become avail-
the route.
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
able to Lane County
“It was really a
Lane County Commissioner Jay
if a new land man-
land grab by the rail-
Bozievich answers question from
agement bill passes
road company that
constituents during a town hall
congress.
was ultimately taken
meeting he shared with Lane County
“We are starting to
over by the federal
Sheriff Byron Trapp Wednesday.
see some movement
government,”
in the Oregon and California
Bozievich explained that Bozievich said.
(O and C) land,” he said.
“We may get the O and C
O and C land was an every
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C OPYRIGHT 2017
and Bureau of Land
Management lands up to a
reasonable level of harvest
that still protects the envi-
ronment,” he added.
According to the commis-
sioner, the agreement could
allow up to 500 million
board feet of annual lumber
harvest. The state currently
receives revenue on approx-
imately 100 million board
feet from the O and C land.
“That will generate a sig-
nificant amount of revenue
for schools and counties.
Those receipts get split 50-
50 between state school
funds and the county gener-
al fund,” Bozievich said.
See
TOWN HALL 7A