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126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 45
EMERGENCY PREP
Major disaster
drill scheduled
for Thursday
Local WLEOG members
simulate emergency drill
at port, hospital
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Disaster will strike the Port of Siuslaw
at 10 a.m. tomorrow. A boat will catch
fire in the Siuslaw River and potentially
hazardous materials will spread to nearby
visitors and campgrounds.
Emergency responders will transport
survivors to PeaceHealth Peace Harbor
Medical Center for treatment and decont-
amination.
This is a drill.
Yes, this is only a drill for Western
Lane Emergency Operations Group
(WLEOG).
The event will focus on response plans
for an actual disaster that would trigger a
sudden influx of patients to Peace
Harbor Medical Center, in addition to its
day-to-day patient activity.
The drill is also designed to provide
on-scene training for local emergency
responders.
This disaster drill is a collaboration
between multiple WLEOG partner agen-
cies including PeaceHealth Peace Harbor
Medical Center, Western Lane
Ambulance, Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue, Port of Siuslaw, U.S. Coast
Guard, Lane County Sheriff’s Office and
the Florence Police Department.
Western Lane Operations Manager
Matt House said, “Participating in these
exercises is extremely important to ambu-
lance operations in order to identify
strengths and areas that need improve-
ment. The importance of collaborating
with our WLEOG partners in this exer-
cise is to test all participants’ capabilities,
so when real time events occur we are
better prepared for our community.”
According to a WLEOG press release,
organizers caution that the event is a sig-
nificant exercise and the local community
can expect to see emergency responders
at the Port of Siuslaw and Peace Harbor
Medical Center looking and acting as if
this was an actual disaster.
See
WEDNESDAY EDITION
DRILL 7A
❘ JUNE 7, 2017 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
Learning nature’s way
Siuslaw fifth- and seventh-graders have ‘Outdoor Adventures’ at Camp Cleawox
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
S
tudents from Siuslaw
School District got out
of brick and mortar class-
rooms and into nature’s
study hall last week during
Outdoor Adventures 2017.
“Our home-spun Outdoor
Adventures is four days of fun
and learning in the great out-
doors,” Siuslaw Elementary
Principal Mike Harkelrode said.
“Each year a dedicated team of
staff work hard to secure funding
and in-kind donations to make it a
great experience for our fifth- and
seventh-graders.”
Siuslaw Outdoor Adventures
Coordinator Benjamin Wells said,
“We had over 220 students, 70
parents and a ton of camp part-
ners at Camp Cleawox this week
for Outdoor Adventures 2017,
and our themes this year are peer
mentoring, cultural education,
outdoor recreation and science.”
Outdoor Adventures is a pro-
gram that has always been popular.
However,
according
to
Harkelrode, obtaining the funding
for the four-day camp has recent-
ly been a challenge.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Water activities such as canoeing and kayaking are some of the hands-on activities that campers
participate in during Outdoor Adventures 2017 at Camp Cleawox.
“A recent ballot measure man-
dates an outdoor school type
experience for all districts.
However, the measure failed to
name a funding source,” he said.
Siuslaw Middle School Principal
Andy Marohl, who has been an
integral part of the leadership team
of the camp, believes the additional
expenses of the camp are easily
balanced by the benefits to the stu-
dents who attend.
“Outdoor School has been a
large part of this district for
many years,” he said. “In approx-
imately 2008, when we had
large budget cuts, the program
was cut. We feel that it is an impor-
tant part of a student’s education,
See
OUTDOOR SCHOOL 10A
LCC Florence Center’s new dean shares vision, goals
LCC Florence Center
Dean Russ Pierson
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
In March, Lane Community
College (LCC) Florence Center’s
former Interim Dean Russ Pierson
was chosen from a field of candi-
dates to become official dean.
Pierson, 59, was appointed inter-
im director of the Florence Center
March 9, 2015, replacing M.J.
Kuhar, who was promoted to the
position of Executive Dean of
Academic Affairs.
Even though Pierson was appoint-
ed two years ago, he still had to
apply for the permanent position
along with several other candidates.
“I’m happy to say there was an
outstanding field of candidates. It
was very ominous for me as a candi-
date myself. It speaks to the great
work the community here has done to
make the Florence Center an attrac-
tive location for folks in higher edu-
L IONS C LUB B ASS T OURNAMENT
cation,” Pierson said.
Until now, Pierson has been com-
muting back and forth to his home in
Eugene on weekends and staying in
Florence midweek.
“My wife Tammy will be moving
over from Eugene. We were renting a
small place here but we will be look-
ing to buy, making our full time resi-
dence here,” he said.
Pierson expressed some frustration
over the two years he had to split his
time between Florence and Eugene.
“I’ve tried to be as engaged and
involved as I could be while not
being here on the weekends. A lot of
community kinds of things happen
here on the weekends. Both Tammy
and I are excited that we will now get
to partake of those kinds of happen-
ings as well,” he said.
LCC Florence Center has approxi-
CELEBRATES
mately 300 full-time equivalent stu-
dents and a total annual enrollment,
including non-credited and online
classes, of approximately 2,250 stu-
dents.
Pierson sees expanding the
Florence Center’s career technical
education offerings in two areas:
culinary arts and hospitality manage-
ment, and nursing assistant and med-
ical assistant programs.
The college is working to partner
with Siuslaw High School’s culinary
arts program.
“This year we were able to get one
course fully articulated so high
school students can take our culinary
arts program at Siuslaw High School
and receive college credit at no cost
to them,” Pierson said.
See
35 TH
DEAN 7A
YEAR
Local club raises money annually for students and people with disabilities in the community and the world
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
The
Florence-Siuslaw
Chapter of Lions Club
International hosted its annu-
al Bass Tournament on
Siltcoos Lake this past week-
end.
The event is a major
fundraiser for the civic-mind-
ed group, which is committed
to addressing the serious
issues of blindness and deaf-
ness — not only in America,
but around the world.
Darling’s Marina was the
host location for the tourney
June 3, which drew more
than 40 competitors.
According
to
Mark
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
B6
A3
B5
A5
Meyers, Sight and Hearing
Chair for the local chapter
of the club, the tournament
has a long tradition
of engaging the community
in an activity that is out-
doors and regionally sig-
nificant.
“This event started 35
years ago and is held every
year on the first weekend
of June. We took a popular
activity in the community
and tied it to a fundraising
event. We focus on
addressing sportsmanship
and healthy competition
with a sense of communi-
ty,” he said.
The
Lion’s
Bass
Tournament is one of the
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
few “open,” tournaments in
the area and the tourney is
organized to encourage
family participation.
This year’s tournament
awarded trophies for teams
and for individual men and
women in adult and junior
categories.
Meyers said the majority
of funds raised from the
event will go directly to
local students.
“This year we raised
$570 from the raffle which
is dedicated to the two high
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS school scholarships we give
Lions Club Bass Tournament top finishers were (from left) each year,” he said. “The
James and Ron Pearson, Art Mulligan, Larry Slaughter and $229 from the food wagon
Mark Whitlock. More than 40 people competed in Saturday’s sales will go to our other
programs, which include
event.
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
eye and hearing care and
exams, eyeglasses and dogs
for the blind.”
Local Lions are also
involved as sponsors in the
upcoming Wings and Wheels
car and plane show on
Saturday, July 1, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Florence
Municipal Airport.
There are a number of
meaningful projects on the
horizon for the club, which
will be partially funded by
the proceeds from the “Wings
and Wheels” show.
“Shortly, we will be build-
ing and putting in place the
first of five school bus shelters
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2017
See
BASS 7A