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WEDNESDAY EDITION
Community Voices
NEED FOR SPEED
INSIDE — B
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 55
❘ JULY 12, 2017 ❘ $1.00
SPORTS — C
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Preparations
for solar eclipse
underway
I NAUGURAL J AM
FLORENCE, OREGON
BRINGS WORLD - CLASS TALENT
First responders share tips,
information for Aug. 21
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
On Monday, July 6, representatives from
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, Western Lane
Ambulance District, Florence Police
Department and the Florence Area Chamber
of Commerce met briefly to discuss prepara-
tions for the highly anticipated August 21
solar eclipse.
The eclipse will be visible on the Oregon
coastbetween Lincoln City and Waldport,
beginning just after 9 a.m. It will reach totality
between 10:15 and 10:25 a.m..
First responders and public service organi-
zations are gearing up for an influx of up to
one million visitors to the Oregon coast to
view the eclipse. This meeting was the most
recent in the extensive preparations that have
been undertaken in preparation for the visitors.
In anticipation of the unusually large
crowds that may visit the area to watch the
eclipse, Florence Police Department
Commander John Pitcher shared some possi-
ble areas of concern with those in attendance.
“Lane County Emergency Manager Linda
Cook has sent out some tips that I think will
be helpful as we prepare for the eclipse.
Probably most important, even if you are not
in the path of totality, be careful of your fuel
levels,” Pitcher said. “Especially for first
responders, we need to make sure all vehicles
are filled up before the event, as there may be
fuel shortages due to the large numbers of vis-
itors to the area.”
Pitcher also pointed out some areas of con-
cern regarding communication during the
event.
“Our cell towers may have some problems
with all the calls being made and the social
media posting of pictures and selfies during
the eclipse. Also, we should prepare for the
possibility of gridlock or speeds of several
miles per hour on Highway 101,” Pitcher
said.
See
ECLIPSE 7A
PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN WENZEL
Bandleader and clarinetist Ken Peplowski and jazz vocalist Clairdee bring their talent to the
first-ever Siuslaw Jam, held at Florence Events Center last weekend.
Joshua Greene’s effort attracts attentive crowds for ‘Siuslaw Jam’
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
T
he first Siuslaw Jam was
held on July 7 and 8 at
the Florence Events
Center to rave reviews from audi-
ence members and performers.
The audience responded to the
professionalism and the technical
virtuosity of the musicians. The
musicians responded to the natu-
ral beauty of Florence, the appre-
ciation of knowledgeable audi-
ence members and the chance to
help create a lasting musical lega-
cy for the area.
Florence City Councilor and
The Archives owner Joshua
Greene was the driving force
behind the inaugural Siuslaw
Jam.
“The whole weekend was won-
derful. The people who attended
were thrilled with the perform-
ances and the personalities of the
musicians,” Greene said. “And
the musicians were thrilled with
the response from the crowd and
how attentive and involved they
were with the performances.”
The seed for what was to
become the Siuslaw Jam was
planted after Greene attended the
Siletz Bay Music Festival in
Lincoln City a few years ago.
The world-class musicians
that were presented at the Siletz
Festival and the support the
event received from the commu-
nity inspired Greene. He
approached the festival’s board
and Musical Director Yaacov
Bergman with the possibility of
reimagining the event for the
Florence community.
See
JAM 7A
Florence moves ahead with agreements for ReVision Florence
Florence, FURA authorize city manager to sign intergovernmental agreements with Oregon Department of Transportation
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
Florence City Council voted
Monday to allow City Manager Erin
Reynolds to sign agreements with
Oregon Department of Transportation
(ODOT) and Florence Urban Renewal
Agency (FURA) for the ReVision
Florence project. The signature her-
alds the official beginning of two new
intergovernmental agreements (IGAs)
and the next step for the city’s repave-
ment project of Highways 101 and
126.
During the council meeting on July
10, Florence Project Manager Megan
Messmer said, “As we proceed with
ReVision Florence and move into that
more finalized design phase, as well as
some of the on-the-ground work for
that project, it requires some official
agreements with ODOT.”
Until now, the plan has operated
under memorandums of understand-
ing.
According to Messmer, one impor-
tant aspect of the now-signed IGAs is
defining whom the agreements are
with.
She said that both the City of
Florence and FURA are going to be
part of the contracts.
“We worked really hard to get that
as a three-party agreement,” Messmer
said. “They were adamant that it
would just be the city and ODOT, but
today, just in time, they let us know
that they could add Urban Renewal.”
Reynolds said, “That was a very
momentous negotiation of our con-
tract with ODOT. Representatives
now understand (the concept of) an
urban renewal agency better than they
did before.”
City councilors voted to approve
two IGAs to define the working rela-
tionships moving forward, as well as
C O O L P L A C ES
Sweet Creek Falls
TO VISIT THIS SUMMER
Sweet Creek Road, Mapleton, Ore. ❘ 541-563-8400
A T A GLANCE :
are several parking lots, as
Mapleton, just 15 miles
well as a restroom at
inland from Florence,
Homestead Trailhead.
sports the Sweet Creek
Sweet Creek Trail #1319
Falls Trail Complex, a
is family friendly at 2.2
waterfall wonder in Lane
miles. Take the kids and
County.
leashed dogs on an explo-
The trail begins off
ration of dirt trails, wooden
“Sweet Creek Falls in Autumn”
Sweet Creek Road. Hikers
walkways and slippery sur-
by David Putzier
will experience 11 water-
faces near the creek.
Wagon Road Trail and Beaver
falls in the forested area around
This look into nature provides a
Sweet Creek, from the Homestead Creek Trailhead. Hikes vary from
breath of fresh air and a shady
.4 miles to just over 1 mile. There
Trailhead, Sweet Creek Falls Trail,
summer trek for these July days.
INSIDE
S PECIAL F EATURE :
This summer we are
highlighting unique
spots that make the
central Oregon coast
one of the coolest
places to live and play.
New locations will be
featured each month.
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
the roles, money requirements and
rights of way services for ODOT, the
city and FURA.
Under the agreements, ODOT will
review designs, manage construction,
oversee federal funding and allow
access to the rights of way.
FURA, which is responsible for
both the design and the funding, will
fund the design and review process,
C6
A3
C5
A5
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C
Community Voices . . . . . . . . B
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
65 50
65 50
65 51
67 51
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
S IUSLAW N EWS
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REVISION 7A