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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2017)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM ❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS SATURDAY EDITION LIGHTHOUSE WEEK Giving benefits veterans SPORTS — B INSIDE — A3 127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 58 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 FLORENCE, OREGON Fiber comes to Florence, finally B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News n a new pilot project announced this week, Siuslaw Broadband, doing business as Hyak, will install fiber optics to Florence’s Pacific View Business Park and certain nearby residential and business areas. I ❘ JULY 22, 2017 ❘ $1.00 “Siuslaw Broadband has been trying to get fiber off the ground for a while,” owner Robbie Wright said. “We have been in Florence for six years, so we are in touch with the technology needs that people have.” The Internet service merged with Full Spectrum Computers in April, just one of several tech-based announcements Siuslaw Broadband wanted to announce for 2017. The other is the formation of Hyak as a new brand, specifically for fiber optic services. Hyak will partner with Florence Contractor Ray Wells, Inc., to install fiber in pilot areas including Pacific View Business Park, the Park Village neighborhood and the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County. “Long-term, we’re interested in keeping construction in house, but we couldn’t have a better partner as we get started. The city knows and trusts Norm (Wells), and we do, too,” Wright said. He said the pilot project will Siuslaw Broadband, Hyak bring fiber optics to businesses, neighborhoods begin a six- to eight-week con- struction in August, “after the eclipse.” “We chose the business park since it is centrally located. From there, we can grow this to someday take fiber all over the city,” Wright said. Hyak will install fiber under- ground. Since the area near Pacific View Drive has similar- ly built homes, this allows for easier construction of the underground fiber line. According to Wright, fiber is a superior technology in many ways, including its ability to be updated with future technologi- cal advances. See FIBER 7A Siuslaw Valley D EADWOOD C EMETERY COMES ALIVE Trustees revitalize State Historic Cemetery through grants, research, volunteers seats new board members and gets to work I B Y J ARED A NDERSON Siuslaw News New chaplain position, board leadership named S iuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue welcomed two new board members on July. Directors Ron Green and Ned Hickson took the oath of office as the first action item B Y M ARK B RENNAN undertaken at the Siuslaw News district’s scheduled monthly meeting. Chief Director Jim Langborg administered the oath individually to Green and Hickson and the new board was convened. The board’s first order of business was the nomi- nation of and voting on new officers for the board. Green and sitting board member John Carnahan both received nominations for board president, with Green then voted in as president and Carnahan as vice president. Current board member Woody Woodbury was nominated for and accepted the position of secretary treasurer. The board’s next order of business was the intro- duction and swearing in of Chaplain Lori Severance. Langborg presented Severance’s resume and qualifications, and spoke highly of her experience. “It’s a privilege to welcome her to our ranks,” Langborg said. “We feel fortunate to be able to add someone who brings 20 years of experience as a professional crisis intervention worker … with a master’s degree in social work and in psychology.” Langborg then asked the board to approve the job description that had been included in the meeting packet that had been prepared for the members. Carnahan initiated a brief discussion, questioning the need for and the wisdom of creating a new paid position, as the district currently has four volunteer See BOARD 6A t’s the breathtaking, giant sequoias that people notice first when they enter the main grounds of the Deadwood Cemetery. Hidden on a hill overlooking a river and sur- rounded by the majestic trees, the cemetery exists in another world only found in fantasy novels. Just beyond the sequoias are the graves. In the morning, the rising sun passes through the trees, casting beams of light on headstones creating a haunting yet peaceful aura. On June 22, Deadwood Pioneer Cemetery Board of Trustees was awarded $5,860 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Historic Cemeteries. The grant will pay for new headstones to replace 35 decayed markers. The project is only a component of a larger push to restore the cemetery. The cemetery is a small gravesite, its origins dating back to the turn of the 19th century. A church and a school used rest next to the site but were lost to time. The park is impeccably kept, important for a State Historic Cemetery designated area. A massive, 7-ton entry rock displays that moniker as you enter its windy entrance road. A new water irrigation system has been put into place. The grass is trimmed perfectly. It’s a beautiful monument to the rich history of the area. It didn’t used to be this way. The cemetery, which has around 300 graves, fell into a state of disrepair over the years. This was of particular concern because it was still hosting new burials. However, its decay was not for a lack of try- ing. For a time, the Deadwood Pioneer Cemetery Board of Trustees consisted of only three peo- ple: Don Wilbur, his daughter Sally and Gary PHOTOS BY JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS A tranquil sight meets visitors at the historic Deadwood Cemetery, where standing headstones and faded grave markers show more than two centuries of history. The cemetery’s board of trustees plans to replace 35 decayed or lost markers with grant money. Burnett. Wilbur’s family had taken care of the ceme- tery for decades. The three-person board, made up of volun- teers, worked diligently to care for the grounds. It was hard labor, though, and expensive. They had to dig the graves, manicure the grounds, care for the road leading to the site and various other clerical and physical respon- sibilities. When Sally passed away four years ago, the task became overwhelming. The trustees need- ed help to revitalize the historic site. Around six months after Sally passed, Past SHS principal killed in motorcycle accident B Y N ED H ICKSON Siuslaw News INSIDE Past Siuslaw High School teacher, vice-principal and principal John Weeks, 65, was killed in a highway acci- dent early Wednesday morning, July 19, at approximately 10:30 a.m. Weeks was traveling eastbound on his black 2015 BMW motorcycle on Highway 20, about seven miles east of Sweet Home, Ore., when he struck the side of a green 2016 Kenworth log truck heading westbound. Weeks was pronounced dead at the scene and Highway 20 was closed for about three hours while Oregon State Police interviewed witnesses and con- ducted their investigation. According to LaGrand Patrol Sergeant and Public Information Officer Kyle Hove, it was determined that Weeks unintentionally veered into Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 A3 A4 A2 John Weeks oncoming traffic, clipping the front cor- ner of the log truck driven by Kenneth Keil Reynolds. Reynolds was not injured, according to Oregon State Police. Side Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B This Week on the Coast . . . . A6 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 THIS WEEK ’ S A witness told officials that they believed Weeks may have been looking over his shoulder while negotiating a curve when he veered into traffic. Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District, along with Oregon Department of Transportation, assisted Oregon State Police at the scene. Weeks attended Southern Oregon University, where he earned his bache- lor’s degree, then received his masters at Western Oregon University. While at Siuslaw High School, he taught English and Media before becoming the school’s vice-principal in 1987, working with long-time principal Richard Whitmore. Weeks continued his education, attending the University of Oregon and earning his degree in school administra- tion before eventually taking over as principal when Whitmore retired in 1993. See WEEKS 6A See CEMETERY 7A 7-year-old boy dies after ATV accident Upriver agencies respond to death B Y J ARED A NDERSON Siuslaw News The Upriver community is reeling from the sudden death of 7-year-old Joe Motichka, of Mapleton, on Tuesday, July 18. Members of the Western Lane Ambulance District and Deadwood Creek Fire District responded to the incident where Motichka succumbed to injuries related to an ATV accident near Highway 36. Motichka was riding the ATV when it tipped over, killing him instantly. He was wearing protec- tive gear at the time. TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 73 57 72 53 70 53 67 54 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 Megan Gerber was hired to work for Wilbur’s company, Don Wilbur Ltd. Gerber was asked to be the secretary for the board meetings, which began to catalog the issues with the site. In time, the trustees introduced new rules and guidelines. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up through Banner Bank to help with the funeral costs, with a stated goal of $5,000. Family friend Mary Stands help set up the fund. Donations can be made to any Banner Bank. People are asked to make checks payable to “The Joe Motichka Memorial Fund.” A go-fund-me is also set up on Facebook by Stands, where she wrote, “The family wants to say thank you for all the outpouring prayers, love and support in this tragic time.” A private celebration of Motichka’s life will be held today. S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS ❘ 16 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2017
