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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2017)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM ❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS SATURDAY EDITION ❘ SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 ❘ $1.00 VIKS TAKE DUAL Learning to Fly — Part II CROWNS AT TUGMAN SPORTS — B 127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 74 INSIDE — A3 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 FLORENCE, OREGON Dunes City votes to ban future marijuana grows, keep existing ones B Y J ARED A NDERSON Siuslaw News On Wednesday, Sept 13, Dunes City Council voted unanimously to temporarily ban any future medical grow sites in the city, but allow existing grow operations to remain. Currently, there are three marijuana grow facilities going through the process of certifica- tion by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). Ordinance 245, originally proposed in August, would have banned all processing sites, pro- ducers, dispensaries, processors and wholesalers from opening within city limits, including those facilities which are cur- rently being built. But on Wednesday, Councilor Robert Orr moved for an amendment to the ordi- nance, stating that existing operations should be allowed to stay. In defending the motion, Orr stated, “I am very much in favor of Section 245. This is a person- al statement. I believe that what’s right for Dunes City is to not have marijuana growing A dream that won’t be deferred — Part II here. At the same time, we have consulted with counsel and we are clearly of the belief that we need to add this amendment before we can consider Ordinance 245.” Councilor Alan Montgomery stated that while he agreed Dunes City did not want or need commercial marijuana grown in the area, the current growers “bought the property in good faith, did their work in good faith and we can’t move the goal post now. So, the exception is very logical. I hope when the initiative comes up in 2018, JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS Attorney Ross Day, who represents three marijuana grow operators in Dunes City, pleads his clients’ case to the Dunes City Council Wednesday. Helping T he Be a t Dunes City residents will stop further marijuana grows.” The ban is temporary, lasting only until the 2018 November Election, when Dunes City resi- dents will have a chance to vote on the bans’ permanence. The issue regarding marijua- na grow operations extends back to 2016, when voters approved a three percent tax on recreational marijuana sales. But marijuana grow sites were not mentioned, or banned, in the vote. See DUNES CITY 10A PeaceHealth go on shares updates on retention, funding Residents struggle with the larger issues of illegal immigration This week’s Town Halls highlight Community Health programs (Editor’s Note: The national debate on DACA hits close to home, even in Florence. This is the conclusion of a two-part exploration of DACA, immi- gration and American values on a local level.) After President Donald Trump ordered a six month phase out of the Deferred B Y J ARED A NDERSON Action for Siuslaw News Childhood A r r i v a l s (DACA) on Sept. 5, America — and Florence — has been grappling with the issues that surround Dreamers, those who were brought here illegally when they were children, and illegal immigration as a whole. Much of the debate has been cen- tered around the need for border securi- ty, and the role immigrants play in the American workforce. In announcing Trump’s decision to rescind DACA, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated recipients were denying jobs “to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs.” The argument makes sense on the surface, particularly coming out of the Great Recession of the early 2010s, where stories of PhD graduates apply- ing for jobs at fast food restaurants were bandied about in the media. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor (PHPH) Medical Center and the City of Florence hosted a third Community Town Hall at the Florence B Y M ARK B RENNAN Events Center Siuslaw News on Sept. 13. Two pre- sentations, at 7 a.m. and noon, gave information and updates from PeaceHealth administrators on efforts to respond to a critical short- age of primary care physicians avail- able to their clients. “When we started the forums, it was in reaction to several care providers and one general surgeon that left the community all about the same time, four of which were pri- mary care physicians,” said Peace Harbor Chief Administrative Officer Rick Yecny. At the time, up to 6,000 PeaceHealth patients were without providers in Western Lane County. “To communicate better with the community what our plans were and to give assurances that we had a plan to address the crisis, which is a national problem, we decided to have the forums,” Yecny said. More than 600 people attended the first Town Hall, held just about a year ago. See PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS ortland-based marching band The Beat Goes On visited Florence Friday. This interna- tional, award winning, all-adult marching band played at the Port of Siuslaw Boardwalk to approximately 100 happy onlookers. The Beat Goes On is known for its upbeat rendi- tions of modern songs and a high energy, rock and roll approach to their arrangements of more tradi- tional band numbers. “We may be a marching band, but we are more likely to play Bruno Mars or Pitbull than John Phillip Sousa,” said Music Director Steve Tolopka. P DREAMERS 11A See U.S. CONSTITUTION WEEK B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News INSIDE In August, Florence Mayor Joe Henry proclaimed Sept. 17 to 23 as Constitution Week. This is in conjunction with the national observance of Constitution Day, recognizing the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. “Sept. 17, 2017, marks the 230th anniversary of the draft- ing of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention,” Henry read in his proclamation. “It is fitting and proper to offi- Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 cially recognize this magnifi- cent document and the anniver- sary of its creation.” Members of the Florence Oregon Dunes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) accepted the proclamation during its reading at the Aug. 7 Florence City Council meeting. DAR member Jacquie Beveridge said, “A DAR presi- dent was responsible for the annual designation of Constitution Week in 1955.” In 1955, the national DAR petitioned the U.S. Congress to set aside Sept. 17 to 23 annual- Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Daughters of the American Revolution celebrate U.S. Constitution this week Florence City Council and Mayor Joe Henry (center) present the Constitution Week Proclamation to Members of the Florence Oregon Dunes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. ly to be dedicated for the obser- vance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopt- ed by Congress and signed into public law on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This is the 62nd anniversary of Constitution Week. CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS THIS WEEK ’ S TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 66 48 61 47 56 48 59 49 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 HEALTHCARE 8A “There are many ways that our local DAR supports Constitution Week,” Beveridge said. “We get our proclamation from the mayor every year, and we do a display.” For the past several years, DAR members have brought in items to include in a display case at Siuslaw Public Library in Florence. In turn, the library showcases books and materials about the Constitution. “The importance is to raise awareness of the Constitution,” Beveridge said. S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2017 See CONSTITUTION 10A
