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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-
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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-
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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
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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.
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C OPYRIGHT 2017
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CONSTITUTION 10A