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SATURDAY EDITION
❘ SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 ❘ $1.00
OCTOBER
RALLY TIME COAST CENTRAL
A&E — INSIDE
SPORTS — B
127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 78
Millennials
in Siuslaw
— Part 1
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
P HOTOS AND STORY BY
J ARED A NDERSON
& N ED H ICKSON
Siuslaw News
Age cohort from 18 to 35 is
already in the region, and
the numbers could grow
B Y J ARED A NDERSON
Siuslaw News
(Editor’s Note: This is part one of a
series looking at trends surrounding
millennials, and their needs as they
decide to stay in, come to or leave the
Siuslaw region.)
Dan Lokic is new to town. At six
weeks in, the 25-year-old is still trying to
catch his first salmon, even though he’s
been at it 10 times.
“I think it’s going to happen pretty
soon,” he said optimistically.
A recent graduate from the University
of Oregon with a master’s degree in
Regional Planning, Lokic is the new
Management Analyst for the City of
Florence. He lives alone in a studio apart-
ment in Historic Old Town and is just get-
ting to know the Siuslaw region.
Brynne Sapp was born and raised in
Florence. The 27-year-old works part
time at Coastal Fitness as a gymnastics
teacher for children. She loves working
with the kids, along with a whole host of
other activities.
See
MILLENNIALS 8A
Medicare open
enrollment
begins Oct. 15
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
It’s that time of year again for seniors
interested in changing their Medicare
coverage.
New enrollees can sign up for the
program, and those already enrolled can
change participation parameters from
Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2017.
Enrolled individuals can switch from
original Medicare to Medicare
Advantage or vice versa. Participants
can also switch from Medicare
Advantage or from Medicare Part D to
another plan. Once a new plan is select-
ed, people will be disenrolled from
their current plan.
See
C ITY
MEDICARE 6A
Coos Bay Rail Link honors Mapleton Schools with custom train
E
arly Thursday afternoon, students and
faculty from all three Mapleton
schools gathered with representatives
from the Coos Bay Rail (CBR) for a special
dedication that only a handful of people
knew about. Students arrived at 1:30 p.m. to
find a full-sized train engine parked next to
the recently painted CBR utility shed that
now welcomes visitors to Mapleton and
proudly proclaims the town as “Home of the
Sailors.”
But Thursday, that message was taken a step fur-
ther when CBR representatives revealed the latest
addition to Mapleton's proclamation of Sailor pride
— an engine adorned with the Sailors’ logo, which
will run between Coquille and Eugene after a
Local Scout works to preserve lives
Isaac Griffes, Troop 777 install new life jacket lending station at Lake Cleawox
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
T
he Boy Scouts of
America (BSA) is
one of the largest
youth organizations in the
U.S. More than 2.4 million
members are involved
nationally in activities
organized by the BSA.
Florence has two active
Boy Scout chapters. An indi-
vidual from one of those,
Troop 777, recently complet-
ed an important project with
the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department.
Isaac Griffes, a senior
member of Troop 777, is
working towards the highest
achievement attainable for a
BSA member, the rank of
Eagle Scout. All Eagle Scout
candidates must attain 21
badges from a wide selection
of options available to candi-
dates for the rank.
According
to
scouting.org, BSA’s goal is
to “train youth in responsible
citizenship, character devel-
opment and self reliance
through participation in out-
door activities and educa-
tional programs.”
In order to fulfill the pub-
lic service aspect of the
Eagle Badge requirements,
Isaac began working earlier
this year with Jessie M.
Honeyman
State
Park
Ranger Ryan Warren.
Warren approached Troop
777 with an idea to raise
money to buy new life pre-
servers for the swimming
area at Lake Cleawox, locat-
ed within the Honeyman
grounds.
WORKS TO BRING
Florence Planning Director details current
housing status, next steps for development
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
F
INSIDE
rom August to mid-September,
the City of Florence and its new
Housing
and
Economic
Opportunities Project (HEOP) ran a
survey asking residents for input on
housing needs in the community.
Questions ranged from home owner-
ship costs, rental rates and develop-
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B7
A3
A4
A2
week-long “layover” in Mapleton to allow the pub-
lic to see the newly painted engine up close.
“Our Beyond Me program coordinator, Terri
Johnston, contacted the Coos Bay Rail Link last
April to see if we could get permission to do a
Mapleton beautification project on the cor-
ner on their property,” Mapleton School
District Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said.
“That led to permission to paint the shed,
which led to CBR calling us with this great
idea for the train.”
The dedication of an engine to a high
school has never been done by the CBR
before, and is something that has been under
wraps since its inception.
“We’re really thankful that the Coos Bay
Rail Link took the time and energy to support our
rural community,” O’Mara said. “The railroad is a
big part of that. It goes through all of our commu-
nities, and it’s an important part of our culture and
our history.”
ment expenses — all tied in with cur-
rent city code regarding the permit-
ting process and building codes.
Results of the survey will be avail-
able during an open house and round
table discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 10,
from 5 to 7 p.m. at Florence Events
Center.
On Sept. 14, Planning Director
Wendy FarleyCampbell presented on
“Hope for Housing” at the Florence
Sideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
This Week on the Coast . . . . A6
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
See
ABOVE PHOTO BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
LEFT PHOTO BY ROB GRIFFES
Boy Scout Isaac Griffes (far left)
worked with Honeyman Park
Ranger Ryan Warren to install the
new Life Jacket Lending Station at
Cleawox Lake.
SCOUT 7A
‘H OPE
FOR
H OUSING ’
Area Chamber of Commerce Noon
Forum at Three Rivers Casino
Resort.
“Show of hands — who here
knows of someone living in an RV, in
a shed out back, sleeping on some-
one’s couch, living in Reedsport,
Newport, Waldport who works or
volunteers here, living in someone’s
garage they shouldn’t be living in?”
FarleyCampbell opened by asking.
“Probably all of us know or know of
someone that is in this situation. It is
prevalent. At the city we hear it over
and over and over in our depart-
THIS WEEK ’ S
ment.”
She said rising rental rates, few
vacancies and even median home
prices make it hard for people to rent
or buy homes in the area. As such,
people live out of the area or stay in
unsuitable conditions.
“Rent is too high, and home pay-
ments are too high,” she said. “When
people cannot afford to live where
they work, the entire community suf-
fers.”
Commuters are unlikely to stay
after work for socializing with their
coworkers or to attend community
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
63 48
61 45
62 44
68 48
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
TO
F LORENCE
events in the evening.
“You won’t come back on a
Sunday for an Easter Egg Hunt.
You’re not connected with your com-
munity,” she said.
According to FarleyCampbell,
local governments are taking steps to
address the rural housing crisis
because “the problem isn’t fixing
itself.”
Florence City Council updated its
yearly work plan to address afford-
able housing for people to live in,
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 20 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2017
See
HOUSING 7A