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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2017)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM ❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS SATURDAY EDITION De a r S a n t a . . . LADY VIKS BLOCK BRAVES SPORTS — B SPECIAL SECTION — C 127TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 102 C ITY OF SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 F LORENCE Downtown Revitalization Team draws focus of Small Business Revolution business series B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News F lorence’s Downtown Revital- ization Team (DRT) announced this month that the city is in the run- ning to be featured in a web-based TV series that focuses on small busi- State police arrest man after 6-hour standoff ❘ DECEMBER 23, 2017 ❘ $1.00 COULD BE FEATURED ON nesses and a thriving main street. “Small Business Revolution — Main Street” may choose Florence after a site visit on Jan. 3 with representa- tives from the DRT, City of Florence and area businesses. DRT Chairwoman Ellen Huntingdon has led the initiative from initial query to this month’s announcement that Florence has been selected for a site visit from Small Business Revolution’s production team. “I thought, ‘Oh, heck. We’ll give it a try.’ I filled out the online applica- tion, and I think Florence spoke for itself. They got more interested, and now we’re in the top 10,” she said. Huntingdon is the marketing coor- dinator at Oregon Pacific Bank (OPB). She has worked there since returning to Florence after attending college abroad in Tokyo. “I do marketing for OPB, so I get to do sponsorship and charitable giv- ing,” she said. “Over the years, I learned a little more about the com- munity and the organizations in it, and got to know people. Through that, I was contacted about DRT.” OPB encourages staff members to get involved in community groups and volunteering, so when former DRT Chairman David Wiegan invit- FLORENCE, OREGON ‘M AIN S TREET ’ TV ed her to join the group, Huntingdon agreed. “Everything just sort of snow- balled off itself, and I’ve become slightly more involved,” she said. “The more you learn about this town, the more you want to be involved.” DRT works within the same area as the Florence Urban Renewal District, which surrounds Historic Old Town. The district boundaries are the Siuslaw River to the east and south, Kingwood Street to the west and Ninth Street and Highway 126 to the north, with some areas extending slightly beyond. Some of its current projects include the holiday banners W a rm h ol i d ay w i s he s and seasonal flower baskets in the Florence Antiques District on Highway 101. Its slogan is, “Our purpose is to coordinate and promote marketing, visual improvements and business development for Historic Florence.” About a year ago, DRT also began working with a group that helps revi- talize downtown areas, the Oregon Main Street Program. This is a coor- dinating program with Main Street America, which works with commu- nities to develop comprehensive, incremental revitalization strategies See MAIN STREET 7A Port moves forward on longstanding issues Scott Williams, 54, charged for weapon offenses Commissioners approve FEMA project, finalize manager job description Florence area resident Scott Williams, 54, was taken into custody early Thursday morning by Oregon State Police (OSP), after B Y M ARK B RENNAN a six-hour armed Siuslaw News standoff at the Rhododendron Trailer Park on Highway 101. Williams was charged with multiple weapons-relat- ed offenses, including pointing firearm at another, menacing, disorderly conduct and unlawful use of a weapon. Backup for OSP was provided by Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians Police Department. A statement released by OSP detailed the standoff and the measures taken by officers responding to the call. B Y J ARED A NDERSON See A tip from a local resident led to Lane County Animal Services citing Mapleton resident Heather Dollman on six counts of animal neglect B Y M ARK B RENNAN Wednesday, Dec. Siuslaw News 21. Two horses were removed from the property occupied by Dollman by Lane County Animal Welfare Officer Bernard Perkins and an assistant. Lane County Public Information Officer Devon Ashbridge confirmed that Dollman was present to receive the neg- lect citation and that Oregon State Police were called to the location to assist in the removal of the animals. Dollman was cited on two counts each for lack of food in sufficient quantity and quality; lack of necessary veterinary care; and unsuitable confinement. “Thankfully, we received a call about the condition of the animals,” said Perkins. “We know that the care and health of animals is very important to our residents — it’s important to Lane County too — and we appreciate their help identifying possible problem situa- tions.” INSIDE PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN AND CHANTELLE MEYER/ SIUSLAW NEWS ARREST 6A OCHS employee cited for animal neglect See Siuslaw News NEGLECT 7A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B7 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Letters to Santa . . . . . . . . . . . C Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 eople in the Siuslaw region stepped forward this holiday season to provide food, toys, clothing and blankets for their community members. From the Salvation Army exceeding its fundraising goal of $25,000 to dozens of blankets donated to Siuslaw Outreach Services, people lent a helping hand to their neighbors. North of Florence, Twin Lake Store sponsored 29 teens with a Giving Tree. Hundreds of gifts donated by the community filled Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Station No. 4 Thursday. Around town, many homes and businesses dec- orated with colorful lights, and the Port of Siuslaw sponsored its second annual Holiday Light Contest. P M e r r y C hr is t m a s f r o m al l of u s a t S iu s l a w N e w s Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Side Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 THIS WEEK ’ S TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 62 48 54 46 52 43 50 38 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 There was a flurry of progress at the Port of Siuslaw on Wednesday as the council made decisions regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) erosion project, posted the open port manager job position and looked into several other key projects. One of the first issues the commission tackled was the FEMA erosion project after final plans were submitted to repair the damage at the east end of the camp- ground. The erosion was caused in part by the heavy winter of 2015-16. The affected portion of the campground has been closed since April 2016. The project has been mired in contro- versy and delays since its initial proposal, including longstanding debates on what caused the erosion, how the erosion should be fixed and how much the repairs would cost. The project was also continu- ally postponed by a myriad of bureaucrat- ic hurdles from federal and state agencies. But on Wednesday, the final designs for the project were finally approved, with a start date planned for March or April 2018. However, even this decision was met with some controversy. Marine Engineer Jack Aiken, who has worked on the proj- ect since the beginning, had submitted the final proposal as a scaled down ver- sion, with a reduction of rock and fill used to fix the erosion. The original plans called for a 2:1 slope to a 1.5:1 slope. While the new, steeper angle would save money on the project, it could potentially prohibit indi- viduals from walking on the slope. The commissioners were confused as to why Aiken had made the change. “We’ve been led to read the Bible say- ing our shore land is going to wash away using a 2:1 slope, but now we’re build- ing a 1.5:1 slope,” Commissioner Terry Duman said. “This is the same as a con- tractor saying we’ll build 12-foot ceil- ings, but then building 8-foot ceilings, saying, ‘We’ll save you money, now.’” The commission didn’t disagree with the change per se, and they found the cost benefits to be substantial. But they questioned why Aiken made the change now, and not earlier. S IUSLAW N EWS 3 S ECTIONS ❘ 28 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2017 See PROJECTS 11A
