THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
❘
/ SIUSLAWNEWS
❘
@ SIUSLAWNEWS
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ FEBRUARY 7, 2018 ❘ $1.00
VIKS SUNK
BY PIRATES
STEP, Stream team up
SPORTS — B
128TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 11
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Black bears
at Greentrees
Village cause
concern
S
temperatures greeted
the Siuslaw valley yester-
day for the first time since late
January, prompting area resi-
dents of all types to get out
and enjoy the weather. In
Historic Old Town Florence,
dog walkers stop to visit on
the Port of Siuslaw Boardwalk
and view several boats
moored in the harbor. People
had to act fast to take advan-
tage of the sunshine especially
as the weather is expected to
return to cloudy conditions
later this week.
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
See
BEARS 8A
Chamber Business Beat . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A7
B6
A3
B5
FLORENCE, OREGON
Lane County
S UNNY
seeks
DISPOSITION community
input
unshine and warmer
Three yearling bears
have been euthanized
after reportedly
aggressive actions
Interactions between people and
bears have been increasing in
Florence and across the state over
the past few years, according to the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife (ODFW).
ODFW has statewide management
authority for the animals and esti-
mates that there are approximately
30,000 black bears in the state, and
bear and human interactions are usu-
ally non-violent.
Unfortunately, one of these usually
benign meetings ended with the need
to terminate three yearling bears liv-
ing within Greentrees Village on
Rhododendron Drive.
“There are long-standing problems
with black bears in the Florence area
and in the Greentrees community,”
said ODFW Communications
Coordinator Michelle Dennehy.
She added the situation in
Greentrees Village has developed
over several years and, despite
efforts by ODFW, the decision to kill
the animals was necessary.
Under Oregon’s bear policy, as set
by the Black Bear Management Plan,
bears are considered a human safety
risk when they are repeatedly seen
around structures or residences in
daylight — indicating they are habit-
uated to people rather than afraid of
them, which is their normal behavior.
“When they show repeated feeding
in garbage or are damaging property,
or demonstrate aggressive behavior
such as snarling, popping or bluff
charging, which is what had hap-
pened in this instance, three yearling
bears had to be put down,” said
Dennehy.
She said that two of the adolescent
bears were euthanized on Jan. 25,
with a third terminated on Feb.1.
In that time, residents of
Greentrees called and emailed
Siuslaw News, requesting informa-
tion regarding the killing of the ani-
mals.
Those concerned were surprised
they were not notified of the year-
lings’ removal, or that the Home
Owners Association for the commu-
nity was not included in the deci-
sions that led to the killings.
Greentrees Village General
Manager Louis Dashofy said the
decision to cull the yearlings was not
made by the staff at Greentrees, but
by the ODFW.
The specific circumstances that led
to the shootings were described by
Dennehy as a random confrontation
between a landscaper and the bears.
“The sow and at least three other
bears were living beneath a gazebo
in a backyard of a Greentrees resi-
dent,” Dennehy explained. “As a
landscaping crew clearing brush
by the gazebo was working in late
January, one of the bears came
out and swatted at the landscape
worker.”
INSIDE — A3
PHOTOS BY NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Residents invited to
take strategic plan
survey by this Friday
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
Lane County is in the process of cre-
ating a strategic plan to last from 2018
to 2021. Now, people from all over the
county are invited to take a survey
online at bit.ly/LaneCoSurvey before
Friday, Feb. 9.
“As an elected representative and
advocate for West Lane County, it is
important to me that coastal residents’
priorities for the future of our commu-
nity are included in Lane County’s
effort to update its three-year strategic
plan,” said Western Lane County
Commissioner Jay Bozievich.
Lane County contracted with
Portland State University’s Center for
Public Service to develop the updated
plan and run the survey to learn about
where to focus county efforts over the
next three years. The survey is relative-
ly short and should take five to 10 min-
utes. It seeks perspectives on the coun-
ty’s work for its citizens and communi-
ties.
The previous strategic plan, from
2014 to 2017, set the county’s priorities
for a Safe, Healthy County, Vibrant
Communities and Infrastructure. Under
each of these priorities were several
objectives with action items. The Board
of Commissioners held annual work
sessions in December of each year as
well as quarterly updates.
See
— S TATE
OF THE
COUNTY 9A
C ITY 2017 —
Florence Mayor Joe Henry details ‘action and results’ made in city’s goals in last year
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
On Feb. 5, Florence Mayor Joe
Henry presented the State of the
City for 2017 before swearing in
new councilor Woody Woodbury
during the Florence City Council
meeting.
City Manager Erin Reynolds
introduced Henry, saying he is serv-
ing his second term as mayor.
“We are excited to present to you
tonight, through his speech, the
achievements from 2017 and what’s
to come in 2018,” Reynolds said.
The mayor’s speech looked at the
City of Florence’s five goals and
where the city expects to go in the
future. Under Goal No. 1, City
Service Delivery, Henry said that
more than 90 percent of the city’s
budget goes to operating city serv-
ices.
“City services are necessary, and
the guys who work on them in the
Public Works department don’t
always get a lot of credit,” Henry
said.
Highlights under this goal includ-
ed the completion of the Public
Works Facility, the beginning of
construction on the Florence City
Hall Remodel and Expansion,
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . A5
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
THIS WEEK ’ S
improvements to the Justice Center
Round Room, the creation of the
School Resource Officer position
and upgrades to the 911 system. In
addition, Public Works replaced
water lines on Highway 101 and
finished the Rhododendron Drive
roadway, shoulder expansion and
water improvements.
The city’s second goal is
Livability and Quality of Life, with
Henry thanking the area’s numerous
volunteers for their hours of work in
promoting city events and services.
Henry listed that the city received
grant funding for park improve-
ments, including a grant for
$390,000 that will go to developing
athletic resources at Miller Park;
created the Housing and Economic
Opportunities Project (HEOP);
streamlined development applica-
tions; worked to improve trans-
portation options; banned the use of
styrofoam; and updated the
Florence Events Center’s sound and
lighting thanks to the Friends of the
Events Center and a matching grant
from Oregon Cultural Trust.
In addition, in 2017 Florence was
named the 24th U.S. Coast Guard
City, just in time for Coast Guard
Station Siuslaw River’s 100th birth-
day in December.
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Florence Mayor Joe Henry gives the annual State of the City address
at the Florence Events Center on Feb. 5.
Economic Development is Goal
No. 3, and it has been a stated goal
for the city for several years.
“This is one of my favorite
goals,” Henry said. “As our econo-
my continues to grow, activity has
picked up, as evidenced by an
increase in both residential and
commercial construction around
town.”
He counted the sale of lots in the
Pacific View Business Park as suc-
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
61 43
53 43
52 37
54 36
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
cesses.
“We have a really nice little air-
port out here surrounded by about
25 lots to the north that are all ready
for business and zoned commercial
and industrial. One of those major
successes is Top Hydraulics, which
sort of broke the ice for us in the
business park,” Henry said.
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 18 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2018
See
ADDRESS 9A