SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2018
Districts
from 1A
McClure continued, “The
staff has been great to work
with and they’ve been very
supportive of me, as well as
the board. I’ve gotten a lot of
support.”
During her recent tenure as
manager, McClure has over-
seen a whole host of long
planned changes at the port.
The security cameras were
upgraded, the maintenance
truck was replaced, the Wi-Fi
was updated and new debris
booms were put in place.
But the largest impact
McClure had on the port was
supporting
the
forward
U.S. Air Force
Band of the Golden West
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n
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momentum that the institution
has seen within the past
months.
In October 2017, McClure
came to the commissioner’s
board with a list of projects
that needed to be worked on:
The port bulkhead needed to
be replaced, the erosion dam-
age needed to be fixed and the
marina needed to be dredged,
among other issues.
“There are a lot of issues
facing the port that are impor-
tant, and decisions have to be
made,” McClure said. “And
that was when the commis-
sioners came up with the idea
for public input for activities,
projects and improvements.”
McClure took the lead on
the meetings, holding three
thus far, which brought on a
variety of suggestions from the
public.
“There has been a lot of
enthusiasm for activities at the
port,” she said. “I’ve met with
individuals who have some
ideas … I think the public
wanted to be heard. And the
board has given that some con-
sideration in how they move
forward with their plans. What
they do with that input has yet
to be determined.”
The plans and projects that
the board faces are numerous.
The erosion project, which
has been mired in controversy
and red tape over the past two
years, is still not completed.
But when McClure first came
on board as interim manager,
the future of the project was in
doubt. Now, as McClure
worked closely with federal
and state regulators, along
with the board and the engi-
neers, the project is almost
ready to begin.
The bulkhead still needs to
be fixed, as well as dredging
the marina.
“One passion project would
be selling the 40 acres in the
Pacific View Industrial Park
because that would give us the
funding to tackle a lot of those
big projects, and to reduce the
debt,” she said.
Recently, the board, with
McClure’s help, secured a
realtor for the property.
McClure was also excited to
work on the strategic plan, as
the current one is set to expire
this year.
However, these projects will
have to be finished by the next
port manager.
In addition, McClure is exit-
ing when the board is still
searching for the manager. If
the board is unable to find a
replacement by McClure’s end
date on March 15, they should
be able to recruit another inter-
im manager from the Special
Districts
Association
of
Oregon.
“Or maybe somebody in the
community will come knock-
ing on the door saying, ‘I want
to be that person,’” McClure
said.
Whoever ends up replacing
McClure, she promises not to
leave them in the lurch.
“When I leave the port, I
don’t want to turn my back on
it,” she said. “I’m still going to
be in the community. If I’m
asked to stop by, I’m still here.
I can be a resource to make the
transition a good one.”
And she also said the new
manager will be in good hands
with the staff and commission
already in place.
“We have a great staff here,”
she said. “They’re hard work-
ing and dedicated. I have a lot
of respect for the work they
do, and I will miss working
with them a lot. They show up
every day and they’re willing
to work.”
She said that although the
port had its share of “drama”
and issues with the camp-
ground or facilities, the staff
continues to handle things
well.
“We have a teamwork effort
here,” she added. “I really
have been lucky in having
their support in my position
here.”
And the commissioners and
port employees said they felt
the same way about McClure.
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9 A
“She served the port very
well and was unafraid to take
on any task,” Commissioner
Terry Duman said. “We will
really miss her.”
Commissioner
Nancy
Rickard said that McClure had
been a rock for the port.
“I’ve gone to visit her two
or three times a week and she
always know what she’s
doing, even when we don’t,”
Rickard joked.
Port Maintenance Lead
Jason Wagoner appreciated
McClure working with him on
budgeting items and facility
maintenance issues, saying,
“It’s been a great pleasure
working with her and it’s hard
to see her go, but I wish her
the best in the future.”
Campground staff member
Joyce Kidwell had worked
with McClure since the begin-
ning and said she “just loved”
McClure.
“We’re a very close-knit
family here, and she’s done
such a tremendous job,”
Kidwell said. “It breaks my
heart that she’s going.”
As for the future of the port,
McClure thinks the future is
positive.
“We’ve got good staff and a
good board,” she said.
“They’ve got all the pieces in
place to really tackle the
issues facing them. They’re
concentrating on what the
issues are, and now it’s their
time to prioritize the funding
for some of these projects.”
The port has gone through
many changes over the years,
she pointed out.
“It’s not an active port like
it used to be. The history here
is amazing with the fishing
and logging, but those days
are done,” she said.
However, that’s not to say
the port has become obsolete.
It will always find ways to be
a vital economic driver for the
community. It lobbies for fed-
eral money to keep the mouth
of the river dredged, which is
a key component of what the
port can do.
But the Port of Siuslaw has
also reimagined itself as a des-
tination place for tourism and
economic development, which
McClure believes brings a
positive future for the port.
“It provides a gateway
tourism on the Oregon Coast,”
she said. “Having this camp-
ground and marina brings a lot
of people into this area which
provides an economy for Old
Town as well as all of
Florence and the Oregon
coast.
“I think Florence is an awe-
some place and the port plays
a big role here.”
For more information, visit
www.portofsiuslaw.com.
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now for
LCC trip
to Ireland
Lane
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launching a new travel pro-
gram with a fall trip to
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Participants will join
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an overnight stay on one of
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Participants should book
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The air-and-land package
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Call 541-997-8444 for
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