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SAILORS SPRINT INTO
TRACK SEASON
INSIDE — A8
128TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 21
WEDNESDAY EDITION
SPORTS — B
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
P ORT OF S IUSLAW HIRES D AVE H UNTINGTON AS INTERIM MANAGER
Port commissioners, deadlocked on hiring a new manager, vote to extend search in near future
B Y J ARED A NDERSON
Siuslaw News
The Port of Siuslaw has named cur-
rent Port Commissioner David
Huntington as interim port manager
after the commission decided to reopen
the search for a new manager.
The position became open after cur-
rent Interim Port Manager, Dina
McClure, accepted a position at
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and
Western Lane Ambulance District. Her
last day will be Thursday, March 15.
“We have reviewed and interviewed
the current applicants for the manager
position and we have come to an
impasse that is not going to be
Alzheimer’s
Association
offers free
classes
resolved,” Commissioner Terry Duman
said during a public meeting Monday
night, following an executive session.
“At this time, the board would like to
close its search and terminate the appli-
cations we have. They have the right to
reapply, which we would encourage, at
a later date to be determined.”
Later in the meeting, Duman
stressed that the candidates the com-
mission interviewed were equally
good, but that the board was unable to
gain a majority vote on a final appli-
cant.
Huntington, who has served on the
commission for three years, did apply
for the position in the current round of
applications, and recused himself from
S u p e rs t a rs s hi n e
Workshops offer info
on aging, memory
loss and planning
any discussion or vote regarding the
matter.
“I wasn’t involved in any of the exec-
utive session meetings on the position,
so I was surprised and honored that the
board had confidence in me at this point
to give me this interim position,”
See
PORT 11A
‘Get Wild’
with new
Vision
Quest
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Initiative to explore
outdoor aspects of
coast, upriver
Siuslaw News
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
The Alzheimer’s Association
Oregon Chapter Cascade Coast will
hold two educational workshops,
both of which are open to the public
and free of charge, on the subject of
aging and memory loss today in the
Bromley Room at the Siuslaw Public
Library, 1460 Ninth St.
Regional Coordinator Abby
Gershenzon, who works in Lane and
Douglas counties, said that the semi-
nars being presented are among the
most meaningful that her organiza-
tion offers to the public.
“These are two of my favorite
classes, out of the 15 different educa-
tion programs that we present,”
Gershenzon said. “Once people gain
a deeper understanding about this
disease, they are able to make better
decisions, which can provide greater
quality of life for both for their loved
ones and themselves.”
The first workshop, from 11 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. is “The Basics:
Memory loss, dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease.”
This 90-minute class will discuss
the differences between normal aging
and dementia, the basics of the dis-
ease, the diagnostic process and man-
agement strategies.
There will also be information that
will offer ways for caregivers and
family members to help those with
Alzheimer’s.
The second workshop, from 1 to
2:30 p.m., is titled “Dementia
Conversations.”
This class will provide informa-
tion to caregivers and individuals
suffering with dementia so they can
develop plans for dealing with
potentially contentious issues, such
as when to stop driving and when to
See
ALZHEIMER’S 7A
P TA h ol d s an n ua l S iu s l a w
S up er s t a r s T a l e nt S h o w
A
plethora of youth talent was in full
force on Thursday as the Florence
Community
Parent
Teacher
Alliance (PTA) held its annual Siuslaw
Superstars Talent Show to a packed house
at the Florence Events Center (FEC).
S TORY AND PHOTOS
B Y J ARED A NDERSON
Siuslaw News
“The evening was a huge success,” PTA President
Tiffany Holdahl said. “We are very proud of all the
kids who performed, the parents and teachers who
supported them and all of the fans from our commu-
nity who came out to cheer them on.”
Elementary students sang, danced and joked their
way throughout the night, which was hosted by
Siuslaw Elementary Principal Michael Harklerode.
See
TALENT and more photos 7A
Mapleton to hold community fair
Suicide, substance abuse and home safety to be discussed
Substance abuse, suicide, gam-
bling prevention and internet and
electronic
B Y J ARED A NDERSON
safety
will
Siuslaw News
be some of
the
topics
covered as Mapleton School
District hosts the Community
Awareness Health Fair and Dinner
tomorrow, March 15.
The event, which will bring in a
whole host of community leaders
from around the county, looks to
educate parents and youth in
Mapleton and beyond about some
of the issues facing youth today.
“It started with a conversation
around suicide and the need to sup-
port families, schools and kids
about
suicide
prevention,”
Mapleton
School
District
Superintendent Jodi O’Mara
said. “From there, we branched
out.”
Multiple issues can factor into a
youth’s risk for suicidal behavior,
which led to broadening the scope
of Mapleton’s discussion.
See
Continuing the conversation
B Y J ARED A NDERSON
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Healthy Directions, an
area prevention and health
promotion coalition that was
formed through Lane County
Public Health, celebrated its
first annual celebration last
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Community Voices . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B8
A3
A8
B7
week as the initiative
reviewed the progress it has
made thus far, and the plans
it has for the future.
The goal of Healthy
Directions is to bring about
awareness of, and attempt to
lower, teen alcohol use in the
Siuslaw region.
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . A6
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
The prevalence of alcohol
use in Florence among teens
is high, more so than other
intoxicants like marijuana.
The coalition polled 11th-
graders from Siuslaw High
School, asking about their
use of addictive substances
within the past 30 days.
THIS WEEK ’ S
While 21 percent of
respondents stated they had
used marijuana, 34 percent
stated they had at least one
drink in the past 30 days and
22 percent had five or more
drinks of alcohol in a row
during one drinking session.
“That’s very concerning
Full Forecast, A3
MAPLETON 10A
See
GET WILD 11A
Healthy Directions celebrates 1 year
of curbing teen alcohol use in region
because when we look at
what kids are drinking,
they’re not drinking beer or
wine so much as they are
drinking hard liquor,” said
Lane County Community
Health Analyst Emily Buff
Bear, who is one of the main
leaders
of
Healthy
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
49 39
48 38
49 38
49 39
WEATHER
Education and outdoor adven-
tures are two aspects of the
Siuslaw Vision 2025’s Vision
Quest, which opens its Get Wild
series this weekend during coast-
wide whale watching season.
On Saturday, March 17, “Gray
Whales of Oregon” will feature a
talk by marine biologist Carrie
Newell at City Lights Cinemas,
1930 Highway 101, at 3 p.m.
Then, on Sunday, “The Art of
Whale Watching” will take people
to Cape Perpetua at 10:30 a.m. for
a how-to with Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department Interpretive
Ranger Luke Parsons.
Vision Quest Coordinator Dina
Pavlis said, “The idea of this Get
Wild program is that we have an
indoor session that teaches you,
and then the next day we’re going
to put our boots on the ground and
put in action what we’ve learned.”
People can attend one or both of
the events — and they are free and
open to the public, though some
Get Wild programs may have nom-
inal parking fees.
“Our goal is to make everything
accessible to the community,”
Pavlis added.
That includes a variety of times,
dates and locations to make sure
people can attend the events.
Russ Pierson, dean of Lane
Community College (LCC)
Florence Center and the adminis-
trator for the Siuslaw Vision,
talked about the organic process of
the Vision up to this point.
“The Vision Keepers are a group
of volunteers just interested in
connecting the dots,” he said.
Directions. “The keggers that
used to happen are not what
we’re seeing anymore. We’re
seeing them using vodka,
rum and all kinds of hard
alcohol. That’s especially
concerning when you’re
S IUSLAW N EWS
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DIRECTIONS 10A