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WEDNESDAY EDITION | JUNE 20, 2018 | $1.00
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End of the
2017-18
School year
ALL STAR
BASEBALL
SPORTS — B
INSIDE — A8
128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 49
Florence plans
Block Party for
125th birthday,
mayor’s conference
On Monday, Florence City Council
heard preliminary plans for an up-
coming street
By Chantelle Meyer
closure on a
Siuslaw News
Friday night
in July — a
street closure with plans built in to boost
business and increase the city’s visibility
to dozens of visiting dignitaries.
“In celebration of Florence’s 125th
birthday, we’re having a Block Party Cel-
ebration,” said City of Florence Intern
Claire Waggoner.
The city selected Friday, July 27, from
5:30 to 9 p.m., as the time to celebrate
the city’s founding.
City Project Manager Megan Messmer
said, “We were founded in 1893, I think
in April. But hopefully the weather will
be much nicer in July.”
According to the presentation, the
block party will close Bay Street in His-
toric Old Town Florence from Siuslaw
River Bridge down to Laurel Street. The
area in front of the Siuslaw River Bridge
Interpretive Center will be open to
pedestrian access to businesses, restau-
rants, public art and the celebration.
“What’s a block party if you can’t be in
the street?” Messmer asked.
“It’s a community event,” Waggoner
said. “We’re really encouraging the
public to come and hope businesses and
shops will stay open for extended hours.”
In addition to the Bay Street business-
es, local organizations such as Siuslaw
Valley Fire and Rescue, Florence Public
Works, Florence Police Department, U.S.
Coast Guard Station Siuslaw River and
the Oregon Coast Military Museum plan
to have representation at the Block Party
Celebration.
See CELEBRATION page 10A
FLORENCE, OREGON
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
‘Ambassadors for bees’ encourage awareness
National Pollinator Week
buzzes close to home with
Oregon Bee Project
O
n May 22, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is-
sued a proclamation designating June 18
to 24 Pollinator Week across the state.
By Mark Brennan This week is held in
conjunction with Na-
Siuslaw News
tional Pollinator Week
and global efforts to
promote pollinator awareness.
In her proclamation, Brown pointed to the
critical role pollinator species play in many im-
portant sectors of Oregon’s economy.
“Pollinator species such as birds and insects
are essential partners of farmers and ranchers in
producing much of our food supply … and they
play a vital role in the health of our national for-
ests and grasslands, which provide forage, fish
and wildlife, timber, water, mineral resources
and recreational opportunities for communities,”
she said.
The wide array of economic sectors that are
impacted by the health of the bees and bugs, of-
ten considered pests by home owners and many
farmers, is indicative of a rising awareness of the
importance pollinators.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture re-
CHRISTIAN BAUER/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Oregon Bee Project and Pollinator Week seek to draw attention to bee and pollinator issues.
ports that more than 100 agricultural products
directly depend on pollinators to develop and
grow.
The precarious situations facing insects, bats,
birds, beetles and butterflies has increased due
to aerial spraying of pesticides and development
of forested areas across the state. These issues
are not unique to Oregon, which is the reason
Brown’s edict is timed to coincide with similar
statements by the governors of all 50 states.
See POLLINATORS page 9A
Summer traffic sees surge in fatalities
Drivers should minimize distractions and keep eye out for pedestrians on roadsides
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
The frequency and severity of
fatal car accidents is on the rise in
Oregon. While Western Lane Am-
bulance District shows calls in Flor-
ence are tracking at levels similar to
last year, fatalities on state highways
and interstates leading into and out
of small towns continue to increase.
According to the 2016 Oregon
Transportation Safety Plan, fatali-
ties rose from 313 in 2013 to 495 in
2016, the most recent data available,
which is a 58 percent increase.
The increase occurs after years of
reductions in state fatality rates and
is attributed to faster car speeds and
longer distances being traveled by
first responders to reach accident
scenes.
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation Crash Analysis and Unit
Reporting Manager Robin Ness
suggests that the increase in fatal-
ities statewide may be due in part
to more pedestrians using roads
alongside automobiles in urban
areas and drivers who may not be
aware of the laws governing cross-
walk right of way.
She reports that in 2016, 73 pe-
destrians were killed in car acci-
dents.
“All intersections are supposed to
be crosswalks. It’s definitely the law,
unless it’s a closed crosswalk. Driv-
ers need to allow pedestrians, es-
pecially when turning right or left,
to get safely across the street before
making a turn,” Ness said.
One of the reasons that may ex-
plain why there are fewer fatalities
in Florence than in other areas of
the state is the rapidity with which
Western Lane and Siuslaw Valley
Fire and Rescue EMTs respond to
a call.
Usually, first responders from
these organizations are on the
scene of an accident in just a few
minutes, with an average response
time of under eight minutes. This
average includes calls that may be
close to or even outside city limits.
Response within city limits can be
much quicker.
This rapid arrival by responders
at the scene of a crash is critical
to saving lives, as evidenced by an
emergency situation this spring at a
busy Florence intersection.
See TRAFFIC page 8A
‘Movino forward tooether’ into 2018-19
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting chooses ‘thrive’ as focus, names Pierson as president
2018-19 Florence Area Chamber of
Commerce Board President Russ
Pierson talks about the chamber’s
theme of “thriving” during the annual
report at Three Rivers Casino Resort
last week.
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
held its annual meeting on June 14 at Three
Rivers Casino Resort’s Event Center.
“Our theme this year is going to be
‘Thrive,’” said Chamber Executive Director
Bettina Hannigan. “This is because we’re
the kind of community that can thrive
through adversity.”
During the meeting, the chamber bid
farewell to past board members, welcomed
the new board and encouraged chamber
and community members to mingle and
munch on the catered hors d’oeurves.
The chamber’s annual meeting highlight-
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
B6
A3
B5
A5
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
THIS WEEK ’ S
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
61 56
63 53
66 53
67 53
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
ed accomplishments from the past year and
showed a clear path for the chamber board
moving forward.
“Our membership has grown in the past
two years by almost 30 percent. We are
at 360 members right now, up from 273,”
Hannigan said. “I think our community is
seeing that the chamber is really an eco-
nomic driver, and we’re proud of that.”
See CHAMBER page 10A
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