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WEDNESDAY EDITION | JUNE 27, 2018 | $1.00
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SUMMER
Kickin’ it with
beach soccer
SPORTS — B
128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 51
INSIDE — A9
FLORENCE, OREGON
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
‘We are not old’
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
“Y
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Aging in Place Forum keynote speaker Jatunn Gibson, Aging
in Place Manager for Habitat for Humanity International
Transit Advisory
Committee
makes plans for
transportation
services
ou can’t define old,”
keynote speaker
Jatunn Gibson told a
crowd of mostly 65+ Flor-
ence residents at the Aging
in Place Forum last week.
The forum was a gathering
of local, county and state
resources for issues related
to aging.
“‘Old’ is in your mind,” Gib-
son said. “Nobody in here is
old. But we do use the word
‘older,’ just as we use the word
‘younger.’ There’s older, middle
age, but we are not going to say
anyone is old.”
Gibson is the Aging in Place
Manager for Habitat for Hu-
manity International, a non-
profit organization that helps
people in communities build or
improve homes.
For Gibson, the main goal is
to improve homes for those 55
and older.
“Habitat was doing a lot of re-
pairs, and noticed 50 percent of
its repairs were for people over
Forum discusses what it means to
grow old, how to remain in one’s home
the age of 55,” she said. “Habitat
can help you repair and modify
your homes. Modifications are
changing things that better fit
you.”
The purpose of these home
enhancements is to allow the ag-
ing population to “age in place.”
“Aging in place is living in
your home and your commu-
nity as long as possible,” Gib-
son said. “The best time to do
things before you age in place
is before you are forced to do
them. Do them on your own,
do them while you are aging
— not when there’s an emer-
gency. It’s a process.”
Gibson stated that the num-
ber one fear for those who are
older was losing their indepen-
dence, with one survey stating
that 26 percent of people feared
that, 13 percent feared moving
into a nursing home and only
three percent feared death.
“The majority feared los-
ing their independence,” Gib-
son said. “In that sense, we’re
talking about moving you out
of your home and community
and moving you somewhere
else.”
See AGING page 8A
Smoke spotted on docks in Old Town
LTD approves design,
places order for new
Florence to Yachats bus;
start date still uncertain
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
The City of Florence’s Transit Ad-
visory Committee (TAC) met for the
group’s monthly meeting on June 20
to talk about current pending matters
regarding bus service for the commu-
nity. These services could dramatically
impact potential bus ridership to and
from Florence and the surrounding
areas.
The scheduling and start of a round
trip bus route from Florence to Yachats
was the most anticipated item on TAC’s
agenda. An update on that project was
provided by Lane Transit District’s
(LTD) Accessible Services Specialist
John Ahlen.
Ahlen has been the point person
during LTD’s effort to provide service
from Florence to Yachats, which at this
stage has been approved and funded.
Ahlen worked with planners from
the city and members of TAC during
the development and feasibility stages
of the process. At this meeting, he
provided an update on the final stages
of the route’s progress.
While there has been nearly a year-
long delay in the purchase and subse-
quent production of the customized
buses for the new Florence to Yachats
route, the wait is almost over, according
to Ahlen.
See TRANSPORTATION page 7A
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
B6
A3
B3
A5
PHOTOS BY NED HICKSON/
SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue firefighters soak the dock near Mo’s
Restaurant, 1436 Bay St., after restaurant employees reported
smoke coming from under the dock Monday. See FIRE page 11A.
Florentine Estates votes to limit rentals
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
Residents in Florentine Estates
voted strongly in favor of limiting
rentals in the 55+ community on
Friday night, after a sometimes-con-
tentious campaign that included ac-
cusations of voter intimidation and
fears that the final vote count would
be tampered with.
To pass the measure, a superma-
jority of 75 percent of the 449 homes
in the estate needed to vote in the
affirmative. At the final tally, 82 per-
cent of homeowners voted “yes.”
“Of the 401 countable ballots,
there was a total of 33 ‘no’ votes
and a total of 368 ‘yes’ votes,” said
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Summer Car Care . . . . . . . . A9
THIS WEEK ’ S
Florentine Estates General Manager
Jason Nelson, who oversaw the
voting process. “We needed 337 to
change the declaration, so, the dec-
laration does pass.”
The measure will not create an
outright ban on rentals, instead lim-
iting reasons as to why a homeown-
er can put their property up for rent.
Those who buy property in the com-
munity solely for rental purposes
would be prohibited, while residents
with extenuating circumstances,
such as long-term health problems
or financial hardships, can place
their homes on the rental market.
Properties that already have exist-
ing rentals will be immune from the
new rule.
“We’re happy that the voter turn-
out was strong, and residents were
able to make their voices heard,”
Nelson said.
The campaign to get out the vote
was met with controversy, with
some residents claiming that Floren-
tine’s homeowner’s association used
aggressive tactics to sway people's
votes, including harassment. The
Siuslaw News, in an article pub-
lished on June 16, looked into the
accusations and found no evidence
of intimidation.
At that time, several residents
questioned the newspaper’s use of
anonymous sources in the article.
However, multiple individuals had
come forward with concerns about
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impartiality in the campaign, but
because of the small population of
Florentine residents, the individuals
requested anonymity in fear of retal-
iation from neighbors.
Ballots were sent out to every
property owner in Florentine, in-
cluding banks who owned proper-
ties through foreclosures. According
to Nelson, those votes are generally
not returned.
The “no” campaign had the edge
at the beginning of the night. Out
of 449 lots, only 403 ballots were re-
ceived. Not voting counted as a “no”
vote, so at the outset, opposition to
the rule was ahead by 46.
See VOTING page 7A
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