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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2018)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM | SIUSLAWNEWS | SATURDAY EDITION | AUGUST 18, 2018 | $1.00 @ SIUSLAWNEWS DAILY DOUBLES Review of “Proof” Running Aug. 18, 19, 24, 25 & 26 INSIDE — A6 SPORTS — B 128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 66 FLORENCE, OREGON SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 Chief Director Langborg declares intention to resign SVFR faces up to $500,000 financial shortfall, extends contract with independent CPA By Mark Brennan and Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News The Siuslaw Valley Fire and Res- cue (SVFR) Board of Directors met on Aug. 15 with a short agenda that will have long-term ramifications for residents of the Siuslaw region. How- ever, the agenda highlighting poten- tial fiscal difficulties looming in the near future took a back seat to the announcement of the resignation of Chief Director Jim Langborg. While directors were surprised by the financial information provided by SVFR Office Manager Dina McClure, which warned of a $500,000 shortfall in revenue and collections due to er- rors and a lack of proper accounting procedures, it seemed that the an- nouncement by Langborg that he has accepted a job at a fire district in Cal- ifornia was even more surprising to those in attendance. Langborg said he would stay on for 60 days and leave the department in October. Each month, SVFR and Western Lane Ambulance District (WLAD), which share administration under an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) formed in 2016, post the agenda and supporting materials for the upcom- ing month’s board meetings on their respective websites. This month, that packet contained information on SV- FR’s financials. McClure reported that SVFR might be confronted with as much as a $500,000 operational shortfall in the coming months. Her explanation for the miscalcula- tions suggested she had made a couple of errors that had added to the prob- lem, but the majority of the projected deficit had to do with circumstances beyond her control. During the public comment period, several community members directed their remarks directly to the board. John Murphey was the first person to speak. “I was the chair of the budget committee for the 2018-19 budget cycle. I read the packet online each month, and (now) I’ve seen we have a $700,000 projected shortfall. I guess that makes me believe we will have to borrow money to get through the dry period financing,” Murphey said. “The $700,000 we can recover from. I think we all need to keep level heads — the board, the chief, the staff — and I think we just need to come together and figure out how we are going to do it and get through this together.” McClure later clarified that the pro- jected number is closer to $500,000. Murphey went on to make some suggestions that could possibly miti- gate the impending shortfall. “You might put on some kind of a spending freeze, and only do what is necessary, until you get it sorted out. We might want to consider not going to any conflags, because it takes too long to recover our money, and we See SIUSLAW VALLEY page 9A For Bruce COURTESY PHOTOS PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS BUCKING BRONCOS he 2018 Northwest Bronco Roundup started Friday and continues this week- end. This annual event features the 1966- 77 Ford Bronco Show and Shine at Three Rivers Casino Resort on Saturday, Aug. 18, a cruise through Historic Old Town Florence and adventures in the Oregon dunes each day. See BRONCOS page B1 T Community members reminisce about time with Bruce McKibbin, late teacher, fisherman and mentor By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News D uring the past week, friends, family members and cowork- ers of Bruce McKibbin spoke about their memories of the man, and the legacy he left behind. McKibbin passed away unexpect- edly on Monday, Aug. 6, in a boat- ing accident near the North Jetty of the Siuslaw River. McKibbin was known for his role in the Siuslaw School District’s wrestling program, along with the storied Little Toads. After his retire- ment in 2006, he devoted his life to his family and his fishing, becom- ing an integral part of the local fish- ing community. The following are excerpts of interviews and public comments about his life, given by people in the community who knew him best. Bruce McKibbin touched many lives through his work in the Siuslaw community as a teacher, men- tor and fisherman. He was active up until his death on Aug. 6. INSIDE Celebration of life It was an overcast afternoon at the Gaze- bo near Woahink Lake. Almost 200 people showed up to pay their respects to Bruce, who had passed away one week earlier. While hearts were heavy, the event was a celebration of not only Bruce’s life, but life itself. Past students, some of whom hadn’t seen Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 A3 A4 A2 Sideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B This Week on the Coast. . . . . A6 Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 THIS WEEK ’ S TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 68 53 66 55 68 56 68 56 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 each other for years, hugged and laughed, while close friends and family members em- braced and shared memories. Members of the community brought fresh- ly made dishes of food and set out a barbe- que to serve a hearty meal. They stood up, one by one, to share their stories of Bruce. See FOR BRUCE page 5A S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2018 DIVERSIFIED MARINE & EQUIPMENT SALES S LI P QU R ID I A N TIO G N SALE OREGON COAST’S SUPERSTORE Where You Always Get a Whale of a Deal! Metal Buildings • Wooden Sheds • Consignment: ATV’s, RV’s, Boats, Cars & Trucks Complete Detail Service: RV’s. Cars, Trucks & Boats • Enclosed/Open Trailers for Sale or Rent Boat, Motor, Trailer, Auto Repair Services • Diesel repair for Boats and Autos • Used Vehicle Sales diversifi edmarineandequipmentsales.com Veteran Owned & Operated • Jim & Bonnie Johnston, Owners 2350 Hwy. 101, Florence • 541-997-4505