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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2019)
SN SATURDAY EDITION | DECEMBER 21, 2019 | $1.00 TH THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM Hanukkah begins at sunset Sunday, Dec. 22 Siuslaw News Postal Customer Florence, Ore. 97439 VOL. 129, NO. 102 NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY WEATHER Rain with a high of 50 and a low tonight of 40. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS L Siuslaw Glass and Mirror Giving Tree INSIDE — A3 SPORTS ast Tuesday evening, Dec. 17, more than 200 people gathered in front of Florence City Hall and across the highway in support of the House of Representatives’ action to formalize Articles of Impeachment for President Donald J. Trump. The protest was peaceful, with rally attendees holding a multitude of signs on both sides of the highway. The group chanted for the president’s remov- al, receiving responses of both support and disagreement by passing motorists as the group exercised its right to peaceful assembly. ‘We need to District raises excise tax on local construction Move will not raise taxes for existing homeowners have each while helping Siuslaw School District’s aging facilities other’s back’ “W By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News Groups seek to mitigate the downside to the holiday season Mapleton plays Triangle Lake INSIDE — SPORTS RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B4 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B5 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News While the holiday season is a time for family and celebration for many, it is also a time of sadness and lone- liness for others. There is a percep- tion among the public that the hol- idays are the worst time of year for those suffering with depression. In contrast, the facts show the months of November and December actual- ly have the lowest recorded suicide rates overall — and per day — of any month each year. This is not to diminish in any way the depth of the sadness that can af- fect some during this special time of the year. Siuslaw Outreach Services (SOS) See PREVENTION page 6A e were told, in no uncer- tain terms, that the $119 million school bond package is a ‘no,’” Siuslaw School District Board President Guy Rosinbaum said. “That doesn’t change the fact that the school board has to sup- port a 55-year-old school. We have to do that knowing the community will be growing quite a bit in the next couple of years.” With 233 homes already estimat- ed to be built in the Florence area within five years, coupled with the possibility of construction of hun- dreds more, the Siuslaw School Dis- trict is finding itself in a difficult po- sition. With facilities in poor shape and the delicate balancing act of hiring teachers, the region’s march toward housing sustainability could put a considerable strain on district resources. Yet the district’s school bond, which was put to the voters in 2016 and 2018, was strongly rejected. “I think we were asking for a lot,” Rosinbaum admitted. “I will be the first to tell you that I wasn’t aboard the $90 million school with the ex- tras on top of it. I thought it was way too expensive for what we were try- ing to do.” Currently, the district is not proposing another school bond, though the board of directors have created a facilities committee to ex- amine what is needed to sustain the district’s buildings. This could even- tually lead to another bond proposal down the road. “I’m hoping that the communi- ty will support a new high school,” Rosinbaum said. “We need one, and I think that there’s a reasonable number out there that the commu- nity would support.” But with an increase in new hous- ing, it stands to reason that the pop- ulation will increase as well, putting a stress on district facilities in a number of ways. To help ease that stress, the Siu- slaw School Board raised its con- struction excise tax from $1 per square foot to $1.35 during last week’s school board meeting. The tax is only on new construction and will not filter down to existing homeowners. It is expected to bring in an additional $40-45,000 annu- ally for the district and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. The funds will only be used for fa- cilities maintenance, and the district will be evaluating the tax yearly. The move is not expected to put a damper on the region’s growth. According to City of Florence Planning Director Wendy Far- ley-Campbell, “Will it keep some- one from pulling a permit if they wanted to? Probably not,” she said. To avoid higher costs, developers could just build smaller homes. “And that’s what a lot of peo- ple need,” she added. “I have a lot of older friends that would love to move into a place that is less than 1,000 square feet.” Rosinbaum said that the tax is not intended to hurt the growth of the city at all. See DISTRICT page 8A Red Kettle bells continue to ring in Western Lane County S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 Still time to volunteer as bell ringers for The Salvation Army By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The familiar ringing of bells near a bright red kettle reminds shoppers entering Fred Meyer and other area stores that there are neigh- bors that need a little help FLORENTINE ESTATES during the holidays. The tradition of filling The Salvation Army’s red kettles is well established in the Florence area. This year, retired Col. Sam Spayd turned over primary respon- sibilities for the effort to Colinda Harris. Harris is a married veteran with grand- children, and she assumes the leadership role in what is best described as well func- tioning unit. “Last year, over 100 good people stood at our kettles, AFFORDABLE & CLEAN some for several two-hour shifts,” said Spayd, who was kettle coor- dinator for the past two years. “Our new kettle coordinator will need these folks and more to step COURTESY PHOTO up and serve People can volunteer to ring bells to again!” raise funds for The Salvation Army Spayd agreed through Christmas Eve, which then to lead the col- are distributed locally. lection effort for the Red cerns were raised regarding Kettle Campaign after con- the distribution of the mon- BEACH AREA PROPERTY ies collected locally. There was a sense that not enough of the money collected lo- cally was being distributed in Florence. “Four years ago, when I first got involved in the Bell Ringing campaign, I received assurances from the Salvation Army that any funds raised in western Lane County would stay in western Lane County,” Spayd said. “Previously, the funds collected here were sent to Eugene and they See KETTLE page 6A YACHATS CUSTOM NG I N D COAST REAL ESTATE P E 541-997-7777 515 ROBIN LANE Spacious home in gated community. New exterior paint in June, 2019. Patio area at front of home, large deck off master bedroom. Large living room that leads to dining room off eat- in kitchen. Laundry room & pantry just off kitchen. Large garage with work bench and shelving. $325,000 #11925 MLS#19437956 2120 17TH STREET Well maintained 17th St. bungalow with new roof, fascia boards, and ductless heat pump. Vintage charm w/ hardwood floors and built-ins. Brick fireplace w/ pellet insert, double- paned windows, updated kitchen and ceiling fans. Large double garage, carport, and flat fenced yard. Charming affordable home - ready to go. $237,900 #11910 MLS#19399625 87527 RHODOWOOD DRIVE Tucked back off scenic Rhododendron Dr. sits this newly remodeled manufactured home. Almost a half-acre with yard, garden, sprinkler system & additional RV parking & hook-ups. New Kitchen, bathrooms & flooring bring this home up to date and ready to move in. A two-car garage and enclosed sunroom complete this property located just minutes from the beach and town. Backs to Lane Co. owned acreage for privacy. $259,900 #11909 MLS#19234369 30 STONE BRIDGE CT, YACHATS This Traditional Beauty is for the discerning buyer looking for a unique home lending itself to single floor living while offering 2nd and 3rd story suites designed for multi-use living. Awesome living room/media room with soaring rock fireplace, PacNortWest style library/office, formal dining room & bright kitchen. MUST SEE!! $529,500 #11850 MLS#19391723 “We’re next to the Bridge” 100 Hwy. 101 See all Florence Listings at cbcoast.com
