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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2020)
SATURDAY EDITION | JANUARY 4, 2020 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM OLY -OP E C N E R O FL ibrary.or iuslawL www.S 97-31 32 541-9 OUT CHECK S.) (WE EVEN GAME BOARD g rd aboa g Climb readin ad! the real railro ƐĂ ƚ sŝƐ ŝƚƵ ͘͘͘ƚŽ ĚŝƐĐ ŚŽ ŽǀĞƌ ŵĞ ǀ ŝŶƚĞ ŝŶƚĂ ƌŝŽ ŐĞĐů ƌƐ͕Ă Žƚ ŶĚ ŚŝŶŐ ĐŽ ͕Ă ŽŬ ŶƟ ŝĞƐ͊ ƋƵ ĞƐ͕ ͘͘͘ D\ P +LJKZ WUKXQWHUFR ZZZ AVAILABLE NOW see ad on page 3A for details. C ALENDAR I NSIDE — A6 Framing es Fram ence Quality Custom of Flor • Mirrors s • Needlework • Watercolors Shadowboxe Photography Oils • 43 97-20 G 541-9 101, Suite Hwy. 2285 OR 97439 Florence, Postal Customer Florence, Ore. 97439 Siuslaw News 2019 NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY VOL. 130, NO. 1 F LORENCE , O REGON WEATHER YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 work is being done lion for upgrades at By Mark Brennan, Chantelle primarily on High- the Florence Munic- Meyer, Jared Anderson way 101, the addi- ipal Airport and the & Ned Hickson tion of ADA acces- Port of Siuslaw. Siuslaw News sible sidewalks and The airport up- improved crossing grade has been indicators will add to the pushed back until sometime mostly completed and has overall improvements to the in late January. The total cost resulted in improved light- entrances to town and to the for the streetscaping project ing at the facility’s runways Historic Old Town District. was just under $9 million. and better navigational The gateway aspect of the The upgrade to Florence equipment to assist pilots “Revision” project will en- City Hall and the start of the while landing in inclement hance the appearance of the “Revision” were not the only weather. The work at the entrance to Old Town and major improvements in the port is set to begin in early hopefully increase interest city in 2019. District 4 Rep. January with dredging of the in those passing by the area. Peter DeFazio, chairman of marina boat slips first on the ReVision was original- the House Transportation agenda. ly scheduled to be finished and Infrastructure Commit- One of the more chal- in November but, due to tee, sponsored and oversaw lenging issues faced by the weather related concerns, the passage of funding bills Florence community during the completion date was that allocated nearly $3 mil- 2019 was the partial shut- was a year of change and growth for the Siuslaw Re- gion and the City of Flor- ence. There were a number of transformative events that took place in 2019, some of which were unexpected while others were years in the making. There was no question that Oregon’s pre- mier coastal community lived up to its motto during the past 12 months as a City in Motion. The City of Florence was busy throughout the year, beginning with the open- ing of the newly remodeled Florence City Hall in Febru- ary. The new home for city administrative staff was un- veiled at a special ceremony on Feb. 19, hosted by Mayor Joe Henry and City Man- ager Erin Reynolds, and attended by a full house of interested citizens. The cost for the remodel of City Hall was $2.9 million and the construction element of the project took just over a year to complete. Public support for the City Hall upgrade project was tepid at first, but the need for improvements to the old building was undeniable and the modifications were em- braced by the public as the project neared completion. Another important proj- ect, the ReVision Florence Streetscaping Project, be- gan in the spring. While the VOL. 129, NO. 27 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 F LORENCE , O REGON WEATHER Clouds and rain with a high of 53 and a low tonight of 46. Full forecast on A3 Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B5 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B6 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM H istory lessons can come in many forms. One way is to read a book or watch a film that depicts events from an earlier time. The most common way that students learn about history is by listening to a lecture from a teacher or reading pages from a textbook. For many students, it isn’t always a compelling com- bination for learning, but that presenta- tion of facts was replaced this week by a thought-provoking granite tribute to those Students from Siuslaw School District get the chance this week who died in a war that took place half a to explore the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall at its location century ago and half a world away — a at Siuslaw Middle School. The wall is open to the public tribute that students could see, touch and through the closing ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday. By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News “Part of our mission as a watershed council is to build community, a really cool part of our mission that is abstract and some- times hard to do. We’re out there doing a lot of resto- ration projects with heavy equipment, or out in the woods by ourselves a lot, and that’s not really com- munity building,” Tome said. “We have a great part- nership here in the Siuslaw with the diverse amount of people and organizations who are working together to make us a strong fish- ery again in the future. We wanted to tell that story.” SPORTS RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 KID SCOOP Newspapers in Education every week Inside — B3 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B4 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for individuals between ages 10 and 24 By Zach Silva Cottage Grove Sentinel C ottage Grove High School Principal Mike Ingman wants a lot from his stu- dents. He wants them to be challenged academically; he wants them to be prepared for life after high school; he wants them to succeed — all the normal principal things. But ulti- mately, deep in his bones, what he wants most is for them to know that they matter. See TEENS page 8A Heceta Lighthouse celebrates shining its light for 125 years T SN Listings and public notices Inside — B5 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : timately whether the city should be involved in the purchase and place- ment of art. Kari Westlund from Travel Lane County was on hand for the cere- mony and said she believes the mu- ral is a great addition to the attrac- tions offered in this area. See MURAL 8A /S IUSLAW N EWS Somewhere in the moun- tains about two miles from Winchester Bay in Reedsport, sounds of engines and metal moving across cables echoes throughout the canyons. Miles of dark emerald evergreens cover the rolling hills, with the tops hidden by early morning fog. Above the deep canyon is a large ledge known as a “landing,” upon which yarders, loaders and a logging truck work in unison as 120-foot trees are pulled by cable up to the landing. Dan Wagoner is a sixth-generation logger who, along with his wife Jennifer, now are vice president and partners of R&R King log- ging in Florence. “In our market niche, we have the yarders. We usually log the stuff nobody else wants to — or can — log. See LOGGING 9A PHOTO BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM See SHELTER page 5A Parenting Center offers options, education to soon-to-be parents By Mark Brennan bringing a new life into the world Siuslaw News is by getting information that will help with understanding the many Pregnancy and the birth of a challenges awaiting parents. Helping to provide this infor- baby can be overwhelming experi- ences for new mothers and fathers. mation are volunteers at the Preg- One of the best ways to handle the nancy and Planning Center (PPC) responsibilities that come with located at 1525 12th Street, Suite G, in the Florence Business Center. Susan Kirby is PPC’s Director and she hopes parents to be will stop in if they have questions or need some other type of support. “We offer prenatal education and support, parenting education and support, life skills education, pregnancy tests and pregnancy op- tions information, a weekly play- group for parents and their new born to 5-year-old children, and a Stork Boutique with diapers, baby clothes, blankets, baby supplies, as See PARENTING 8A SAVE THE DATE: A UGUST 16, 11:30 AM - 1 PM •FREE LUNCH 50’s Party Car show, a raffle and a BBQ! Serving Ribs, potato salad, baked beans, chips and a beverage for lunch Live entertainment brought to you by The Hanson Family Singers RSVP is appreciated: nhill@shorewoodsl.com See IN REVIEW 1 page 5A 1451 Spruce Street, Florence SATURDAY EDITION | JANUARY 26, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH Feel Your Best in 2019! Community VOICES 50% OFF Enrollment THROUGH JANUARY 541-997-8086 2285 Highway 101 – Florence Expires 1-31-19 I NSIDE — A5 SIUSLAW AWARDS NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON WEATHER Coast Guard ‘overwhelming’ support COMMUNITY PHOTOS BY RODGER BENNETT 2018 Distinguished Service Future First Citizen Audrey Award — Jenna Bartlett Lowder The longest running government shutdown in United States concluded on Friday, marking an end to the 35- day shutdown which saw federal work- ers furloughed or working without pay. The Siuslaw region came out in force to help those affected by the shutdown in recent weeks as thousands of dollars of assistance poured in to help strug- gling federal workers. Most notably, a large effort was made to support U.S. Coast Guard Station Siuslaw River, whose members were required to work without. Florence has been officially designated a Coast Guard City. “The support has been overwhelming by all the community, it’s been amazing,” 2018 Stu Johnston Business of the Year — Siuslaw News with KEZI’s Matt Templeman Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B5 CLASSIFIEDS City Council sends mixed message on Public Art While the mural project passed 3-2, the council will explore cutting future funding for the PAC. LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS Florence Area Chamber of Commerce President Russ Pierson gives the State of the Chamber By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News many ways. There is a saying, ‘You can’t cross the sea merely by stand- ing and staring at the water.’ Those that are going to be honored tonight don’t stand and stare; they go and do.” Chamber Executive Director Bettina Hannigan led the evening’s program, which consisted of appe- tizers, wine, the State of the Cham- ber and the presentation of the Siu- slaw Awards. “I appreciate each one of you for your support to your dedicated businesses and services,” she said to See AWARDS page 10A See HOUSING page 7A Gold standard “T (541) 997-8833 2285 Highway 101 Suite “K” • Florence, Oregon, 97439 JIM HOBERG Toll Free (877) 549-6899 (In the Coastal Fitness Shopping Center) Broker/Owner Viking Gold Choir seeks to elevate student performance levels through festivals, music ambassadors oday it’s all about the tone — the way you guys sound,” Bruce Morganti told the Viking Gold Choir in class at Siuslaw High School on Thursday. Every- By Chantelle Meyer thing the Siuslaw News choral stu- dents did in that class worked together toward building a unified sound, from warm- ups through the rehearsal of complet- ed numbers. “Don’t close off your ears to the per- son next to you,” said Morganti, who conducts the class from both behind CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS the piano and from a music stand in front of a semicircle of students. Bruce Morganti and the Siuslaw High School Viking Gold Choir pro- “Listen really hard to them as you try motes a unified sound while amplifying student successes through to homogenize your tone. ‘What? I academics, solos and the Oregon Ambassador of Music program. the Blue Choir. thought this was about being an in- sounds.” The Viking Gold Choir is Siuslaw Senior Heaven said, “The Gold dividual.’ In choir, yes, you’re an indi- vidual, but you’re trying to create an High School’s advanced choir, requir- Choir is basically like a chamber choir. individual sound out of 15 different ing a greater time commitment than We travel and are more advanced than the Blue Choir.” Blue Choir is currently all girls — what Morganti called a treble chorus — but that is likely due to enrollment. It can be a nice first step for younger high school students or those who are inexperienced. “You have to audition to get into Gold Choir, which is why we have freshmen this year,” Layla, another student, said. “There are some special times when (Mr. Morganti) is like, ‘Hey, you’re really good.’ For the Blue Choir, you can sign up, even if you don’t have experience.” “You could also say it’s like JV and varsity,” one girl added. Jack, a junior, said, “Cool kids who aren’t afraid to audition get in here. I haven’t had any musical experience in my life, but I auditioned here and got in.” Sunshine and wind with a high of 63 and a low tonight of 47. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY 112th annual Rhododendron Festival Approaches INSIDE — A6 SPORTS Pacing closer to new school record 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 Kyle revival Due to an off-campus incident over the past weekend, Siuslaw Middle and High School instructor Clint Tatum was arrested by the Flor- Clint Tatum ence Police Department and placed on admin- istrative leave from the school dis- trict. According to Commander John Pitcher, “On May 1, the School Re- source Officer with the Florence Police Department was contacted regarding a possible assault against a juvenile that resulted in minor in- juries.” After the police investigation, Tatum was arrested for first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal mistreatment. He was transported to Lane County Cor- rections and released after 27 hours on May 2 at 8 p.m. Florence Police report that the investigation is ongoing. On Thursday, Siuslaw School District sent an official notice to school district families that Tatum had been placed on administrative leave. See ARREST page 7A RANK — A3 Port saves 4th of July Fireworks Camping spots to be used to stage display Siuslaw News SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTO Kyle Building awarded Oregon Main Street Grant O regon Heritage, Hogeland. a division of the The matching Oregon Parks grant award of and Recreation Depart- $69,314 will fund ment, announced today installation of that the historic Kyle a new roof and Building in Historic gutters, completion Old Town Florence was of structural and selected to benefit from flooring repairs, an Oregon Main Street updates to the Revitalization grant plumbing sys- award. As an Exploring tem and exterior Downtown member of painting of the PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOANN HENDERSON the Oregon Main Street 118-year-old build- Network, the Florence The historic Kyle Building is ing. The rehabil- now a cornerstone of Historic itation project is Area Chamber of Old Town Florence, compared expected to begin Commerce submitted to the dereliction of 1971. the application in col- in August and be laboration with Kyle Building owners completed by April of 2020. Joann and Stuart Henderson and Ron See KYLE page 8A Residents asked to weigh in on Siuslaw academics, facilities Florence City Club presents Review, update of Florence Housing Code begins By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News education candidate forum By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The Siuslaw School District cre- ated the new Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) from the previous Bond Advisory Committee. Accord- ing to committee member Bob Orr, the committee is seeking communi- ty input on the state of the district’s facilities and academics. It held two public workshops at the end of April to go over four topics in small groups and get some additional feedback. In addition, the committee has a short, anonymous survey asking many of the same questions. Peo- ple can participate at https:/bit. ly/SiuslawSurvey through July to have their comments heard before the Siuslaw School Board’s August meeting. At FAC’s April 30 meeting at Siu- slaw Public Library, community members were able to eat cookies prepared by Siuslaw High School’s culinary students and gather into small groups to share their views on See SURVEY page 7A brother and father, both The City Club of Flor- By Mark Brennan of whom served on the ence held its month- Siuslaw News SSD Board. ly meeting on May 2 King pointed to his at Ocean Dunes Golf Links. The guests for the meeting were experience as a teacher and his admin- candidates for open positions on the istrative certifications as strengths he Lane Community College (LCC), Lane brings to the race. Current SSD board member Bill Educational Service District (ESD) and Siuslaw School District (SSD) Board of McDougle is facing a challenge from Dianna Pimlot for Position 7 and pro- Directors. The forum, moderated by Maureen vided some background to attendees Miltenberger, gave candidates the op- regarding his previous work as an ed- portunity to introduce themselves to ucator. McDougle highlighted both those in attendance and to the larger his time as a vice principal and former community before the May 21 Special school board director as experience Election. that separates him from his opponent. Pimlot did not participate in Thurs- On the SSD board, Bob Sneddon and Dennis King are running unopposed days’ candidate forum. For Lane ESD, Nora Kent is running for positions after accepting recent in- terim appointments to the board. Each against Mark Boren for Director Po- candidate made brief statements re- sition 4, and both candidates were in capping relevant experience and com- attendance. Kent spoke of her work as an in- munity connections. Sneddon highlighted his extensive structor at LCC and as a community connections to the area and his de- organizer. See CANDIDATES page 9A sire to follow in the footsteps of his The City of Florence Housing Code Update Subcommittee, which operates under the auspices of the Community and Economic Devel- opment Committee (CEDC), met last Thursday afternoon at City Hall, where the meeting was facilitated by City Recorder Kelli Weese and Planning Director Wendy Farley Campbell. The group’s agenda focused on familiarizing the members of the group with basic elements of the Florence’s planning process and a number of housing related code changes that might be needed mov- ing forward. FarleyCampbell reviewed the pre- vious steps taken in the creation and funding for the group and turned its collective attention to information that included suggested changes to code made by 3J Consulting, which works with municipalities and civ- ic groups to provide a range of See HOUSING CODE page 8A SPECIAL SCREENINGS Wednesday July 17th • 6pm Saturday July 20th • 11am C ITY L IGHTS C INEMA NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON Broker/Owner SPORTS 2019 Sports Year in Review INSIDE — SPORTS RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B5 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B6 FOLLOW US FOR THE Story & Photos By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News LATEST NEWS : COMMUNITY Girl Scouts gather to celebrate 90 years of Camp Cleawox’s history G Donations for Food Backpacks for Kids INSIDE — A3 SPORTS Florence golfer takes second 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 reminiscing about the history of Cleawox. Camp Cleawox is the smallest of three overnight camps in the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) council. More than 140 people registered At just 63 acres, the camp is fo- to spend the day adventuring in the cused on Lake Cleawox, the Ore- camp, enjoying birthday cake and gon dunes and the Pacific Ocean. irl Scout overnight camps began this week at Camp Cleawox, which celebrated its 90th birthday on June 29. More importantly, it is a place for girls to gather with other scouts in the Great Outdoors for one to two weeks at a time. Camp Cleawox Director Pam Mealy has been coming to over- night camps since 2001. Each year, her favorite moment is seeing the camp lodge for the first time. “I think, ‘Ah, I’m going to be here for the summer.’ It’s my home- away-from-home feeling,” Mealy said. Cleawox has been that “home away from home” for generations of Girl Scouts since it was founded in the 1920s. See CLEAWOX page 5A Taking New technology ownership means better tool of Singing for women’s health Pines Dog Park Bark in the Park Fundraiser seeks to rehabilitate Florence’s dog park By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News “I go to the dog park quite a bit,” Jolene Medeiros said about the Singing Pines Dog Park. “There are a group of people that are there all the time. And every time we’re talking about the dog park, we’re complaining about the landscape and how dirty it is. And how it’s just been run down and kind of forgotten about. One day, I was like, ‘I wonder what we need to do to get it cleaned up.’” That question led to a ground- swell of community support and some major cooperation from the city that has quickly created the dream of rehabilitating the dog park, located on Kingwood Street, a reality. With help from the City of Florence, Medeiros and dog lovers from around the area have put in place a plan that will bring new groundcover to the park, fencing, trees and amenities that can be used all year round. See BARK page7A One out of every eight wom- en can expect to develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In the U.S., breast cancer is the sec- ond-leading cause of cancer death in women, behind lung cancer. The two main risk factors for developing breast cancer are being a woman and age, accompanied by family history. With Florence’s large ag- ing population, it’s important to be educated on and follow preventative care routines, and the resources are right at Peace- Local brewpub Crafting beer culture still in the future By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The buzz around beer is shifting dramatically, yet again. The last decade has seen unap- parelled growth in the craft beer industry, but a saturation of brew- eries, coupled with a never-ending increase in the number of available styles of beer, has meant a shift in the approach local investors and brewers have taken when consid- ering an investment in a future MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS Florence brewpub. July is Oregon Craft Beer Local craft beer enthusiasts Jon Tippler, Scott Waiss, Don Patton Month and the public’s appreci- and Mike Whiteside form the core of a group of local homebrewers ation for the diverse flavors and working on plans to bring a brewpub to Florence. There have been a number of ex- varieties created by smaller bre- to grab the attention of a more whouses has become more than a sophisticated customer and keep ploratory efforts undertaken in the See BREW page 6A trend — it’s become a competition that interest over time. Florence, OR CCB#195304 /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM By Victoria Sanchez Siuslaw News Intern Health Peace Harbor Medical Center. Earlier this year, Peace Harbor bought a new mammo- gram machine, making Flor- ence only the second location on the west coast to have a Sie- mens mammography machine. According to PeaceHealth VICTORIA SANCHEZ/SIUSLAW NEWS mammography technician PeaceHealth Peace Harbor’s new Siemens Vickie Hunt, women’s mam- mammography machine comes with change- mogram experiences in Flor- able mood lighting to make the experience ence are about to change. more comfortable for patients. PeaceHealth See EXAM page 5A went live with the machine in February. Interior and Exterior House Painting 1870 Hwy. 126, Suite A • PO Box 3040, Florence, OR First Day Hikes start the year outside INSIDE — A3 Celebrating Camp Cleawox Partly sunny with a high of 70 and a low tonight of 56. Full forecast on A3 in Real Estate JIM HOBERG COMMUNITY WEATHER SIUSLAW NEWS READERS CHOICE WINNER Voted Best Realtor for 5 Years! • R ESIDENTIAL • L AND • C OMMERCIAL • P ROPERTY M ANAGEMENT 10% of ticket sales will be donated to the Oregon Coast Humane Society C OMMUNITY C ALENDAR I NSIDE – A6 Celebrating 30 Years in Real Estate SATURDAY EDITION | JULY 13, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH VOL. 129, NO. 56 By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News Florence’s Fourth of July Fire- works celebration will take place as originally planned, due to a major effort made by the Port of Siuslaw and Port Manager David Hunting- ton. Florence Area Chamber of Com- merce Executive Director Bettina Hannigan said she is extremely pleased that a solution to the logisti- cal problems surrounding this years’ celebration has been reached. “It is my great pleasure to an- nounce that the Port of Siuslaw is now the home of the 2019 Fireworks Launch!” Hannigan announced. “Without a barge the chamber was at a loss for how to provide fireworks this year. With heartfelt thanks to the Port of Siuslaw, Florence is now a go for our amazing fireworks pro- gram on July 4. David Huntington and his team have not only made it happen, they’ve saved the day.” This year’s fireworks display on the Siuslaw River was in serious jeopardy due to the lack of a suitable, legal location from which to launch the Independence Day pyrotechnics. The barge that had been used for this purpose the past two years has been sold and relocated. Huntington has been working with Hannigan to craft some type of solution for the logistical problems that were threatening the display. “It didn’t look like, with the barge leaving, the fireworks were going to happen at all,” Huntington said. See FIREWORKS page 9A See GOLD CHOIR page 8A Celebrating 30 Years 541-997-7653 • WWW . JIMHOBERG . COM 1870 H WY . 126, S UITE A • PO B OX 3040, F LORENCE , OR • F AX 541-997-7654 Siuslaw teacher arrested, on administrative leave By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News More people than ever seem to be discovering the beauty and charm of the Oregon coast each year, many deciding to relocate either their fam- ily or their business in and around Florence on a permanent basis. This increased interest has been welcomed by the business community and most residents, but there have been some tangential challenges that have aris- en as Florence has gained positive, high-profile recognition nationwide. Perhaps the most impactful of these unintended consequences is the cur- rent shortage of available housing. Jim Hoberg is a Florence native and has enjoyed growing up and working in this beautiful coastal town of Florence. He has been working in Real Estate since 1989. Jim is proud to be celebrating his 30th year in Real Estate. Jim enjoys helping people fi nd solutions to their real estate needs and discovering why Florence is such a great place to live. Jim and his West Coast Real Estate Services team thank you for your support and loyalty over the years. Th ey look forward to many more years helping the Florence community fi nd their dream homes. SHARI JAMES Licensed Tax Preparer #31250-P Housing Alliance sets sights on ADUs the attendees. “Each nominee is a winner in my book.” Chamber President Russ Pierson delivered the State of the Cham- ber Address, reporting that there are more than 350 active members of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re doing everything we can to build our businesses with sol- id training, networking, advocacy and more each and every day of the year. Our chamber, like our com- munity itself, is driven by spirit of service and collective collaboration. This results in a veritable swarm of amazing volunteers,” he said. S TATION S IUSLAW R IVER F EMALE P ETTY O FFICER A CHIEVES S URFMAN SN S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 See MURAL page 7A FOLLOW US FOR THE T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 Evacuation Wayfinding Sign Grant and the Safe Routes to School Proj- ect engineering proposal were then passed unanimously by the council with little discussion. The main topic of the evening, the highly anticipated discussion sur- rounding the PAC mural, began with a question-and-answer period con- ducted by City Attorney Ross Listings and public notices Inside — B6 n Jan. 23, Florence Area Chamber of Commerce held the 11th annual Siuslaw Awards at the Florence Events Cen- ter to honor local individuals and businesses for their contributions to the Siuslaw region. “I’ve lived in several cities and I’ve pastored several churches, but I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a com- munity that has shown itself to be so outgoing, accommodating and loving people as this community,” said Pastor Dale Edwards of Cross Road Assembly of God, who gave the invocation to begin the evening. “Tonight, we’re going to recognize individuals and businesses that re- ally epitomize who Florence is in so SATURDAY EDITION | MAY 4, 2019 | $1.00 Clint Tatum held on 2 felony charges By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News RECORDS MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS WEATHER Accord ends current government shutdown Mostly sunny with a high of 58 and a low tonight of 40. Full forecast on A3 TH THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM Siuslaw News SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 F LORENCE , O REGON Mapleton falls to Mohawk INSIDE — SPORTS The iconic Heceta Lighthouse marked 125 years with a special birthday celebration held March 30th. SN VOL. 129, NO. 36 Barbara Martin TAXES & BOOKKEEPING Bookkeeping & Payroll Quickbooks Pro Advisors Shari & Barbara By Victoria Sanchez Siuslaw News Intern CLASSIFIEDS 11th annual Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Community gives O See SHINE page 9A BARBARA MARTIN Licensed Tax Consultant #71554 • EA #00107916 Henry, who offered praise and ap- preciation for the effort by all of the participants involved in the project. Public response and debate on the “Stitching Time” mural has been both mixed and at times heat- ed, with differing opinions regard- ing the content and placement of the mural propelling the subject of what constitutes good art — and ul- Local family nurtures deep roots in logging history Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B4 VOL. 129, NO. 8 SPORTS he Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most icon- ic and spectacular locations on the Oregon Coast. Often referred to as the most photographed light- house in America, the adjacent home, which once housed the lighthouse keepers and their families, is now known as The Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, which hosted a party Saturday, March 30, for the community. The celebration was in recognition of the 125 years since the lighthouse was first lit and the spacious lawn and panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean were the perfect backdrop for the spring birthday party. Members of Coast Guard Station Siuslaw River were on hand to begin the afternoon with a stirring opening ceremony. Hot dogs, popcorn, desserts and beverages were provided, free of charge to visitors, and the line was long at the food booths. The lighthouse is named after Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta and construction on the site began in 1892. There were no roads along the coast in the 1890’s so travel and transport of materials was difficult, especially during winter months. The lumber and cement needed to build an adequate residence for lightkeepers had to be brought by horse drawn wagon or dropped in the ocean by supply ship and ferried to land. Remarkably, the construction of the lighthouse and made three proclamations that rec- ognized Military Child Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month and Earth Day. City Manager Erin Reynolds next introduced Florence’s new ad- ministrative services director, Anne Baker. Lastly, Florence Police Chief Tom Turner then introduced three new police officers, Bailey Goodwin, Michael Cirilo and Keenan Walker. Consent items consisting of the Approval of Minutes, the Tsunami for the ceremony, including Chief David Brainard of the Confederat- ed Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw, and Catherine Rick- bone, Executive Director for the Oregon Coast Council of the Arts, along with senior members of City of Florence staff. Master of Ceremonies for the dedication was Florence Mayor Joe SIDE SHOW By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News The Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter gave its end of the year report this week, detailing the numbers of people they served, giving an overview of the patron demographics and providing an update on two clients that were featured in a Siuslaw News series about the shelter, which was pub- lished in February. “It was a good year,” said Pastor Greg Wood, who is also president of the shelter program. “We did what we were supposed to do. We were open on the coldest nights and we provided good food and a safe place to be. That’s our mis- sion, and that’s what we did.” see SUPPORT page 7A volving around the Public Art Com- mittee’s (PAC) application for final approval to move forward with plans to in-stall a mural along Highway 126 at the corner of Quince Street, on the Central Lincoln Public Utility Dis- trict (CLPUD) building. The crowd in attendance arrived early and filled most of the seats, with many residents standing at the rear of the room. Florence Mayor Joe Hen- ry welcomed the full house and then Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 Number of nights open increased, usage decreased & community gave support Siuslaw News Wedding Guide INSIDE — A9 By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The April 1 meeting of the Flor- ence City Council was held at the Florence Events Center with the ex- pectation that the turnout for the meeting would require more seat- ing than available at City Hall. That expectation was primarily due to considerable community interest re- Working with dozens of partners and funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, the council created the films with videogra- pher Brian Kelly and pho- tographers Sean Gutierrez and Morgan Heim. The films were made in the course of one week last September as a “snapshot” of the many projects hap- pening concurrently in the watershed. “My background is in geology, geography and community planning, so I’ve never learned any- thing about film or com- See WATERSHED page 9A RECORDS By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The most significant example of public art in Florence was on full display at Wednesday’s long-an- ticipated dedication of the “Stitch- ing Time” mural on the corner of Quince Street and Highway 126. A crowd of over 100 turned out 541.997.8202 Recognizing the signs of at-risk students By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News munications strategies,” Tome said. “I had this idea to make like a 20-minute documentary about the Siuslaw. Luckily, Brian had the wisdom to tell me that nobody would want to watch that. … He steered us in a different vision and a different direction. That’s how we chose to tell the story of restoring the Siu- slaw and the coastal lakes through a character-driven narrative.” The first video was re- leased on Feb. 11 and fea- tured Jesse Beers, cultural director for the Confed- erated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siu- slaw Indians. The next six videos — featuring Johnny Sundstrom, local rancher and conservationist; Seth Mead, watershed conserva- tionist at Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict; Bob Bateman from Bateman Forestry Man- agement; Kyle Terry, pro- gram manager with Siu- slaw Watershed Council; Wednesday’s mural dedication ceremony was upbeat and well attended Vik football to host 4-day camp next week. INSIDE — SPORTS S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 20 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM Mural dedication bridges differences Emergency Shelter gives end-of-season report Rain showers with a high of 49 and a low tonight of 43. Full forecast on A3 • Deck and Railing Staining • General Repairs • Pressure Washing • Mossy Roof Treatment • Gutter Cleaning S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 20 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2020 Siuslaw Softball hosts free skills camp. INSIDE — SPORTS PHOTO BY MARK BRENNEN/SIUSLAW NEWS Florence Mayor Joe Henry (left) and City Councilor Joshua Greene, who have often been at odds in the debate over public art, shake hands in a celebratory moment during last Wednesday’s mural dedication ceremony, prompting a round of smiles and applause from fellow councilors and members of the Public Art Committee. • Deck and Railing Staining • General Repairs • Pressure Washing • Mossy Roof Treatment • Gutter Cleaning Osborne 2018 First Citizen Dee Residents get prepared at Disaster Prep Expo 2019 INSIDE — A3 Florence residents participated in a nationwide event INSIDE — A10 SPORTS See WALL page 7A Siuslaw Watershed Council looks to past to build up watershed for future Siuslaw News COMMUNITY experience for themselves. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., draws millions of visi- tors a year to look at its polished granite surface, covered with the names of those that died during the controversial conflict. A three-quarter scale replica of the memo- rial wall currently stands in the field be- hind Siuslaw Middle School, offering an up close and personal history lesson to anyone interested to stop there until it closes Sun- day afternoon, April 7. Restoration of the Siuslaw “People have different ties to this region for dif- ferent reasons and lengths of time, but we’re all work- ing together toward this common goal of restoring the Siuslaw,” said Siuslaw Watershed Council Exec- utive Director Eli Tome. “One reason I love working in watershed restoration and health is because rivers connect us, and we’re all downstream of someone else. Water is just a really important part of being a human.” Tome was speaking at “Stories of Restoring the Siuslaw” on March 27 at City Lights Cinemas as the watershed council de- buted its series of eight short films explaining res- toration efforts through- out the Siuslaw and coastal lakes watershed. The films are part of the council’s process to update its web- site, logo and newsletter and introduce the Siuslaw to the digital world. Mostly cloudy with a high of 67 and a low tonight of 55. Full forecast on A3 NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Story & Photos By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News Replica of ‘Wall That Heals’ arrives in Florence Florence, OR CCB#195304 997-5973 Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part special collaboration be- tween the Cottage Grove Sentinel, The Creswell Chronicle, Siuslaw News and Newport News-Times focusing on the rising suicide rate in Oregon. Each Wednesday through April, the four newspapers in this collaboration will each be contributing a part to the series and will be publishing them together. The hope is that, by sharing our resources and readerships, we can begin establishing a dialogue within each of our communities about this important subject. Postal Customer Florence, Ore. 97439 C OMMUNITY C ALENDAR — I NSIDE A7 Artfelt moment Interior and Exterior House Painting NEW! P ROGRESS E DITION I NSIDE — C LCB#6718 Veterans Memorial Wall offers ‘hands on’ history lesson S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 Siuslaw News RECORDS INSIDE — A5 & A6 WEATHER COMMUNITY Viks land top marks INSIDE — SPORTS Voices NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON Rains and wind with a high of 53 and a low tonight of 50. Full forecast on A3 SPORTS Community VOL. 129, NO. 64 WEATHER DAR celebrates 11 years in Florence INSIDE — A3 SATURDAY EDITION | AUGUST 10, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH Siuslaw News SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 F LORENCE , O REGON YOUR #1 LOCAL YARD, GARDEN, AND LANDSCAPE EXPERTS! WE’RE GLAD TO GET YOU GROWING! 88493 Hwy. 101 Florence Open 7 days a week Senior Discount Every Tuesday I NSIDE — A10 I NSIDE — A8 SN VOL. 129, NO. 28 WEDNESDAY EDITION | APRIL 3, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH R EVIEW : CROW’ S “T HE W IZ ” CHAMBER BUSINESS BEAT Siuslaw News S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 SN SN SATURDAY EDITION | APRIL 6, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH down of the federal govern- ment, which took place from late 2018 and extended into the start of the year. U.S. Coast Guard Station Siuslaw River was one of the organizations that was di- rectly impacted by the bor- der emergency declared by President Donald Trump in December 2018. Unfortu- nately, during this time, ser- vice members stationed in Florence were not paid. Local veteran organiza- tions, community groups, retail establishments and restaurants stepped up during the shutdown, raising more than $30,000, which was distributed directly to the 38 Coast Guard mem- bers stationed at Siuslaw River to help pay the bills. Another large issue was the issue of the area’s chronic housing shortages. With the hope of increasing all types of available housing, the city updated and streamlined the residential codes governing residential construction in city limits. Planning Director Wen- dy FarleyCampbell led the Florence Planning Commis- sion through the first major rewrite of city regulations which govern residential construction in more than three decades. The process took just over six months to complete and includ- ed numerous commission meetings and public hear- ings related to the hundreds of changes — some minor,
