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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2020)
2A | SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS On The Record LRAPA Board softens countrywide ban on outdoor burning After consideration of all aspects involving the coro- navirus (COVID-19) and the tight burning window to decrease fuels in rural areas ahead of fire season, the Lane Regional Air Pro- tection Agency’s (LRAPA) Board of Directors voted to immediately curb Lane County’s outdoor burn ban. Instead, county residents are encouraged to volun- tarily stop outdoor burning activities as communities respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “The Board cannot stress strongly enough that we en- courage everyone to follow state guidelines and volun- tarily refrain from outdoor burning,” said Joe Pishio- neri, chairman of LRAPA’s board. “Please check with your local municipality on additional restrictions they may impose to protect the health of your community.” “Landowners understand the importance of clearing vegetation ahead of Or- egon’s drier and warmer months. It’s vital they have an opportunity to burn yard debris piles before they become an extreme fire risk this summer,” said Vice chairwoman Kathy Holston. The voluntary request to not burn aligns with oth- er state agencies such as the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon Depart- ment of Forestry (ODF), Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office (OSFM), Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), and Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Additional information of these agencies’ recom- mendation all Oregonians refrain from outdoor burn- ing can be found at: https:// bit.ly/2X9Qn78 “Smoke from backyard burns impacts all neighbors sharing an airshed,” said LRAPA Director Merlyn Hough. “For the health and wellbeing of all of us in Lane County, we strongly discourage any nonessen- tial burning at this unique time.” Smoke from local fires may have multiple negative impacts on public health: • COVID-19 patients at home may have their con- dition worsen, or their re- covery prevented. • Inhaling smoke from fires increased the risk of contracting COVID-19 if exposed to the virus, as well as increase the severity of the infection. • Personal protective equipment designed to re- duce risks associated with smoke exposure is in a se- vere shortage. • First responders and other emergency services, operating at reduced capac- ity, have limited resources to respond to out-of-con- trol burns. • Smoke inhalation creates upper respirato- ry symptoms which may be incorrectly attributed to COVID-19 resulting in unnecessary testing or self-isolation. Alternatives to burning are encouraged. Vegetation can be placed in a compost pile, yard debris can be tak- en to a recycling location, and old lumber can be sal- vaged and reused. LRAPA continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic closely and works to ensure the safe- ty and well-being of Lane County residents. The cur- rent pandemic is fluid and changing. LRAPA’s planning and decision-making will be based on the most current information from local and state agencies. If a state ban is implemented, LRAPA will immediately notify the region and begin enforce- ment. The latest COVID-19 updates from Lane Coun- ty Public Health (LCPH) can be found by calling their Non-Emergency Call Center at 541-682-1380 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. Or visit https://lane- county.org/cms/One.aspx- ?portalId=3585881&page- Id=16503774 The latest information from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) can be found here https://govsta- tus.egov.com/OR-OHA- COVID-19 The latest information from the Center for Dis- ease Control and Preven- tion (CDC) can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coro- navirus/2019-ncov/index. html. OFF BAY STREET BISTRO New Hours! Take Out or Delivery Open Th ursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday New Hours: 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm (Closed Tue and Wed) Pizzas, calzones, paninis Now Offering “READY MADE MEALS” Check out our Page for More information! 541-590-3569 165 Maple Street Florence, OR Back Open For Business! Starting Monday the 13th 11am-7pm Annual residential backflow testing beginning bly testing for the last sev- eral years. In an effort to reduce the risk of contracting and/or transmitting the COVID–19 virus, Olson staff will be practicing so- cial distancing anytime they have an interaction with a customer. In addition, they are working independently and traveling in individual company vehicles. For the majority of our residential customers, the testing of the premise iso- lation backflow prevention assembly is simple and quick. Most customers won’t even know that the testing crew has been to their res- idence. The testing of the back- flow assembly does require the water to be turned off for a few minutes while the test procedure is per- formed. The testing procedure is to knock on the door and let the resident know what the crew is doing. Again, Olson personnel will prac- tice social distancing at all times. If water is being used, the contractor will move to the next location until the water is no longer being used by the resident. In the event no one answers the door, the installer visually inspects the meter to make sure there isn’t an appliance using water or to make sure the homeowner isn’t in the shower and didn’t hear the door knock. The City also realizes that there are some customers that don’t answer the door because they assume the in- staller is a solicitor, and in these cases Olson staff will rely on the visual inspec- tion of the meter by observ- ing the low flow indicator on the meter to avoid a wa- ter disruption. The contractor strives to time the 2-minute water interruption for backflow assembly test to be between usage intervals by the resi- dent, so no one is without water or inconvenienced. ‘There can be rare oc- casions when an expan- sion tank is installed in the home, that a shower or ap- pliance can be started with the water turned off at the street and water will appear to be available for a short time. This is rare and Olson, LCC staff will try to avoid the situation by commu- nicating directly with the resident. DAILY SERVING: Pizza Calzones Clam Chowder FAMILY STYLE SPECIALTIES: Wednesday- Prime Rib Thursday- Lasagna Friday- Spaghetti & Meatballs Take Out Only 1285 Bay Street Old Town Florence (541) 902-8338 9 201 VOTED F BEST O E With spring also comes the City of Florence’s an- nual residential premise isolation backflow assem- bly testing. Beginning this month, the City of Florence will begin the annual test- ing of residential premise isolation backflow assem- blies throughout the city. These tests are required for compliance through the City Code and the Oregon Administrative Rules to help protect the city water system. The City is con- tracting with Olson, LLC to perform these tests during the spring. Olson person- nel will be conducting the tests during the next several weeks in order to complete the testing cycle in a timely manner. Olson personnel have been completing the City’s residential backflow assem- F LO E N C R www.1285Restobar.com T HE F OLLOWING B USINESSES ARE OPEN TO S ERVE Y OU. They are open in a variety of ways… delivery, pick-up, curbside, drive-thru, in-store shopping with social distancing, appointments, and more. To be included in this list for $ 49 a month, Call 541-997-3441. Abby’s Legendary Pizza, 1374 Highway 101 • 541-997-2229 ............................................................................................................................Open daily 11 am – 9 pm. Off ering delivery and curb-side takeout. ................................................................................................................ Online ordering is easy at https://abbys.com/order. Coastal Home Services, 2530 Kingwood Street Suite D • 541-590-3691 ................................................................................. Open Monday – Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm. Florence Janitorial Services , 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. .......................................................................................................................................................................541-997-2385 Florence RV and Automotive Specialist, 4390 Highway 101 • 541-997-8287 ............................................................................. Open Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm Taking call outs! Hoberg’s Complete Auto Repair 345 Highway 101 • 541-997-2413 .................................................................................................................Monday-Friday 8am-5pm J and J Automotive, 1885 42nd Street • 541-997-3260 ......................................................................Open 8 am – 5 pm Monday – Th ursday, Friday by appointments Neil’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. ........................................................................................................................................................541-997-3825 Novelli’s Crab & Seafood, Boat Slip A13, Bay Street and Nopal Street • 541-639-7689 ..........................................................................Open every day 11 am – 5 pm. Curbside Service or Delivery Rosa’s Mexican Restaurant, 2825 Hwy 101 • 541-997-1144 ....... Beginning April 13th , we will be open Monday-Saturday 10:30am-8:00pm for take out orders. Call us for available menu items and place your order, we will deliver to your car. Sears, 685 Hwy 101 • 541-991-7797 ............................................................................................................................................................................ Open by appointment. We are open by appointment. To have your call answered or message received, please use the above number only. For safety reasons, the store is closed and there is no one to answer calls. Purchased items are available for store pick up only. Shervin’s Tire and Automotive Repair, 4515 Hwy. 101 • 541-997-8052 ........................................................................................Open Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm We will pick up and deliver your car back to you! Siuslaw Glass & Mirror, 1780 Kingwood • 541-997-8526 .......................................................................................................Open Monday – Friday , 8:30am-4:30pm. TR Hunter Real Estate 1749 Hwy 101 • 541-997-1200 .........................................................................................Hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Saturday. We’re taking extra precautions to insure the safety of our clients and walk-ins. And if you choose, we have online resources in place that will allow you to conduct your real estate transaction from the safety of your home. West Coast Real Estate Services, 1870 Highway 126 • 541-997-7653, www.jimhoberg.com ................................................................Open 8:30 am – 5:30 pm daily. During these uncertain times, we are accessible by phone, website, email and by appointment. We are conducting business as safely as possible for our clients as well as our staff . Word of Mouth Home Décor ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 541-991-3457 Curbside pick up, shipping and free in-town delivery. Special care packages can be viewed on our Instagram; choose from the packages or contact us to help with products from our store inventory. We are available daily 11-3pm. Call, text or direct message us on facebook or instagram.
