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Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 130, NO. 47
F LORENCE , O REGON
Community
members rally
in support of law
enforcement
Story & Photo
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
A
group of 50 or so individuals
gathered Wednesday at the
corner of Highways 101 and
126 with signs and flags display-
ing their support for r law enfo
enforce-
f rcce
ment officers in Florence and
across the country.
The Florence rally took place
in the wake of worldwide protests
against police brutality targeting
people of color, inspiring similar
marches last week in support of
na-
law
w enforcement
enfo
en
forc
rcem
emen
entt across
acro
ac
ross
ss t the
hee n
a
tion.
In some instances, protests in
many major cities over the past
two weeks that began as peace-
ful evolved into violent clashes
between law enforcement and
protestors. These confronta-
Banner Bank works with Florence Chamber
as 2020-21 membership dues relief sponsor
By Scott M. Steward
Creative Wave Marketing
Banner Bank in Florence has
joined the exclusive rank of cor-
porate underwriter in the Florence
Area Chamber of Commerce with
a contribution of $10,000. Banner
Bank joins fellow corporate under-
writers Driftwood Shores Resort
and Conference Center, Three Riv-
ers Casino Resort and TR Hunter
Real Estate.
The funds are designated to help
other member businesses pay their
annual dues that renew in July.
Tess Yahyazadeh, AVP/Branch
Manager at Banner Bank in Flor-
ence, jointly announced the pro-
gram with Bettina Hannigan, exec-
utive director of the Florence Area
Chamber of Commerce.
“Watching our business commu-
nity struggle through COVID-19
restrictions, I wanted to find a way
to help our local business owners
and the Chamber,” said Yahyaza-
deh. “Being involved with the Cares
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce board members
Tom Bassett, Shauna Robbers, Rich Colton and Bonnie
Stone and Chamber Executive Director Bettina Hannigan
receive a check contribution from Banner Bank’s AVP/
branch manager Tess Yahyazadeh and Banner Bank staff.
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Act Payroll Protection Program and
hearing the stories of how this crisis
has affected our local business com-
munity really motivated me to find
a way for Banner Bank to help.”
At-risk members at the Business
Partner level can pay the first $125
toward their dues for the 2020-21
fiscal year and leverage $100 from
Banner Bank’s membership match
contribution. The program is avail-
able for member renewals due July 1
on a first-come-first-served process
until funds run out.
People can access this by contact-
ing Hannigan at bettina@florence-
chamber.com.
See PARTNERS page 5A
Board members discuss wages, benefits and contracts
in some instances,
tional and,
a
violent interactions that includ-
ed widespread looting over-
night, have sparked a national
debate over distinguishing the
difference between enforcing
the law and inciting violence
See RALLY page 6A
Mapleton
School District
names Milbrett
to board
COMMUNITY
Decorate for 4th of
July Porch Parade
INSIDE — A3
LIFESTYLE
wish we were not in this situation.
It’s very difficult, it’s very awk-
ward.”
SVFR and WLFEA board member
Ron Green started the meeting by
stating the issue at hand for WLFEA.
“SVFR approved a budget for the
authority, and it’s different from
the one approved by WLAD,” he
said. “So, we’re hoping that the
WLFEA board can resolve those
differences, and can we come up
with a budget that is acceptable to
both boards.”
WLFEA, which employs ad-
ministrators from both districts,
does not have its own tax base.
Instead, it is funded by WLAD
(51 percent of costs) and SVFR
(49 percent of costs).
Both districts are in the process
of union labor negotiations, but
the financial outlook is different —
with SVFR being relatively stable
and WLAD in danger of being un-
derfunded in the next few years. To
help stave off financial hardships,
some WLAD budget committee
and board members have suggest-
ed making cuts to what has been
viewed as overgenerous compensa-
tion for employees in comparison
to other comparable employers.
In the WLFEA meeting, Fire and
EMS Chief Michael Schick pro-
posed some cuts to WLFEA, most
notably in eliminating the position
See BUDGET page 8A
This week, The Mapleton
School District Board of Direc-
tors chose Andrea Milbrett to
replace outgoing board member
John Simington.
Milbrett had worked for the
Mapleton district for years,
and is currently working at a
charter school in Veneta as a
student services director. This
role includes keeping track of
attendance, schedules, tran-
scripts “and a gamut of addition-
al things that are needed,” she
told the school board during her
interview.
“I have worked in the school
district for years so I have seen
the positives and negatives
inside the school that come from
decisions made outside of the
school,” Milbrett wrote in her
application. “I have coached in
the school district and see how
sports have been affected in dif-
ferent ways. I also have had one
child finish school there and one
child in the middle of finishing
school there, and the differences
between both of their times at
Mapleton. I also now work in a
different school district so I have
had and continue to have the
opportunity as to how other dis-
tricts have done and/or handled
things.”
Milbrett will be replacing
Simington, who left the board
due to scheduling issues.
“John has been a valued mem-
ber of the school board,” said
Mapleton Superintendent Jodi
O’Mara. “His knowledge of our
community from an alumni
See MAPLETON page 5A
Girl Scouts prepare
for virtual summer
INSIDE — B
RECORDS
Obituaries &
emergency
response logs
Inside — A2
SIDE SHOW
Activities and
comics every
Saturday
Inside — B4
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
Inside — B5
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2 S ECTIONS | 12 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2020
The Western Lane Fire and EMS
Authority (WLFEA), which con-
sists of members of Western Lane
Ambulance District (WLAD) and
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue
(SVFR), held a budget meeting this
week to try to address concerns
regarding budget discrepancies be-
tween the two districts.
WLFEA and WLAD board
member Larry Farnsworth stated,
“While the board did not unani-
mously agree to pass the WLFEA
budget, I appreciate the candid
conversation that we have, and that
reasonable people can disagree. I
Light rain with a
high of 57 and a low
tonight of 47.
Full forecast on A3
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
WLFEA approves budget after extensive discussions
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
WEATHER
Help support your neighbors in need who have been unemployed due to the Covid-19 shutdown.
Send your kind contribution to: Christmas in June, P.O. Box 1041, Florence, Oregon 97439
Questions?
Call Sam Spayd @ 541-991-6139
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