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EMAC again
tables
climate
discussion
Siuslaw News
Pumped
up for
pumpkins
Committee votes
down proclama-
tion on topic;
finalizes workplan
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 130, NO. 85
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
The Environmental Man-
agement Advisory Committee
(EMAC), met remotely on Oct.
21 for the group’s monthly reg-
ular session. The main task was
to complete the committee’s pro-
posed workplan for the next two
years.
EMAC has been working on
updating the suggested topics
and issues members would like
to see included in the overall
City of Florence workplan over
the past few months. After Tues-
day’s meeting, the committee has
clarified its final recommenda-
tions to the council.
Chairperson Katie Prosser
brought the meeting to order
and began the process of deter-
mining which of the subjects
that were included in the com-
mittee’s previous workplan were
still of concern.
Planning Director Wendy
FarleyCampbell assisted in the
review of the previous EMAC
See EMAC page 7A
Partly sunny with a
high of 57 and a low
tonight of 37.
Full forecast on A3
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
COMMUNITY
Coast Radio holds drive-through Great Pumpkin Giveaway
T
he 32nd annual Coast Radio
Great Pumpkin Giveaway
took place on Thursday at
the same location as previous years,
the Old School Furniture store,
but with new COVID inspired re-
strictions. The event is sponsored
by KCST/KCFM Coast Radio and
True Value Hardware.
“The kids were so excited about
getting pumpkins and candy,” said
Radio Host Wayne Sharpe the next
By Mark Brennan
& Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
morning. “They were all smiling
and waving. It was like, ‘Hey, there’s
something normal going on!”
The pumpkins were distributed
by members of the Florence Police
Department, Siuslaw Valley Fire
and Rescue and Western Lane Am-
bulance District, all wearing masks
Port of Siuslaw appoints new commissioner
and minimizing contact with driv-
ers and children. Florence Mayor
Joe Henry also helped hand pump-
kins to the families.
More than 200 cars came through
the event.
This year, all families receiving
pumpkins stayed in their cars and
were assisted with minimal contact.
There was also bags of candy and
gift certificates for all youngsters,
See PUMPKINS page 8A
Rob Ward selected to Position 2 after a three-month vacancy
Sweet Creek arsonist
pleads guilty
upon and all commissioners were
visible at this month’s meeting.
Three candidates were under
consideration for the open posi-
tion, which was vacated by Craig
Brandt in August: Ron Caputo,
Robert Ward and Doug Barrett.
The Port determined that all three
applicants were qualified for the
Position 2 opening.
“These are tough choices,” Zolez-
zi said before the vote. “Personally,
I don’t know any of the candidates,
but I do know that the commission-
ers that are currently serving work
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
A Mapleton resident, 44-year
old Elias Newton Pendergrass,
pled guilty in the Lane County
Circuit Court to arson in the
first degree for starting the blaze
which burned hundreds of acres
of land near Mapleton last Au-
gust, forcing a short evacuation
of residents impacted by the
blaze.
Pendergrass was sentenced to
10 years in prison.
See ARSON page 7A
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
The Port of Siuslaw Board of
Commissioners met on Oct. 21
for its regular meeting. The most
significant agenda item was the se-
lection of an individual to fill the
current vacancy on the commis-
sion.
In addition, Commissioner Craig
Zolezzi’s suggestion last month to
upgrade the video capabilities of
the port, to allow for face to face
communications, has been acted
well together. I’d like to make sure
whomever we bring into that fold is
able to work well with us. Collec-
tively, we have a pretty good mix
and that’s important to me.”
There was little discussion of the
candidates, as the qualifications
and experience of the three was
distributed and discussed at last
month’s meeting, then tabled to
allow for further consideration by
commissioners.
The motion to nominate Robert
Ward was made by Commissioner
See PORT page 8A
October meeting of the Siuslaw School Board
Board discusses superintendent goals and evaluation, committee vacancies
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
3. Enroll in COSA-Concordia
University of Chicago Ed.D. Educa-
tional Leadership program.
In the work session before the
meeting, board members asked a
couple questions, with Director Su-
zanne Mann-Heintz asking if equity
for district students could be includ-
ed in the goal, and Director Den-
nis King clarifying what had been
discussed at two board meetings in
September.
When it came time to discuss
the agenda item, Board Chair Bob
Sneddon gave information on the
importance of goals for the superin-
tendent, and how the school board
evaluates those.
Although the Board Governance
Handbook indicates that the eval-
uation process must be approved
by the board September, the board
voted to extend that to the Oct. 14
meeting.
“What we have before us is the
document that we looked over and
worked on the last two meetings,
and we feel like we have it finalized,”
Sneddon said.
See BOARD page 6A
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2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2020
Last Wednesday, the Siuslaw
School District Board of Directors
met in a 15-minute special work
session before the 6:30 p.m. regular
monthly meeting. The night’s agen-
da included consent items, a procla-
mation about American Education
Week, coming up from Nov. 16 to
20, the opening of two positions on
the district Budget Committee and
a discussion about superintendent
goals and evaluation.
Agenda Item 6.5 covered the Su-
perintendent Evaluation Document,
which the district is basing on the
“Superintendent Evaluation Work-
book” from Oregon School Board
Association (OSBA). In it, Siuslaw
Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak
detailed his goals for the next three
years:
1. Improve community engage-
ment opportunities, at all building
levels, across the district.
2. Continue and improve media
outreach to highlight district im-
provements.
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