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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2021)
SN THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY EDITION | JANUARY 20, 2021 | $1.00 Siuslaw News FURA moves forward on Quince development Siuslaw News NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY VOL. 131, NO. 6 F LORENCE , O REGON The Florence Urban Renewal Agency (FURA) met virtually Jan. By Mark Brennan 13 for an executive Siuslaw News session at 5:30 p.m., followed by the agency’s regularly scheduled meeting at 6:30 p.m. The primary focus of the 30-minute public meeting session was a discussion of the expendi- ture of up to $44,000 in agreed-to costs associated with the pre-de- velopment study and — ultimate- ly — sale of a city owned parcel of property on Quince Street. FURA Chairperson Bill Meyer called the meeting to order with all directors of the agency in attendance. There are currently two vacan- cies on FURA with seven direc- tors making up the full board. The Florence City Council met Jan. 14 to discuss candidates and appointments to the FURA board, as well as other city committees and agencies. (Look for a full sto- ry in this Saturday’s edition.) After approving the limited agenda and ascertaining there were no requests from the public to comment, Meyer turned to City Recorder Kelli Weese to up- date the directors on the timeline and developments associated with the Quince property. Weese reviewed the qualifi- cations of Sycan, the company selected to develop the 13.4- acre site located on the east side of Quince Street, across from Florence Events Center, and the expected timeline for the contin- ued development of the property. Weese also reviewed the contents of the memorandum of understanding between Sycan and the City of Florence, which commits the city to share in these pre-development costs. Additionally, this presentation was a review of other aspects of the agreement with Sycan, during which directors emphasized the hoped-for benefits Sycan can bring to the Quince Street devel- opment. See FURA page 6A WEATHER Partly sunny with a high of 54 and a low of 39. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY Last Resort Players hold annual meeting INSIDE — A3 LIFESTYLE Women’s March continues locally INSIDE — B RECORDS Obituaries & response logs Inside — A2 TV GUIDE Inside — A7-A8 KIDS CORNER Activities for kids Inside — B5 Going through proper channels PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS C ontractors working under the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers worked last weekend resetting the channel markers for the Siuslaw River Estuary and the area immedi- ately adjacent to the Port of Siuslaw. The work also includ- ed the reset of markers in the area of the North Jetty and was scheduled to be com- pleted on Monday. Channel markers are companion buoys that indicate that the boating channel is between them. When facing upstream, or coming from the open sea, the red buoys are located on the right (starboard) side of the channel; the green buoys will be on the left (port) side of the channel. ‘Taking comfort from Dr. King’s powerful words’ KXCR hosts live, on-air MLK Day celebration By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shadow of the virus tempered and changed the focus of the na- tional recognition of King’s day, Jan. 18, which has become a “Na- tional Day of Service” for many. This call to serve others was tak- en up by many Americans, includ- ing in both state and national gov- ernment, including newly elected President Joe Biden and his family, who volunteered at a Philadelphia food pantry as they have each year since 2009. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, who represents Oregon’s Fourth Con- gressional District, released the following statement Monday rec- ognizing the importance of the life and work of King. “Reflecting on a year where our nation has faced so many challenges — from the ongoing pandemic, which has taken near- ly 400,000 American lives, to our painful and ongoing reckoning with racial injustice following the tragic death of George Floyd, to the vicious attack on our Capi- tol by white supremacists, I take comfort from Dr. King’s powerful words: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in mo- ments of comfort and convenienc- es, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’” On Monday, KXCR, Florence’s non-commercial radio station, continued its practice of offer- ing local perspectives related to significant historic events with a multi-generational tribute to the words, ideas and impact of King. The public response to the May 25 murder of Floyd in Minneap- olis and the contentious demon- strations which resulted after his death have served to highlight the racial issues the nation still faces despite the many advancements made in civil rights since King’s days. See KING page 5A Siuslaw School District recognizes board, students CLASSIFIEDS January meeting features program updates, plans for future Modeled after the world famous board game, Florence-Opoly is customized to our great city. Fun for the whole family! Siuslaw News • 148 Maple Street • Old Town Florence or call 541-997-3441 each 9 D\ P +LJKZ WUKXQWHUFR ZZZ ͘͘͘ ͕ 24. Ăƚ S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2021 Y L O P O - E C N E On Sale F L O R $ 9 See DISTRICT page 6A ŝƚƵ Ɛ T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM sŝƐ @S IUSLAW N EWS ŝƐĐ ŚŽ ŽǀĞƌ ŵĞ ǀ ŝŶƚĞ ŝŶƚĂ ƌŝŽ ŐĞĐů ƌƐ͕Ă Žƚ ŶĚ ŚŝŶŐ ĐŽ ͕Ă ŽŬ ŶƟ ŝĞƐ͊ ƋƵ ĞƐ /S IUSLAW N EWS Siuslaw School Board met virtual- ly Jan. 13 for its first meeting of the new year. Besides six school board members and district administra- tors, several students, teachers and staff members also attended. The meeting began with a presen- tation from Siuslaw School District teacher librarian Jennifer McKenzie and district library staff. “In the state of Oregon for our school libraries, we have to be ad- vocates every day and all day long,” McKenzie stated. She gave an update on the state of the district library and its programs, son said. “Going from fifth grade to sixth grade, you always want to get your kids ready for middle school. And whatever format we come back in next year, I have no worries about how far Nicole will go and for how much success she will have in this life because she is driven.” Nicole was able to tune into the meeting and got the chance to wave to the school board, who then thanked her for attending and con- gratulated her on her success. After this, Siuslaw High School Principal Garth Gerot introduced senior Elijah Blankenship, student body president, as the SHS Student Liaison to the Board. ͘͘͘ƚŽ Ě LATEST NEWS : Board Appreciation Month. People can view a video of district students and staffs’ messages about the board during the board meeting, which can be found on the district’s You- Tube channel. Following this, Siuslaw Elementa- ry School recognized student Nicole Bocales as “an exemplary student,” according to Principal Mike Har- klerode. He introduced teacher Greg Jor- genson, who spoke about Nicole’s past instructors and how she has gone above and beyond with her schoolwork. “Nicole has been one of the most on-the-ball learners this year by far, always seeking to do more,” Jorgen- ibrary.or iuslawL www.S 97-313 2 541-9 FOLLOW US FOR THE many of which are virtual at present. School Board Chair Bob Sneddon said, “Thank you very much. It’s nice to see all the stuff. We hadn’t had a district-wide librarian for so many years and it’s awful nice to see some of the impacts that you’ve been having.” At the end of the meeting, Direc- tor Paul Burns said of the library staff, “I just appreciate the energy that they bring. That energy goes to the kids, especially through this dis- tance learning. I think they’re doing a great job.” Next, Siuslaw School District Superintendent Andy Grzeskowi- ak thanked the board of directors for their service as part of School OUT CHECK S.) (WE EVEN GAME BOARD g By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News rd aboa g Climb readin ad! the real railro Listings & notices Inside — B6 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,
