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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2021)
NOW THRU MARCH 7 VOTE FOR NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY VOL. 131, NO. 16 F EBRUARY 24, 2021 F LORENCE , O REGON WEATHER Partly sunny with a high of 51 and a low of 38. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY Bingo provides out- door entertainment INSIDE — A3 LIFESTYLE RECORDS Obituaries & response logs Inside — A2 TV GUIDE Inside — B3-B4 KIDS CORNER Activities for kids Inside — A7 CLASSIFIEDS Listings & notices Inside — B6 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM VOTED F O T S BE F LO E N C R Go online today https://rebrand.ly/BestOfFlorence2020 to vote! Benedick annexation moves forward Highway 101 after Florence City Council meeting closure between Council also hears about grants for airport, police By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News Florence City Council met Mon- day for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The meeting was geared to clarify the purpose and the limitations inherent in the requested annexation of a parcel of land located east of Rhododen- dron Drive and owned by Benedick Holdings LLC. A public hearing and a preliminary decision on ac- tion regarding the request com- prised the majority of the meeting, The process involved in the po- tential annexation of the 43 acres has been the subject of intense scrutiny by Oceana Drive-area homeowners, in and around the property, who are concerned with the ramifications if the annexation is approved and potential develop- ment of the land begins. The meeting was brought to or- der by Florence Mayor Joe Henry with all councilors present virtually. No members of the public signed up to comment on subjects other than the those included on the eve- ning’s agenda, only one of whom spoke on the subject of the annex- ation — which he opposed. The main speaker during the evening was Florence Planning Director Wendy FarleyCampbell, who reviewed the timeline of the annexation process to this point, and the steps taken to determine if the request was legal and possible. FarleyCampbell has already stat- ed her department’s preliminary position that the annexation re- quest is valid. On Monday, she also provided new graphics and illustra- tions to indicate to the council and the public the physical qualities of the land in and around the parcel under consideration. The Planning Department’s up- dated presentation highlighted some of the questions which have appeared most frequently in letters received by the City of Florence in opposition to the annexation. These include concern for the vi- ability of the “wetlands” surround- ing the area, which many residents believe will be damaged or poten- tially destroyed by future develop- ment. One of the first points made by FarleyCampbell was the history of flooding in this area and the fact that the property is not officially designated as wetlands. See COUNCIL page 5A Florence, Yachats continues By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News The Feb. 12 accident involving an Oregon Department of Transporta- tion (ODOT) vehicle on Highway 101 at mile marker 170, has forced the closure of an extended portion of the busy and potentially danger- ous roadway. The closure is being conducted to allow for the removal of a large crane which was working on the roadside approximately two miles south of Yachats and tum- bled off of the steep cliff which runs alongside Highway 101. Work is now underway to stabi- lize the rocks and debris which fell See HIGHWAY page 5A Lane County SES welcomes students back to campus Hybrid learning enters ‘high model maintains risk’ on Friday distance, safety Restaurants may offer indoor dining, museums may open By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News Mapleton football prepares for season INSIDE — B 0 202 YOUR FAVORITE FLORENCE BUSINESSES Siuslaw News Siuslaw News WEDNESDAY EDITION | FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | $1.00 E SN THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2021 Based on COVID-19 improved case counts, Lane County will be downgraded from “extreme risk” to “high risk” effective Friday, Feb. 26. “Oregonians continue to make smart choices and the numbers speak for themselves,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. “As of (Feb. 18), Oregon had the third lowest infec- tion rate in the nation. And while this is great news, we must remain vigilant in the face of challenges ahead with the new variants. We advise Oregonians to continue to follow safety measures and choose your activities wisely so that you are minimizing risk as best you can.” Statewide, as of Feb. 13, Oregon had a COVID-19 case rate of 181.3 cases per 100,000. This is a trend downward from 225.3 the two- week cycle before. Similarly, Lane County had a case rate of 222 as of Jan. 30 but dropped to 194.5 cases per 100,000 last week. While that number still shows “substantial spread” of the virus in the community, this means that Lane County will exit the “extreme risk” category it has been in since the governor announced new met- rics in November. Under “high risk,” people are still asked to wear a mask, limit gather- ings to small groups, keep at least six feet distance between people, wash their hands, stay home when sick and consider getting a flu vac- cine. However, certain activities have fewer restrictions, and these are listed online at coronavirus. oregon.gov. See COUNTY page 6A precautions By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News S iuslaw Elementary School opened for hybrid instruction on Monday, with students on cam- pus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Principal Mike Harklerode talk- ed about the process students un- dergo as they enter the building. When students arrive on cam- pus, their arrival times are stag- gered depending on family drop- off or the bus. Then, before they enter the school building, the kids stand on painted spots in the breezeway, all spaced 6 feet apart. Upon entering, all are sanitized. “We’re using three different en- try points, one each for K-1, 2-3 and 4-5,” Harklerode said. “All of this is done to create spacing as kids gather to enter.” Next, the students are screened for COVID-19 symptoms. Each screening takes about 30 seconds per student. Only after they have been screened do they proceed to their classrooms. The elementary hallways are marked with arrows, both to di- rect traffic and show six feet of distance, which must be main- tained by all people. Students remain in their class- rooms throughout the day. How- ever, for lunch, Harklerode and his planning team came up with a unique solution. “The students have lunch in the hall,” Harklerode said. “The hall allows for more social time and keeps kids’ classrooms sanitary.” The hallway can also be sani- tized relatively easily. In addition, the school allows for one recess period per day. Most of these guidelines also keep students limited in their co- horts, which will help prevent the PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MIKE HARKLERODE/SIUSLAW ELEMENTARY Students at Siu- slaw Elementary School arrive to the school on Monday, prepared for the first day of on-campus hybrid learning. Kids maintained distance and san- itized throughout the school day. The district also imple- mented COVID-19 safety precautions, including wellness checks and stag- gered arrivals as people arrive on campus. spread of COVID-19 if it enters the school. The end of the day also sees students maintaining six feet of distance as they prepare for pickup or the bus. The work done to get to the elementary’s hy- brid model will be used as Siuslaw middle and high schools prepare for their reopening in the coming weeks. According to Siuslaw School District Superin- tendent Andy Grzeskowi- ak, “The metrics are trend- ing in the right direction. See SIUSLAW page 6A C elebrating Over 30 Years in Real Estate JIM HOBERG Broker/Owner 9 201 VOTED F BEST O E SIUSLAW NEWS READERS CHOICE WINNER Voted Best Realtor for 6 Years! F LO E N C R 1870 Hwy. 126, Suite A • PO Box 3040, Florence, OR
