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Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 131, NO. 20
M ARCH 10, 2021
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY EDITION | MARCH 10, 2021 | $1.00
THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
997-5973
Lane County progresses to ‘moderate risk’ of COVID-19
public health framework to reduce
transmission and protect Orego-
nians from COVID-19. The frame-
work uses four different risk levels
for counties based on COVID-19
spread — extreme risk, high risk,
By Chantelle Meyer
moderate risk and lower risk — and
Siuslaw News
assigns health and safety measures
On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Kate for each level.
Brown today announced updates to
Effective March 12 through
county risk levels under the state’s March 25, there will be two coun-
Governor announces
updates to County
Risk Levels
ties in the extreme risk level, nine
at high risk, 12 at moderate risk and
13 at lower risk. Lane County shifts
down to moderate risk after just two
weeks at high risk, along with four
other counties.
“We are largely seeing case rates
decline across the state, with the
most counties in the lower risk level
since the framework was introduced
in November,” said Brown. “This
Florence inn fined $21,600 for accusations of price gouging
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Obituaries &
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TV GUIDE
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KIDS CORNER
Activities for kids
Inside — A7
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Le Chateau Inn, also called Economy Inn of Florence, is one of four Oregon lodgings fined by the Or-
egon Department of Justice for raising room prices after September’s wildfires displaced families.
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
Le Chateau Inn, located at 1084
Highway 101 in Florence, has
been fined $21,600 for price goug-
ing, according to the Oregon De-
partment of Justice (ODJ), which
said room rental rates were hiked
during the aftermath of numerous
area wildfires in 2020.
Le Chateau is one of four ho-
tels and motels in Oregon fined
last week by the ODJ as a result
of what the agency termed “price
gouging.”
The decision to fine the busi-
nesses was based on what the ODJ
said was the owners’ intentional
increase of more than 15 percent
over normal rates charged prior
to the wildfires — an act that is in
violation of an order put in place
by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to
prevent emergency-related over-
charges levied on consumers.
In a statement, Oregon Attorney
General Ellen Rosenblum report-
ed the amounts charged and the
rationale for the decision to fine
the establishments.
“More than 40,000 Oregonians
had to evacuate their homes
during the fires that spread so
rapidly through our state. With-
out much warning, many families
had to seek shelter in hotels and
motels,” she said. “Unfortunately,
some hotels upped their prices
significantly and took advantage
of this horrible situation.”
See FINE page 5A
A heart for kids
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2021
On March 3, Boys and Girls
Clubs of Western Lane Coun-
ty (BGCWLC) welcomed a new
CEO, Josiah Pleasant, to replace
former executive director Chuck
Trent. While Pleasant fully transi-
tions to life in Florence, Trent will
remain in leadership as he contin-
ues to serve on the board.
“When I first talked with Josiah,
I was so impressed because it was
obvious that he had the right kind
of heart, and he had the business
experience that we were looking
for as well,” said Trent. “This is the
kind of job that if you don’t con-
nect with the kids, and also the
community, you can’t be success-
ful.”
The BGCWLC board under-
went a stringent process in hiring
Pleasant, starting with 1,000 appli-
cations and narrowing it down to
70 requests for interviews. Pleas-
ant went through four rounds of
interviews and extensive reference
checks before coming to the club
should serve as a reminder that
when we follow the health and safe-
ty measures we know work against
this virus, we can truly make a dif-
ference in infection spread.”
Only Coos and Douglas counties
remain at extreme risk.
Additional restrictions are lift-
ed as counties reach fewer cases of
community spread of COVID-19.
See RISK page 5A
Filing deadline for
May Special Election
approaches
May 18 is the next election date
in Lane County. Filing deadlines for
the Tuesday, May 18, Special Elec-
tion is March 18. People can still run
for positions on several local boards,
including school districts, emergen-
cy response departments and special
districts.
April 27 is the last day to regis-
ter to vote in the election. People
can confirm their voter registration
status online at sos.oregon.gov/vot-
ing-elections/.
Ballots will be mailed by the end
of April. People can go to lanecoun-
ty.org/elections for more informa-
tion.
Measure Filings:
• Measure #20-319: Supporting
4-H and OSU Extension Programs
in Lane County
Regional Candidate Filings:
• Lane Community College —
four positions, residents will vote
for their zone
• Lane Education Service District
— three positions, residents will
vote for their zone
See ELECTION page 5A
New executive director begins
at local Boys and Girls Club
and meeting the board
“Based on my business
in person.
background — and I
“He spent a couple
definitely have a heart
of weeks with us so we
for kids like Josiah does
could make sure we
— I stepped into that
drew the right picture
role thinking it would be
of what the club looks
for about three months.”
like and where we want-
The plan was to make
ed to go,” Trent said. “A
a plan to keep the club
couple of things were
open, support kids,
really important to us.
serve the community
First, that we needed to
and prepare for the fu-
make sure that the per- Boys and Girls Clubs of
Former Boys and Girls ture.
son we hired to fill this
“As I got into that role,
Western Lane County
Clubs of Western Lane
position had a heart
CEO Josiah Pleasant
County CEO Chuck Trent it became very obvious
for kids. You can learn
that this was not a three-
a lot of things about running an egon from Juneau, Alaska, as he month kind of thing.”
organization, but the heart is what ships his belongings and moves
In fact, this past Feb. 14 appro-
here permanently.
matters.”
priately enough marked Trent’s
BGCWLC first began looking sixth year.
Second was business experience,
especially as the club continues to for a new executive director more
However, right before the
navigate COVID-19. The third than a year ago. Trent had decided COVID-19 pandemic began a year
important thing was connection that the club was in a good place ago, Trent realized that BGCWLC
to the community and dedication financially, had excellent staff had all the pieces in place that he
members and was improving its wanted as the club prepared for
to underserved populations.
“We had a unanimous decision programs.
finding a new CEO: the right staff,
“When I first took over respon- quality programs and solid finan-
by the board and by the staff, that
he was the right person,” Trent sibility as the executive director, cials.
the club was in a lot of financial
said.
Then the lockdown began.
Now, Pleasant is moving to Or- and operating distress,” Trent said.
See CLUB page 6A
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