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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2021)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 | 5A GOALS from page 1A We are proud to be your community partner! Not Your Ordinary Bank member 1355 HWY 101 |ඎඔකඍඖඋඍ (800) 997-7121 |ඟඟඟඊඋඋඕ Your guide to great locally owned restaurants. Surfside Restaurant at Drift wood Shores Resort Is Open for dine in or take out from 4pm - 8:30 pm Tuesday - Saturday Call 541-902-6447 Drift wood Shores Resort 88416 1st Avenue, Florence We are open for dine in, take-out, sidewalk & patio seating We are doing everything we can to safely serve our community. We are open: 11-8 daily 2020 VOTED F F LO E R E BEST O NC 1285 Bay Street, Old Town Florence (541) 902-8338 www.1285Restobar.com “I believe it is good prac- tice to look at what we have in place and decide if it is still up to date, reflects cur- rent and best practices and if there are any other things we should be considering,” said Wantz. “It’s probably going to be just a good re- view of it [City Code], but I don’t see any negatives if we have a review of the charter.” Mayor Joe Henry com- mented briefly that he felt the review would be un- necessary as things were currently working well in the city. His sentiment was echoed by Councilor Mag- gie Wisniewski. “Mayor Henry, I have to agree with you. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” she said. “I think moving for- ward, over the next couple of years, we are going to need our resources front- row-and-center to get through this emergency and the pandemic. I don’t think we should waste our resources on something that is already working.” “Everything is reward verses expense,” added Councilor Bill Meyer. “I have no concept in terms of what staff time would be involved in a review and that really effects my opin- ion on this matter.” According to Meyer, from his perspective, there was really no pressing need to review the charter at this time. Fellow Councilor Woody Woodbury agreed the sub- ject was unnecessary for inclusion in the workplan and the item was removed. Wantz was also the single voice speaking in opposi- tion to a workplan goal to create restrictions on driver and pedestrian interactions in a public thoroughfare, and on the need for sup- porting initiatives to incen- tivize or actively support emergency housing. Her concerns were not shared by her fellow coun- cilors, who felt the issue of panhandling was central to the topic and the item was formally included as a city goal. The issue of available housing was touched on as it related to “Special Needs Housing” and whether Florence should provide financial support — or in- deed support of any kind — for supplemental hous- ing for those with special needs. Wisniewski went on re- cord as opposed to the idea that emergency housing was the responsibility of the city. “I don’t believe we have a need for emergency hous- ing at this time in our city code,” she said, pointing to FEMA as the agency which should take the lead in this area rather than the city. This position was shared by all, with the exception of Wantz, and the item was formally rejected as a goal. Throughout the meeting, there was general agree- ment on the vast majority of remaining suggestions from committees with few concerns expressed. One of those was from Wisniews- ki, who inquired about adding code enforcement officers to deal with what she characterized as a num- ber of complaints which the city had received but were not acted upon. Wisniews- ki also suggested a seasonal or part-time code enforce- ment person could be add- ed during busy times of the year. To that, Reynolds replied the idea of adding staff was complex and would require a number of steps to deter- mine funding for the posi- tion. The city manager then reviewed the work accom- plished during the special session before reminding the council and the public that the City Workplan for the next biennium would be a main agenda item for the Florence City Council meeting on Monday, April 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit ci.florence.or.us. How Earth Day and environmental conciousness have evolved Reduce, reuse, recycle is a mantra for many people. It’s difficult to imagine that just 50 years ago awareness of the state of the environ- ment was not part of the collective consciousness. An emerging public con- sciousness about the planet began amid environmen- tal issues like increased air pollution and massive con- sumption of fossil fuels in the 1960s. The bestselling book “Si- lent Spring” by Rachel Car- son also raised public con- cern for living organisms and the links between pol- lution and public health. The push for environ- mental reform gained even more momentum on April 22, 1970, when the first Earth Day was celebrat- ed. Then-Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin put Earth Day on the na- tional stage following a large oil spill that struck off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. Before this disaster, recy- cling was not a word in the popular lexicon. But when the disaster struck, peo- ple began to reason that changes would have to be made to save the planet. Since the first Earth Day 50 years ago, many strides have been made in the en- vironmental movement. This grassroots initiative gave rise to the establish- ment of the Environmen- tal Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Environmental aware- ness has become much more mainstream and is a less polarizing issue than it was in the 1970s, although there are still debates about the reality of climate change and other risk fac- tors. Public demand for environmental safeguards grew in the second half of the twentieth century, and those demands have grown stronger in recent years. Legislation is continually evolving to protect the air, land and water. Sustainability has joined the buzzwords of the move- ment, and most industries now have a vested interest in changes that can mini- mize risk to human health and the environment. Mitigating or avoiding environmental effects, proper waste disposal, re- duction in water discharge, and emphasis on reducing, reusing and recycling have become important com- ponents of environmental wellness. And people are being educated at earlier stages on the importance of environmental mind- fulness. For example, core subjects of the environ- mental movement are in- creasingly covered in ele- mentary schools. Twenty million people turned out for the first Earth Day in the United States. Today, more than 190 countries are engaged and more than one billion individuals are mobilized for action every Earth Day, advises the Earth Day Net- work. Here are some ways to participate: • Bike or walk to school or work. The fewer cars on the road, the less emissions in the air. • Invest in a reusable cof- fee cup or water bottle. This can reduce the amount of trash that ultimately ends up in the environment. • Connect with nature by turning off electron- ics for the day and getting outside. Head to a park or nature trail and immerse yourself in the great out- doors. • Do something as sim- ple as switching paper statements and bills to e-bills and online invoic- es. This reduces reliance on trees for new sources of paper. • Grow food and herbs in your home garden or even on a windowsill. This is a fun, eco-friendly way to control the foods you con- sume at home and a great way to save money as well. • Reusing and recycling does not just pertain to water bottles and alumi- num cans. Find out ways to repurpose or share items with others so they get more mileage. — Metro Creative Connection Weekly Special: Baha Style Fish Tacos Pot Roast Croissants Friday: Lobster Rolls Wed & Thurs 11-8pm Fri & Sat 11-10pm www.nosheateryfl orence.com 541-997-5899 • 1269 Bay Street Old Town Florence O FF B AYSTREET B ISTRO 3pm to 9pm Thur. to Sun. Early bird 3pm to 4pm 15% off your bill Dine-in only Closed Mon., Tue., Wed. Covered heated porch, In-door dining and ToGo’s Reservations highly recommended LOCATED IN OLD TOWN 541-590-3569 165 Maple Street, Florence, OR Offbaystreetbistro.com 541-997-8202
