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SATURDAY EDITION | APRIL 17, 2021 | $1.00
THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
And when they do,
we’re here in Florence.
Siuslaw
seniors close out
football season
4480 Hwy 101, Suite G · 541.997.1251
Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
School board continues superintendent contract
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
Combined budget, board meeting covers finances, agreements
VOL. 131, NO. 31
A PRIL 17, 2021
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Both the Siuslaw School Dis-
trict Board of Directors and Bud-
get Committee met virtually on
Wednesday, April 14. The meeting
was led by Board Vice Chair Paul
Burns, as Chair Bob Sneddon will
be unavailable through mid-May.
However, all other board mem-
bers were present for the meeting,
which began with a work session
for the Budget Committee.
First, the committee nominated
area residents Joel Marks as the
new committee chair and Cindy
Spinner as vice chair.
Next, Siuslaw Superintendent
Andy Grzeskowiak stated the bud-
get message, followed by Business
Manager Kari Blake, who present-
ed the budget material and time-
line.
“I don’t like to give people a
big, complicated document with
no context, so this is the meeting
where I’m able to explain all [about
the budget],” Blake said. “We’ll re-
convene in two weeks, which will
give you the time to take a look at
the budget document.”
See SIUSLAW page 7A
Clay Target League teaches safety, respect
Sunshine all day
with a high of 71
and a low of 44.
Full forecast on A3
COMMUNITY
Students in the Siuslaw Clay Target League took time on
Thursday to go over gun safety and practice shooting with team
advisors and members of the Siuslaw Rod and Gun Club.
Chamber displays
paintings by artist
INSIDE — A3
SPORTS
Siuslaw School District shooting team begins season with training
Story & Photo
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
Baseball season
begins
INSIDE — B
RECORDS
Obituaries &
emergency
response logs
Inside — A2
SIDE SHOW
Activities and
comics every
Saturday
Inside — B4
“Safety. Fun. Marksmanship.”
Those were the words repeated
over and over to the small group
of Siuslaw School District students
gathered Thursday afternoon at
the Siuslaw Rod and Gun Club on
Munsell Creek Road.
It was a bright and sunny after-
noon when Sean Grundon, the
coach of the recently formed Siu-
slaw Clay Target League, asked the
students what the group’s priority
was.
There was a brief pause before
the students said loudly, “SAFETY.”
The concepts, practices and tech-
Listings and public
notices
Inside — B5
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niques needed to stay safe while us-
ing firearms are at the center of all
the discussions between the new
coach and his team of students. Re-
spect for the deadly nature of the
sport they have decided to learn
requires a much higher level of
vigilance and attention than most
school activities; a mistake in this
sport could have dire consequences.
Grundon teaches mathemat-
ics at Siuslaw Middle School and
stresses the need for safety at every
opportunity when discussing the
district’s participation in the USA
High School Clay Target League.
He has assembled a group of both
boys and girls who are interested in
shooting. After making sure all the
students are wearing eye and ear
protection, he hands each student
a brand-new shotgun.
The shotguns were purchased
with the help of local donors who
view shooting as a sport and fam-
ily recreation option. There is no
cost for the students to use the fire-
arms but there is a participation fee
which covers the cost of the am-
munition used by the student — a
cost expected to be about $200 this
season.
The USA High School Clay Tar-
get League is a 501(c)(3) nonprof-
it corporation and a proponent of
shooting sports as an extracurric-
ular co-ed activity for students in
grades six through 12 who have
their firearm safety certification.
See LEAGUE page 8A
Public Art Committee learns about ‘Questing’
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
CLASSIFIEDS
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2021
The Florence Public Art Com-
mittee (PAC) met Monday, April
12, with an eye towards discussing
future options for art-related ac-
tivities and displays in and around
the city. The PAC has overseen the
acquisition and exhibition of some
pieces of the fledgling city-owned
art collection, and along the way
has weathered heated public criti-
cism due to those selections, only
to emerge intact and viable.
The agenda for the meeting was
brief, with the highlight being a
presentation from Dina Pavlis and
Joey Curtola on the logistical spe-
cifics and benefits possibly accrued
by increasing city participation in
“Oregon Quests” treasure hunts.
City Recorder Kelli Weese and
I NSIDE — B
Walk-ins welcome -or- schedule online at novahealth.com
Economic Catalyst Sarah Moehrke
facilitated the PAC meeting, which
was held virtually, and Vice Chair
Jo Beaudreau assisted with the pre-
sentation.
Oregon Quests is an education-
ally oriented statewide effort to
draw the curious and the history
minded to interesting locations,
primarily on the Oregon Coast. It
is funded through grants offered
by the National Ocean and Atmo-
spheric Administration (NOAA)
and administered in this area by
Oregon State University (OSU).
Pavlis, a local naturalist who
is very familiar with the geogra-
phy and physical attributes of the
natural landscapes in the Siuslaw
region, has led educational tours
and held classes in area parks and
wetlands for years in her work with
Oregon Department of Forestry.
Her presentation was made in
support of a program sponsored
by OSU as part of the university’s
Sea Grant program, which focuses
on understanding the ecological,
social and economic aspects of
coastal and marine conservation
and industries.
The program also focuses on
developing resilience to acute and
chronic coastal and marine haz-
ards, as well as adding to the un-
derstanding of the human and
natural dimensions of coastal and
marine fisheries.
One of the OSU funded pro-
grams is called the “Oregon Coast
Quest,” which is a less high-tech
version of another popular treasure
hunting activity — but using older
tools to provide information and
challenge participants.
See ART page 6A
Oregon
COVID-19
cases continue
to climb
Lane County to
return to ‘high risk’
next week
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown held a
press conference Friday to address
the rising number of cases of the
novel coronavirus COVID-19 in
the state.
According to the Oregon Health
Authority (OHA), April 14 reported
816 positive cases of COVID-19,
the highest single-day count since
data showed a decline in cases
beginning in January. Thursday had
an additional 733 confirmed cases,
bringing the state’s total cases to
172,931 since February 2020, with a
death toll of 2,455.
According to OHA State Epi-
demiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger,
“Recent data is troubling, showing
that the virus is again on the march
throughout our state, sickening our
friends and neighbors. Daily cases,
hospitalizations, positive test rate
and COVID-19 deaths are all on
the upswing.”
He said that daily cases of
COVID-19 have more than doubled
See COVID-19 page 5A
Planning
Commission
continues
debate topics
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
The Florence Planning Com-
mission met virtually on April 13,
with all commissioners present. The
agenda for the evening meeting was
a return to two issues already dis-
cussed by the commission in prior
meetings. Both topics have been de-
bated for months, particularly pen-
alties related to what the city consid-
ers clearing violations at a planned
housing development at Fairway
Estates.
There was also a return to an ap-
peal filed to rebut a condition of
approval being sought to continue
development of a storage facility
on approximately 4.5 acres owned
by the City of Florence. The prop-
erty in question is being developed
with the intent of offering modern,
secure storage and is located east of
Kingwood Street, between the Flor-
ence Public Works complex and the
Oregon Coast Military Museum.
The discussion of the Fairway
Estates fines and the issuance of
penalties for a number of essential-
ly landscaping miscues has become
contentious as both the applicant,
Michael Pearson, and City Planner
Wendy FarleyCampbell have chosen
See PLANNING page 6A
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