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Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
VOL. 131, NO. 41
MAY 22, 2021
F LORENCE , O REGON
WEATHER
Partly cloudy with a
high of 57 and
a low of 45.
Full forecast on A3
SATURDAY EDITION | MAY 22, 2021 | $1.00
Lane County releases Special Election results
Official final results will be certified June 7
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
The final vote totals for Lane
County’s May 18, 2021, Special Elec-
tion will be officially certified and
posted on June 7. However, prelimi-
nary totals are now available accord-
ing to Lane County Clerk Cheryl
Betschart.
“The most recent totals were
posted on May 20. One reason for
the delay is we have results coming
from other counties and there also
remain a small number of ballots
which have signature issues or sit-
uations which require voter input,
and these voters have until June 1 to
respond to election official inquiries
and concerns,” Betschart said. “The
final results of the Special Election
must be certified by June 7, so any
ballot signatures which have been
challenged have until June 1 to cor-
rect those ballots.”
As of May 20, the Lane County
voting totals were as follows:
Mapleton School District #32
Director Position 1
Andrea Milbrett — 214
Write-in — 5
Total: 219
Mapleton School District #32
Director Position 2
Mizu Burruss — 239
Write-in — 3
Total — 242
Mapleton School District #32
Director Position 4
Marilyn Fox — 239
Write-in — 5
Total 244
Siuslaw School District #97J
Director Position 2
John M Barnett — 2,942
Write-in — 49
Total — 2,991
Siuslaw School District #97J
Director Position 4
Maureen Miltenberger — 2,345
Brian Lacouture — 2,134
Write-in — 7
Total — 4,486
Siuslaw School District #97J
Director Position 6
Jesse Chapman — 854
Larry Martindale — 1,526
Kady Sneddon — 2,205
Write-in — 6
Total — 4,591
Mapleton Fire Department
Director Position 1
Ronald G. Thompson — 107
Write-in — 3
Total — 110
Mapleton Fire Department
Director Position 4
Write-in — 14
Total — 14
Mapleton Fire Department
Director Position 5
Diana Scoville — 100
Write-in — 2
Total — 102
Mapleton Water District
Commissioner Position 1
Bryan Moore — 62
Write-in — 8
Total — 70
See VOTE page 7A
COMMUNITY
Rhody auction nets growing returns
Florence resident
has first solo flight
INSIDE — A3
SPORTS
Siuslaw, Mapleton
teams hit hardwood
INSIDE — B
RECORDS
Obituaries &
emergency
response logs
Inside — A2
(From left) ARS members Bill Hennig, Host Mike Bones, Day Farrald and Sam Spayd who
donated the space for the successful auction which raised nearly $2,000.
SIDE SHOW
Activities and
comics every
Saturday
Inside — B4
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
Inside — B5
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PHOTO BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
T
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 24 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2021
he Siuslaw Chapter of the
American Rhododendron
Society held a fundraiser at
a hangar at the Florence Municipal
Airport last Tuesday evening to
raise money for the popular club.
The local ARS group takes pride
in showcasing the unofficial sym-
bol of the city and participates in
numerous ways during the year to
highlight the iconic shrub.
Mike Bones was the auctioneer
and the avuncular Master Gar-
dener took good advantage of
an airplane hangar donated for
the event by pilot and retired Air
Force veteran Sam Spayd.
The event was limited to those
with vaccines or were willing to
wear masks and maintain social
distancing and the tone of the sale
was decidedly upbeat.
See AUCTION page 8A
More than 100 donations of plants and flowers were
made as part of last week's auction held by the Siuslaw
Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, held
at an airplane hanger belonging to Sam Spayd.
July Fourth
fireworks may ignite
at a later date
“Based on the most current pan-
demic-related guidelines from Gov-
ernor Kate Brown, and the need to
plan far ahead for big events like
our annual Old Fashioned Fourth
of July Celebration, we are unable
to produce our fireworks show and
its associated events,” said Bettina
Hannigan, president and CEO of
the Florence Area Chamber of Com-
merce. “Thankfully, our contracts
with the fireworks technicians, and
the Port of Siuslaw for the launch
site, are in place for next year.
“But,” she quickly added, “due to
the gracious flexibility of these and
other partners, we may — and I em-
phasize may — be able to reschedule
them later this year.”
Since March of 2020, chambers of
commerce and other organizations
locally and across the state have tak-
en major economic hits from cancel-
ing annual community events. Some
are even canceling events through
the end of this year.
“We waited as long as we could to
make this decision in hopes of host-
ing this fun day of traditional fam-
ily events and fireworks,” Hannigan
said. “But given the timeline to put
this event together — with the pro-
ducers of the pie- and watermel-
on-eating contests and the providers
of the bounce houses, music and
fireworks — there is no way to plan
for it with total certainty.”
Hannigan added that, currently,
the Chamber is in the wait-and-see
stage with all the planning that goes
into moving the fireworks and relat-
ed events to another weekend, pos-
sibly later this summer or early fall.
“We are doing all we can to save
this year’s Wine and Chowder Trails
held on Columbus Day weekend.
Stay tuned,” she added.
Hannigan said that even though
many restrictions have been — and
are continuing to be — lifted on
mask-wearing and social gatherings,
the chamber must put the health of
the community and of visitors first.
See JULY page 7A
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