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Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
South Jetty Rd. to undergo construction
Access to crab dock, beaches to
be impacted Aug. 16 to October
VOL. 131, NO. 65
A UGUST 14, 2021
F LORENCE , O REGON
COVID-19
Governments
require return
to masks
Health advisories
declared over rising
COVID-19 cases
WEATHER
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Mostly cloudy
with a high of 64
and a low of 54.
Full forecast on A3
COMMUNITY
South Jetty Road will be closed north of beach access #5, which includes the crab dock and two
additional beach access points, to all traffic (vehicle, bicycle, foot) from Monday through October
as the road undergoes construction and repairs.
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
T
Mapleton hosts free
Vaccine Clinic
INSIDE — A3
COMMUNITY
VOICES
INSIDE — A7-A9
SPORTS
Vikings XC readies
for competition
INSIDE — B
RECORDS
Obituaries &
emergency
response logs
Inside — A2
SIDE SHOW
Activities and
comics
Inside — B4
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
Inside — B5
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T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
he South Jetty of the Siuslaw
River is a unique location for
locals and visitors, as many people
surf and crab at the end of the long
road that winds past the miles of
dunes that line the road to the jet-
ty. The combination of the moder-
ate waves for surfers to enjoy and
the opportunity to go crabbing
and fishing has meant the area has
become a destination location for
travelers and an important recre-
ational spot for locals as well.
However, there have been sev-
eral serious maintenance issues
which have surfaced on this road
over the past few years. In addi-
tion, the responsibility for main-
tenance of the pavement, parking
lots and restrooms has been un-
clear at times.
New Rhody
Express starts
service in town
State grant pays for
new vehicle
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2021
Providing and using public
transist during the time of COVID
has been troublesome for both
service providers and potential
riders. One of the constants during
the pandemic has been the ability
of Florence-area residents to ride
the Rhody Express, often when
masked and while maintaining
distancing.
The popularity of the service
waned during the height of the
pandemic, but ridership levels have
since rebounded and the addition
of a new bus for the route will
offer riders an upgrade to the older
vehicle in a number of ways, ac-
cording to John Ahlen, Accessible
Services Program Manager, Lane
Transit District.
See BUS page 5A
There have been public forums
held at Siuslaw Valley Fire and
Rescue, and other locations, which
drew dozens of individuals to com-
ment on many aspects of the South
Jetty, most focusing on the impor-
tance to the community that the
proper entities maintain access to
the crab dock and the surfing areas
at the end of the road.
After a year or two of interagen-
cy meetings, public forums and
budgetary proposals, it was even-
tually the U.S. Department of Ag-
riculture (USDA) through the U.S.
Forest Service, which ended up
with the responsibility for much
of the maintenance on the route to
the South Jetty.
Now, the near-term plans the
USDA has for the area are causing
concern among those that use the
road and its resources on a regular
basis.
On July 22, the USDA released a
statement sharing the Forest Ser-
vice’s plans for the upcoming re-
pair.
“Thanks to funding from the
Great American Outdoors Act,
we will be able to make important
road repairs this year,” said Central
Coast District Ranger Michele Hol-
man. “South Jetty Road in particu-
lar has been difficult to maintain
for the last few years, as the river
current and ocean tides are slowly
eating away at the road. We’re look-
ing forward to getting both of these
roads fixed so visitors can continue
to enjoy these areas safely.”
Construction for the South Jetty
Road project is expected to begin
on Monday, Aug. 16, and finish in
late October to ensure all the work
can be completed ahead of fall and
winter storms and high tides.
See JETTY page 5A
On Aug. 10, the Lane County
Board of Commissioners unani-
mously approved an Emergency
Public Health Advisory requesting
that all individuals, businesses and
employers wear masks in indoor
shared public spaces, regardless of
vaccination status, due to the cur-
rent unprecedented surge in COVID
cases within Lane County.
Similarly, Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown held a press conference
Wednesday, Aug. 11, to issue two
new health and safety measures. The
vaccination requirement for state
employees and statewide indoor
mask requirements seek to address
the spike in COVID-19 hospitaliza-
tions being driven by the spread of
the highly contagious Delta variant.
“Oregon is facing a spike in
COVID-19 hospitalizations — con-
sisting overwhelmingly of unvacci-
nated individuals — that is quickly
exceeding the darkest days of our
winter surge,” said Brown. “When
our hospitals are full, there will be no
room for additional patients need-
ing care, whether for COVID-19, a
heart attack or stroke, a car collision
or a variety of other emergency sit-
uations.
See MASKS page 6A
A berry hot summer
Clear Lake Blueberry Farm yields large crop in fifth summer
By Reina Harwood
Siuslaw News
As the summer continues, coast-
al blueberries are back and plump-
er than ever. Blueberries, native to
North America, serve antioxidant
health benefits. They are blueish
purple, with a light and punchy
taste.
This summer, Duane and Deb-
bie Cray, owners of the family-run
Clear Lake Blueberry Farm, re-
opened their blueberry picking
service on July 24 for its fifth sea-
son to serve the Florence commu-
nity with “the best crop we’ve had
in four years,” the couple said.
The farm offers organic blue-
berries Tuesday through Satur-
day from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,
charging just $2 per pint (cash
only).
The Clear Lake Blueberry Farm,
84173, Clear Lake Road, is the only
you-pick blueberry experience of-
fered in the Florence area.
Families, adults and children
from around the Pacific Northwest
have come in hot and heavy to fill
Clear Lake Blueberry Farm’s fifth blueberry season in Florence
will continue through August and potentially into September.
their pails and pick berries to “store
up,” the Crays said.
Meanwhile, “big pickers” stop by
and pack buckets full.
“The amount of fruit we’ve had
in the field is just tremendous this
year,” the couple said. “It’s awe-
some.”
Oftentimes, they’ve noticed vis-
itors pick from the blueberries
hanging around the perimeters at
first. As a tip, they encourage berry
fanatics to “go inside, because there
are bushes overloaded,” they said.
“Some people won’t even go deeper
in there and it’s like, ‘You’re missing
out! That’s where they all are!’”
See BLUE page 6A
Save the heavy lifting for us!
Atiyeh Bros. area rug cleaning and repair service to
the Florence area will be August 25th , with return
service September 8th and September 22nd for
repair orders. We will pick up your rugs, deep clean
them in our state of the art facility, repair if needed,
and deliver to your home. Please call us at
541-342-3678 to schedule your pickup!