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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2021)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 | 5A Restaurants from page 1A Locally, recent short- term closures include The Hukilau, Bridgewater Fish House, Little Brown Hen Café, Novelli’s Seafood and Dairy Queen. Not all of these closures are di- rectly related to COVID, as equipment issues at the Brown Hen and Novelli’s are to blame for closures at those locations, but repair times have been extended as shipping and production of components needed for repairs has been interrupt- ed, in some instances for months. Meanwhile, short-term closures at Hukilau and Bridgewater are due to pos- itive COVID tests and both establishments have shut their doors for multiple days to deal appropriately with the virus and its after effects. In addition, Dairy Queen has closed due to an as yet unexplained fire, but the ex- tensive damage incurred by the establishment will take a major repair with a time- frame extending well into 2022. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local and state fire mar- shals. Some restaurants are also closing permanently. Paul Meeker is the owner of the Off Bay Street Bistro and he has decided recent developments at the busi- ness, tangentially related to COVID, will force him to close. Get Results...List With Brian. Brian Jagoe Principal Broker 541 999-1314 In a statement, he wrote, “We have overcome and per- severed through many ob- stacles since the opening of our restaurant in July 2019. The pandemic restrictions and shutdowns, the passing of our beloved employee Ryan, the chimney fire we had, the lack of employees, food ordering restrictions and the lack of provisions have all been difficult hur- dles we have overcome.” The final burden came with a city-mandated need for an upgrade to the fire suppression system for the building. As tenants, the owners of Off Bay Street Bistro could not afford this improvement. “We have spent many hours trying to come up with ideas to solve this di- lemma, unfortunately to no avail,” Meeker said. The restaurant plans to close in October. “We are not asking for money and we don’t want to set up a GoFundMe page or anything like that. We just want to inform the public, with a heavy heart, that we will be closing and we want to thank you for the support you have given us through- out the years. We appreciate you very much,” Meeker said. Up on the highway, Claw- 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 90187 UPPER NORTH FORK North Fork, East of Florence is a beautiful hidden gem. Enjoy wildlife and mountain views from a covered wrap around porch. Come tour this well built custom home on 5 acres that is guaranteed to amaze. There are 2 kitchens in this roomy custom home that makes this space a possible separate living area. $630,000 #12241 MLS#21692478 son’s Wheelhouse official- ly closed on Aug. 15. The restaurant was unable to navigate the shifting man- dates from the state and the available product from their food vendors, along with a shortage of staff. There have been some winners in the restaurant shakeout, as venues with outdoor seating or larger in- terior spaces have been the beneficiaries of short-term closures at other establish- ments. In addition, city pro- grams have allowed some businesses to utilize parking spaces in front of restau- rants for additional seating. Restaurants have also been able to adjust their menus to accommodate available food supply. The City of Florence is hoping to work with restau- rant owners having trouble purchasing and receiving Library Tidings 1600-32 Rhododendron Dr – Great location close to the clubhouse with a pri- vate fenced yard and a large deck. Two bdrms on oppo- site ends of the home. This is a Modular home not a man- ufactured home. Detached utility room with storage and washer and dryer hookups. $169,000. #3220-21378947 NEW LISTING – BANK OWNED MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS The second local restaurant that has decided to close permanently is Off Bay Street Bistro. Book Review “Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship” By Catherine Raven When Catherine Raven finished her PhD in biolo- gy, she built herself a tiny cottage on an isolated plot of land in Montana. She was as emotionally isolated as she was physically, but she viewed the house as a way station, a temporary rest stop where she could gath- er her nerves and fill out applications for what she hoped would be a real job that would help her fit into society. In the meantime, she taught remotely and led field classes in nearby Yel- lowstone National Park. Then one day she real- ized that a mangy-looking fox was showing up on her “We’re next to the Bridge” property every afternoon at 4:15 p.m. She had never had a regular visitor before. How do you even talk to a fox? She brought out her camping chair, sat as close to him as she dared, and began reading to him from “The Little Prince.” Her scientific training had taught her not to an- thropomorphize animals, yet as she grew to know him, his personality re- vealed itself and they be- came friends. From the fox, she learned the single most important thing about loneliness: we are never alone when we are connect- ed to the natural world. Friends, however, cannot save each other from the uncontained forces of na- ture. “Fox and I” is a poi- gnant and remarkable tale of friendship, growth, and coping with inevitable loss — and of how that loss can be transformed into mean- ing. It is both a timely tale of solitude and belonging as well as a timeless story of one woman whose immer- food items. Senior Economic De- velopment Analyst Sarah Moehrke and city staff have been communicating with partners at the county and state levels to find resourc- es to support the local food and beverage community. Restaurants in need of re- sources can contact Moeh- rke at sarah.moehrke@ ci.florence.or.us for more information. News about the Siuslaw Public Library By Kevin Mittge sion in the natural world will change the way we view our surroundings — each tree, weed, flower, stone or fox. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednes- day, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In Mapleton, the branch hours are Thursdays, noon Library YouTube Channel to 5 p.m. Do you want to know about new authors to read? Try TumbleBooks! View past library pro- Have you checked out grams that you might have TumbleBooks for Kids yet? missed? Would you like to Library patrons have access see spotlights on particular to this fun new service for library collections? If so, all ages, including animated then you should be visit- ebooks and math help for ing the library’s YouTube kids, YA titles, audiobooks Channel. Just visit the li- and romance novels. brary’s website, www.siu- To get started, go to the slawlibrary.org, and scroll library’s website and click to the bottom for the You- on the “Magazines and Tube link. We now have Research” tab on the right almost 100 videos for view, hand side of the page and ranging from new books, to then select TumbleBooks Endowment Books, to Best at the very bottom of the Books, to a Christmas mu- page. sic concert. Holiday Closure In honor of Labor Day, the library will be closed on Monday, Sept. 6. Reg- ular hours in Florence re- sume on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 11a.m. As a reminder, the library’s current hours are For more information about the Siuslaw Public Li- brary or its programs, stop by 1460 Ninth St. in Flor- ence or 88148 Riverview Ave. in Mapleton, or visit www.siuslawlibrary.info. 100 Hwy. 101 See all Florence Listings at cbcoast.com COAST REAL ESTATE 541-997-7777 S IUSLAW N EWS Mapleton Lions cancel breakfast The Mapleton Lions Club has an- nounced the cancelation of the Sep- tember pancake breakfast due to safety during rising COVID-19 cases in the community. Join a League! Tuesday Night - Open League Wednesday Aft ernoon - Seniors Wednesday Night - Mixed Social Th ursday Night - Men’s League Friday Aft ernoon - Seniors Holiday Bowl 27th and Highway101. Florence Everyone is Welcome 541-997-3332 Holiday at Bowl