General election to include seats on Dunes City council
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010
The council for Dunes City will have a number of vacancies that will be up for election on November 2010 ballots.
Seats currently being held by Mayor Eric Hauptman and Councilors Peter Howison, Richard Koehler, Susie Navetta and newcomer Troy Sathe will be open. Their terms expire at the end of 2010.
Rebecca Ruede and Jamie Mills hold their positions ...more

Sheriff’s department to add traffic safety deputy
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010
Lane County has second-highest fatality rate among Oregon counties.
New deputy's mission will be to reduce number of incidents.
In 2009, 40 people died on Lane County roadways, giving Lane County the second-highest number of traffic deaths of all Oregon counties (Multnomah County with 42 reported deaths rates as the highest).
A large percentage of these accident-related deaths ...more

Tests show Woahink, Siltcoos lakes are healthy
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010
Woahink and Siltcoos lakes are the primary drinking water sources for Dunes City, and for that reason, preserving the quality of the lakes remains a high priority for the city's approximately 1,330 residents.
At the July 8 Dunes City Council meeting, Mark Chandler, volunteer project manager for the city's water monitoring program, presented data examining three water quality parameters for ...more

Full Steam Ahead
Posted: Friday, Jul 23rd, 2010
Visitors to Siltcoos Lake gather to "let off steam" with their custom steamboats.
Residents of Westlake awoke on a recent weekend morning to the sound of small boats chugging across Siltcoos Lake, talking to each other through short blasts from their whistles.
The boats, about six in all, range in size from about 15 to 20 feet, each different in ...more

Fleenor discusses county budget, relationship with cities
Posted: Friday, Jul 23rd, 2010
The worsening state of the Lane County budget and the county's tenuous relationship with its cities were among the topics discussed during West Lane County Commissioner Bill Fleenor's 175th community dialogue held Thursday morning, July 22, at the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue hall.
About a dozen people were in attendance as a relaxed Fleenor listened to constituent concerns and ...more

Retired Siuslaw Bridge mechanisms on display
Posted: Friday, Jul 23rd, 2010
The Siuslaw Pioneer Museum has set up a display on its back deck featuring historical components recently removed from the Siuslaw River Bridge. The parts are on indefinite loan to the museum from the Oregon Department of Transpor-tation, who have been painting and repairing the historic 74-year-old bridge as part of a $5.3 million modernization project scheduled to be completed ...more

Adrift in driftwood
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 20th, 2010
In beach areas with significant amounts of driftwood, it is expected to discover elaborate sculptures formed from logs to shield against the occasionally severe winds and storms. Take the North Jetty, for example. A dozen or so manmade and structurally sound driftwood huts, fences and other edifices have been created along Heceta Beach, between the jetty and -- hence the ...more

Council postpones decision on water territory
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 20th, 2010
City will notify property owners of intended service change.
Next meeting is Aug. 16.
Florence City Council decided Monday evening to continue the public hearing regarding the withdrawal of portions of Heceta Water District's territory that are within current city limits until the Aug. 16 meeting, citing concerns that affected property owners may not have been notified.
The city ...more

Port dredging delayed
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 20th, 2010
Work on the Port of Siuslaw's turning basin has come to a halt after an accident with the tug and barge earlier this month.
On the evening of July 6, a tug was towing the loaded barge to a disposal site outside the Siuslaw River bar when the barge hit a submerged object that tore a hole in it.
...more

Former park manager pleads guilty to theft
Posted: Tuesday, Jul 20th, 2010
A former Oregon State Parks manager pleaded guilty to second-degree theft July 12 in Lane County Circuit Court.
Dennis Davidson, 52, of Florence was sentenced to 18 months of court probation and six days in jail and was ordered to pay $1,028 in restitution for stealing equipment from his former employer. Assistant Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow said Davidson ...more

A Classic Ride
Posted: Friday, Jul 16th, 2010
A dozen classic cars pulled into Spruce Point Assisted Living Community Thursday afternoon, amusing the senior citizens who gazed at the old vehicles -- and also warmed up the driver's seats. This was the first community event for a local group of classic car owners. During the summer, they plan to share their memorable cars with Florence residential facilities. ...more

City Council to discuss Heceta Water territory
Posted: Friday, Jul 16th, 2010
Florence City Council will hold a public hearing Monday, July 19, regarding the withdrawal of portions of Heceta Water District's territory that are within current city limits.
As part of an update to the City of Florence's Water Master Plan, the council decided in May it will begin preparations to provide water service to all properties located within current ...more

Dunes City adopts new business license
Posted: Friday, Jul 16th, 2010
A select group of businesses must forfeit $85 if they plan to work in Dunes City next month.
Dunes City Council adopted an ordinance July 8 to establish business licenses, enacting a nonrefundable $85 fee per year for landscapers, contractors and septic inspectors who conduct trade in the city.
The new regulation, which provides revenue for the city, takes effect ...more

City and Heceta reach emergency water agreement
Posted: Friday, Jul 16th, 2010
After months of negotiations, the Heceta Water District and the City of Florence have finally signed an emergency water agreement, establishing conditions in which either the city or district provide drinking water to the other during emergency conditions.
Although emergency water agreements are not generally a cause for fanfare, the signing could mark an important step in repairing what ...more