Florence budget process underway

Coast Radio News
Local News
30 March 2015

The beginning of a process to draw up Florence’s 25-million-dollar-plus budget gets underway tonight. Members of the Florence Budget Committee will meet for the first time this year.

Pat Zeh, Hugh Guinn, Ronald Duzy, Roberth Forsythe and Sally Wantz will join Mayor Joe Henry and city councilors Joshua Greene, Susy Lacer, Ron Preisler and George Lyddon.

The panel will select a budget chair and review the proposed budget calendar before getting down to work.

Interim city Finance Director Andy Parks, along with City Manager Erin Reynolds will talk about financial trends and major assumptions related to the upcoming year’s financial plan.

The city has some significant issues pending, including how to pay for street maintenance and repairs. Mayor Joe Henry said the panel will also hear about some possible additional funds available from the urban renewal agency.

The Budget Committee meets at city hall; six pm.

Peace Health Emergency Department to benefit from folk music

Some of the top rated folk music artists will be in Florence next month for a benefit concert at the Florence Events Center. Producer Hal Weiner says American Acoustic Guitar Master Larry Pattis and Kerrville, Texas New Folk Winner Daniel Boling will perform. Along with Winter Folk Festival People’s Choice winners Mike and Carleen McCornack and the New Folksters.

Hal Weiner – “My goal in sponsoring this is to try to raise ten thousand dollars.”

But, adds Weiner, tickets won’t cost anything.

Hal Weiner – “We have a suggested donation of $25. This is a benefit concert. And, every penny of that donation is tax deductible.”

All of the performers are donating their time, talent and their own travel expenses. The proceeds will benefit the “Leave a Legacy, Save a Life” Peace Harbor Emergency Department expansion.

The concert is Friday, April 24th.

Scholarships for high school students offered

A new $500 scholarship funded by long time Florence residents Roger and Sherrie McCorkle has been added to an already lengthy list of 18 other scholarships available to area high school seniors.

The Western Lane Community Foundation scholarships will total $31-thousand this spring.

Seniors at Mapleton and Siuslaw can apply for any and all of the scholarships through their respective school counseling offices.

Foundation spokesperson Lis Farm says there are scholarships available for traditional four-year colleges, community colleges and approved trade schools.

Farm says the deadline for applying will be April 15th. A list of available scholarships can be viewed on the Western Lane Community Foundation Website..

SOLVE Oregon Spring Beach Cleanup

More than 5-thousand volunteers converged on Oregon beaches between ten and one Saturday to clear away a winter’s worth of litter and marine debris.

The 2015 SOLVE Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup volunteers collected 62,500 pounds in all. Among that haul were 47 tires. That’s an average of one every 7 ½ miles of coastline.

The Washed Ashore Project collected over a thousand pounds of debris that will be turned into educational sculptures that will be displayed at their Bandon facility.