10 October 2014
And Then There Were None…
The search for a new city manager in Florence is headed back to square one…
Nola Xavier – “He was an outstanding candidate on paper, but for some reason we just couldn’t get together.”
Mayor Nola Xavier said the finalist for the open City Manager position has withdrawn his application. A failure to come to terms on one single point in the contract was the reason. That point: the amount of severance pay Roy Eckert would have received if he were to be fired without cause. A contract approved by the City Council earlier this week contained six months severance. Eckert had requested twelve.
Now, city leaders are faced with the task of starting all over.
Nola Xavier – “I think that all things work for the best one way or another. If you just keep trying, ultimately we’ll find the person that is the right one.”
One of the concerns aired during the process was that at least three, and possibly four members of the council will turn over in the November General Election, potentially leaving the new manager working for several people who did not hire him.
Xavier says council will meet October 20th to discuss their options and begin the process anew.
High School Testing Above State Averages
Siuslaw High School Principal Kerri Tatum says she’s “extremely proud” of her students. Recent results of the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing… commonly known as “OAKS”, show her charges are above state average in all four categories.
Three categories saw increases this year with math getting the highest boost. It went up nearly ten percentage points over last year to 74-percent and is four points higher than the state average.
Science was next, jumping up 6 ½ points to 81.1-percent… about 18-points above the statewide average.
Reading was already high… just under 90-percent last year… but still increased by two-points and is 7 ½ points above average.
One category dropped from the previous year… writing. That’s down from 70-percent to 62 ½-percent… but is still 3 ½ points above the statewide average.
Rhody Multi-Use Path Gets Rework
Two alternatives to a controversial proposal to add a walking and bike path along one side of Rhododendron Drive in the Greentrees area will be on display next Thursday evening.
The two alternatives have been drawn up in response to overwhelming opposition to the original plan that would have cut a wide swath of vegetation, exposing the rear of several homes along the arterial.
Alternative one would consist of a five-foot shoulder for bicycles on each side of the roadway, plus a six-foot sidewalk on the east side. The second option would be to construct 6-foot paved shoulders, also on both sides of the road. That would eliminate the six foot sidewalk, and bicycles would share the shoulder with pedestrians.
No cost estimates have been released on either alternative. More complete plans and details will be unveiled Thursday from four to seven pm at the Florence Events Center.
15-year Sentence Meted Out in Roommate Attack
A Yachats area man will serve every day of a 15-year sentence for attacking his roommate with a blunt object and dousing him with lighter fluid.
59-year old Byron Mathew McArthur, who also goes by the name Buddy Valentine, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, arson and assault that left the victim hospitalized following the August 26th attack in the home they shared 18 miles north of Florence.
McArthur fled the scene and was the subject of a manhunt. We was found hiding in a nearby vacant structure a few days later.
Under Measure 11 sentencing rules, McArthur will not be eligible for parole.
90-by-30 Update Due Monday
Area residents will have another opportunity to find out more about a drive to reduce child abuse and neglect in Lane County by 90-percent by the year 2030. The regional leadership team of the county-wide effort, called 90 by 30, will hold an informational session Monday from two to 3:30 at Siuslaw Public Library.
Rose Wilde (WILL-dee), the outreach coordinator, will make a brief presentation. The regional team is lead by Lynn Anderson, the Indian Education Coordinator at Siuslaw Schools and Mapleton Superintendent Jodi O’Mara.
