Long Time Former Superintendent Passes Away

Coast Radio News
Local News

20 October 2014

Longtime Former Siuslaw Superintendent Passes

A funeral Mass for the former Superintendent of Siuslaw Schools will be held Friday afternoon at St. Mary’s Catholic Church south of Florence.

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Retired Siuslaw Superintendent Glenn Butler (L., pictured with his wife Kay.) passed away Friday, October 17th at the age of 82. (photo by Tammy Butler)

Glenn Butler passed away surrounded by family members at home Friday morning. He was 82 and had been suffering with liver cancer.

One of his longtime friends and colleagues, Blair Sneddon, was the chairman of the school board when Butler was elevated from high school principal to Superintendent in 1974.   Sneddon said it was not a difficult choice.

Blair Sneddon – “It was obvious that he knew what he was doing as principal, but he also seemed to have a real good understanding of everything from school board to employees, to curriculum and financial.”

Butler headed up Siuslaw schools during a pivotal time in education, leading the district through the advent of collective bargaining and gender equality in sports. Most agree his attention to finances and employee relations were among his strongest qualities. Butler retired in 1994 after 20 years as superintendent

Council to Count Comments

The Florence City Council will discuss comments received about two alternative proposals for bike and pedestrian paths along a portion of Rhododendron Drive.

The alternatives were presented last Thursday during an open house. Most of the people that attended filled out comment cards on the plans.

The paths would be funded primarily by a state and federal transportation grant of about $1.1-million and therefore must also meet with the approval of the Oregon Department of Transportation.

That body has reportedly agreed in principal to both. That’s according to city Public Works Director Mike Miller who will make a report to the council on the revised plans during a special work session of the council set for five o’clock this evening at City Hall. The regular session of the council gets underway at seven.

More than just the ballots are in the mail.

Property owners in Lane County will begin seeing tax statements this week. The Lane County Assessor collects property taxes on behalf of Lane County and 83 separate taxing districts that include cities, as well as school, library, fire, and port districts.

County-wide there was a seven-percent increase in the Real Market Value, while taxable value of all property in Lane County increased by just under five-percent.

Property owners in Western Lane County saw a steeper increase in market value with Dunes City properties increasing by about 8-and-a-half percent and Florence properties increasing a whopping 13-point-nine percent. Values in rural Lane County … outside incorporated areas… saw a dramatic increase as well… going up by 12-and-a-half-percent.

Statements should begin arriving as early as tomorrow… the first payments are due November 17th.

History has been rewritten in Reedsport.

A new interpretive roadside marker explaining the history of 19th century explorer Jedediah Smith has been installed near the north end of the Umpqua River Bridge on Highway 101.

A previous marker at the site was removed several years ago due to deterioration. The new one, installed by Oregon Travel Experience, also corrects several cultural and historical inaccuracies.

Journals kept by Smith during trapping and explorations between 1820 and 1831 provided key contributions to the mapping of the Oregon Territory

Smith and several of his party fought with members of the Lower Umpqua tribe near the site in 1828. He and only two others survived and made their way to Fort Vancouver.

He was eventually killed by Comanche Indians along the Santa Fe Trail in 1831 at the age of 32.

The Lane County Sheriff’s office issues warning about another telephone scam.

Several residents in Lane County have reported receiving a call from a man who identifies himself as being with the “Lane County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division”. The caller then says the person has missed jury duty and there is a warrant out for their arrest. He directs the person to purchase a “green dot money pack” from a local retailer and then call him back with the payment information.

Sergeant Carrie Carver with the Sheriff’s Office says it is a scam. If you get a call from someone telling you that there is a warrant out for your arrest and they want to arrange payment of a fine over the phone: simply hang up. She says the crooks are even leaving a call back number that has a recorded message identifying it as being the Sheriff’s Office… it’s not.

Oregon Voters Urged to Turn Out

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown has issued a challenge to voters. Four years ago, in the last gubernatorial election, Wheeler County had the highest turnout of all 36 counties in Oregon with 85-and-a-half-percent.

Brown said every county “should strive to have the highest voter participation rate” and is urging counties to compete for the highest turnout this time around.

Oregon’s overall turnout rate in the election four years ago was just under 72-percent… a pretty significant achievement considering turnout in the most recent primary was only 36-percent.