26 February 2015
LCC Florence gets new director
A Eugene man has been named as the interim director of the Lane Community College Florence Center. Russ Pierson will take over the assignment March 9th.
He has a Masters and a Doctorate from George Fox College, but his most recent experience has been in facilities management.
He’s been with Lane since 2010.
Pierson was the Director of Financial Aid at New Hope Christian College and also worked as an associate pastor before moving into the construction industry. He came back to education five years ago.
Pierson said he’s looking forward to making the transition from “tourist and long time fan” to an “engaged citizen of Florence”.
He will hit the ground running in Florence. His first day on the job here he will help set up and coordinate a “Community Conversation” between members of the Lane Board of Education and Florence area residents.
Kitzhaber appointments put on hold
State Senate President Peter Courtney says he has halted confirmation proceedings of all officials appointed by former Governor John Kitzhaber.
Courtney said yesterday he wants to give new Governor Kate Brown a chance to review Kitzhaber’s appointments before they go up for a confirmation vote in the Senate.
Courtney’s action affects 42 people who were appointed by Kitzhaber to boards and commissions that oversee a variety of state policies. The action also affects Kitzhaber’s chosen director of the Oregon Health Authority, Lynne Saxton, who took over last month as the agency’s acting director while awaiting confirmation.
Owyhee Adventures at Siuslaw Library
Take a rafting trip down southeast Oregon’s Owyhee River next week without leaving town.
Author Bonnie Olin began exploring the undeveloped stretches of the Owyhee 25 years ago with her “soon-to-be-husband” Mike Quigley. Those journeys, along with Quigley’s photos make up “The Owyhee River Journals”.
Olin will present her book, and the photos, Tuesday afternoon, one pm at Siuslaw Public Library.
She documented the couple’s several trips down the river which begins in Northern Nevada and flows through Idaho and Oregon until it meets the Snake River.
21st Street reconstruction
The preparation work has been going on for several weeks, but beginning Monday, crews will begin removing pavement and street base material on 21st Street between Highway 101 and Siuslaw Elementary School. A new rock base and an eventual pavement surface will be applied.
The work will close that stretch of street between 7:30 AM and 5 PM for several weeks. Alternative routes include 20th and 22nd streets.
Florence Public Works Director Mike Miller says the street rehabilitation project could take several weeks to complete, depending on weather conditions.
Retirement Resources
A free workshop tomorrow will help connect retirees in the Florence area with a variety of events, activities and opportunities.
Lane Community College in Florence has teamed up with Front Desk Florence for the session. It’s aimed at contributing to an “optimal retirement”.
Pre-registration is required today or tomorrow morning by calling the Florence Center. The workshop will be at the college from one to 3:30 Friday afternoon.
Striped Knifejaw found near Oregon Coast
A fish normally found in the ocean off Japan and other tropic waters has turned up alive off the southern Oregon Coast. It was pulled up in a commercial crab pot by a fisherman near Port Orford.
John Chapman, an invasive species specialist at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center says it is possible the fish… a striped knifejaw… came across the Pacific in debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
Other possibilities include being discharged from ship’s ballast, or being dumped from an aquarium.
Chapman says the presence of just one fish does not signify the fish has become established.
