02 March 2015
City Manager to be sworn in
A permanent City Manager has moved into the back corner office at City Hall. 33-year old Erin Reynolds will be sworn in this evening. She’s the second woman to hold the position, succeeding Jacque Betz who left in June to take a similar job in Newburg.
Tonight’s meeting won’t be all ceremony… Council members will take action on several items.
One of those is a request for an alley vacation on Highway 101 between 15th and 16th. Ron’s Oil Company, the owner of the 76 station, recently purchased the vacant Taco Time building and wants to remodel it into a 24-hour convenience store.
Another item up for consideration is approval of engineering services for rehabilitating the stretch of Rhododendron Drive through Greentrees between 11th Street and Wild Winds. Those engineering services will cost just over $50-thousand… the rehab itself will cost an estimated $426-thousand. Work is set to begin this summer.
The Council meets at City Hall beginning at six.
Nordahl facing civil suit after shooting
Legal problems for a Florence man convicted of firing two shotgun rounds into a disabled boat on his property last fall are continuing.
82-year old Elden Nordahl spent 18-days in jail in September before a relative bailed him out; he then returned to the Lane County Jail for four weeks in January after his conviction for unlawful use of a weapon and malicious mischief. He was also ordered to pay $28-hundred in restitution.
Now the boat owner, Michael Eastman, and his fishing partner have filed suit seeking $200-thousand in damages. They say Nordahl’s shotgun wielding aggression caused them “fear and apprehension”.
Eastman and Demian Willett were fishing on the Siuslaw River September 8th when they had mechanical problems. They landed the boat at Nordahl’s property two miles upstream from Florence. Nordahl landed his own boat a short time later, retrieved a gun from his residence, and fired one shot into their boat. He then fired a second shot as they drove away, striking and damaging the boat’s motor.
SOS emergency vouchers receive additional tribal funding
Funding for the Siuslaw Outreach Services’ emergency voucher program got another boost last week when SOS Director David Wiegan picked up another $10-thousand check. This one from the Coquille (KO-kwell) Tribal Community Fund. Wiegan said they’ll have to use it “carefully to make it last” until they can secure other grants, but said it will help carry the fund through most of the rest of this year.
The emergency voucher program provides emergency assistance to senior, disabled, low income and homeless residents. The vouchers can be for a few dollars, or up to several hundred.
The Coquille Tribal Fund is the community granting tool of the tribe, it’s funded by the Mill Casino in North Bend.
Florence’s Old Town Inn ranked 11th in the nation
The world’s largest travel website, Tripadvisor, recently named Florence’s Old Town Inn in the top 25 “Best Bargain Hotels in the United States”. The Old Town Inn ranks 11th overall.
The rating is based on visitor responses. Guests at the hotel have regularly left reviews on the website talking about the cleanliness of the property, the knowledge and attitude of the staff, and the value. One comment referred to the ability of the owners, Gary and Loretta Hoagland, to “transform an older motel into a high-end stay”.
Two years ago the Hoaglands invested nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in upgrades and renovations at the Old Town Inn and their other local motel, the River House.
To see the full Top 25 rankings, visit tripadvisor-dot-com-slash-travelerschoice.
Coastal routes scrutinized for earthquake hardiness
New maps developed by Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Geology will help transportation officials determine which coastal roads and bridges are most likely to be usable following a major earthquake expected in the Pacific Northwest.
Scientists say there’s a one-in-three chance that a major earthquake could strike in Oregon in the next 50 years.
The mapping is part of the ongoing effort by the Oregon Department of Transportation to preserve critical transportation routes in that event and help speed response and recovery.
The Coast Range is of special concern to officials because it will be the closest part of the state to the actual subduction zone earthquake centered offshore. It’s also prone to landslides.
Two routes that will be at comparatively lowest risk: Highway 36 between Junction City and Mapleton… as well as 38 between Reedsport and Interstate Five.
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