13 March 2015
Superintendent earns high marks
Siuslaw superintendent Ethel Angal has earned high marks from the school board on her first eight months in that role. The board completed an evaluation this week, giving Angal an overall rating of 3.56 out of four.
It was a “360-degree” review; taking into account feedback from school district staff, other administrators and the board itself.
Angal was evaluated on nine different performance standards and five board goals.
She picked up the highest marks of “accomplished” or a score of more than 3.5 on eight of those standards. She received an “effective” rating of 3.42 on only one.
According to a summary released by the school board, most notable of Angal’s strengths were her “ethical leadership and integrity”, as well as her teambuilding skills.
Angal assumed the role of interim superintendent in June when the previous top administrator, Shawn Wiencek, was placed on paid leave. Wiencek was subsequently fired by the board in August and Angal took over the position on a permanent basis.
City moves to align flag code with protocol
Flags flown in front of buildings in the City of Florence will likely be in compliance with city code and flag protocol after the City Council takes action on a code change next week.
Four years ago the city moved sign regulations out of the land-use category and into the building codes. That created conflict between city code and protocol. If a property owner wanted to fly three flags… as allowed by code; the flags would either have to be smaller than what protocol allowed; or larger than the code allowance.
A recent move to replace the flag pole in front of city hall brought up another conflict: The pole is 40-feet high and according to protocol should fly a flag that would be at least 60-square feet.
City staff has drawn up a proposed city code change that would bring both situations into compliance. The council will consider it Monday night at 6:30 PM.
St. Patrick’s Spaghetti
There’s nothing more traditional than a spaghetti feed on St. Patrick’s Day. Especially for volunteer firefighters in Florence who have been offering their annual “Geno Murphy’s Spaghetti Feed” on St. Patrick’s Day for the past 15 years.
Tuesday from four to seven pm at the main Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Station in Florence they’ll be serving up piles of pasta, salad, bread and plenty of red sauce.
Don’t worry, they don’t color the pasta green, it’s just a good way to get together and help raise money for the volunteer association.
Tickets are $8 for adults; $4 for kids under 12 and, says association president Ned Hickson, you can get it “to go”, or eat it there.
Planning Commission Could Expand
Florence City Councilors are being asked to approve an expansion of the Planning Commission back to its original allotment of seven members. The Planning Commission made the recommendation last month. The rationale for the move included providing for greater diversity in membership, bringing a wider range of opinions. It also would make it easier for the panel to generate a quorum and meet during busy development periods.
The recession stalled nearly all development activity starting in 2008. By 2012, the City Council decreased the panel’s membership to five. An increase in administrative reviews and actions on the part of city staff also reduced the commission’s work load.
With an increase in activity though, commissioners say it is now time to go back to seven.
The City Council meets Monday night, six pm, at City Hall.
Whale Watching
It’s time to watch for whales as they make their way back north following a winter in Mexican waters.
Volunteers have received special training to help visitors to the coast seek out and spot the gray whales and their offspring.
Those volunteers will be posted at 24 different sites along the Oregon Coast during Spring Break March 21st through the 28th.
One of those locations will be the Cape Perpetua Visitor’s Center just south of Yachats where volunteers will be on hand between ten AM and one PM those days.
Volunteer interpreter and naturalist Michael Noack will deliver four presentations on “experiencing gray whales”… two each on Monday the 23rd; and on Saturday the 28th… they’ll be given at 11:30 and 1:30 on those dates.
