20 July 2015
Fire Board Calls Special Meeting
A special meeting of the Board of Directors for Siuslaw Valley Fire District has been called for tomorrow night at six pm.
The meeting was called by three of the directors, using a provision in state code allowing them to force the meeting.
Lori Gates, along with Woody Woodbury and John Scott say they want the board to “revisit” last week’s decision to place Fire Chief Jim Langborg on leave pending his dismissal July 31st.
Gates initially voted with Board President John Carnahan and fellow board member Tony Phillips Wednesday night to fire the chief. She said since then she has had – quote – “a lot of input from a lot of people” on what has turned out to be a controversial decision.
Since last week’s firing, numerous volunteer firefighters have spoken out in favor of the action. But, some has expressed opposition. Even more in the community have expressed surprise and disappointment. Langborg received a positive review in his annual evaluation in December. Complaints against him had been investigated, but no public report has ever been made.
Gates said she didn’t know if there would be a reversal of the decision to fire Langborg… but she didn’t rule it out.
Volunteers say they support firing
A veteran volunteer with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue says he “fully supports” the removal of Fire Chief Jim Langborg. Pete Warren, says “most of the firefighters in the department” are in agreement with him.
Warren, claimed in just under two years, nearly half of the volunteers quit. He also said that since the board of directors for Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue placed Langborg on leave last Wednesday night, 14 former volunteers have picked up applications to return.
There have been at least three resignations by volunteers in that same time period.
Warren said there had been so many departmental changes in the past two years that volunteers couldn’t keep up with them. He said training expectations were – quote – “unrealistic” and it seemed as if the Chief were trying to run the department as a paid department rather than as a volunteer based organization. He also said it was no longer “fun” and was considering stepping down before the firing. Now he says he thinks he’s going to “have fun once again.”
Firefighters battle Saturday evening house fire
Neighbors are receiving credit for preventing further damage to a home that burned in the Heceta Beach Area Saturday evening. They attacked flames spreading across the outside of a cedar shake covered home at Third Avenue and Joshua Lane with garden hoses, slowing them down until firefighters arrived.
Siuslaw Valley Battalion Chief John Carnahan said the fire appeared to have started on an outside deck on the home’s 2nd story. It burned completely through a door and heavily damaged a bedroom. That was along with extensive damage to the building’s roof and exterior.
Five engine companies responded and had the fire contained in a short time.
The homeowners, Terry and Kim Leo, were not at home at the time, but two family dogs were in the house. One of them did not survive; despite the attempts by firefighters to resuscitate it.
Neighbors stepped forward to provide the Leos with temporary lodging.
A subsequent investigation traced the cause of the blaze to a gas barbecue on the second level deck.
Nobody was injured.
Betz target of investigation
The Oregon State Police has been called in to investigate possible criminal misconduct on the part of Newberg City Manager Jacque Betz.
Betz, the former Florence City Manager, placed the popular Police Chief in Newberg and Dundee on administrative leave with no explanation Wednesday. Brian Casey said there was no explanation as to why he was placed on leave and it – quote – “made no sense”.
By the weekend, though, the Yamhill County District Attorney was calling for an investigation of Betz by the Oregon State Police for possible criminal misconduct. Yamhill County D-A Brad Berry said he had asked the Marion County District Attorney to oversee the investigation.
Betz has been Newberg’s city manager since June of last year. She was the top administrator in Florence for just over two-years prior to that.
Ag Department opens some mussel harvest
It’s ok once again to eat mussels and bay clams on the northern and central Oregon Coast. But bivalves on the rocks south of Cape Arago in Coos County are still considered to be off-limits.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture said levels of paralytic shellfish toxins… or PSTs… have dropped below the “alert” level from Coos County to the Columbia River.
But, PST levels in mussels and bay clams from Coos County south to the California State line have risen above those levels and should not be consumed.
Razor Clamming for the entire coast is still closed, though. Bruce Pokarney with the Agriculture Department said razor clams continue to show elevated levels of a different marine toxin… domoic acid.
Pokarney said both substances are produced naturally by algae in the ocean. The ODA will continue to test shellfish weekly, as tides permit.
Council to hear update on retail marijuana
The Florence City Council will hear an update this evening on the possible future of recreational marijuana sales in Florence. The Oregon Legislature approved an interim rule allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in the state to begin selling to recreational users on October 1st of this year. The ballot measure approved last fall by voters allowed the use, possession and growing of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use on July 1st, but retail sales were not originally scheduled to start in the state until July of next year.
There is one medical marijuana dispensary in Florence and another in Mapleton.
The City Council meets at six at City Hall.
