Humane Society Turns 20
20-years ago today, the animal shelter on Hope Way, just off Rhododendron Drive was still in the planning stages, but the Oregon Coast Humane Society was under way.
Then, however, it was known as the Florence Area Humane Society.
It was July 14rth, 1996 that the group began their effort to help dogs and cats… and just about whatever other kind of animal came to their doors. Shortly after incorporating, the leaders of the group decided to make it a “no-kill” facility, which meant they would either find homes for the animals they cared for, or they would keep them until they did.
Ed Gervais (jurr-VAZE) has been a volunteer there for 17 years and he’s been on the board of directors since 2010. He said they would like to increase their volunteer base, as well as their catalogue of society members. They’ll be embarking on a drive to solicit both this fall when the group formally celebrates their 20th anniversary.
Mushroom permits on sale August 16th
Annual permits to collect matsutake mushrooms on Siuslaw National Forest land will go on sale next month… August 16th… at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Office in Reedsport.
Only 100 permits will be available for sale. Each will be sold for $250 and they allow the holder to collect the matsutakes for commercial use.
Lisa Romano with the U.S. Forest Service says permits are not needed for personal use. But, there are some important restrictions that the gatherer will have to remember. The personal limit is for six matsutakes per day; and all mushrooms must be cut in half lengthwise immediately to remove its commercial value.
Matsutakes are a highly prized commercial variety, valued for their flavor and texture. They grow only in limited locations around the world. In the Pacific Northwest they can be found growing beneath rhododendrons, douglas firs and salal, among other species.
Chip truck finally cleared
It turned into a multi-day project. The fully loaded chip trailer and semi truck combination that went off Highway 101 16-miles north of Florence earlier this week proved to be a bigger challenge than originally thought.
Work crews were able to quickly retrieve the tractor by Monday afternoon. But, it took them two more days to successfully get the trailer back up on the roadway.
The problem was the weight. The fully loaded trailer can weigh as much as 80-thousand pounds.
Mast Brothers Towing had originally wanted to have the chips unloaded from the trailer Tuesday, but a separate contractor with the equipment to “pump” the chips out to a waiting trailer was not available.
So, they went at it early Wednesday morning. Ron Mast said first they closed the highway for about 15 minutes at 6 a.m. to prepare the trailer for removal. Then, a few hours later they closed the highway and used two heavy trucks to help guide the trailer back on to the roadway. It took about as long to clean up the roadway so they could allow traffic through as it did to haul the loaded trailer up.
In all, Highway 101 was closed for about 45 minutes at midday Wednesday. Mast said there was only about a quarter-mile-long backup so it cleared quickly.
Mast admitted that it was the weight that posed the most challenge. A fully loaded trailer like the one that crashed could weigh as much as 80-thousand pounds. He said the damage to the front of the trailer also posed a challenge.
No official word has been released on the condition of the driver, but Mast said emergency responders on the scene Monday morning said it took as many as three hours to free him from the truck. It was reported that the driver was not seriously injured.
(story updated 7-14-16 at 1415)
