Four for Florence…
Three weeks from now one of four Florence residents will be named the “First Citizen” for 2016. All have contributed greatly to the community through their volunteer efforts.
Those efforts have not been confined to just the past year.
Ron Caputo, Bou Kilgore, Sam Spayd, and Gary Vawter will be honored February 8th as part of the annual Siuslaw Awards Banquet organized by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce.
Caputo has been an active volunteer for more than two decades, working with the Rotary Club, the local STEP Group and serving on the Port of Siuslaw Commission.
Kilgore has worked tirelessly on behalf of Siuslaw High School graduates by heading up the Aspire program. Through that she has helped students win thousands of dollars in scholarships. She is also active in PTA and the Florence Area Community Coalition.
Spayd has worked with a variety of groups including the Military Musuem, SOS, the Chamber, Seacoast Entertainment, and the Airport Advisory Committee.
Vawter, has been active with Florence Kiwanis and the Elks Lodge since moving here in 2009. He heads up the Kiwanis Flag program and has helped organize the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
Rockslide closes Highway 36
A landslide just a few feet away from one that closed Highway 36 for several days last winter has cut off that route once again.
The Oregon Department of Transportation reports the slide is at milepost 24.5, about three miles west of Triangle Lake. It came down about three o’clock Wednesday afternoon.
ODOT hydrologists will evaluate the slide this morning. It’s not clear when crews will be allowed to begin hauling off the estimated 400-cubic yards of dirt, rock and trees that cover the roadway. The fear is that more material could come down because of the heavy rains experienced in that area over the past several days.
Travelers will need to take alternative routes and are advised to go to www.tripcheck.com for the latest info.
Dunes City Goals
Elected officials in Dunes City will talk this afternoon about progress they have made on the goals they had for 2016. From there, they’ll shift into developing a list of new goals for the coming year.
Dunes City Councilors will meet at city hall beginning at five this evening. They will evaluate the status of the 19-prior goals that were in five different categories.
Councilors gauge the progress made on accomplishing things related to Economic Development, Water Quality, Emergency Preparation, Financial Stability and Good Governance.
The meeting is scheduled to last no more than two hours. Dunes City Hall is just off Pacific Avenue in Westlake.
Gas prices steady
Retail gas prices are holding fairly steady in most areas of the country. Some markets have seen some lower prices this week according to Triple-A, but not in Oregon.
The local average cash price held steady this week at $2.44 a gallon. Oregon’s average price also held steady, but it’s a bit higher at $2.56.
The national average price dipped three cents a gallon this week to $2.34 according to Marie Dodds with Triple-A. She expects prices to resume their upward climb in coming weeks as seasonal refinery maintenance begins.
Even though prices in 2017 are expected to remain higher than last year they will still be relatively cheap compared to prices a decade ago when drivers paid well over a dollar a gallon more on average for gas. Dodds says OPEC oil production agreements will also limit supply and keep pressure on prices remaining higher than last year.
Relay for Life making 2017 changes
The American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Florence this year will have an all-new look in a new location and on a different date. Harold Kinney is one of three co-chairs for the event that will be held Saturday, July 22nd at the Florence Events Center.
Harold Kinney – “Obviously moving it from Miller Park over to the Florence Events Center is a huge difference. We have the auditorium at our disposal, we want to get an outside stage, we have the entire exhibit hall.”
The relay will begin with a pancake breakfast that morning at nine.
Harold Kinney – “And then at 10:00 the relay will begin. Roughly around 12:30 we’ll have a survivor’s type situation in the auditorium and then we’ll go out and do the survivor’s lap about one o’clock. We’ll have the luminaries later that evening at dusk. And then everything will wind up around two in the morning on Sunday morning.”
Kinney says the food court and booths will be set up in the exhibit space indoors, but it will include that outside stage with plenty of entertainment. They are still designing just what the outdoor walking course will look like.
The 2017 Relay for life formally begins this Saturday from two to four pm for the annual team Chili cookoff competition at the Florence Elks Lodge… samples are free and it’s open to the public.
AARP Tax Help begins February 1st
Free tax help for all ages will be offered in Florence beginning February 1st at Siuslaw Public Library.Volunteers with the AARP Foundation will be offering help in filing both federal and state tax forms. That assistance is for anyone with low to moderate income. The service will be available Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30 to two pm every week through April 15th.
You’ll need to bring your 2015 tax returns; 2016 tax information, along with photo ID and social security cards for you and your dependents.
