Museum picks up donations; Florence planners to talk solar; School budget panel gets back to work.

Coast Radio News
Local News

23 April 2013

Military Heritage Museum Advances the Lines…

Saturday turned out to be a day of major victories in the fund raising campaign for the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum.  The day started with news they had been awarded a $10-thousand grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution to pay for a memorial courtyard outside the museum’s entry.

Then, they added more than fifteen thousand dollars from a dance and concert at Three Rivers Casino that will be used to help pay for finishing touches to the building itself.

Cash donations in excess of $15,000 will help the OCMHM move closer to opening to the public. (Wayne Sharpe photo)
Cash donations in excess of $15,000 will help the OCMHM move closer to opening to the public. (Wayne Sharpe photo)

Museum president Tim Sapp said he is “continually impressed” with how the community has stepped up to pay for the museum.

They went into Saturday’s concert hoping to raise five to eight thousand dollars and came away with more than 15-grand.

Sapp said they raised a third of that through ticket sales and donations.  The rest came in two large chunks… Art and Jean Koning issued a challenge that they would match any $5000 donation… that was immediately met by an anonymous donor who contributed in the memory of Jim Ramirez a popular local musician, author and educator who passed away last fall.

The final fund-raising target will be in the crosshairs May 11th for the fourth annual Pacific Wind Ensemble benefit concert at the Florence Events Center.

Florence Planners continue task of amending Zoning Code

A memorial entry and garden feature the U.S. Flag, a POW/MIA flag, and the Oregon State Flag will grace the front entry to the OCMHM thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution. (Wayne Sharpe photo)
A memorial entry and garden feature the U.S. Flag, a POW/MIA flag, and the Oregon State Flag will grace the front entry to the OCMHM thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution. (Wayne Sharpe photo)

Modifications made two years ago by the Oregon Legislature excluding residential and commercial solar energy installations from land use requirements are the subject of proposed changes to Florence’s Zoning code.

Those changes and other “housekeeping” alterations proposed by City of Florence staff will be the subject a hearing set for this evening before the Florence Planning Commission.

The solar changes have been on hold for about a year while city staffers have been preparing the other proposals.

That hearing this evening, seven pm at City Hall.

School Budget Panel Resumes Work

The Siuslaw School District Budget Committee will get back to work this week.

The group will resume the process of taking public input on a budget proposal that could see the loss of up to eight teaching positions due to revenue shortfalls.

A combination of increased retirement costs and limitations on property tax collections will leave the district with about $700-thousand less than expected for the coming year.

The panel will hear input and continue their discussion at the elementary school library tomorrow beginning at 6:30… they’re expected to meet again May 1st.

View the budget message and proposed 2012-2014 budget here.