29 November 2013
Lighting the Tree
Now that the turkey and trimmings have been reduced to leftovers it’s time to get on with the Christmas season.
That kicks off in Florence tomorrow with a special event.
Cal Applebee – “We’ll have Gazebo Park all lit up, as well as the park at the end of Maple Street, we affectionately call it the restroom park.”
That’s Cal Applebee, the Executive Director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. He’s talking about the lighting of the community tree tomorrow afternoon.
Cal Applebee – “Santa and Mrs. Clause is scheduled to arrive about 4:30 ish; about dusk time. They’ll be delivered to us by Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue. And Mayor Nola Xavier will throw the magic switch.”
The Rhody Express bus service will assist in building the crowd. It will be operating on its regular weekday route from three until 7:40 PM tomorrow. That includes stops in Old Town… and as an early gift… there’s no cost to ride.
Community Thanksgiving
The nearly 50 volunteers who worked to serve Thanksgiving Dinner to 410 people yesterday afternoon were tired; but it was a “good tired”.
The Elks Lodge was buzzing for about two hours as people lined up outside just before noon… and kept the dining room filled until two pm.
Many of the people who showed up for the free community dinner also brought cash and canned goods for Florence Food Share: Nearly $13-hundred and six large boxes.
And, says Jane Nieborsky, most of the volunteers who worked didn’t get to eat themselves because they were simply too busy and there was just enough food for the visitors.
Nieborsky, along with fellow Kiwanis Club member Alicia Spooner organized and planned the dinner. All of the supplies were paid for by the Kiwanis Foundation.
About half of the workers belonged to the club or were family members, but many more came from other places in the community, including Florence Food Share and the Elks Lodge.
Heavy Weather on the way
Another round of very cold weather is headed for the Pacific Northwest and Western Oregon early next week. Steve Pierce with the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society says many forecasters are in agreement about the distinct possibility of a very cold system from Alaska sweeping across the region Monday.
East winds will likely develop in the wake of the frontal passage forcing temperatures down, possibly as much as 15 degrees below normal for this time of year.
Daytime lows in the eastern portion of the state and around Portland could remain below freezing most of next week. Overnight lows in the Willamette Valley are expected to hover around the 15 to 25 degree range.
Forecasters are saying temperatures along the Central Coast will also be colder than usual… Tuesday’s high will not likely get above 40 degrees and there’s a possibility of a mixture of rain and snow.
