14 January 2014
Streamlining Reduces Number of Planning Meetings
The Florence Planning Commission will meet this evening for the first time this year. It’s also the first meeting since October for the body that has seen far less action in the past year than previously.
In fact, the Planning Commission only met ten out of the 22 times they were scheduled in 2013.
The reduced work load is due primarily to fewer development applications in Florence following the 2008 recession.
But not all of it.
The City Council has also approved several clarifications to codes that provide staff clear guidelines, allowing them to review and process applications. That saves time and money for applicants. In many cases they can get an answer within a few days rather than having to wait several weeks.
The Commission will consider two proposals this evening. One for a bank stabilization effort at the Coast Guard Station; the other for a storage building adjacent to Goodman’s Floor Covering on Kingwood Street. They meet at seven at City Hall.
Peace Harbor Earns Quality Recognition
For the second year in a row PeaceHealth Peace Harbor has been recognized as one of the top facilities in the state in three key areas of patient health measurement.
The Oregon Rural Health Care Quality Network says Peace Harbor Medical Center was also the only facility in the group that was a top performer in three out of four clinical measures.
Those three measurements related to “hospital acquired infections”; pneumonia immunizations; and discharge instructions for patients who had been admitted with heart failure.
Jan Kinney is the manager of quality and improvement at Peace Harbor, she says participation in the network underscores the local commitment to providing the “best care” to patients by comparing local results with 309 other similar sized facilities in 15 states.
12th annual Winter Folk Festival
Put away the toast, it will be a different kind of jam this weekend.
Depending on how you look at it, the 12th annual Florence Winter Folk Festival gets underway Thursday or Saturday.
Officially it’s Thursday.
That’s when Mike and Carleen McCornack perform two separate concerts for elementary students from several different coastal schools. Festival co-chair Hal Weiner says that’s really the main reason for the festival… to get more music into classrooms.
The McCornacks are based in Eugene, but they’ve been acclaimed by Parent’s Guide; Parent’s Choice; and Sesame Street Magazines according to Weiner.
The “Kids Koncerts” are Thursday. They’re not open to the public because both the theater will be filled to capacity with students twice during the day.
Jam Sessions for local musicians and the dozen or so guest artists will be held Thursday and Friday, seven pm, at Pier Point Inn and the festival itself opens to the public Saturday morning.