14 July 2014
Florence City Council Will Have New Faces
Three of the four sitting City Councilors will likely not be back for 2015. Two of the councilors’ terms end in December; both Sue Roberts and Brian Jagoe have indicated they will not likely seek reelection.
Joe Henry is mid-term… he’s scheduled to serve through 2016 but has opted to run against incumbent mayor Nola Xavier in the fall. Henry is required by the city charter to resign from his position effective the end of this year in order to do so.
Either way, there will only be two familiar faces on the dais come January. Councilor Joshua Greene is the only member of the council who is assured of a continued presence.
Xavier and Henry have submitted preliminary nominating petitions to City Hall for the mayor’s position.
Mildred Rowley has submitted a preliminary petition for one of the three open council spots.
The filing deadline is at the end of August.
Water Contact Advisory Lifted
A water contact advisory for the surf at Heceta Beach was lifted Friday afternoon, just 24-hours after the Oregon Health Authority posted it. Additional water samples were tested Friday morning. They showed levels of fecal bacteria had subsided.
Two samples at Heceta Beach were tested, one in the surf at the north end of Driftwood Shores. That showed fewer than ten colonies of fecal bacteria per 100-millileters… well below the threshold for concern.
Water tested from the south runoff… in a fresh water source… showed 109 colonies of Enterococcus per hundred milliliters. That is considered elevated, but well within safe levels.
A similar advisory at the mouth of the D River in Lincoln City was also lifted Friday afternoon.
Stuff the Spruce Point Bus
Residents and employees at Spruce Point Assisted Living would like a hand “stuffing the bus” during the fourth annual Power of Florence.
The Spruce Point activity bus will be at the Grocery Outlet Center from 11 to three Saturday.
Rachel Kilfoy with Spruce Point says they’ll be accepting donations of new clothing for Siuslaw Outreach Services. They’ll also take warm coats, blankets and sleeping bags.
Kilfoy says they are also asking for new sporting equipment… and back-to-school supplies for students at Siuslaw.
So far about two-dozen public activities have been announced for this weekend’s Power of Florence… a one-day event aimed at encouraging everyone to help someone else on that day.
Process for filling school board vacancy outlined
Applications for a one-year vacancy on the Siuslaw School Board will be accepted through July 29th at the District Office.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend this Wednesday’s school board meeting.
The board will review the applications and then talk with prospective board members during a work session August 6th. Board Chair Paul Burns said some people may call that an “interview”, but he says it will be a chance for the board to get to know each applicant a little better and learn what strengths they might bring to the panel.
A final vote on filling the vacancy is scheduled for August 13th. The term would expire at the end of June 2015.
