10 March 2015
Some races shaping up for May 19th election
The filing deadline for candidates seeking office in the May 19th election is just nine days away and already voters in Western Lane County know they will be making some choices.
Contested races are lined up for two seats on the Siuslaw Valley Fire District board. Tony Phillips is challenging fire board incumbent Rob Ward. Cindy Spinner has not yet filed for reelection, but she says she will. She already has two challengers waiting for her; Ave Bernard and John Carnahan. Steve Olienyk is so far running unopposed, but the filing deadline is still nine days away.
There are two seats on the ballot for the Western Lane Ambulance District Board. Karl Enlund is seeking a third term; he has drawn two opponents: former Florence City Councilor Brian Jagoe; and Registered Nurse Cindy Russell. No opponent has filed as of yet to run against Dick Childs.
Some races draw few competitors
There may already be contested races shaping up for positions on the May 19th ballot, but there are also several that have so far drawn just one candidate or in a few cases none.
Two of the four incumbents up for election on the Siuslaw School Board have filed for reelection; Tammy Butler and Susanne Mann-Heintz. A third has not yet filed, but Michelle Rose has said she plans on it. A fourth board member was unavailable; Chad Clement has not yet filed.
At the Port of Siuslaw there are two commission seats up for election. Nancy Rickard has already filed for reelection; Bill Fleenor has already stated he will not run again. Nobody else has filed for either position.
There are three spots on the Siuslaw Public Library Board. All three people currently holding them have filed: Jane Yecny, Susy Lacer and Pat Riley. They’ve drawn no other opponents.
In Mapleton there are three spots on the school board. Long time members Carl West and Michele Holman have filed; John Simington Jr is seeking a two-year term.
Up to date information on who has filed for which positions can be found at the Lane County Elections website.
Implementing the Common Core
The Siuslaw School Board will hear a briefing tomorrow on the district’s implementation of the “Common Core” educational standards. Superintendent Ethel Angal says so far 49 states have adopted the standards. Oregon was one of the earliest.
Ethel Angal – “What the board has expressed interest in is just where are we on this brave new world that’s not really totally new. We’ve been working on the implementation for about the past three years.”
Angal says the implementation has been smooth; although she says there has been more concern among teachers and administrators about what she calls “high stakes testing”.
The school board meets tomorrow night, 6:30 at the district office on Oak Street.
Once Upon a Mattress…
Tickets are on sale now for an “off-beat” retelling of a Hans Christian Anderson classic fairy tale.
“Once Upon a Mattress” is loosely based on Anderson’s “Princess and the Pea” in which an overbearing queen devises impossible tests for princesses hoping to wed her son the prince.
The Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshop will present the show five times next month, April tenth through the 12th.
Ticket prices are $16 for adults, $8 for students.
Freedom marcher to tell his tale
A Florence man who was among the original freedom marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama 50 years ago will talk about his experiences this weekend.
Bob Peters was a young campus Methodist Minister at the University of Oregon in 1965 when he and several other young pastors were called to join the march.
He and his wife Peg just returned from Alabama where they joined the observance of the 50th anniversary.
Peters will share his experiences; both from 1965 and from last week, this Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist congregation at Heceta Junction. The meeting begins at ten AM.
Police Chief hopefuls screened
The first round of applicants for the vacant Florence Police Chief’s job were reviewed late last week.
Erin Reynolds – “We did have 12 applicants and we’re looking through those. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a permanent police chief and we’re all anxious to get this process going. And it will most likely be a more expedited process than last time.”
City Manager Erin Reynolds said they’ll continue to accept applications for the opening, even as they screen the current dozen. But, she added, the current batch looks promising.
Erin Reynolds – “I’m hopeful that we’ll have someone in place by the beginning of May.”
Former Chief Ray Gutierrez retired in December 2013. Since then Lynn Lamm, who retired eight years ago, has been holding the post on an interim basis.
