24 June 2015
Final day of operation to be June 30th.
Parents of children enrolled at Quality Child Care of Florence, along with ten employees of the center, got the notice last Friday.
Chuck Trent: “We are going to cease operations July 1st, so…”
Chuck Trent is the acting executive director of the Boys and Girls Club. He said board members were reviewing financial prospects for the facility and had to make a difficult decision.
Chuck Trent: “If we continue on with losing money for Q-seff it jeopardizes the viability of the Boys and Girls Club and we’re just not willing to do that.”
The club is facing its own financial uncertainty. Program cuts and fee increases were implemented earlier this year. That didn’t make this decision any easier.
Chuck Trent: “you know, it just… it hits you right in the stomach because we, we care deeply about this. We understand the need for affordable child care in this community.”
The Boys and Girls Club experienced rapid growth in 2013, acquiring both QCCF and the ABC Preschool under the direction of a former executive.
ODFW tightens and eases access to Umpqua Chinook
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has imposed a couple of emergency rule changes on the Umpqua River to protect steelhead and Chinook salmon in the mainstem of that river, as well as access to fall run Chinook.
District biologist Greg Huchko says flows are at 50-percent of normal, and water temperatures are approaching lethally warm levels. That causes fish to seek out cooler water at the mouths of tributaries. Angling is prohibited within 200 feet of those mouths between Scottsburg and the confluence of the North and South forks.
In a separate decision, the department moved up the start of the fall Chinook season on the Umpqua between the confluence and the river mouth to July 1st. Huchko says that will give anglers who filled their spring Chinook tags a chance to return to the river about a month earlier than expected.
Cost of driving takes a hike
Gas prices took a sizeable increase locally and across the state in the past week, reaching their 2015 highs. The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded, according to Triple-A, actually fell a penny to $2.79. The Oregon average went up seven cents to $3.14. In Florence, the increase was a little more, going up 11 cents a gallon for an average cash price of $2.97.
Marie Dodds with Triple-A said lingering refinery issues in California continue to put “upward pressure” on West Coast prices. But, she added, she expects prices to edge lower in the coming weeks.
Any reductions wouldn’t likely happen however, until after the Fourth of July holiday.
Our Town adding KCFM time slots
Coast Radio’s monthly Our Town program will be expanding with the July 1st. The show, that airs on KCST from four to six pm on the first Wednesday of each month will remain at two hours, but it will expand with two additional airings.
Our Town will air on the Thursday morning following the first Wednesday, from ten AM to noon on KCFM; then again on KCFM the following Sunday morning from ten until noon.
The July 1st program, next Wednesday, will highlight the seven year effort to open the Oregon Coast Military Museum. Two other volunteer efforts will be highlighted: The Minutes of Gold program aimed at helping families deal with a stillborn child; and the Power of Florence coming up July 18th. Oregon lawmakers Arnie Roblan and Caddy McKeon (muh-KYOO-inn) will also talk about this year’s legislative session.
They may be legal, but they’re still not allowed on public lands
Public agencies are busy reminding Oregonians this week that even though certain types of fireworks are legal in the state, there are restrictions on just where you can use them.
One rule of thumb to keep in mind… if it’s public land, it’s off limits.
Fireworks of any kind are prohibited on National Forest Lands… that includes Forest Service campgrounds and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. State controlled lands that are off limits: All state parks, waysides and beaches. Likewise, county parks and waysides prohibit use of fireworks.
In Florence, you can’t light fireworks at all on Port of Siuslaw property, nor can you on sidewalks and streets in the Old Town area. City parks are off limits as well. Fireworks use is allowed in rights of way in other parts of the city as well as on private property, but of course, you are urged to exercise caution.
Increased fire danger draws tighter controls
Increased restrictions on activities in forested areas of Western Oregon went into effect earlier this morning. South Cascade District Forester Greg Wagenblast with the Oregon Department of Forestry said fire danger is “trending much higher than normal”. High temperatures nearing triple digits are forecast for the upper Umpqua Valley and the Willamette Valley later this week.
That will only serve to further dry out grass, woody debris and vegetation.
Wagenblast said tightened restrictions include a ban on smoking in the forest except within closed vehicles; campfires are allowed only in designated campsites; motorized vehicles are allowed only on improved roads; mowing of dead or tall dry grass is not allowed between one pm and 8 pm.
The regulated use closure also means people traveling through forests, except on state or county roads, must carry a shovel and either a gallon of water or a 2 ½ pound ABC rated fire extinguisher.
