14 August 2015
Huge crowd fills Old Town
As far as community events go, the annual Rods and Rhodies hot rod show in Florence was a big success says Cal Applebee.
Cal Applebee – “The crowd, both on Saturday and Sunday was just phenomenal. People were down there in droves, the streets were packed, so, it was a great weekend.”
Applebee, the executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce said one highlight was the Friday evening car-cruise.
Cal Applebee – “It was a definite crowd pleaser, the folks down in Old Town were just eating it up, the cars were having fun.”
This was the second year that organizers moved the start time up to four o’clock… something that improved participation by the car owners.
Applebee says the success of the show means success for local businesses… restaurants in the area were overflowing, and motels displayed no-vacancy signs all weekend.
Cal Applebee – “A lot of these folks that come to the car show came in on Wednesday and Thursday and don’t leave until Monday night. They’re generating three and four and five nights’ stays in our motels so that’s a great thing.”
That also generates additional room tax money for Lane County and the City of Florence, who in turn share that money with the Chamber of Commerce which uses it to promote even more events.
Plea Agreement sends Florence man to jail
A Florence man was sentenced to ten years and five months in prison last week for a long string of domestic violence.
42-year old Jason Ryan Gordon pleaded guilty in Lane County Circuit Court to charges of second-degree assault, coercion and two counts of witness tampering. Prosecutors dismissed 15 additional charges, including allegations of sexual abuse, attempted murder and assault.
Gordon was arrested in April after a 911 caller reported seeing a man chasing a woman along Highway 101 north of Florence. The woman told investigators Gordon chased her with a knife and threatened to break her neck. She also said he previously threatened to kill her while armed with a handgun and tried to throw her off a cliff into the ocean.
Gordon, a former Wisconsin resident with a prior criminal record outside of Oregon owned the “Tat Shop” on Highway 101 in Florence at the time of his arrest.
Organizing ELF
Early Learning Florence… also known as ELF… is getting organized. The effort to reestablish an infant and toddler child care center in the community is moving “quickly” according to organizer Rob Spooner.
The local magazine publisher said the two key operators of the former Sonshine Kids that closed last month will be working with ELF to provide state-certified child care for children six months through four years old. Amy Mendez-Galvant and Debra Edwards Rose will operate the center that still has no formal home, although Spooner said they are in the process of finalizing a lease on a Highway 101 storefront. He hopes to begin operation November First.
Elf, which is already registered with the State of Oregon, has filed paperwork to become a recognized non-profit organization
Spooner said they’ve already begun receiving donations to provide start up capital. The Florence Kiwanis Club provided $25-hundred in “seed” money, accompanied by personal donations from individual club members.
Oregon surfers advised about Great White
Marine scientists are saying there may be a great white shark somewhere off the Northern Oregon Coast. Two seals, a sea lion and a dolphin have all been found dead on beaches in Clatsop County recently. Officials say they each died from a massive single bite taken out of their flesh.
The only sharks that visit the Oregon Coast that could leave a bite of that size… up to 18 inches across.. are Great Whites or Broadnose sevengill sharks.
People who surf in the area should be aware that surfing at daybreak or sunset can be especially hazardous… those are peak feeding times for great whites. Surfing during a large diatom bloom.. which can make the water murky and draw prey for the sharks can be especially hazardous.
Old Town congestion created by bridge work
Work on a 3 ½ year long project to rehab the Siuslaw River Bridge will have the biggest impact in Old Town Florence between now and next spring. Project manager Steve Templin says it’s already underway.
Steve Templin – “The very north side of the bridge near Bay Street and downtown. So you’re apt to see quite a bit of construction equipment moving in and they’ll be building some containments around the bridge on the north side and they’ll be starting to work on them.”
Crews will build an external structure around the portion of the bridge that is over land on the north end. It will restrict, but not completely block, traffic under the bridge on Bay Street. It won’t impact the city parking lot on the north side of Bay Street next to the bridge, but it will completely block a popular parking lot directly beneath the bridge.
Steve Templin – “It will be used temporarily for the construction and the staging but it will be available as soon as we get out of the way.”
The goal is to have the ‘landward’ portion of the project completed by next spring. Possibly as early as the Rhododendron Festival.