Candidate accepts Superintendent offer
Siuslaw Middle School Principal Andy Grzeskowiak (grez-KO-wee-ack) has agreed to take the position of Superintendent of Siuslaw Schools.
Board Chair Tammy Butler announced yesterday Grzeskowiak signed a contract late last week. But, she stressed, the position will not become official until the board votes on the matter tomorrow night.
Grzeskowiak has been with the Siuslaw School District for nearly two decades. He started at the high school as a science teacher before eventually becoming the Athletic Director and then Vice Principal.
He moved to the Middle School as principal in July 2013.
Grzeskowiak will take over top administrative duties from Ethel Angal who will be retiring at the end of June after two years in the Superintendent’s position.
The board met last month and opted to seek a replacement from within the district before beginning an outside search. They met in private session February 17th to discuss the qualifications of a candidate and conduct an interview.
Crowded house on the ballot for Justice of the Peace
The field of candidates for the Lane County Justice of the Peace position got crowded. Today is the final day to file for election on the May 17th ballot, and four candidates have done just that.
Rick Brissendon is officially the incumbent. He was appointed to the position last week by Governor Kate Brown. He has been the Florence Municipal Court Judge for several years and will continue in that role.
Joining him on the ballot will be two Florence residents. Woody Woodbury and Guy Rosinbaum.
One candidate from Eugene has filed: Joshua Rogers.
If any candidate earns more than 50-percent of the vote in the May 17th election, that person would be alone on the ballot in November. If no majority is reached by any candidate, then the top two would face off in the fall.
Siuslaw Pathways leading to the future
A list of priorities and “key actions” that would enhance the community of the Siuslaw Valley will be unveiled and discussed next week at a Siuslaw Pathways Regional Forum in Florence.
The list of priorities include things like increased access to affordable and safe housing; better access to health care; fiber optics availability; reliable transit between Deadwood and the coast; and an “all-ages” community center have been identified over a year-long series of meetings, focus groups and forums in Florence and Mapleton.
Becky Goehring is one of the co-leaders of the project. She said the meeting, six to eight pm, March 16th at the Florence Senior Center, will be an opportunity for people to “step up” and help champion key priorities.
Stagecoach Road is expected to reopen by mid afternoon after Lane County Road Crews clear a small landslide that came down yesterday morning at milepost 7.3.
That’s midway between Swisshome on Highway 36 and Richardson Road on Highway 126.
Road Maintenance Supervisor Richard Perkins said access is still open on either end of the road.
Tsunami Walk Out
Tsunami warning sirens will sound Friday morning at 11o’clock, signifying the start of the Oregon Tsunami Walk Out drill.
The City of Florence is participating in the drill as well as the “Tsunami Blue Line” project.
Mayor Joe Henry and Congressman Peter DeFazio will be at Florence City Hall at 10:30 that morning to kick off the event with a few words. Joining them will be the director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management… O-E-M… Andrew Phelps and Geologic Hazards Coordinator Althea Rizzo.
When the sirens blow, the group; including employees at City Hall and any other businesses in or near the inundation zone, will walk up Highway 101 to one of five blue lines painted on area roads to signify safety zones.
One of those blue lines will be on Quince Street just below the Events Center; one is on Heceta Beach Road; and the other three will be on Rhododendron Drive at Highway 101; near 9th street and just south of 35th.
The Blue Line Project and the Walk Out Drill are intended to raise awareness of the need to be prepared for tsunamis. This week’s effort will also mark the five year anniversary of a major quake and resulting tsunamis that occurred March 11th 2011 in Japan.
