Fire board election brings choices to the ballot
Voters in May will have choices when marking their ballots for the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Board of Directors.
Two open seats on the ballot have drawn, at least so far, two candidates for each.
At position one, Siuslaw News Editor and volunteer firefighter Ned Hickson is facing former volunteer and educator Crystal Farnsworth.
In the position two race, longtime firefighter Marvin Tipler is running for the board. He retired last year after a lengthy career. He’s facing Oregon Pacific Bank CEO Ron Green for the four year term.
Incumbents in both seats, Lori Gates and John Scott, have announced they are not seeking reelection. The filing deadline to get on the May 16th ballot is just over a week away… March 6th.
Bridge work to remain noisy
Long construction hours will continue at the Siuslaw River Bridge for the next two weeks. Crews will begin working 24-hours a day today and through at least March 10th.
Enclosure structures surrounding the north end of the bridge have, for the most part, been dismantled and crews are now in the process of moving them to the southern end. That’s where sandblasting the concrete structure and patching surface imperfections will begin in preparation for a zinc-based coating that will protect the steel encased in the concrete from further erosion.
Angela Beers-Seydel says crews will be working 24-hours a day, but the high-noise generating activities will take place between four am and two am… leaving just two hours of relative quiet in between.
The bridge protection program still has two more years to go before it is complete.
Douglas County looks to expand camping at Winchester Bay
A campground popular with off-road users visiting the Oregon Dunes near Winchester Bay is slated for expansion. Douglas County Parks opened Half-Moon Bay campground ten years ago and since then, they’ve developed two overflow areas to address the needs of the visitors.
Parks spokesperson Deb Pack said the master plan developed in 2004 identified two potential Off-Highway Vehicle campgrounds. A conceptual plan for completion of the second was completed by park planners in 2013.
An open house at the Winchester Bay Marina Activity Center will be held a week from Tuesday… March 7th… to get public input on the proposal. Pack said after the public engagement, they’ll draw up a set of final design plans by June of this year.