Lyddon Resigns Council Seat
Florence City Councilor George Lyddon has announced his resignation. Lyddon and his wife are relocating out of Florence and his seat will be vacant as of December 31st. A reception was held last night prior to the city council meeting. According to City Manager Erin Reynolds a new councilor will be appointed to fill out the remainder of Lyddon’s term.
“That position expires December 31st 2018 and with that vacancy they can appoint somebody that applies.”
The city formally accepted Lyddon’s resignation last night. The city will begin accepting applications to fill the vacancy. Reynolds says the main requirement for the position will be at least one year of residency within the Florence city limits.
The Holiday Blues
The holidays typically are time spent with the family and in good cheer. But for folks who have experienced loss or trauma, this time of year can be challenging. Diane Bocking-Byrd is a behavioral health and integration manager with CareOregon. She says the tragedy not only of loss but events such as divorce can contribute to the holiday blues. To curb depression before it hits, Bocking-Byrd suggests people limit their use of alcohol or other substances over the holidays. She says people should listen to family members and friends too, because they may have noticed something is different.
“Oftentimes it’s other people that notice it before we do, and so that’s the time to probably seek at least what’s called a screening at your primary-care physician’s office.”
Bocking-Byrd says people who experience a lack of motivation or apathy for two or weeks or more should seek help. She says it’s important to remember that if someone experiences depression it’s not their fault. It’s a health issue and needs to be addressed like any other health issue.
“It’s nobody’s fault. Nobody’s flawed. It happens with genetics, it happens with prolonged sadness or exposure to trauma and it can also be a side effect of diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac conditions.”
Bocking-Byrd says CareOregon has care coordinators who can help folks find the right services over the phone. People can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK for prevention and crisis resources. Bocking-Byrd says if someone needs immediate attention, call 9-1-1.
Movie Showcases Ocean’s Plight
A new movie that showcases the problems with our polluted oceans will be in Florence for a limited engagement. The film “A Plastic Ocean” looks at how plastics are beginning to overrun our oceans. Scientists studied ocean gyres (jai-er) and in some cases found more plastic than plankton. The film will have two showings at City Lights Cinemas on Wednesday, January 10th at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. There are only 230 seats for this presentation and you must have a ticket. Tickets can be picked up at the Siuslaw News or at City Lights Cinemas. Limit 2 tickets per person. There will also be representatives from the film that will host a Question and Answer session following each showing.
More Rubber on the Road This Holiday
AAA Oregon is predicting that more than 1.7 million Oregonians will be traveling this holiday and they say that 91 percent of them will be traveling by car. 107 million nationwide are expected to be flooding the roadways and the terminals which is up 3.1 percent over last year. They say a good part of the bump in holiday travel is that prices are at some of the lowest in years. Air travel and hotel rates have dipped significantly… but if you need a vehicle those rates are higher that previous years. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says that the busiest travel times will be this Wednesday and Thursday. The top destinations this year: Anaheim, Honolulu, and Vegas!