FPD Staffing Up; Festival of Trees; Winter Storm Dangers

FPD Staffing Up

Chief Tom Turner with the Florence Police Department says that recent staffing short falls have been addressed and new members of the FPD are being added.  Two new officers have been added to the rosters and another lateral move has been completed, leaving one currently in the academy.

“We have a person in the academy that’s just about to graduate and she’ll be coming back just at the first of the year and we’re thrilled that eventually we’ll get staffing up.”

Turner says they also added another new hire that will begin his 16 week academy training in a few weeks.  Turner says officers have been working some long hours in the interim, but hopes that will rectify its self with the new recruits.

Festival of Trees

The preliminary numbers are in for the Festival of Trees benefitting the Oregon Coast Military Museum.  Saturday the Festival of Trees Open House garnered just over $2400 dollars in wreath and table top tree sales, and the gala event on Sunday brought in over 24 thousand dollars which included almost 6 thousand dollars in dessert sales.  Total take for the two day event was just over 30 thousand dollars.  Cal Applebee, Executive Director for the Museum says over 600 people turned out for the Saturday event and that there are still wreaths available for sale and are on display at the Museum on Kingwood.

Winter Storm Dangers

Winter Storms are a time for reminders on how dangerous the beaches can be.  The United States Coast Guard, Western Lane Ambulance and Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue remind residents and visitors to the coast that sneaker waves are a very real and very dangerous event.  debris will often times find its way to the beach in extreme weather conditions and it is often hidden just under the surface of the water.  Keep a safe distance from the water and do not venture out on the jetty extensions and never turn your back on the ocean.