Superintendent Gets High Marks
The Siuslaw School Board finished their annual evaluation of the superintendent’s job performance. Overall Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak received a 3.51 out of 4 rating with 4 being accomplished. The evaluation consists of ratings on nine different performance standards and 5 goals set forth by the board. The board conducted a 360 degree survey of staff, administration, and themselves combining their data to produce results. The superintendent received accomplished marks in the areas of management, curriculum planning and development, resource management, and labor relations. The board touted his past experience as a teacher, principal and union representative as a reason for his effectiveness in his roll as superintendent. The board reported that for the 3rd year in a row Grzeskowiak continues to exceed the board’s expectations.
Volunteers To Be Honored
Lane community college Dean Russ Pierson will be the keynote speaker at an event honoring volunteers. The Florence Area Community Coalition is hosting the annual event from 2 to 4 pm on April 10th at the Florence Event Center. Refreshments will be on hand and door prizes will be awarded. There is an $8 dollar ticket price or people can purchase a table of 8 for $60. For an additional $40 businesses or individuals can be a sponsor of the event.
PAC Meeting Monday
The public arts committee is slated to meet on Monday, March 25th at 3:30 pm at Florence City Hall. One of the items the committee will be reviewing will be the Mural Code. Public input from the proposed mural that will be painted on the Central Lincoln PUD building has been mixed. Most of the attention though has been on social media, and has just begun to filter into proper channels. The Public Arts Committee approved the rendition that is proposed for the building, but the city still has to grant a permit for the project. There is some doubt that it will be approved, as proposed, due to many comments stating that the mural does not represent the City of Florence and that the depiction is too eclectic and abstract. Proponents of the mural say that it is an artistic rendition of the life and beauty of the city and is not intended to be an exact replication like the Newport Whale mural. Yachats has a mural that depicts the Heceta Lighthouse with fishing boats and a steamer ship breaking through waves and dark skies. And Roseburg depicts hikers peering into Crater Lake. The proposed Florence Mural consists of a rendering of the Siuslaw River Bridge, Native American dancers, rhododendron flowers and a bicyclist. Missing from the rendering is a clear reference to the dunes or the sea lions. Some social media buzz says the mural should be considered a marketing tool for the city while others say it is art and not intended to be such.
