Weather Not What Predicted
West winds filtered through Florence yesterday completely disregarding the National weather services forecast for the area. Scheduled highs for the day were supposed to hover around the 80 degree mark, but instead topped 90 and in some reports got up to 93 degrees. One of the chief issues with local forecasts is that the Oregon coast is the only portion of the united states that does not have a reporting weather station. The closest station that provides forecasts for the area is in Portland and costs for providing a more centralized weather station are reportedly too high. Dr. Paul Ruescher is an American Meteorologist fellow and says that getting our weather from Portland is just too far away.
“The Problem with that is by the time it hits Florence that beam of energy (from the radar) is about 14,000 feet above the earth’s surface.”
That he says makes for inaccurate reporting. Temperatures for today are forecast to be in the mid 70’s, but northwesterly winds could mean that we exceed that mark. A reminder that hot dry conditions are right for fire, so be vigilant. There is an outdoor burning ban for the area.
Naming the New Park
The City of Florence is looking for help in naming the new park that opens on Tuesday. The Siuslaw River Beach Access park has a scheduled ribbon cutting ceremony planned for Tuesday. The new park is on Rhody drive just west of the water treatment plant and offers views of the Siuslaw river bridge and the sand dunes. There is also an area where boats can temporarily moor. Public Works Director Mike Miller says the city is taking suggestions for a more succinct name for the park on the city’s website, ci.florence.or.us. The Ribbon Cutting will be held at 4 pm on Tuesday and there will be hotdogs and cake served. Residents that want to help name the park have until May 31st to submit their ideas.
Public Paint Day
Next Friday, amid Rhody Days celebrations, the public is invited to a public paint party. The mural on the Central Lincoln PUD building is slated to begin, and from 11-3 that day young and young at heart are being invited to put their permanent mark on the project. The project is presented by the Florence Public Art Committee with support from the Florence Urban Renewal Agency. The City is asking that people park at the Florence Event Center due to the limited parking at the site. The Mural project is located at Highway 126 and Quince Street.
Postal Food Drive
The U.S. Post office is hosting their annual food drive tomorrow. Residents are being asked to donate food for the Florence Food Share by placing non-perishable items in bags near their mail boxes. The USPS locally picks up an average of 9000 pounds of food on Saturday. Also, locally, Johnston Motor Company is in the midst of their annual peanut butter drive. Donations of peanut butter can be dropped off at the dealership located on highway 101 between 21st and 22nd street.
