A feel good story popped up in 2019 that began in the midst of the government shutdown. Locally the U.S. Coast Guard was effected by the shutdown due to the fact that they are under the auspices of the office of Homeland Security. For the shutdown their monies were cut off and they were not paid for their service even though they continued to work and protect the coast. Community members came together with an outpouring of support, including financial support for the Coasties. Senior Chief Bosuns Mate Jay Nilles had this to say about the support:
“the community members in Florence and the outlying communities, as far away as – I’ve seen some names from Arizona that reside part time of the year that were sending donations to the Chief Petty Officers association to benefit the members of the Coast Guard here in Florence.”
In the end Nilles said he was overwhelmed by the amount of support the community showed for the Coast Guard. Florence has been a Coast Guard City since August of 2017.
The city, partnering with the Oregon Department of Transportation, undertook a very large project in 2019. The ReVision Florence Project got underway for the purpose of refreshing the entryway into Florence along Highway 101 and Highway 126. The project began the first week of March with a 6-7 month timeline. The 8.5 million dollar project’s timeline was moved into the new decade with a substantial completion deadline by January 31st. The project includes new sidewalks, underground utilities, and entryway monuments directing visitors into the Old Town Section of Florence.
Also in 2019 the Heceta Lighthouse celebrated its 125th year. Heceta Head was named after the Spanish Navigator Bruno de Heceta who explored the Oregon Coast in the 1700’s and the lighthouse was constructed in 1890’s. According to the Oregon State Parks website the lighthouse switched from gas to electric lighting in 1940 and became fully automated in 1963. Over 1 million people visit the landmark each year.
