Burn Season Ends
The spring burning season is over. It is illegal to burn yard debris during the closed season and violations are subject to fines of 50 to 2,500 dollars. The Lane County Fire Defense Board will decide whether or not to reopen for the fall burning season on October first depending on the fire risk at that time. Because removing overgrown vegetation is important for fire prevention, the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) reminds residents that Lane Forest Products, Rexius or Lane County transfer stations and dumpsites are resources for disposing of debris. Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal, Tony Miller says it’s important to pay attention to burning seasons,
“Especially considering what happened in 2020 when it comes to woodland fires. That’s pretty devistating and the number one cause of outdoor wildland fires is human caused and so it’s really important for people to pay attention to the rules and make sure that they’re adhering and following the restrictions and the fire danger levels as they increase over the summer.”
Coastal Lane County residents can check on the season’s status by going online at www.lrapa.org, or calling LRAPA directly at 541-997-1757
Rotary Auction
The Rotary Club of Florence will hold its first annual virtual auction over four weekends. Auctions will begin on Thursdays and run from noon to 7 pm from June 24 through Sunday July 18. Bidders will have a number of categories and many different items to choose from according to Erickson.
“So we have things that are gift certificates to local restaurants but then we have trips where you can go out of state or trips where you can stay in state. So we have a variety of items depending on what you are looking for if you would like to bid on something.”
Bidders should be aware that the rotary is only able to auction off spirits on a single day, Erickson says,
“Any of our spirited items—all of the wine that we would normally have on our wine wall for the night of the auction—those will all be auctioned off on Saturday July 17th. ”
This is the first Auction the Rotary has been able to hold in three years due to the pandemic, and it will allow the club to continue providing scholarships to local students and fund requests from other non-profits in the community, Erickson says. The list of auction items for week one will be posted today. For details and to register, go to [www dot the Florence rotary dot org] (www.theflorencerotary.org)
COVID-19 Update
It has been a slow process moving the state towards the goal of 70% vaccination status, but it is still forward progress according to the Oregon Health Authority. In its latest release the numbers are now above 68% with 5 days until the governor’s self imposed date of June 21st. half of the Oregon population 18 and older have been fully immunized according to the OHA. The number of daily COVID-19 cases continues to be up and down, after a mild Monday report the OHA has added another 314 cases with 24 more cases for Lane County, which include yet another case for the Florence area. Florence has now seen 257 total cases. In addition 3 individuals are on a ventilator in Lane County and 9 people are in ICU.
Banner Contest Extended
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s call to artists for it’s hanging banner contest has been extended to June 30th. the chamber is looking for submissions that reflect the coastal life that will be married with particular slogans for seasonal and special event programs. Chamber President and CEO Bettina Hannigan says the winning submission could win $1,000. To learn more about the specifics of the contest individuals can visit florencechamber.com
