Excellence Awards Presented
Several hundred achievement awards were handed out last night to deserving Siuslaw High School Students. From the podium Principal Mike Harklerode praised the students for their accomplishments and the ability to rebound from a pandemic that delivered a lot of challenges for learning over the past several years. At the end of the program assistant principal Bev Scott spoke about the significance of the Richard N. Whitmore award for excellence. To receive the award a student had to be nominated to at least two of the Senior awards of Citizen, Leader and Scholar. An outstanding boy and girl were chosen from more than a dozen students. Camp Lacouture and Winnie Zhen were the recipients. They will now have the honor of addressing their class at the commencement ceremonies on June 10th. there were several hundred spectators for the award ceremony.
Memorial Day
Monday’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial Park was well attended with standing room only. The ceremony began with Master of Ceremonies introductions by Mike Nielsen. Nine wreaths were presented at the ceremony. Donny Wright sang The National Anthem, and V.F.W. Commander Bruce Andrade gave the Memorial Day Address. The U. S. Coast guard ended the ceremony with the Laying of the Wreaths. Especially for young people, Nielsen said after the ceremony, Memorial Day provides a sense of History. Sharon Armstrong, Captain, retired, from the U.S. Coast Guard has been in Florence since 2010, and was asked to participate as one of the American Legions newest members. She says this year’s celebration was important for the community.
“Covid kept everybody back from doing a lot of things as a group and this was an opportunity for everybody to get out into the open and socialize again in a somewhat safe way”
In particular Armstrong says, she sees the ceremony as a community event that can help us see that we are all “in the same boat,” and that we want the best for our country, community and children
“But we have a hard time including everybody. There’s a sense of exclusion. Maybe it worsened after COVID started, but I think now that COVID is behind us for the most part, I think that more people are trying to get in touch with neighbors, to find out who’s alone, to seek out those people who can use a friend, and this kind of event lets that happen in a natural way”
Wreaths were laid for: Donald Earl Madison, VFW Auxiliary,Elks Lodge 1858, Disabled American Veterans, Daughters of the American Revolution, Coastal Women’s Veterans, Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, VFW and the Women’s American Legion Auxiliary.
9th Street Paving
Public Works Director Mike Miller says that the city of Florence is still waiting for that window of opportunity to complete the 9th street project. The pavement grind and resurfacing is in need of a multiple day window of dry, warm weather before beginning the grind portion of the repair.
“What that mean is we can’t have rain, because if we have rain, even if it’s just a little bit of rain the water has no where to go because the streets been ground down below the gutter line of the street.”
Rain and cooler temperatures lasted through the month of May with above average rainfall according to miller. He says he hopes to see the window come soon. Surfacing materials have to come from Eugene and need warmer temperatures to ensure the product during the hour plus ride to the coast.
COVID-19
COVID-19 cases were actually lower over the Memorial weekend. Friday through Sunday numbers were down compared to the previous weekend and brought the 7 day daily average down to 1,446.7. weekend totals were lower than the previous weekend, but still above two weeks ago. Lane County reported 395 cases over the same period. Lane County’s daily average is 126.1.
