Eyesore Removed From Port Mooring
The Creola has been a fixture on the Port of Siuslaw Docks for as long as Administrative Assistant, Kelly Stewart can remember. And, depending upon one’s perspective, it’s been an eyesore OR, generally said with more excitement, “the ghost ship”. Yesterday, the dilapidated 55 foot Chris-Craft yacht was dismantled and removed. Stewart says determining when a boat has been abandoned and when it needs to be removed is decided by Port of Siuslaw Commissioners.
“It was in imminent danger of sinking, which would have cost a lot more to get it out than just demolishing it.”
The owners of the boat had spent limited time on trying to repair the boat over the years, but recently there had been no activity on the boat. On Monday, HAZMAT workers emptied the boat of hazardous materials and the boat was moved closer to the boat launch to ready it for demolition. By yesterday afternoon the demolition was complete.
First Citizen Nominations
The slate of nominees for the First Citizen Award has been announced. 5 candidates have been selected for the Chamber of Commerce’s award which recognizes a citizen’s contribution to the community through volunteering in the Siuslaw Region. Kay King, Vanessa Buss, Bob Teter, Suzanne Mann-Heintz and Floyd Bidwell. The winner will be announced at the annual Siuslaw Awards July 14 at Three Rivers Casino Resort.
Protect Your Pets on 4th Celebrations
Pet advocates say that more pets can go missing over the Independence Day holiday than at any other time of the year. One source reports that missing pet reports can be 30-percent higher between the 4th and 6th of July. Elizabeth Thompson is the director of the Oregon Coast Humane Society in Florence. She says dogs and cats can get very stressed from the noises associated with fireworks. If they get out of the house they can run off, looking for a safe place to get away from the noise. She has some tips to ease the stress and possibly prevent a lost pet. Make sure they’re in a secure room, close the windows and play some soothing music. Thundershirts or even pet sedatives can also help. The stress, she adds, is not limited to pets. It can lead to erratic behavior in wildlife; as well as severely impact humans who suffer with PTSD.
County Makes New Cabins Available
New accommodations at a popular Lane County campground give campers more options. Lane County Parks has opened three new ocean view cabins at Harbor Vista Campground in Florence. Lane County Parks Manager Brett Henry says the demand for places to camp on the Oregon Coast is high. He calls Harbor Vista a “jewel of a campground”, adding the new cabins provide more options for people who want to enjoy the beauty of the Oregon Coast but may not have an RV or gear for tent camping. Each cabin comes with a queen bed, a full size sleeper sofa and a loft with two twin mattresses. They also have spacious covered porches, picnic tables and a barbecue pit to go with a view of the mouth of the Siuslaw River. The cabins are $70 per night with a small reservation fee. They also have a two-night minimum. Reservation information can be found at the Lane County website. http://www.lanecountyor.gov/parks
New COVID-19 Cases
The Florence area is averaging more than 20 new cases of COVID-19 per week according to new numbers released by the Oregon Health Authority. This past week 24 (1728 all time) new cases were recognized as the virus shows no signs of abating. In addition the OHA reported a huge surge over the past two days with a one day total yesterday of 2,364 cases and 2,518 cases the previous day. Lane County had just over 10% of those cases in yesterday’s report with 249.