Hoberg’s to Shut Doors
Friday will see the end of a family business spanning nearly 8 decades in Florence. Kevin and Shasta McMullen will be closing the doors of Hoberg’s Complete Auto Repair at the end of the day. The couple purchased the business over 30 years ago from Shasta’s Parents, Gary and Wanda Hoberg. In turn, that couple in 1961 had taken over the business operated by Wanda’s father, Irl (Earl) Zeimer (ZEE-mur). Zeimer had been repairing vehicles and pumping gas in that same building since 1945. Kevin McMullen said with 78 years in the same location, they can’t just walk away.
“We’re going to be here for a while, there’s 78 years of of S#!t to clean up.”
The retirement will give the couple time to focus on preparing the 1.2 acre parcel in the middle of the downtown Highway 101 corridor for sale. Both said the biggest aspect of the business they will miss most is interacting will all of their customers.
Burn Season Ending
If you have a burn pile that you have been wanting to set ablaze, the time is just about up to get it done. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency is calling for the official end of burn season. It was scheduled to be June 15th , but due to weather conditions is has been moved to tomorrow. The extended dry period is the primary reason for the change. Travis Knudsen is the Affairs Manager for LRAPA says with the current conditions moving the date was the only way to mitigate fire risk without relying on weather changes. The initial decision, according to Knudsen came down from the Lane County Fire Defense Board and the Oregon Department of forestry.
Chamber Seeking input
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is working on a strategic plan and would like input from the community. The Chamber has contracted with Hight Performance Group to identify areas of need and concern throughout the business community. The chamber has posted a quick survey for business and is available through a link on the chamber’s website: florencechamber.com.
National Safety Month
The month of June is National Safety Month and the National Safety Council is drawing attention to individuals in the workplace and those who work from home. Perventable injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in U.S. Each week in June the NSC will focus on one are to help businesses and their employees be safe. Week one focuses on Emergency Preparedness, week two is slips, trips and falls, week three is heat-related illness and week four is Hazard recognition. You can sign up for free information at nsc.org.
