Stamp Out Hunger; Yard Debris Collection; Art Exposed; Forestry Department Seeks Input

Stamp Out Hunger

In two days, local letter carriers will be collecting food from local residents as part of their Stamp out Hunger initiative.  This year marks the 31st year that the US Postal service has been collecting food.  Here in Florence there are more than 500 families that suffer from food insecurity and the Florence Food share will be the beneficiary of the communities kindness. Look for the blue bag that was delivered.  They are requesting canned and other non-perishable items be placed by your mailbox this Saturday.  If you forget to put out the bag, you can drop off food directly to the post office on Maple Street Saturday between 10 am and 2 pm.

Yard Debris Collection

If you participate in the monthly yard debris collections, you will want to know that this month the collection is on an off Saturday.  This Saturday the collection site will be open a week earlier than normal so as not to conflict with the Rhododendron Festival.  The collections will take place from 9am until 2pm at 27th and Kingwood by the Public Works Building. Charges start at $12.00 for a truckbed load and go up from there. Stumps, food, household waste, animal waste, plastics, construction debris, rock/dirt/soil and hazardous waste are not permitted.

Art Exposed

The city’s Art Exposed program will install some new art pieces tomorrow all along the 101 corridor. Of the 6 new pieces 4 of the artists are from Oregon, one from Washington State and one from New York.  The city staff has put out a notice that there may be a quorum of city council at the installation locations but that no city business will be discussed or deliberated during the process. Information on the pieces and the artists can be found at the city’s website at ci.florence.or.us.

Forestry Department Seeks Input

The Oregon Board of Forestry and Department of Forestry are inviting public comment on the final draft of their new shared strategic plan through May 24. The board and department have been working together on this plan for the past two years. it will replace the current Forestry Program for Oregon. the plan entitled the Vision for Oregon’s Forests. will provide the strategic direction that will guide both the board and department’s work for the next several years. Comments can be submitted online or by mail at:

ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310.

Comments will be shared with the board prior to their June 7 vote to adopt the plan.