Charging Stations at Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer in Florence will soon be home to 4 Tesla supercharging stations. The 4 stations will have 2 charging ports each and will support standard Tesla connections. Electric vehicles other than Tesla will need an adapter to use them.
Angela Nelson, Fred Meyer general manager, says company officials worked with Tesla on the location of the stations and that the project is nearing completion.
“what the project manager told me this morning was that they’re ready to hand off the connection part of it to utilities, probably by the end of this week, and they’re hoping to be able to used by customers by the 4th of July.”
Former Central Lincoln PUD representative and electric car enthusiast Chris Chandler says the station will primarily be used by visitors and vehicles passing through Florence, as home charging is generally more cost effective for EV owners. She says for travelers, the convenience is the time it takes to get back on the road.
“it’s my understanding that the average stay at a supercharger, which is what this is, is 29 minutes. Just enough time to walk the dog, visit the restroom or shop for goodies at Fred Meyer or maybe some windshield washer fluid at O’reillys.”
Nelson also says there will not be any additional ingress or egress, and users will access the charging stations through the existing Fred Meyer parking lot.
Life Med Subscriptions
If you’re a Life Med subscriber, don’t throw away the Life Flight envelope that recently arrived in the mail. Registration for this year’s Life Med coverage is now being handled by an outside entity, and renewal notices are already being sent, which may catch some subscribers off guard. You can still renew your Life Med subscription locally by visiting the Florence Fire Station or by going to the WLFEA website, where you’ll be redirected to the Life Flight page to sign up. Life Med subscribers pay an annual fee for ambulance service in the Siuslaw region and are covered for emergency use of those services. The $65 fee was previously based on a July-to-June cycle, but it now runs for 12 months from the date of purchase. More information is available at wlfea.org.
Florence Memorials
Two longtime Florence community members are being remembered this weekend. A celebration of life for Steve Olienyk will be held Saturday at 2 pm at New Life Lutheran Church. Olienyk was a World War II veteran and longtime volunteer who helped found the Kiwanis Flag Program and Veterans Memorial Park, and served more than 20 years on local fire and water boards, earning Florence’s First Citizen Award in 2020. Meanwhile, services for Rodger Bennett are set for Sunday at 2 pm at the Florence Events Center. Bennett, 87, was a former Florence city manager and spent decades in public service in communities across the West. He was also known locally as a professional photographer and active civic volunteer.
