TSN1228 by C.M.I.

CHECK OUT THE FLORENCE EVENTS CENTER

Center Stage insert for all your January happenings!

Comin g Soon t o Floren ce! Comin g Soon t o Floren ce!

Fresh • Handcrafted • Healthy

Siuslaw News News & views that define our community

$1.25

thesiuslawnews.com

Siuslaw News Florence, Oregon Wednesday, December 27, 2023 Number 52 • 133 years

Local Firefighters take down grass fire developer asks to build 25 dwellings Online Ordering • Treats • Wraps • Juices • Handcrafted • Healthy •Fresh Smoothies • Treats Wellness • Shots Wraps • Juices Smoothie By TONY REED • Bowls Smoothies Siuslaw News • Wellness Acai Bowls A beach grass fire that started Shots Sunday evening, Dec. 17, remains • Smoothie under investigation by Western Lane •Bowls In-Store Dining • Takeaway Fire and EMS Authority. At about • Acai Bowls 5:30 p.m., fire personnel were disBy TONY REED patched to the north jetty for a report Siuslaw News

Indiegogo launches: Aug • In-Store Dining • Takeaway of a2nd 100 by 100-foot area of grass The Florence Planning commission and brush burning north of the lookWebsite for campaign: held off itsOnline approval of anOrdering application out tower. to build 25tinyurl.com/silajuice attached single-unit dwellDeputy Chief Matt House ings at the corner of 37th and Oak AugWLFEA Indiegogo launches: 2nd said he was surprised at the size of streets, southFind of the golf course.or Plans us on Facebook Instagram Website for campaign: the fire when he arrived. for the two-story units show streetside SILA JUICERY garages and rectangular floor plans Mutual aid was requested from tinyurl.com/silajuice for the 25 side-to-side dwellings. Gardiner and Reedsport as personnel The application was received Aug. attacked the fire from the west side. Find us on Facebook or Instagram 29, 2022 and was deemed incomJUICERY plete in September SILA and completed in November before coming to a final plan hearing Dec. 12. During staff review, the majority of the PUD conditions were satisfied by the application materials submitted. However, there were four conditions of approval that were found to not be not satisfied. Those conditions related to lot striping, lack of retained trees, and two exterior design issues which required commission review. Printed exhibits for the project were several hundred pages in length and contained details from the streets and driveways to the residential unit floor plans. The units would be built side by side with garages facing the street.

PHOTO BY TONY REED

Firefighters were able to quickly snuff and mop up this grass fire near the north Jetty Dec. 17. Tony Reed photo

Gusty winds moved the fire quickly, but personnel made quick work of it. House said the fire was knocked down within a half-hour, by which time it had grown to 150 by 150 feet in size. “It was a fluke occurrence,” House said. “We had an east wind prior to the fire which is notorious for drying conditions and at the time, we had about 20 percent humidity. I guess the moral of the story is that we’ve been seeing fire behavior like never before, over the last five years. A cause of the fire has not been determined. Anyone with information should call WLFEA at 541-997-3212.

2023 REVIEW

Looking back on top stories of 2023

See LOCAL, page A8

Local woman donates to teens again

PHOTO BY TONY REED

A family watches a sunset over the jetty in Florence.

By TONY REED Siuslaw News

Compiled by TONY REED Siuslaw News

Sutton Lake Fire Station hosted a party this year where 50 area teenagers were given bags of gifts, stockings, holiday cheer and pizza. For 11 years, Vicki Ambrosio, Owner and operator of Twin Lakes Grocery & Liquor, has been organizing and fundraising a yearly holiday giveaway for teens living north of Heceta Beach. At the party, large, heavy bags of gifts and stockings were handed out by name to kids who provided wish lists earlier this year. Ambrosio noted that this year’s party went quicker than usual due to a forgotten detail. “In my speech, I didn’t tell the kids it was ok to open a present or two,” she said. “Usually, they get into them and open them all up, and it takes an extra hour.” She said that in years after Covid, the even was more of a distribution, so kids were used to taking the bags and going home.

In a quiet little coastal town like Florence, not a lot goes on that everyone doesn’t immediately know about. News of a new business or event in town will spread with digital speed across social media. Fundraisers and community events take place regularly and street corner demonstrations are almost expected on nicer days. Of course, a lot goes on behind the scenes as local legislators struggle to address issues that won’t go away on their own; homelessness, cost of living, housing, and employment. Local legislators spent a lot of 2023 just pushing the stone toward solutions, but 2023 saw no major successes in those areas. However, in the final weeks of December, a few local events from this year caught our attention. In Florence, the year started with a newly sworn-in mayor, Rob Ward and two new city councilors, Jo Beaudreau and Robert Carp. “I think we’re going to do some good things,” Ward said. “We have a legacy to follow, we have a lot of work to do - and I’m excited to see how good we really are.” Residents of Mapleton were back to normal in February after a large

See GIFTS, page A6

INSIDE

Obituaries — A2 Sports & Lifestyle — B1

Opinion — A3 Classifieds — B8-9

water leak was found and repaired near Stagecoach Road. The leak was estimated to be losing approximately 80,000 gallons of water a day. Once fixed, customers had running water, though delivering consistent clean water continued for some time. “We did find a new leak - much smaller (20,000 gallons) than the bigger leak (80,000 gallons) that was fixed last week,” said Vanessa West, MWD Board Member. “This leak is not as easy to fix; it is in a valve. So, we will need to hire outside help to fix it.” While it was being fixed, bottled water was made available to those who needed it.

PHOTO BY TONY REED

Ed McGuire was sworn in as Dunes City Mayor in November. After reported outages on March 4, the Mapleton Water District had water flowing again but because of pressure problems, as of press deadlines, a boil water notice is in effect. There were more outages on Monday, March 6, according to Board of Directors Chair Vanessa West, they were the result of problems where the water flows from Berkshire Creek into the district’s treatment plant. “Thanks to Ronney, Brian and two other local volunteers, the intake is unplugged,” said West on social media. “Luckily it wasn’t a tree this time — leaves plugged the intake.”

Unmasked

In April, the Oregon Health In March, western Lane County res- Authority rescinded a major rule that idents witnessed snow that went all the had been in effect since August 2021. way to the ocean. OHA is rescinded provisions in Snow measurements were lower Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) on the coast with Florence reporting 333-019-1011 that required workers between 1 and 2 inches, depending in health care settings – such as hoson elevation. Deadwood reported 4 pitals, mobile clinics, ambulances, inches and the hills around Yachats outpatient facilities, dental offices, also reported receiving about 4 inches urgent care centers, counseling offices, of snow. school-based health centers, comSchools were closed in both the plementary and alternative medicine Mapleton and Siuslaw school districts locations to wear masks. as road conditions prevented normal bus routes from running.

Coast snow?

A May protest raised some eyebrows, and questions, during a show in Florence. The group of mostly masked protestors spent most of the afternoon of Saturday, April 29 at the base of Florence Golf Links’ driveway holding a sign that said “PEDOPHILES OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS [sic]” in demonstration against “Fanny Rugburn’s Magical Queendom” a performance put on by Jason Wood, known when performing by his stage name Fanny Rugburn. The protestors identified themselves as a group of fascists from all over the northwest known as the Northwest Nationalist Network (3N). The protest continued until the conclusion of the second event with police remaining on site until the demonstrators departed.

To play on

In June, the City of Florence Public Works crews began work on the Miller Park Play Structure Replacement Project on Monday, June 19, with the City Council breaking “sand” at the playground. According to the city, “a new play structure incorporating maritime See 2023, page A5

Celebrating Over 30 Years in Real Estate

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED JIM HOBERG Broker/Owner

1870 Hwy. 126, Suite A • PO Box 3040, Florence, OR