Business Quarterly
SIUSLAW NEWS |BUSINESS QUARTERLY | APRIL 20, 2019
Greater Florence Area
Siuslaw News’ Business Quarterly is a way to seasonally highlight local businesses and economic development updates. To advertise, call 541-997-3441. To submit, email pressreleases@thesiuslawnews.com.
Prioritizing housing & economic development New Community & Economic Development Committee dives into City of Florence Work Plan By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News
T
he City of Florence is getting back into motion with a focus on community involvement, re-energized committees and a newly updated City Work Plan. After work done last year, the Florence City Council voted to reorganize the city’s existing committee structure, forming two new committees from past groups and appointing many new committee members, who took position in January. One of the newly created committees is the Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC), which combined elements of the previously inactive Economic Development Committee, Housing Committee and Parks Committee. City Manager Erin Reynolds said, “The city council went through a revamp of all the committees over 2017 to 2018 and really started looking at what made a committee effective and what each one’s purpose was. It kept coming back to the fact that as we did the work of economic development, we realized there are a whole myriad of things that support economic development, from quality and livability of life, education, housing, parks and just a community and how it is developed. It started becoming more and more clear that it would be helpful if we had a committee that was a little broader in scope. … “Community and economic development are both pretty broad topics,” she added. “There’s an intersection with almost everything we do as a city. We recognize that with this new committee structure and format.” CEDC Chair Robbie Wright previously served on the Economic Development Committee. He said that although the new committee has a larger field of interest, nothing has been lost from the original goal of supporting Florence’s economy and future.
SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTO
Housing is the City of Florence’s No. 1 Priority in the coming years. The newly created Community and Economic Development Committee will be working on changes to city code after engaging with the community in a planned Housing Open House on May 23. In addition, the group is looking to boost economic opportunities in the region. “All the stuff that got added, like housing specifically, makes a ton of sense. Work force development, in conjunction with economic development, is really tied into our housing situation and trying to fix and do what we can to help improve the housing situation is a really important step to take,” he said. The committee will be action-focused, with a subcommittee already committed to presenting changes to Florence City Code’s section on housing by this summer. Members will be able to use the comprehensive data gathered by 2018’s Housing and Economic Opportunities Project (HEOP) to talk with contractors, hold a Housing Open House in May and make recommendations to the Florence City Council. Reynolds presented the housing subcommittee’s timeline to the CEDC on Thursday, detailing
public meetings on May 2, 9 and 16 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to gather data before presenting to the larger committee on May 23 before the open house. “Between now and then, everybody around this table’s job is to make sure people are aware that are in this word of development and building, contractors — heck, if they just live in Florence and they care how it is going to be built out for the next time period — that they are aware of this going on and that this is a time for their voice to be heard,” Reynolds said. According to the city manager, last year’s work on housing and economic development codes were for the City of Florence’s 20-year Comprehensive plan. “The next step is to take that vision and policy direction and put it into law and how things actually get developed,” she said.
The CEDC will be actively looking for input from those who work with housing and land development on possible improvements to fee structures, removing property limitations, updating building requirements and more. “Go talk to those contractors,” Reynolds advised. “I really see you members of this committee as being the people who go out and collect that feedback. ‘Hey, this is what the consultant said;’ ‘Other communities are doing it this way;’ ‘This is what their proposal is;’ ‘I’ve heard you have concerns about parking. Will this meet your concerns?’” The Housing Open House will be a chance for more community discussion before possible changes are passed to the city council for approval. But housing is just one goal of the CEDC. The others are economic development, parks and recreation
and community development. When she spoke about the broader scope of the new committee, Reynolds said, “First, there will be plenty of things to work on. You won’t run out of steam on one certain topic, and it just opens that crossover with the other committees as well. By naming it ‘Community and Economic Development,’ it just kind of seems to cover the whole umbrella of what’s missing based on the other committees’ work.” And while that many goals can be daunting, the city’s new committee structure encourages the use of subcommittees. Already this has been seen in the artist selection subcommittees for the Florence Public Arts Committee and CEDC’s housing subcommittee, which is made up of committee members Wright, Bill Prosser and David Montes, as well as Planning Commissioner Sandy Young, local real estate broker Aric Sneddon and contractor Roger Center. “I’m a big fan of ad-hoc committees and being able to do subcommittees when we need them and put them to work,” Wright said. “Interest will grow and flex as we have a lot of stuff going on. Once we get through this big housing code update, I think activities for that subcommittee will dwindle or we might be able to just axe it all together, depending on the activities. And as some of the parks stuff starts to pick up steam, we’ll probably have a few committee members jump in on that. Economic development is going to be here to stay, so that won’t necessarily be a separate subcommittee, that will almost always be handled by the whole committee unless we have a very specific thing.” Having the option for subcommittees also helps spread the work around to more people. Besides the committee’s nine members, all volunteers, there are additional ex-officio members from staff, the city council, Transportation Committee and Public Art Committee. See CEDC page 4
Florence voted 2nd Best Harbor in US
USHarbors.com has tallied the votes from across the country — and from among their 4 million users, Florence was voted the No. 2 Best Harbor of 2019 in the US, overtaking Lubec, Maine, in the final week of voting. Padanaram/South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, was voted No. 1. The Best Harbor contest kicked off in January with nominations of 1,278 harbors across 23 states. During the nomination phase, readers of US Harbors narrowed down the list of eligible harbors leaving 90 across the US. Online voting began in early March. Rounding out the top five were Florence, Lubec and Rockland, Maine, and Oyster Bay, NY. “Over the past few months, US Harbors has been on a mission to find out which community our users deem the Best Harbor of 2019,” US Harbors announced in its news release. “It’s been a long, tight race. For us the best part of the contest was getting to read personal stories and feedback about the people, places, businesses and events that make each of the US harbors special. Our readers shared their local favorite things-to-do and we took note, updating our site with the sug-
PHOTO BY CURT PETERS, DIGITAL DUNES PHOTOGRAPHY
gestions provided.” In a town where tourism is the economic backbone, providing 1,900 jobs and $137 million in economic activity last year, the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce asked the public’s support in gaining another national recognition to boost its visibility and attract additional tourism dollars.
Bettina Hannigan, executive director for the chamber, says, “We knew our harbor was worth voting for because of its astounding natural beauty; the excellent boating, fishing and crabbing; and our vibrant riverside Historic Old Town district’s excellent food, drink, galleries, shops and award-winning hotels. There is also our historic bridge, pub-
lic art, farmer’s markets, concerts, parks, the Siuslaw River Interpretive Center and fun wildlife viewing of birds, sea lions, otters and occasional orcas.” Other similar efforts to boost Florence’s profile have resulted in Florence gaining recognition as a Coast Guard City, one of TripAdvisor’s 25 Best Family Weekend Getaways With Kids, USA Today’s number-two Best Small Town in the Northwest and number-two Small Town In America for Adventure, Expedia.com’s Most Beautiful Town, Oregonian readers’ Favorite Coastal Getaway and one of Flight.com’s 8 Coolest Cities You Must Experience for Yourself. “We’re really getting known to vacationers around the country, and even the world,” adds Hannigan. “After all, we are Oregon’s Coastal Playground, and all these attributes and accolades prove it.” For more information on Florence, or to receive a free Florence Visitor’s Guide, contact the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce at FlorenceChamber.com, info@ FlorenceChamber.com or 541-997-3128, or stop by the Florence Visitor’s Center at 290 Highway 101.
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2 SIUSLAW NEWS | BUSINESS QUARTERLY | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2019
Three Rivers Foundation supports Florence Events Center has education, outreach programs at SOS it all to host your event The Three Rivers Foundation recently awarded Siuslaw Outreach Services with a $7,000 grant to support outreach and education programs. These programs are designed to provide clients with skills and tools to become more self-sufficient. SOS offers classes and workshops in the areas of: personal financial management, stress management, employment, tenant rights/responsibilities, meal planning and nutrition, and personal safety. SOS also provides support groups for adult females experiencing or recovering from violence. In addition to providing
classes at SOS, Executive Director Bob Teter also conducts special school-wide assemblies in the Siuslaw School District regarding building healthy relationships. Teter also teaches a class to seniors at Siuslaw High School regarding tenant responsibilities to help them prepare for “life on their own.” The funding provided by the Three Rivers Foundation will help expand those programs to the public, provide incentives for clients to participate and kickstart support group programs for teens experiencing domestic or dating violence.
The classes will reoccur on a monthly basis. Support group meetings will be held on a weekly basis. “We at SOS feel that these programs are critical for many of our clients who experience continual barriers toward self-sufficiency,” Teter said. “So often, providing some financial aid a brief case management is not enough. As they say, ‘You can feed them fish or teach them to fish.’ We want long-term success for our clients. We feel this will help facilitate that.” The funds will allow SOS to provide childcare for classes, light dinners for evening
classes as well as incentives for clients, who are enrolled in housing assistance programs, to complete those courses. Incentives might be in the form of new clothes and grooming for job interviews or a small credit toward their utility bill. These classes and programs are free to the public. Anyone interested in participating in these programs should contact the SOS office at 541-997-2816 or stop by to pick up a calendar of events and description of classes. Those wishing to participate in these classes must register one week in advance.
2nd annual Soar & Sip Wine Tour set for June 22 Tickets are now on sale for Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops (CROW) second annual “Soar and Sip” Wine Tour. The tour will be Saturday, June 22, and tickets are $75. Tickets include a full day, starting with a light breakfast and mimosas, comfortable travel in air-conditioned charter buses, tasting at three Umpqua Valley area wineries and a catered lunch. Specific winerAll proceeds support ies will be unveiled soon. CROW’s high caliber youth
arts education programs. “Last year was such a great event,” said event committee member Megan Shervin. “I had wonderful compliments from the attendees who enjoyed the wineries and the day. This year, we have extraordinary wineries in mind and a fun, delicious lunch planned! Definitely an event you won’t want to miss!” Tickets can be purchased online. Visit www.crowkids. com/wine-tour for details and to purchase tickets. You can also send a check for tickets to
CROW at PO Box 184, Florence, OR 97439. Please include your contact information. Sponsors include: • VIP Sponsors: Dan Lewis Construction, LLC, Recreation Station, Dr. Toby Hanson, Bill & Katie Prosser, Wildflower Montessori and County Transfer and Recycling. • Event Sponsors: Oregon Pacific Bank, Stitch & Sole, Sea Lion Caves, Shervins Tire & Automotive and Center Brothers Construction. For more information, contact Jennifer at 541-520-1255.
NEDCO holds two financial wellness classes Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) is offering two free Financial Wellness classes at the Siuslaw Public Library in the coming weeks. The events are free but advanced registration is required at nedcocdc. org/florence-classes. On Saturday, April 27, is the “Financial Foundations Course” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This first class is great for everyone to attend. Are you working to build more financial stability in your life? Are you working
towards a big financial goal? Financial Foundations is great course for you. This all-day course covers the steps of: • Knowing your financial picture. • Building a budget. • Saving for goals. • Tackling debt. • Planning for the future. • Building your credit. Then, on Saturday, May 4, attend the “ABCs of Homebuying” — great for people who want to become homeown-
ers in the next four months or four years. This class, also from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., builds on “Financial Foundations” and walks attendees through buying a home and how to save money in the process. Does buying a home seem overwhelming? Learn tips to save money, reduce the stress of buying and find the right home for you. This fast-paced eight-hour course, covers: • Financial planning and credit prep.
• Shopping for a home. • Finding an affordable mortgage. • Opportunity for down payment assistance. • Community Land Trust Opportunities. • Protecting your investment long-term. NEDCO is Oregon’s first community economic development non-profit with a mission to help individuals and communities build assets towards financial stability. For more info, visit www.nedcocdc.org.
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An executive retreat for your company? A convention or tradeshow for your organization? An affordable performance hall for your arts or music group? The perfect site for a wedding reception? We’re that place — the Florence Events Center! There’s “Always Something Happening” at the Florence Events Center, and it could be your special event. With 21,000 square feet of space, a 450-seat state-of-theart performance hall, on-site catering, and a staff that works extra hard to make your event perfect, you’ll be glad you chose the Florence Events Center. From international caliber entertainment to intimate family gatherings. From regional conferences to local groups and fundraising banquets. In short, we can help you create a memorable event for five to 500 people. For more information, contact our helpful, friendly staff now at 997-1994, info@ FlorenceEventsCenter.org or
online at EventCenter.org. When you’re planning a big family party at your home, or maybe an open house at your place of business, you know it’s going to be great — as long as all the right ingredients are there. Whether you need regular tables and chairs, bistro tables, chair covers and table cloths, punch bowls, place settings, flatware, room dividers, PA and sound systems, podiums or more, you can get it all in Florence right here at the Florence Events Center! You know there’s always something happening at the Florence Events Center, but when it’s happening at your place, we can help there too. We even offer catering services for whatever kind of food you and your group desire. For all the party equipment you need for an amazing event at your place or ours, contact us now at 997-1994, info@FlorenceEventsCenter. org or online at EventCenter. org.
Instacart Grocery Shopping and Delivery Service now in Florence Instacart, a full-service shopping and delivery service, is now operating and servicing Florence, Ore., and surrounding areas. Instacart is an American company that operates as a same-day grocery delivery service. Customers select groceries through a web application from various retailers and the order is delivered by a personal shopper in as little as 1 hour. By March 2017, Instacart serviced 36 markets, composed of 1,200 cities in 25 US states, and now markets in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. “In the 21st century, our lives are very busy and shopping for groceries is a necessity,” said Alan Clabaugh. “This service
benefits everyone who can use this service to save some time that can be used to spend with family, such as busy moms, busy dads, seniors, people who live in isolated areas, shut ins, tourists or anyone who can benefit from a service like this.” The Instacart service has also created new jobs in Florence. Instacart Shoppers are independent contractors who live and operate in the area. “Stay in your comfort zone and let us do your grocery shopping for you,” Clabaugh said. There is same-day delivery to your door in about an hour. Promotions and more information are available on www.insta cart.com.
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SIUSLAW NEWS | BUSINESS QUARTERLY | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2019
Employment in March: Oregon adds 5,700 jobs Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment rose 5,700 jobs in March, following a decline of 1,200 jobs in February. Five major industries each added close to 1,000 jobs in March: professional and business services (+1,300 jobs), government (+1,100), health care and social assistance (+900), other services (+800) and leisure and hospitality (+700). None of the major industries cut a substantial number of jobs in March. Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in March, unchanged from 4.4 percent in February. For 29 consecutive months, dating back to November 2016, Oregon’s unemployment rate has been between 4.0 percent and 4.4 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in both February and March of this year. Job gains in recent months are an indication of continued moderate economic expansion in Oregon, despite the tight labor market as was evident from the near-record low unemployment rate. Since March 2018, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 32,600 jobs, or 1.7 percent. This was a slight acceleration from annual growth rates averaging 1.5 percent over the prior nine months. Over the past 12 months, the U.S. expanded at the same rate as Oregon: 1.7 percent. Over the past 12 months, transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+3,400 jobs, or 5.3 percent) grew at the fastest
rate of Oregon’s major industries, due to growth at warehouses, fulfillment centers, and package delivery firms. Construction employment grew by 4,400 jobs, or 4.2 percent, as growth in the industry moderated from rapid expansion in recent years. Manufacturing added 5,500 jobs, or 2.8 percent, led by computer and electronic product manufacturing, which has added 1,800 jobs in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, six of the major industries were relatively flat over the year, with none gaining more than 700 jobs. The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the March county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, April 23, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for April on Tuesday, May 14. All numbers in the above narrative are seasonally adjusted except for the jobs in computer and electronic product manufacturing. The Oregon Employment Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work cooperatively to develop and publish monthly Oregon payroll employment and labor force data. The estimates of monthly job gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of households and other sources. More information, including tables and graphs, can be found at www.QualityInfo. org/press-release.
Military Museum enhances gift shop The Oregon Coast Military Museum, located in Florence, Ore., recently made significant enhancements to the merchandise offered through its gift shop. In addition to the traditional merchandise typically found in a museum gift shop such as mission-oriented apparel, the museum’s gift shop now includes an entire line of military related items such as branch-specific coffee mugs, decals, patches and flags. “With this additional merchandise, we are now one of the only places on the Oregon coast where veterans and their families can find items directly related to their branch and time of service,” stated Chief of Staff Geoff Cannon. “We now offer over 150 additional items to honor and remember the service of our active military and veterans.”
Also added to the inventory are select militaria items such as vintage canteens, which were recently donated. In addition to these enhancements, the museum’s gift shop is also offering T-shirts from the recent visit of The Wall That Heals, the three-quarter scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. Volunteers who served on that event in early April each received a shirt for that visit, but the left-over inventory can now be purchased by anyone for $10 per shirt. The museum is located at 2145 Kingwood St. in Florence, and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, from noon until 4 p.m. You can learn more by visiting www.oregoncoast militarymuseum.com.
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OPB honors Robert R. King for 40 years of service FLORENCE—Oregon Pacific Bank was pleased to honor Robert R. King during the Bank’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. King is a co-founder of the bank and served on the Board of Directors since its founding date of Dec. 17, 1979. He served in the position of chairman for 12 years, from 2007 to 2019. King was approached by co-founder Dr. A.J. Brauer in the spring of 1979 to join a group of local community members and business owners who wanted to form a bank to serve the Florence community. “It’s been the best experience and adventure of my life,” King said. “Banking is no hayday, and there have been plenty of ups and downs over the years. What makes me proud of Oregon Pacific Bank is that we’ve weathered the storms and come out on top, with an even brighter future ahead.” King was vital in helping Oregon Pacific Bank establish its three core principles, one of these being to create value for shareholder investment. To establish Oregon Pacific Bank, the founding directors reached out to the local community in 1979 and raised $1 million dollars for the initial capital investment. That investment has grown to an organization with over $322 million in assets per the bank’s 2019 first quarter financial report. King always understood that an organization is more than its bottom line. While profitability is paramount to the success of any small business, he is the first to admit that Oregon Pacific Bank
After retiring from OPB’s board after 40 years, Robert R. King is now the Director Emeritus.
would be nothing without its people. This is more than exemplified in the bank’s additional core principles: to provide high quality client service and to treat the bank’s employees like family. “It’s the people that I will miss the most,” King shared. “I learned a lot from my fellow board members. As chair, you must learn to be part of a team, and not just an individual. You need to have confidence in yourself, but also in your team as you collaborate together for a better future. “As close as I grew to my fellow board members, I am also going to miss the staff. We refer to the OPB family, and that is really something special. I have all the confidence in the world in our executive team and bank employees to
keep Oregon Pacific Bank’s future bright and promising.” With King’s retirement from the board also comes the need for a new chair to be appointed. After careful consideration, Oregon Pacific Bank’s Board of Directors has named Jon Thompson as the new Chairman of the Board, with Dan Jones being appointed as the new Vice Chair. Thompson is the owner of Coast Broadcasting in Florence, Ore., and has been on the bank’s board since 2004. Jones, a CPA and owner of DJ Financial in Roseburg, Ore., has served on the bank’s board since 2014. When asked what wisdom he would like to impart on the bank’s new chairman, King answered, “Community involvement. I made it my goal to attend every bank function and event that I could with my wife Kay, and at all of the branches. It’s important for the commu-
nity to see the chair be actively involved in the bank, and you learn a lot from it too.” A graduate of Oregon State University, King is well known in the Florence community as the owner of R&R King Logging, Inc. Although he has now retired from Oregon Pacific Bank’s Board of Directors, he will no doubt still remain an active presence in the community and will always have a role as advisor to the bank. “Bob King has been with Oregon Pacific Bank from its inception,” says Ron Green, President and CEO of Oregon Pacific Bank. “He has been instrumental in guiding our organization as a director ever since. For all of his dedicated years of leadership and service, Oregon Pacific Bank is pleased to honor Bob with the position of Director Emeritus, allowing him to serve as a trusted advisor to the bank’s board for as long as he wishes.” To learn more about Oregon Pacific Bank, visit www.opbc. com or stop by its locations.
Peace Harbor earns Leader in Patient Safety Improvement Award PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center recently earned recognition as a Leader in Patient Safety Improvement from the Oregon Patient Safety Commission (OPSC). The honor was presented March 15 during the eighth-annual Oregon Patient Safety Event in Portland. This was the first time the OPSC presented this award, which recognizes healthcare organizations in Oregon that have made innovations in patient safety or spread effective patient safety practices in 2018. “Our caregivers and providers have embraced a culture of safety at Peace Harbor, which encourages them to speak up if they see any potential safety issues and work together to find a solution that will help ensure that we provide the best possible care for our patients,” said Jason Hawkins, chief adminis-
COURTESY PHOTO
On March 15, PeaceHealth Peace Harbor was awarded as a Oregon Patient Safety Commission Leader in Patient Safety Improvement.
trative officer. “I am so proud Peace Harbor also re- Program targets. of their hard work and com- ceived a nod during the For more information mitment. We are honored to event for exceeding OPSC’s about the awards, visit www. receive this award.” Patient Safety Reporting oregonpatientsafety.org.
Oregon Pacific Bank hosting Free Shred Day today Oregon Pacific Bank will be holding its 12th annual Shred Day today, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until the truck is full. The shred truck will be set up to accept confidential paper materials to be shredded on site in the Financial Center parking lot located at 1365 Highway 101. The event is free and open to everyone in the Florence
community. Business owners are asked to please wait to bring confidential materials for shredding until the last hour of the event. Remember that once the shred truck is full, Oregon Pacific Bank will be unable to accept any more confidential documents. The public is encouraged to take advantage of Shred
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donations for Florence Food Share. Though not required, community members are highly encouraged to bring at least one non-perishable food item with them to Shred Day. For more information about the upcoming Shred Day event, please call Oregon Pacific Bank at 541-997-7121 or visit the Bank’s website at www.opbc.com.
Florence Kiwanis will hold new online auction through June 22 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
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Day as a way for individuals to protect themselves from identity theft and correctly dispose of paper waste. After all paper documents have been shredded they are taken to be recycled, allowing for a safe and responsible way to dispose of confidential paper materials. During the event, Oregon Pacific Bank will be collecting
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Florence Kiwanis President Dick Shores has announced that the club recently released its first-ever online auction. The auction is open now and concludes after the Kiwanis charity fundraising golf tournament at Ocean Dunes Golf Links held on June 22. The auction is hosted at www.biddingowl.com/ florencekiwanis and has over 35 local items up for bid ranging in retail price from $40 to $735. Items in-
clude: Seven vacation packages in homes and hotels on the Oregon Coast, cords of firewood, artwork and many gift certificates from local businesses. “The opening bids are set low to entice bidders to engage, have fun and maybe win some sweet deals,” said Shores. Potential bidders can see all of the items without registering at the Bidding Owl link above, or online at www.florencekiwanis.org.
4 SIUSLAW NEWS | BUSINESS QUARTERLY | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2019
Oregon Coast Regional Draft Strategic Plan available for public comment The Oregon Coast Regional 20192021 Draft Strategic Tourism Management Plan for the Regional Cooperative Tourism Program (RCTP) is now available for your review and public comment. This biennial draft plan was developed in alignment with Travel Oregon’s strategic planning process, RCTP Guidelines and extensive input from regional stakeholders. For more information on your Regional Destination Management Organization and the RCTP, visit Industry. TravelOregon.com/RCTP. Comments on the Oregon Coast Regional 2019-2021 Draft Strategic Tourism Management Plan can be made here. To provide public comment, people should join the Oregon Coast Region Focus Group and create a login. COURTESY PHOTO Once complete, they will have the op- People are encouraged to comment on the Oregon Coast Regional Strategic Tourism Management Plan.
Local novelist publishes 4th standalone book Blue Rune Publications is excited to announce its debut publication, the fourth novel by critically acclaimed novelist GJ Scherzinger, “The Henna Witch.” Magic is the key ingredient in fantasy fiction, and in this book it is sorcery misused for a corrupt system by attacking the dreams of the common man. Standing in the face of this treachery is the wisdom of age found in the title character and the innocence of youth portrayed by the native girl, O’la. They possess their own brand of magic, a strong bond with animals and nature. Unlike many fantasy novels inhabiting worlds of medieval strongholds and charmed swords, this book evolves in remote jungles and the most potent magic is the power of nature itself. “I was still recovering from the final surgery to my cranium when I started the novel, initially intended as a follow-up to my third book, ‘The Wizard of Grimmer’s Wharf,’” said Scherzinger about his new novel. “Before I had finished a dozen chapters, I realized
CEDC from page 1 “There’s never enough resources to cover the ambitious work of this city,” Reynolds said. “We do rely on volunteers to help come along and partner with the city to make projects happen. Quite honestly, a lot of the projects that are happening with parks is because certain interest groups are showing that level of interest and volunteer hours that take us over the finish line. … That volunteer effort with donations and, quite frankly, the passion and the drive to see something through is really where you see that growth. That’s why you see a thriving community garden, that’s why you see more
that the title character needed her own story and most of it was scrapped. Because of that, ‘The Henna Witch’ was truly an evolution as I wrote. The antagonist changed as did the setting and I was forced to build an entirely new environment to accommodate it. Some characters are meant to tell their own part of the story and then
plans for pickleball, that’s why you see Miller Park the way it is. There are just lots of volunteers there. And you as committee members are volunteers. We’re looking to you to help us achieve our goals.” CEDC’s four areas are mandated by the Florence City Council; its five goals of City Service Delivery, Livability & Quality of Life, Economic Development, Communication and Trust, and Financial & Organizational Sustainability; as well as its six priorities for 201920: Housing Efforts & Initiatives, Family Wage Jobs & Workforce Development, ReVision Florence Community Outreach, Development of the Quince Street Prop-
disappear. Some come in with that intent and then they are impossible to put down. O’la, the native girl, was one of those.” Scherzinger used the bulk of his formative career to ski as much as possible while finding gainful work as a TV producer and director. He left the broadcast business and his skis to spend the next 13 years living on a 41foot yawl in NW Washington. In various adventures, he sailed the Inside Passage, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas. His first novel was penned while residing in the San Juan Islands. He lived for a while in Todos Santos in Baja, Mexico, where he continued writing and was adopted by a stray dog who is still with him. He currently lives on a small farm in the coastal hills of his native Oregon and has just completed the first draft of his fifth novel, “The Deck of the Numinon.” All of the author’s books, including “The Henna Witch,” are stand-alone novels of magic, mystery and adventure.
erty, Parks & Park Improvements, and Infrastructure & Capital Improvements. “The city council created a work plan to clearly establish goals, objectives and priorities for us to work on as a city,” Reynolds said. “It also provides that authorization model for committees to be working on items and projects. As we put together the budget in the next month or two, that will add financial resources, or not, to those projects.” In her presentation, which is available in the meeting materials for April 18 on ci.florence.or.us, Reynolds detailed additional steps within the city’s goals for the CEDC. “If you’re wondering,
‘What does this committee do? Who are we?’ You’re here to support the goals and the priorities of the city. And the city has said housing and being able to develop as easy as possible in a way that makes sense for Florence is a big priority for our city council,” she said. “It also says that in an understanding that we are operating in an environment where you are impacting people’s day-to-day lives — where they live, what their neighborhoods look like and what the future of Florence looks like.” By representing both the “community” and “economic” side of development in Florence, the CEDC will be integral in helping people’s voices be heard in future
tion to make comments on the various sections of the plan listed on the lefthand side under “Topics.” Please note, when people are making comments online, they have the option of choosing “private,” which prevents their name from being visible in these online comments; however, all comments on the plan will be made public when the comment period closes. Additionally, Travel Oregon’s 20192021 Draft Strategic Plan is now open for public comment. Online comment periods close Wednesday, May 1, at 5 p.m. Travel Oregon will approve the Oregon Coast Strategic Tourism Management Plan by June 30. The Oregon Tourism Commission will approve Travel Oregon’s Strategic Plan on June 11.
Growing your farm or ranching business from small to midsized On Wednesday, April 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Siuslaw Watershed Council presents a Siuslaw Watershed Gathering. Come learn from Ecotrust’s Ag of the Middle Manager, Maia Hardy, on strategies, tips and tricks for how to grow your farm or ranching business. You will walk away from this presentation with the knowledge and resources to help you grow and preserve long-term wealth for your family. Hardy has a decade of experience working at the intersection of community development, finance and agriculture. She has advised thousands of business owners on how to grow while maintaining their commitments to their values. The event will be April
changes to city code. “There are a lot of opinions out there on what the future of Florence looks like, a lot of conflicting ideas,” Reynolds said. “The way Florence is today has developed based on current standards, and we’re talking about new standards that will change things and make Florence look a little different. We want to have as much support as possible from the community that they’ve bought into this. That this is how they want their community to look going forward, and that they support Florence City Council and the decisions that it makes.” Later in the meeting, the city manager acknowledged
24 at the Siuslaw Watershed Council Offices on the Mapleton School Campus at 10868 E Mapleton Road in Mapleton. Check out this event and other upcoming events on the council’s new website at www.siuslaw.org. The Siuslaw Watershed Council supports sound economic, social and environmental uses of natural and human resources in the Siuslaw River Basin. The council encourages cooperation among public and private entities to promote awareness and understanding of watershed functions by adopting and implementing a total watershed approach to natural resource management and production.
that both housing and economic development are not traditional things that cities are involved it, saying that Florence is a “trailblazer” in addressing important issues to the region and its residents. “The City in Motion concept is obviously here to stay, and I think the city has been doing a really good job of executing on that,” Wright said. For more information on business opportunities in the Florence area, including the city’s five catalyst sites, partners in education and economic development and the Pacific View Business Park, visit ci.florence. or.us or florencebusiness. org.
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