Progress 2019 - Siuslaw Community - Invest in Siuslaw. Invest in Progress. by Siuslaw News

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SIUSLAW COMMUNITY| DECEMBER 2019

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Siuslaw Community Invest in Siuslaw. Invest in Progress. Progress, a long-held tradition for the Siuslaw News, is something of a yearbook for our community. This year, the newspaper is expanding its historical one-section edition into a series of special issues that are designed to highlight important topics, people, places and businesses in our community. Throughout the year, expect to see the best of the region on: transportation, real estate and finance, technology and industry and local flavors.

The Siuslaw News — news and views that define our community

Progress 2019 This is the final edition of Siuslaw News’ year-long coverage on this community’s progress. Now, get ready for PROGRESS 2020.

SN Siuslaw News

Contact your Siuslaw News marketing representative today 148 Maple Street Florence, Oregon 541.997.3441 • thesiuslawnews.com

2C | DECEMBER 2019 | PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY

Under the ‘Banner’ of community care

Some People’s Legacies Are Written on Monuments

But yours will be written on lives

Story & Photo Banner Bank’s conference room allows community groups, such By Chantelle Meyer as the Heceta Head B&B board (above), to hold meetings and Siuslaw News events within the bank, 777 Highway 101 in Florence.

anner Bank has been banking in the Florence and Mapleton communities since 1964, first under the name of Siuslaw Bank, which merged with Banner Bank in 2015. According to Florence Branch Manager Dee Osborne, the Florence branch at 777 Highway 101 is the largest of the 15 branches in the division and the Mapleton branch at 10756 Highway 126 is the smallest. “I’ve been with the bank for 33 years, right here in this office,” she said. “I’m really proud, we have a great staff and great management support. I’ll miss it when I retire.” Banner Bank offers personal banking services, as well as commercial or home construction, homeownership, equity lines, consumer loans, business lending and helping with business plans. “That’s what I’m involved in — business development, planning and lending,” Osborne said. “There’s a lot of different lending opportunities available.” Bank representatives also teach people how to use on-

line and automatic banking. “People have the ability to do more at home,” Osborne added. Founded in 1890, Banner Bank has grown with the times. In 2018, Money Magazine named Banner the Best Bank in the Pacific Region. Forbes has also included it in the 100 Best Banks in America for the past three years, and Bauer Financial has repeatedly assigned Banner its top, five-star rating. Banner has more than $11 billion in assets and over 200 locations throughout Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho. In Florence, the transition from Siuslaw to Banner was “very positive,” Osborne said. “It was a really smooth transition. I think Banner was looking for like-minded banks, so it was a good fit. They’re an awesome company. They provide all the tools to make it a better place to work and a better experience for clients. The nice part is, because it’s bigger than Siuslaw was, we have more opportunities to offer our clients.”

All the bank’s retail employees were retained, as well as the bank’s clients. “We had a little bit of fear. Any kind of market disruption causes fear, but most clients stayed. And we regained any we’ve lost because of Banner’s reputation,” Osborne said. And people like banking in the renovated and beautiful Florence branch. “I think they do, too,” Osborne agreed. “They seem happy when they come in.” Banner Bank will be holding a Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours reception in January 2020 to reacquaint the community with what the bank offers. Its last celebration included the opening of its new conference room in 2017, which is now available to anyone in the area to hold meetings. “That was the only reason (to add the conference room) — to make that available as a community space,” Osborne said. “Basically, the bank is larger than we need right now. See BANNER page 3C

Most of us would like to leave a lasting legacy to show our lives have made a diﬀerence–that we have contributed to an important work or cause that will beneﬁt the lives of others for generations to come. Every day, throughout your community, The Salvation Army is creating a better tomorrow by focusing on today’s needs: Warm meals • Places to rest • Encouragement • Help • Hope With careful planning, you can take care of your family AND serve your community – and The Salvation Army can help. Our free Legacy Planning Booklet provides information on:

• Wills • Trusts

• Annuities • And more…

800-481-3280

Please call or return the coupon today for more information and to request your booklet. Name(s) Address City, State & Zip Phone ( Age(s) E-mail

)

Mail to: William A. Olson, Director of Planned Giving The Salvation Army - Serving Western Lane County 8495 SE Monterey Avenue • Happy Valley, OR 97086 E-mail: bill.olson@usw.salvationarmy.org Visit: salwest.org ©2019 The Salvation Army

ALEG1 SNCP 11/19

Florence, you’re our kind of town. We couldn’t be more honored to serve this amazing community where people work hard to carve out a life as distinct as the landscape. Named Best Bank in the Paciﬁc Region of the U.S. by Money Magazine last year, Banner is well suited to the good work going on right here. Our knowledgeable bankers make it a priority to get to know you and help you pursue your ﬁnancial goals with products and services tailored to your needs. We’re also pleased to support and volunteer at programs to help make life even better for the people who live and work here.

We encourage employee volunteerism and currently have team members serving on the boards of Peace Harbor Medical Center, Florence Food Share and Rods N Rhodies. And, our team members regularly go hands on with nonproﬁt organizations and events such as:

Over the past ﬁve years, we’ve played a vital role in the city and region’s progress and livability:

• Teach Children to Save Day in area schools giving kids a foundation for a solid ﬁnancial future

• Contributed $50,000 to the Emergency Room at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center

• United Way Day of Caring

• Provided ﬁnancing for the City of Florence to streamline operations and build a new City Hall

• Boys & Girls Club of Western Lane County annual fundraiser

• Contributed more than $10,000 to the Florence and Mapleton Food Shares

• Habitat for Humanity Beachwalk fundraiser

Florence, you really are our kind of place. We’re proud to call you home, and honored to partner with you as we all reach for the stars.

To learn more, stop by the Banner Bank branch at 777 Hwy 101 or call us at 541-997-3486. We always enjoy talking with members of our community.

bannerbank.com

Member FDIC

PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY | DECEMBER 2019 | 3C BANNER from page 2C When it first opened as Siuslaw Bank, it was only two branches so operations and everything were right here. As we got larger in that move, we have more bank than we need. The decision was what to do with all the space. And I said, ‘We need another community room. I’m involved in a lot places that don’t know where to have their meetings.’ … We came up with this.” The conference room was put to good use right away through a partnership with Central Lincoln PUD, which used the space as an office while its building was under construction. “There have been a lot of partnerships since then,” Osborne added. “We do utilize our conference room. It’s all for public use, so we have Florence Food Share meet here, Kiwanis meetings, Habitat meetings, museum meetings. It’s free to the public, so that’s been really nice to offer the space for people.” Banner has a strong commitment to giving, both corporately and locally. In 2017 alone, the bank donated nearly $2.5 million to 2,300 community organizations. “Locally, I’m really proud that we donated $50,000 to the emergency room at the hospital. That was a big partnership for that,” Osborne said. The bank also gives to the Florence and Mapleton food shares. This fall, it sponsored a nonprofit board training at the Florence Events Center with PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Foundation and paid to have a speaker. Osborne said, “Banner is very strong about volunteering and giving back to the community. They give paid volunteer hours, so we have

a volunteer tracker and we track the volunteer time of our employees. They’re paid to volunteer.” Nationwide, Banner’s employees volunteered more than 24,100 hours of their time to community service in 2018. “It’s really strongly encouraged that we are involved in nonprofits or boards that we can lend our banking expertise to,” Osborne said. “This can be as a treasurer or anyway financially, just to show that what we do, we give back to the community.” Local organizations that Banner employees volunteer with include Peace Harbor Foundation, Western Lane Community Foundation, Florence Food Share, Rotary Club of Florence, Florence Kiwanis Club, Rods ‘N Rhodies, Habitat for Humanity, Rotary Foundation, Soroptimist International of Florence and the Rhododendron Court. “We have service clubs, we have nonprofit boards and regular volunteers for events,” Osborne said. The bank’s employees will once again decorate the Rhody Court Float in the 113th annual Rhododendron Festival Grand Floral Parade. “I’m excited that the staff agreed to do that,” she said. According to Osborne, volunteering is a strength of the Florence area, so much so that she was recognized as the 2018 Florence First Citizen. “I don’t think a lot of places here could run without volunteers,” she said. “We need a multitude of

PROGRESS VS. REGRESS By Bill Olson

Director, Office of Gift Planning The Salvation Army – Cascade Division rogress is generally agreed upon to be a forward, positive movement towards a stated goal or destination. Regress, on the other hand, is deemed to be a movement backward and away from the same stated goals and objectives. Before one can affirm either progress or regress, one should clearly state their goals and destination. So, I asked our local leaders and supporters to consider our goals and objectives and tell us how we are doing. The main activities of The Salvation Army are as follows: • To continue the advancement of the Christian religion through evangelistic outreach • To continue to provide financial assistance to The Salvation Army where needed • To provide effective leadership and share knowledge and expertise through the strategic deployment of personnel • To respond to and help meet the needs arising from major crises • To strengthen The Salvation Army’s capacity to support poor and marginalized people who need access to quality primary health care services as close to the family as possible • To take action to combat the massive and growing evil of sexual trafficking and to create awareness of social injustice in the world. All these activities are to be rendered without discrimination to those with need. As a fundraiser for The Salvation Army, it helps me to be mindful of each

P volunteers at the hospital. … It’s amazing. The library, the friends of the events center — the volunteers are just amazing. We should be very fortunate for that.” As the season shifts toward the holidays, Osborne offers some words of advice on giving back: “You can’t give everything. Sometimes you can give money and sometimes you can give time. It just depends on where you are in life. You can give all you want to the Soroptimist Food Baskets, but if there are not people there volunteering to put them together and hand them out, the event is not going to happen. Everybody is important.” This message is echoed by Banner Bank on its corporate website. Part of its mission statement includes, “Working as a team, we will deliver superior products and services to our valued clients. We will emphasize strong client relationships and a high level of community involvement.” “We just work hard every day, try to do the best for our clients and enjoy being at work,” Osborne said. “The fact that we can have careers in this town is really important for all of our staff.” For more information about Banner Bank, visit bannerbank.com or stop by 777 Highway 101 in Florence or 10756 Highway 126 in Mapleton.

Florence Janitorial Services

The Salvation Army local advisory committee includes (from left) Bea Maury, Karen Harden, Ramiro Ramirez, Debi Leighton and Janet Snow. The local director of gift planning is Bill Olson (right). of these objectives. It also helps when our supporters know of or are connected to one or more of these major objectives. While we remain committed to the provision of resources and outreach to every zip code in the USA, we also share the tremendous opportunity to enjoin others in our mission. We now serve every zip code in the USA and serve others in over 130 countries. The challenge of ‘doing the most good’ is best met by the strategic deployment of personnel guided by volunteer boards and councils throughout the world and locally. Anyone interested in being involved more intimately with our local services in Western Lane County can contact me. While we do not exclude anyone from receiving our services contingent on their religion, or choice not to have any religious beliefs at all, we are unabashedly bold to proclaim a common thread with the universal Christian church. The Salvation Army has always been and must always be first willing to share the Gospel message of the love of God for this world through our common faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. To this end we will,

we must be committed. The evidence we are doing God’s will is the outpouring of love and compassion, meeting real needs, and helping people overcome circumstances that impair their ability to fully integrate in our society and become contributors themselves to the care of their own families and the welfare of others. The Salvation Army exists to do most good possible in the worldly realm of providing humanitarian and social services while advocating that our government and economic structures be committed to the relief of suffering and achieving social justice in our world. If anyone would like to support the mission of The Salvation Army here in Western Lane County, or to lean how to reach the poor and marginalized people we serve in the far reaches of this world, please contact me by calling 1-800-4813280, or writing me at The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1041, Florence, OR 97439. My email address is bill. olson@usw.salvationarmy. org. Follow our work on Facebook’s Salvation Army – Western Lane County.

Local carpet, upholstery cleaners keep Florence in ‘tip-top shape’

Robyn, Jason and Connie “Clean as a Whistle” New Contruction Clean-Up Commercial

P. O. Box 3257 • Florence, OR 97439

541-997-2385 Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Jerry and Jim of Neil’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

Property Services Contractor #39458 • SAM: #831298500/7E6J9 City License #2578

Story & Photo By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News

Jim & Jerry

Neil’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

541-997-3825 Certified – Bonded – Insured Property Services Contractor #39458 • SAM: #831298500/7E6J9 City License #2578

“Our commitment is to our customers cleaning needs with honesty and integrity”

o Hines really likes to keep things clean. She has been working with Florence area residents and businesses to keep their properties in tip-top shape since she purchased Florence Janitorial Services nearly 30 years ago. “I bought Florence Janitorial Services from Neil Tompkins in 1989, and Neil’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning from him in 1990. These are both family owned businesses providing jobs for local people since that time,” Hines said. “Two employees are family members besides myself and my husband Bill repairs equipment for the businesses and maintains the vehicles.” The process of cleaning the many different types of furniture materials and floor surfaces available to consumers these days makes the knowledge and experience the employees at Hine’s businesses have more

valuable than ever. They offer a complete array of services for janitorial support and they utilize the latest techniques and equipment for cleaning all types of carpets and furniture. “Our services include steam and dry cleaning for carpets, steam only for upholstery. We also clean area rugs and runners on site. Carpet manufacturers recommend steam extraction cleaning at least once per year, since dry cleaning does not extract anything,” Hines said. She also wants potential customers to know there are major differences in the methods used to clean things, some work well and others do not. “Some home cleaning products remove color from carpet and upholstery fibers, professional cleaning does not. Additionally, we steam clean upholstery that does not have any precautions regarding steam cleaning,” she said. There are also a few mis-

conceptions that Hine’s would like to clear up for people considering professional help with their cleaning needs. “Steam cleaning does NOT shrink carpets, in part because most carpet is made of man-made materials, but also because the fibers are mounted in a fixed backing. Extraction removes pet fur, sand and, in most cases, oils.” Neil’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning has recently purchased new cleaning equipment and a new truck. Hines feels these additions to the company toolbox will allow the busy family business to accommodate more customers, with the latest technology, ensuring the proper technique is always used when taking on a new cleaning situation. For more information on Florence Janitorial Services and Neil’s Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, call 541997-3825.

4C | DECEMBER 2019 | PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY

SOCKS TO A T W

“Our journey has been fun and educational,” Dave says. “Retail clothing is a great way to be creative; we have a great design team for our T-shirts and sweatshirts and offer so many crazy and cute socks to choose from.” In addition to selling eccentric socks, Dave and his talented team design an array of T-shirts and sweatshirts, including “magic shirts” that reveal vibrant colors when exposed to the sun, Rhododendron Festival-themed shirts and high-quality hiking, running and compression socks. Located in Florence’s beautiful Old Town on historic Bay Street, Socks to a T is a local gem, and Oregon Pacific Bank is honored to partner with the Twomblys and put on a new pair of their silly socks, every day of the week. For information about Oregon Pacific Bank’s business services, or to read more client testimonials, visit www.opbc.com.

hether you fancy foxes or prefer pirates, you’re sure to find your perfect pair of socks at Dave Twombly’s new shop, Socks to a T. As the owners of three businesses in Florence — Socks to a T, All About Olives and Central Coast Disposal — Dave and his wife, Lynne, are seasoned entrepreneurs. In order to focus on running their diverse companies, they count on Oregon Pacific Bank (OPB) for all their business banking needs. “We have banked with OPB for over 20 years and have been very satisfied with the friendly staff and with all the services they provide,” Dave says. The Twomblys put their trust in OPB to handle their checking and savings, merchant services, point-of-sale services, credit cards, line of credit and mortgage loans, allowing them to do what they do best — selling quirky socks.

Take a Look.

You’ll Like What You See!

J & J Automotive is expanding! Same great service Same Owner, Stan Lang Complete Auto & Truck Repair We have expanded our distributors offering you many more choices in parts for lift kit, light kits, tires, wheels, accessories and so much more!

We are a distributor for • Weather Tech • Rough County suspensions • K&N Filters • Gibson performance • Keystone • Stealth Diesel • Wheel pros tire and wheels • Composition specialties • Rough Stuff • ARB Products • Lund Products • Amp distributor • Airlift • Firestone • B&W.... and more!

Like working on his family’s cars Story & photo By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News

“H

onesty and fair prices,” J&J Automotive owner Stan Lang said when asked what he wanted people to know about his business. “I treat everything like I’m working on my family’s car. I wouldn’t rip them off and charge them more than what needs be. I don’t replace anything that doesn’t need to be done. I talk to them before I do anything, and do not try to oversell things. I don’t feel that that’s fair.” He started recalling a time when a customer had come in, thinking that their car had a stability control problem on it, thinking the sensors had to be replaced. They thought it would cost $500. Lang looked at the car, and realized that it was simply some debris that needed to be cleaned up. He charged $100, which shocked the customer. “They had a noise in it and they thought it was a suspension problem, but it ended up just being—” A customer walked in just as Lang was about to finish the story. Lang asked what he could do to help. The customer had left his car at home, and was afraid that there were a whole host of problems when a sensor light came on. The entire system could need an overhaul. “You could have five codes, but only one problem,” Lang assured him. “We need to find out what the problem could be causing the rest of them to come on. And that’s the way we start. We don’t just go in and replace everything.” The sensor could be saying there’s something wrong, but if the car had a vacuum

J&J Automotive owner Stan Lang leak, that would make the sensor stay high, “and it won’t ever change that.” The customer quickly felt at ease and the two began talking about cars in general. The customer recalled a time when you could run a diesel on frying oil. Lang remembered the days well. “You and I know that, but there’s no money in that,” Lang said. “When the diesel pickups came out, people found out that you could pick up waste grease oil from the restaurants and burn that.” The customer recalled hearing that Willie Nelson did the same thing. “You go down the road smelling like French fries, but it was free fuel, so what the heck,” Lang said. At that point, the customer talked about how important getting the work done was, how they depended on it for his job, driving from city to city. How on some business calls, the car doubled as motel. He was worried, and willing to have the whole system redone of needs be. Lang gently laughed, saying, “I’d like to see where we are before doing anything.” The customer was worried about leaving his car there overnight, but again Lang put him at ease. “We got cameras,” he said, and a neighbor who liked to

stay up late and neighborhood watch. As the customer left to get his car, one thing was made sure: Cars are important. “Point A to point B,” Lang said. “It’s for convenience, but for a lot of people, it’s survival. It’s like myself. I’ve been in and out of surgeries for two years now. I can’t get to Eugene, other than by ambulance, and I’ve had to have that a couple of times. I had one in May and it cost me $2,800.” Not having a car can be costly, in both cash and health. But the perception of auto repair as being money driven can keep people nervous, with every light sensor leading to financial disaster. Lang said he can see why people think like that. “I finished my apprenticeship in the ‘70s. Things have changed since then because it’s all about this.” He rubbed his fingers together. “It’s all about the money. About 34 years ago, I went to a seminar and they were going to teach you how to get your income up. One of the first things the speaker said was, ‘I’m going to teach you how to reach into these people’s pockets and pull up their socks.’ I got up and walked out. I’ll never forget that.” Lang said he still gets calls from sales rep looking to increase sales. See J&J page 5C

PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY | DECEMBER 2019 | 5C

Keeping families in Florence West Coast Real Estate Services works with people at every stage of life

By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News

“I

just think it’s an undiscovered gem,” Jim Hoberg, owner of West Coast Real Estate Services, said of the Florence area. “We have all the outdoor activities, we have all the events. We have everything that a big town has in a small-town atmosphere. And then if you want big town, it’s 60 miles in every direction. It is a great place to live, work, raise kids. I mean, it’s just a really cool place.” Florence is the kind of place that Hoberg, along with his five associates, have dedicated their lives to. The goal is to ensure the undiscovered gem remains vibrant and healthy, though at times it can be difficult. Hoberg, whose business covers both rental property management and real estate, has experienced firsthand some of the issues facing the local rental and housing market. “The rental market is super strong,” Hoberg said. “There’s not a whole lot of rentals for people to stay in, and there is not a whole lot of homes for people to purchase. It’s a tough process right now. Our job is to try

and keep every family and seller, what their actual mo- homeowners looking to re- suits their needs and take every person in Florence.” tivation is and what they coup their losses after the them all the way through And when Hoberg and want to do,” he said. “And crash. They began selling closing,” Hoberg said. his crew are able to ful- then we scour the market. off their properties to re- “Then we give helpful hints fill their goal, the moment That is one of our leading cover the losses. This has on how to maintain the that a family in home afterwards, need finds stabili- “We walk buyers through every step of the process to get so they don’t have ty, West Coast Real approved for a new home, find a property that suits their problems.” Estate goes beyond And it’s at that needs and take them all the way through closing. Then we just finding peomoment when the ple homes — the give helpful hints on how to maintain the home afterwards, job goes beyond staff does its part so they don’t have problems.” selling property — Jim Hoberg, — when Hoberg by helping keep the community thrivWest Coast Real Estate Services and his crew help ing. support the comHoberg is celemunity. brating 30 years in the busi- things here, to satisfy their left many long-term res“To see them go from ness. A Florence native, he desire.” idents who were renting rock bottom when they got grew up learning the ins The past three decades without a place to land. notice and came in, sayand outs of the automotive have seen a lot of changes “There’s not a whole lot of ing ‘We have no place to business. in the Florence community options, so they’re review- live,’ to actually owning a “I was a certified me- when it comes to real estate. ing every option they have, home.” chanic in the family busi- There was the waning tim- whether it’s to stay in FlorIt’s the excitement of ness,” he said, referring ber industry in the ‘80’s, fol- ence or move out of Flor- those getting out of a tough to Hoberg’s Auto Repair, lowed by a retirement hous- ence,” Hoberg said. “We’re situation that makes the which his family has run ing boom in the ‘90’s. Then working with people right job special. for decades. But 30 years the housing crash of the now where the home was “They’re going from beago, he saw an opening in 2000s caused an abundance sold out from underneath ing a renter that was disthe real estate business. of rental opportunities in them. They were renting a placed from a sale to living “I started to pursue that,” the area. Homeowners, home and it was sold.” with family and friends,” he said. “The family sup- looking at the houses as inWhile he said he didn’t he said. “They were explorported me and I never vestment properties, began like to use the word “couch ing every option and it’s looked back. It was super renting their single-family surfing,” his clients did not nice that we were able to fun, and I can’t believe it’s units just to cover the costs have a stable home. This is keep them here. Florence been 30 years. It’s still very of the mortgages. where West Coast Real Es- needs as many people reexciting every day. I’m very But things changed when tate becomes a vital part of maining in Florence as we happy.” the market prices began to keeping the community to- can keep.” His favorite part has been recover. While there are gether. The displaced are not satisfying client needs. many factors associated “We walk buyers through the only people that West “We strive very hard to with the current “hous- every step of the process Coast Real Estate helps. find whatever the client, ing crunch” in the region, to get approved for a new There’s the people who whether it be a buyer or a one large factor came from home, find a property that want to move into the re-

3 g n 0 i t a Y r ears b e l e C in Real Estate

VOTED #1 REALTOR 5 YEARS Siuslaw News Readers Choice

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JIM HOBERG Broker/Owner •••

• RESIDENTIAL • LAND • COMMERCIAL • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT •

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

541.997.7653 Fax: 541.997.7654

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.JIMHOBERG.COM

gion who can’t find an entry-level home. “The story is, ‘I got a job here, but I have no place to live. How do I move here for our new job?’ That’s another aspect on the rental side. People get hired here. Where do we house them? It’s definitely a juggling act.” But the issues surrounding the “housing crunch,” as some people call it, are temporary. “Right now, the city is pretty proactive in trying to find a solution to that problem,” Hoberg said. Hundreds of affordable homes are in the planning right now, particularly to the north side of the city. “It’s very nice,” he added. And when that occurs, West Coast Real Estate will transition from keeping the community together, to growing it. “The best is probably the first-time homebuyer,” Hoberg said. “They’ve been renting for years and they finally come to the conclusion that they want to be a homeowner. That’s probably the most satisfying aspect of our business.” As new families come in to Florence to help grow the community, West Coast Real Estate will be there to ensure that everyone gets a chance — because community begins with a home. J&J from page 4C

“I say, ‘I know, I could do it your way. But I’d be shoveled out of this town in the first six months. It’s not going to happen. Not in this shop.’ I’m not getting rich by any means, and I could get more money by doing things different, but I would not want one of my daughters broke down some place and somebody taking advantage of them. That would not be good. I just don’t agree with that.” Lang’s been working in automotive all his life. “It’s all I’ve ever really known,” he said, saying that he started taking apart, learning about and rebuilding lawn mowers since he was 11. In high school, it was auto shop for half-aday, and the other half split with the “necessary stuff,” and then of course football at nights. “It’s all I’ve done, mechanic stuff,” he said. “Figuring things out. It’s what I love to do. I dissect everything. I need to find out what went wrong. I know it’s probably stupid, but I just have to know. ‘Why did it do that?’” And for the past 30 years, Lang has been in Florence, figuring things out for auto owners. He worked 16 years at Florence RV and Automotive, and then the past 14 years at J&J. Since then, he’s developed a motto: “At least when I go to a grocery store, I don’t have to hide behind aisles to avoid somebody.” Lang held up his jacket, covered his face, pretending to shiver. He laughed. “You understand what I’m saying? I don’t want to go, ‘Shh, someone’s there!’ I want to be able to talk with and enjoy my customers.”

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6C | DECEMBER 2019 | PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY

Lofy Construction can help clients visualize their 2020 building needs in Florence

he housing sector of Florence’s economy is doing well and the need for a reliable, well-respected construction business to assist with home remodels and other major projects has never been more important. Dan and Teresa Lofy, the owners of Lofy Construction LLC C.C.B #221760, have been providing excellent customer service and highly skilled renovations and construction services to area homeowners for more than 30 years. During that time, Lofy Construction has worked on large scale commercial projects of 60,000 sq. ft, unique custom homes and complete home remodels. The work done by the company has changed to a certain degree over the past few years, and much of the work they are currently engaged in focuses on custom designed upgrades. “Our focus these days is on remodels and we specialize in kitchens and baths,” Teresa said. “Before we start your project, we use a program called 2020 to help you to visualize what the room will look like.” Lofy Construction is currently moving into a new office located at 2530 Kingwood St. In addition to providing more workspace, there will also be a new design room. This new space will allow clients to take time to digitally view the many options that are available for every size of project. Another aspect that sets the Lofys apart is their focus on designing and building projects with great attention paid towards the environmental impact of their work. “We separate all job site materials, and all wood and metal products are recycled.

By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News

Lawn debris and dead trees are ground up for mulch and concrete is also recycled,” Teresa said. “When we do have garbage, we empty the bag at the transfer station and reuse them so we aren’t adding any more plastic to the landfill.” On-site workers sweep driveways and streets instead of using water and when they pressure wash, they don’t use any chemicals that would hurt the eco-system. Dan and Teresa are also aware of the costs associated with a new remodel and take steps to install cost savings in all facets of the design process. “We install LED and other low voltage lighting in all of our jobs to reduce energy costs and usage. We are also promoting the use of heat pump water heaters that use 70 percent less energy to operate,” Dan said. “Our main focus now is remodels,” he continued. “If you already own your home or have found a home to buy that just does not quite work and want to change or upgrade to your specifications, consider us.” Besides designing and installing kitchen and bathroom remodels, Lofy Construction can also build clients a completely new home. The contractors have worked with a number of architects over the years and have well-established connections that assure the client of the best deign for their specific needs. “If you are looking for a new home build, we can handle it all — from site clearing to finish. We have quality architects we work with to build your new home exactly the

Lofy Construction, LLC, was voted the Best Contractor in Florence in the Siuslaw News 2018 Best of Florence poll. Owners Dan and Teresa Lofy opened the business in 1990 and have worked on thousands of new construction and remodel projects in that time.

way that you want it,” Dan said. “If you already own your home or have found a home to buy that does not quite work for you, we can upgrade it to your exact specifications. If you have a dream, we can put it on paper and build it.” For more information about Lofy Construction, visit www. lofyconstruction.net or call 541-590-3691.

THE SIUSLAW PIONEER MUSEUM

One of the sentences that struck me in the Siuslaw News promotion of this community edition was “focus on businesses and organizations that are the backbone of our community.” This treasure of a museum is certainly one of those backbones. The idea for the Siuslaw Pioneer Association began in 1920 when a group of friends met at the home of Mrs. Clara Haring, the first white woman on the North Fork, in honor of her 66th birthday. A plan was made to perpetuate the memory of the men and women who laid the foundation for the cultural history of the Siuslaw region. Thus the Siuslaw Pioneer Association was formed. From those far-sighted folks and that simple beginning has become today’s Siuslaw Pioneer Museum whose home is in the 1905 former schoolhouse at 278 Maple Street. It is the home of historic displays and other information about the Siuslaw River area. In the early days, the Siuslaw River was the primary and nearly exclusive means of travel in the area. Visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to see real artifacts used in the daily life of the early settlers. These include those related to logging, fishing, farming and shop keeping. They can become immersed in the way people lived in their homes, what they did for entertainment, what they wore, and what they used in the kitchen. A special treat is the sewing room with its antique and well-used loom. Visitors can spend just an hour or two in the museum or perhaps make a day of it and include a self- guided historic walking tour which begins at the museum and brings you by 21 different buildings and locations in Old Town Florence. The museum’s Research Library has documentary information regarding our local history and pioneer families. It houses a collection of files and documents that are catalogued in its own computerized system for easy reference. The staff in the library is happy to assist persons seeking to find out more about their family history. Come in and learn more about this area and the families who braved many hardships to settle here. They will surprise and amaze you. Thanks to the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum you can discover much about the “old days.” The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. February through December. Check out and like us on our Facebook page or go to www.siuslawpioneermuseum.com

PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY | DECEMBER 2019 | 7C

LOFY CONSTRUCTION, LLC Serving Florence for over 30 years

“When Quality Counts” ABOUT US We have been in construction for over 30 years and love every minute. We have done and do everything from small projects and repairs, to 60,000 square foot commercial building, custom homes, home additions, single room remodels to complete house remodels, tenant in-fills in commercial buildings, our main focus now is Remodels, Specializing in Kitchens and Baths, We use a program called 2020 to let you visualize what your room will look like before we start. We are opening a new office in town and have added a design room.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

REMODELING

DESIGNS

If you are looking for a new Home build, at Lofy Construction we handle it all from site clearing to finish. We have Quality Architects we work with to get your new home exactly the way you want.

If you already own your home or have found a home to buy that just does not quite work and want to change or upgrade to your specifications.

We do in house designs and Custom work for all jobs. If you have a dream, we can put it on paper and build it.

LOFY CONSTRUCTION L.L.C. IS PROUD TO RECEIVE THE “FLORENCE GREEN AWARD” FOR OUR GREEN EFFORTS. We separate all job site materials, all wood products are recycled, all cardboard is recycled, all metals are separated and put in the metal bins Any bushy debris or trees are brought to Sand Ranch to be ground up for mulch and concrete is recycled. when we do have garbage we empty the bag at the dump and reuse them so as not to fill the landfills with more plastic. We sweep driveways and streets

CCB#221760

Tel: 541-590-3691 • dlofy@bmi.net 2530 Kingwood • Florence, Oregon 97439

www.lofyconstruction.net

instead of using water, when we pressure wash we do not use any chemicals that would hurt our eco system, we install LED and other low voltage lighting in all jobs to reduce energy cost’s and usage. we are promoting the use of heat pump water heaters that use 70% less energy to operate. These are many of the things we do at Lofy Construction LLC.

8C | DECEMBER 2019 | PROGRESS — SIUSLAW COMMUNITY

A LOCAL BANKER who will put himself IN YOUR SHOES (AND SOCKS).

M U LT I - PRO NGED BANK I N G SO LU TIONS OR YO UR NO NPROF IT.

Carl Frazier (top) Oregon Pacific Bank Dave Twombly (bottom) Socks to a T

Whether you fancy foxes or prefer pirates, you’re sure to find your perfect pair of socks at Dave Twombly’s shop. As co-owner of Socks to a T in Florence, Dave is a seasoned entrepreneur who puts his trust in us to handle his business banking needs. From point-of-sale services to business loans, banker Carl Frazier is always happy to step in and help, so that Dave can do what he does best—sell quirky socks. But don’t take our word for it—hear what Dave and others have to say about Oregon Pacific Bank at www.opbc.com/testimonials

Not your ordinary bank.