Siuslaw Fisherman’s Association

Florence, Oregon

Quarterly Newsletter

- December 2009 -

Website:  www.siuslawfisherman.org  (Check this out for Board Meeting minutes, information, etc)

Monthly Meetings:  Third Tuesday of every month 6:00 pm.  Nazarene Church 1536 12^th Street. Florence.

                      Everyone is invited to these meeting. Come let your ideas be heard!

Bud Saulsgiver, Chairman, 999-1301                        Neil Roberts, Board Member, 997-9516

Bill Dietrich, Vice President 997-3071                      Shirley Saulsgiver, Board Member 997-5115

Joe Sassone, Board Member 997-3119                    Annette Smith, Secretary, 902-2345

John Martinez, Board Member 902-1481                  Nan Osbon, Board Member, 902-0992

Brien Mill, Board Member, 541-808-1810

Well hello everyone on these winter days!!! What a winter we are having so far!  Only on the coast could we have such a variety of weather! 

Well, we had our annual membership meeting.  Shirley provided home made tuna sandwiches and cookies and there were blueprints of the completed Ice Machine to review.  It was a good turn out and it was so enjoyable to see some new faces and visit with those so concerned with the purpose of the SFA.  It was suggested that I include in this newsletter that purpose and I think that is a good idea, so here it is:

“The purpose of the Siuslaw Fisherman’s’ Association is to work with and assist the Siuslaw Port Authority, the city of Florence, Lane County, the state of Oregon and the federal government; and to work with all relevant local, state, and federal government agencies; and to work with educational institutions, other nonprofit organizations, affected communities, interested individuals and businesses, to help alleviate the impacts of the deteriorating economic situation of the commercial fisherman who have been affected by the severe decline of the region’s commercial fishing industry.”

I know we have been focused on getting the Ice Machine up and running as that truly is the biggest project we will have in supporting our purpose, but there are other things we can be doing as well.  I hope that as a concerned member of this organization, you feel free to come to some meetings and let some of your ideas be shared.

Bud presented a wrap up of the final stages of completing the Ice Machine.  We have applied for money through the Lane County Economic Development Standing Committee and are just waiting for the paper work to be completed before work can start on the final projects! (For more details... visit our website!)

There was more than a 25% quorum of members at the meeting, so we were able to hold our elections for the new Board.  Our new Board members are as follows:  Bill Dietrich, Shirley Saulsgiver, Bud Saulsgiver, John Martinez, Annette Smith, Nan Osbon, Joe Sassone, Brien Mill, and Neil Roberts.  Welcome and we greatly appreciate you willingness your devote time and energy to the SFA.  It is the people who make an organization what it is.

I want to take the time right now to thank all the outgoing Board Members for the time and effort that they have given to the SFA in the past year.  They all did a great deal of work and without their energy and effort we would not have gotten as far as we have on the projects we have accomplished and soon to be accomplished. The SFA is very grateful to all of you.

The next project we have coming up is the Florence Winter Folk Festival January 23 and 24^th.  This is another great time to meet the public, get information out on our purpose and goals, and have a good time!!!

We will be having a raffle at the Folk Festival to raise money for our scholarship program.  Bud has built a very nice high backed bench, we have a beautiful tide clock that was made here locally with our logo on it, a new Pescaro PMH 6’6” medium heavy action (30-80# line) fishing rod, and an Aston Drake Galleries Collection ceramic doll (11 in high x 7 in wide).  We are selling tickets for the raffle ($1.00 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5.00) and you do not need to be present to win. As members, if you could sell some tickets to help with this scholarship fund, it would be great! You can also buy tickets and be a lucky winner (hopefully)! Contact any of your Board Members to get those tickets!!!

If you would like to help greet the public and be at the booth, you are certainly welcome to help with that as well.  We will need people there both Saturday and Sunday.  If you can spare a few hours either day, please contact any Board member and let them know when you could help.

At this season of giving as we all take the time to be grateful for the things we have, let us remember those that are struggling and it is not only this time of year that we should remember them.  Some of us have money, some of us have time, some of us just have moral support to give, but it takes all of those to achieve goals that are worth achieving.  Together we can bring back the boats to our community and the good people and pride that come with them! Help when you can, give what you should, and take joy in knowing the good in all of us.

Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year!

Annette Smith

SFA Secretary                                               

Member - Florence Area Chamber of Commerce

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