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Coastal residents consider carving out own county.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Winston Ross The Register-Guard

FLORENCE - It's bad enough that the Lane County seat is "full of liberals" in Bill Lambiaso's views. But, beyond that, he simply doesn't see why he should be called for jury duty in Eugene when he lives more than an hour away.

Bob Hursh says he can't stand watching the county try to hawk property on the coast to pay for services enjoyed mostly in the valley.

And a group of residents near Swisshome are so tired of methamphetamine-fueled crime and what they term the inept response of Lane County's budget-strapped law enforcement that they've erected a sign warning "nightcrawlers, thieves and other outlaws" that they'll be shot on sight if they try pilfering any more property in the neighborhood.

Keith Stanton says he has found the answer to all their problems:

Secession.

Lane County election officials on Tuesday approved Stanton's petition that could lead to the formation of an 864-square-mile Siuslaw County, if it's signed by enough registered voters and then wins a majority in an election.

The new county would lop off 20 percent of what's now Lane County and 5 percent of its registered voters, with its western border the ocean and its eastern border three miles west of Noti. It would include Florence, Mapleton, Walton, Blachly, Alma, Swisshome and Deadwood, among other communities.

It's hard to know how likely Stanton is to gather enough signatures to get the idea on the ballot. Earlier this month, he sent out survey cards to 600 households comprising 10 percent of the registered voters in what would be Siuslaw County. He's gotten half of those cards back, he said, and more...

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