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About North Douglas herald. (Drain Or) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2023)
October 2023 Editorial by Rusty Savage I hope the second issue of the North Doug- las Herald pleases our readers, as the first one seemed to. I have to thank the many who have called, written, emailed and stopped me on the street to show and express their enthusiasm for having a local newspaper again. I am very glad to be on this journalistic adventure with all of you. As the Herald grows and matures, it is my expectation that the future will prove that printed news is not dead. As you read through this Paper and soak up information, I hope that our readers will get a little bit of a warm feeling of satisfaction. Satisfaction in the sense that, sitting on a lounging chair or the couch or any favorite roosting place, you can enjoy reading the newspaper. No search buttons or endless feeds through the maze of internet and phone scroll- ing news. Just relaxing and reading through the local news items, some sports or community events and all the tidbits that make up ‘what’s going on around us’ Well thats about all I can say about that. I enjoy reading a newspaper for a little relaxation, I hope you feel the same way. It’s been busy these last few weeks. I have talked to a lot of people around North Douglas and in South Lane County. It’s been a big part of my day, lately, whether I am talking to prospec- tive advertisers and business related contacts, or just the folks I meet in a busy day. People talk about the issues and instances that have some effect on them. Now, the more that I have been talking to so many folks, mostly but not all, in this North County, I have heard an equal portion of, good, bad and indifferent. I find that to be a pretty good balance of influ- ence. Not only that but, it means there is still a fair to good chance whatever happens, you’ll have 1/3rd of folks who understand and only a third who probably dont. What I mean by that is that it becomes appar- ent that there should always be the assumption that some will agree with you and some wont. But everyone is probably not going to and that shouldnt change or end the conversation. Back to my point, Reedsport to Oakland or Winston to Cottage Grove or here in Drain, the people I have been talking to are mostly working folks who have something to say about something. There are so many things in our region that gets folks going. I mean there are a lot of issues and the more I hear about things, the more it means to me to try look at these things. The great thing is, that it’s about our day to day lives. Things are a com- bination of good, bad and indifferent all around us. It’s not just all bad. Or good. And the truth is, on an individual basis, its not just good, bad and indifferent, it’s actually grades and shades of all. So lets look at the good and the bad and the indifferent, which none truly are, and see what we find. We’ll celebrate the good, try and tame the bad and be a better example to the indiffer- ent. Thats my goal as your Publisher and Editor of this Newspaper. Another thing about balance is that it promotes fairness and though it’s taken a hit or two over time, I believe the American spirit is founded on the search for fairness. Thats about it for this month, looking down at the galley, the October issue looks good, I hope you like it. And if you do, I’d like you to do me a favor. Support out Advertisors. We cant thank them enough for making it pos- sible to bring you this paper for FREE. Show them your appreciation, and be sure to tell those who you dont see on these pages - how much you would like to see them here. Letters from the Librarian “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables Fall has begun in earnest at the library. As the seasons change, remember our new hours reflect the earlier sun- sets. Check out books and materials Tuesday, Thursday, Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; Wednesdays Noon to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Looking for something to read after hours? Of course the wifi is on and works out to the parking lot from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Your library card is also good 24/7 on the Libby app, where you can borrow audio and e-books from the catalog of more than 50,000 choices. In the month of October, the library and community get ready to celebrate the library district’s fifth anniversary of formation. The past five years have truly been a blur of opening, exciting programming, increasing hours, changing programming due to state mandated closures, reopening, and renewing our commitment to in-person and “virtual” offerings alike. From toddler story times to knitting groups, from summer reading to winter authors’ events, from writing and technology classes to teen advisory boards, we have a lot of life going on inside the library building! Speaking of the building, many of us have fond memories of this building and the community’s efforts to create such a vibrant gathering place and library. At the time this building was in its planning stages, more than 35 years ago, the library itself was a branch of the Douglas County system and was housed in a small portion of the old City Hall building. Things were cramped --bookcases went to the ceiling!-- and hours were limited. What a victory for the community to pull together and build this library and civic cen- ter building, donating it to the City of Drain to maintain and use as a meeting space and gathering place. For decades the County library branch operated here at the “new” Civic Center and Library, but when the County closed all of its libraries in 2017, the people of Drain and surrounding North Douglas community voted with an overwhelming major- ity to reopen a library as a special district. This permanent tax base allows the library to have stability for materials purchasing and library staff expenses. The building is still maintained by the City of Drain through a generous Oregon Community Foundation endowment. The County system may be gone, but libraries and communities are thriving. The North Douglas Library District is grateful for the continuing legacy of community support and involvement. The library is truly a place where everyone belongs. And it’s “more than books.” Stop in, stay a while, and maybe even check out something new. Miriam Sisson, Director Mildred Whipple Library, North Douglas Library District ndld.org 541-836-2648 Page 3 More football highlights from North Douglas War Eagles playing Bandon.War Eagles players can be seen, including Caden Reigard, Wyatt Reed, Jayden Churchwell, Tristan McMullin and Kyle Bilyew in these and front page photos, curtesey of Becky Gerrard, OSAA photographer. Dollar General is Coming to What’s the Controversy? Have you heard? The Dollar General is coming to Yoncalla. Yes its a done deal, I spoke to Shane Mast of Oregon Life Homes and he verified that the deal is done and Yoncalla will have a shiny new Dollar General store very soon. Once the new wears off of that news, you might want to stop and ponder the reality of what the effects of that convenient little establishment might be. Dollar General went from 8,222 stores in 2008 to 18,130 stores in 2022. The chain holds the title for most retail stores in the U.S. and recently passed the 19,000 store milestone. Basically, Dollar General alone opens about three stores a day. Some are betting that the rapid expansion is a part of a plan to get into small-town health care and even banking. It could also be to expand its practice of selling customer data, claiming access to rural customer info no one else has. Whatever the speculation, there is one blatant truth. It’s simply about profits. Dollar General opens so many stores because profits grow with each and every one. Each time a new store opens it nets them an instant 20% return. Dollar General’s profits went from under $110 million in 2008 to $2.4 billion last year. You can’t talk about Dollar Stores without talking about the “Dollar Wars”. Dollar General is aggressively advancing on the Dollar Tree/Family Dollar territory (Dollar Tree owns Family Dollar. At this point it would appear that Dollar General is winning the fight and Dollar Tree is lagging behind. Dollar General sees room for 12,000 more Yoncalla Story by Rusty Savage stores across the country. Dollar Tree is even more optimistic, believing the U.S. market can support another 15,000 Family Dollars and 10,000 Dollar Trees. All in all there is a lot of energy and planning going into the expansion of these enterprises and the effects may have more impact on the communities than their bottom lines. For all of its intentions to bring economical choices to rural consumers, there are some facts that doesn’t stack well with that business plan. Dollar General claims to offer customers affordable household essentials where other retailers won’t go. “It is not unusual for us to hear from communities, especially in rural areas, asking us to bring a Dollar General to their hometown,” a company spokesperson said. Lets start with the fact that every state in the contiguous U.S. has a dollar store in it. While most chains, like CVS and Starbucks, stick closely to big metro areas, Dollar General doesn’t necessarily stick to that plan. Besides Continued on Page 11
