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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2015)
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Presents 2015 Rhododendron Court COUPONS INSIDE www.shoppelocal.biz WEDNESDAY WWW.THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF FLORENCE • DUNES CITY • WESTLAKE • MAPLETON • SWISSHOME • DEADWOOD • YACHATS AND ALL POINTS BETWEEN Seeking dedicated young women and men To form the 2015 RHODODENDRON You must be a Junior or Senior at Siuslaw or Mapleton High Schools COURT Must have a 3.0 grade point average REQUIREMENTS: The Rhododendron Court will compete for the title of Queen Rhododendron and King of the Coast and scholarships on May 6th at the Florence Events Center 124 Y T H E A R • I S S U E N O . 12 FEBRUARY 12 • 2014 75 C E N T S Rhody Festival’s 2014 roster of royalty Fifteen Siuslaw and Mapleton students have been selected to represent annual festival. For the first time, royal court includes five male students. B Y T HERESA B AER Siuslaw News The Florence Area Chamber of C o m m e r c e Rhododendron Court committee announced on Monday the 2014 Senior Court Princes and Princesses. For the first time in its history, the court includes five princes. They are Trevor Denning, Samuel Johnson, Derek Kennedy, Jacob Kirby and Jeremiah Tupua, all seniors at Siuslaw High School. Students were selected primarily through an application process that required brief essays titled “Why I Want to Be An Ambassador for the Florence Rhododendron Festival.” Among the male applicants, the responding theme focused on their desire to represent the town of Florence and their school. About 10 female high school stu- dents vied for positions on the Rhody Festival Senior Court of princesses, making the selection process a bit more challenging. After reviewing students’ essays and following up with some interviews, the following students were named 2014 princesses: Jireh Teo, Katrina Greenlief, Sara Burns, Maygan Sturm and Sonya Lang. Four of the princesses are sen- iors from Siuslaw High School; Lang is a senior at Mapleton High School. The new princesses also focused in their written applications on the opportunity to represent the commu- nity through the traditions of the annual festival. Others stated their ambition of raising scholarship funds for college. The mission of the Rhododendron Court program is to provide scholar- ships for higher education, to promote community outreach and volun- teerism, to offer networking and men- torship opportunities to outstanding young women and, this year, young men, in a program that perpetuates an appreciation for Rhododendron Festival history and tradition. Last month, five junior princesses were named by the chamber commit- tee. These young students will be paired with senior court princesses in a mentorship program. The five members of the Junior Princess Court are Ashlyn Hart, first grade; Aubrie Lynn Saari, second grade; Kiana Moody, third grade; Zoey Elizabeth Slider, fourth grade; and Lizbeth Garcia, fifth grade. Moody attends Mapleton Elementary School; the other junior princesses live in Florence and attend Siuslaw. A panel of five chamber members made the final selections from the prince and princess candidates. Members of the Rhody Courts will visit community events, business leaders, senior living centers, youth organizations and civic groups. They also receive mentorship and will par- ticipate in the Rhododendron Festival Showcase on May 7, during which they will compete for the title of Queen Rhododendra and King of the Coast. Their first public appearance will be at the Florence Kiwanis Club on Feb. 26. The senior members of the royal court will soon begin working to raise money for scholarships. S E N I O R C O U RT – P R I N C E S S E S Sara Burns Katrina Greenlief Sonya Lang Maygan Sturm Jireh Teo S E N I O R C O U RT – P R I N C E S Trevor Denning Samuel Johnson Derek Kennedy Jacob Kirby Jeremiah Tupua J U N I O R C O U RT – P R I N C E S S E S Lizbeth Garcia Ashlyn Hart Kiana Moody Aubrie Saari Zoey Slider PHOTOS COURTESY OF SIUSLAW AND MAPLETON HIGH SCHOOLS New position at Kaylee Graham named top volunteer Habitat expands agency’s reach Founder of citywide event recognized nationally for outstanding acts of volunteerism. DEADLINE JANUARY 1 5TH 2015 Florence Habitat for Humanity announced this week that Ken Gaylord has been named the agency’s new neighborhood revitalization manager. Gaylord recently left the position of interim executive director of Florence Food Share, an organization with which he has been associated since 2008. His extensive career as a manage- ment consultant includes a position with Siuslaw Outreach Services in 2010 Ken Gaylord and almost three years with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County as executive director then resource development officer. Gaylord has been involved with Florence Food Share since first moving to Florence in 2008. He is a longtime volunteer there as well as serving as board president. He joined staff while the food pantry was being remodeled and has served as interim executive director since July 2013. “As former executive director of the Boys and Girls Club and Florence Food Share and as a member of the Florence Habitat for Humanity board of directors, Ken is well versed in the administration of not-for-profit organizations in general and Habitat for Humanity in particular,” said Habitat Executive Director Kate McBroom-Redwine. The neigborhood revitalization manager position is part of See HABITAT 8A Kaylee Graham Washington, D.C., where they will join honorees from each state and the District of Columbia for four days of events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2014. Siuslaw Middle School nominated Kaylee for the award, which is conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Principal Andy Grzeskowiak said he was not surprised to learn she was selected. “She is very deserving of this award. She goes above and beyond trying to do things See GRAHAM 8A Your INSIDE W E D N E S D AY Ambulance A2 Classifieds C5 Impound A2 Library Tidings A7 Ned Hickson A5 Opinion Scoreboard Tides Weather A4 C2 C1 A2 Weather T ODAY T HURSDAY F RIDAY S ATURDAY Wind & rain 52 47 Rain Rain Rain 51 47 51 44 52 42 Sports—C Application Siuslaw News On Monday, 14-year-old Kaylee Graham, the daughter of Tod and Shannon Graham of Florence, learned she was chosen as one of Oregon’s top two youth volunteers of 2014 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring out- standing acts of volunteerism. Kaylee, an eighth-grader at Siuslaw Middle School, is best known locally as the founder of the annual Power of Florence, a citywide day of volunteer- ing started in 2011. She is humble about her accomplishments. “I think I got the award because our community has come together and made the event so big. So the big numbers of food collected, money raised and proj- ects completed are because of what the community has done,” she said. Based on the number of volunteer hours Kaylee has contributed to her community, she also qualified for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, given on behalf of President Barack Obama, and will receive in the mail a certificate and letter from the President. Kaylee’s fellow honoree in Oregon for the Prudential award is Christopher Younkins, 18, of Portland. Kaylee and Younkins will each receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all- expense paid trip in early May to for others. She makes a concerted effort to go out in the community and spends a lot of her free time doing what she can,” he said. Grzeskowiak said he was surprised, however, by Kaylee’s resume, which he saw in October when working on the nomination. “I found out then that I only knew about half of what she did. She works with faith-based organizations, serving people in poverty. She has worked with a ton of social service organizations,” the principal said. Kaylee is not the first in her family to receive the Prudential honors. Her broth- er Taylor, who started the annual Read for the Need Book Sale, a fundraiser for Florence Food Share, was selected as Oregon’s honoree in 2010 and later named one of 10 national honorees. Shannon Graham said yesterday that having her two children selected is “over- whelming.” “I can’t really fathom it. The fact that both kids were honored this way says so much about our community, where the peo- ple are amazingly generous time and time again. … Our family feels blessed to be here, where they support my children in their endeavors.” Volunteering has always been important to the Graham family. When pressed, Shannon credits her children with the B For more information visit our website www.fl orencechamber.com or Call 541-997-3128 B Y T HERESA B AER — Pick up your application at --> www.fl orencechamber.com/ --> Siuslaw High School Main Offi ce --> Mapelton High School Main Offi ce --> or email request to cindywobbe@msn.com Siuslaw News Seniors DON’T MISS OUT!!!! S TORY AND P HOTO BY A MY B ARTLETT F AVORITE F RONT P AGES 2014 • 3
