SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016
Local award-winning water-
color artist Carole Hillsbery
has announced a free Absolute
Beginner’s watercolor demon-
stration. She will paint a fun,
loose watercolor demonstrating
the various watercolor tech-
niques and colors she uses.
She will also start with the
basics, such as what materials
to purchase and where, a dis-
cussion of what watercolor is
all about, terminology, color
washes, mixing and more.
The demonstration will be
held in a relaxed atmosphere to
encourage questions and take
pictures. The first demo/class is
free and attendees will not have
to paint.
COURTESY PHOTO
Artist Carole Hillsbery with her award-winning
watercolor “Morning Paper”
Hillsbery has set up Monday,
Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon
Let Paul show you a new car or truck.
Stop by today!
for prospective students to
come to her home studio to
learn about this exciting medi-
um.
There is a limit of 12 people
at this free demonstration, so
call 541-997-8676 or email
charwilson66@gmail.com to
reserve your space.
Future Absolute Beginner
classes will be held Thursdays,
March 10 through 31, from 1 to
4 p.m.
There is a limit of eight stu-
dents in the class so email
Charlene Wilson for space
available.
Hillsbery is also inviting for-
mer students to show their
work at the Siuslaw Public
Library during the month of
April.
Email for additional infor-
mation about the class or if you
would like to show a painting
or two.
View Hillsbery’s work at the
Artists’ Co-op in Lincoln City,
Earthworks Gallery in Yachats,
Backstreet Gallery in Florence
or the Mind Power Gallery in
Reedsport. For more informa-
tion, go to her website
www.carolehillsbery.com.
We offer Custom Engraving!
Jewelry, Name plates, ID
bracelets, Pet tags and more.
• Plates • Sterling Silver Jewelry
• Collectible Hand Carved Eggs
• Gallery Pieces • Turquoise Jewelry
• Glass Art • Earrings • Pendants
• Git items and MORE ON SALE!
Silver Sand Dollar
Gallery Jewelry and Gifts
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
1499 Bay Street (Old Port Building)
On-Site
Parking
541-997-0111
Closed
Sun.-Mon.
School
from 1A
Angal said that once the
board determines that this is the
direction it wants to take, then it
would begin working with the
public to answer questions and
share ideas.
“We want to get out there and
share information,” she said.
“Help them to understand the
high school’s condition and
other projects we might look at
like technology infrastructure in
all of our schools.”
According to Blake, an archi-
tectural firm specializing in
designing smaller-sized school
buildings, like Siuslaw High
School, estimated the cost of a
seismically engineered new
school would be approximately
$275 to $375 per square foot,
including the building, the
grounds and furnishings.
Blake said that so far, the dis-
trict has not made any commit-
ment to the firm, but was receiv-
ing no cost consultations.
Alarms
from 1A
and create a disaster awareness
plan; a documenter, to fill out
paperwork; and an installer,
who used various tools to
check current smoke alarms
and put up new ones.
Then, the teams went to res-
idences and began the day’s
work. Volunteers met with
homeowners to discuss fire
escape plans, the best place to
put smoke alarms and contin-
gencies for disabilities.
The estimated cost for the
new building is in the $35 mil-
lion range, according to Angal.
The current 20-year middle
school bond expires in 2019.
“Our middle school bond is
down quite low,” Angal said.
“We want to do the new bond in
such a fashion so that it will be
the smallest amount possible per
$1,000 (of property value). If
we are really strategic, we think
we can keep costs down for our
taxpayers as well.”
The next step in the bonding
process will take place at the
Wednesday, Feb. 10, school
board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the
district office, 2111 Oak St.
Also during last week’s meet-
ing, the board approved the
qualifications, salary range and
timeline for an interim superin-
tendent to replace Angal, who
will retire in June. The board
chose to do an internal search,
selecting a new interim superin-
tendent from qualified current
staff, and plans to reach a deci-
sion at the March 9 meeting.
“If there is a fire, you have
about two minutes to get out
of a house. By developing a
home escape plan, it helps you
think things through a little bit.
It could buy you 10 to 30 sec-
onds to help you escape,” one
Red Cross volunteer said.
The Red Cross can also pro-
vide vibrating or blinking
smoke alarms for those who
are deaf or hearing impaired.
By 4 p.m., the group had
installed 297 smoke alarms in
89 homes.
Before the event, Spangler
said Red Cross teams in Lane
County had installed 600
alarms since July 1.
“This is by far the largest
event I have been involved
with,” Swift said afterward.
“I’ve been told that that many
homes visited and alarms
installed is a regional record as
well.”
Red Cross partnered with
Oregon State Fire Marshal to
fund the event.
“Red Cross provides the
training and the labor. The
State Fire Marshal and the Red
Cross provides the alarms. The
community assists because
they see how important it is,”
Spangler said. “The Red Cross
is nothing without its volun-
teers.”
The Florence community
also provided food for the vol-
unteers. Coordinators thanked
Subway and Abby’s Pizza for
their generosity.
“The key thing that I would
like to get out is that this event
is ongoing and it doesn’t mat-
ter where you live. We’ll come
and install smoke alarms at no
cost,” Spangler said. “It is doc-
umented that this event nation-
wide has saved lives. This is
actually doing something. If
it’s saving 39 lives, or if it’s
saving one life, we’re doing
something.”
According to coordinators,
the Florentine Estates event is
just the beginning.
“We see the event this past
weekend as a stepping stone
from which we can really
expand the Home Fire
Preparedness Campaign in the
Florence area,” Swift said.
“We have a great group of
dedicated volunteers in
Florence who will be handling
individual appointments
through the hotline, and we
plan on having a few larger
events over the next few
months as well.”
Stent said homes in
Florentine can continue to
request Red Cross smoke
alarms.
“There will be another sign-
up list posted and we will go
do those as needed,” she said.
Now that the word is out
about the Home Fire
Preparedness Campaign, the
Florence Red Cross Disaster
Action Team will need more
volunteers.
For more information about
joining, contact Tom Zahara at
tomograms@yahoo.com or
541-999-2728, or Linda Stent
at 541-991-3161.
To request the free
American Red Cross smoke
alarm installation, call 503-
528-5783. For more informa-
tion, go to www.redcross.org.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Hillsbery offers free beginning watercolor demo
11 A