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126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 17
❘ FEBRUARY 27, 2016 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
New vision
underway for
Old Town and
Highway 101
corridor
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
T
he City of Florence and the
Florence Urban Renewal Agency
(FURA) hosted the Economic
Strategy and Highway Street-
scape Open House on Tuesday, featuring
representatives from the agency’s consult-
ing group and architects who presented
their vision for Historic Old Town and the
Highway 101 corridor.
Members of the community were invit-
ed to learn about FURA’s work toward an
economic strategy for the Urban Renewal
District and designs for local highways.
According to City Manager Erin
Reynolds, the entire process could take
two to three years.
Florence Mayor Joe Henry opened the
Feb. 23 presentation at the Florence
Events Center for the estimated 150 peo-
ple in attendance.
“We promised you a year ago that we
would be a city in motion. I think espe-
cially recently you have seen that there
are a whole lot of things going on in
town, and some great ideas being
planned,” Henry said.
See
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Community members attend an open house Tuesday to add com-
ments to designs and plans for the Urban Renewal District and
Highway 101. At left, Murray, Smith and Associates provided this
design for a possible gateway to Old Town on Maple Street.
VISION 11A
COURTESY GRAPHIC
Teen Center launches ‘Money Matters’
Boys and Girls Club members learn money management through ‘club bucks’
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
INSIDE
The Boys and Girls Club of
Western Lane County Teen
Center has launched a new
Money Matters program, teach-
ing members to make wise deci-
sions on how they spend their
money and the importance of
saving and budgeting.
“My biggest challenge has
been trying to teach them with-
out them realizing that I am
teaching them,” Teen Center
director Tracy Aaron said. “I
was trying to figure out a way to
teach it without boring them to
death. Make it fun.”
Aaron came up with the idea
of “club bucks.”
The concept began to evolve.
First, she needed to find ways to
earn club bucks and then give
the students something to pur-
chase with the bucks they
earned.
Initially the club offered club
bucks for good grades and atten-
dance in school.
“Teen members receive 25
club bucks for every A on their
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coastal Events . . . . . . . . . . .
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B9
A9
A2
A4
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Official NFL and NBA jerseys (like the one Nina Aaron,
above right, is wearing) are just some of the items avail-
able at the local Boys and Girls Club Teen Center store
that uses club bucks. Youth, including Jasmine Vasquez
(above left), are learning how to manage money.
report card. They get 10 club
bucks for every A on a test and
five club bucks for an A on a
homework assignment.
“Members also earn 50 club
bucks for perfect quarterly
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Word on the Street . . . . . . . A8
school attendance,” Aaron said.
“In the last two weeks I have
received four report cards on my
desk that are straight As and
waiting for their club bucks,”
she added.
THIS WEEK ’ S
The center opened a club store
that initially allowed members to
purchase snacks and candy with
club bucks.
Aaron phased out the candy
and less healthy snacks and
replaced them with healthier
snacks and other more valuable
items the club members wanted
and needed. Now, the store
offers school supplies, cell
phone covers, stuffed animals
and Boys and Girls Club and
Viking gear.
After an afternoon of up to 40
members utilizing the Teen
Center facilities, there is a lot of
cleanup required to be ready for
the next day.
Aaron said she had an
epiphany, “Why not give the
members a chance to earn club
bucks while helping to maintain
their club?”
She divided the building
cleanup into 14 separate job
assignments, each requiring
about 10 to 15 minutes to com-
plete, for members who want to
participate.
See
‘Putnam County Spelling Bee’ cast
reunites at Class Act Theater
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
D
avid and Rosemary Lauria, owners of the Class
Act Theater (CAT) at Rhododendron Drive and
Kingwood Street, plan to open their new theater
with a special weekend performance of “The 25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a show that was
part of Last Resort Player’s 2015 season.
“We’re planning a pre-opening concert version of the
show,” said Paula Burnett, who makes up part of a five-
member creative team. “It will be a sneak-preview of the
theater.”
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will
show at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, and Saturday,
March 26. Tickets will be available starting Wednesday,
March 2, by calling 541-997-4815 during business
hours.
The original cast came together and presented the idea
to the Laurias, saying they wanted the show that they
loved to be the first production in the new space.
CLUB 7A
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
56 51
53 41
55 49
57 51
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
New theater
to premiere with
pre-opening show
See
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 24 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
THEATER 11A