SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016
Town hall on septic systems
Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos
Bay), Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality and
local city and county officials
will meet at two separate
coastal locations on June 27 to
discuss a program being devel-
oped that will enable those
with failing septic systems to
access low-interest loans to
repair or replace them.
The town halls are sched-
uled at the request of local res-
idents and Lane County and
Lincoln County officials want-
ing to learn more about the
legislation Roblan sponsored
in the 2016 session. Roblan
represents Senate District 5,
which includes parts of Coos,
Douglas, Lane, Lincoln,
Tillamook, Polk and Marion
counties.
The town hall in Lane
County is scheduled as fol-
lows:
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Monday, June 27, at the
Florence Events Center, 715
Quince St., in Florence.
Senate Bill 1563 benefits
the environment and also helps
low-income families and qual-
ifying small businesses, often
in rural Oregon.
Septic systems are the most
common method of sewage
treatment for homes and busi-
nesses that are not connected
to an area-wide sewage sys-
tem. Properly functioning sep-
tic systems treat sewage to
minimize groundwater and
surface water pollution.
Septic systems that fail or
malfunction can pollute
Oregon’s land and waterways
with raw sewage and create
public health hazards. More
than 30 percent of Oregonians
rely on septic systems to treat
wastewater from their homes
and businesses.
3 A
Organizers say third Bark for Life ‘best yet’
The third annual Bark for
Life, held at Miller Park on
June 11, was highly successful.
Organizer Peggy Budd-Loa
said they counted close to 70
dogs and raised about $5,700.
“All told, that is about
$1,300 more than last year. We
started in 2014 making around
$3,350 and last year was
around $4,040. We are grow-
ing, and this was the best yet,”
she said.
Bark for Life is a fundraiser
for American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life. Teams and indi-
viduals could preregister online
or sign up at the event.
“Each year we evaluate what
people and dogs liked and what
wasn't so great,” Budd-Loa
said. “The games were fun.
People especially liked the
musical hoops and trying to
carry water while having your
dog walk on a leash.”
Catherine Miskella Brauer died unexpectedly at home in
Florence on June 15, 2016 at the age of 78.
She was born on November 3, 1937 to h omas and Catherine
Miskella in Clongeen, County Wexford, Ireland , the ninth of
fourteen children in a devoted Catholic family. Catherine entered
the convent in Ireland at the age of 15 and eventually became
educated as a nurse and midwife in Manchester, England, both
professions that she loved. In 1963, as Sister Hyacinth, she was
sent to Kenya and began a decade of nursing service, primarily
at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Kisumu. It was there that she met Dr.
Albert Brauer, a new widower whom she nursed at er a serious
automobile accident while on a medical mission trip. At er Albert
returned to the United States to complete his recovery, they began
a correspondence that led to a strong connection and eventually
love. Catherine made the dii cult decision to leave her order to come to the U.S., at Albert’s urging,
to deepen their relationship and meet his six teenaged children. On March 4, 1973, she and Albert
married. Catherine took on the challenge of becoming part of her new family with grace, kindness,
and amazing patience, endearing herself not only to her initially-skeptical stepchildren, but to the
entire community of Florence as well. Over the years, she was very active in New Life Lutheran
Church, serving on the church and preschool boards, teaching Sunday School, visiting shut-ins,
acting as a Deacon, and sewing quilts. She was also active with the Boys and Girls Club and on the
Board of Peace Harbor Hospice.
Most of all, though, Catherine loved her husband and children, and was delighted with her
grandchildren as they started arriving, always seeking to love and support each one. More recently,
she was thrilled to welcome her great-grandchildren into the family. She was loving, generous, and
giving – she regaled family and friends with her ot en funny adventures in Ireland and Africa. She
thrived in caring for her beloved home and property on Woahink Lake, growing beautiful roses and
other l owers. Her life was dedicated to being of service to her family, church, and community – it
was a life well-lived in every respect.
Catherine is survived by her husband, Albert, who adored her, and by her six step-children: Al
(Lenise), Becky (Rex), Gretchen (Dave), James (Jan), Melissa, and John (Suzanne). She also leaves
behind the grandchildren who loved her dearly: Patrick (René), Aaron (Amber), Alayna, Matt
(Amandine), Clare (Ryan), Andrew, Kelsey (Jonathan), Nate, Ali, Alison, and William, and the
great-grandchildren who will only know her through the memories that are shared: Tate, Maeve,
Evan, and yet-to-be-born great-grandson. Her surviving siblings will remember her with love:
Bridget, James, Sean, Richard, Michael, Teresa, Joan, and Philomena. Catherine was predeceased
by siblings Patrick, h omas, Robert, Mary Ann, and Aiden.
A Memorial Celebration service will be held for Catherine at New Life Lutheran Church in
Florence on Sunday, July 3 rd , 2016 at 3 PM. In lieu of l owers, donations are suggested to h e
Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County (http://www.bgcwlc.org/index.php/donate), ABC
Preschool (c/o New Life Lutheran Church with ABC Preschool in memo, 2100 Spruce St., Florence,
OR 97439) or Peace Harbor Hospice (mail to 400 - 9 th St., Florence, OR 97439) in memory of
Catherine Brauer. Burns’s Riverside Chapel Florence Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
COURTESY PHOTOS
At Bark for Life on June 11,
teams compete in “musical
hoops,” contests for the
fundraiser for American
Cancer Society. Deborah
Heldt
Cordone’s
Lady
Charlie, (inset), wins the
2016 Best Costume Award.
At right, Animal Behaviorist
Caroline Sparks sits at her “Peanuts” inspired booth.
This year featured a judging
booth for the people looking
for best costume and monitor-
ing the games.
Some games weren’t a com-
plete success — the socks kept
falling off during Dress your
Dog — but both dogs and peo-
ple were happy with the new
events this year.
Dina Pavlis of Surf City
Dog Training led demonstra-
tions with the help of Cheryl
Pinnock and her champion
trick dog, Tru.
“Next year we will have
the rally and agility section
closer to the contest area so
Dina can attract more partici-
pants,” Budd-Loa said.
Some of the contest winners
were:
Biggest Dog: Quinn, an
Irish Wolfhound owned by
Bob
Smallest Dog: Pepper, a
black Pomeranian owned by
Karen and Frank Souza
Best Coordinating Owner
and Dog Costume: Rita and
Nali Verdugo
Best Owner Dog Look-A-
Like: Christopher and Ornstein
Huntingdon
Best Dog Costume: Lady
Charlemagne, owned by
Deborah Heldt Cordone
There were more winners
and categories as well.
Look for news on the
upcoming Relay for Life,
Saturday, Aug. 13, and next
year’s Bark for Life.
Florence Habitat receives grant
Florence
Habitat
for
Humanity announced it has
received a $5,000 grant from
the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian
Foundation for its “Aging in
Place” Program.
The funds will be used to
assist elderly and disabled
Florence-area homeowners
with repairs and modifications
to their homes, such as wheel-
chair ramps and widened door-
ways so that they can remain in
their homes as long as they
wish to do so.
The Florence area popula-
tion already has a high percent-
age of persons over 60 years of
age, and the United States of
Aging Survey has estimated
that this group will more than
double in size during the next
25 years.
Habitat for Humanity, in
anticipation of this trend, has
created home repair and neigh-
borhood revitalization pro-
grams and hopes, with the help
of volunteers, donors and foun-
dations, such as Cow Creek
Umpqua Indian Foundation, to
meet the challenge and assist
Florence residents to “age in
place” in well-maintained
homes.
Since its inception in the
spring of 2014, the Habitat
Home Repair Program in part-
nership with Lane Council of
Governments Senior and
Disabled Services has assisted
more than 30 local homeown-
ers with projects ranging from
new roofs to deck and railing
replacements.
Coast Village home repairs
as well as conversion of its
electrical utility from park
power to the Central Lincoln
PUD have been major activi-
ties
for
Habitat's
Neighborhood Revitalization
Program, with the financial
support of Lane County
Regional Housing Rehabilita-
........ tion Program through St.
Vincent DePaul.
At this time Habitat, in part-
nership with the Florence Area
Community Coalition, the City
of Florence and Peace Harbor
Hospital, is planning the first
Aging in Place Forum to be
presented Friday, Sept. 15, at
the Florence Events Center.
Anyone interested in volun-
teering to preserve the housing
and neighborhoods of Florence
can contact Habitat for
Humanity at 541-902-9227
or email questions to info@
florencehabitat.org.
Free shuttle service at Wings and Wheels
Those planning to attend
the annual Wings and Wheels
event, Saturday, July 2, at the
Florence Municipal Airport,
won’t have to worry about
finding parking thanks to a
free park and ride service
provided by the Rhody
Express.
The Rhody Express will be
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
making regular trips starting
at 9:45 a.m., servicing the
Oregon
Coast
Military
Museum and the Wings and
Wheels Fly-In and Car Show.
Just park at the Siuslaw
Middle School parking lot or
Florence Senior Center, board
the Rhody Express, and catch
a ride to the events.
Getting back to your vehi-
cle is just as simple by board-
ing the Rhody Express at the
Airport.
The Rhody Express will
operate from 9:45 a.m. to
noon and 12:30 to 3:15 p.m.
More information is avail-
able by calling the Rhody
Express at 541-902-2067.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
JUNE 22
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Sun and
Clouds
Mostly
Cloudy,
Showers
Sun and
Clouds
Abundant
Sunshine
Sun and
Clouds
Sunshine
and Patchy
Clouds
Sun and
Clouds
65°F
55°F
62°F
49°F
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53°F
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