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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2016)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM ❘ / SIUSLAWNEWS ❘ @ SIUSLAWNEWS WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 ❘ $1.00 Official Program Produced by the Siuslaw News Florence, Oregon MAPLETON CROWNS KING AND QUEEN Oktoberfest SPORTS — B — INSIDE THIS ISSUE Saturday, Oc tober 1 • 11a m-8pm Florence Events Center Admission $7 German Food Beverages 126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 77 SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 Boys and Girls Club membership grows Traditional Mus & Dancing ic Weiner Dog Races Happy Hour & Games FLORENCE, OREGON ‘Write what you know’ Sixth annual Florence Festival of Books features Phillip Margolin, dozens of regional authors Attendance, graduation and grades primary focus B Y J ACK D AVIS Siuslaw News F rom struggling to open its doors last September to enrolling more than 100 members at the start of this school year, the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County elementary and Teen Center programs are targeting the needs of members and the community. Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Chuck Trent said, “We are doing everything we can to support the school district to make sure we create ladders of opportunities for these kids.” Below national-average high school graduation rates have plagued the state and Siuslaw School District for several years. Trent has broken the club’s primary objectives down into two categories: academics and citizenship. “Our big academic goal is to make sure every teen graduates on time,” Trent said. “I’m not saying a 90 “Our first priority percent goal. is making sure all I’m saying a our club members 100 percent goal. That’s are on track to the challenge graduate.” I have put to —Director Chuck our board and Trent our staff.” In a poll conducted last spring, 100 percent of the 43 Teen Center members said they planned to graduate on time. Trent intends to see that happen. “I completely agree with Siuslaw School District Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak, that there is a direct link between attendance and graduation rates. I also agree with him that absentee prob- lems begin at second- and third-grade,” Trent said. To help encourage attendance and good grades, Teen Center Director Tracy Aaron developed Club Bucks as a part of the club’s Money Matters program. “Our first priority is making sure all our club members are on track to gradu- ate,” Trent said. “And as they graduate, programs like Money Matters will have them already thinking about how they are going to finance the next steps of their life and living within their means.” Club Bucks are given to members for completing homework, perfect monthly school attendance, A grades on tests, A and B grades on report cards and for doing daily assigned chores around the Teen Center. Club members are also only allowed to participate in club activities on days they attend school. Students use Club Bucks to buy vari- ous items from the club store. The ele- mentary group has a similar program. According to Trent, every Teen Center member has an individual Club Bucks checking account and savings account. “Last year was really about building the foundation for this club,” Trent said. INSIDE See Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8 A5 A4 A2 CLUB 6A PHOTOS BY JACK DAVIS AND CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS E ighty-five authors converged on the Florence Events Center Saturday to promote their prose as part of the two-day Florence Festival of Books, now in its sixth year. Hundreds of book-lovers browsed and kibitzed with local, regional and nationally-recognized writ- ers. Ten publishers also were at the Saturday event to encourage aspiring authors. A free Author’s Panel was held Friday afternoon, followed by the keynote address by New York Times best-selling author Phillip Margolin (above). In his speech, Margolin talked about developing stories, working with an ending in mind and “writing about what you know.” In his case, he uses his 24-year career in criminal defense to create plausible plots, believable characters and creepy real-world twists. The Festival of Books is presented by Friends of the Florence Events Center and the Florence Festival of Books Planning Committee. LCC still negotiating new classified staff contract Community college’s next round of negotiations with employee union set for Oct. 3 ane Community College (LCC) and Lane Community College Employee Federation (LCCEF), the union representing the college’s classified staff, failed to reach an agreement on a new contract during a mediation meeting held Sept. 21. Classified staff are non-certified employ- ees, not full-time teaching staff. LCC and LCCEF plan to meet again on Oct. 3 to continue talks. According to a statement released by B Y J ACK D AVIS L Fall Sports Preview . . . . . . . B5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Theater Review . . . . . . . . . . A5 Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 THIS WEEK ’ S Siuslaw News LCC, the two major areas of disagreement are salary increases and medical coverage. According to LCC Board of Education member Sharon Stiles, the negotiations cur- rently pose no negative impact on the LCC Florence Center. “The Florence LCC campus is focusing on getting new and returning students into TODAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 64 50 64 47 61 50 61 53 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 the fall term,” she said. Fall Term began on Monday. Negotiations on the new classified staff contract began February of this year. The current contract expired June 30, but employees are still working under the terms of that contract. “The board is disappointed that mediation has not yet led to an agreement, but another session has been scheduled for Oct. 3 and we remain hopeful,” Stiles said. S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS ❘ 22 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2016
