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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
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