SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JULY 1, 2017
Union
from 1A
Between SEIU and ONA,
Peace Harbor will be almost
completely unionized.
Marshall said, “We do not
anticipate a deviation from
the high level of service cur-
rently provided to the com-
munity.”
ONA has been negotiating
a
new
contract
with
Peace
Harbor
since
December and, according to
both sides, is close to a
finalized contract.
The next federally med-
iated negotiation session is
scheduled for July 12.
SEIU Local 503 did not
respond to requests for
comment by story deadline
Friday.
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Fireworks
from 1A
The Olsons encourage
attendees to arrive at the
marina earlier to allow for
traffic and crowds.
The Olsons also suggest
watching the display from
other locations on the lake if
possible.
“Siltcoos Lake is a great
place for viewing because of
the wide-open expanse. There
is, however, limited lake
access so folks will need to
find ways to access the view-
ing area. Parking at Darlings
is going to be extremely lim-
ited,” Lori said. “If you’re
within walking distance, you
are encouraged to walk down,
bring a chair or blanket, and
find a spot on the grass to
watch.”
Boats can also be launched
7 A
from the Lane County Boat
Ramp in Westlake. Darlings’
launch will be closed at noon
for setup.
The newly revitalized mari-
na will more than likely be a
busy location on Saturday,
which is the outcome the
Olsons were hoping for when
they decided to spend the
time and the money to legally
present a fireworks show for
their neighbors.
“The fireworks display is
our way of showing apprecia-
tion for this amazing commu-
nity and we are grateful for
the generous financial support
from friends of Darlings,”
Rich said. “If you are boating,
please respect our volunteers
who will be on the water to
ensure that boaters stay a safe
distance away. We will also
have the barbecue going and a
bonfire if you want to bring
your own food to cook. Enjoy
the show!”
For those who miss the
“Sparkle on the Siltcoos,” the
Florence Area Chamber of
Commerce is presenting its
annual fireworks display on
Tuesday, July 4, at the Port of
Siuslaw Marina, beginning at
dusk.
Additional Independence
Day activities will take place
all day in Historic Old Town
Florence.
searching for a new location
that would meet their needs
and the needs of the hungry.
They thought they found it on
Highway 101 because of prop-
erty owner Linda Westphal.
“When they were over at
Rhododendron, I donated
canned goods and things that
they used in preparing their
soup. I think it should be there.
Florence needs this,” Westphal
said.
The belief that Helping
Hands exclusively serves the
homeless community is a com-
mon misconception, said vol-
unteer Diane Erwin, who
explained, “The vast majority
of people who come here have
homes.”
She said that while the sum-
mer brings “travelers,” people
passing through, “We see them
once maybe, but not again. The
vast majority are regulars who
come simply to eat.”
Most of those who are greet-
ed at the front door by Helping
Hands volunteers are cordial in
their demeanor, although there
are a few who decidedly aren’t.
This is one of the major con-
cerns of those opposed to the
new location on Highway 101.
An employee who works
close to the proposed property,
and who requested to remain
anonymous, explained the
issue from their point of view.
“The program itself is awe-
some. I used to volunteer when
it was down on Rhody. I think
it’s great,” they said. “It also
attracts some of the seedier
people. In every place there are
drug addicts, drunks and peo-
ple who have those kinds of
issues. And from volunteering
down there, I did see some of
the issues that arose with peo-
ple who were on methampheta-
mine — or people who would
come in drunk.”
The individual went on to
say they had witnessed more
than one fight up front, which
required police assistance.
“I think I’m more concerned
with that side of it,” they said.
The statistics bear this out.
Between 2015 and ‘16,
Florence police responded to
14 issues at the Rhododendron
location, ranging from illegal
camping, public urination/
defecation and assault. These
numbers do not include inci-
dents in the surrounding area
that could be attributed to the
clientele.
These public safety issues
can contribute to another con-
cern for residents: economics.
“We want to see the 101 that
is attractive to tourists and ori-
ented toward retail for people
who come to town,” said Kristi
Unruh, a homeowner that lives
a few doors down from the
Highway 101 location. “It’s a
free country and a free world,
but I just don’t know. I like
them being a little bit further
off the 101 and not next to the
residential.”
Businesses nearby have con-
cerns about their own econom-
ic survival.
Some don’t know what to
expect, while others fear a
complete loss of customers —
and potentially finding them-
selves in the same situation that
Helping Hands has found itself
in.
Helping Hands says it has a
plan to combat these issues at
the new property.
“We have absolutely no tol-
erance for using drugs,
weapons, smoking or profani-
ty,” said Hamilton. “If we see
them, we get rid of them and
the people aren’t allowed to
come back. They know this,
and that if we get in trouble, the
whole place is shut down.
“That is a big incentive for
us.”
Those promises didn’t seem
to quell the concerns of those
who live and work nearby.
Unruh said she had seen
Helping Hands when it was on
Rhododendron, and the people
hanging out on the street cor-
ners, “loitering all day long,
running and screaming across
the street.”
“Yes, food starts being
served at 11:30 a.m., but they
line up well before then,”
Unruh said. “They loiter long
after.
“I don’t think that corner (on
Highway 101) is the right
place.”
Even Helping Hands admits
that particular issue is out of
their control.
“How would we watch
them? How would we police
them? Once they leave the
property, it’s not our responsi-
bility,” said Hamilton. “They
are adults, they are responsible
for their own actions.”
She also pointed out an often
overlooked but obvious fact:
The homeless will just go
somewhere else in town.
“If we’re not here it’s not
going away, you know? If
they’re not getting their meals
with us they’ll be dumpster
diving,” she added.
Opponents of the location
suggested other locations for
Helping Hands, including a
church north of town and an
abandoned building south of
the bridge.
For Hamilton, this gets to the
heart of the issue.
“The first meeting we had
(about this location), two peo-
ple complained they had some-
body living in their backyard.
Someone else complained
because there’s an alleyway
with trash and needles — we
haven’t even moved in there
yet and are getting blamed for
it.
“Everybody got up and said,
‘We support Helping Hands,
we just don’t want you in our
neighborhood. Just go across
town and do your own thing —
but don’t come here.’
“They’re stereotyping us.”
Westphal agreed. “I’m dis-
appointed in our community.
Helping Hands has been look-
ing for a location where we
could offer this service to peo-
ple in need. Locations are pret-
ty few and far between. It’s
pretty much the community
saying, ‘Not in my back yard,
go somewhere else.’”
The simple question to that,
of course, is where?
However, the more compli-
cated question is what can be
done to reduce the number of
those who are in-need, and to
what extent should they be
responsible for meeting those
needs themselves?
Look for Part II of this spe-
cial report in the Wednesday,
July 5, issue of Siuslaw News.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Darlings Marina on Siltcoos Lake will feature an official
fireworks show this year.
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Helping
from 1A
“So we’ve been using the
United Methodist Church in
the interim,” said Lois Bass, a
board member of Helping
Hands. “They feed the hungry
Tuesdays and Thursdays and
provide a hot meal on
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays.”
But the space is small, as
described by board member
Debe Hamilton.
“We have three storage units
right now full of our stuff. (The
church) has been extremely
generous, but it’s just a small
building for two organiza-
tions.”
Hamilton shops twice a
week because there isn’t
enough freezer space.
“We have a freezer in stor-
age if we had a place to put it,”
said Hamilton. “We also have a
huge refrigerator we could get
to — but we are limited. It’s
like taking two families and
putting them into a one-bed-
room apartment.”
For nearly a year, members
of Helping Hands have been
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Western Lane Ambulance Offi ce
Peace Harbor Hospital
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