6 A
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2017
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
Watching people treasure their wildlife
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
Yellowstone, we saw more
posted warnings than actual
wildlife. But as we were near-
ing the western gate late in the
afternoon,
five
Rocky
Mountain elk cows and three
calves were crossing a river
and heading for high ground
across the road. Shortly after,
we pulled off in a small park-
ing lot to watch.
Hundreds of other cars
stopped and crowds of people
milled along the road and
down into the meadow.
Gridlock for such wildlife is
apparently common in the
park. The calves frolicked, the
cows called back and forth
nervously, and people crowd-
ed around, excited to see their
wildlife. It was half an hour
before people moved on, traf-
fic dissipated and the elk
I
t is nice to be back home,
although richer for the expe-
riences of travel and ever
more appreciative of this
beautiful place we live in.
One of the great things
about travel is that you learn
things that help you see the
place where you live in a dif-
ferent light.
A highlight of this trip was
watching people respond to
wildlife,
particularly
in
Yellowstone National Park but
in many other parks as well.
When
we
were
in
S HERIFFS
RUN
could graze in peace high on
the hill.
Among my own memorable
wildlife firsts on this trip was
hiking into Yellowstone early
in the morning, drawn by the
lark-like call of hermit thrush-
es, and suddenly hearing
wolves howling.
I’ve always enjoyed listen-
ing to coyotes, but the sound
of wolves touches a much
deeper primal chord some-
where at the base of my spine.
As we exited the park the day
before, we saw a healthy, exu-
berant grizzly shaking off
water as it emerged from the
river and ran across the road.
I learned from the Internet
the next day, and shortly fol-
lowing hearing those wolves,
that the Yellowstone grizzly is
being delisted from protected
status.
Here in Oregon, we have
allowed the same to be done to
our handful of wolves.
O REGON C OUNTRY F AIR
VENETA—Lane County
Sheriff's Office (LCSO) will be
conducting high visibility traf-
fic enforcement patrols in the
Veneta area during the Oregon
Country Fair, held July 7 to 9.
Deputies will be focusing on
DUII enforcement, as well as
speeding, seat belt and cell
phone use violations.
Patrols began July 6 and will
continue through Monday, July
10, as attendees remain in the
area at campgrounds.
The funding for these patrols
is provided to LCSO through
two Oregon Department of
Transportation Traffic Safety
grants administered by the
Oregon
State
Sheriffs’
Association, aimed at reducing
the number of vehicle crashes
and related injuries.
The grants are federally
funded grant programs to pro-
vide overtime funding to par-
ticipating sheriff’s offices for
DUII and traffic enforcement.
Annually,
the
Oregon
Country Fair brings extremely
high volumes of vehicle and
pedestrian traffic to the area.
Due to the resulting conges-
tion in the area surrounding the
Oregon Country Fair, speed
limits have been reduced and
posted as such. Restrictions are
also posted for no parking and
no U-turns along Highway 126
and Suttle Rd. in the area.
SATURATION PATROLS
Drivers attending the event
or traveling through the area
should anticipate heavy traffic
congestion.
Flaggers will be present on
Highway 126, near milepost
45, at the fair’s main entrance
during peak times to control
traffic flows through the area.
LCSO wants to remind
motorists to buckle up, drive
safely and drive sober.
With the passage of
Oregon’s marijuana laws, this
is also a reminder of the
impairment marijuana creates
of drivers, impacting their abil-
ity to safely operate a motor
vehicle.
Driving Under the Influence
WEATHER DATA
D ATE
H IGH
June 27
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
63
65
67
63
54
66
66
Rainfall
Month: 0.08”
L OW R AIN
50
44
43
50
50
49
52
of Intoxicants (DUII) applies to
drivers under the influence of
marijuana, as it does with alco-
hol.
In the course of the pos-
sum’s extensive and regular
grooming, they find and swal-
low the ticks that are on their
coats and skin.
Their nimble fingers and
thumbs allow for more thor-
ough removal than other
species targeted by ticks —
such as deer, dogs and mice —
because possums can reach
places most animals find
unreachable.
I was raised to believe that
possums had found their way
to Oregon on their own, which
I did not question because
they are contiguously present
in Washington and California.
However, according to the
ODFW, they are an invasive
species.
Released in greater Portland
in the early 1900s, perhaps by
people who found them to be
poor pets, they have slowly
spread through much of the
state.
Be that as it may, as Lyme
disease associated with ticks
becomes more common in
Oregon (3 cases confirmed, 28
considered probable by the
Center for Disease Control as
of 2015), the presence of pos-
sums may have an upside.
Washington State’s DFW
even goes so far as to post this
testimonial for them:
“Opossums are inhibited
animals, especially in daylight
or under artificial light, but are
by no means stupid. Results
from some learning and dis-
crimination tests rank opos-
sums above dogs and more or
less on a par with pigs in intel-
ligence.”
So much for other conven-
tional wisdom I was raised
with, if true.
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Do your part and
volunteer today
to help support
these local
non-proft
organizations in
our community!
Volunteer•Get involved•Donate
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Florence Food Share provides food to those
who are hungry in our community. If you have
four hours a week available, we are in need of
volunteers to staff our Front Desk and also act
as Guides as clients walk through the pantry.
Please call our volunteer coordinator, Gina Yates,
@ 541-997-9110 (Monday – Friday, before noon)
to learn more about volunteering. info@lorence-
foodshare.org 2190 Spruce Street.
Week: 0.08”
Year: 71.98”
Courtesy of Roger Cunningham
I was staying in the town of
West Yellowstone, known in
some circles as “ground cen-
tral,” for opposition to protec-
tions under the Endangered
Species Act.
You’d never know this by
looking at the town, the names
of its businesses and the quite
wonderful wildlife sculpture
gracing buildings both public
and private — and even the
banks.
Judging from these dis-
plays, wildlife could rightly be
considered the town’s bread
and butter.
Less iconic wildlife some-
times turns out to be remark-
able in its own right. Among
the astonishing things I
learned on this trip — while in
New York of all places — is
that possums consume ticks
better than any other species
of animal according to the
Carey Institute of Ecosystem
Studies.
Let Paul show you a new car or truck.
Stop by today!
Breaking news,
photo galleries
and MORE!
Visit the Siuslaw News
online at
WWW.THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
Food Backpack for Kids
www.backpackimpact.org
Together, No
Child Will Go Hungry
www.backpackimpact.org
Together,
No Child Will Go Hungry
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
Your tax deductible donations helped
us feed 86 Florence/ Mapleton area children in June.
Please mail donations to: PO Box 3347, Florence, OR 97439.
For more information 541-997-2497.
Assisting those in need in our Community.
Free Hot Meals Mon-Wed-Fri, 11:30 AM - 1 PM
NEW LOCATION SOON!
FRAA ART CENTER
HELPING HANDS COALITION
120 Maple Street
Phone: 541-997-4435
Hours Open: Wed-Fri noon-5pm,
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm
United Methodist Church,
333 Kingwood, Florence
Call 541-997-5057 to Volunteer
Classes and Workshops
Open Studio at FRAA,
Thursdays
No registration required. Drop-in, bring
your materials, and create. All artistic
mediums welcome.
Every Thursday, 1-4 pm
Ceramics Classes:
Kids Summer Clay Camp w/ Ben
Cahoon
July 24th, 25th, 27th and Art Show on 28th
2nd - 8th grade. $55/student. All supplies
included. To register:
benjaminjcahoon@gmail.com
Whimsical Hand Building
Ceramics w/ Alissa Clark
Creative Writing Workshops -
Writers on the River w/ Catherine
Rourke
Sat July 22nd, 9 am to 11 am
All writing levels and genres.
Contact: 541-708-2120;
CJReditor@gmail.com
Peace Harbor
Volunteers
400 9th Street, Florence, OR 97439
541-997-8412 ext. 209
Stay Tuned: Literary Salon
coming
Featured Author & Writers Open Mic
Free; Open to public; $5 suggested
donation, Call 541-708-2120 w/ questions.
Painting with John Leasure
Wednesdays, 3-5 pm and
Thursdays, 6-8 pm
No classes from July 3rd - 19th
Saturdays 9 am - 12 pm
July 8, 15, and 29
Contact: jnleasure@hotmail.com or
541-991-2754 for details and fees.
Open Lab Ceramics on Saturdays
Drop in, work at own pace. Sat 12-5 pm
No classes from July 3rd - 19th
Oil Painting with Michael Wood
All ceramics classes held at Alissa’s Studio.
180 Laurel Street. Call Alissa with
questions: 503-857-5222
Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers.
You will find an area of interest
in a caring organization.
Wednesdays 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Contact: fmwood@msn.com for fees and
more information.
For more information about classes, visit fraaoregon.org. To register for
these classes, please call or visit FRAA at our art center on Maple Street.
Meals on Wheels are available to people over the
age of 60 who cannot get out much due to illness
or advanced age and who are not eating properly,
regardless of income. Cafe 60 is available for those
who prefer to make new friends in a dining room
setting.
1570 Kingwood • PO Box 2313, Florence
541-997-5673
laneseniormeals.org
Operating Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Saving men one
PSA test at a time.
541-997-6626
maribob@oregonfast.net
Someone to talk to...
who understands!
To include your organization in this directory,
please call us @ 541-997-3441
