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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2017
Empty Bowls calls for
artists and poster art
Planning for Florence Food
Share’s 21st annual Empty
Bowls is underway. Every
year local artists donate hand-
made ceramic, wood and fused
glass bowls to be sold at the
Empty Bowls sale held the
first weekend in December.
For the past decade, Food
Share has featured the work of
a local artist on the poster
advertising the event.
The art created especially
for the event provides the focal
point for the poster and is then
raffled off at the event for
extra revenue for the nonprof-
it. In turn, the artist supplying
the work gets recognition in
local and regional publications
and a tax deduction.
Food Share is looking for a
work of art that expresses the
message of both the event and
Florence Food Share.
Any medium is welcome,
provided it can be pho-
tographed and donated to the
event.
Food Share will cover fram-
ing, with artist input.
In order to be considered for
2017’s poster art artist, artists
must submit their concept,
including the medium and a
description of the proposed
Breaking
news, photo
galleries
and MORE!
Visit the Siuslaw
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image. Additionally, artists can
attach a photo of one of their
previous works for an idea of
their style.
Email submission to Vicki
Sieber-Benson at ickesq56
@gmail.com and must be
received by Thur., Aug. 31.
The completed, unframed
artwork would be due no later
than Sept. 30.
Food Shares appreciates all
those that have participated in
Empty Bowls each year, and
look forward to new partici-
pants joining this year’s event.
For questions regarding
submitting proposals, call
Sieber-Benson at 541-902-
2221.
Peace Harbor staff prepares for Solar Eclipse surge
The highly anticipated Aug.
21 total Solar Eclipse is right
around the corner.
Astronomy experts and ama-
teurs alike have been busy
planning where they’ll go to
get the best views, which solar
viewers to purchase, and how
they’ll document the historic
event.
But with portions of north-
ern Oregon sitting immediately
within the prime viewing area
known as the “path of totality,”
and more than 1 million visi-
tors predicted to flood the area
through Aug. 23, officials at
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor
Medical Center and local agen-
cies have other issues on their
minds.
Their focus has been on
preparing for a potential influx
of patients, disruptions in sup-
ply deliveries and cell phone
service, and surges in prescrip-
tion orders and clinic visits as
citizens work to get ahead of
predicted traffic congestion.
According to Jim Cole,
injury prevention and emer-
gency medical services coordi-
nator for PeaceHealth Oregon,
officials have been working to
make sure its facilities and
employees are on alert, pre-
pared and ready, no matter
what happens.
Several months ago, the hos-
pital participated in Western
Lane Emergency Operations
Group’s disaster drill, which
simulated a sudden influx of
patients to the facility.
Preparations have also
included making sure there are
enough staff, supplies and
other necessary resources for a
potential patient capacity
surge, and communicating and
collaborating with public
health and safety agencies
across the region.
This means that PeaceHealth
medical centers in Oregon and
Southwest Washington will be
on alert to potentially receive
patients from a variety of loca-
tions.
“PeaceHealth is focusing on
providing safe, high-quality
care to patients and being
ready, if necessary, to handle a
surge of sick or injured people
at its hospitals in Springfield,
Eugene, Cottage Grove and
Florence,” said Cole. “Patient
care is our top concern, and
we’ve been preparing for it.”
Watching the solar eclipse
without proper eye protection
can cause long-term vision
damage.
Dr. Lee Azpiroz, optometrist
at PeaceHealth Medical Group,
points out that the eyes are not
designed to withstand the
intensity of viewing the sun
directly, even for a brief period
of time.
If you are concerned that
you may have developed a
problem after viewing the
eclipse, you should be evaluat-
ed soon afterward by an
optometrist or an ophthalmolo-
gist.