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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2017 9 A ASK A MASTER RECYCLER G UTHRIE W ILSON , M ASTER R ECYCLER A MONTHLY COLUMN OF RECYCLING INFORMATION PROVIDED BY F LORENCE M ASTER R ECYCLERS For the Siuslaw News (A monthly column of recycling information provided by Florence Master Recyclers) As a recent graduate of the Florence Master Recycler Class, I was intrigued with how such a won- derful program got started. So I met with Sarah Grimm, Lane County’s Waste Reduction Specialist to ask her. Grimm admits with a smile, “I pestered the county,” remembering a path of a life-changing events that started by simply taking the 1991 master recycler class in Portland, Ore. Grimm described becoming so fascinated that her tireless engage- ment with the subject made her life- long shyness disappear. She not only became an advocate for reducing, reusing and recycling, she made a career move from restaurants to pub- lic outreach. When 1996 brought her to work for BRING Recycling, the recycling advocate organization in Lane County, she noted to county staff on several occasions how beneficial such a program would be for the communities in Lane County. Then in 1999, Lane County received a grant from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and began piloting the course. By 2001, they had hired a coordinator to run the course and to this day they have held 2 classes each year (March and September). The nine weekly classes and tours help students begin to understand the complex processes of recycling: col- lecting materials, handling them, bro- kering commodities and remanufac- turing new products again — and most especially the very important roll that citizens and consumers have in all of it. Master Recycler field trips took us to see where fertilizer is made from compost, the Bio-diesel station, the landfill, the recycling station, haz- ardous waste facility, a huge re-use store that was acres big, Next Step, BRING, and MECCA ,too. We saw a community garden and learned how to start a worm bed from composting food scraps. The Master Recycler program piloted a version for Florence early on; it was 3 full days Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “That was before my time,” says Grimm, who started at the county in 2004 after having to leave BRING due to the loss of her voice from overuse. At that time, Grimm saw the need to serve the whole county, not just Eugene and Springfield. And she began seeking interest in rural com- munities. Florence responded by fill- ing the classes every other winter. (Weekly afternoon classes January- March at the Lane Community College). Grimm described Florence Master Recyclers as the shining star of rural community can-do. Trained master recyclers have cre- ated real community here, in Florence by: meeting monthly or quarterly, managing the collection of miscellenious recyclables at the city hall, recycling efforts at Relay for Life and other local events, starting a dish loan program for events to reduce the waste of disposable cups and plates and marching in the Rhody Days parade. As a Master recycler, the student “pays” for their course by doing 30 hours of volunteer work that serves the communities in which they live. The creed is to do good in the world; educate and be a positive force in whatever it is you have a call to do; to adapt and change with the needs of the community; to get involved and help others; to be ambassadors in education and in hands-on experi- ences; and helping change people’s habits to create a better world through our communities. “In this,” Grimm says, “Florence Master Recyclers are my heroes.” Master Recycler hosted the educa- tional booth at the Lane County fair. This year, 1,792 Lane County atten- dees signed waste-prevention pledges, with 25 Master Recyclers volunteerung more than 130 hours at the fair. Many Master Recyclers may come to the table because there is opportu- nity for employment. Personally, I have found that the people that head these areas are there because they have a strong passion to do so. As Lane County Master Recyclers, we are over 900 strong. Master Recycler coordinators across the state recently created an online Recycling 101 course for those who live in a rural community, or who can’t make it to a live class. The course is available to all — individuals, teachers or those who want to start a community organiza- tion. It is only $50 (or $35 each for group orders). For more information, visit www .lanecounty.org/masterrecyclers — Guthrie Kushner Master Recysler Florence OCHS plans September Wine Gala N ATURAL PERSPECTIVE — Plans are underway for the Oregon Coast Humane Society’s 25th annual Wine and Chocolate Gala, set for Friday, Sept. 22. Doors will open at 6 p.m. This silver anniversary cele- bration will be held in the Three Rivers Casino Resort’s Events Center, 5647 Highway 126. The chocolate fountain will be flowing and treats will abound. Attendees will also enjoy live music and a glass of wine included with admission. Attendees should arrive early to peruse the many items coming up for bid in the live auction, as well as the silent auctions that evening. Raffle ticket winners will be announced throughout the evening. Tickets are $25 and will be available beginning Aug. 22 at various Florence area loca- tions, or tickets can be pur- chased at the door that evening for $27. Donated auction items will be greatly appreciated and may be dropped off at the OCHS Thrift Store, 1193 Bay St., in Old Town Florence. For more information, con- tact Danielle Dickson at 541- 999-5702. FREE ADMISSION August 19 & 20, 2017 Florence Events Center 715 Quince Street, Florence, OR Saturday, 9-5 • Sunday 9-4 Florence Coin Show Influences of the Sky B Y E MILY J. U HRIG , P H D Special to the Siuslaw News I n less than a week, on the morning of Aug. 21, our skies will darken as Oregon experiences the much antici- pated solar eclipse. Although Florence is slight- ly south of the path of totality, where the sun will be com- pletely covered by the moon’s shadow, we will still see over 98 percent of the sun obscured. In addition to the obvious dark- ness, eclipses are accompanied by drops in air temperature and may also affect humidity and wind patterns. Some of these effects may extend into the fol- lowing day. For many organisms, bio- logical rhythms are regulated by light-dark cycles and even the relatively brief darkness of an eclipse can influence such rhythms. For instance, rates of photosynthesis, whereby plants produce oxygen from carbon dioxide, drop during an eclipse because the process depends on energy from sunlight. Animals can also be affected by the darkness of an eclipse. The darkening of the sky may be perceived as a sudden onset of nighttime and many animals behave accordingly. During eclipses, birds have been observed to head to their roosts, fish seek shelter and spiders accustomed to catching prey during the day begin tak- Cel e 70 brati Yea ng rs! Hoberg’s Coins & Collectibles • Free Appraisals • Submit your coins to ANACS for grading Complete Auto Repair www.hobergsautorepair.com For more information contact: DENNIS HANKINS 541-401-0949 OR BUY - SELL TRADE TERRY WOODWARD 541-997-2682 Join a League! Fall Bowling League Registration Going On Now BEGINNERS WELCOME Monday Night- Women's League Tuesday Night- Men's League Wednesday Aft ernoon - Seniors Wednesday Night - Mixed Social Th ursday Night - Men's League Friday Aft ernoon - Seniors Saturday Night - Monte Carlo Sunday Aft ernoon - Junior league Sunday Night - Mixed Social Everyone is Welcome at Holiday Bowl We also have open bowling, fun for the whole family! Holiday Bowl 27th and Highway 101. Florence 541-997-3332 Kids Teens Adults Seniors 345 Hwy. 101 • P.O. Box 357 Florence, OR 97439-0012 541-997-2413 Kevin McMullen 3rd Generation Owner hobergsautorepair@gmail.com Serving Your Auto Needs Since 1945 ing down their webs. However, given the rarity and brevity of solar eclipses, thorough scientific studies of their effects on animals are rel- atively scarce, and scientists will be taking advantage of our upcoming eclipse to collect additional data. For humans, the eclipse may be too brief to affect our behavior and we have the added advantage of knowing that it is not really the time for nightly activities. However, our biological rhythms are nev- ertheless still influenced by light-dark cycles. For example, most of us begin feeling sleepy as night falls and more alert as daylight returns. These rhythms are controlled in part by changing levels of hormones like mela- tonin, which is elevated during the night and at low levels in the daytime. Indeed, melatonin levels are directly influenced by the amount of light entering our eyes. We may feel some conse- quences of changing light lev- els during the darker winter months where night comes ear- lier and lasts longer. This seasonal lighting change can increase the period of time melatonin levels are elevated leading to a prolonged duration of sleep. As you look skyward to admire the spectacle of the eclipse (using appropriate eye protection, of course), consider how even the more mundane changes in the sky can influ- ence our lives. EMERGENCY SUTURING CLASS to be held at the Florence Events Center during the Be Ready – Storm Ready Preparedness Expo September 23, 2017! Please call the Siuslaw News at 541-902-3526 to sign up. You may pay by credit or debit card. There are two classes being offered. Positions in the class are on a fi rst paid for, fi rst reserved basis and classes are limited to the fi rst 25 paying participants in each class. So don’t delay, sign up for a place now! The class is at 11:00 AM AND 2:00 PM Saturday, September 23, 2017 Cost is only $25.00 per participant! Sponsored by: Siuslaw News D EADLINE FOR P RESS R ELEASES I S E VERY M ONDAY AND T HURSDAY BY N OON . E MAIL P RESS R ELEASES @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM .