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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2018)
SIUSLAW NEWS | TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018 | 7A Local author recounts history of Roanoke Island Author and long-time local resident Harold Titus will appear Saturday, July 7, at 2 p.m. in the Siuslaw Public Library’s Bromley Room to speak about England’s attempt and failure in 1585-1586 and 1587-1590 to establish a col- ony on Roanoke Island (inside North Carolina’s Outer Bank). Titus will read passages from his new historical novel, “Al- soomse and Wanchese,” answer related questions and autograph copies of his book. The beginning of the novel is September 1583, 10 months be- fore the English appear at Roa- noke Island. Seventeen-year-old Alsoomse desires freedom to doubt, discov- er and aspire without Algonquian tribal hindrance. She pushes con- tinuously against tribal conven- tion, the imposed role of women and the dictatorial authority of men, rulers and priests. Nineteen-year-old Wanchese’s short-temper and quest to prove himself worthy of his deceased father’s expectations lead him several times into dangerous conflict with one of his tribal ruler’s essential sub- ordinates and, against hostile tribesmen, into life and death combat. Titus graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s de- gree in history. He taught intermediate school English, American history, and a dra- ma elective many years in Orinda, Calif.. He coached many of the school’s boys’ and girls’ sports teams. Titus is also the author of “Crossing the River,” a histori- cal novel about the experienc- es of English and American participants in the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, clashes that mark the beginning of the American Revolution. Formally On Your Feet with a Splash Formally New Name, New Style, Same Great Shopping Experience 1377 Bay St. Old Town Florence 541.997.7463 VAN from page 1A “No, I wish I had,” the man replied. Instead, he had just re- ceived chemotherapy and was suffering from the effects of the process. According to the American Cancer Society, the immediate after effects of chemotherapy can cause nausea, vomiting and confusion. The effects of- ten last for a short time, but sometimes can linger for days. “Some people, you can’t tell they have cancer and they’re going in for treatment,” Meal- er said. “For others, it’s very painful and they get very sick. It runs the gamut.” Whatever a person's reac- tion to treatment, driving di- rectly afterward can be a chal- lenge. The police asked the man in front of Sacred Health if they could help in some way, to which the man asked for a ride to the edge of Eugene. He lived on the coast and needed a good spot on the highway to hitch a ride to his home on the coast. It was at this moment that Smith realized the hardships of many coastal residents to drive to the coast for treatment. “If you’re fighting cancer, the last thing you need to wor- ry about is how you’re going to get back and forth,” Mealer said. The average round trip from Florence to Springfield is 125 miles. “That’s every day, five days a week,” said Mealer. “Are you going to have to rent an apartment in Springfield to stay? Just the gas charges alone would be astronomical.” The Friends of Florence bus- es fill up their gas tanks every two days, with expenses rang- ing upwards of $1,000 a month, depending on fuel costs. “Radiation treatment is usu- ally a daily thing,” Mealer not- ed. “For some treatments, it can take up to 45 days.” And those 45-day cycles are rarely one-and-done treat- ments. Generally, each course of chemotherapy consists for four to six cycles, with each cycle costing thousands of dol- lars, according to the Ameri- can Cancer Society. Some esti- mates peg an eight-week cycle costing $30,000. Adding in the addition- al cost of transportation can break an already precarious financial situation. To help coastal residents soften the economic burden of cancer, the Smiths looked for a way to provide free transportation to inland medical centers. The Smiths helped to create a steering committee, consist- ing of Smith, Tom Grove and Taylor Young, which found a used bus for $6,000. Ore- gon Pacific Bank gave them a no-interest loan to purchase it. Within 26 days, the loan was paid off by donations from the community and a $2,000 gift from Smith’s sister, Francis. In 1985, the bus began making its first trips to Sa- cred Heart, and by 1986, the program became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organiza- tion. Since then, the program has transported approximately 45,000 patients, traversing a total of 1.5 million miles. As the Friends of Florence program has grown over the years, so too has the commu- nity within it. It has grown beyond just a mode of trans- portation into an emotion- al support network for those with cancer. “I can tell you, it’s like a lit- tle community on that bus,” Mealer said. “Everybody is checking in on each other, how they’re doing. The people are very tight knit.” Once a patient’s cycle is over, the community of riders usu- ally celebrate the end of the process. “It’s like graduation,” Mealer said. “There were two ladies who were finishing up at the same time and on the last day, they brought picnic stuff. They had a party on the bus on the way back. They had snacks and food, it was crazy.” The program strives to al- ways maintain a fleet of two well-maintained buses, though it wasn’t always that way. “It’s a lot better than what we first started driving,” Mealer said. “The buses we had pretty much rode like a school bus. You bounced around in back. Now, these are really nice bus- es. … These have RV suspen- sions and are fully air condi- tioned. They have seatbelts and are comfortable rides.” But the group is in constant need of drivers, all of whom are volunteers. “Normally, we try and have drivers only go once a month,” Mealerw said. “But we have people who take off for the winter, and we have people who age out.” Driving the bus can be a bit nerve-wracking for some, con- sidering the precious cargo in- side. “Especially when we’re training new drivers,” Mealer said. “We train to drive defen- sively. We drive cautiously. We drive speed limits. We don’t take any chances. But it’s prob- ably not for everybody to want to do that.” But Mealer said that driving the bus itself is easy, akin to maneuvering an RV. “I’ve trained people that have never driven anything bigger than a Subaru,” he explained. “It’s easy to learn to drive these buses. You just have to realize it’s a lot longer than a Subaru.” As for the drivers them- selves, the reasons they volun- teer run the gamut. “Either they’re cancer survi- vors themselves, or they have family members who are can- cer survivors,” Mealer said. “I’ve had some drivers who come in just because they want something to do. We have drivers that have been driving for years, and they enjoy doing it. It’s a worthy cause.” Beyond drivers, the program is also in constant need of fi- nancial support. While Friends of Florence receives donations from the American Cancer Society and Oregon Neurology, the pro- gram is largely dependent on individual donations, much of which comes from fundrais- ers such as a yearly ice cream social put on by the Van Vans, a Friends group that supports the organization. The next one is on Saturday, July 21, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St. Tickets are $8 and include homemade pie, cake or cob- bler plus BJ’s Ice Cream. There will be music by Jeff Lovejoy. Donations to Friends of Florence help pay for gas, new vans and maintenance on the vehicles, which can be fre- quent. “We have insurance to offset the costs, but there are still de- ductibles,” Mealer explained. “Right now, we’re taking a bus in because there was a rock in the windshield on the driver’s side, so we’re going to have to replace the windshield. It can get expensive.” Despite the costs and time involved, Mealer believes that the program is vital for the Siuslaw region. “We’ve been around for a long time and it is a worthy cause for people that need the service,” Mealer said. “People are happy to do it, and we’re happy to provide it.” To donate or volunteer for the Friends, contact Tom Grove at 541-997-8629 or Dan Clements at 541-902-0883, or stop by the annual Van Fans Ice Cream Social. A new event, Octo-Fur-Fest, an extension of the annual Wiener Dog Races, will also fundraise for the Friends of Florence. That event is being planned by the Siuslaw News and the Florence Events Cen- ter. For more information, or to get involved, contact Jen- na Bartlett at 541-902-3524 or jbartlett@thesiuslawnews. com. e r o all the Florence art l p Ex Locally Owned & Operated community has to off er. PASS q PORT ART FLORENCE | OREGON Pick up your Florence Art Passport at these locations: Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Siuslaw Pioneer Museum FRAA - Florence Regional Arts Alliance | Backstreet Gallery The River Gallery | Rodger Bennett Photography Dragon Art | Florence Events Center | Siuslaw Public Library BeauxArts Fine Art Materials & Gallery | Frames of Florence Oregon Coast Military Museum | Digital Dunes Photography Stephanie Matt Cameran Jack Honesty • Quality • Integrity Pest Tech Inc. is locally owned and operated. We are dedicated to providing professional pest management solutions. We service the greater Florence area, Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon. 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