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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2018)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM | SIUSLAWNEWS | WEDNESDAY EDITION | AUGUST 22, 2018 | $1.00 @ SIUSLAWNEWS EMERGENCY SUTURING CLASS Tee time to be held at the Florence Events Center during the SPORTS — B Be Ready – Storm Ready Preparedness Expo August 25, 2018! Details on 2A 128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 67 Of Parks and Pickleball ... It takes a community to build a community Part II By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News “We’re hoping that people are inspired to do something for their community,” said Vision Keeper and former co-chair of Siuslaw Vision Jo Beaudreau. “There’s a lot that we can do together.” She paused, then laughed. “I sound all touchy feely there,” she said. “But community building is touchy feely,” Siu- slaw Vision Coordinator Stephanie Sarles said. Beaudreau and Sarles work with the Siuslaw Vision 2025, a community-led organization that looks for the needs of a shared community vision, and then works to make it a reality. It’s a central hub of ideas, working closely with community organizations to navigate the intricate challenges of creating broad community organizations. Its main goal is to help build the community. Siuslaw Vision isn’t very discriminatory in who it will help achieve their dreams, but one of the projects it is looking to help come to fruition is a community recreation center. There are a multitude of groups that could benefit from the Vision’s expertise — one of which are pickleball enthusiasts across the region. As described in Part I of this article, a group of pickleballers, or picklers, have been having difficulties getting their vision of a dedicated pickleball court off the ground that would include indoor and outdoor courts, and be a hub tourna- ment. This Monday, some picklers attended a Flor- ence City Council meeting to talk about their love of the sport, describing a plan that brings in tourism dollars through the sport. The idea of painting in additional lines to the tennis court was floated, with picklers saying they would pitch in money. Even Mayor Joe Henry said he might raise some funds for the project, and Councilor Joshua Greene promised $300 of his own money. But as far as a larger complex was concerned? Henry explained the city’s predicament: “It’s going to take money to do this project,” he said. “I’m all in favor having a pickleball court and complex. … But you guys have to get orga- nized and spearhead this. This is not something the city is going to take on. We have very limited resources.” The question goes back to how a group of picklers could begin fundraising and organizing such a project. The picklers stated they had an upcoming meeting with Florence City Manager Erin Reynolds about starting a grass roots project to get the project running. So how does one start a project like this? Some- thing that, as the picklers believe, could create a healthier citizenship and help make the Siuslaw region a better place to live. It just so happens that Siuslaw Vision shares those same goals. “Vision tries to find ways to support people with our resources for the community,” Sarles said. And right now, the Siuslaw region is “on a roll.” Recreation Center The picklers did work with Siuslaw Vision at one point, put the project fizzled out. INSIDE See VISION page 6A Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . . B6 A3 B5 A5 FLORENCE, OREGON SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 Restoring the dunes Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative explains what it will take to bring the region back to its former glory JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS Members of the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative work to keep the Heceta Dunes clear of invasive species, such as Scotch broom. By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News “I n Wales, we like to look af- ter the Scotch broom and the gorse because it’s so pretty,” Dafydd Balston said. “But one of the invasive species there is rhododendrons. They’re a weed over there, spreading and tak- ing over. But the Scotch broom, with its bright yellow in the spring time, we work to preserve those.” Balston, who now lives in Flor- ence, was volunteering for the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative last Saturday, a group that is dedicated to restoring the Oregon dunes to their natural habitat. Once a month, the collaborative sets out to pull or cut the species that have wreaked havoc on the local dunes ecosystem. But in his home country of Wales, Balston would be doing the exact op- posite. “Rhododendrons were introduced in Victorian times,” he said. “There are still some stately manors in the UK where you go in May, and it’s an abso- lute blaze of color because there’s so many different species from all around the world. It is a big tourist attraction. But, they spread. In the ornamental gardens they’re controlled. Out in the wild it can be a real nuisance.” So, in Wales, collaboratives would be set up to eradicate the wild rhododen- drons and preserve the native Scotch broom. “It’s a worldwide campaign to main- tain some different ecosystems,” he said. “Trying to preserve different spe- cies.” Balston and the collaborative were working in the Heceta Dunes area, just County opens option to ‘round up’ recycling September event to accept limited plastic waste Plastic. The word once met un- Master Recyclers in the Florence By Mark Brennan limited possibilities, now it means area to assist any individuals or Siuslaw News unending pollution. groups who may want to partici- Plastic is most often produced pate in the September Recycling using a process that includes pe- Roundup. troleum-based materials to create the multitude of Bell is also working on the pre-event publicity for objects that fill the households of America and those the county, providing information to clarify the de- across the globe. tails of the roundup. Much of these materials will eventually make their “Lane County Waste Management is hosting this way into a landfill or waterway and then into hu- special collection event to provide residents an op- man and animal food chains. Toxic petroleum-based portunity to recycle many of the plastic containers chemicals leach out of plastic waste and make their that were dropped from recycling programs in recent way into humans and animals, where exposure has months,” Bell wrote in an email. “Because this mate- been linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired im- rial will be clean and collected in segregated, material munity responses and endocrine disruption. types, they will be delivered to Denton Plastics and Residents of Florence and the surrounding areas processed into plastic pellets for manufacturers of have had to deal with the changing world of plastics new recycled-content products, such as park bench- as recycling of the materials has been discontinued es, decking, flower pots, electronic components and by local waste haulers since the end of last year due much more.” to changing relationships with those who accept re- Locally, one of the organizations that has been cycling. most active in fashioning a plan for the future of Lane County is also in the crosshairs of the plastic plastic recycling in the Siuslaw region is Precious problem and is taking a step to answer concerns con- Plastics, a nonprofit formed in the wake of last year’s sumers have with throwing out the plastic containers plastic recycling changes. they have purchased. Precious Plastics is planning on coordinating a To that end, Lane County Waste Management will trip from Florence to Glenwood for the roundup, but be hosting a plastic recycling event on Sunday, Sept. the details of the trip are still being finalized. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Glenwood facility, Eileen Angilletta is the spokesperson for the group 3100 E 17th St. who wants residents to know that there are some The event is called the Recycle Roundup and the solutions on the horizon for recycling in town. transfer station will accept for recycling plastic bot- “Precious Plastics Florence is hoping to partic- tles, tubs and jugs labeled number 2, 4 and 5. ipate in the Recycle Roundup, possibly to have a Materials must be clean, free of labels and adhe- joint pick up spot, but details are in the works,” she sives and sorted by number and shape. Incorrect, said. “My understanding is that the status of plas- unsorted or unclean materials will not be accepted. tic recycling at this time is pretty much at a stand- Kelly Bell is coordinator for Lane County’s Mas- still, but this could change as the rest of the county ter Recycler Program and she has reached out to the See RECYCLE page 7A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2 THIS WEEK ’ S TODAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 63 56 66 52 66 51 66 53 WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 northwest of Florence’s city limits. “We try and come out once a month,” said Bill Blackwell, who helps organize these excursions. “In the spring, it was even twice a month. We work primar- ily here at Heceta Dunes, and we also went to Lagoon Campground at Siltco- os, Honeyman State Park and the Ore- gon Dunes day use area.” Blackwell’s group was focusing on Heceta, starting a four-hour expedition that began with cutting down invasive species and ended up with a tour of one of the most pristine areas on the entire See DUNES page 5A Weekend accidents, emergencies lead to multiple callouts Story and Photo By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News A two-car collision resulted in a roll-over and the need for extrication on Aug. 19. It was unfortunately a busy summer weekend for first responders at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue (SVFR) and Western Lane Ambulance District (WLAD). Increased traffic in the area and on Highways 101 and 126 during the week- end resulted in heavier than expected callouts for both organizations. Operations Chief Jim Dickerson reported that SVFR responded to 14 calls over the weekend and WLAD also ran many multi-call periods, often responding to multiple emergencies at one time. “We ran six motor vehicle accidents, which are dual response situations where SVFR and WLAD work in tandem,” Dickerson said. “One of the motor vehicle accidents was a mutual aid with a partner agency upriver. Six respons- es were medical assists and one was to set up a landing zone for a critical transport.” S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 14 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2018 See ACCIDENTS page 5A