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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2018)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | 7A Library Tidings Book Review: “The Hunger” by Alma Katsu Novelist Alma Katsu turns to one of America’s most haunting human disasters, the Donner Party, in “The Hunger,” a book with a supernatural turn. Evil is invisible, and it is every- where. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travel- ers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape trag- edy … or the feeling that someone — or something — is stalking them. Siuslaw Public Library Notes by Kevin Mittge Whether it’s a curse from the beauti- ful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American his- tory. As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains … and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along. Effortlessly combing the supernat- ural and the historical, “The Hunger” is an eerie, thrilling look at the vola- tility of human nature, pushed to its breaking point. Grant Workshop Are you an artist or do you belong to an arts, heritage or cultural orga- nization? If so, you should consider applying for a grant through the Lane County Cultural Coalition (LCCC). The co- alition will be holding a grant work- shop tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 23, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Bromley Room, which will discuss the process and how to write a successful grant application. LCCC has funded dance and art programs in schools, film festivals, theater groups, and much more. If you are involved in the arts in any way, this workshop is a must! Concert: Folksongs of the American Labor Movement The library is pleased to present Adam Miller, one of the premier auto harpists in the country, on Thurs- day, Aug. 30, at noon in the library’s Bromley Room. Miller, folksinger and natu- ral-born storyteller based in Oregon, will be celebrating Labor Day in this popular program featuring folksongs about the people who built America and their struggle to overcome the conditions of their labor. RECYCLE from page 1A realizes the problems that the ex- cessive use of plastic will cause.” Angelita’s group is also hard at work creating a company to take waste plastic and turn it into us- able goods. The plan is still in its initial stages, but some progress has already been made. “Our Building and Finance group has made some good prog- 6th Annual Florence After the small break, the group worked their way east, stopping at various hot spots of Scotch broom, picking out the offenders. At that point they came upon the most brutal of invasive plants: gorse. “It’s like scotch broom in a way, except it has needles on it, and they don’t bend,” said Blackwell. The gorse was massive, four feet tall and just as wide. The sharp nee- dles made it almost impenetrable. Balston described how small ani- mals such as rabbits hide under the bushes in Wales to protect them- selves from predators. “And gorse is flammable,” Black- well said. “There’s a lot of gorse around the town of Bandon, and in the late 1800s, the town actually burned up because the gorse helped fuel the fire.” Beyond the dangers of handling the plant, it’s also difficult to erad- icate. Unlike Scotch broom, where one can simply leave the stump be- hind, gorse has to be dug up at the root ball or it will come back. Blackwell didn’t have the time to take out the gorse that day, so he marked it with a pink ribbon to make it easy to find the next time the group came through. After two hours, the cleanup por- tion of the day had ended, and it was time to head toward one of the most pristine places on the Oregon coast. A small path eastward, turning south, led to an oasis of untouched dunes. The wind drifted sands mixed with patches of native grasses. “This is one of the places we thought would be really worthwhile to work on,” Marty Stein, a forest botanist, said. “We look for areas with relatively intact native com- munities that wouldn’t take a lot of work if we got in there and started doing something. The category is called ‘Preserve the best.’ This is ac- tually one of the largest that we’ve been able to find in this whole mid- coast area.” He explained how the native grasses thrive on open sounds, growing in small tufts in certain ar- eas, sparsely growing. They thrive on an ever-changing dune. But when invasive species come in, they stabi- lize the dunes, choking out the na- tives and small, ephemeral wetlands that are indigenous to the dunes. The area wasn’t entirely pristine, with patches of gorse and Scotch broom still visible. There was also a solid mat of European beach grass that was threatening the area. “But there’s not a lot of it here,” Stein said. “If we do nothing, over time I image we’ll end up losing this whole area.” However, the collaborative has plans to restore the area, using her- bicides for the beach grass and pull- ing out the Scotch. This area represented the end goal for Stein and the collaboration. “You can get the idea of what a more natural system looks like,” he said. “Think about driving down the coast and looking at the beach and seeing a very solid mat of European beach grass growing out it. Compare it to this. You can see what was, and what is now in most places.” The group walked around the dunes, their footprints seen mo- mentarily in the sand, quickly disap- pearing with the strong winds. The entire area was quiet, peaceful. On the way back from the tour, Balston explained why it was good to have volunteer groups like the collaborative work on the dunes. “It’s good to have a group to keep you motivated,” he said. “If it was just me, maybe I would only spend a half hour out here. But with a group, it keeps you on your toes to get the work done. And that’s the important part. Maybe we won’t be able to fix all this, nor our children. But after that?” ress since the June Power of Flor- ence event. We are receiving do- nations that are being matched up through $5,000 for every $100 donation. This is helping toward the rental or purchase of a space to house the plant,” she said. “At this time, we have a few options. We have access to a shipping con- tainer which can be converted to a working recycling plant if we get property without an industrial building. We would need a small building for bathroom and office. If we get a rental space that has an industrial type building on it, we are open to that as well.” The explosion in the use of plas- tic globally for consumer goods, construction materials and the packaging for those goods, has created a major environmental problem. There are also numerous in- dustrial and construction uses for plastic or “polymer formulations,” as the materials are known to builders. Some examples of these types of polymer are found in PVC pipes, electrical wiring, floor coverings, insulation and roofing materials. Additionally, many plastic products are often shipped in plas- tic, which is then discarded after a single use. According to the National Geo- graphic Foundation, 40 percent of all plastic is used for packaging and nearly 100 percent is discard- ed after one use. Adding to the problem is the ever-increasing number, type and chemical formulations of plastic, which makes recycling these new and unusual types of materials much more difficult. Nat Geo has made a commit- ment to monitor and report on the global plastic crisis, not only to inform the public, but to show the damage done by increasing levels of plastic production and waste. The first wave of information from that effort has shown that the rate of plastic recycling worldwide is approximately 20 percent. In the United States, that rate falls to just over nine percent. In addition, the foundation’s analysis of plastic production and waste data estimates that every year 8 million metric tons of plas- tic ends up in our oceans. The difficulties in determining what can now be recycled and where it can be dropped off has been a source of irritation and confusion for consumers interest- ed in recycling and Lane County has borne the brunt of those crit- icisms. Bell wants to make sure that the Recycle Roundup does not add to the confusion. “I want to be sure that all of our residents who have very strong feelings about recycling and who attend the collection event will not become disappointed or angry when Lane County Waste Man- agement does not accept some items they mistakenly bring. This collection event may not be a good fit for folks that are exasperated by the level of detail required. No plastic bags. No No.1 PETE and no No. 6 PS. Incorrect items will not be accepted. Our minimum charge for dumping trash, if folks want to get back in line is $12,” Bell said. However, the county’s aim is to help those who wish to recycle to find an outlet for their reusable goods. “I am so pleased that we can provide this plastic recycling event for the dedicated recyclers in our community,” Bell said. “If this col- lection event goes well, we would like to have another in the spring. And remember to please carpool!” DUNES from page 5A Get Results...List With Desiree. COMMUNITY Desiree Clifton Principal Broker 541 999-5223 September 7-9 35 Easy St – Come relax at the coast in this 444 sqft home. This property has paved park- ing, room for RVs with RV hook- ups. Picnic area, garden/hobby shed. Located in the Coast Vil- lage community complete with security gate, pool, laundry, rec facility and more. $120,000. #2612-17129165 How To Participate The fee to participate is $20. An ad for the Community Wide Garage Sale with a map of all participation sales will be published in the Siuslaw News on September 5th and 8th. Because of print deadlines, the registration deadline is 5pm Thursday August 29 2018. <RXZLOODOVRUHFHLYHWZRRI¿FLDO&RPPXQLW\:LGH*DUDJH6DOHVLJQVDVZHOODVDWLSVKHHWRQKRZWRKDYHDJUHDWVDOH Maps will be available in the Siusalw News, online and at the Florence Visitors Center. 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 Please post signs only on private property with the owner’s consent. Posting signs on City utility poles, street or signal light poles, and median strips is against the municipal code. Name ____________________________________Phone____________________________ Address___________________________________Email____________________________ Subdivision name (if any) ____________________________________ Dates (CIRCLE): Times: Friday 9/7 Saturday 9/8 Sunday 9/9 ___________ ___________ ___________ 15-word description:( Date, times and address are included. Addition words over 15 are $0.50 each.) Add’l Words ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ Let Paul show you a new car or truck. Stop by today! Bring form and payment to 148 Maple St in HIstoric Old Town or mail to Siuslaw News PO Box 10, Florence, OR 97439 Call 541-902-3526 |ÀRUHQFHFKDPEHUFRP Deadline is August 29th at 5pm to be included on the map. 2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence (541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475 CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS MULTI-STATE Sign Up For Fall/ Winter Leagues! Looking for something different to do this winter? Break out of your old routine and join us for good old fashioned fun at Holiday Bowl. WA MT ME ND VT MN OR ID WI SD IA PA NE NV IL UT CO CA We have plenty of leagues for men, women, kids and social leagues. League Bowling begins after Labor Day Weekend! Everyone is Welcome to Join a League at Holiday Bowl Florence, OR • 997-3332 NY MI WY AZ OH IN OK NM MO VA KY NC TN AR SC MS AL NJ MD WV KS GA TX LA NH MA CT RI DE September 5th March 2 1pm & 6pm 1 pm Event & 6 pm Florence Center Vancouver Trap St. Club 715 Quince 11100 NE 76th Street Walk-in’s welcome. FL AK HONORED RESIDENT NON PERMIT NOT HONORED Multi-State: Multi-State: $80.00 $80.00 Valid in Included Washington Oregon No Fee Oregon Included No Fee Oregon Only: $45.00 Oregon Only: $45.00 Shaun Curtain 360-921-2071 or email: FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com | www.FirearmTrainingNW.com