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WEDNESDAY EDITION | AUGUST 29, 2018 | $1.00
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HOOD TO COAST
SPORTS — B
128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 69
FLORENCE, OREGON
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Goodwill looks
to bring IDAs
to rural Oregon
Putting on
Oregon flags
a critical lowered to
thinking cap half-staff
Siuslaw School District
voters invited to weigh all
angles when deciding on
November election
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Area schools are on the minds of com-
munity members lately, with a $108 million
bond measure for Siuslaw School District on
the ballot in November and Florence City
Council expressing interest in a Safe Routes
to School Infrastructure Program that could
bring important safety changes to the ar-
eas adjacent to the district’s schools on Oak
Street.
At the Florence Area Chamber of Com-
merce August Noon Forum, Chamber Pres-
ident Russ Pierson presented a lesson on
critical thinking, especially in regard to the
Siuslaw school bond.
He said he wore several “hats” to the meet-
ing, as he represented a variety of interests in
the community. These included his roles as
chamber president, dean of Lane Communi-
ty College Florence Center (LCC), past asso-
ciate director of facilities management and
planning at LCC, former construction pro-
fessional and current member of the Siuslaw
School Board’s Bond Advisory Committee.
“The chamber doesn’t intend to take an
up or down position on the ballot measure,
but we do think it is important that all of our
chamber members have the best possible
information,” Pierson said. “There are won-
derful reasons why some in this room might
end up voting ‘yes,’ and there are wonderful
reasons why some might end up voting ‘no.’
But we want you to have the best information
so that you can make an informed choice for
you, your family, your community and your
business. Some of those values won’t neces-
sarily align, but again, it’s complex.”
He then invited the attendees to put on
their critical thinking caps as they consid-
ered Siuslaw’s bond proposal.
To best discuss the district’s complicated
issues, Pierson gave an update on the pro-
jected bond before inviting his colleague
Gary E. Smith, an instructor with LCC who
specializes in risk management and critical
thinking, to walk people through the best
way to come to a decision on the November
vote.
The Bond Advisory Committee has start-
ed giving short presentations around the
community on the bond, including at a
July meeting of the Florence City Coun-
cil. All the information that has been pub-
licly shared at www.siuslaw.k12.or.us/o/
Siuslaw%20S cho ol%20Distr ic t/page/
november-2018-bond has been vetted by the
Oregon Secretary of State.
INSIDE
See CRITICAL page 8A
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Library Tidings . . . . . . . . . . .
B6
A3
B5
A5
Individual Development
Accounts can help
Oregonians keep working,
learn lessons in savings
O
n Tuesday, Gov. Kate Brown
ordered Oregon’s flags be
flown at half-staff until sunset to
honor U.S. Sen. John McCain, who
passed away Aug. 25. In Florence,
flags at the Veteran’s Memorial Park
along the Siuslaw River billowed in
the coastal breeze. “We lost an
American hero,” Brown said in a
proclamation. “Sen. McCain’s mav-
erick sensibility meant he faced dis-
agreement from both sides of the
aisle. But, regardless of where he
stood, his colleagues always knew
his style was deeply rooted in an
unflinching commitment to our
country.”
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
the state’s mentoring program to
help students access education
and training beyond high school.
“I first started out because I
have an interest in education. My
kids were growing up and going
to public schools, so I spent 11
years on the Coos Bay School
Board and I’ve continued to be
involved in education issues
since that time,” McKeown said.
She also shared the work
she has done in the most re-
cent legislative session at the
Since 1999, a statewide program designed
to help people apply for Individual Devel-
opment Accounts (IDA), has been helping
those with low incomes purchase homes,
start or expand a business, go to college, get
job training, purchase a vehicle or repair a
home.
IDAs give Oregonians the opportunity to
get matching grants from anywhere from a
3:1 ratio to a 5:1 ratio.
It’s free money, if someone is willing to put
in the time to plan and save.
“IDAs are available nationwide, but they
are not funded by the federal level,” said Trys-
ta Duquette, outreach and resource specialist
for Goodwill Industries of Lane and South
Coast Counties. “Oregon has the strongest
IDA program in the nation and it is funded
by Oregonians for Oregonians.”
Duquette will be coming to Florence on
Tuesday, Sept. 25, to speak about Goodwill’s
involvement with IDAs.
IDAs work this way: if an individual is
looking to save up for a car to get to work,
they can sign up for an IDA through Good-
will or various other entities throughout the
state and begin a savings plan.
Over a specified amount of time (in the
case of a car, 366 days), they save a minimum
amount of funds in an IDA. After the proba-
tional savings period ends, the IDA matches
the individual’s savings by a 3:1 ratio. Lon-
ger savings plans will gain more dividends in
matching funds.
IDAs are intended to help people increase
their assets and earning capacity, get a stable
home situation, repair their credit and gain
employment.
The IDA program is funded through tax
deductible donations, with the responsibility
of doling out funds to a group of fiduciaries
across the state.
Dream Savers is one such fiduciary, which
employs the help of Goodwill to ensure ap-
plications are filled out and guides people to
make the right choice in picking their IDA.
Goodwill’s goal is to direct 70 percent of
IDA funding to rural communities, where it
can be more challenging to receive financial
aid.
“We’re very client driven,” Duquette said.
“What do you want to be? For some people,
it’s that they want a stable roof over their
head. They’ve been homeless before. Some
people don’t have problems paying their bills,
but they want to save for more and retire.”
While there are multiple IDAs available,
Goodwill focuses strictly on employment.
See CANDIDATES page 9A
See ACCOUNT page 7A
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Democratic candidates
make case for voter support
PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio came to Florence in support of Oregon Rep. Caddy McKeown yester-
day, holding a town hall at Siuslaw Public Library.
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio and
Oregon Rep. Caddy McKeown
appeared at a joint town hall
meeting Tuesday in the Brom-
ley Room at the Siuslaw Pub-
lic Library. The turnout for the
event was high and many inter-
ested residents stood outside the
Bromley Room waiting for a seat
to open.
Both DeFazio and McKeown
are current Democratic office
holders that are running for
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
THIS WEEK ’ S
re-election this November and
face credible challengers for their
respective offices.
McKeown spoke first, men-
tioning some of her personal his-
tory and how those experiences
have informed and motivated
her work as the representative
for District Nine.
She
highlighted
her
long-standing commitment to
education, pointing to her work
across the state and with the Siu-
slaw School District overseeing
and dramatically expanding the
ASPIRE program. ASPIRE is
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
63 54
66 50
66 49
66 50
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
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