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Soroptimist International of Florence Christmas
Food Basket & Toy Distribution Project needs
your HELP! Please help us to assist area families
with a food basket and toys this Christmas! Last
year we helped nearly 400 families put a complete
Christmas dinner on the table and put toys under
the tree! Did you know that Oregon has the highest
childhood hunger in the nation? That is why YOUR
contribution is so important! Contributions from
you and your neighbors are spent on food and toys.
Any food items left over are donated to Florence
Food Share for distribution.
Please make your check payable to:
Soroptimist Int. of Florence, OR
and mail to P.O. Box 1209, Florence, OR 97439.
Soroptimist International of Florence
is a 501(c)(3) organization.
INSIDE — A3
128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 97
FLORENCE, OREGON
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
Florence man missing since Friday
Family, Lane County Sheriffs give details on single-vehicle accident
By Mark Brennan & Ned Hickson
Siuslaw News
Florence resident Patrick Stapp, 58,
has been missing since Friday evening,
Nov. 30, after he was apparently in-
volved in a one-car accident on Sutton
Lake Road. His family officially report-
ed him missing on Monday.
The Lane County Sheriff ’s Office
(LCSO) believes that Stapp was the driv-
er of a 1991 Toyota Camry that left the
road, rolled over and was abandoned by
COURTESY PHOTOS
Cold Weather
Shelter opens
for the season
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
Stapp’s description walking away from
the crashed vehicle. The unidentified
individual disappeared down an em-
bankment and made his way along the
water’s edge after being hailed by the
deputy, who eventually lost sight of the
man.
The responding deputy searched for
the man believed to have been Stapp for
approximately one hour, using a bull-
horn at times, with no positive results.
See SEARCH page 9A
Ringers
The ins & outs of
being a Red Kettle
bell ringer for the
Salvation Army
By Jared Anderson
Siuslaw News
The Florence Emer-
gency Cold Weather
Shelter is up and run-
ning this week as cold
weather begins to de-
scend on the coast. The shelter opened for the
first time this year on Monday and is expected
to remain open until Wednesday night. It’s also
possible the doors will open Thursday as well.
The emergency shelter, which provides a hot
meal and a place to warm up or stay overnight,
opens when the temperature reaches 32 degrees
or less. It also opens when the temperature is in
the mid-30s coupled with rain.
“We had a good night [Monday],” said Pastor
Greg Wood, president of the program, which is
held at his church, the Presbyterian Church of
the Siuslaw. “Nine people stayed in overnight
with another eight or nine people who came in
to warm up, eat and then go back out to stay in
their cars, camper and, I think, another structure
that is nearby.”
This year’s cold season started almost two
weeks earlier than last year, which saw its first
open night on Dec. 14.
“We’re getting an earlier start this year, but
who knows. We’ll probably have another bout of
Indian Summer for the next two weeks, and we’ll
even wonder why we’re worried about it,” Wood
said. “Fingers crossed.”
The number of nights the shelter is open fluc-
tuates from year to year, with 2017 opening for
eight nights, compared to 2016, with 22 nights
open.
However, the number of people showing up to
utilize the shelter is on the rise. In 2017, there were
nights when only a handful of people came in.
“Some nights we had three or four people
show up, so we ended up putting people in a ho-
tel overnight because it was cheaper than paying
for our overnight staff to be there to supervise,”
Wood said.
See SHELTER page 9A
INSIDE
the driver at approximately 9:15 p.m.
last Friday night at milepost .75 on
Sutton Lake Road, just past Mercer Lake
Lane.
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue
(SVFR) Operations Chief Jim Dickerson
reports SVFR responded to a vehicular
roll-over with a possible passenger ejec-
tion on Sutton Lake Road at that time.
According to a statement released
by the sheriff ’s office, upon arrival at
the scene of the rollover, a LCSO dep-
uty spotted an individual matching
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T
he young boy smiled ner-
vously as he walked up to
the red kettle, a dollar bill rolled
up in his hand. He couldn’t have
been more than 9 years old, his
small frame lost in a big down
coat. He attempted to shove the
bill in the kettle, but it was stuck.
It took some strong work from his
thumbs to put the bill in.
“That is so cute!” Beth Reed
said as the boy walked away. It was
her first day as a volunteer ring-
er for the Salvation Army’s Red
Kettle program, standing outside
the south entrance of the Florence
Fred Meyer.
“I guess that’s where you start to
learn to give, as a child,” she said.
“Giving to the person who’s ring-
ing the bell. You remember those
days?”
She rang her bell for an added
effect.
“Growing up, seeing the person
with the red hat,” she said. “You
give them money, right? That’s
where you learn about volunteer-
ing.”
For some people, it’s not until
they are older that they really un-
derstand the need for giving with
“all the tragedies all around the
country,” Reed added.
There are the national issues,
such as fires, hurricanes, flooding.
Then there’s the social issues that
affect those close to home: Home-
lessness, poverty. Good people
trying hard during tough times.
“Christmas is all about giving
and sharing and doing what you
can for those who are less fortu-
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Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
Weather Data . . . . . . . . . . . A2
THIS WEEK ’ S
PHOTOS BY JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
The Florence community is stepping up to volun-
teer to ring bells for the Salvation Army’s Red
Kettle Campaign in the area. Every cent donated
by residents and visitors helps the total raised,
with 90 percent of funds staying local.
nate,” Reed said. “I think every-
body tries. A quarter. Even a pen-
ny. Every penny helps.”
As she speaks, Jingle Bells plays
from the cell phone that she keeps
in her Salvation Army apron.
“Keeps me busy so I can stay in
the Christmas mood,” she said.
“Everybody’s like, ‘Where’s the
music coming from?’ It’s coming
from my pocket!”
She laughed, quickly saying
“thank you” when another passer-
by put some change in the kettle.
Reed had been ringing the bell
for an hour already that morn-
ing.
“I think I’ve made a couple hun-
dred bucks today,” she said confi-
dently, but then added, “Alright,
maybe $100? I’ve had at least 100
people walk in. I could be total-
ly wrong. Just think if everybody
walked in and
gave a dollar.”
Well, may-
be $100 is an
overstate-
ment. Com-
bined, the two
kettles locat-
ed at Fred
Meyer totaled
$659.71 for the day. However, the
location has been known to rake
in over $1,200 for one day, includ-
ing checks for $50 or more. Last
year, the campaign brought in
$27,555, not including the anony-
mous donor who gave a matching
gift of $27,000.
“I think Florence is such a fan-
tastic, giving town. They do a lot
of charitable contributions, and
Salvation Army is one of the best,”
Reed said. “I’m just happy when
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
people give. I’m jumping up and
down with quarters. Everybody
has been wonderful this morn-
ing — I think almost every person
coming in has given something. It
makes me so happy.”
Fred Meyer is one of a number
of locations throughout the area
that hosts a red kettle. Bi-Mart,
Safeway and Grocery Outlet also
have them.
See KETTLE page 7A
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