10A | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Pioneer Museum to host Don Stewart for ‘Story Time’
Each year, the Siuslaw Pi-
oneer Museum closes for the
month of January to spruce
up for the coming year. The
floors are painted, the dis-
plays are updated, volunteers
are trained and then the mu-
seum is ready for visitors.
This year, a lift is being added
to the update making it pos-
sible for everyone to visit the
second floor of Florence’s his-
torical museum. It is on the
second floor that the museum
holds its programs, including
the popular Story Time pro-
gram.
The public is invited for the
Friday, March 29, program,
which begins at 7 p.m.
Don Stewart will be fea-
tured as he reflects on Flor-
ence’s growth bubble of the
1960s.
Fifty-eight years ago, in
1961, newlyweds Don and
Pat Stewart came to Florence.
Don had accepted the job
as manager of Emery’s IGA
Foodliner.
When grocery shopping
at Emery’s, a shopper could
receive and redeem Thrifty
Green Stamps. With a filled
book, someone could either
receive $2 in cash or redeem
that amount in merchandise.
In those days, a pork loin was
.49 cents a pound and Hills
Brothers coffee was .73 cents
a pound.
The commercial landscape
in Florence had begun to
change in the mid-20th cen-
tury with the slowing down
of lumber production, farm-
ing and fishing. As a grocer
in this town, Stewart was
more than familiar with the
impact that this shift had on
the economy of citizens in the
Siuslaw River region.
On Friday, April 26, the
story will continue with an
exploration of the changing
face of Bay Street by the in-
dividuals that participated
in the regeneration of what
has become a tourist destina-
tion on the Central Oregon
Don Stewart (middle) in the March 12,1964, announce- Coast. The program will be
ment of the grand opening of the new IGA Shopping titled The Renaissance of Old
Town.
Center at the corner of Highways 101 and 36.
Oregon Coast
Military Museum
seeks volunteer
Oregon Coast Military
Museum is seeking a volun-
teer to assist Chief of Staff
Geoff Cannon to produce
the Veteran of the Quarter
program. The museum’s pro-
gram is based on the Library
of Congress Oral History
Interview program, and en-
tails interviewing a veteran
to produce a video, which is
then displayed in the muse-
um each quarter. Interested
parties should contact the
museum by calling 541-902-
5160, visiting 2145 King-
wood St. or going to oregon
coastmilitarymuseum.com.
AARP Opens Community Challenge Grants
AARP has opened appli-
cations for the 2019 AARP
Community Challenge grant
program to fund “quick-ac-
tion” projects that spark
change across the country.
Now in its third year, the
program is part of AARP’s
nationwide work on Livable
Communities. Grants can
range from several hundred
dollars for small, short-term
activities to several thou-
sand dollars for larger proj-
ects.
“We’ve seen these mini
grants spark change and
new solutions in commu-
nities across Oregon from
Port Orford to Hood River,”
said AARP Oregon State Di-
rector Ruby Haughton-Pitts.
“We’re excited to see the cre-
ative proposals from com-
munity groups this year,”
she said.
The Community Chal-
lenge is open to 501(c)(3),
501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6)
nonprofits and government
entities. Other types of orga-
nizations will be considered
on a case-by-case basis.
AARP will prioritize proj-
ects with permanent or tem-
porary solutions that aim to
achieve one or more of the
following outcomes:
• Demonstrate the tangi-
ble value of “Smart Cities.”
New in 2019, this category
will encourage applicants to
develop and implement in-
novative programs that en-
gage residents in accessing,
understanding and using data
to increase quality of life for
all, as well as engage in deci-
sion-making about housing,
transportation,
economic
development, placemaking,
infrastructure or other com-
munity aspects.
• Deliver a range of trans-
portation and mobility op-
tions that increase connec-
tivity, walkability, bikeability,
wayfinding, access to trans-
portation options and road-
way improvements.
• Create vibrant public
places that improve open
spaces, parks and access to
other amenities.
• Support the availability
of a range of housing that in-
creases accessible and afford-
able housing options.
• Other community im-
provements. In addition to
the four areas of focus, AARP
wants to hear about local
needs and new, innovative
ideas for addressing them.
Since 2017, AARP has
awarded 217 grants through
the AARP Community Chal-
lenge to nonprofit organiza-
tions and government en-
tities representing 50 states
and U.S. territories. Oregon
winners in 2018 included:
Prineville — The grant will
provide for the installation
of four age-friendly benches
along a bicycle and pedestri-
an pathway as part of Crook
County on the Move.
The 2019 application
deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET, on
April 17. All projects must be
completed by Nov. 4, 2019.
To submit an application
or learn more, visit AARP.
org/CommunityChallenge.
AARP is the nation’s larg-
est nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization dedicated to
empowering people 50 and
older to choose how they live
as they age. With a nation-
wide presence and nearly
38 million members, AARP
strengthens
communities
and advocates for what mat-
ters most to families: health
security, financial stability
and personal fulfillment.
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