SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2019 | 7A
PETITION from page 1A
The students do, however,
want it to be recognized that
most seniors have had little
to no interaction with the
board members during their
time as Siuslaw High School
students, and that it would
make more sense for the
teachers who guided them to
have a larger part in the cer-
emony.
“I completely agree with
Quality Pet Grooming
541-99
7-2726
Grooming Products
Pet Fashions
Natural Shampoos
Holistic
Treats & Supplements
1751 12th Street • Florence
AVAILABLE
7 DAYS
A WEEK
541•999•6078
8
201
VOTED
E
F
BEST O
F LO E N C
R
FACEBOOK.COM/PETERSENAUTODETAIL
Florence Garden Club
Plant Sale
& Marketplace
• • •
Saturday
May 11 th
9am-2pm
Florence Senior Center
1570 Kingwood
FEATURED HOME OF THE WEEK
their reasoning for having
the board members hand
out diplomas,” Luevano
said. “They do so much for
our schools and should be
thanked for it in some way.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t
be a part of the ceremony.
Hannah and I do not want
the board members to be to-
tally erased — we just wish
our teachers, the people we
know personally, were more
so involved.”
Along with the signatures,
the seniors also plan to hand
in a letter suggesting a com-
promise, in which the stu-
dents would be handed their
diplomas by a teacher. After
receiving the diploma, they
would shake hands with the
school board members. That
way, both parties could be in-
volved in the event.
Siuslaw High School Prin-
cipal Kerri Tatum, while ad-
miring the student body’s
90by30 from page 1A
“I think we need to be
aware,” Mann-Heintz said. “I
see much more community
awareness that this commu-
nity wants to take care of its
children. Obviously, the show
of support indicates that it’s a
big deal for the community.”
Awareness, and creating
an environment of empathy
for children in the commu-
nity, is a key goal of 90by30,
which has instituted multiple
programs to help create a safe
environment for children and
families. While Mann-Heintz
stated the organization has
not done research into what
the programs have done sta-
tistically to prevent or cur-
tail child abuse, the feedback
from programs has been en-
couraging. For example, the
Roots of Empathy program
has garnered positive results
as it allows first-grade stu-
dents in Siuslaw and Maple-
ton school districts to interact
with newborn infants.
“We’ve heard overwhelm-
ing support and appreciation
for the change in the dynam-
ics of the first-grade class-
rooms,” Mann-Heintz said.
“The young students are be-
ing kinder to each other, and
they’re developing strategies
for telling people how they
feel. And problem solving.”
The program’s curriculum
stresses the notion of accept-
ing and appreciating peers,
taking in the point of view of
others and being kinder.
“Creating a kinder, gen-
tler world,” Mann-Heintz
summarized. “The feedback
tenacity in their group effort,
wants to make it clear that
she and the superintendent
have no intention in taking
away this privilege from the
school board members.
“Handing out diplomas at
graduation is one of the only
truly positive rewards for a
board member,” Tatum said.
“They have a very difficult,
often thankless responsibil-
ity.”
She added that the grad-
uation commencement cer-
emony is much more than
just about high school or the
seniors.
“(Graduation) is a com-
munity event that represents
13 years of work and dedi-
cation by students, parents,
K-12 teachers, aides, custo-
dians, bus drivers, secretar-
ies, board members, main-
tenance staff, businesses and
the community,” she said.
According to Tatum, the
Siuslaw School Board of
Directors has chosen this
as the only public acknowl-
edgement for their service
to their community. Tatum
would like to continue to re-
serve them the right to hand
students diplomas as a way
of recognizing the hard work
they do behind the scenes to
ensure that the schools con-
tinue to run effectively.
There is an apparent di-
vide between the view of the
school administration and
the actual students.
Another senior, Kaylynn
Cannon, who openly sup-
ports the petition, hopes that
its signatures can be a cata-
lyst for change.
“I’m not sure if anything
will actually come out of the
petition, but it would be re-
ally meaningful if something
did,” she noted. “I think
there’s a major significance to
having a teacher hand me my
diploma. In my experience,
the teachers here are the ones
who have helped shape me
into who I am, not only as
a student but as a person. It
would feel more rewarding
to have them hand me my di-
ploma, rather than someone
I’ve never even met.”
Even if the petition doesn’t
change who will award di-
plomas this year, Cannon
hopes that it will show Siu-
slaw teachers how much the
students respect and care
about them, and how much
they wish they were more
involved in the actual cere-
mony.
Luevano and Freudenthal
plan to turn the signatures
and letter in to the district
office sometime this week.
The Siuslaw High School
Class of 2019 Graduation is
Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m.
from that has been very pos-
itive. We’re kind of wrapping
up now. We’ll be having our
last classroom baby visits in
May and some of the babies
are turning one, so it will be
birthday celebrations as well.”
90by30 is currently search-
ing for new babies to be in
next year’s program, which
begins in September. The ba-
bies should be between the
ages of two and four months
old to be eligible.
“So babies that are born
now, between May and Au-
gust, would be the right age
for next year’s babies. We’re
looking for five,” Mann-
Heintz said.
The Welcome Baby Box
Program, which 90by30 is do-
ing in partnership with Peace-
Health, has delivered 31 baby
boxes to new parents since the
program’s inception two years
ago.
“We have quite a number of
young families that are hav-
ing babies and a lot of times
they aren’t far enough in their
lives to have created a very
stable economic base,” Mann-
Heintz said. “The items that
are in the boxes that give
them a place for the baby to
sleep and some clothes and
some hygiene kits and infor-
mation. All those things are
very much appreciated, so
we’re very happy with that.”
Regarding new programs,
Mann-Heintz touted the new
K(NO)W More Lane County
website, which gives infor-
mation on how “a connected
child is a protected child,” and
emphasized the importance
of children not being left
alone to deal with abuse and
neglect.
As far as future programs,
90by30 is focusing on middle-
school-aged children.
“There are resources in the
community to address older
kids,” Mann-Heintz said. “But
the thing left out is the mid-
dle school kids. And so, next
year we have two programs
that we’re going to be imple-
menting.”
The first program is titled
40 Developmental Assets.
“It’s a kind of an invento-
ry of interpersonal skills that
all of us need,” said Mann-
Heintz. “The research is very
dramatic. If you have between
30 and 40 of these skills, then
you only have a one percent
chance of getting into big
trouble, in terms of relation-
ships and acting out against
others or yourself. There are
circumstances like being able
to have an argument and
then resolve it, being able to
disagree with someone with-
out overreacting, being able
to make plans for something
and then carry it out. It’s life
skills which a lot of us could
still develop. This particu-
lar program focuses directly
on identifying and teaching
those skills.”
According to 90by30, mid-
dle school is an optimal age
to learn these skills, since
the children are beginning
to think about their relation-
ships to others and discov-
ering their independence, or
lack thereof.
“It’s a perfect time for them
to start doing introspection
about their own feelings and
their own relationships and
what things they need to
know to be able to function
normally and more true to
themselves,”
Mann-Heintz
said.
The second program would
involve foster-grandparents.
“There’s a lot of people
in the community who are
already retired and very in-
terested in assisting with
programs for young people,”
Mann-Heintz said. “Our hope
would be that we would be
able to set it up so there would
be children in the schools that
need a listening ear and a car-
ing adult in their lives, and
that they would be able to
get teamed up with someone
who would be a safe support-
er. There’s a lot of research
that says it only takes one sol-
id, strong relationship in one
person’s life for them to over-
come a whole lot of hurdles.”
90by30 is still looking at
different program models
that would best fit the West
Lane community.
For more information on
90by30, visit 90by30.com or
knowmorelanecounty.org, or
attend a regional leadership
team meeting, which meets
once a month of the fourth
Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
at the Siuslaw School District
office, 2111 Oak St.
“Anybody who’s interest-
ed in knowing more, or just
wants to come and listen or
volunteer, or is interested in
a particular area of service,
we’re happy to talk to talk to
them,” Mann-Heintz said.
Wildfire awareness month puts spotlight on making homes safe
5394 BUCKSKIN BOB
SILTCOOS LAKEFRONT CABIN...RARE! Discover a
bit of history. Siltcoos Lake, largest lake on the Oregon
coast, provides stunning setting & playground for this cir-
ca 1938 cabin. Fresh and ready for you w/ hardwood
fl oors, charming and wood fi lled, 2 bed 2 bath, 1000+
sq ft, Vermont Casting woodstove, heat pump, carport
& boat house on the lake’s edge. Massive monkey tail
& magnolia trees. Same loving owner for over 35 yrs.
Priced to sell! $369,000 #11822 MLS#19043807
“We’re next to the Bridge”
100 Hwy. 101
See all Florence Listings at cbcoast.com
COAST REAL ESTATE
541-997-7777
May is Wildfire Awareness
Month in Oregon, and federal,
state and firefighting agencies
are encouraging homeowners
to make sure their homes are
protected from wildfire.
The Oregon Department
of Forestry, Oregon Office of
State Fire Marshal and Keep
Oregon Green, in collabora-
tion with Oregon forest pro-
tective associations, the Office
of Emergency Management
and federal wildland agencies,
are taking this opportunity
to promote defensible space
around homes before fire
strikes this summer.
“The roof is the most criti-
cal part of the house when it
comes to wildfire protection,”
says Oregon State Fire Marshal
Jim Walker. “Embers can col-
lect and ignite on the roof, in
gutters and enter unscreened
openings around the house.
Although non-combustible
roofing material is preferred,
regardless of the construction,
keep roofs, gutters and eaves
clear of all leaves, pine needles
and other flammable debris.”
To reduce the risk, fire of-
ficials suggest removing dead
vegetation a minimum of 30
feet around your house and
other structures. In most cas-
es, trees and healthy plants do
not need to be removed. How-
ever, trees should be pruned
and grass kept short and green
to keep fire on the ground
and more manageable by fire
crews. Maintain a five-foot
fire-free area closest to the
home using nonflammable
landscaping material and fire
resistant plants.
“Defensible space is a prop-
erty’s first line of defense
against wildfire,” says Ore-
gon Department of Forestry
Fire Prevention Coordinator
Tom Fields. “Creating and
maintaining defensible space
around homes can improve
your property’s likelihood of
Overhead Door Company of Th e Oregon Coast™
Now serving the entire Oregon Coast. Staff ed locally with factory trained professionals.
Residential and Commercial Garage Door Installation.
541.997.5008 • OverheadDoor.com
CCB# 50460
surviving a wildfire. Having
defensible space also makes
it safer for firefighters who
may have to defend someone’s
home.”
Homeowners should also
consider access issues for
large fire trucks. Long drive-
ways should be at least 12 feet
wide, have 10 feet of vegeta-
tion clearance from the cen-
terline out, and about 14 feet
overhead. Large vehicle turn-
around areas are critical for
your safety as well as firefight-
er safety.
Should a fire occur near a
community, Oregon Office
of Emergency Management
Director Andrew Phelps en-
courages residents to be pre-
pared if an evacuation is nec-
essary.
“Wildfires can come with-
out warning and move quick-
ly, so residents need to pre-
pare now in case they have to
leave their home,” Phelps said.
“Make sure to put together
a ‘Go Kit,’ register for emer-
gency notification systems in
your community, and make
a plan where your family will
go and how you will stay in
contact if evacuated.”
It is the homeowner’s re-
sponsibility to protect their
homes by building defensible
space. For more information,
contact Office of State Fire
Marshal, Office of Emergency
Management, Keep Oregon
Green and the Oregon De-
partment of Forestry.