SN
Siuslaw News
SATURDAY EDITION | JUNE 8, 2019 | $1.00
TH
THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM
A THLETES OF THE Y EAR
2019
I NSIDE — S PORTS
S IUSLAW ’ S A THLETIC E XCELLENCE A WARDS
VOL. 129, NO. 46
Veteran recognized nationally
NEWS &
VIEWS THAT
DEFINE OUR
COMMUNITY
F LORENCE , O REGON
Local volunteer receives award, trip to Washington D.C.
Story & Photos
There are some individuals
service plays a prominent role
who have a mission in life. These
today in his life, framing the
By Mark Brennan
people have a sense of purpose
actions he takes and the way in
Siuslaw News
and a tenacity that allows them
which he chooses to contribute
to overcome the obstacles life
his time.
presents while continuing to fulfill that mis-
“Primarily, I was in electronic countermea-
sion. Many of us also tend to let the important sures working on B-52’s. During my tour in
moments of life happen and then let them slip Vietnam, I flew backend crew on a C-130,
away to become a memory or an afterthought which is a recon bird. We flew over Cambodia
in a discussion years later. Others take those and Laos and Vietnam,” Swantz said.
meaningful moments and incorporate them
One of the most rewarding efforts Swantz
into the lives they lead from that time forward. is involved in has garnered him attention for
Jim Swantz is one of those people.
his service and dedication working to support
Swantz served in the Air Force for 20 years area veterans with disabilities.
and at the age of 81 continues to serve the Flor-
ence community in many ways. His time in
See VETERAN page 5A
WEATHER
Mostly sunny skies
with a high of 62 and
a low tonight of 49.
Full forecast on A3
COMMUNITY
Solo flight
Heyday at
the farm
Siuslaw named Brain
Bowl Champions
INSIDE — A3
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
SPORTS
Elijah LaCosse and Terry Tomeny
16-year-old Air
Academy graduate
pursues flying
By Mark Brennan
Siuslaw News
ODFW Fishing
Report
INSIDE — SPORTS
RECORDS
Obituaries &
emergency
response logs
Inside — A2
SIDE SHOW
Activities and
comics every
Saturday
Inside — B4
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
Inside — B5
FOLLOW US FOR THE
LATEST NEWS :
/S IUSLAW N EWS
@S IUSLAW N EWS
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS | 16 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2019
Planning for the future is not
usually a quality associated with
youth. Many young people are
still learning about life and the
world at large as teenagers and
push concerns regarding careers
to the back burner. That is not
the case for Elijah LaCosse, a
16-year-old who has just com-
pleted a solo airplane flight that
will bring him closer to his long-
term goal of becoming a profes-
sional pilot.
LaCosse has always had an in-
terest in planes and flying and
took an opportunity provided
to him by local aviators Terry
Tomeny and Sam Spayd two years
ago to explore this interest.
“I was always interested in
building things, but then I start-
ed running with a guy who was a
retired airline pilot and he turned
me onto flying. I had planned on
going to the Air Force Academy
for a long time — I’m still think-
ing about doing that — and this is
a good way for me to get started,”
LaCosse said.
LaCosse, who has been primar-
ily home schooled, is finishing
his junior year studies and plans
on pursuing some type of avia-
tion-related career, the nature of
which will be determined by the
costs associated with flight train-
ing and related educational and
certification requirements.
Earlier this week, LaCosse and
Tomeny took an extended trip
around the state for the purpose
See PILOT page 6A
Story & Photos
By Chantelle Meyer
Siuslaw News
Siuslaw first-graders spent two days at a farm as part of a longstanding tradition of school visits.
Below, the Elliott family descendants wave to the departing schoolbus, the last to visit the farm.
Elliott’s Hilltop Acres concludes school visits after 55 years
O
n May 29 and
30, Siuslaw
Elementary
School first-graders
attended a field trip at
Elliott’s Hilltop Acres
Farm, the last school
visit after 55 years of
tradition. Accord-
ing to the remaining
Elliott family members
(many with different
last names), the farm
will continue although
public access will be
limited to family and friends.
Loni Schofield, granddaughter
to the farm’s founders George and
Leona Elliott, ran the field trips
with four generations of Elliott
family descendants. Her husband
Paul drove the tractor for the hay
rides and Megan, her daughter,
showed students how to gently
hold bunnies, ducks and chicks.
“In 1957, my grandmother took
animals to the school,” Loni told a
group of students. “In 1964, one
of the teachers asked if they could
bring the kids up here, so we start-
ed bringing kids to the farm. That
was 55 years ago, and sadly it is
our last year.”
On the farm visits, students got
to run, play and get an up-close
view of life on a farm. Their day
was split into lunch when they
arrived at 11 a.m. followed by an
hour of group activities: Paul’s
hayride, a brief loop on horseback,
a visit with Scottish Highland
cows and the chance to hold soft
baby animals.
“We got to hold babies,”
first-grader Trindle said. “My fa-
vorite was holding the duck, be-
cause ducks are my favorite ani-
mal.”
Violet’s favorite part was hold-
ing the bunnies. Stu-
dents were able to sit
down and hold the bun-
nies on their laps, tak-
ing turns for the most
part.
One little girl, Adri-
enna, “hoarded the
bunnies” the family
joked, saying that she
was “a bunny whisper-
er” by how much the
bunnies seemed to en-
joy her. “She did not
want to leave the bun-
nies,” Loni said.
Afterwards, the kids climbed a
grass-covered hill — avoiding the
wild tom turkeys — and rolled
down.
“It’s a heyday for them, rolling
down the hill,” Loni said.
The day ended with adventure
play in the farm’s unique play-
ground, consisting of three tire
swings, a swing set, seesaw, slide,
merry-go-rounds and tether ball.
Barb Rowland, Loni’s aunt and
one of three daughters of George
and Leona, was on the first first-
grade field trip to the farm in
1964.
“It’s kind of cool because so
many of our friends grew up out
here with us,” she said. “They re-
member the fun times being on
the farm.”
See FARM page 7A