SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2019 | 7A
BARK from page 1A
“I’m hoping that people
will start taking ownership
of the park, a pride in it,” Me-
deiros said. “I think it’s just
become run-down — people
just go there and they don’t
really care about it. I’m trying
to change the perspective on
it.”
Medeiros runs her own
business, Florence Tech Solu-
tions (FTS) in Old Town,
where her two Goldendoo-
dle’s, Ollie and Sophie, hang
out throughout the day.
“They’re my babies, and
they’re the reason I started
doing this,” she said.
The only local place she
can let her dogs run freely is
the dog park, which she takes
Ollie and Sophie at least three
times a day. There, she meets
up with a wide variety of peo-
ple.
“There’s an 8 a.m. group, a
10 a.m. group, a 1 p.m. group
and a 5 p.m. group,” Medeiros
said. “Everybody is on their
own schedule, but you see the
same people at those times.
So you get to know a lot of
people. I met a great group
of guys that goes there every
day on my lunch. We all con-
gregate and sit and talk about
stuff that’s going on in the
community. … It’s just a nice
place to meet people, too.”
And they also talk about
the issues with the park,
which are numerous.
“Over the years, because
they don’t have an irrigation
system, the grass kind of died
off,” Medeiros said. “Some
parts are patches, some parts
come back. And the middle
has eroded from the sand,
because it is a wetland that
the parks built on. It’s just a
muddy mess. It floods in the
entrance, so really during the
winter, nobody goes there
because it’s so flooded. And
then in the morning, because
you have the dew from the
grass, the dogs run in and get
in the sand, and it’s complete-
ly muddy.”
In the past, the Florence
Public Works has tried to fix
the issues with wood chips,
but “the problem with that is
they’re large,” Medeiros said.
“It almost looks like little
pieces of driftwood. I almost
rolled my ankle on it a few
times, and the dogs eat it.
Plus, it’s slippery. So it’s just
not great for the dog park.”
Medeiros posted on Face-
book about the problems
with the park, and received
a lot of responses, including
that some people stopped go-
ing to the park because of its
conditions, but wanted to go
back.
“I was sitting on my couch
late at night, and I thought,
‘I wonder who runs the dog
park,’” she said. She decided
to go to the city, where she
spoke with Public Works Di-
rector Mike Miller. “He told
me all the problems they had
at the dog park.”
The problem was city re-
sources.
“We have a ton of parks in
Habitat for Humanity
Construction Volunteers needed for each stage of the building process.
Experience is a plus, but not required. Help us build a new home
For information call 541-902-9227
Helping Hands Coalition
We are in need of volunteers on
Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. We need
volunteers to serve food, set up for meals
and also prepare meals beginning at 11:00
am and finishing at 2:00pm.
New Location: Community Baptist Church,
4590 Hwy. 101, Florence
(Across from Fred Meyer)
Senior Services Advisory
Council Needs New Members
Volunteer
Get
involved
Donate
Do your part and
volunteer today
to help support
these local non-proft
organizations in
our community!
Are you a senior? Have a passion for
working with seniors? If yes, please consider
applying for the Senior & Disability Services
(S&DS) Senior Services Advisory Council.
S&DS serves all of Lane County with a
wide range of publicly funded services for
older adults and persons with disabilities. The council advises
S&DS on services and advocates on senior topics. Contact us at:
sdsadvisorycouncil@lcog.org or download an application from:
http://www.lcog.org/827/SSAC-Council-Membership Application
deadline: April 26, 2019.
Meals on Wheels and Cafe 60
Meals on Wheels are available to people over the age of 60 who cannot get
out much due to illness or advanced age and who are not eating properly,
regardless of income. Cafe 60 is available for those who prefer to make new
friends in a dining room setting.
1570 Kingwood, PO Box 2313, Florence
541-997-5673
laneseniormeals.org
Memory Care Respite of Florence
Come join the team! Memory Care Respite of Florence is looking for new
volunteers to spend time socializing, playing games, listening to music, and
having coffee and lunch with our participating senior citizens. Our program
depends on volunteer power to stay afloat and time is running out! If you’re
at all interested in socializing and relaxing with seniors while their loved one
takes a break, please email us for more information. We need more volunteers
like YOU to keep our program going. Contact us at memcarerespite@gmail.
com
Oregon Coast Humane Society
relies heavily on volunteers.
There are many opportunities to volunteer and a variety of skills and talents
are always in need. Volunteer interest forms may be found online, at the shelter
and at our Thrift Shop on Bay Street.
www.oregoncoasthumanesociety.org/volunteer/
Peace Harbor Volunteers
Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers, you will find an area of
interest in a caring organization.
400 9th Street, Florence
541-997-8412 ext. 2218
Us Too Florence
Saving men one PSA test at a time. “Someone to talk to...who understands!”
541-997-6626
maribob@oregonfast.net
www.ustooflorence.org
To include your organization
in this directory,
please call us
@ 541-997-3441
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Jolene Medeiros and her two Goldendoodles Ollie and Sophie founded the Bark
in the Park Fundraiser to fix up Florence’s Singing Pines Dog Park, 1342-1598
Kingwood St. Events will be held this week in conjunction with Power of Florence.
Medeiros was able to use in value as one of our grand
this community, and I don’t
think people realize that,” funds to buy a truckload of prizes.”
But that won’t be the end of
Medeiros said. “People are fiber-based ground cover for
always like, ‘Well, what is the the park, which will be placed the work on the park, as Me-
city doing for the park?’ Well, during the first Bark in the deiros is working on creating
the city is pretty busy. They’re Park Fundraiser and Florence a committee for the Florence’s
doing what they can. They Dog Park Restoration project. Adopt a Park program, which
This kickoff to the entire is currently seeking mem-
don’t have unlimited resourc-
es. The city is not wiping their campaign will be held during bers. The committee will
hands of it, by any means. the Power of Florence on hold park clean ups at least
We’re helping them. And Saturday, July 20, at the dog once a month, picking up dog
that’s what the adopt a park park, starting at 8 a.m. The waste, trash and other debris
program is about. They can’t city will also close the park in the area. It will also include
do it all on their own. Volun- this Wednesday to help for cleaning out the water dishes
teers make a huge difference.” some major rehabilitation by and general yard work.
Medeiros said Miller and volunteers.
“We’ll just keep it up con-
“We will be helping to dig tinuously. I want this to stay
the city have been “phenome-
nal” in helping with a plan to an irrigation system, spread- clean all year around for peo-
rehabilitate the park, “telling ing groundcover throughout ple,” Medeiros said.
us what we need to do and the park, and pruning all the
And she will also be con-
giving us background about foliage that’s in there now,” tinuously working on fund-
Medeiros said. “And then raising, as the park still
the park.”
City employees replaced we’ll trim around the perim- needs an additional $60,000
the water dishes and have eter of the fence, too, because for fencing and grass for the
been working on cleaning up, we have some stuff that’s small dog area.
but the city needed more help hanging on the fence. It will
“The fence that’s there now,
to get the park into the con- make it useable for the time it’s rusted and kind of falling
dition dog owners needed. being.”
apart,” Medeiros said. “The
The first major fundraiser city does patch it, but what
That’s when Medeiros started
a Go Fund Me account to re- for the park will be Saturday we want to do is install a six-
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in foot, vinyl coated chain link
ceive general donations.
“Then, people said we the Grocery Outlet and City fence that’s weather resistant,
should open up an account Lights Cinemas parking lot.
like a lot of the dog parks on
“It’s called the Bark in the the coast. It has a 15-year
at Banner Bank, so we did
that. And it just took off from Park, and we’re going to have guarantee, but it costs almost
there. We’ve raised almost facepainting for kids, where $50,000 for that.”
$5,0000 in less than a month. we’ll be doing dog paws and
An additional $10,000 will
So yeah, a huge response,” noses with whiskers. We be needed for grass and other
Medeiros said. “It was a small have a ‘smooch the pooch’ amenities, including an addi-
idea that blew up into a whole booth that somebody built,” tional bag station in the park.
project. I was very pleased Medeiros said. “We’re going
Medeiros plans to hold
with the response we got to have some dogs out there specific monthly fundraisers,
from the community, because giving kisses. And then we’re such as holding a car wash
it is a big part of our commu- going to have some raffle with dogs and a “yoga on the
nity. We have so many people items. We’ve got a bunch of beach” event with proceeds
who have dogs here that want donations from businesses in going to the park.
to be able to take their dogs town like Mini-Pet Mart and
“But our biggest thing,
out to run loose. Not every- K-9 Genius. We’ve got a ton which was an idea from Mike
body can walk to the beach.” of great stuff donated at $800 Miller, is the ‘buy a brick’
campaign,” Medeiros added.
“Almost everybody does it in
town. You buy a brick and put
what you want on it. Busi-
nesses can sponsor a brick
and get a 12-by-12 brick, they
can have whatever they want
on it. Individuals can by a
4-by-8 or 8-by-8 brick. It can
be for a dog that passed, it can
be for their current family. All
those funds will go toward
the park.”
After doing the program
for just a few weeks, Medeiros
DENTURE SERVICES INC.
has already sold 20 bricks,
but she plans on selling 500,
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
which will end up being a
Open 4 days a week!
large part of the fence that is
built in the park.
Here to serve your denture needs:
She hopes that within time,
the
dog park will be a place
Dentures
that
both the community and
Partial Dentures
William Foster LD
tourists
will view as a destina-
Immediate Dentures
Sherry, Offi ce Manager
tion.
Implant Dentures
“As a denture wearer myself,
“I meet so many people
Relines & Repairs Same Day
I can answer your
that come through now with
questions and address
your denture concerns.”
their RVs, and the first place
Monday-Thursday
~ William Foster, LD
they look for is, ‘Where can
10am - 2 pm
Financing: Citi Health Card
we take my dog, where can
12 Month no Interest
they run,’” Medeiros said. “I
524 Laurel St.
have some people who say, ‘I
541-997-6054
was in Astoria, and they have
a beautiful dog park.’ I want
people to talk about our dog
park that way. I want people
to feel like they can come to
Florence with their dogs be-
cause they have places they
can take their dogs.”
And for the community as
well.
“If we can get involved
and make it nice, it’s like our
home away from home,” Me-
deiros said.
For questions regarding
In 2019 we will be celebrating the 80th anniversary
fundraising or to volunteer,
of our business in Florence. It is time to express the
contact Medeiros at 541-
appreciation and gratitude we feel, and have always felt, for
590-2474, or email dogpark
the friendship, trust and loyalty of those who live in this
restoration@gmail.com.
community. It is your confi dence in us and your continued
The Power of Florence
patronage that has made these 80 years such a pleasurable
clean-up will start on July 20
experience. Th ank you.
at 8 a.m., and the Bark in the
Johnston Motor Company
Park fundraiser booth will be
Since 1939
in the Grocery Outlet Park-
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
ing lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
located at 2066 Highway 101.