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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2019)
SN WEDNESDAY EDITION | OCTOBER 23, 2019 | $1.00 THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM TH SCHOOL ZONE OCTOBER EDITION INSIDE Siuslaw News Local support for scholarships continues to rise VOL. 129, NO. 84 NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON But rising costs of tuition means more support is needed WEATHER Mostly sunny skies with a high of 65 and a low tonight of 45. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS A Siuslaw Elementary student looks at a calendar as her father signs up to help in the classroom as a member of the school’s new Watch DOGS program. Register now for Nativity Festival. INSIDE — A3 SPORTS Dads join classroom as Watch DOGS Dad-focused program brings fathers, children together at school By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News Viks move one game away from playoffs. INSIDE — SPORTS RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 FOOTBALL PICKS Every Wednesday Inside — B7 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B8 “I think it’s just the stereotype. It’s always been the mom’s roll, I guess.” Josh Haring was talking about how fathers are viewed when it comes to getting involved with their children’s lives at school. He recalled a moment when he was talking to his daughter’s teach- er about a class project she was working on. The teacher suggest- ed Haring’s wife, Michelle, come in to pick the project up. “I said, ‘No, I can come in and do that,’” Haring recalled. “It’s just kind of the way things have always been. He was just revert- ing back to what he’s always seen is having the moms come over.” To help combat the stereotype, the national program Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) was created in the late ’90s by a “couple of dads who wanted to know what was going on in school,” Haring said. The program is simple: A par- ent or guardian of an elementary school student gets to spend a full or half day in their student’s class- room, helping out. “It’s a different viewpoint for dads and it’s an advantage that I think is so valuable,” Haring said. See WATCH page 8A Climate debate continues within community By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News “Scientists have known for some time, from multiple lines of evidence, that humans are changing Earth’s climate, pri- marily through greenhouse gas emissions.” —U.S. National Academy of Sciences A “I am convinced we have reached the stage when change will only come when we take direct action directed at the powerful.” — Michael Allen, Florence Climate Alliance major shift in the dis- cussion surrounding the an angry teenager. planet’s climate is underway and There are new scientific studies it might be attributed, in part, to released on a regular basis that confirm reports already in the public domain that document the dramatic rise in sea levels, the ev- er-increasing amounts of Carbon Dioxide in the air and the melting of millennia-old glaciers. Still, these studies are regularly dismissed by those who disagree with the assessment given by 97 percent of the world’s climatolo- gists, arguing against the idea that there is a potentially dangerous environmental change underway. The re-emergence of the For the first time beginning this year, Siuslaw High School seniors will be using a common scholar- ship application to apply for many local scholarships. Developed by Western Lane Community Foun- dation, Siuslaw Vision and the counseling and ASPIRE offices at Siuslaw High School, the Siuslaw Regional Scholarship Application became a necessity as the number and total dollar amount of local scholarships has increased steadily over the past six years. Another big change as a result of the growing number of schol- arship providers is that the venue for the annual Scholarship Awards Night has been moved from the high school gym to the Florence Events Center to accommodate the number of scholarship recipients and their families. The growth in the number of students receiving awards, the number of scholarship providers and number of individual schol- arships awarded has been remark- able,” said ASPIRE team leader Bob Orr. In the spring of 2014, just 20 graduating seniors received awards compared to 2019, which saw 51 awards. During that same period of time, the number of scholarship providers doubled from 24 to 50 while the number of individual awards increased from 89 to 150. According to Orr, the most im- pressive growth has been in the total dollar amount of local schol- arships awarded. In 2013, $86,000 was distributed to students from local individuals and organiza- tions. By the time of the awards ceremony last May, that number had grown to $245,000 — nearly triple the 2013 amount. Steve Mos- er, ASPIRE site coordinator at Siu- slaw High School, said the growth has resulted from the generosity of businesses, service organizations, individuals and foundations in the community. “It also represents the generous support of many local citizens who participate in fundraising efforts and events throughout the year,” Moser said. Despite the growth in number of awards and dollar amounts, See ASPIRE page 9A See CLIMATE page 6A FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM Florence resident becomes steward of her own ‘Little Free Library’ By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 20 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 The Siuslaw Public Library is un- doubtedly a great community asset and an important component of what makes Florence a vital place to work and live. There are thousands of books and magazines along with other forms of media that residents can borrow and enjoy at home. The sheer amount of information avail- able at the public library can some- times seem a little overwhelming to potential readers. So many books and so little time for reading, which raises the question: What should I select? There is now a less intimidating way to pick up a book for area resi- dents, without having to go through the thousands of titles available at the public library. Residents and readers of all ages can now stop by the new “Little Free Library”(LFL) on Kingwood Street and Juniper street. Kay Bacon is the LFL’s “Head Li- brarian” and she thought it would be fun to join what has become a nationwide effort to offer a no- charge, no registration way for peo- ple to share books. “Little Free Library’s is a non- profit organization that inspires a love of reading, sparks creativity and builds community by fostering neighborhood book exchanges,” Bacon said. “The premise is that you take a book and leave a book for someone else to read. I saw my first Little Free Library in the little town of Dayville, Ore., years ago. I loved the idea and began think- ing of how I would build one and where I would put it.” See LIBRARY page 7A BRAND NEW HOME IN-TOWN ON LARGE .22 WOODED ACRE LOT! COAST REAL ESTATE 541-997-7777 3755 OAK STREET No home owner’s association! Quality, custom construction, close to shopping and golf course. Granite counters, ductless heat pump, includes black stainless kitchen appliances. Finished and move-in ready! #11900 MLS#19396992 $369,000 “We’re next to the Bridge” 100 Hwy. 101 See all Florence Listings at cbcoast.com