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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2019)
PR ESS R OG OG RESS PR NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY F LORENCE , O REGON ESS P R PR VOL. 129, NO. 98 Soroptimist International of Florence Christmas Food Basket & Toy y Distribution Project needs your HELP! Please help us to assist area families with a food basket and toys this Christmas! Last year we helped nearly 400 families put a complete Christmas dinner on the table and put toys under the tree! Did you know w that Oregon has the highest childhood hunger in the nation? That is why YOUR R contribution is so important! Contributions from you and your neighbors are spent t on food and toys. Any food items left over are donated to Florence Food Share for r distribution. December 14 is the distribution date. Please make your check payable to: Soroptimist Int. of Florence, OR and mail to P.O. Box 1209, Florence, OR 97439. Soroptimist International of Florence is a 501(c)(3) organization. R OG RESS Siuslaw News SATURDAY EDITION | DECEMBE DECEMBER ER 7 7, , 2 2019 0 1 9 | $1.00 OG SN TH THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM I NSIDE — A10-A11 Postal Customer Florence, Ore. 97439 Robotics, LEGO combine in STEM-based learning WEATHER Rain with a high of 53 and a low tonight of 44. Full forecast on A3 COMMUNITY Siuslaw students head to OSU to compete in FIRST LEGO League Competition Story & Photos By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News S cience is one of the most important tools humans use to discov- er and deal with the many problems or challenges in life. The need for the insight and understanding science can provide grows as the complexity and sophisti- cation of these problems Holly Jolly Follies finds “Joy at Christmastime” INSIDE — A3 SPORTS increases over time. The future undoubtedly holds many unknowable situa- tions which will require the attention of intelligent, ded- icated scientists determined to investigate and under- stand these unknowns. One way of assuring that we have those types of indi- viduals prepared for the task is to interest them in a scien- tific career path when they are young and deciding how RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B5 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B6 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM and have been embraced by school administrators in Florence and Mapleton as well. Siuslaw School District has a number of classes and activities available to students intended to cre- ate interest in STEM-based learning. One of the most interesting of these activities is the district’s participation in the FIRST LEGO League Competition. FIRST is an acronym re- ferring to the goals of the co-sponsors of the LEGO Challenge — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Dean Kamen, a successful inventor and entrepreneur who holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents, many of which are science related, formed FIRST in 1989. See ROBOTS page 5A Groups seek to ‘help people who Twin Lakes Giving Tree program helps bring Christmas to 100 area teenagers need help for the holidays’ Community Coalition hears from Florence Elks, Soroptimists on December projects By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News Siuslaw, Mapleton hit the hardwood INSIDE — SPORTS to spend their lives. The recognition of the im- portance of this future need has resulted in an increased attention in school districts around the country on Sci- ence, Technology, Engineer- ing and Math (STEM) class- es and activities. STEM curricula have be- come an area of emphasis for school administrators and for businesses involved in scientifically related fields, Florence Area Community Coali- tion (FACC) met Wednesday at Siu- slaw Public Library for its monthly meeting in the Bromley Room. The day’s agenda included presentations from the Soroptimist International of Florence and the Florence Elks Lodge #1858, who both have free community events next Saturday, Dec. 14. FACC President Sandy Young welcomed the 20 people in atten- dance. “We have two wonderful elves with us today,” she said. “We are very fortunate to have them here. They’re going to talk to us today about what they’re offering to the community to help people who need help for the holidays.” Soroptimist member Carol Ben- nett talked about the 2019 Christ- mas Basket Project and Toy Give- away that Soroptimist coordinates every year with assistance from lo- cal donations. “We’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” she said. “We usually have great community response, and we appreciate that.” The first event Bennett talked See HOLIDAYS page 6A By Jared Anderson The lists for the primarily on those Siuslaw News Twin Lakes Teen kids who lived in rural Giving Tree program areas north of town, are often the same: Hair ties, head- but this year Ambrosio is expand- bands, nail polish, cologne, a phone ing the scope to teenagers all across charger, a “warm fuzzy blanket” — the Siuslaw region. She’s looking to the basic needs for any teenager. give Christmas presents to 100 teens, “They’re asking for socks and un- with the help of local donors. derwear and deodorant, that’s the The program rules are simple: most common thing that they’re teenagers fill out a list of needs asking for,” said Vicki Ambrosio, and wants on a paper ornament, who owns the Twin Lakes Store just which are then placed on a small north of Florence. “To me, those tree in the newly remodeled Twin things aren’t Christmas presents, Lakes Store. Customers, or anyone but the kids need them, and this is who wants to help, go to the store, what this is all about.” take an ornament and purchase the Entering its eighth year, the Giv- items for the kids. Sometimes peo- ing Tree program works to give teen- ple purchase everything on the list, agers ages 12-18 a Christmas they sometimes just a few items — what- would usually not be able to afford. ever they can afford. In the past, the program focused See TREE page 7A Empty Bowls addresses Florence hunger Story & Photos By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 20 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2019 Hunger is a real fear for many in the Florence area. “Food Insecurity” is the sanitized term that is often used to refer to the specter of hun- ger and Florence Food Share is the first responder for local residents when it comes to providing food to those who are in need. The community recently showed its strong support for food share’s mission by donating more then 10 tons of food to the organization at the nonprofit’s annual “Pounding” last month. Those donations had an even bigger impact this year thanks to Maria and Klaus Witte, owners of Top Hydraulics, who wrote a check giving food share an additional dol- lar for every pound of food donated — for a total of $23,400. Unfortunately, as the cost of food and the those associated with the delivery of that food have continued to rise, food share’s ability to serve its clients in the Florence area has been affected. The need to continue to raise the Empty Bowls is this weekend at the FEC. money needed to deal with these ev- er-increasing costs is an ongoing con- cern and a focus of food share adminis- trators year-round. See BOWLS page 5A
