Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2019)
6A | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019 | SIUSLAW NEWS KETTLE from page 1A round to provide food for the hungry, disaster relief, assistance for disabled people, outreach to elderly and ill people, shelter and necessities for the home- less and opportunities for underprivileged children. The Salvation Army raised more than $142 million through its “Red Kettle” campaign last year and a total of $433 million through all forms of dona- tions. “The country faced many hardships during the last few months of 2018, with multiple nat- ural disasters and an un- settled economy at year end,” said Lt. Col. Ward Matthews, community relations and develop- ment secretary for The Salvation Army’s National Headquarters. “We are so very grateful for the gen- erosity of those who rec- ognize the importance of helping our neighbors in need.” Anyone interested in serving as a volunteer Red Kettle Bell Ringer should call Colinda Harris at 541-707-0920. Service or- ganizations and churches can also contact Harris about special opportuni- ties to contribute to the kettles or supplying vol- unteers. Kettles are located at both entrances to Fred Meyer, Bi-Mart, Gro- cery Outlet and Safeway. There is also an addition- al “floater kettle” that is placed at various locations during special events. Red Kettle checks can be mailed to The Sal- vation Army, P.O. Box 1041, Florence, OR 97439 and will be credited to the local campaign. All such donations received on or before Dec. 25 will be credited to this year’s campaign. determined where the ‘most need’ was and dis- tributed the funds ac- cordingly. Unfortunately, not much came ‘west of the tunnel’ (on Highway 126).” Now, the questions sur- rounding the distribution of donations has been ad- dressed and the decision on which organizations receive support is now made in a more regionally focused manner. According to Spayd, “Your money raised here is distributed quietly to those in need in our com- munity.” This is done through The Salvation Army Ser- vice Extension Coordina- tor Debi Leighton, from Klamath Falls, who coor- dinates with several local pastors to interview and select recipients for distri- bution of the local fund’s money. “Two years ago, an ad- visory group was created to identify local areas of need to The Salvation Army,” Spayd continued. “They meet occasionally with the Service Exten- sion Coordinator. It is gratifying to know and trust that The Salvation Army will use these col- lected funds to the maxi- mum benefit of our com- munity.” The first Red Kettle was set up in 1891. Since then, The Salvation Army’s donations are used year- Visit us on the web T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM S IUSLAW N EWS PREVENTION from someone presents a clear page 1A danger to themselves or others, people are to al- is a Florence-area or- ways call 911 first. ganization that often Suicide Awareness deals with individuals in Voices of Education crisis. Executive Direc- (SAVE) and the Amer- tor Bob Teter’s advice is ican Foundation for simple and straightfor- Suicide Prevention ward as regards the po- (AFSP) suggest that one tential downside to the important way to stop season. a potential suicide is to “I want to encourage simply talk to the person community members perceived as being in to have their neighbor’s danger. back. If you learn a AFSP suggests a direct neighbor is home alone approach and to assume for the holidays, invite that you may be the only them over for dinner one aware of the situ- or bring them food and ations. In other words, offer conversation,” he don’t count on others to said. become involved, do it According to Teter, yourself. despite the overall drop SAVE and AFSP ad- in suicides this time vocate following these of year, “The holidays suggestions when in- can be a breaking point teracting with a person for many. For some it who may be at risk of is a painful reminder self-harm: of loved ones lost. For • Talk privately with others it can be a stress- them. ful time because they • Listen to what they feel the pressure to pro- have to say. vide gifts when they are • Tell them you care struggling financially. At about them. SOS, we see a huge spike • Ask them directly if in domestic violence they are thinking about around the holidays. committing suicide or Please remember, al- killing themselves. though the holidays are • Encourage them to a joyous time for many, seek medical treatment. it is frightening for oth- • Avoid minimizing ers. We need to have their problems or giving each other’s back.” advice. The idea that other • Follow through. Es- people can help some- cort them to a therapist one in danger by talking or to the emergency to them is a theme room. throughout the informa- The police are called tion provided by many in dire situations to in- support organizations, sure there is no danger including the small to other members of the number of local services public and to determine tasked with intervening if firearms are involved in situations where a po- as firearms are used in tential suicide is of con- 50 percent of the approx- cern. Most of these or- imate 45,000 suicides in ganizations include local the United States each law enforcement in the year. That means that initial response to a po- one person commits tential suicide call-out. If suicide approximately every 12 minutes, aver- aging 123 self-inflicted deaths a day. Hanging and poison- ing are the second and third most common ways that individuals end their lives. The fact that there is a misperception about the potential for sui- cide during the winter months is significant in a number of ways. The most important is the fact that holidays pres- ent an opportunity to talk with a family mem- ber that may be experi- encing depression and even suicidal thoughts. The need for fami- ly and friends to take a more proactive ap- proach to the problem of a potential suicide is mentioned not only by AFSP but also by SAVE, which suggests begin- ning what may be a dif- ficult dialogue by asking a few simple questions. These might be as di- rect as “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” to a more subtle ap- proach like, “You seem sad today. Is everything OK?” The main point is to connect with the per- son you are concerned about and let them tell you what they are think- ing. According to SAVE, if the individual is in immediate danger, do not leave them. If they threaten violence to themselves or others and are weaponized, call 911. Lori Severance leads Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue’s Community Support Team (CST), which has taken over responsibilities that pre- viously were handled by SVFR’s chaplains. Severance is also an advocate for those that are in crisis. She wants the community to know that there are local ave- nues available to address difficult situations in life before those situations precipitate a crisis. “Despite being a small community, Florence does have resources available for people suf- fering from severe de- pression, anxiety and/or suicidal thoughts,” Sev- erance said. “There are several excellent thera- pists in town who work with people to overcome their current difficulties. There are counseling agencies such as Op- tions Counseling and PeaceHealth Behavioral Health clinic. There are also agencies that work with addiction issues such as Reconnections and Emergence. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has a free drop-in peer-led support group for adults with chronic mental illness. They accept a variety of insurances, in- cluding OHP, and many have funds available for those in need who do not have insurance.” To help in deter- mining if someone you know is at risk, AFSP and SAVE have provid- ed a series of actions or behaviors that may indi- cate a growing danger. If an individual starts giv- ing all of their belongs away or starts to settle business and family un- certainties, this may be a warning. If someone that is depressed con- tinues to lose interest in hobbies or family, this may also be a sign. One of the most im- portant points made by all professionals who deal with suicide pre- vention and its tragic aftermath is clear: Don’t discount or dismiss ac- tual threats of suicide or violence. If someone you know or love says they are going to kill them- selves, take it seriously and act in some way to help. “If someone is in acute crisis, Florence has a new Mobile Crisis Response team that can respond 24/7,” Sever- ance said. “They are dis- patched through Flor- ence Police Department, by either calling 911 or the non-emergency line at 541-997-3515. The MCR team is trained to assess, counsel and pro- vide resources to people in crisis.” For Teter, the import- ant way to assist some- one who may be in crisis is to talk to them and then help them. “The best thing to do for someone consider- ing suicide is to encour- age them to seek help, tell them that they can get through it and give them a shoulder to cry on and let them know someone cares,” he said. “When they get up the courage to seek help, go with them and continue to check in with them. Seeking help can be a struggle in of itself.” If you or someone you love is experiencing sui- cidal thoughts, call one of the following hotlines: • White Bird Crisis Line: 541-687-4000 • Veterans Suicide Cri- sis Line: 800-273-8255 • The Friendship Line (people 60+): 800-971- 0016 • Youth Crisis Line (under 18): 541-689- 3111 • National Suicide Pre- vention Lifeline: 1-800- 273-8255 What’s happening in the Siuslaw region Third Saturday Dinner & Dance Alliance New Life Lutheran Church, 2100 Spruce St. 6:30 to 8 p.m. – dinner available for purchase 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Free to public Florence Pickle-Ball Association PeaceHealth Oregon Cardiology, 310 Ninth St. 7:30 p.m. – Gen X Jug Champions music begins Dec. 25 Monday, Wednesday and Friday — weather Open to public; donations accepted Christmas Day permitting Deadwood Community Center, 91792 Live Music at Three Rivers 8:30 to 11 a.m.; Open to all ages and skill levels Elks Christmas Dinner 7 to 11 p.m.; 21+ Deadwood Creek Road Rolling Dunes Park, 35th St, Florence Noon to 3 p.m.; open to public Blue Bills Sports Bar at Three Rivers Casino Florence Elks Lodge #1858, 1686 12th St. Dec. 22 Resort 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. — Beginners 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. — Advanced Beginners and Intermediates 3 to 4 p.m. — Song Circle for all levels Loaner ukuleles available; open to public Siuslaw Public Library janetlwellington@gmail.com Weekly Mondays Band of Brothers Meeting 10 a.m., local veterans meet for donuts, coffee and talking Florence Elks Lodge #1858, 1686 12th St. Sit-n-Knit or Crochet Drop-in Noon to 6 p.m.; $10 The Mustard Seed, 509 Kingwood St. www.themustardseed1720.com Suicide Survivors Support Group Facilitated by SVFR/WLAD Community Support Team 5:30 to 7 p.m.; open to those who have lost a loved one to suicide Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, 2625 Highway 101 First Day of Hanukkah Saturdays Begins at sunset Live Music at Three Rivers 7 to 11 p.m.; 21+ Blue Bills Sports Bar at Three Rivers Casino Resort 4 Spirits Distillery Tasting Noon to 3 p.m.; open to 21+ only Twin Lakes Store, 88940 Highway 101 Dec. 21 Learn the 10-year legacy of the New Year’s Day Peace Hike Sponsored by the Yachats Trails Committee 11 a.m. to noon; open to public Parking pass required Cape Perpetua Visitor Center, 2400 Highway 101 541-547-3289 Winter Solstice Lantern Walk Hosted by Serene Abundance Studio 4:30 to 6 p.m.; open to public; bring own light- Fridays source Florence Testing for HIV & HepC Starting at Bridgeport Market Every second and fourth Friday Hosted by Alliance for Men’s Wellness and HIV Deadwood Holiday Market noon to 4 p.m.; open to public Deadwood Community Center, 91792 Deadwood Creek Road Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Florence Nazarene 5 p.m.; open to public Florence Church of the Nazarene, 1536 12th St. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at New Life Lutheran 6 p.m.; open to public Dec. 30 Last Day of Hanukkah Dec. 27 to 31 Winter Whale Watch Week whalespoken.wordpress.com Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Dec. 28 Christmas Tree Pickup A fundraiser for Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue Firefighters Association All day; $5 donation Call SVFR at 541-997-3212 NYE 2019 Celebration Hosted by Three Rivers Casino Resort 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; open to 21+ Three Rivers Casino Resort, 5647 Highway 126 Intro to Truffle Hunting with Your Dog Hosted by Premier Truffles: Native Oregon Truffles & Mushrooms Noon to 3 p.m.; reservations required Call 651-303-1887 A New Year’s Eve to Remember Hosted by Yachats Underground Pub & Grub and Parish Gap 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; open to 21+ The Yachats Underground Pub & Grub, 125 Ocean View Dr., Yachats Dec. 29 Jan. 1 New Year’s Day 2020 Florence Ukulele Club “The Flukes” A Weekly Listing of Community Events in the Florence Area Submit all events information to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com Alva Bracey MODEL TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS Broker Your goals are my top priority. Let’s get together! Over ars 50 Ye ce! rien Expe Call, Text or Email Cell: 541-505-1180 Alva@CBCoast.com CALL ME TO BUY, SELL OR TRADE! I’M LOCATED HERE IN FLORENCE. 541-255-9822 - Larry landl316@live.com 541-997-7777 100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR COAST REAL ESTATE CUSTOM ENGRAVING & CUTTING Awards • Plaques • Name Badges Gifts • Signage • Glassware 541-997-5691 541-361-9080 jmirvis@charter.net Florence, Oregon County Transfer & Recycling CTR provides solid waste collection and recycling services for both residential and commercial customers in Florence, Mapleton, Dunes City, Westlake and Ten Mile Areas. We offer big company support and local company service. For more information on how we can serve you call us at 541-997-8233 Since 1983 Us TOO Florence Prostate Cancer Education Support on the Oregon Coast www.ustooflorence.org • Tuesday Evening Group (2nd Tuesday) 5-7 p.m. - Ichiban Chinese/Japanese Restaurant • Urologist Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff attends. • Tuesday Lunch Group (3rd Tuesday) 12 noon – 1:00 p.m. – Ichiban Chinese/Japanese Restaurant • Urologist Dr. Roger McKimmy attends. Contact Bob for more information: (H) 541-997-6626 • (C) 541-999-4239 maribob@oregonfast.net LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTERS Tires • Brakes • Shocks Alignments Insect & Pest Removal 4325 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-7178 1379 B Rhododendron Dr. 541-305-5411 (541) 997-4027 ESTATE JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE FURNITURE!!! Village Grooming Quality grooming with a gentle touch Trapping • Mole/Gopher Dead Animal Removal • Honey Bee Removal Crawl Space Cleaning • Exclusion Work Fumigation of Antiques and Commodities. Auto, Home, Life, Business Flood, Antique Auto, RV’s Medicare Advantage Plans Medicare Supplements Health Insurance Phone (541) 997-9497 1234 Rhododendron Dr / Florence We buy, sell and consign quality estate/heirloom jewelry & furniture. Gold, silver, platinum jewelry with precious & semi precious stones. Call 541-997-8104, Florence Antiques & Coast Jewelers
