SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 | 3A
Community News
Chamber announces growth of flower basket program
Florence Area Chamber
of Commerce, in partner-
ship with the public works
department of the City
of Florence, is preparing
to hang the magnificent
flower baskets that have
adorned Bay Street from
spring into fall for the last
several years.
However, that program
is set to double this year.
“We’re excited to cele-
brate the new streetscape
on Highway 101, from
the bridge to the intersec-
tion with Highway 126,
by hanging an additional
60 baskets this year,” said
chamber president and
CEO Bettina Hannigan.
“By doing so we’re hop-
ing to celebrate optimism,
good will, good weath-
er, beauty, a reduction in
COVID-19’s impact, and
our cautious steps toward
the restoration of tour-
ism.”
Individuals, businesses,
and civic clubs are encour-
aged to sponsor a flower
basket for $85.
The chamber organizes
the effort and the City of
Florence public works de-
partment hangs and main-
tains the flowers from ear-
ly May through October.
Last year the chamber
had 34 donors including
several from Eugene, Cor-
vallis, Albany and other
places.
“We think some of our
sponsors are inspired
visitors or have vacation
places in Florence. Some
people sponsor them as a
dedication to a friend or
loved one,” said Hannigan,
who added that many peo-
ple take pictures with the
baskets to share online
COURTESY PHOTO
and remember their trip
to Florence — something Flower baskets like these in Old Town are available
Hannigan said gives the for sponsorship through the Florence Chamber of
program a lot of market- Commerce.
SOS offering financial assistance
for impacted by COVID-19
Siuslaw Outreach Ser-
vices now has funds avail-
able for past-due rent, elec-
tric and water assistance
for those either at risk, af-
fected by or who have lost
income due to COVID-19.
To see if you qualify,
contact SOS by phone at
541-997-2816 to schedule
an appointment.
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ing milage.
“This is yet another way
to build on our local beau-
ty and support local small
businesses. By hanging
them along the new street-
scape, as well as in Old
Town, locals and visitors
will slow down and take in
a very positive impression
of our community, and
that helps commerce in
our area,” said Hannigan.
Hannigan said that ap-
proximately 1,900 people
in Florence rely on tour-
ism-based employment,
and tour-ism pumps about
$147 million into the local
economy each year.
“We are doing all we
can to safely advance the
cause of commerce during
the pandemic to make
Florence the best place to
live, work, shop, eat, play,
and stay — now, and as
the crisis passes. We must
be vigilant in adhering to
CDC guidelines,” she said.
“As a chamber of com-
merce, and as a communi-
ty at large, our top priority
should be preventing fur-
ther spread of COVID-19
and taking care of each
other with compassion,
humility and encourage-
ment.
“We cannot wait to wel-
come visitors back to ful-
ly enjoy all that Oregon’s
Coastal Playground has
to offer as soon as restric-
tions are lifted and it is
safe to do so.”
For more information
on sponsoring a flower
basket, joining the Flor-
ence Area Chamber of
Commerce, or how to vol-
unteer, contact Hannigan
at 541-997-3128.
Sponsor a basket by
going to the Events tab at
FlorenceChamber.com or
our Facebook page at Flor-
ence Oregon Coast.
Florence Bahá’í, KXCR highlight Black History Month
February is Black His-
tory Month. Each year,
Black History Month’s
theme is set by the Associ-
ation for the Study of Af-
rican American Life and
History, an organization
founded in 1915 by Dr.
Carter G. Woodson, the
famed African American
historian known as the
“Father of Black History.”
This year’s theme is
“The Black Family: Rep-
resentation, Identity and
Diversity.”
Aligning with this year’s
theme, the Florence Bahá’í
community will sponsor
a radio program “A Past
and Living History of the
Black Family in Oregon,”
on KXCR Community
Radio 90.7 FM on Mon-
day, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m.
During the broadcast,
Frances Klippel will host
a group of four distin-
guished guests represent-
ing their experience and
activism connecting the
past to living history we
are witnessing in the Black
American experience in
Oregon and beyond.
Guest speakers include:
• Angela Apodaca, an
activist, educator and poet
living in Florence, will
touch on a historical ex-
perience of a black wom-
an in Oregon, drawing on
inspiration and resources
from Zachary Stocks, ex-
ecutive director of Ore-
gon Black Pioneers.
Apodaca will also add
her own poetry as a bira-
cial woman in America.
• Maree Beers, business
woman, activist and mu-
sician lives in the Florence
area, will sing “Lift Every
Voice and Sing.”
This song, often called
“The Black National An-
them,” was written as a
poem by NAACP leader
James Weldon Johnson
and then set to music by
his brother John Rosa-
mond Johnson in 1899.
It was first performed
in public in the Johnsons’
hometown of Jackson-
ville, Florida, as part of a
celebration of Lincoln’s
birthday on Feb. 12, 1900,
by a choir of 500 school-
children at the segregat-
ed Stanton School, where
James was principal.
• Annis Cassells, edu-
cator and poet residing
in Coos Bay, Ore., and
Bakersfield, Calif, comes
to the event through her
participation in Florence’s
Big Wave Poetry.
Cassells’ activism led
her to collaborate with
Ronald
Montgomery’s
project, and will be recit-
ing poetry from “Enough:
Say Their Names.”
• Tillamook’s Ronald
Montgomery is an educa-
tor, activist and author of
13 volumes of poetry.
Montgomery
brings
participants a living his-
tory as creator and writ-
er of the project and
book, “Enough: Say their
Names, Messages from
Ground Zero to the
World.”
The work is a rich tap-
estry of insightful photog-
raphy, paintings and po-
etry sharing the passion
of those who marched as
living art in the protests.
The community is in-
vited to join the Florence
Bahá’ís for this informa-
tive look into the Black
experience in Oregon.
KXCR also streams on-
line at kxcr.net.
New vaccination info options available for seniors
The Oregon Health
Authority piloted and
launched a new “Get Vacci-
nated Oregon” tool as part
of a multi-pronged effort to
provide older adults infor-
mation about COVID-19
vaccinations.
As of Feb. 8, approxi-
mately 168,000 adults age
80 and older became eli-
gible to get a COVID-19
vaccination. While vaccine
supplies are expected to
increase in coming weeks,
supplies are currently
scarce. State health officials
asked for patience as more
than 700,000 seniors age 65
and older become eligible
for vaccines over the next
four weeks.
Get Vaccinated Oregon is
an eligibility and notifica-
tion tool that can be found
at oregon.gov or at getvac-
cinated.oregon.gov.
The tool allows users to
answer basic questions to
learn if they are eligible and
get linked to information
about vaccinations in their
counties. Users can sign
up for alerts to get notified
about vaccination events or
find out when they may be-
come eligible.
211: Older Oregonians
can also text ORCOVID
to 898211 to get text/SMS
updates about vaccination
clinics (this option is avail-
able in English and Span-
ish only). Seniors can also
email ORCOVID@211info.
org.
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FRIDAY
Health is our #1 Priority!
At Shervin’s we are taking extra precaution in order to ensure that our customers and staff are kept safe
and healthy during this quickly changing situation.
1 Car Sanitation – All cars are wiped down with a sanitizer before and aft er the service. We wipe down
any areas in the interior where employees have touched, such as door handles, the steering wheel, keys,
shift ers and power window panels.
2 Hand Sanitation- Our staff will continue to wash their hands throughout the day and change gloves
aft er each car they service.
3 Give Customers Options- We will pick up and deliver your vehicle to your home. You may also drop
your key in our secure mailbox for drop-off s to avoid or minimize contact.
4 Employee Illness is Serious- We are encouraging employees
not to shake hands. We are practicing “personal distancing” and
encouraging employees to stay home if they feel under the weather.
5 Wipe Down High Touch Points- We wipe/spray counters, credit
card machines, door handles, phone handles, kitchen areas, and
chair arms and tables in waiting area multiple times a day.
We continue to be focused and committed to working with each
of you to ensure we continue to meet and exceed your expecta-
tions. We are here for you. 
We thank you for your business and more importantly, your
friendship. Please be safe and exercise extra precaution during this
challenging time.