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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2021)
SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 | 3A Surfside Restaurant at Drift wood Shores Resort Is Open for take out only from 4pm - 8:30 pm Tuesday - Saturday Call 541-902-6447 Drift wood Shores Resort 88416 1st Avenue, Florence Becky Olson December 3, 1952 - April 24, 2021 “God is the creator of life and He will decide when it is time to go home. Never lose HOPE.” Th ese are the words written by our beloved Becky M. Olson in her book, “Th e Hat Th at Saved My Life,” published in 2004 following her second breast cancer diagnosis. Surrounded by family, and in the comfort of her home in Florence, Oregon, God greeted her shortly aft er 2am on April 24th, 2021, at the age of 68. Becky was a 5-time breast cancer sur- vivor who never lost hope and fought her cancer battle with an awe-inspiring bal- ance of grace and ferocity. “Looking back on my life, there is one word that describes me best, Fighter!” Becky wrote. And fi ght she did, for 25 years to the day of her initial cancer diag- nosis. A devoted wife, moth- er of fi ve children, daugh- ter, sister, friend, mentor, motivational speaker, author, radio show host, and co-founder of Breast Friends, Becky has been a pillar in her family and community and has left a legacy that includes inspir- ing thousands of others around the world to Stay in the Light and never lose sight of HOPE. Becky was born in Fair- banks, Alaska on Decem- ber 3, 1952, to her parents Mary (Soldano) Lawler and James Phillips. She grew up in Seattle, Washington where she eventually start- ed a career in the fi lm in- dustry and had two young children, Tanya & Joshua, from her fi rst marriage. At 27 years old, she then met her husband Bill. Th ey started their life together in Oregon and had Elizabeth, Elijah, and Micah. Bill and Becky would be celebrating their 41st wedding anniver- sary on May 17th, 2021. Her warmth, charm, and natural ability to con- nect with people made her a superstar sales rep; moving her way up the ranks selling Tupperware in Medford, to a top adver- tising sales manager at Dex in Portland. She had once said that each bout of can- cer off ered her a lesson and an opportunity to pivot in her life. Each battle led to a positive change. Aft er her fi rst diagnosis she fi nished her degree at Marylhurst University and co-founded a non-profi t organization called Breast Friends. Af- ter the second diagnosis in 2004, she quit her sales job to focus full-time on the non-profi t and her career as a motivational speaker. Becky loved to travel, and over the years she vis- ited Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Iceland, and Isra- el, to name just a few. She road-tripped cross-country TWICE within the past few years with her husband. She loved spending time with her fi ve grandchildren, Jen- na, Mikael, Joanie, Kieren, and Shawn, up and down the east coast. Community News Food boxes still available The Knights of Co- lumbus Food Box dis- tribution is continuing through May. Distribu- tion takes place each Sat- urday from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Highway 101. If you have made it this far into this humble at- tempt at honoring Becky’s life, then you ought to also know that she was an amaz- ing dancer and singer. She loved to sing, and was oft en invited to perform at spe- cial events or friends’ wed- dings. Th e last song Becky sang was on Wednesday, April 21st. Knowing that this song was in her heart, just before her life in this body was to end, tells us something remarkable about Becky. Despite her body being battle-scarred, despite the cancer in her brain slowly taking hold, she felt whole. She knew she was loved. As for her family and friends who grieve her, we were re- minded by Chaplin Dow of Peace Health Hospice - the antidote to grief is grati- tude. Becky’s family has been overwhelmed with gratitude by the outpouring of support by the Florence community throughout this challenging time. We encourage you to take a few moments to go listen to this song: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=efIAM5dzuDs (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Written by Carol King as Performed by Aretha Franklin A Celebration of Life for Becky is being planned for Saturday July 17th, 2021 in Florence, Oregon. In hon- or of Becky and her dedi- cation to provide hope to cancer survivors and their families, we encourage peo- ple to volunteer their time or make a donation in her name to Breast Friends: https://breastfriends.org/ get-involved/ CROW announces Adult Acting Summer workshops beginning in July CROW Artistic Director Melanie Heard will be of- fering a five-session Adult Acting workshop this sum- mer. Classes will take place July 16-Aug. 13, on Friday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the CROW Center for the Performing Arts (3120 Highway 101). During the course, stu- dents will explore char- acterization, motivation, diction and stage presence. Students will learn how to deal with stage fright, how to audition like a pro, and will uncover individual strengths as an actor while also discovering how to overcome habits and weak- nesses. Through the use of games and activities, par- ticipants will be exposed to a wide range of theatre ter- minology and tips, tricks and traps for actors. Workshop instructor Melanie Heard encourages all ages and stages to come and give it a try. “Everyone is welcome! If you’ve never acted in your life, or if you have always wanted to; if you have taken my class before but want to brush up your skills; if you have a tendency to become shy in public and want to build confidence; or if you’re outgoing and have always wondered what it might feel like to become anoth- er character — I’d love to work with you. Let’s see what you can do!” Heard is a director/cho- reographer, actress and credentialed teacher with over 25 years of experi- ence in the professional theatre world. In addition to being the Artistic Di- rector of CROW (Chil- dren’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops), she has also directed many adult and youth productions. Orig- inally from Los Angeles, Heard has studied acting with the well-known South Coast Repertory Profes- sional Conservatory, has performed in over 50 plays and musicals, holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Cal State Fullerton, and an MA in Education. “We have all been through a lot lately,” said Heard. “This class is go- ing to be focused on fun, so that we can laugh at the foibles of humanity, learn from one another and get our groove back. I hope you’ll join us.” Sign-ups are online at www.crowkids.com/class es. The cost is $100 for the five-class series, and all materials are included. Space is limited and no experience is required. All current COVID safety pro- tocols will be followed. For more information, email Heard at crowthe- atrekids@yahoo.com FUUF to gather Sunday for ‘New Beginnings’ The Florence Unitari- an Universalist Fellowship (FUUF) recently extended its thanks to the City of Florence and its volunteers for making it possible to re- ceive much-needed sanitiz- er products. As such, FUUF will con- tinue to maintain a clean environment for those times when church mem- bers gather in fellowship while socially distanced and wearing masks. For those who are unable to attend, FUUF pre-re- cords our Sunday services and makes them available via its website at www.flor- enceuuf.com. All are wel- come to attend virtually or in person. This Sunday, May 2, FUUF will host Dr. Dean Shrock, who will deliver his message titled “A Time of New Beginnings.” Rhody Run to continue in person, virtually The annual Rhododen- dron Festival has been canceled in order to com- ply with state COVID-19 guidelines, the annual Rhody Run 5K/10K Run- Walk will continue. This year’s event will be held Saturday, May 15, at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince Street. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with a start time of 9 a.m. For those who would like to participate but aren’t ready for public events, like last year there will also be a virtual option. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been ac- tively training or you need to shake the dust off your shoes, come out and enjoy the beautiful, paved course with gently rolling hills. All ages are welcome to participate. Proceeds from this US- ATF-sanctioned race ben- efits Florence Habitat for Humanity, which helps to continue providing the Florence community with affordable housing for working families. For those participating, please plan to follow all applicable Covid-19 safety protocols. To register, visit www. secure.getmeregistered. c om / g e t _ i n f or m at i on . php?event_id=131720 or call 541-902-9227 ext. 101. Weekly COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations surge The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report released Thursday shows a fifth consecutive week of surg- ing daily cases and surging hospitalizations from the previous week. OHA reported 5,729 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week of Mon- day, April 19, through Sunday, April 27. That represents a 21 percent in- crease from the previous week and marks the fifth consecutive week of 20 per- cent or higher increases in daily cases. New COVID-19 relat- ed hospitalizations nearly doubled from 171 to 333. There were 26 reported COVID-19 related deaths. There were 133,563 tests for COVID-19 for the week SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY MAY 1 MAY 2 MAY 3 MAY 4 Partly Cloudy Mostly Sunny Mostly Cloudy Mostly Sunny 57°F 45°F 58°F 43°F 56°F 46°F 59°F 44°F of April 18 through April 24. The percentage of posi- tive tests was 6 percent. Thursday’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Re- port showed 34 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living set- tings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths. WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY MAY 5 MAY 6 MAY 7 Partly Cloudy Showers AM Showers 67°F 47°F 58°F 44°F 56°F 42°F 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. Let area it s ic INS e 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. News and views that defi ne our community. Siuslaw News Print, Digital, Mobile and More thesiuslawnews.com 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.