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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2021)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 | 7A Library Tidings Book Review “The Smallest Lights in the Universe” by Sara Seager In the wake of trage- dy, an MIT astrophysicist must reinvent herself and in the process discovers the power of connection on this planet, even as she searches our galaxy for another Earth. Sara Seager has always been in love with the stars: so many lights in the sky, so much possibility. Now a pioneering planetary scientist, she looks for ex- oplanets — especially that distant, elusive world that sustains life. But with the unexpected death of Sea- ger’s husband, the purpose of her own life becomes hard for her to see. Sud- denly, at 40, she is a wid- ow and the single mother of two young boys. For the first time, she feels alone in the universe. As she struggles to nav- igate her life after loss, Seager takes solace in the alien beauty of exoplanets and the technical chal- lenges of exploration. At the same time, she discov- ers Earth-bound connec- tions that feel every bit as wondrous, when strangers and loved ones alike reach out to her across the space of her grief. Among them are the Widows of Concord, a group of women offer- ing advice on everything from home maintenance to dating, and her beloved sons, Max and Alex. Most unexpected of all, there is another kind of one-in-a- billion match, not in the stars but here at home. Probing and invigo- ratingly honest, “The Smallest Lights in the Universe” is its own kind News about the Siuslaw Public Library by Kevin Mittge of light in the dark. Library Book Drop Now Open! The Maple Street book drop (on the west side of the building) is now open 24/7. You can drop off items any time. One slot is for books while the other is for DVDs and CDs. We continue to offer returns in the lobby during brows- ing hours. The Mapleton branch library book drop is also open and available for returns. Browsing and Curbside A lot of our patrons are enjoying the brows- ing hours at the library. As reminder, the current browsing hours in Flor- ence are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.. In Mapleton browsing is on Thursdays, from noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours will be added as quickly as we can. Patrons are currently required to wear masks inside the library. Ap- pointments are not neces- sary. We have new touch less check-out stations we encourage patrons to use. There is no seating at this time and meeting rooms are not available. You can bring your kids in to se- lect books but toys are not available and we cannot accommodate play groups or meet-ups. Meanwhile contactless curbside takeout service continues. Patrons can call the library, 541-997- 3132, between 10am and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, to request mate- rials, or use our online request form, 24/7, avail- able on the library’s web- site: www.siuslawlibrary. info. Materials are pulled for pick-up the following business day in Florence or the soonest Thursday in Mapleton (calls must be made before that Thurs- day). Officials seek public input on proposal to change Oregon Dunes motorized vehicle decibel limits CORVALLIS—Siuslaw National Forest officials are seeking public input on potential changes to decibel (noise) limits for motorized vehicles at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODN- RA). The goal of the pro- posed changes is to reduce noise impacts on neigh- boring communities while being more realistically attainable by riders. The proposed deci- bel limits will also better align with State of Oregon regulations, provide con- sistency across motorized riding areas throughout the Siuslaw National For- est, and will be easier to enforce. Based on years of mon- itoring, the sound limit of 93dBA that was estab- lished in the 1994 ODN- RA man- agement plan has been found to be un- a ch i e v abl e by most modern, non-mod- i f i e d off-highway vehicles. This deci- bel limit is also out of alignment with state regulations, limiting op- portunities for coordinated enforce- ment efforts. The preliminary pro- posal changes the deci- bel limit for front-engine vehicles from 93dBA to 95dBA and the limit for all other motorized vehicles from 93dBA to 97dBA. As most noise-level com- plaints have stemmed from vehicles registering over 99dBA, the new lim- it is expected to strike the balance between allowing motorized use while ad- dressing concerns of visi- tors and residents. “By raising the limit to better align with the state and being within the range that is at- tainable by contempo- rary stock vehicles, we’ll be bet- ter able to work with riders on compliance and pro- vide the en- forcement necessary to manage the noise violations that most impact our COURTESY PHOTO neighbors,” explained Garrit Craig, deputy district ranger for the Central Coast Rang- er District and ODNRA. “We encourage members of the public to review the project information Lane County Planning Commission seeks new member from coastal area There are three vacant po- sitions on the Lane County Planning Commission and applications to fill those posi- tions are being accepted now. Applicants must be residents of Lane County. The open positions include: a representative of the Lane County’s Coastal area; a rep- resentative who lives with- in an incorporated city; an at-large representative. The Coastal area is defined as west of the eastern boundary of the Mapleton School District. The Lane County Planning Commission is a 9-member advisory board that makes recommendations to the Board of County Commis- sioners regarding land use, comprehensive plan issues and amendments, as well as other regional planning is- sues. The group generally meets twice per month in the evenings. “How we implement our comprehensive plan and is- sues related to land use is how we build our community for ourselves and future genera- tions,” said Lane County Plan- ning Director Amber Bell. To learn more or download an applica- tion, visit w w w. l a n e - c ou nt y. org / volunteer. We are open and ready to assist you! Clean the Air in Your Home Professional air duct cleaning can eliminate the circulation of dust, debris and allergens for a safer and healthier home. Whole-House Air & Dryer Vent System Cleaning With Sanitation now through 05.31.21 Pioneer Museum seeks volunteers Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, 278 Maple St., is looking for docents — volunteers to greet visitors — from the community. If six to eight people would be willing to volunteer four hours of their time each month, this would allow the museum to open for a day. Currently, the museum is open noon to 4 p.m. on days when it opens. It has enough docents to be open two days each week as long as volunteers are available. For more information, call 541-997- 7884 or visit the museum on Facebook. Readers Choice Voted #1 Realtor Free Estimate Call or contact us online today for details and scheduling. Ask us about other services we do also. During these uncertain times, we are accessible by phone, email and by appointment only. We are conducting business as safely as possible for our clients as well as our staff. 541-997-7653 Jim_hoberg@hotmail.com Licensed & Insured Johnston Motor Company Since 1939 2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence (541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475 We’ve got you COVERED Supporting Florence since 1987. business • homeowners • auto • life • health • medicare plans Andy Baber, AAMS® Financial Advisor A SK US ABOUT M ULTIPLE P OLICY D ISCOUNTS ! 1010 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8755 COVERAGE FOR YOUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET. YOU. Contact Angela, Jodi or Paul to discuss your policy needs. Ryan Hitchcock Financial Advisor 1010 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8755 Serving Florence since 1990 875 Hwy 101 • Florence, OR • (541) 997-3466 www.AbelInsuranceAgency.com MKT-5894-A-A1 COVID Special 10% Off and let us know what they think.” Documents that de- scribe the preliminary proposal, including Fre- quently Asked Questions, can be found at https:// w w w. f s . u s d a . g o v / p r o - ject/?project=60053 in the Project Documents sec- tion. Written comments on the proposal should be submitted electron- ically in common for- mats at https://cara.eco- system-management. org/Public//Reading Room?Project=60053. They can also be mailed to Siuslaw National Forest, 3200 Jefferson Way, Cor- vallis, OR 97331 ATTN: Katie Isacksen. Comments should be submitted by June 15, 2021. www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Member SIPC