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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2021)
6A | SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS SIUSLAW VISION TEAM SEEKS NEW MEMBERS Siuslaw Vision is looking to add new volunteer mem- bers to the Vision Team to begin serving in August and help move forward the goal of building a better commu- nity together. Siuslaw Vision is a grass- roots effort to enhance op- portunities for residents Shoppe LOCAL #MyFlorence Shop. Eat. Support. living in the western Lane County area, including Florence, Dunes City, Ma- pleton, Deadwood and Swisshome. The Vision was created following two years of in- put from over 1,200 local residents. It focuses on six inclusive elements, all cen- tered on the people of the Siuslaw region: Working People (jobs and the econ- omy), Happy People (health and human services), Edu- cated People (lifelong learn- ers), Connected People (infrastructure and public services), Creative People (arts and culture), and Ac- tive People (recreation and the outdoors). “The Vision Team serves primarily as a connector, convener and catalyst for Vision-related project ideas brought to us and support- ed by the community,” said Susy Lacer, Vision Team member and board pres- ident. “We usually aren’t hands-on with projects, but instead empower commu- nity members and help con- nect them with the resourc- es needed to bring their dreams to life.” Some of the projects Siu- slaw Vision has worked on recently that have impacted the Siuslaw region include supporting nonprofits with COVID-19 response; work- ing with planners for recre- ation and resource centers to get more community input; advocating for the LinkLane bus service that goes from Florence to Eu- gene; and working with lo- cal foods initiatives like the Florence Farmers Market to expand access to healthy food. The Vision Team and staff often work with Lane County agencies and or- ganizations to ensure that the needs of western Lane County are heard as the organizations plan for ex- panded and new services. “One of the keys to effec- tive community building is to be profoundly inclusive, and that’s an area we con- tinue to work toward,” said Stephanie Sarles, Siuslaw Vision coordinator. “We want to be sure our Vision Team represents a wide va- riety of voices in our com- munity. Anyone who wants to help build a better com- munity together is welcome to get in touch.” The Vision Team is a working committee that meets at least twice month- ly and requires a minimum commitment of six hours a month. Right now, the team is meeting virtually due to COVID-19, so some tech- nology skills are helpful. “We ask that you serve for at least three months, with hopes you would continue for a one-year term,” said Sarles. Shorter term service on Vision subcommittees is also needed. Subcommittees are working on marketing and outreach; sustainability and succession planning; and community connec- tions; and there are open- ings for non-Vision Team community members. To learn more about Siuslaw Vision and what the Vision Team does, vis- it www.SiuslawVision.org/ JoinTheVT. There’s a full job description for Vision Team volunteers, a slide- show with an overview of Siuslaw Vision and the Team, and an interest form to fill out. Interested community members can also contact Sarles at vision@siuslaw vision.org, or 541-590-2425. ROTARY from page 1A spirits, wine and anything that has any alcohol in it will be auctioned off that day. It’ll be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on just one day.” Regulations concerning the sale of alcohol limit the auction to just the day, but it still allows the club to offer those donated items. “It’s a fun event, and we know it’s a lot different this year,” Erickson said. “We look at it and say anything that is raised from this event is more than we had before. Plus, it’s going to go to help our youth, our students and our community.” The resumption of the Rotary Auction also helped prepare the club for a sec- ond return: in-person meet- ings. Those will begin under next Rotary president, Kar- en Skulley, who takes office in July. “Karen’s first meeting is July 6, so Tuesday, June 29, is my last meeting as pres- ident and I will hand the gavel over to Karen,” Erick- son said. Skulley has coordinated Rotary’s return to in-person meetings with FEC staff. “We’re going to do both in-person and Zoom,” Er- ickson said. “Some people just still may not be com- fortable coming back in per- son, and we respect that.” The new hybrid format will allow people to keep masked and socially distant, with the room separated for those who wish to bring lunch to eat. “We’ll have a bigger space and be more spread out,” Er- ickson added. The meetings will include not only members attending via Zoom, but often presen- tations requiring computers and projectors. Rotary is working with FEC staff to set up technology that will allow inclusion for all mem- bers, no matter how they choose to attend. “We really want to go back to it just because it’s fun,” Erickson said. “Until then, we’re just going to go with the flow and make it hap- pen. We can be flexible with it as long as we’re meeting back in person, and I think people are happy for it.” The COVID-19 pandem- ic has lasted since March 2020, and Erickson began her term as president that July. She will go down in club history as the only president to never hold an in-person meeting. However, she plans to at- tend the first July meeting as a greeter, and looks forward to seeing people then. In addition, people can look forward to her and the other Auction Committee members working on the next big event. “As long as COVID-19 numbers stay like they are and things are going good, the hope is that in 2022, there will be another in-per- son auction again at the event center, like we have done in the past,” Erickson said. Rotary Club is also pre- paring for the 12th annual Cool at the Coast Golf Spec- tacular on Saturday, Aug. 7. Learn more about the Rotary Club of Florence at www.theflorencerotary.org. SAVE. SHOP SUPPORT The club was just three days away from holding the auction in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic required an economy-wide shut down. Most people who donated to the auction, however, were willing to honor packages, prizes and other auction items at the next planned event. The involvement from donors, businesses and community members was an important element to making sure that an auction happened this year, even if it couldn’t be in person. The Rotary Auction Committee, co-chaired by Kevin McMullen and Erick- son, researched online auc- tion platforms and formats before deciding that a virtu- al auction could be possible. Now, people can go online to https://frauction.asimo- bile.net/#/index to register early for the four-week auc- tion which begins June 24. Each week of the auction will last from Thursday to Sunday, with Wednesday as a preview day for that week’s items. “People can start pre- viewing them to see what the values are and what the starting bids are,” Erickson said. “They can also regis- ter, because you have to be a registered user to be able to do it. And then come Thurs- day at noon, they can start bidding, and it’ll go until Sunday at five.” There are 250 items in the auction, but one special day will boost the total to over 300. “On Sunday, July 17, the last Saturday of our auction, we’re going to have a bonus day,” Erickson said. “Our Since 1983 Alva Bracey Broker Your goals are my top priority. Let’s get together! LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTERS Tires • Brakes • Shocks Alignments 4325 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-7178 Call, Text or Email Cell: 541-505-1180 Alva@CBCoast.com 541-997-7777 100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR COAST REAL ESTATE ESTATE JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE FURNITURE!!! 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