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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2021)
THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM | SATURDAY EDITION | SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 | $1.00 SN LABOR DAY • MONDAY, SEPT. 6 • Now accepting new patients! SIUSLAW NEWS WILL JOIN OTHER BUSINESSES IN BEING CLOSED Call today to schedule your appointment. 4480 Hwy 101, Suite G • Florence (541) 997-1251 • NovaHealth.com Siuslaw News Rockhounding Roundup Siuslaw News NEWS & VIEWS THAT DEFINE OUR COMMUNITY W VOL. 131, NO. 71 S EPTEMBER 4, 2021 F LORENCE , O REGON WEATHER Mostly sunny with a high of 67 and a low of 55. Full forecast on A3 Story By Zeahna Young Photos by Reina Harwood, Chantelle Meyer & Zeahna Young/Siuslaw News ith record low tides this year in the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, the entire area is the perfect locale for beach rockhounding on the Central Oregon Coast. Although winter through early spring is gen- erally the most ideal time for rockhounding locally, with tides still being as low as they are and summer weather lingering, it’s the perfect recreational activity to “dig” into right now. There are numerous reasons to explore rockhounding, particularly on beaches sur- rounding Florence. For one, it is free to get started, and even if people take it to an ex- pert level, they won’t need much equipment to be successful. As a beginner, all someone really needs is a brush and a spray bottle filled with wa- ter, which helps people distinguish between rocks, and something in which to carry their rocks. People should keep in mind that the Rockhounding, which can be done at places like Bob Creek, is one of the best local recre- ational activities to delve into. Agates, bet- ter known as the jewels of the Oregon Coast, and jaspers can be found in great quanti- ties throughout the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve region. COMMUNITY Nonprofits work together to feed kids INSIDE — A3 SPORTS PeaceHealth adds solutions to help staff wearing thin ‘It really is important at this time that we’re taking every measure possible to prevent further spread’ By Chantelle Meyer Siuslaw News Volleyball starts up at Siuslaw INSIDE — B RECORDS Obituaries & emergency response logs Inside — A2 SIDE SHOW Activities and comics every Saturday Inside — B4 CLASSIFIEDS Listings and public notices Inside — B5 FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST NEWS : /S IUSLAW N EWS @S IUSLAW N EWS T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM limit for collecting at the hobbyist level is one gallon of rocks per day and three total gallons per year, and rocks may only be col- lected for personal use without using mech- anized tools. Rockhounding is also a fun and medita- tive activity that allows beachgoers to get fresh air, sunlight and exercise. It’s a relaxing way to simultaneously be active and learn about local rocks and semi-precious stones, and it is a great way to introduce kids to ge- ology. Plus, rockhounding is enjoyable for all ages. People can set their own pace. Wheth- er they’re looking for a peaceful activity to do alone, something fun to do with family on the weekend or a pretty adorable option for a date, rockhounding is a wonderful idea. With regard to group activities, there are social media groups people can join by See AGATES page 9A As of Thursday, Lane County reported it has only four available Intensive Care Unit beds available. Out of 137 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 29 are on ventilators, and an overall 31 percent of the region’s hospitalized beds are being used for COVID-19. “At this point, we are seeing a significant increase in our hospi- talizations from COVID,” reported Dr. Brenda Ormersher, M.D., infec- tious disease specialist with Peace- Health. PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medi- cal Center at RiverBend in Spring- field is still the region’s hub for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. This means patients from as far away as Coos Bay and Roseburg are being treated there. “Out of all the patients hospital- ized since April of this year until now, 95% of our patients have been unvaccinated,” Ormersher stated. “Only 5% of the cases here are actu- ally with vaccinated individuals — and they tend to recover faster and with better outcomes. “The best thing to do to prevent the spread of COVID is vaccina- tion. Even with breakthrough cases that we’re seeing in the news, if you got vaccinated, but you get COVID, these cases tend to be less severe, and patients tend to recover better.” Recovery for patients is top of mind for health care workers right now, as there are staffing shortages due to the high number of patients. In addition, PeaceHealth an- nounced that “starting Aug. 31, 2021, all caregivers will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit a qualifying medical ex- emption.” In an Aug. 3 news release, Peace- Health’s Chief Physician Executive See HEALTH page 7A Mapleton welcomes new staff Port of Siuslaw Four new instructors prepare for school year’s changes, challenges By Zac Burtt Siuslaw News S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2021 Four new faces will join the Ma- pleton School District for the 2021- 22 school year. Though COVID-19 has hidden those faces behind masks, they’re all smiles about their new opportunity. Superintendent Jodi O’Mara couldn’t be happier with the crew joining the Mapleton staff. “I’m excited about the new school year. I’m excited to get kids back on campus in a ‘normal’ sit- uation where they can learn and socialize. I’m excited for the new staff,” she said. “Though we’ve lost some wonderful people, change is always good in my opinion. There will be challenges, both COVID and instructional, but were going to roll with it, because that’s what we do.” Coming to work with students in a small town like Mapleton can be different, if not more difficult, than a larger school, but can also be ex- tremely rewarding. sees steady seas Revenues grow as full-service sites draw visitors ZAC BURTT/SIUSLAW NEWS Mapleton School District’s new staff members include (from left) Crystal Massie, Sean O’Mara and Susan Fenton. Not pictured is Tucker Ford, who begins his first year of full-time teaching. “One of the biggest challenges This year, four new people will new staff face in Mapleton is that become part of the team at Maple- everyone knows everyone,” said ton School District. O’Mara. “This is actually a good One new teacher that is used to thing, but learning to navigate it larger schools is new middle school can be difficult initially. The small and high school language arts, social class sizes are also great, but getting studies and College Credit Western used to them can be different if the Civilizations teacher Sean O’Mara. staff is used to larger schools.” See MAPLETON page 6A The Port of Siuslaw Board of Com- missioners met on Aug. 18, with By Mark Brennan an agenda which in- Siuslaw News cluded re- ports which indicate a significant rise in port revenues in the past 12 months and increased visits to the port’s camp- ground. Two commissioners, Mike Buckwald and Craig Zolezzi, were absent for the meeting. The commission received reports from Office Manager Kelly Stewart, who reported a rise in revenue from both the recently installed full-ser- vice campsites and from the camp- ground’s older sites, which were upgraded to offer electricity, sewer hookups and WIFI. She reported the campground is full at this time. See PORT page 6A C elebrating Over 30 Years in Real Estate LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED JIM HOBERG Broker/Owner 1870 Hwy. 126, Suite A • PO Box 3040, Florence, OR