27 February 2015
LCC Community Conversations
Members of the Lane Community College Board of Education and senior staff members will be in Florence March 9th for a “community conversation”. It will be just one of a series of outreach meetings held away from Eugene’s main campus. Board chair Pat Albright says they want to let rural residents know they are just as important as those in the Eugene Springfield metro area.
Pat Albright – “The other motivation for the timing for this series of meetings is to get feedback in terms of where the college should go in the next few years.”
The Florence Center has long been an important part of the college’s system.
Pat Albright – “It’s very important because, while we’ve been experiencing a little bit of enrollment drop in the main campus, Florence has actually shown growth. So it’s one of the growth areas at this particular time.”
The “conversation” will be Monday, March 9th from 6 to 7:30 at the Florence Center, 3149 Oak Street.
Fraudville
It’s called Fraudville, but organizers say it’s the “real deal”. The annual fund raiser for the Boys and Girls Club is centered around entries from local businesses and civic groups; each lip-synching a popular song. Lindsey Phillips says it’s a lot of fun… partly because there are few rules.
Lindsey Phillips – “There’s really not much structure to it. We let them pick a song and do whatever they want and everyone always comes up with really great, entertaining performances.”
There will be plenty of other fun activities she adds; and because it’s a 21-and-older event:
Lindsey Phillips – “Beer, wine, lots of food; of course tons of entertainment.”
The doors open at five tomorrow night at Three Rivers Casino. Tickets at the door will be $25 and they are “all inclusive”.
Finding the optimal retirement
A free workshop this afternoon at Lane Community College in Florence will help connect retirees with a variety of events, activities and opportunities.
LCC is teaming with Front Desk Florence for the session. It’s aimed at contributing to what organizers are calling an “optimal retirement”.
Pre-registration is required this morning by calling the Florence Center. The workshop runs from one to 3:30 today.
Finding Nemo
A fish normally found in the ocean off Japan and in other tropic waters has turned up alive off the southern Oregon Coast. It was pulled up in a commercial crab pot by a fisherman near Port Orford.
John Chapman, an invasive species specialist at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center says it is possible the fish… a striped knifejaw… was dumped from someone’s aquarium or was discharged along with ballast from a ship. But, says Chapman, it’s also possible the fish came across the Pacific in debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
The presence of just one fish does not necessarily mean it’s a full-blown invasion. Chapman says scientists will be watching out for other evidence of the knifejaw’s presence as they continue to study the long lasting effects of the tsunami four years ago.
Funding for critical voucher program
Funding for the Siuslaw Outreach Services’ emergency voucher program got another boost last week when SOS Director David Wiegan picked up another $10-thousand check. This one from the Coquille (KO-kwell) Tribal Community Fund. Wiegan said they’ll have to use it “carefully to make it last” until they can secure other grants, but said it will help carry the fund through most of the rest of this year.
The emergency voucher program provides emergency assistance to senior, disabled, low income and homeless residents. The vouchers can be for a few dollars, or up to several hundred.
The Coquille Tribal Fund is the community granting tool of the tribe, it’s funded by the Mill Casino in North Bend.
Florence motel proclaims “We’re number 11!”
The world’s largest travel website, Tripadvisor, recently named Florence’s Old Town Inn in the top 25 “Best Bargain Hotels in the United States”. The Old Town Inn ranks 11th overall.
The rating is based on visitor responses. Guests at the hotel have regularly left reviews on the website talking about the cleanliness of the property, the knowledge and attitude of the staff, and the value. One comment referred to the ability of the owners, Gary and Loretta Hoagland, to “transform an older motel into a high-end stay”.
Two years ago the Hoaglands invested nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in upgrades and renovations at the Old Town Inn and their other local motel, the River House.
To see the full Top 25 rankings, visit the TripAdvisor website.
