Boys and Girls Club In Need of Cash

13 October 2014

Coast Radio News
Local News

Cash Infusion Needed to Boost Boys and Girls Programs

By now you’ve seen the urgent plea for funding for the Boys and Girls Club. Director Jonathan Hicks says they need to raise $60-thousand between now and the end of October.

He’s looking for a quick cash infusion because demand for the programs has far exceeded what they were expecting.

Jonathon Hicks – “We’re seeing about 40-percent more kids every day in our elementary program. It’s a substantial increase and it just requires so much more staff to keep our ratio in that one-to-15, one-to20 area.”

Last year they averaged about 100 kids per day in the elementary after-school program. So far this year, it’s been more like 140 with some days above the 150 mark.

Money collected this month will pay for increased staffing; two to four additional employees; through the end of the school year.

Hicks said instead of the cash, they could use volunteers, but that would require a long-term commitment on their part to provide coverage weekday afternoons through the end of May.

If fund raising falls short, the club may be forced to curtail or even eliminate some programs; or consider a fee increase to participants. The latter is something Hicks says he wants to avoid.

Charter Imposed Deadline for Naming Permanent Manager Nearing

The Florence City Council is looking at a hard and fast deadline in their search for a replacement City Manager. The former manager, Jacque Betz, left in early June and the City Charter prohibits the naming of a temporary or interim city manager six months after that date.

Mayor Nola Xavier, speaking last week after the council’s top selection as a replacement backed out during contract negotiations, said they know the deadline just five weeks away.

Nola Xavier – “We will do our best to comply, obviously. And so however that works we’ll do it. But we are trying to understand exactly what that needs to be and I don’t have an answer for that at this point.”

One method utilized in the past was by simply hiring someone to serve as city manager with the understanding that it would be for a limited time. Interim City Manager Larry Patterson said that could be a former official, or a department head.

The Council will meet October 20th to discuss their options.

Ballots Mailed This Week

All the campaign rhetoric, promises, warnings, and politicking will come to a head three weeks from tomorrow. That’s when voters in Western Lane County will weigh in on a variety of issues and races in this fall’s general election.

There is still time to register to vote if you have not already done so, and Lane County officials are preparing to mail out some 200-thousand-plus ballots by midweek.

That means ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes as early as Friday.

There are plenty of contested races in Florence with three candidates for mayor and six candidates for three open council spots.

In Dunes City, there are fewer choices… Rebecca Ruede is the only Mayoral candidate for a post she’s held for four years; and there are two candidates for three open council positions.

Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect

Area residents will have another opportunity to find out more about a drive to reduce child abuse and neglect in Lane County by 90-percent by the year 2030. The regional leadership team of the county-wide effort will hold an informational session Monday from two to 3:30 at Siuslaw Public Library.

Rose Wilde (WILL-dee), the outreach coordinator, will make a brief presentation. The regional team is lead by Lynn Anderson, the Indian Education Coordinator at Siuslaw Schools and Mapleton Superintendent Jodi O’Mara.

Preventing the Flu

Health officials say getting a flu vaccination can be one of the simplest, but most effective ways of protecting your health.

Seasonal influenza outbreaks usually begin in October, with the most severe outbreaks peaking in January.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, anyone aged 6-months or older should be vaccinated every year.

Formulation of flu vaccine changes every year, based on the estimates of which particular strains may be most prevalent.

This year the vaccine is formulated to protect against two “type A” viruses… the 2009 H1N1 and a Texas H3N2. There will be protection against a B-type Massachusetts from 2012 as well as an additional B-type that was found initially in Australia.

Flu shots are available at all local pharmacies as well as a regular flu-shot clinic at the Florence Events Center. They can also be had at your regular primary care health provider.