22 April 2015
Siuslaw STEM Night aimed at highlighting the sciences
A night of activities aimed at raising the level of awareness and excitement about science, technology, engineering and math is scheduled for tomorrow night at Siuslaw Middle School. Teacher and organizer Andy Marohl (muh-ROLL) says the Siuslaw STEM night is like a traditional science fair…
Andy Marohl – “There’ll be activities based around life sciences and physical sciences and chemistry.”
But, he adds, it’s reinvented. Dozens of different activities will be set up for some “hands-on” action. It’s not just for students.
Andy Marohl – “Kids and families, it’s a whole community event, will be able to come and engage in these different activities. They’re all hands-on activities.”
Marohl says STEM night is tomorrow night, Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:30… the goal is to demonstrate how things like science, technology, engineering and math relate to real life.
Authorities urge patience in investigation
The daughter of a Florence man who passed away last fall made public allegations at Monday night’s City Council meeting against two local attorneys, a Florence woman, the Florence Police department and the City Manager.
Amanda Copeland presented a “wanted poster” to the council for the attorneys and the woman. She claims her father, Jerry Copeland, was a victim of elder abuse and theft before he passed away in September.
The California woman reported the crime to Florence police earlier this month, but is apparently dissatisfied about the pace of the investigation.
Immediate responses to public comments at council meetings are not always made, but in the case of Copeland’s accusations, City Manager Erin Reynolds said a detective is investigating her claims and would respond appropriately when that investigation is complete.
Police Lieutenant John Pitcher said yesterday, no matter what the detective finds, the information would be turned over to the District Attorney’s office.
Volunteers sacrifice more than just time
Volunteers at Peace Harbor Medical Center give more than their time. Last year the 135 active members of the group logged about 35-thousand hours in the gift shop, running errands and doing many other things. But, says Volunteer president Paula Burnette, they have another goal.
To prove that, in January, the group donated $15-thousand to the Peace Harbor Foundation.
Part of the money went to support the cardiopulmonary wellness and rehabilitation department. The rest went to the Save a Life, Leave a Legacy campaign to build a new emergency department.
Burnette also pointed out this week is National Volunteer Week.
Siltcoos Station going up for sale
Lane Community College is looking to part ways with a piece of history. The Siltcoos Station Learning Center on the eastern shore of Siltcoos Lake is going up for sale. The college is advertising for a realtor to assist in the sale.
The property is part of an original 1892 homestead that eventually grew into a small community straddling the Willamette Pacific Railroad passenger line. When it was donated to the college in 1972 by Gertrude Christenson, it included a boathouse, store, several cabins and a caretakers house. In 1977 the store was torn down and the other buildings were renovated.
After several years of neglect, the property was renovated again and reopened in 2007.
College officials recently decided to liquidate the property. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund scholarships for students at the Florence Center.
Local fuel prices steady, on the rise elsewhere
Sharply rising crude oil prices are causing retail gas prices to climb once again. Crude prices reached the most expensive level of 2015 last week as supplies built more slowly than anticipated.
Marie Dodds with Triple-A of Oregon said the national average price added seven cents a gallon to $2.46. Oregon’s average price went up four cents to $2.73.
The average cash price in Florence held steady this week at $2.62 a gallon… That’s actually six cents less than it was two weeks ago.
Despite the increase nationwide and in Oregon, drivers in Florence are paying $1.10 a gallon less on average than they did last year at this time.
SWIM looking for donations
A local effort to reopen the long-dormant swimming pool in Mapleton is gearing up for another run. Organizers will hold a meeting tomorrow evening at Siuslaw Public Library at 5:30. They’re trying to raise money needed to renovate the pool, repair leaks in the lining, and establish a fund to maintain it once they get it open.
The group “Siuslaw Regional Aquatics Center” is also changing the name of their effort to “SWIM”… Lauren Hesse says that stands for Siuslaw Wellness in Mapleton.
