Lane President recruitment; Pearl Harbor; Mapleton dealing with grief; Nativity Festival; Lane County website

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Three finalists to interview for Lane President post

The search for the successor to Lane Community College president Mary Spilde (SPILL-dee) has been narrowed down to three finalists.

Dr. Margaret Hamilton, Vice President for academic affairs at Camden County College in Blackwood, New Jersey; Dr. Peter Maphumulo, Vice President for instruction at Victor Valley College in Victorville, California; and Dr. David Rule, former president of Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington will each spend one day on campus in mid-January.  While there, the candidates will meet separately with board members and participate in public forums.

LCC Board Chair Sharon Stiles said the search committee had a – quote – “splendid pool of candidates to choose from”.

One of the three will likely be offered the position to succeed Spilde who will retire in June next year after a 37-year career in Education…. 16 years as president of Lane.

Pearl Harbor:  From Infamy to Greatness

Wednesday will mark the observance of the 75th anniversary of the Japanese Navy attack on American military facilities on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  December 7th, 1941 is a day then-President Franklin Roosevelt described as being a “day that would live in infamy”.

Now, historian and author Craig Nelson has written a book detailing the events on both sides that led up to the attack.  Pearl Harbor:  From Infamy to Greatness was released in September.  In the book Nelson says that event 75 years ago had a profound impact on our country.

 Craig Nelson – “I really feel that, if you look at everything that came out of Pearl Harbor, you’re going to see that that’s the defining moment of what America is today; much more than July Fourth.”

 That’s because the attack shocked American and created an ultimate response.

Craig Nelson – “The biggest military in the world, the most extensive intelligence agency, nuclear arms, a enormous foreign aid office and state department, and become this sort of force in the world to keep World War III from happening.”

Nelson will talk about his book Wednesday and Thursday on the December edition of Coast Radio’s Our Town… that airs Wednesday afternoon on KCST and Thursday morning on KCFM.

Mapleton schools respond with grief counseling

Grief and crisis counselors will be on hand today from ten until two at Mapleton High School to talk with anyone in the community following the news that a student ended his own life this week.

Mapleton Superintendent Jodi O’Mara said she was notified early Thursday morning by Lane County Sheriff’s Deputies of the death.  She said family members of the young man had asked that she be notified in order to make sure anyone who needed help dealing with the news could get it.

O’Mara and staff members gathered the high school and middle school student body together yesterday morning to tell them the sad news.

In a letter to parents yesterday, O’Mara said the topic of suicide “is a sensitive one”, but that it is an “important conversation to have with family members and children”.

Florence Nativity Festival opens

Several recreations of the nativity will be on display in Florence for three days beginning tomorrow.

The 11th annual Florence Nativity Festival will feature hundreds of nativities at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Munsel Lake Road.  Doors are open from one to six pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

JoAnn Mower (MOW-ur) says each of the Nativities hold a special meaning to their owners who have agreed to display them.

Lane County unveils new website

A new website aimed at providing faster and simpler access to services and information has been developed by Lane County.

Public Information Officer Devon Ashbridge says the new website… at www-dot-LaneCounty-dot-org… is a “significant departure” from the previous version which relied on a navigation system that was centered on county departments.  Users will now have direct access to the most commonly used services directly on the home page.

It is also “mobile friendly” in a nod to increasing access to the web by people using smart phones.

Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohiskey (MO-kro-HI-skee) calls the new website the “front door to services for many residents”.