Air Quality Alert for Florence
The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have issued an Air Quality Alert, which is in effect until 12 PM Friday. A Smoke Air Quality Alert has been issued. Wildfires burning in the region combined with forecast conditions will cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels at times through Friday morning. For much of the region, the worst conditions were forecast for yesterday, with some improvement expected today. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. Please follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition.
New School Year, New Opportunities
The beginning of the new school year brings new opportunities. The Siuslaw School district has recently added the AVID program to help students look to the future past high school. The Adancement Via Individual Determiniation give students the opportunity to look at careers that do and do not have a 4 year curriculum attached to them. Andy Grzkowiak, school superintendent
“Let’s say you want to be a welder. What does it take to do that and part of AVID is getting kids set up with mentors in the community.”
Another opportunity this year through Measure 98 funding to the schools is the ability to not only do alternative testing like the ASVAB, the SAT and the PSAT, but to help students pay for the tests. In fact one test, Grzkowiak says can be fully funded by the schools.
“The PSAT, the fee is real nominal, we’ll probably pay that right off the bat for all kids to begin with.”
Grzkowiak says adding the AVID program to Siuslaw Schools has also opened them up for additional funding through grants that they have previously not been able to get. High School Principal, Kerri Tatum, says she is looking forward to the new school year building upon some of the successes this past year.
“We had a great year last year as far as kids graduating. We got a ton of scholarship money, our scores in math and science and english have been steadily rising.”
The school will be adding several new faces this year. Including a school resource Officer that will float between the High School, Middle and Elementary Schools
DACA Program Nixed
The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would end a program protecting young immigrants brought to the United States as children. Put in place by President Barack Obama in 2012, the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals or DACA program has protected about 12-thousand people in Oregon and 800-thousand people across the country, as they go to school and work. Andrea Williams, head of the immigrants’ rights group Causa, says the decision is causing anxiety among Oregon’s DACA participants.
“It’s unfathomable to think that people who grew up their entire lives here, who literally do not know the country they came from when they were little, would be forced to leave their home. And that is a truly heartbreaking situation.”
The program allows deferrals that protect the young people known as “Dreamers,” from deportation as they go to college and apply for work permits. Federal officials say Dreamers whose DACA eligibility expires between now and March 5th can reapply for permits, adding that they won’t target them for deportation after their deferrals expire. DACA recipients could be saved by the Dream Act, currently in Congress, which would provide a path to citizenship.
Siuslaw Public Library Introduces New Librarian
The Siuslaw Public Library has a new Librarian. Erin Gordonier (Gordon – ear ) previously worked for the city of Beaverton and brings a love of books and for people to her new position. She says there are a few important things to be good at to be an effective librarian
“How to organize information and how to talk to people about books and a love of books definitely helps.”
Gordonier’s first day was yesterday and she joins us on this month’s Our Town this afternoon from 4 to 6 and again on KCFM Tomorrow from 10 to noon.
