COMMITTEE SEEKS NAMES FOR INCLUSION ON CHARLESTON FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL The Charleston Fishermen’s Memorial Committee is seeking recommendations of names of individuals, who were lost at sea or have worked in the fishing industry, to be listed on the Memorial at the Charleston Marina. The deadline for sending in applications is March 15, 2012. Application forms are available at the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay’s Charleston Marina office, 63534 Kingfisher Road; or online at www.charlestonmarina.com. Following review and selection by the Fishermen’s Memorial Committee, names are engraved on one of three plaques – “Lost At Sea,” “In Memory of Charleston Fishermen” and “In Memory of Charleston Fishermen's Industry.” The most significant criteria for adding the name of a commercial fisherman or commercial fishing industry person is that the person must have fished out of Charleston or must have been active and made a significant contribution to the Charleston/Coos Bay fishing industry. New additions to the plaques will be dedicated at the annual Blessing of the Fleet Memorial Service on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. For application information, contact Margery Whitmer of the Charleston Fishermen's Memorial Committee at 541-297-2095 or fish@bettykaycharters.com. Completed applications should be sent to the Committee at P.O. Box 5882, Charleston, OR 97420; or dropped off at the Charleston Marina office.
STEPHANIE KILMER HONORED In a recent ceremony, Stephanie Kilmer was recognized by the Coos County Commission on Children and Families as the 2011 Judge Richard Barron Award winner. Presented at their annual recognition ceremony the Judge Richard Barron award is given to an individual or group that significantly impacts the lives of at risk youth. Stephanie Kilmer was nominated by Commission member Genelle Hanken. In her letter of nomination Hanken wrote, “Kilmer was instrumental in starting the KDOCK Radio/Rotary Club Bus Jam that celebrated ten years of operation in 2011. The Bus Jam started as a conversation among friends on how to help needy families during the holidays to being an event that today provides food and toys for thousands of children and families in Coos County. The first year 1600 pounds of food was collected. Since that time over 50 thousand pounds of food has been delivered to the South Coast Food Share and last year over 600 children received a gift from the event. To this day, Kilmer coordinates the donations and works the event. In addition, for eight years Kilmer has been an active organizer of the Bay Area Teen Idol program, an alcohol and drug free event for teens funded through the Coos County Drug Free Communities Grant. It was during the 8th season of the Bay Area Teen Idol, that Kilmer herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rather than withdraw from Teen Idol, she persevered and the singing competitions were moved to the weeks when she was not undergoing chemotherapy. “ Judge Barron presented Kilmer with her award and thanked her for her community service and dedication to the youth of Coos County. Also receiving recognition at the event held in Judge Barron’s Courtroom were Coos County Youth Council members: Alaina Russell, Chelsea Hill, Emily Ramos, Haley Freitag, Hope Richert, Jared Helms, Jazmine Grantham, Nina Pelayo, and Tyler Wiprud. CASA volunteers Judith Reslock for ten years of service and Bobbie Stewart for nine years of service to the Court Appointed Special Advocate program. Staff members Heidi Luckman, Danny Stoddard and volunteers Alice Carlson and Genelle Hanken from the Maslow Project. Shirley Crabtree was recognized for donating handmade baby quilts to the Healthy Start home visiting program for first time parents. The Coos Commission is composed of members: Richard Barron, Ann Remy, Dale Helland, Ginger Swan, Francis Smith, Betty Albertson, Cal Mitts, Rock Rakosi, and Genelle Hanken. PLANT CLINIC OPENS FOR 2012 GROWING YEAR GRANT AID TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR PROJECT The Coos County Cultural Coalition offers funding opportunities to members of the local arts, music, theater, creative writing and poetry, cultural and natural history, and crafts communities. There will be more than $11,000 in funding available for the 2012 grant cycle. The deadline for grant applications is February 29, 2012. For details, take a look at the Coos County Cultural Coalition website at www.ccculturalcoalition.org. Applications are also available at Coos County Public Libraries. Applications should be mailed to the Grant Review Committee, Coos County Cultural Coalition, P. O. Box 1091, Coos Bay, OR 97420, postmarked no later than February 29, 2012. Let us help you bring your passion to the public! THE OREGON CASA NETWORK PARTNERS The Oregon CASA Network (OCN) is focused on improving a child’s well-being and ensuring basic human dignity for children in the care and custody of the state while increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of each independent CASA organization. Part of this mission is to ensure that state funding is distributed to the 29 CASA programs in Oregon in a manner that achieves maximum effectiveness. After several years of allocating state funding using the same formula, network members are examining options that potentially could stretch the state dollars to serve more children. The OCN has established a partnership with a team from the University of Oregon’s Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM). The team has undertaken a project to review the current formula for allocation of state dollars to local CASA programs with the goal of making recommendations to the OCN about alternative funding formulas. They are preforming this review under the auspices of the PPPM Capstone Project, a terminal project which allows 2nd-year MPA students to serve as consultants for public or nonprofit agencies under the guidance of a faculty member. Student teams use their applied research skills to answer important policy or management questions for the client agencies. This team has four members, Jim Fleck, Alejandra Garcia, Becky Megerssa and Melissa Robinson and will be supervised by Professor Jessica Greene. Network members are scheduled to hear the results of this Capstone Project in May of 2012. For more information or to find out more about Court Appointed Special Advocates contact your local CASA organization or visit www.casaforchildren.org. VOLUNTEER DRIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VA Roseburg Healthcare System has a need for volunteer van drivers to transport patients to and from their VA medical appointments. Van drivers transport Veterans from the Coos Bay/North Bend, Brookings, and Florence, Oregon and Crescent City, California areas to the Roseburg VA and make the return trip later the same day. All of these positions require the volunteer to have a valid driver’s license, current personal insurance, background check with fingerprinting, a tuberculosis screening, pass a VA driver physical and attend driver training (no charge to volunteer). For information please contact Andrea Bernhardt, Hospital Service Coordinator for DAV Transportation Network, at 541-440-1293 or VA Voluntary Services Program Office at 541-440-1272. THE SOUTH COAST KEEPS WARM This winter Oregon Coast Community Action is helping homeless and low-income individuals in our community to keep warm! Through a partnership with Oregon Food Bank and the U.S. Department of Defense, ORCCA received 5,000 emergency blankets for distribution to the South Coast community. ORCCA received the 89 pallets of blankets from Oregon Food Bank who has a relationship with the Department of Defense. It has been 2 years since the region has received these emergency blankets. Through the South Coast Food Share, ORCCA was able to distribute the blankets to community partners all along the South Coast. Overall, 37 agencies all across the South Coast received emergency blankets for distribution, including agencies in Coos Bay, North Bend, Myrtle Point, Powers, Coquille, Bandon, Lakeside, Reedsport, Port Orford, Gold Beach, and Brookings. The blankets are great for urgent situations or for emergency preparation kits. “ORCCA is very excited to be able to work with Oregon Food Bank and the Department of Defense to get these blankets again,” says Mary Schoen-Clark, CEO of Oregon Coast Community Action. “Thanks to our many community partners, we can distribute to these blankets to those who need it most.” For information on which agencies in your area received the emergency blankets, please call the South Coast Food Share at (541) 888-7436. Oregon Coast Community Action is a non-profit network of programs that help feed, house, warm and educate the communities of the South Coast. For more information, please call (541) 435-7080 or learn more at www.orcca.us.
NAMI’s PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VA: BRINGING FAMILY-TO-FAMILY TO VETERAN'S FAMILIES Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Stigma. A greater risk of suicide. In addition to the pressures of readjusting to civilian life, America’s veterans face many mental health challenges. Too often, their family members are left with few supports to help them understand and cope with their loved one’s mental illness. NAMI’s Family-to-Family educational program has stepped in to help. A partnership between NAMI and the Veterans Administration is bringing the free, 12-week course to families of veterans across the country. The three-year agreement was recently renewed because “there was such a positive response to a previous session that families asked for more,” according to the VA. Military Culture The course brings NAMI’s message of hope and empowerment to VA locations, reaching military families on their own turf and focusing on their issues. Char Cate, a veteran of the Air Force who went on to work as a civil servant in the Army, knows about military culture. She is also familiar with mental illness—one of her family members lives with bipolar disorder. She thinks that the military places an emphasis on being strong, which can make it hard for people to ask for help. “If you have PTSD you can’t suck it up and move on, which is what the culture says you should do. That’s like asking someone with a broken leg to run a relay.” She adds that some families are hesitant to discuss a loved one’s mental illness “because they don’t want anyone to feel sorry for them,” but that they feel comfortable talking within the class’s accepting atmosphere. And yet military values like bravery, a sense of mission and loyalty to one’s comrades can all act as strengths for veterans living with mental illness. “I loved being in the military; I’d join up tomorrow if I could,” says Samuel Hargrove, who spent much of his life in the Army and National Guard. Being forced to retire due to mental and physical problems meant the loss of a way of life, but he’s found a renewed sense of purpose as a NAMI advocate and spokesperson for veterans’ issues. He hopes to use NAMI programs like In Our Own Voice reach others who “hide their mental illness behind a mask” as he once did out of fear that he would lose his rank or comrades’ respect. Spreading the Word For advocates accustomed to the broader health system and its challenges, the VA can present a whole new set of rules to learn. Everything from security to get into the building to the protocol for setting up a group can be unfamiliar, often varying from location to location. Instructors use a variety of methods for outreach, including setting up veterans’ tables at a NAMIWalk, displays in hospitals and giving mental health professionals flyers about the program. Extending NAMI’s Reach “It’s happened in my last three groups that a student has brought back a family member or a friend whose family is touched by mental illness. That shows you that the program is successful,” says instructor Sheila Boone, state Family-to-Family trainer for NAMI Michigan. She also said participants bring home materials and leave them on the kitchen table, often to find the other members of the family reading them. Given the many families of veterans affected by mental health issues (an estimated 12-20 percent of veterans are returning with PTSD), there are many more families in need of NAMI. “The Department of Defense needs people with our experience to be in there to be liaisons between the military and programs out there to help,” says Char. “I tell military bases that they don’t have to develop anything—NAMI has these programs all ready to go.” The best part of this program is the People of Coos County are not expecting big government to fix everything in our lives. We have the power to fix ourselves with just a little guidance. NORTH BEND SCHOOL FOUNDATION BRIDGE The North Bend School Foundation is pleased to announce the First Annual Bridge to the Future Raffle. Starting this month, students and parents from district schools will be selling raffle tickets at $5 each through March 5. The raffle drawing will be at 5 PM, March 8, 2012 at the Hall of Champions. Three prize winners will be drawn for a total of $4800 in prizes: The first prize winner will receive a choice of: The second prize award is valued at $1500 and includes the choice of: The third prize winner will receive a choice of: The raffle proceeds will go toward student curricular and co-curricular activities, PTAs, clubs, and the foundation's grant program. Details can be found on the North Bend School Foundation (NBSFoundation.org) and North Bend School District (www.nbend.k12.or.us) websites. BEAVER HILL DISPOSAL SITE The Beaver Hill Disposal Site is now a collection site for the Oregon Paint Recycling Program. There is no charge for the drop off of cans of leftover paint (latex or oil-based). Please drop off your paint at the Beaver Hill Disposal Site with the traffic booth attendant. (Maximum container size of 5 gallon) The paint products that are accepted at no cost at Beaver Hill are: Interior and Exterior Paints: Latex, Acrylic, Water-based, Alkyd, Oil-based and Enamel (all types of finishes & sheens, including textured coatings Aerosol Paints Last year, the Oregon Legislature enacted a law requiring paint manufactures to safely manage leftover latex and oil-based paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs. The state’s paint “take-back” program is funded by the recovery fee that retailers will add onto the sale of new paint and stain. There will be no fee for containers of a half pint or less. The fee is 35 cents per container between a half pint and one gallon, and 75 cents for a one-gallon container and $1.60 for containers of more than on gallon and up to five gallons. PaintCare, a nonprofit organization created by the American Coatings Associations, a paint industry group, will run the collection program for the state. For more information on PaintCare, please visit their website: www.paintcare.org Coos County Solid Waste Department thanks you for keeping paint and paint products out of the Beaver Hill waste incinerator and the Joe Ney construction and demolition landfill. If you have any questions, please call 396-5444. Please leave a short message and a phone number as booth attendant may be outside with customers. Beaver Hill Disposal Site Hours Location: ¼ mile south of milepost 253 on Highway 101 - Between Coos Bay and Bandon VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT VA ROSEBURG FOR THE HOSPICE/PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM VA Roseburg Healthcare System is seeking volunteers for the VA Hospice/Palliative Care program. Are you a person of high compassion and reliability? Do you want to: Make a difference? Learn new communication skills? Be a part of a great team? Join the VA Hospice volunteers for the spring, 2012 Training Program. Graduates of the training will provide support to Veterans who have a life threatening illness and their families. If you are interested in a volunteer position that could change your life- The following dates are for the spring set of classes: Meeting Place: VA Roseburg Healthcare System Time: 1-4pm Be a Hospice Volunteer for our Veterans! |
HOW THEY VOTED This feature will appear in Koos News on a regular basis whenever votes take place in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. This is in keeping with our policy of holding our elected officials accountable for what they do rather than what they say. RECENT VOTES IN THE U.S. SENATE: *FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act The Senate gave final approval to this conference report authorizing $15.9 billion per year through the 2015 fiscal year for the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA has been operating under a series of short-term extensions since the 2008 fiscal year. The president is expected to sign the measure. Sen. Ron Wyden voted YES RECENT VOTES IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: *Budget and Accounting Transparency Act This House bill would incorporate the costs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the federal budget, change how the government accounts for loan programs, and require federal agencies to post their budget information on their websites. The Senate is unlikely to take up the bill. Rep. Peter DeFazio voted YES *Expedited Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2011 The House passed this bill to give the president a line-item veto and rescission authority over discretionary spending bills. The bill would give Congress three days to vote to accept or reject the president's rescissions. The White House supports the bill, but the Senate is not expected to take it up. Rep. Peter DeFazio voted YES *STOCK Act The House passed an amended version of this Senate bill that would strengthen rules prohibiting lawmakers, Capitol Hill staff and some executive branch officials from using confidential information to buy or sell stocks. The Senate now will either accept the modified bill or request a conference committee. Rep. Peter DeFazio voted YES BELT UP THOSE KIDS Consistent and proper safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities In motor vehicle crashes, according to the US Department of Transportation. Oregon law requires the following for child passengers: *A child weighing less than 40 lbs. must be restrained in a child safety seat. Proper fit of a safety belt means lap belt placed low across hips and shoulder belt crossing center of chest or collarbone. The shoulder belt should NOT be placed under the arm or behind the back. For safety seat information go to childsafetyseat.org HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT You also can help law enforcement officials by writing down serial numbers, make and model numbers of your personal property in case your residence is burglarized and those items are taken. Some other preventative measures to consider if you can afford to are installing an alarm or camera system in your residence and motion detector lights around the outside perimeter. Please help us work together to keep our communities safe. NEW MEDICATION DISPOSAL DROP BOX The City of North Bend is pleased to announce that the citizens of North Bend now have the opportunity to drop off unused prescription medications in a Medication Disposal Drop Box located in the lobby of the police department. Waste Water Treatment Supervisor Bob Dillard and North Bend Police Chief Steve Scibelli worked together with the help of the United States Postal Service to obtain the drop box. Maya Graphics provided the graphics for the box. The purpose of the Medication Disposal Drop Box is to reduce the quantity of unused medications entering the environment and amount of drugs available for diversion, theft, or accidental poisoning. Medications flushed down the toilet or drain can contaminate ground water. The drop box is for unused or expired medications, pet medications and inhalers. Please do not drop off illegal drugs, needles, syringes, hazardous waste, lancets, mercury products or electronic glucose monitors. Citizens are encouraged to. drop off medications in the drop box at the police station from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM during the week. For further information, contact Police Chief Steve Scibelli at 541-756-3161. |
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