and oors D g n i s Opensing Deal Clo
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The
Umpqua Post
port Reeds ., e v A wy Wednesday, September 4, 2013 1500 H
Weekly news from the Heart of the Dunes AN EDITION OF
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“We’re also concentrating on reducing
the number of incidents of bullying and harassment. We made gains last year ...” — Jim Thomas, Highland Elementary principal
Thomas ready to start new school year BY STEVE LINDSLEY
dents don’t show up.” Thomas says they’re looking at more than 330 students to start the With the new school year Jim elementary school year. Thomas, Reedsport School District The school has two kindergarten superintendent and Highland classes. Elementary principal, is pumped “We’re trying to take a look at up. what our options are, in terms of “I’m always excited to start the providing support for the two classschool year,” he said. “Last year was es,” Thomas said. “We may be my first year of being an elemen- adding an aide, or we may be adding tary principal, as well as being another kindergarten teacher, if we superintendent, so last year was a find the resources to do it.” green and growing year for me. Thomas also finds the district By Alysha Beck, The World When you’re used to working at the shuffling resources to fill vacant Lynn Gledhill from Junction City crafts a coat hook out of steel during the Art By the Bay festival in Winchester Bay middle and high school, and you get spots at other areas of the two on Saturday. See more photos from Art By the Bay on Page A8. the opportunity to work at the ele- schools. They’re still in need of a mentary level, it’s a whole new third-grade teacher. ballgame. I was a little apprehenThomas says he expects the sive at first, but I’m really enjoying school board will revisit the decithose kids.” sion to go to a four-day school There may be more of those kids. week, which continues this year. It appears the elementary school “The board has asked last year, may have a larger enrollment than again this year, to see some of the ended last year. That could mean data,” he said, “in terms of what it some larger classes. looks like of actual dollar savings.” “Our kindergarten enrollment is Thomas said the data will up, significantly,” Thomas said. include a look at the budget. “That’s kind of a double-edged “There are some soft issues Vendors at Art By the Bay sword. On one hand, we’re glad to involved,” he continued. “My first seemed to have a fun and profitable have the increased enrollment. superintendency in Oregon was in Labor Day weekend. “The other side of it is, of Monument, was a four-day week. Fifty regional vendors came to course, we have classrooms to start I’ve had a four-day week experiWinchester Bay to show their art. school between 30 and 32 (stu- ence before I got here to Reedsport. Ned Egen of Ophir brought his dents) probably. What we won’t metal sculptures to the show. SEE THOMAS, PAGE A6 know for sure is how many stuHis sculptures, a closer look shows, are made of everyday items. “I make things from scrap metal that people throw out,” he said. “Pieces that people throw out that had a lifetime before. And then I get to give it a new life.” Ophir is near Gold Beach and getting donated items is a necessity. A medical community and char- experience here in our community.” “It’s too far to the scrap yard, The party will also include food ity celebration will happen Sept. 5 which is in Coos Bay,” Egen said. and social time. in Reedsport. “So, I wind up counting on the “I’ve invited the city,” It’s the “Bridging Our Futures” kindness of neighbors. Once the Henderson said. “We have the disfrom 4 to 6 p.m. outside celebration neighbors find out what I do, every By Steve Lindsley, The Umpqua Post the hospital, 600 Ranch Road, trict governor for Rotary coming. I neighbor has a pile of hammer invited all the Rotary members, Metal Sculpturist Ned Egen of Ophir poses with one of his pieces at Art By Reedsport. heads, shovel heads, rake heads, the Bay in Winchester Bay on Labor Day weekend. Egen was one of 50 ven“We are trying to celebrate the Lions, our LUH Foundation, our everything imaginable that they’ll dors who participated in the event. He was able to sell this sculpture shortmerger of Dunes Family Health auxiliary members and, of course, never get a handle for because a ly after this picture was taken. Care with Lower Umpqua Hospital our board.” new handle is more expensive than There will be cheesecake and and Reedsport Medical Clinic,” a new tool. So, when they find out Henderson says food will have a also includes scissors The piece been dead for, a neighbor that’s Jody Henderson said. “So, now, we what I do they say, ‘Come and get theme which includes chowder it.’ So, there’s no shortage of scrap.” found on the highway by Egan’s maybe, 20 years. His wife called me have a complete medical commu- French bread, shrimp cocktail and wife, chain and stainless-steel up and said she’s ready to clean out nity that we’re really excited about. His newest piece is interesting. beverages. the garage.” “We’re putting together a rib“My newest piece is a mask that steamer pieces. Henderson says after the hospi“It was a fun piece.” That large piece is one that Egan bon-cutting ceremony to celebrate I made out of an Electrolux vacuum tal ceremony, there will be some Egan refers to a piece behind sold during the show. Dunes Family Health Care and cleaner head,” he said, “the kind my him that depicts a large bird. David and Sandi Sygrove of Lower Umpqua Hospital. The hos- awards. mother had, and she’s been gone … “We included the chamber in on “There’s two kinds of horse- Lebanon brought their Old Soul pital has been in business for 49 she would have been over 100 now. this,” she said. “Mostly because we shoes,” he laughed. “Both of those Metalworks booth to the show. years. It will be 50 years next year. feel like we’re all one community. I had one of those and I used to pull came from a neighbor. And the pick Dunes Family Health Care has been it around as a kid vacuum cleaning head, which is the head, came from SEE ART, PAGE A6 there for 35 years. So, it’s a lot of SEE CELEBRATE, PAGE A6 the house.” The Umpqua Post
Art By the Bay hammers out profits for vendors
Medical facilities to celebrate Sept. 5
A new home for Project Blessing Project Blessing has a new home. The food pantry, which has been housed at United Presbyterian Church, is moving to new facilities in a building in Reedsport’s Lions Park. “We will be open on the fourth,” co-coordinator Cody Sabblut said. “We’ll have the doors open at 12:30 that Wednesday so we can get people acclimated to the new system, but we will open the actual food bank, itself, at one o’clock.” Executive Allen Sharrai says the new building is bigger than their old facilities, previously in a room at the church. The building has two rooms. “The facility will be set up By Steve Lindsley, The Umpqua Post where we will be able to house peoThe food pantry, Project Blessing, is moving from United Presbyterian Church to a building in Lions Park. The food ple for them to sign in, there will be pantry will open its doors at the new location on Wednesday. The new building used to house a fire hall and a scout a place for them to sit more comfortably,” Allen Sharrai said. “The hall.
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other room is big enough so they can do some of their shopping and not bump into each other. And, we can serve more people at one time.” After Wednesday’s opening, the food bank will open Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. The food bank will benefit from the a donation from Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce, which will award Project Blessing $3,500 from money gained from the DuneFest charity auction. The AARP food pantry in Henderson Park will get $2,500 from the chamber. Project Blessing also received
SEE BLESSING, PAGE A6