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Former RCCS superintendent hired in McKenzie Shauna Hermansen, of Florence, will be one of the contestants during this week’s 15th annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championship in downtown Reedsport. It’s Hermansen’s first competition. Hermansen attended Reedsport schools and works at Fred Wahl Marine.
BY STEVE LINDSLEY The Umpqua Post
Contributed photo
Seeing the light in a block of wood Among the 45 carvers at this year’s 15th annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championship, beginning Thursday in downtown Reedsport, will be a rookie carver, who is also a local. Shauna Hermansen is a product of Reedsport schools, still works in Reedsport and lives in Florence. She is the girlfriend of fellow carver Ryan Anderson, who also is in this year’s event. “I went to a lot of his competitions and I would watch him,” Hermansen admitted. “One day he just told me to try it out at one of his competitions in Monterey and I carved a lighthouse. It turned out really good. He said that I should try to compete here. So, I’m going to give it a shot.” That means it’s her first competition. She’ll join 10 other semi-professional carvers at the Reedsport competition. She was asked it she was ready for the four-day grind of carving on a sculpture each day. “I work at Fred Wahl Marine,” she laughed, “and I got those days off. Yeah, it’s going to be interesting. It’s a lot of carving. It’s going to be fun.” The Reedsport event is not themed. Carvers can choose what they want to carve. “I’m not really sure,” Hermansen said. “I’ve been thinking about carving a big lighthouse and, maybe, putting a lighthouse with a house and having stairs come down and making just a landscape of where a lighthouse would be. I’m still learning, so I’m not sure what I’m capable of.” Hermansen admits she’s only done two carvings. “They both turned out really well,” she said. “I did a bear and I did a lighthouse. I already did a lighthouse so I thought I’d do a big one.” She was asked if she’s instructed her professional carver boyfriend to not give her advice. “We’re going to be carving right next to each other,” she laughed. “So, if I need help, he can help me. He’s a pro right next to me, hopefully.” Along with her main carving, which is a four-daylong process, Hermansen says she will also participate in another daily event. “I’ll be doing the quick carves, too,” she said. Competition, she said, is a little overwhelming. “I’m doing it, mostly, for the fun,” she said. “I just want to see what I can do. If I win, that’s great. I’ve only done two so I’m not expecting to win, or anything like that. I want to, hopefully, sell my carving and have fun.”
Weekend events Events for the 15th annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championships begin Thursday morning, June 12, and continue at the chainsaw grounds until Sunday’s awards ceremony at 3 p.m. Reedsport, of course, is the Chainsaw Carving Capital of Oregon. Thursday’s schedule includes a carver’s meeting at 7:15 a.m. and then carving on their main sculpture begins at 7:30 each day. Carvers will take a break at 10:15 each morning and then will do a “quick carve” at 10:30. Those carvings will be auctioned off at 5:30 each afternoon. After a lunch break, carvers will again work on their main sculpture from 1 to 3 p.m. and 3:15 to 5 p.m. each day. Thursday features a carver reception at 5:30 p.m. at Tides Inn in downtown Reedsport. The public is welcome. A dinner, provided by The Sugar Shack, will happen at 5:30 p.m. Friday. A carver dinner will be held at the Eagles Lodge in downtown Reedsport on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Along with the chainsaw events Saturday, there will be an Art Walk, sponsored by the Coastal Douglas Arts And Business Alliance. Tables will be arranged on the sidewalk of Fir Avenue, showing the work of local artisans. The parking lot of Fullhart Insurance will be filled with Corvette cars for the annual show and shine. Corvettes of every age will be on display. The city has allowed some of those cars to also be parked on Fir Avenue. The Umpqua Discovery Center, across the street from Rainbow Plaza, will have free admission for dads all day Sunday, Father’s Day. Judging on the carvings begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. An ice-carving demonstration, one of the highlights of the week, will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Following that, there will be a pastry-eating contest for men and women. The chainsaw events will also feature a vendor area all four days, packed with food and gift offerings, and a beer /wine bar.
Even as the Reedsport School District searches for an interim superintendent, the man who has held the job for the past two years is heading for the McKenzie School District, east of Springfield. Jim Thomas’ contract expires June 30 and he chose to tender his resignation effective that date. A chance for the district to keep him for another year passed when the board, last month, voted not to offer him the one-year job. The district is looking for an interim because a proposed hire for the part-time position turned the district down to take another position in the University of North Carolina system. Thomas was one of the finalists for the permanent position, also. A third candidate, a former Reedsport teacher and principal, is in Germany. He may apply for the interim position. Thomas said the McKenzie superintendent position happened quickly, in about a three-week time frame. “I got an advertisement from (a consultant),” Thomas explained.” “So, I applied for it. It was much the same process as we’ve done here.” He met with the McKenzie school board, members of the public and the entire district staff in a series of interviews June 2. The board chose Thomas from among four finalists. The McKenzie School District is located in Finn Rock, approximately 40 miles east of Eugene. It averages between 210 and 220 students in pre-K-12. All students are served on one campus. The district includes
City bans smoking in Reedsport area parks THE UMPQUA POST
Beginning in July, lighting up in, or near, city parks will be a violation. The city council, on June 2, adopted an ordinance making it unlawful to smoke in the parks, or within 10 feet of parks. The council did not approve a portion of the ordinance that would have made it illegal to smoke on private property near a park. That ordinance will affect people using the skate and bicycle facility at Lions Park. “The background of this is,” Police Chief Duane Wisehart told the council, “in response to public health concerns ... and litter and trash in all the public parks. “This ordinance makes it unlawful for any person to smoke or light cigars, cigarettes of any type of smoking material within 10 feet of the property line of a designated park within the city of Reedsport ... Barrone, Centennial, Champion, Henderson and Lion Parks.” City manager Jonathan Wright said the city had received a letter in Hermansen does have a background in the arts. support of the ordinance from “I’ve always been really artistic,” she admits. “I draw a lot and paint. I’m artistic but I’ve never carved Lower Umpqua Hospital. Mayor Keith Tymchuk said he anything before until I started dating Ryan.” was concerned about extending the ordinance onto private property. “I have a problem with that,” he said. “I think it becomes a little bit REEDSPORT – Reedsport on June 5, during the annual athletThe Ruppe Award — named in too much like New York City if we Community Charter School seniors ics awards program, co-presented honor of the former Reedsport tell somebody they can’t stand in Bailey Tymchuk, Ruby Cardoso by the RCCS Athletics Department educator and coach— is considered the corner of their backyard and smoke a cigarette.” and Jordan Ragan were presented and the Braves Boosters He suggested the council, in its the Rudy Ruppe Memorial Award Association, at Pacific Auditorium. SEE RUPPE, PAGE B1
Ruppe Award is given to seniors
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several rural communities along a 50-mile stretch of the McKenzie River, including McKenzie Bridge, Blue River, Nimrod, Vida and Leaburg. The district also operates on a four-day school week. Thomas says the new job, which is for two years, will feature some particular challenges. “They have a nice shop,” he explained, “but no funds to run it.” Budgets, of course, are always at the front of any school discussion. “Anywhere you go, that’s an issue,” he said. “This year has been a stable funding year and the upcoming year should be the same.” That’s because the Legislature and governor allocated more money for local schools this year and next. Both will tackle funding in the 2015 legislative session. Thomas says his new job will allow him more time to lobby the Legislature for more funding. His position with McKenzie is .6 FTE. The McKenzie River area, of course, has some attraction. “It’s a beautiful area,” Thomas said. “It’s a small school district. I guess I’ve always considered myself to be a small district superintendent. I’ve had offers — opportunities — to go to larger districts, but that’s never been my desire. I like being in a small community, where I get to know the people, the staff and be involved in the community.” As well as his superintendent’s job in Reedsport, he will leave the local Rotary Club, the Lions and is a city of Reedsport planning commissioner. “I’ve really enjoyed it,” he admitted. “I hate to be leaving the community, frankly.” He’ll begin his new job on July 1.
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motion, delete that provision. Centennial and Champion Parks are the only ones bordered by private property. “Can you control the private property,” councilor Frank Barth asked. “Can you tell a person what they can and can’t do on their own property? “You can adopt an ordinance that restricts certain things, certain activities,” Wright said. “We have a nuisance codes that restricts weeds over a certain height. We have a code that restricts starting a car garden out in the front yard, those types of activities.” Wright said the ordinance was fashioned after laws in other cities. “The council does have the ability to modify this ordinance as they see fit,” Wright said. “I don’t think we should be holding the public accountable for what they’re doing on their own property,” Barth said. The ordinance also applies to city parking lots and moorages. In the end, the council struck the words “and private” property from the ordinance and passed it unanimously. The council also approved the 2014-2015 budget of $13,773,830, with a tax rate of $6.1882 per thousand; approved a new dispatch services contract with Lower Umpqua Hospital for $61,000 and allowed the long-term use of the city’s new automated telephone system.