10 August 2015
Rain dampens relay, but not enthusiasm
Drizzle that turned into an outright rain late Saturday may have made things a little wet for the Florence Relay for Life; but it couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the volunteers who helped make it happen. Relay co-chair Nicole Hundley said there were a lot of people involved.
Nicole Hundley – “Hundreds. I mean once you get down to every person who’s on a team or who has helped at a fund raiser; or even those who can’t be here today because of conflicts of whatever… schedules. Yeah, it’s gotta be in the hundreds, over a thousand.”
Organizers have so far only made it about half way to their fund raising goal of $85-thousand. But, Hundley says it’s not just about the money. She used to feel angry and helpless as she watched friends and family members deal with cancer.
Nicole Hundley – “Relay has allowed be to totally take over and feel like I’m making a difference and using that energy in a positive way.”
Even though the Relay for Life ended at midnight Saturday, they will continue to collect money through the end of this month.
Free dental care offered Thursday
Korando Dental Group will transform itself into “From the Heart Dentristry” again this Thursday as Dr. Charles Korando and his staff offer free dental care.
Charles Korando – “I remember when I was growing up. We were very poor and I remember the people who helped us. So, we started this basically to give back.”
Korando started providing free care for dental patients that couldn’t afford it from the time he opened his practice in Florence 30 years ago. Several years ago he enlisted the aid of several other professionals, his staff, and suppliers; setting aside a single day in August each year to provide a cleaning, an extraction, or a filling.
Charles Korando – “I’m not sure who gets the bigger benefit out of it. Every day when we’re completed, we all kind of sit around and look at each other and we feel good about it. I mean we feel good for having the ability to help somebody else.”
This year the From the Heart Dentistry is set for Thursday from eight AM to four PM at the Korando Dental Clinic on 22nd Street.
End of World War II remembered in Florence
70 years after the surrender of Japan ended World War II in the Pacific the event will be remembered in Florence.
James Perry is a Pearl Harbor survivor and World War II veteran. He’ll share his experiences of that time Saturday at the Oregon Coast Military Museum.
Museum spokesperson Pat Sapp says Perry will present a slide show in the museum’s theater. Sapp says other special guests will be on hand to share their experiences of that time in history.
Highway repairs to the north will cause traffic delays
Work begins this month on a nearly $10 million project to repair a stretch of Highway 101 north of Florence.
Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Rick Little says the condition of the 17-mile stretch rates as poor, with deep cracks in the pavement.
The work will be done in two phases. This year it will extend from Sutton Lake to the vicinity of the Sea Lion Caves. Next summer, crews will complete the rest of the stretch, up to just south of Cape Perpetua.
Rocky Mountain Construction of Klamath Falls was awarded the low-bid contract of $9.6 million.
