Making the landfill last…
Lane County is looking for more public input on an updated management plan for the solid waste division.
An online survey is available at the Lane County Waste website. Residents are asked to take it by September 16th, and then attend one of three community meetings later this month.
Two of those will be in the Valley… September 19th in the Atrium Building in downtown Eugene; the other September 21st at the Creswell Community Center.
In between will be one on Tuesday, September 20th at the Florence Events Center. All meetings are scheduled to begin at six and end at 7:30.
The current plan was adopted in 2002 and while the majority of goals outlined 13 years ago have been met, there have been significant changes in the technology and laws regarding waste management.
The “recovery rate” or the amount of waste diverted away from the landfill and into recycling or reuse programs was at just over 53-percent in 2014. The County has set a goal of a 63-percent recovery rate by 2050.
Boy trapped beneath boat recovering
A 6-year old Springfield boy who spent at least 35-minutes submerged beneath a capsized boat in the Umpqua River last week is recovering at a Portland hospital.
A diver pulled Isaiah Metzger from beneath the boat August 25th. His father and grandfather were also aboard the boat that capsized after striking the Umpqua River South Jetty.
They were rescued immediately, but a rescue diver had to be called in to search for the boy.
Bob Hood told the World in Coos Bay that as soon as he surfaced he began resuscitation efforts and told other responders to not stop.
Those efforts continued at a nearby hospital but were nearly abandoned before Isaiah began breathing on his own.
Family members say his body temperature has slowly returned to normal and he is undergoing physical therapy. Metzger still needs assistance breathing and it’s not yet known if there will be any long term effects.
Isaiah is at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Friends of the Metzger family have set up a go-fund-me account to help with expenses.
First Coast Guard dinner scheduled
A formal dinner to honor the local detachment of the U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled for October 7th at the Florence Events Center.
Florence Mayor Joe Henry is organizing the event. He says there are approximately three-dozen active duty personnel stationed here, and, he adds, they not only provide safety and security on the water but also represent a “significant” economic contribution to the community.
The Oregon Coast Military Museum is the lead organization planning the event… Henry is on the museum board of directors. But several other veteran and civic organizations are involved.
The evening will include live music and a short program says Henry.
Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at the Museum, Banner Bank, or the Chamber Visitor Center.
Back to school lunches: Safety is important
It’s back to school for most students next week. Both Siuslaw and Mapleton have hot lunch and breakfast programs, but some families opt for the “brown bag” approach. If you do that, you’ll need to make sure it’s not only satisfying, but safe accorind to Susan Kendrick.
Susan Kendrick – “Well, if you’re going to pack something that needs to be refrigerated, it’s a good idea to put a gel pack or a frozen juice box or something in the lunch to keep that cold lunch cold until your child eats at midday.”
Kendrick is a food safety specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. She says keeping lunch at the proper temperature is important, but so too is the lunch preparation. Using clean surfaces and clean hands in putting food together. Choosing safe foods can help.
Susan Kendrick – “If you want to go with perishable foods, then you don’t have to worry about the refrigeration. So perhaps a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or crackers or dried fruit or something along those lines.”
Two other important tips: make sure your child eats the lunch when they are supposed to as leftovers are probably not a good idea. Also, tell them to wash their hands properly before eating.
Every Kid in a Park
Another back to school thought… every fourth grader and their families can claim a free pass that provides entry into all federal parks, forests and recreation areas for a full year.
It’s called Every Kid in a Park and the program has been offered by feds for the past three years.
Families with fourth graders just have to go to www-dot-every-kid-in-a-park-dot-gov and print out a paper voucher that can then be traded for a plastic pass at any U.S. Forest Service office. The passes are good until August 31st, 2017.
Stable housing reduces health care costs
Healthcare plans in Oregon are considering a new aspect of people’s health and well-being: Stable housing. Care providers are looking to tackle a big issue in Oregon, which ranks in the top five for rates of homelessness. The nonprofit CareOregon is supporting this new task by giving grants to organizations that provide affordable and stable housing. One of those is Helping Hands, which serves people in Lincoln, Tillamook, Clatsop and Yamhill Counties. Alan Evans heads the organization. He says cost savings and better outcomes in health care are possible when the connection is made with housing.
Alan Evans – “Before it used to be we would just keep a person secure, get a job, pay a little bit of rent, follow these rules. Now we’re looking at a deeper, more community-oriented wellness program.”
A study of the homeless population in Portland by the Center for Outcomes Research and Education found when people moved into stable housing, Medicaid costs dropped 12-percent and emergency care dropped 18-percent.
