Author: krystinv

Coffee brewed, squash roasted and beans bubbled in the steamy kitchen of the Silverton Grange on the
morning of January 24, 2015.
Members of several local food
advocacy groups gathered
together preparing a lunch of
locally sourced items donated
by area farms. This lunch
 Continue reading “FEASTing in Silverton by Melissa Wagoner” →

Neither Bijan Fayyaz or Ian Sisson have spent time in Oregon before joining RARE.

Two young professionals have traveled from different parts of the country to Clatsop County, where they will spend the next year gaining experience in various areas of public service. Continue reading “New Neighbors: AmeriCorps volunteers gain experience through service” →

Haley Meisenholder moved to Pendleton the only time of year when visitors easily outnumber residents.

Pendleton Round-Up week — the week elite rodeo athletes compete, tourists swarm the city and Continue reading “RARE volunteer embraces rural Pendleton life” →

Seniors Caitlynn Howe and Silvia Avila are spearheading an effort to establish a teen Community Emergency Response Team club at Seaside High School and make the outreach program more prevalent in the Seaside community. Continue reading “Seaside students set sights on establishing CERT club” →

Main Street saw wall-to-wall trick-or-treaters Saturday during the seventh annual Scarecrow Row parade in Downtown Klamath Falls.

Hosted by the Klamath Falls Downtown Association, the parade hosted kids and families from all over the area showing off their Halloween best.

Association Coordinator Chantal Alatorre said the crowd of ghouls and goblins, and no small amount of Elsas, were just what her group was looking for.

“The kids seem to be enjoying themselves, and it is about them,” said Alatorre.

She said, since the event began to grow after starting in 2008, they have come to expect around 1,000 to 1,500 participants, and this year was right on the mark.

Coming since the beginning has been Mark G. (as he wished to be identified) of Star Wars Oregon, a movie-accurate costume group which attends annually to support the event and local members.

Mark said he has seen local residents become more comfortable participating as the crime problems downtown have diminished, and said he is glad to see so many families enjoying themselves.

“That’s what a city needs,” he said. “Smiling, happy people.”

Alatorre said the events offered have continued to grow as well, including pine cone bird-feeders offered by Klamath District Garden Clubs.

District Director Tanja Swanson said her group became involved this year after attending downtown association meetings.

“Last year, I was here as a spectator and it was so much fun,” she said.

This year, club members showed kids how to make bird-feeders by covering pine cones in peanut butter and then birdseed before hanging them outside.

“We’re not just flowers, we’re everything that’s involved in gardening,” said club member Sharon Bush.

Alatorre added voting for scarecrows placed by local businesses has been upgraded and, instead of a panel of judges voting on each one, the public can cast its votes through likes on Facebook.

“Whatever picture gets the most likes is the winner,” she said.

As for the parade, the Alice in Wonderland scarecrows outside the Oregon bank Building were leading with 31 likes.

The parade is one of multiple projects undertaken by the association to help improve the look and economic climate of Downtown Klamath Falls. To learn more about their ongoing events and activities, visit www.downtownklamathfalls.org

Originally Published in Herald and News
2701 Foothills Blvd.
Klamath Falls, OR 97603
Phone: 541-885-4410

COQUILLE — Although she’s still new to the community, the city of Coquille’s AmeriCorps volunteer keeps busy researching the town and surrounding area as she helps prepare for larger projects.

Anne Duquennois (pronounced “duke-n-nois”) volunteers as part of the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments AmeriCorps.

According to the University of Oregon website, RARE is an AmeriCorps program administered through the university’s Community Service Center.

“RARE AmeriCorps has been supported over the years by grants from the Corporation for National & Community Service (AmeriCorps), The Ford Family Foundation, the University of Oregon, the Oregon Food Bank, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and other agencies. In addition, each participating community provides $22,000 of approximately $29,600 needed to place, train, and support a full-time RARE member,” the site statement reads.

“Now I’m doing a lot of background research on the area as a whole and doing background research on the Coquille River Valley and how Coquille fits into the region,” Duquennois said.

“I’m also exploring the park system here to see how parks could fit into the larger area,” Duquennois added.

Additionally, the AmeriCorps volunteer will handle some administrative work at the Coquille Community Center. Currently, Fran Capehart manages the office and “she’s doing a great job,” Duquennois said. The idea is for Duquennois to also help. Capehart, who serves on the council, works at the center in the morning and the AmeriCorps volunteer will help in the afternoons.

“I don’t want to get into too many specifics because we’re not sure yet,” she said. “At this point, I’m still developing my work plan.”

Duquennois will also focus on downtown redevelopment, including with business owners and on parks planning.

Public Works/Planning Director Kevin Urban outlined the volunteer selection process.

City employees have to feel comfortable with their candidate, but likewise the prospective volunteer needs to make sure it’s a good fit for her too.

Duquennois said she felt fine at the prospect of working with the city.

About eight individuals applied.

The first round consisted of five candidates and the second round of three. Urban said city staff had two candidates in mind within the first group, but those two didn’t pick Coquille. Duquennois came from the second tier of candidates, and “we picked her and she picked us.”

He praised her.

“From what I’ve seen so far, she’s been a great asset,” Urban said. “And hopefully we’ll get a lot done in the next 10 and a half months.”

City Councilor Susan Heaton previously served on the planning commission primarily in 2011 and some of 2012.

Heaton has met Duquennois.

Councilor Heaton met her at a River Walk meeting and added that “those RARE folks are usually very good — able to see problems and solutions and things like that.”

“She is mainly in observer mode,” the councilor added. “So it’s a little unfair to tell my observation as well because she’s really only attended meetings (thus far).”

Duquennois lives in Coquille.

“I really like the area,” said the volunteer, who was born and raised in Les Ulis, a suburb of Paris. The volunteer considers Colorado in some ways her home state.

“Geographically speaking, it’s enchanting,” she added of Coquille.

She said Coquille has a “lot of great things going for it,” particularly with the “few resources that it has.”

Although she’s only been with the city for a few weeks, Duquennois has felt quite welcome in Coquille.

“I have a very open mind, and I like hearing what people have thoughts on,” she added.

Duquennois earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, one of which is a fine arts degree in film production. She received her other degree in urban planning.

In May, she received her master’s degree in design and urban ecologies from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. Urban ecologies refers to “reinserting social science methodology into urban planning” and “using design as a tool for research.”

Parsons The New School for Design is strong in architecture, fashion, technology and business management.

Duquennois also discussed AmeriCorps, which former President Bill Clinton started as a means for college students to help pay their way through school while giving back to society. He based it on President John F. Kennedy’s Peace Corps.

She encouraged other Coquille Valley youth to consider applying to AmeriCorps and “gain experience in the professional world.” The volunteer said the program will put “you in places where you can have an impact.”

“It gives you experience that would be really hard to gain on an entry-level job,” Duquennois added.

Her parents still are overseas.

“My parents live in France and my sister lives in Berkeley,” Duquennois said. “She just started the Ph.D. program. She’s in what she’s calling math hell.”

Her sister is studying economics.

“I mean, we’ve always lived one foot in one continent and one foot in another, so I mostly stay in touch with Skype. I think they’re (her parents) coming here in the spring,” Duquennois said.

The University of Oregon’s Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program has won the Oregon Main Street Leadership Award, only the second time the agency has conferred the distinction. Continue reading “Service program wins leadership award” →

At the St. Helens City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16, council members welcomed a new face to the community to fill the role of Main Street Program coordinator.

Anya Moucha, who started her 11-month assignment last week, came to St. Helens via the Rural Continue reading “St. Helens welcomes new Main Street coordinator” →

REEDSPORT — Reedsport welcomed a former resident back to the city, as she begins a new job as the city’s Main Street Coordinator.

A “meet-and-greet” was held at the Umpqua Discovery Center on Sept. 15. Continue reading “New Main Street coordinator greeted” →