Tag: RARE AmeriCorps Members

A Year at Roseburg Public Library

Posted on by kward2

Sala at Library

By Christian Sala

I am extremely grateful for the incredible opportunity to work at Roseburg Public Library for the past 11 months as their Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps member.

It feels like just yesterday when I vividly remember taking a guided tour of the library with Library Director Kris Wiley just before my first official day last September. I was brimming with excitement and passion as I eagerly anticipated the chance to positively impact the community and contribute meaningfully to the operations of the library.

Throughout my time, I sincerely hope that my unwavering enthusiasm and innovative ideas played a significant role in enhancing the library’s day-to-day functions and shaping its future endeavors, thereby making a tangible difference in the lives of our patrons.

Looking back on my time spent at the library, I realize it was a truly enriching and eye-opening experience. It provided me with invaluable insights into the inner workings of a community space so crucial to the local area.

Through direct observation and interaction, I witnessed the profound impact of the library’s services on the community. In particular, I gained a deep appreciation for the technology assistance many adults receive and early learning programs tailored to the needs of young library patrons. These programs play a vital role in shaping the community by providing essential educational resources and fostering a love for learning from an early age.

During my time at the library, I led four important projects that improved library services.

First, I conducted a thorough survey of library usage and organized two focus groups to collect valuable insights and feedback. This information will be important for developing the library’s second five-year strategic plan.

Second, I drafted a technology plan, which included researching and planning for the acquisition of 3D pens for the maker space, as well as creating innovative programs for young people.

Third, I coordinated programming for adults, which included teaching basic technology classes and providing one-on-one tech assistance. I also worked with respected authors and academics to organize engaging talks and events aimed at promoting community involvement and discussion.

Finally, I provided essential assistance to the Youth Services Librarian in coordinating and implementing various programs for young people, including the highly successful Summer Reading Program.

I am extremely grateful for the invaluable support and guidance provided by Wiley and Youth Services Librarian Aurora Ropp. Their unwavering encouragement and patience played a pivotal role in shaping my professional growth. The experiences and knowledge I acquired during my tenure have been nothing short of transformative. Their mentorship has not only bolstered my professional confidence but has deepened my understanding of the intricate dynamics between nonprofit organizations and local government.

As I get ready to start a Master of Business Administration program at the University of Oregon this fall, with a focus on finance and securities analysis, I aim to apply the knowledge and skills gained from my experience in the library to assist and counsel nonprofits, especially in dealing with limited finances. My goal is to keep supporting nonprofits in managing their finances effectively and helping them reach their objectives.

My last day at the library was July 27, coinciding with the library’s biggest annual event, Harry Potter Day, where two AmeriCorps peers volunteered alongside me.

Christian Sala was the outreach services lead at Roseburg Public Library.

This article first appeared on The News-Review and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Port facilities plan brings state support closer

Repairs are needed at the East Mooring Basin at the Port of Astoria
Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Edward Stratton, The Astorian

The Port of Astoria has completed a draft capital facilities plan, mapping out around $20 million in needed maintenance and looking to the future of operations while taking one step closer to more financial support from the state.

The Port finished a strategic plan in February laying out how the agency will get on stable footing financially. Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, paid for the creation of a capital facilities plan to prioritize projects, bringing on AmeriCorps intern Lydia Ivanovic to help Matt McGrath, the Port’s deputy director.

The capital facilities and strategic business plans will eventually be combined into an intergovernmental agreement providing accountability for how public money will be spent.

“We obviously, sitting here today, don’t have all the resources lined up in order to get everything done in the plan,” said Will Isom, Port’s executive director. “But having this IGA in place will open up supports for us and allow, specifically Shane (Jensen, the Port’s grant writer), to start really aggressively going after grant money, which will be an important piece of the financing puzzle.”

The facilities plan is a living document that could change with priorities and new opportunities. It encapsulates deferred maintenance projects, such as the cleanup of petroleum contamination leaking into the Columbia River between piers 2 and 3, the repair of the causeway leading out to the East Mooring Basin and the rehab of a slumping Pier 2 seawall where fishermen transfer their catch to processors.

The Port prioritized projects that improve safety and reduce environmental impact, McGrath said.

The plan also looks to the future of Port operations, including an expanded boatyard on Pier 3 and improved infrastructure for cruise ships stopping at Pier 1. Many of the projects focus on master plans to provide a cohesive strategy for developing the Port’s central waterfront and the Astoria Regional Airport.

“This is really meant not only to be a component of the strategic business plan, but to provide really a big benefit to Port staff, as to providing some institutional knowledge as far as what projects across Port property need to be done,” McGrath said. “This would have been a document that would have been tremendously helpful for me when I first came on, rather than having to kind of go around and figure out everything that needed to be done at the Port.”

Stephanie Prybyl, the ports manager for Business Oregon, said the capital facilities plan would help her organization as it goes to Salem seeking money for the Port.

Business Oregon has already loaned the Port around $20 million since 2001 for past projects, in addition to several infrastructure grants. But some of the financing went toward a boatworks cluster concept around Pier 3 that was largely scrapped after the arrival of lucrative log exports.

With the loss of logs, the Port has pivoted back toward an expanded boatyard on Pier 3. The strategy is one similar to the Port of Toledo, a coastal port upriver from Newport that parlayed a focus on its boatyard into millions of dollars in state grants.

In addition to getting help from the state, the Port hopes master planning on the central waterfront will attract urban renewal money from the city to help create a commercial district around the West Mooring Basin.

Isom sees much of the agency’s future in land development, with leases being the Port’s largest source of revenue.

Working behind the scenes on Sisters Vision project

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Sue Stafford

The 2018 Vision Project was undertaken to help provide clear, positive direction for the future of the community. What is happening to fulfill the vision crafted out of community input?

At a recent City Council workshop, Emme Shoup, the City’s Assistant Engagement and Program Coordinator, provided the first formal Vision Implementation Team (VIT) update.

Following the January 2019 adoption of the Vision and Action Plan by the City Council and other key partner agencies, the VIT was formed in July 2019. Their purpose is to collaborate on Vision progress, identify and dissolve barriers, identify funding for project implementation, and annually update the Vision Action Plan to reflect completed projects, provide progress reports on those action items underway, and identify upcoming projects for the next year.

The foundation of the Vision Plan consists of four focus areas: Livable Sisters, Prosperous Sisters, Connected Sisters, and Resilient Sisters. Each focus area has five strategies identified to support the focus area. The rubber hits the road with implementation of the 114 (and counting) action items which are carried out through community-led action overseen by the VIT.

The easiest way to understand the process is to dissect the work supporting one of the four focus areas — Resilient Sisters. One of the key projects designed to support a Resilient Sisters is wildfire preparedness, which is a county-wide issue. Steps already taken or underway include the creation by Deschutes County, in March 2020, of the Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee (WMAC) which developed recommendations on three key issues related to updating the County’s wildfire hazard map, adopting new state wildfire-mitigation building standards, and developing and adopting new land-use standards.

Those recommendations, the result of nine committee meetings in 2019/20, were presented to the Oregon State Legislature. The results reflect the collaborative work of representatives from Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, Deschutes County, City of Sisters, Knott Landfill, Deschutes County District Forester, Project Wildfire, WMAC, and DLCD.

The County was awarded a Department of Land Conservation and Development grant for active forest management education through community outreach, which is ongoing.

In addition to the fall and spring free yard debris pickups in Sisters, the County increased the number of fire-free yard debris disposal dates at the County landfills from two to nine days as a way to increase wildfire mitigation. In 2020, roughly twice as much yard debris was collected as in 2019.

As a result of Deschutes County’s participation in the 2020 Oregon Legislative session on the Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response, the City of Sisters, Deschutes County, and state agencies anticipate updates to city and county building and land-use codes to mitigate fire danger.

Wildfire preparedness is only one key project supporting a Resilient Sisters. The five strategy areas are: public safety; disaster preparedness; equity and affordability; health and wellness; and social services.

Three projects have been completed, one of which was creating, in the winter of 2019, an inventory of age specific facilities and programs in Sisters, which will inform several other projects.

There are 12 ongoing and upcoming projects identified to support creating a Resilient Sisters. One of those projects includes Deschutes County, with the City of Sisters, conducting a needs, opportunities, and barriers assessment with local healthcare providers in order to begin establishing a comprehensive urgent-care center in Sisters to accommodate growing population and increasing numbers of tourists (on hold due to COVID-19).

The second project is aimed at improving communications connectivity and infrastructure (broadband, internet) with special attention to underserved areas of Sisters Country. Projected in 2021, AT&T will determine the location for a communications tower.

The Vision Plan is more than a document created to sit on a shelf. It is intended to be an evolving road map, directing development of programs for the benefit of the residents of all of Sisters Country. Much of the information contained in the Vision Plan will inform the work on the current Comprehensive Plan update.

Originally published in The Nugget Newspaper

Everyday People: Intern hopes to help strengthen Port, local food system

Lydia Ivanovic has been assigned through Resource Assistance for Rural Environments to help the Port of Astoria and local food groups over the next year.
Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Edward Stratton

Port infrastructure planning and local food systems might not seem like the most connected subjects.

But Lydia Ivanovic, assigned to the North Coast through the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments fellowship program, hopes to strengthen both over the next year.

The postgraduate fellowship program, run by AmeriCorps and administered locally by the University of Oregon, provides rural communities around the U.S. planning and technical assistance to solve local issues.

Morgan Murray, another participant, recently helped Warrenton update a master plan to prioritize improvement of parklands and trails.

“There was a ton of community applications this year,” Ivanovic said of the program. “A lot of rural communities wanted to take advantage of getting a RARE fellow, kind of with the COVID impacts and just strengthening business development.”

Ivanovic is sponsored through the Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District, whose former director, Mary McArthur, helped the Port of Astoria create a strategic business plan for improving finances. Ivanovic is assigned part time with the Port, helping the agency crunch numbers and prioritize the improvement of assets.

The Port, in desperate need of help to fix aging infrastructure, has a working agreement with Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, to prioritize and plan out improvements before hopefully getting more state grants and financing.

The other half of Ivanovic’s job is working with regional farmers, the North Coast Food Web in Astoria, Food Roots in Tillamook and Visit Tillamook Coast on strengthening agritourism and the pipelines that get local food from farmers to consumers.

“It’s about showcasing those local farmers, allowing them to build out their business, really focusing on the diversification from that business side, the empowerment of local supply chains — so really honing in on those local products and getting them out to market,” she said.

A Long Island native, Ivanovic graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts in 2019 with a bachelor’s in economics and experience working on campus food network initiatives. She joined the fellowship program, first being assigned for the last year as rural tourism coordinator for Discover Klamath in southern Oregon.

After a year in Klamath Falls, “I just wanted to explore a totally new angle to what development could look like,” she said. “And this opportunity was so directly focused on economic development and resiliency, so seeing that direct connection with my bachelor’s degree.”

By the end of her time on the North Coast, Ivanovic hopes to have helped the Port finish a facilities improvement plan acceptable to the state and responsive to community and environmental concerns.

Her goals with food systems and agritourism are more nebulous, but based around strengthening the business plans of farmers and groups like the North Coast Food Web and connecting them with local markets. While local farmers have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the loss of sales to restaurants, she said, they have adapted through increasing direct-to-consumer deliveries and online markets.

“There’s definitely less wholesale action, but I think communities are stepping up and … demanding more local products in their lives,” she said. “There’s been a response to fill that gap.”

Originally published in the Astorian

What do you want Sisters to look like in 20 years?

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

SISTERS — As the city launches the update of Sisters’ Comprehensive Plan, C4C in partnership with the city invites residents to help shape that plan and share thoughts about local growth. Join a collaborative discussion with city leaders during the next Let’s Talk!—set for 6-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 (via Zoom video-conference).

One will get to hear from and speak with City of Sisters Community Development staff members:

  • Scott Woodford, Community Development Director
  • Nicole Mardell, Principal Planner; and
  • Emme Shoup, Community Engagement Assistant

The Comprehensive Plan update process will establish a set of goals and policies that guide how Sisters will grow and develop during the next 20 years. Issues such as housing needs and economic opportunities will be among those addressed.

Residents’ input is critical; and this Let’s Talk! is among the first opportunities one will have to share one’s thoughts. (The City will offer various opportunities to provide input over the next several months.)

On Oct. 19 city planners also will offer valuable information about local growth and the Comprehensive Plan update. Register at: https://citizens4community.com/events/2020/10/9/lets-talk-invites-you-to-share-your-opinions-on-growth

Originally published in The Nugget Newspaper

Library programming gathers STEAM

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

by Aurora Oberg and Kris Wiley

Roseburg Public Library’s youth programming this fall focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) through a Library Services and Technology Act grant provided by the State Library of Oregon.

Youth Services Librarian Aurora Oberg and Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Participant Katie Fischer developed a project to purchase equipment and supplies for hands-on learning opportunities that provide a sustainable, long-term source of STEAM education for youth from kindergarten through high school graduation.

The project’s centerpiece is a 12-week course that follows the nationally recognized Girls Who Code curriculum, and grant funding paid for laptop computers so each student can practice the concepts taught by Aurora, Katie and volunteer Jenn, who is Director of Engineering at her firm.

Each Thursday, 10 students come to the socially distanced coding class at the library. They begin each session by learning about a woman in the technology field, ranging from Ada Lovelace — the mother of computer programming — to women such as Simone Giertz, who has fun with robots. Highlighting women who work in technology demonstrates to students the variety of career opportunities that involve computer programming and illustrates the diversity of people in tech fields.

After learning about a new person, the adult leaders read and talk about the coding concept for the week. Students are introduced to new vocabulary and talk about how the concept already is used in their daily life. After all that talking, they get to use the computer and put what they learned into practice following a Scratch tutorial that furthers their understanding of the concepts.

Scratch is a system that interacts like puzzle pieces that can be manipulated easily and is an accessible introduction to coding languages.

As the students try things on their own, the leaders help as needed and view the students’ progress on the week’s coding lesson. It is a great time to encourage students in what they have done on their own, as well as see how complex they can develop their program in the allotted time.

The coding students learn at the library fundamental skills that can be scaled up to create things we use every day. Coding is the basic language that gives a machine its instructions. Checking the weather on a smartphone is an app created through coding. Opening a web browser to shop online uses coding. Setting a coffeepot to brew automatically in the morning uses coding.

Later in the fall, students in the class will experiment with STEAM manipulatives such as Ozobots, which are small robots they will learn to program, thereby adding skills to their knowledge base.

Finally, all school-age children are eligible to receive grab-and-go STEAM kits with accompanying Facebook videos that introduce concepts such as weather and simple machines. Aurora will announce the availability of grab-and-go kits on the library’s Facebook page (@roseburglibrary) throughout the fall.

The library has four goals for the project: providing access to library services, materials and information resources; using technology to increase interest in STEAM education and allow students to connect with STEAM in an engaging, creative and experiential learning environment; developing information literacy skills that prepare students for long-term educational and occupational success; and fostering lifelong learning by creating an encouraging environment that forges a connection to the library as an educational resource.

We have had great success with the coding classes so far and anticipate offering future sessions that allow more students to engage with coding and STEAM at the library.

Aurora Oberg is the Youth Services Librarian at Roseburg Public Library. She can be reached at aoberg@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-7054.

Kris Wiley is the director of the Roseburg Public Library. She can be reached at kwiley@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-7051.

Rep. DeFazio, FEMA, the United Way and UO align to support fire victims

Rep. Peter DeFazio and FEMA Administrator gather at the University of Oregon on Saturday for a disaster briefing for local officials in the wake of wildfires in Oregon. Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard
Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Matthew Denis

On a foggy Saturday morning, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Federal Emergency Management Administration administrator Pete Gaynor, University of Oregon chief resilience officer André Le Duc and a United Way spokesperson promised an ongoing partnership in response to unprecedented September wildfires.

“The response has been phenomenal so far,” DeFazio said. “The president signed a dispensation declaration on Air Force One within 24 hours of the fires taking off.”

Still, with more than 7,000 people displaced, 431 residences and 24 non-residential buildings burned and Oregon estimating an excess of $622 million in debris cleanup and $1 billion in total disaster costs, local communities need more help than FEMA has promised, he said.

As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over FEMA, DeFazio is in the unique position of overseeing FEMA’s disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The congressman is pushing FEMA to fund not only the minimum 75% deigned for disaster recovery, but an additional 15%.

He said devastated communities have nothing left to contribute.

“You see places like Blue River, they don’t have anything left and they certainly don’t have any money to put their entire town back together,” DeFazio said.

Such a request isn’t unprecedented.

FEMA has authorized a 100% federal share in 22 disasters under the Trump administration and a minimum 90% federal share in 23 additional disasters.

Six of these encompass Western wildfires, two of which are still spreading in northern California: the Glass Fire in Sonoma wine country that has burned 62,360 acres and the deadly Zogg Fire, which has claimed four lives, blazing through 56,305 acres in Shasta and Tehama counties, according to Cal Fire.

This aligns with FEMA’s long record of contributing an increased share toward serious disasters, authorizing a minimum 90% federal share on 173 occasions since 2004, 98 of which received a 100% federal share.

DeFazio was in Eugene after a midnight flight from Washington, D.C., and was headed to Medford and then to Clackamas County.

“The best way to mitigate this is to get in ahead of time. There are over 40 federal agencies that are part of this recovery,” DeFazio said. “We have to get in quickly to save hazardous waste sites from contaminating Eugene water.”

Next steps to help

The McKenzie River is Eugene-Springfield’s primary water supply. Providing water safety through cleaning burned sites will be a critical first step in disaster recovery, DeFazio said.

Also among the most immediate concerns will be locking down adequate housing for fire evacuees.

“We can’t keep these people in hotels for 18 months,” DeFazio said.

Despite $40 billion of FEMA’s $51.7 billion 2020 budget already committed to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA administrator Gaynor said the agency is actually in great financial shape to help with the 45 natural catastrophes across the United States this year.

Congress appropriated an extra $19.7 billion in disaster relief.

“Our focus is on suffering a minimal loss of life and then enabling recovery,” Gaynor said.

In addition to federal efforts, the United Way of Lane County highlighted its third round of relief with $150,000 to be distributed to seven local organizations helping wildfire victims.

The University of Oregon also pledged 31 college students who will work with Americorps to help with recovery, with seven individuals focused specifically on economic recovery to fire-damaged regions and a direct response to COVID-19.

“We will identify needs and use community-driven opportunities and resources to direct and enact a response plan that focuses on economic resilience,” UO Resource Assistance for Rural Environments program director Titus Tomlinson said.

Funds for the UO program actually began with $2.1 billion in preparedness grants, seed funding from FEMA to create a disaster resiliency program.
André Le Duc, chief resilience officer at the University of Oregon, participates in a briefing Saturday.

“Our philosophy is always to turn a dime into a dollar,” chief resilience officer Le Duc said. “We estimate that every one dollar that you put towards mitigation results in five to six dollars in growth.”

This investment falls under the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience Institute for Policy Research and Engagement in its School of Planning, Public Policy and Management.

“We use it to build,” Le Duc said. “If we use it early and we use it to plan, the better the outcome for the state of Oregon.”

The impact of these collaborative efforts amidst a bitterly partisan federal environment was not lost on DeFazio.

“We’ve had great bipartisan support,” DeFazio said. “Natural disasters don’t discriminate by political party.”

Originally published in the Register Guard

‘Creative optimist’ joins City of Sisters staff

Emme Shoup is an AmeriCorps intern working with the City of Sisters on community engagement. photo by Sue Stafford
Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Sue Stafford

With the closure of City Hall to the public due to COVID-19, the residents of Sisters have yet to meet a new addition to the staff in the person of Emelia “Emme” Shoup.

Shoup is part of an AmeriCorps program administered through the University of Oregon, Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE). The City has a contract with the U of O for 1,700 hours of Shoup’s services over 11 months, for which she will receive a monthly stipend and nine credits toward her master’s degree. She plans to use this opportunity to hone in on a particular area of interest before starting work on her Masters of Urban and Regional Planning.

Even before Shoup arrived, City Manager Cory Misley knew what her duties would be. Her official title is Assistant Community Engagement and Program Coordinator. She will be splitting her time between the Comprehensive Plan update starting this fall and coordinating projects that were identified as objectives in the Sisters Vision Project. Misley and City Recorder Kerry Prosser will coordinate her activities.

One of Shoup’s underlying talents is her creativity, which she brings with her to her work. Given the restrictions due to COVID, she said, “I look forward to finding creative ways for the public to safely engage in providing input for the Comp Plan.”

Shoup’s resume highlights her creative talents as well as her work ethic. She attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics for high school and at the same time participated in the Running Start program at the local community college. She graduated from high school and at the same time received her associate’s degree.

At VSAA she expanded her talents as a visual artist (pottery, sculpture, painting, drawing), which she turned into a business screen printing T-shirts and creating greeting cards, which led to commission work. She also focused on her skill as a writer in the literary arts program. In the field of moving arts (videography), she developed an interest in animation, illustration, and storyboarding, which she hopes to use during her time with the City.

Shoup’s diverse interests were apparent during her college years as she sampled a variety of disciplines from nutrition and sustainable agriculture to public health, finally settling on the Community Development Program at Portland State University. She graduated last spring with her Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning and Design. Part of all her pursuits has always been a strong desire to be of help to people.

Notification of her placement in Sisters wasn’t received until August 17, necessitating a scramble to find housing in a tight rental market, get moved, and report to work at City Hall in early September.

The native of southwest Washington spent some summer vacations with her two siblings and parents at Eagle Crest Resort, but had never been to Sisters. She “really likes Sisters” and reports that “the people have been great.”

The other two possible placements in the RARE program were in Astoria working with food systems and the port, or in Roseburg. With friends in Bend, Shoup was delighted to be assigned to Sisters.

Being an active person, one of the first things she tackled after arriving was summiting South Sister with friends and camping overnight on the mountain.

Last fall, Shoup studied permaculture design in Peru, expecting limited amenities, but was particularly impressed with their bus system, which was more like flying on a plane. The buses are double-deckers, with seats that allow passengers to lie down or they can watch TV wearing headphones. She had expected maybe some chickens on board.

When queried about her views on the current tenor of our times, Shoup responded.

“I try to see the light. Both sides are impatient and frustrated. We’re going through some tumultuous times,” she said. “But I have hope because a lot of us are fighting. That’s a sign of hope that people still care.”

Shoup is particularly hopeful when it comes to those she calls “the children of the COVID years,” those coming along behind her who are having to be adaptable and resilient while dealing with bizarre norms.” She would like to see society “change how we regard and trust youth.”

Shoup’s optimism can be seen in her assessment of being in Sisters: “It was meant to be.” And so far, she “feels welcomed and appreciated as I am.”

Originally published in The Nugget Newspaper

Behind the scenes at the library

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Kris Wiley Library News

Roseburg Public Library remains closed for the foreseeable future, and that has been quite an adjustment for us. Since the library opened in December 2018, more than 400 people visited every day, and we miss the interactions, whether it was helping with technology questions, connecting at storytime or talking books.

Even though the doors are locked and we see patrons only once a week, library staff remains committed to public service. Youth Services Librarian Aurora Oberg, Circulation Supervisor Liz Hendershott, RARE (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments) AmeriCorps Participant Katie Fischer and I juggle several projects and tasks.

Drive-up service for patrons to pick up physical items continues every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. Behind the scenes, that means we handle the book drop following professional recommendations regarding disinfection of circulating materials. We pull books from the shelves and prepare them for pickup. On Thursdays, we check out all requested materials and facilitate their transfer to patrons’ vehicles. In the first three weeks, we provided items to 126 drivers.

New patrons may apply for a library card by email at library@cityofroseburg.org. The library card application form is available at www.roseburgpubliclibrary.org — click on Policies and Forms. Nonresident payments of cash or check (made payable to City of Roseburg) may be placed in the outside book drop or mailed to the library at 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd., Ste. 100, Roseburg, OR 97470.

Aurora is preparing for the Summer Reading Program, “Imagine Your Story,” recognizing the program will be different than what we imagined just a couple of months ago. She is navigating new territory with other librarians and considering an appropriate online component for delivering a summer literacy program that will reach our local youth.

Aurora, Liz and I spend a significant amount of time developing the collection, including purchasing new material. We also weed items that are outdated, no longer circulate and/or are in poor condition. Weeding is essential to maintaining a vibrant, relevant collection, and it’s important to provide enough space for the materials that actually are used by patrons.

Our volunteers tell us it’s difficult to shelve books when they’re crammed together; we are making their job a bit easier by shifting the collection to accommodate shelving and browsing.

Katie and Aurora maintain our Facebook and Instagram platforms (@roseburglibrary), and I update our website, particularly the Library Resources page because a number of vendors are providing free access to their electronic books and audiobooks.

I monitor the Imagination Library program, which includes approving registrations, answering questions and troubleshooting issues. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is available to children from birth to fifth birthday, and one book is mailed to each participant for free every month.

Our service area covers children who live in the following zip codes: 97443, 97447, 97470, 97471, 97494 and 97495. Those who live outside the area should contact their local public library; there are Imagination Library service areas throughout Douglas County and the state. The library’s website has a link to the registration process.

As always, we remain available by phone at 541-492-7050 and email to answer reference questions and reserve materials. Thank you for continuing to support the library.

With help of McKenzie River Trust and UO, Yachats gains a “RARE” intern for 11 months to help with community water issues

Sam Hillmann
Posted on by Ashley Adelman

By Dana Tims

As a kid growing up in the cornfields of south-central Ohio, Sam Hillman heard the stories and saw the pictures of mile after mile of Pacific Northwest forests and ocean.

Someday, he promised himself, he’d make the trek west to see them for himself.

Now that dream is coming true as the 22-year-old embarks on an 11-month stint in Yachats, where he will put his own science background to work helping map and plan the future of the city’s sometimes-overwhelmed water supply.

“I can’t imagine a better way to spend a year in Oregon,” Hillman said in an interview. “Definitely the chance of a lifetime.”

He is one of 21 new members of the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) program now being deployed to small towns across the state.

RARE, an AmeriCorps program administered by the University of Oregon, aims to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social and environmental conditions. In doing that, it places trained, graduate-level members in areas needing assistance in a variety of areas.

Other current placements include the cities of La Grande, Veneta and Sisters, as well as with the Wasco County Extension Service and the Roseburg Public Library, among others.

“We draw talented young people from all over the United States and put them to work in all areas of rural Oregon,” said Titus Tomlinson, the program’s director, who served two different stints as a program member. “In Sam and the city of Yachats, we found as perfect a match as you possibly could have imagined.”

Hillman, working as a coastal conservation associate, will spend at least 40 hours a week on a work plan that is still being refined. What’s certain, however, is that the bulk of his time will be spent helping the city complete ambitious, long-term plans for identifying future sources of drinking water – a commodity that is in short enough supply that the city has had to impose water restrictions two of the past three years.

“We are very excited about the skills that Sam brings to the table,” said Rick McClung, Yachats’ water and streets supervisor. “He’s coming here to better himself and do great things for the community.”

Yachats group spurred intern idea

Hillman’s placement took roots months ago, when members of View the Future, a decades-old Yachats conservation nonprofit, began talking with the McKenzie River Trust, a Eugene-based organization dedicated to preserving water quality.

After learning more about the university’s RARE program, the two groups approached the city of Yachats to see if all three were interested in sponsoring a RARE intern for a year-long stay to help with water planning.

“We all knew we could use the extra assistance,” said John Purcell, View the Future’s co-chair. “And we’re all thrilled at how this is all working out.”

Purcell and others say they were impressed by Hillman’s work at Ithaca College in New York, where he graduated with a degree in environmental studies and minors in both politics and philosophy.

While at Ithaca, Hillman managed the college’s 560-acre nature preserve. He directed the operations of up to 14 staff members and conducted water-quality assessments at six different sites around the preserve.

“That should serve as a good spring board to the kind of work that needs to be done in Yachats,” Purcell said. “He’s a great fit.”

Hillman will split his time, working Monday through Wednesday for the McKenzie River Trust, and Thursday and Friday for the city.

Daniel Dietz, the Trust’s conservation director, said the timing of Hillman’s work couldn’t be more opportune.

“We have been expanding our reach outside the McKenzie River watershed since about 2010,” he said. “But there has been something of a vacuum in water-quality planning on the central coast. This is really about determining if the Yachats area could use more capacity and, if so, how do we go about planning that?”

City looks at ‘water security’

The city currently gets its drinking water from Salmon and Reedy creeks. However, it does not own lands in those respective drainages. Warning lights indicating that additional sources might be needed flashed about five years ago, when commercial logging on Salmon Creek led to increased acidity and turbidity levels.

“When that happened, the public in general said ‘Wow,’ ” said McClung. “Now, we are going about the business of determining how and where we might get new sources that will provide quality drinking water for years to come.

“Water – it’s the next oil. He who owns the water rights is pretty secure.”

Both McClung and Hillman will be involved Monday when the city hosts an online community meeting at 11 a.m. to discuss water security. The city has a $30,000 state grant to find ways to protect its drinking water and is beginning the process of determining how to do that.
From wilderness to Oregon coast

Hillman has already moved into a rental unit, which comes replete with a view of the ocean. During his term of service, he will receive a $1,750 monthly living stipend and health care benefits. Assuming he completes his 11-month placement, he will be eligible to receive an award of $6,195 that can be used for future education expanses or to pay back existing eligible student loans.

He is already thinking of applying for graduate school at the University of Oregon, but has yet to choose a specific major. If the future is anything like his past, water and land conservation are likely to be high on the list.

First, however is figuring out what to do with the relatively little downtime he can expect. After spending the past few months as a wilderness ranger in Washington, he is certain that long coastal hikes are ahead.

“I’m used to 10- and 15-miles days, and right now I’m down to about half a mile a day,” he said, laughing. “I have all the work I could ask for, but I’m really excited about starting to explore this beautiful community.”

Originally published by Yachats News