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The Newberry Eagle - The Community Newspaper of Newberry Country Happy 4th of July from The Newberry Eagle JULY 2020 Page 13

SUNRIVER Summer Transit Service Launched “We truly enjoy supporting these deserving high school seniors as they pursue their career dreams,” said Pam Beezley, board secretary for the Rotary Club of Sunriver-La Pine. “The $1,000 scholarships give them a little extra support.” She explained that Rotary has offered a $1,000 scholarship opportunity to La Pine High School (LPHS) seniors “for a long time. In the early years, we might get just one application, this time we received 10 – and all of the applicants were really, really good.” The only requirement of would-be Rotary Awards $1,000 Scholarships to Five LPHS Seniors The five La Pine High School seniors who received $1,000 grants from the Rotary Club of Sunriver-La Pine toward their pursuit of higher education are: Johanna Flenner, Laura Ann Lucretia Winford, Josie Rae Wells, Adam Timothy Plant and Tommy Rohde. By Staff Writer Cascades East Transit (CET) has launched Route 31-- an employee-focused summer transit service between La Pine and Sunriver -- to fill existing transportation gaps and provide greater access to jobs, health care, and other essential services. The service will operate seven days per week through September 7, with bus stops located at 4th and Huntington, St. Charles Family Clinic, and Wickiup Junction in La Pine, and at Sunriver Resort. The La Pine and Sunriver Area Chambers of Commerce, the City of La Pine, community partners, and residents contributed to Route 31 planning efforts. As John Holland, board president of the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce, noted: “This new service will provide a convenient and efficient transportation option for residents and employees to travel between the com munities of Sunriver and La Pine, thus helping to revitalize our economy as we recover during this unprecedented time.” CET continues to follow Oregon Health Authority guidelines by disinfecting high-touch surfaces on buses and at facilities every four hours, requiring face coverings for drivers and passengers, temporarily suspending fare collection, posting maximum occupancy notices, and providing signage and visual cues on buses to encourage passengers to stand and sit at least three feet away from other passengers and six feet away from drivers. More information about the Route 31 schedule and CET’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 can be found at www.cascadeseasttransit.com. Between La Pine and Sunriver recipients is a commitment to continue their education by going to college – “not from in-person to online? When will GED tests – now postponed – be available to Getting Rid of Knapweed – necessarily a four-year institution, or with plans to become an electrical engineer. It determine eligibility? Would it make more sense to wait a year before pursuing a deA Persistent & Toxic Pest could be at COCC, for example, to train as gree? By T. Myers, Contributing Writer a paramedic or go to the culinary academy “For all these reasons,” explained June is busting out all over and so are the there,” continued Beezley. Beezley, “many seniors find themselves toxic weeds we need to learn to recognize and

“In addition to looking at grades, we in a holding pattern: all five of our scholremove. ask for three reference letters – say from arship winners have the desire to pursue The most common weed we deal with here teachers or sports coaches – and review a degree, but they’re surrounded by unin La Pine is pink-flowered knapweed. It grows any community involvement to determine certainty that may not be alleviated for wild everywhere and spreads with a fury secif applicants were volunteers or helping others in some form. “Year after year, in some cases, these young people have had to overcome a lot, such as broken homes and abuse issues,” she said. “Their stories really touch your months. This uncertainty also affects Rotary, which normally sends scholarship checks directly to colleges after receiving proof of enrollment. So we’re treating this unprecedented situation on a case-by-case basis in terms of how and when the funds ond to none. Each small flowering plant can cast thousands of seeds that can live for seven years in a dormant state and grow from barren, rocky unwatered soil for years. Pull these from the roots. Treat the soil with vinegar and salt and wash your hands Knapweed, a perennial, pushes native plants aside and uses precious water and nutrients while doing so. In removing it, be careful not to dislodge seeds – so they can’t lay dormant and later sprout. heartstrings. will be dispersed.” with bar soap and water after you dispose of Owners and renters also need to clean up

“Choosing our scholarship winners On a related note, Beezley said that the plants separately in their own throw-away their fence lines outside their yards by sidethis year was especially challenging, givRotary Club of Sunriver-La Pine – in bags. Knapweeds are poisonous, and put alkawalks and so on. Please pull together and do en coronavirus restrictions, as we could addition to providing scholarships – will linity in the soil -- making it difficult to grow your part. For more information, contact Deonly review and collaboratively discuss assist LPHS seniors by paying outstandplants where they have been flourishing. schutes County Forester at 541-388-6581. the applications via Zoom meetings.” ing fines and fees that have accumulat

The coronavirus has also affected the ed during their four years in high school scholarship process in another way by creating an uncertain academic climate as seniors look to the future. What institutions will be open? How will classes be conducted? What fees will be charged if the advanced educational process moves – when they are unable to do so. “These range from iPads that didn’t come back to overdue library books and outstanding athletic fines. This year, with such a high level of unemployment, we’re helping out by donating more than $1,000.” Sunriver Women’s Club Donates $25,000 to FREE! La Pine to Sunriver SUMMER SHUTTLE Local Nonprofits Through Covid-19 Fund

Sharri Dempsey cannot stop singing the praises of the Sunriver Women’s Club, and here’s why.

“They have saved our kitchen; I’m going to start with that,” said Dempsey. “They have shared with us about $10,000 through the Covid-19 emergency funds they have raised. Without that, we would not have been able to continue serving meals here.”

Dempsey is the manger for the La Pine Community Kitchen, a food bank that serves 190 to 230 lunches per day plus 150 to 180 boxes of food twice a week to families in need. “The La Pine Community Kitchen operates on a shoestring,” said Debbie Baker, president of the 20-yearold club. “It’s an amazing little place.”

Club leaders knew that local nonprofits were going to need its support more than ever if they were going to meet the demand for essential services in south Deschutes County during this difficult time. And so the Covid-19 Nonprofit Emergency Fund was born, which had raised $25,000 as of June 1.

In addition to La Pine Community Kitchen, which received $6,000 to support a 200% increase in meals served on a to-go basis, other beneficiaries have included:

Council on Aging ($2,000) to support two senior food programs –- Meals on Wheels and community meals.

La Pine Senior Activity Center ($1,000) to support a 100% increase in meals served on a to-go-basis.

La Pine Community Health Center ($1,000) to support prescription medications for under-insured or uninsured clients.

Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver ($3,000) to be used to help their families with mortgage assistance.

NeighborImpact ($3,000) to support utility assistance for heat, water, sewer, garbage and even cell phones, as phones can be people’s connection to jobs and other needed services.

Some nonprofits, such as St. Vincent de Paul that is offering food boxes, told the Women’s Club (which has awarded $712,000 since 1999) they are holding their own and deferred to take the funds so another group could be helped.

Those interested in contributing should contact Sunriver Women’s Club at P.O. Box 3334, Sunriver, OR 97707. (Source: Bulletin) Route 31 operates seven days per week through Labor Day!

Hop on CET's FREE Shuttle connecting La Pine and Sunriver for your commute, doctor's appointment, or running errands. CascadesEastTransit.com 541-385-8680

CET continues to help keep our drivers and passengers safe and healthy by regularly disinfecting high-touch surfaces on buses, requiring face coverings for drivers and passengers, and practicing social distancing.