Bundled up against the cold temperatures and the bone penetrating fog that seems to have taken up permanent residence in the area, citizens of Veneta and surrounding areas gathered at Veneta Elementary School on December 6th to take part in the annual tree lighting ceremony.
     While frigid, the atmosphere was at the same time festive, and shrieks of excitement could be heard from throngs of Santa had clad school children as they waited to sing as part of the Veneta Elementary School choir. Those who wished to do so, drank cups of free hot chocolate and carols played over a pair of speakers, compliments of The Beat of Eugene’s (99.1 FM) Barry MacGuire. When the time came to start the celebration in earnest, mayor elect Robbie McCoy took the microphone and after a bit of technical difficulty, announced to the crowd assembled that a certain guest of honor was arriving.
     With a short blast of a siren, Santa Claus arrived on a vintage fire truck to the howls and cheers of delighted children who eagerly looked forward to sitting on his lap and sharing their Christmas wishes. Then, attention was turned back to the tree and as everyone counted down from five, McCoy flipped a switch, and the tree became awash in brilliantly colored lights as a collective cheer went up from the spectators.
      Then it was time for more music, this time compliments of the Veneta Elementary School choir, led by principal Dawn Dean. Children in Kindergarten through second grade performed Jingle Bells and then the third-grade members sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and one other song before ceding the spotlight to the 4th and 5th grade members who sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Applause rang out and the crowd began to disperse, but not before the Fern Ridge Middle School choir began to sing such chestnuts as The Little Drummer Boy.
     While the youthful voices rang out, the smaller children stood in line awaiting a turn to sit on Santa’s lap while still others who had been in attendance began to make their way towards their vehicles and the warmth of home on this dark chilly night.
     An enjoyable time was had, and memories were made by children and adults alike as yet another Christmas season was formally welcomed with merriment and even a little laughter.
 
    

     Promoting excellence for all students and the realization that academic success is contingent on a school environment that is safe is something that the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) stresses and the Fern Ridge District is doing its part to ensure that LBGTQ kids are heard and supported. This has resulted in changes at Elmira High so both transgender and non-transgender students can use the restroom comfortably and more changes where locker rooms are concerned at the high school and at the middle school are on the horizon.
     Superintendent Gary Carpenter says that multiple students fall under the transgender, non-binary, gay, lesbian, and gender fluid labels and while there is a lot of “nuances”, the district tries to be supportive while at the same time being supportive of families who may find the guidance that is given on this controversial subject uncomfortable.
     Carpenter acknowledges that it can “get heated” at school board meetings when the topic of trans kids comes up and there have been instances where parents who have spoken out in support of trans kids have been bullied by parents who disagree with this stance.
     If interviewed, however, high school students themselves would have a completely different perspective and tend to be more supportive as a whole. Students have shared on an anonymous survey that they feel a gay pupil may get special privileges, while on the other hand a gay student has shared that they feel bullied. Carpenter wants to make sure that all students have the encouragement they need to thrive scholastically.
     Complaints about trans kids from other kids mainly concern restroom use as well as the use of the locker room. To this end, a restroom with several single floor to ceiling stalls has been constructed on the high school campus and there are plans to add additional spaces for changing clothes beyond the single stall restrooms and the health room. Carpenter says the district is looking into providing screens on rollers and/or curtains on tracks to provide locker room privacy.
     While the loss of federal and state dollars is one concern in making these changes, it would also be a violation of a transgender student’s civil rights if they were denied being able to use the restroom of the gender they identify with, Carpenter states. The district has policies in place that prohibit discrimination based on protected class such as gender identity and sex and the district is extremely committed to having an environment in the schools that is free of discrimination against these kids. There is also a desire, Carpenter adds, to protect the district against the expense of potential litigation. Conversely, the Fern Ridge School District works diligently to provide support to ALL students, including those who may experience discomfort with these arrangements and will provide them with substitute private options for using the restroom and use of the locker room also.
     To stress the position that the district is bound by law to take these steps, Carpenter uses the Dallas School District west of Salem as an example of what can happen when these guidelines are not followed. In Parents for Privacy V. Barr parents filed a lawsuit alleging that allowing transgender students the use of the restroom of the gender they identified with violated the rights of their student. The courts disagreed with this stance, refused to hear the case and threw it out after determining the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the outlines of the privacy right protected by the 14th Amendment were wide-ranging enough to protect against the school district’s employment of the student safety plan. This deduction was supported by the fact that the Student Safety Plan provided alternatives and privacy protections for those students who did not want to share facilities with a transgender student despite the fact that those amenities seemed to be inferior and less convenient. The Plan recognized the student in question as a “transgender male” and allowed him use of the boys’ locker room and restrooms with his peers.
     Carpenter says he wants to encourage kids to report any kind of bullying as it can be difficult to get students to do this. He stresses finding a trusted adult who will take the bullying seriously and states that every August before school starts staff is given guidance direction as to what bullying is defined as, how to address it and how to report it. Students are also given curriculums that are gone over with them as it is imperative that all kids feel safe. Steps are also taken to limit cell phone use during the school day at all three levels in an attempt to reduce the risk of them being used for cyberbullying and kids can also report bullying, harassment, problems at home, etc. via Safe Oregon if they don’t feel comfortable talking to a teacher or a counselor. All kids get training about this program and what it is for.
     Being a kid isn’t always easy, but having adults who care enough to want to meet their needs and offer support can go a long way in determining things like academic achievement and self-esteem. Knowing that there are adults in their corner can be what keeps a kid in school and on the right track. All kids, regardless of who they are and how they identify, should be able to attend school without the fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unaccepted, and even unwanted, because how a kid is treated today forms the adult of tomorrow.
 

     When Doug Thiesfeld and his business partner Bernie Harris took over Countryside Pizza four years ago, it was a stressful time for many. Covid had forced people into isolation, and many were struggling financially, emotionally, and physically. Seeing an opportunity to help make things a little easier, Thiesfeld and Harris decided to open the doors of their restaurant on Thanksgiving Day for a free meal to whoever was interested.
     Due to the circumstances, this first meal was on a to-go basis, but it was well received by those who participated. Turnout was good, Thiesfeld says, and one woman remains etched in his memory after informing him that her husband had recently gotten out of the hospital and if it hadn’t been for this act of charity, it would have been their first year without a Thanksgiving dinner.
     “It was very rewarding, but sad,” Thiesfeld states while recounting this interaction on the Monday morning before Thanksgiving while sitting at a small table and recounting what led to the genesis of the now annual feast.
    The second year the free dinner was held saw diners being able to eat indoors, but seating was limited so there were more meals that were to-go rather than eaten on site, but each year has seen more people coming through the restaurant’s doors. Thiesfeld’s family takes part, and employees volunteer their time to help out. Food is set up buffet style at the front of the restaurant, just inside the doors, and diners are either given a plate if they are eating in, or a to-go container if they are taking it home. Last year, close to 80 people took advantage of Thiesfeld’s and Harris’ generosity and another large crowd is anticipated on Thursday.
     Along with turkey and dressing, the meal will include ham, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, and desserts such as pumpkin pie, apple pie and cookies. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and will remain open until all the food is gone. 
     This Thanksgiving dinner is an act of kindness and compassion that has the potential to touch many and make a difference to those who may be alone for the holiday or may not have the money to be able to afford a traditional feast. It offers a chance for interaction with others who may be experiencing loneliness, isolation, poor health or shaky finances or may not be able to cook for one reason or another. It is a time to come together and share commonalities rather than be focused on the divisiveness of the times. It is a time to start the holiday season with full stomachs and happy memories while giving thanks for life’s blessings while also being thankful for the caring nature of two men who want to make a difference in the community for those who need it most.
 
 
    
 
 
 
 

          Amy Humphrey has been a part of the Fern Ridge community for quite some time. Beginning in 1977, she taught music at Veneta Elementary School before teaching second grade when music was cut out of the district’s curriculum. There were also stints at Elmira Elementary and Central Elementary School and for six years after retiring, she substituted. Shaping young minds was more than her life’s work, it was a passion.
     While she taught second grade at Veneta, Humphrey became acquainted with SMART Reading, also known as Start Making a Reader Today. Begun in 1992, SMART Reading is a nonprofit that is focused on children’s literacy. SMART Reading aids children in the schools with the highest need and communities that are marginalized with two ingredients that are essential for success in learning and literacy – shared reading time with a trusted adult and a book of the child’s own to keep. It has been shown that by the end of the school year, 9 out of 10 SMART Reading pupils have grown in their enjoyment of the written word. SMART Reading also offers a way for volunteers to make an impact in their community and in the life of a child.
      As a former educator, Humphrey knowns the importance of literacy to school success and when the opportunity presented itself, she became a reader and then, an assistant to former Coordinator Sue Craig. Craig stepped down last year after a stint of 15 years coordinating for SMART so she could have less responsibility and more fun with the program. It was natural for Humphrey to assume the position of Coordinator, but a new assistant was needed, and this was where Sarah Ferguson came in.
     Ferguson, a caterer and a Kidsports coach, came to SMART Reading with a nudge from her grandmother. It was while on her way to her grandmother’s home so she could read to the elderly woman that she heard a radio ad for SMART Reading and was intrigued. She thought if she could read to her grandmother, she could do this, too, and upon arriving at her grandmother’s house, asked her what she thought. Her grandmother thought she should become a SMART volunteer, so she called the number she heard on the ad and found herself reading at Veneta Elementary School and loving it.  It was her inquisitive nature amongst other things that led Craig and Humphrey to ask Ferguson if she would be interested in becoming Humphrey’s assistant and she readily agreed.
     Currently, Veneta Elementary has enough Smart Readers for its Monday and Thursday sessions, but Elmira Elementary has begun a program and has a total of five volunteers who come and read with students on Wednesday mornings. If more people can step up, more children can benefit and it is hoped that people, once learning of the need, will do so.
     Reading with a child is more than just looking at a book the child has picked out from the selection available. It is getting to know that child and become a positive influence in that child’s life. It is listening and encouraging and offering praise that might be lacking at home and showing that child that he or she matters. It is giving them one on one time they need and becoming, at least for a while, a part of that child’s “village.”  It is a chance to make a difference in the life of a child who may be in foster care or experiencing homelessness or otherwise have turmoil in their young life. It is a chance to say, “I care.”
     Volunteers with SMART Reading commit to one to two days a week an hour at a time. Each child is read with for a half an hour, and twice a month, the children get to take home a book. There is training that is necessary, and one must fill out a criminal background check. To get started, all one needs to do is either go online to smartreading.org or call 541-600-8035. An hour a week can mean the world to a child. Do you have it to give?
 
 

     Lane County Sheriff’s deputies took a pair of suspects into custody in Veneta on November 13th after receiving information concerning a stolen camper.
     Upon arriving at the 87700 block of Territorial Highway, where it was reported the trailer was, deputies found it occupied by Travis James Bechtol, 30, and Melissa Renee Pederson, 33, both of Veneta.
     Both suspects were arrested, and deputies discovered additional stolen property within the trailer. Both Bechtol and Pederson were taken to the Lane County Jail on a charge of Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Pederson was also in possession of drugs and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.
     The investigation into the stolen property is continuing.
 

A 43-year-old man was taken into custody November 8th after a late-night pursuit through Veneta.
A Lane County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to make a traffic stop involving a vehicle driving through Veneta at a high speed just after midnight. The driver refused to comply.
Deputies were successful in employing spike strips, resulting in one of the vehicle’s tires deflating and slowing the vehicle down. A deputy then conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) to bring the vehicle to a stop in the 80900 block of Territorial Road. Two occupants were then detained.
The driver, Timothy Robert Graham of Junction City, was cited for multiple traffic violations and arrested on charges of Attempt to Elude by Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering, and Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. He was also taken in on a warrant for Failure to Appear for Unlawful Use of a Vehicle, out of Klamath County.
The unnamed passenger was released and provided with a ride from the scene.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office offers thanks to the Oregon State Police for their assistance.
 

     Alexa Benson grew up in Los Angeles and has traveled extensively, visiting 85 countries and setting foot on six of the seven continents. But it was a small town that she envisioned settling down in and for the last four years Veneta has been hers and her family’s home.
     During this time, Benson has become heavily involved in the workings of the city and its activities, having been the force behind Veneta 4ths, Veneta Haunts, and Movies at the Park as a member of the Veneta Park Board. Benson also serves on the Fern Ridge Association for the Unhoused Group (FRAUG), the Veneta City Council, and the Lane Area Commission on Transportation (LaneAct). Now, she is running for mayor and has big dreams for what she’d like to see take place as Veneta grows.
     A Registered Nurse who was an advocate in the field of sexual assault forensics, Benson has a lot of ideas about what she will do if elected to replace mayor emeritus Keith Weiss and “likes to make things happen.” Among these things she hopes to bring to fruition is to find the funds to increase sheriff’s deputies’ patrols to 24/7 as public safety as well as support of law enforcement is important to her. She also vows to work closely with community groups such as Neighborhood Watch as she prioritizes reducing crime in the city. Having run on the platform of getting an Urgent Care in Veneta, she is pleased to note that one will open in January at the same location on Territorial as the one before it.
     Benson has also voiced support for the Veneta Paths and Trails plan, which would link all city parks with a trail that can be walked, bicycled, and hiked on, and for the Veneta to Elmira Pathway that would see the widening of Territorial between Jeans and Suttle Roads to make it more pedestrian friendly, including a reconfiguring of the intersection at Jeans.
     As building continues around the city and the population grows, Benson states that she would like to see baseball, football and soccer tournaments held at the Bolton Hill Park as this would increase city revenue, particularly if visitors from out of town were to stay at the 10-20 room hotel she envisions being built on Jack Kelly Drive. Also on her wish list is an “architecturally significant” farmer’s market located at the old Dairy Queen site across from Countryside Pizza and Grill and the development of the lot on Broadway next to the Service Center into a bakery and fine dining establishment with rooftop seating, and if possible, the Coos Bay/Eugene train having a stop in Veneta.
     Benson also wants to build bridges of the human variety and get people to realize that they have more in common than they realize. She hopes to encourage volunteerism as a way of building community and bring people together in these divisive times. She promises to listen to the point of view of everyone and make decisions that will be beneficial and acceptable to as many residents and business owners as is possible.
     As she speaks about these things, waxes philosophical, her passion, her love of city shows, and Benson is firm in her belief that she has something to contribute at a unique time for the city when there is open land that needs to be developed. She is enthusiastic about the opportunity to possibly succeed Mayor Weiss and hopes to put Veneta on the map as a fun place for people to be and to spend money in. It’s up to voters to decide if they want this too.