Robbie McCoy is pretty much a home girl. A resident of Veneta since 1958, she can’t imagine living anywhere else. She loves being part of a small town and when incumbent mayor Keith Weiss announced his retirement, she decided to throw her proverbial hat into the ring.
As many, if not most Veneta residents know, McCoy is the owner/operator of Robbie’s Window Box Café at the Harold’s Center. An established gathering place, it was used by the Chamber of Commerce as a locale for their meetings before the move into its current location across Territorial at the West Lane Center. Even after this took place, the chamber continued to meet at the café and when a position came open, it was a logical choice that McCoy be asked to fill it. Twenty-two years later, she has continued to add feathers to her cap as she leaves her mark on the city. In addition to the Veteran’s Day ceremony, Mccoy also chairs the Memorial Day ceremony and the Veneta Light Parade. Harvest Festival time sees her organizing the chili cookoff, and McCoy has served on the City Council since 2017 as well as the Budget Committee since 2009. For the past two years, she has been the City Council’s president. Should she be elected mayor, McCoy aims to see that the city is safe and healthy and that the homeless are dealt with in a better fashion. While speaking about her hopes for Veneta, she mentions a homeless camp near W. 11th and Bailey Hill Road in Eugene that has been outfitted with tiny homes and is overseen by a manager. She would like to see something similar for the homeless that populate Veneta so, they too, can have a roof over their heads, a place to call home. McCoy would also like to see a nice restaurant that would serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner open for business in Veneta and would like to do what she can about the lack of a laundromat. Also on her wish list is another grocery store and perhaps a place to buy lumber, thus saving a trip to Eugene for such as that. With building taking place at locations such as Perkins Road, Oak Island Road, Cheney Street and Jeans Road, McCoy is cognizant of the fact that with an increase in population will come an increase in traffic and hopes that the flow can be sustained. A captain of Neighborhood Watch, McCoy is also concerned about safety in Veneta and would like to see a bigger law enforcement presence and she would like to do more things for the younger citizens to keep them out of trouble such as a BMX trail. She likes the pool, and the music and the movies in the park programs but feels there needs to be more for youth to do. McCoy wants people to know what the city is doing, wants there to be transparency, and she would bring her vast experience and her knowledge of the laws to the table should she be elected Veneta’s next mayor. Because of her various irons in the fire, she has come to know many people in the area, and she feels this would be of benefit in the role of mayor. Veneta is the place Robbie McCoy has called home for most of her life and it has been her pleasure to serve in the various capacities that allow her to make the city a place where veterans are thanked for their service, the dead are honored, and the Christmas season is even brighter for one magical evening. For her, it is a labor of love, and should she win the election, this love will be carried over to the mayor’s office where she will serve the citizens of Veneta with the same dedication and concern that she has shown elsewhere and if she can make the city an even better place to live in the process, then that is what she will do.
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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. When a person is in crisis or just needs a listening, non-judgmental ear, it can be difficult to find the help needed to get beyond a troubling time. This is where Rise Up comes in. A non-profit (501) (C) (3) corporation, Rise Up was founded by a group of women of faith who share a commitment to assisting women and teenage girls who are ready to heal body, mind, and soul after experiencing trauma.
Director Teresa Ortiz previously worked at the Eugene Mission and before that, in women’s ministry. Ortiz transitioned out of this after reaching the conclusion that women needed more help, but the money to pay for that help was just not there. Wanting to reach out to these women without there being a financial burden, she put Rise Up together, and the agency operates both in Eugene-Springfield and Veneta, where Otiz and her family call home. As one who once needed healing herself, Ortiz possesses a strong desire to help teenaged girls and women in spiritual and emotional healing as they cope with anxiety and PTSD, as do the other two coaches, one of whom is Ortiz’s daughter Brittany Ota. All three coaches have personal experience in the type of assistance they offer, which helps them to better understand what the women and teens who come to them are going through. Ota, who has 18 years of experience working with children and more recently with teens utilizes her education and her training in trauma care to offer support to youth as they heal. Having gone through the pain of a divorce, she has a passion for aiding those as they recover and learn to navigate a life that involves co-parenting and the transition into a new family dynamic. Jenn Ting is a certified Health and Wellness Coach with 7 years of experience in helping women be able to feel their best. Originally an elementary school teacher, Ting became a coach after seeing her enthusiasm for health grow while she experienced health issues of her own. While Rise Up is a faith-based program, this aspect is not required. Depending on what a woman or girls wishes, the curriculum can be either faith-based or secular. These services are made possible by the donations of generous financial backers and Rise Up does not receive any government funding. All services rendered are done so confidentially so as not to jeopardize anyone’s privacy. On November 9th, Rise Up will be holding an Open House at the Fern Ridge Service Center where those in attendance will be able to meet the coaches and enjoy refreshments while learning more about the organization and what it does. There will be a raffle, with the prize being a basket filled with various items such as health & wellness products and things that are just fun. The Open House will run from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. All are welcome to come. This, in turn, will act as a lead up to the organization’s annual benefit for donors, to be held at Grace Community Fellowship on Country Club Road in Eugene. Those who attend will enjoy a catered dinner and musical entertainment. This will be non-secular, and the books will be open so those who are interested can see where the organizations money is going as they strive to be transparent. Those in charge at Rise Up have a wish list of what they’d like to see happen at the organization and this includes the hope of being able to hold larger group events so more people will be able to be helped at one time with the goal being to have as many women as possible call and then an event being held followed by individual counseling. The organization would also love to hold a seminar for teens, many of whom are suffering from rampant anxiety due to things such as social media and its ills, and not enough time spent outdoors. Managing the emotions that trauma inflicts is not easy and when one feels alone, it can feel impossible. Yet, there is sunshine after the storm and healing is possible. Life can be good again and joy can be reclaimed. It may take a bit of work, a bit of struggle, but it can be done and the coaches from Rise Up are there to help. When it all comes together and a person can look back and see how far they’ve come, how much they’ve healed, it’s a pretty good feeling. When a person can say, “I helped someone heal,” that’s a pretty good feeling, too. The year was 1965. Lyndon B. Johnson was president, and Hubert Humphrey was sworn in as Vice President. The Viet Nam War raged and so did protests by those against the United State’s involvement. Civil Rights were fought for in the south including the infamous Bloody Sunday where 200 Alabama State Troopers clashed with 525 civil rights demonstrators in Selma. Two days later, a second attempt at a march from Selma to Montgomery under Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership stopped at the bridge that was the sight of the earlier conflict where a prayer service was held and marchers then returned to Selma in obedience to a restraining order. The War on Poverty was enacted, and President Johnson not only signed the Social Security Act of 1965 that March, but also signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law that August.
The price of a Volkswagen Beetle that year was $1,595, a movie ticket cost $1.00, and for .99 cents, one could purchase 100 Bufferin aspirin. Poppin’ Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy, was introduced, astroturf was invented, and the games Trouble and Operation hit the market as did “Slumber Party” Barbie dolls that came with a diet book entitled How to Lose Weight.” The books included text such as “Don’t eat!” and a bathroom scale set at 110 lbs. TV viewers tuned into shows such as Bonanza, Batman, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Beverley Hillbillies while moviegoers flocked to see The Sound of Music, Doctor Zhivago and A Clockwork Orange. Radio airwaves carried such popular tunes as Downtown by Pet Clark, My Girl by The Temptations, and I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher. During this time, a little boy was growing up in Corvallis and it was while he was in the 5th grade at Garfield Elementary School, his teacher Mrs. Shirley Worth asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up in preparation for the career day program the class was going to be having. Bob Welch answered simply and without hesitation, “A sport’s writer.” Because her husband had connections, Worth arranged for young Bob to meet and interview Paul Valenti, then Oregon State’s Men’s Basketball coach. The boy loved it and knew more than ever this was what he wanted to do with his life. When he was getting ready to graduate high school in 1972 after having worked on both his junior high and high school newspapers, Welch assumed he would study at Oregon State, but his mother suggested he give the University of Oregon a try as she felt they had a better program for journalism. Welch went to a preview day to see what the U of O had to offer and excited by what he saw, enrolled. While a student at the U of O, Welch worked part-time at the Register-Guard and then traveled to Bend after graduation to work at the then new Bend Bulletin under Managing Editor Dean Ray who also happened to be a former professor of his. Welch was there for 6 years during which time he was instrumental in starting the Sunday paper and wound up becoming its editor. After leaving the Bulletin worked for a time for the Bellevue (Washington) Journal-American and then found his way back to Eugene where he took a job at the Register-Guard where he was a Features writer, a Features editor and lastly, a columnist. It was during this time that he introduced readers to wife Sally, better known as “She Who,” and wrote a yearly “Happy Birthday” column to grandson Cade, now a 19-year-old college student. It was a good run and Welch enjoyed the interaction with readers but left in 2013 because the columns were beginning to “feel stale.” Though he knew it was time to say goodbye to his readers, he admits to not being “emotionally ready.” Welch has also authored two dozen books including American Nightingale,” which took four years to research and write, and teaches writing workshops. Originally, these were beachside workshops that were held in Yachats, but the latest, which is being held on October 19th, is being held the Community Marquis on County Club Road in Eugene and participants will learn how to write their memoirs. Public speaking is also something Welch has done a lot of and Sunday, October 7th saw him speaking at the Fern Ridge Library about his book “Seven Summers (And a Few Bummers),” which details his hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with brother-in-law Glenn. Welch considers this book to be a lot of fun to talk about as it is not controversial, it’s something people can relate to, and Writer’s & Wine, in his opinion, is a good cause. Libraries hold a special place in his heart as they have played a big part in who he has become. While honing his craft and doing research, his has spent quite a bit of time in libraries availing himself of their resources and he knows how valuable they are to a community. Because he continued to miss the interface with readers, Welch has begun another column with Substack, which is similar in content to his column at the Register-Guard. One of his readers is none other than fifth grade teacher Mrs. Worth, who often makes comments about what he has written. The two have kept in touch over the years and Welch recalled a time when she had his mother and him to dinner along with a special guest who turned out to be none other than Paul Valenti, the coach Welch interviewed so long ago. Welch remembered him, naturally, but Valenti did not remember Welch. Now 70, Welch is not currently working on another book and says, “it is nice to slow down.” He’s retired now and is enjoying other things such as watching his five grandchildren grow and reach adulthood and playing “a lot of golf.” Not many kids know without a doubt what they want to do with their lives at the ripe old age of 11, but for Welch, it was a no brainer and with help from a teacher he describes as the “biggest catalyst,” he made his dream come true. In the process, he has touched reader’s lives and hearts and for a writer, there is no bigger success than to say, “I made somebody think, feel, laugh, even cry.” My words touched somebody. If you are interested in attending Bob Welch’s workshop on the 19th, please email him at [email protected]. A veneta man was taken into custody by the Lane County Sheriff’s office early in the morning of October 3rd and lodged at the jail on multiple charges.
While on patrol, a sharp-eyed deputy spotted a car connected with Kristopher Robert Glenn, 38, of Veneta, in the Danebo area an hour past midnight. Glenn, who was wanted by the US Marshals, had been the subject of a search by Lane County Sheriff’s deputies. The deputy saw Glenn, who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The driver attempted to flee, and deputies pursued. The vehicle finally stopped in the vicinity of W. 18th Avenue and S. Bertelsen Road. Glenn fled from the vehicle, so deputies and Eugene Police set up a perimeter. Meanwhile, the driver, Elise Catrina Lockwood, 33, was taken into custody. A Eugene Springfield Metro Drone operator launched a drone and observed the heat signature of an individual moving northward and relayed the information to law enforcement in the area. After spotting the drone, the suspect discontinued running and laid in the grass while awaiting officers. Glenn was then taken into custody. Both Glenn and Lockwood were found to be in possession of methamphetamine and Glenn was also found to be in possession of a realistic looking pellet gun. Lockwood was lodged at the Lane County Jail on charges of Reckless Driving, attempting to Elude Police by Vehicle, and Possession of Methamphetamine. Glenn lodged at the jail on new charges of Attempt to Elude on Foot, and Possession of Methamphetamine. He was also taken into custody on failure to appear warrants for Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Failure to Appear in the 1st Degree and a parole violation. Last August, a new mobile crisis unit rolled out in Lane County, a need of which has long been recognized by those in charge of county operations. Already it has been heavily used though the volume has fluctuated week to week, according to Jason Davis, Lane County Public Information Officer.
This service has come about because the Oregon Health Authority has mandated that every county in Oregon have county-wide mobile crisis services, Davis says, and it is also required that this service must meet certain standards where staff licensure and how the services are provided are concerned. Compliance with these criteria is directly linked to available funding. The Crisis Now model, a SAMHSA approved best practice for how communities can effectually respond to behavioral health needs in crisis, serves as a blueprint for these conditions. To meet this necessity from the Oregon Health Authority, a mobile crisis response system of care was created by Lane County Behavioral Health. To those in the community who do not have any interaction with these services, this may seem akin to Cahoots, which also responds to individuals in need of help. The Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County is unique, however, in its adherence to the Crisis Now model, which has been demonstrated to be an effectual way to provide needed crisis services across communities with miscellaneous needs. MCS-LC and Western Lane Fire & EMS are the only two mobile crisis providers who have met the rigorous state requirements to become certified as adult mobile crisis responders. For juveniles, Riverview Center for Growth (formerly The Child Center) continues to operate at the only certified youth mobile crisis responder in the county. The crisis service has several components beginning with a crisis line that is meant to act as a resource for community members in need of behavioral health support. Some who call have their needs met over the telephone, while those who require additional support from a mobile team are transferred to a dispatcher who then sends a van to respond to wherever that person needs assistance. The crisis line, which is federally mandated but run at a state level called 988, follows the entire process. Lastly, providers and law enforcement can refer individuals for service via the crisis line or by calling 911. Once the van arrives, the MCS-LC staff which is comprised of a mental health associate and a peer support specialist, work to stabilize and possibly triage the individual for the most suitable follow-up care. A qualified mental health specialist is available to provide consultation to each team as needed. MCS-LC team members also provide follow-up within 72 hours to see how the individual is and ensure they continue to be stabilized. All of Lane County is covered by MCS-LC, though adult services in Florence/Mapleton are covered by Western Lane Fire & EMS, via a contract with Lane County. The coastal response can be dispatched directly or by contacting MCS-LC. In the Fern Ridge area, MCS-LC is the primary responder. Residents can call the Lane County Crisis Line at – 541-682-1001 to obtain crisis support. The largest percentage of crisis calls occur in the Eugene metro area, due to the face that it makes up the highest ratio of the population. Also, there has long been a system in place allowing people in the metro area to call emergency services for assistance with a behavioral health response. Increasing coverage for rural areas will continue to be a key objective of the service and it is anticipated that rural call volume will increase as residents learn that this kind of help is available, Davis states. It is expected that the number of calls will become steadier as systems are improved as well as partnerships, and as the county acquires more awareness from the community of the services offered by MCS-LC. The county, Davis says, needs to spread awareness of the service and there also needs to be a cognizance of when this service should be utilized (experiencing a critical or evolving inability to cope, including suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, or other behavioral issues) and to contact MCS-LC by calling or texting 988 or by calling the Lane County Crisis Line t 541-682-1001. People are also encouraged to visit the county’s website (lanecountyor.gov/mobilecrisis) to learn more about this most worthwhile program. |