4 A
The First Amendment
Letters to the Editor:
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com
Press Releases:
PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com
WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY
11
•
2015
1 2 5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y F L A S H B A C K
1890 ❙
T
T HE W EST
F LORENCE T IMES
T HE S IUSLAW O AR
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS
S IUSLAW N EWS
❙ 2015
his year marks Siuslaw News’ quasquicentennial, our 125th anniversary, a remarkable achievement for any business in a small
community like Florence. To commemorate this milestone, throughout the year we’ll feature some of the town’s history as origi-
nally published in the newspaper, including historic articles and photos from more than a century ago.
First days of local history recalled in kindly little chat
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED F EB . 7, 1941
It was a year ago when the Oar
offered a prize to the boy or girl in
high school who would write a good
story of George Prescott, the first man
who drove a span of mules in
Florence.
That man has been pacing the streets
every day since this paper asked for a
story. Nobody made a response.
Prescott is unassuming as he strolls
down the walks where his mules pulled
the sloping “Vs” of sand away and
dumped most of it into the 30-foot
depth of the Siuslaw.
The sand peaked by what is now the
Kyle store and the Florence Hotel, a
T HE S IUSLAW O AR , V OL . 8, N O . 3
sand-spit from the Hurd home.
The harbor for Prescott’s mules was
just back of where the Odd Fellow’s
buildings stand.
And in the little cottage facing
Washington Street, a stone’s throw
from where his miles were harbored
back there in 1892, Prescott and his
wife are living now.
Those mules smoothed the first spits
that checked the passageway on the
streets of Florence. A span of mules, a
common scraper and George Prescott
made the first clearance of Florence
streets, save that which was made by
hand.
NEIGHBORS
Hawaiian Adventure — Part IV
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
A
fter our Matson Line cruise
ship docked at Wilmington,
which cannot be distin-
guished from any other part of Los
Angeles, we hired a taxi that took us
to where the ocean liner Queen Mary
is moored permanently as a tourist
attraction. A full day could easily be
spent here. There is even a large
Jacques Cousteau sea life museum in
a portion of one of the engine rooms.
A film titled “The Poseidon
Adventure” was shot in another sec-
tion of these enormous rooms.
We were overwhelmed by the
immense superstructure of this
majestic old luxury liner; more than
1,000 feet long, her three stacks
tower 181 feet above the keel. We
were awed by the elegance of a
bygone era as we explored her cav-
ernous interior that is still haunted by
the ghosts of kings and queens,
movie stars and millionaire passen-
gers, whose presence in my imagina-
tion is still almost palpable.
The rich wood paneling in the mas-
ter ballroom, foyers, passageways,
etc., were particularly impressive, as
was the information that she made
one foot of progress for each gallon
of fuel that was consumed.
The wheelhouse is, of course, as
everything else on this ship, huge. I
recall standing there trying to imag-
ine what it would have been like to be
in command of this ship and be
responsible for all the crew and pas-
sengers relying on your knowledge
and decisions.
After strolling the decks and
ogling the palatial staterooms, we had
an expensive lunch in the dining
room of this regal atmosphere, before
reluctantly returning to the pier,
where we entered a huge open dome
that housed Howard Hughes H-4
Hercules flying boat, nicknamed the
“spruce goose,” much to Hughes dis-
gust (it is currently displayed in an air
museum in McMinnville, Ore.).
The sight of this aircraft is breath-
taking, with eight, 3,000 horsepower
Pratt and Whitney radial engines and
a wing span of 319 feet, which is a
hundred feet longer than the big PBM
flying boats I flew in during World
War II.
Built entirely of birch plywood and
intended as a troop carrier during the
second world war, she was launched
too late to compete with the develop-
ment of jet aircraft. As part of the dis-
play, films are shown about Hughes
and his movie producer days —
“Hell’s Angels,” “The Outlaw,” etc.,
and dating stars such as Ginger
Rogers and Katharine Hepburn. Also
the air-racing exploits, winning the
Harmon trophy and being honored by
President Franklin Roosevelt.
We returned to the ship too late for
lunch, so we called our room steward
and had turkey sandwiches delivered
to our stateroom. Amazing! He is on
call round the clock. Tips to him and
our waiters were given in special
envelopes upon leaving the ship.
As the sun set in the west, mooring
lines were cast off and the Mariposa
was eased away from the pier, and
another grand departure began, com-
plete with band music, paper stream-
ers and the same poignant mix of sad-
ness and gaiety experienced at San
Francisco.
As we slowly made our way sea-
ward, the Ports of Call and Princess
Louise waterfront restaurants gave us
a big send-off over their loudspeak-
ers, and we were momentary celebri-
ties. The sun had already disappeared
below the horizon as we cleared the
Long Beach breakwater, and as dark-
ness descended upon us, the brilliant,
sparkling lights of the sprawling
metropolis behind our wake appeared
like some overdone Hollywood
extravaganza.
Reluctantly, we went below to our
stateroom and dressed formally for
dinner; all the while mentally pinch-
ing ourselves in an ongoing attempt
to believe that all this could be really
happening to ordinary working stiffs
such as us.
To be continued.
LETTERS
his “facts” on marijuana, and nothing is going to
change his mind.
James A. O’Connell
Florence
Reefer madness
I was interested to read that Mayor Joe Henry
is against a medical marijuana facility in town,
and when it was suggested that the council look
at a facility or video tape it, he was not interest-
ed (“March Marks End of Marijuana
Moratorium,” Feb. 7, page A1).
We’ve all heard of people who say, “I’ve
made up my mind and don’t try to bother me
with the facts.” It’s a shame that we have a
mayor who is too set in his ways to find out the
true facts. He also equates a medical marijuana
facility and a recreational facility.
I guess he doesn’t know that to get a medical
marijuana card, the patient has to pay $250 to
the state, unless there is proved financial hard-
ship. They need a signed certificate from their
doctor that says what medical problem it
addresses. They can only get it from licensed
growers, who must pay a licensing fee, and the
growers are limited in how much they can grow,
according to their patient load.
So the state regulates this health aid for individuals, the doctors
sign off on it, but I guess Henry knows better.
If he had the power, would he take away the morphine that can-
cer sufferers also use, besides the medical marijuana they use?
USPS# 497-660
Not so nutty
The people of Florence deserve respect and effort from elected
officials, and if he doesn’t want to find out the facts, let him
resign and get someone who is willing to learn.
Henry seems to have that 1936 movie, “Reefer Madness,” as
Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News
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General Manager, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Advertising Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
Press Manager
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1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
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WHERE TO WRITE
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National
Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore.
Postmaster, send address changes to: The Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439. Phone (541) 997-3441 (See
extension numbers below). FAX (541) 997-7979.
John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ryan Cronk
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
In response to Martin Cable’s letter (“Nutty Ideas,”
Feb. 4), he does have nutty ideas.
Two years of community college for everyone will-
ing to learn job skills needed for the future is not a
nutty idea. Most D- and F-grade students probably
would not be interested in this opportunity (though
they should be). But many without the money or a 3.5
grade point average would.
I, personally, have the most cost-effective health
care in America and I am very satisfied with it. VA
Health Care is the only totally socialist heath care in
America. Socialism is useful in certain situations.
Climate change and global warming are real. I care
about the future of the planet. Those who don’t only
care about their wallet.
A billion Muslims want to take over the world is
overstated — by about 999 million.
Hate is distasteful.
Gary Brock
Florence
Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. John Kitzhaber
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us