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
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WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY
18
•
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.
Old Sol
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED F EB . 12, 1970
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 10, N O . 6
Old Sol seems to bring out the urge
to get out and do something such as
riding the dunes near Florence. Large
amounts of sunshine over the week-
end proved a magnet to many people,
drawing them to favorite summer
recreation areas during “Summer in
February” on the Oregon coast.
DEAR READERS:
Share your story
D
o you remember a significant
or interesting story that we
should feature again, or want to
share your favorite memory of the
newspaper? Write an email to
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com with
the subject line “Anniversary.”
NEIGHBORS
Hawaiian adventure — Part V
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
A
fter leaving Los Angeles
harbor, the palatial prow of
our Far East Lines cruise
ship Mariposa was finally pointed
toward Hawaii, and many, many
identical horizons would be con-
fronted before making landfall
again. Peggy found it increasingly
hard to take in the reality of the vast-
ness of an open sea, and how, she
wondered, could we plow on day
after day at around 20 knots and still
see nothing but water in every direc-
tion?
As for myself, I was accustomed
to the seemingly never-ending
immensity of this ocean, having
spent long-time combat duty during
World War II off the Aleutian
Islands in the North Pacific and the
Bering Sea, and an even longer time
in the South Pacific, where we
crossed the equator and the interna-
tional date line many times.
But this ocean liner was very dif-
ferent from the Spartan indentured
slavery we had experienced as deck
hands on an armor-plated warship,
bristling with guns pointing in every
direction. Mere printed words cannot
begin to adequately convey the con-
trast to the euphoric, hedonistic and
sybaritic luxury aboard this big ship.
It is the job of a writer to vicariously
transport the reader into another
realm; be it awe or fright or
romance, these emotions are fleeting
and have to be fully confronted lest
they escape and be lost in time.
In my journal I had noted that we
were always nonplussed by the
evening menu spread before us.
However, we never failed to
overindulge in the process of satisfy-
ing our curiosity, for we were con-
tinually ordering expensive and
strange sounding dishes that we had
never heard of before. There were no
prices on the pre-paid menu, and we
found that although the presentation
was always impressionably artistic,
the rich food usually never tasted
any better than something from a
stew pot back home.
After our evening meal, Peggy sat
in the very warm lounge playing a
horse-racing game. The ship was
pitching somewhat, and her stomach
did not feel all that good, so she
retired early. I was hoping she would
feel better in the morning. The next
morning we had big ground swells
and she missed breakfast. The ship’s
nurse gave her a shot and some pills.
It helped and she was able to eat a
big lunch at the pool buffet.
Cold and overcast all day, no
ships, planes or any living thing. We
joined in calisthenics and hula les-
sons in the morning. We were really
living up this tourist role. Dressed
up for the captain’s champagne
party, we met all the ship’s officers.
What a memorable occasion, with a
beautiful ice sculpture, table center-
pieces, waiters constantly at our
elbows pouring more champagne
than we cared to drink.
Later, we went to a dance in the
Southern Cross lounge with many
fun contests, such as the lemon
dance, where all couples dance with
their hands behind their backs and a
lemon pressed between their fore-
heads. Whenever they lose the
lemon they must drop out, eventual-
ly only one last couple remains on
the dance floor, and it wasn’t us —
for I had shoved the lemon into
Peggy’s eye socket!
It was a strange sensation, danc-
ing on a floor that sometimes drops
away, then abruptly lifts against your
feet, only to fall away in one direc-
tion or the other.
There was a gourmet buffet set up
next to the Southern Cross bar from
10 p.m. on, with a chef in attendance
who delighted in creating imagina-
tive sandwiches by placing slices of
ham, turkey, beef, etc., on bread
slices, then trimming away the crust
with his big, machete style knife.
With the deftness of a magician, he
is able to do this without touching
anything with his fingers — incredi-
ble to watch!
LETTERS
For the record
Alarming school dropout rate
It seems that a comment in a recent article (“March Marks End of
Marijuana Moratorium,” Feb. 7, page A1) on the marijuana mora-
torium taken out of context has caused some misunderstanding as to
my position on medical marijuana in the City of Florence.
For the record, I am not against medical marijuana nor for that
matter recreational marijuana. If anyone has taken remarks made
at a recent city council meeting to infer that I am against it, that
is unfortunate as I have a very close relative that uses medical
marijuana rather than prescription drugs, and the benefits to her
health are obvious. Any comment that was made to the effect that
“I don’t share your views” was in reference to the suggestion that
medical marijuana was the driving force for economic develop-
ment, or that the council needed to go to a marijuana facility to
learn all about the business.
The City of Florence issues several business licenses each
month, and to my knowledge no one from the council has visited
those businesses to learn the ins and outs of the business. My sug-
gestion was that if anyone wanted to do that on their own time,
that was fine, but that the purpose of the council meeting was not
to extol the merits of medical marijuana but rather to decide
where to put a facility.
In a subsequent work session, I helped the council to reach
consensus on actually expanding the locations available for such
This morning, Feb. 13, reading the Washington Post, I was
taken quite aback by a most troubling fact.
According to statistics recently released by the U.S.
Department of Education, the State of Oregon has distinguished
itself with the highest high school dropout rate in the nation.
Thirty-one percent of our students do not complete four years of
high school.
To condemn the school system and our teachers for this
deplorable situation is, I believe, largely unwarranted considering
the success our schools have with providing a good education for
a large number of students.
Every year we see a substantial number of students graduat-
ing with honors and a clear majority of them finishing school,
having performed at or near the median level of accomplish-
ment.
That being the case, is it not reasonable to conclude that a
decent education is indeed available for those who want it? And
does that not indicate the problem lies less with the schools and
teachers but more with the social environment from which the
individual students approach education?
I would contend, quite frankly, it all starts at home.
Jimmie Zinn
Florence
USPS# 497-660
a business by a substantial amount from the original guidelines
set by the former council.
To recap, I am not against either medical or recreational mari-
juana nor am I against any business that might locate to Florence
to market these products. I view these businesses as I would any
other business that might bring jobs and revenue to the city.
Joe Henry
Florence Mayor
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