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
25
•
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.
Sergeant Wisdom writes interesting letter to home
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED F EB . 23, 1945
Mr. and Mrs. Omar Wisdom of
Cheshire have received the following very
interesting letter from their son, Sgt.
Selwin D. Wisdom, who went overseas
early in September with the Timber Wolf
division.
He landed in France, going on to
Belgium, Holland, and was in
Lucherburg, Germany early in January.
Selwin was a native son of Glenada,
being born and reared here, leaving
Siuslaw High School after his freshman
year when his family moved to Cheshire
and he entered Junction City High
School. He also attended University of
Oregon.
***
Dear Folks: Stolberg is the city where
we first saw action in Germany. We tried
three times to take it and were driven
back. The fourth day we moved in. The
Jerries had moved out and left it. The
reason we had trouble was because we
had to attack across a deep draw then up
to high ground and their observation on
us was too good.
This was where I got the scratch for
which I was awarded the Purple Heart.
In the Inde River crossing, my machine
gun squad and one squad of riflemen
were the first ones across. We had to go
over and cover another company while
they crossed.
This was the first time I led my squad
into action. It turned out to be a fairly
easy job but we were scared.
We are in Lucherberg now and have
been for sometime. I imagine we will be
here for quite awhile yet. When we got
here the company we covered crossing
T HE S IUSLAW O AR , V OL . 17, N O . 39
the Inde River had about 10 percent of
the town and Jerry had the rest. It didn’t
take long to get rid of them though and
we are still here.
We have troops in front of us now but
we can see the Roer and we don’t have
anybody on the other side. We haven’t
been bothered for some time now and I
don’t think we will be. It will be a rough
job to drive us out of here.
There is danger, sure, but when I stop
and think, I don’t believe it is any more
dangerous than driving down the road on
the Fourth of July back home.
Where we really had it rough was in
Holland, where we lived in mud all the
time.
Here the physical hardship is almost
nothing and that is what counts most. We
get plenty of good food, plenty of sleep as
a rule, and the mail service is regular.
What more can a person ask except to
go home?
A funny thing happened a few minutes
ago. I have never run into anyone from
the University of Oregon since I have
been in the army. I came into my room
and there were some observers from the
artillery outfit here getting warm by the
stove. We started talking about football
and I happened to mention that I was
from Oregon.
There was a lieutenant sitting beside
me that left the U of O the same year I
entered. I didn’t know him but it was
good to talk to someone from the U of O
anyway. It turned out there was another
fellow in the room that had been in
Oregon 15 years before coming into the
army. We had quite a talk.
NEIGHBORS
Hawaiian adventure — Part VI
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
I
n the journal kept aboard the
Mariposa ocean liner, I had noted
that when we came on deck on
the morning of Nov. 3, 1977, there
had been some cloud cover, but the
sun was breaking through, and the
sea, compared to the previous day,
was relatively calm — and we were
both feeling great.
At the breakfast buffet by the pool,
we were again fascinated by the sight
of those giant albatross soaring and
dipping into the troughs of the waves
behind our stern. Although it had
been 35 years since I had first seen
them in the wartime in the Aleutian
Islands, my bewilderment was still
the same: how could they stay aloft;
even overtake the ship, without ever
flapping their wings?
I have since discovered that studies
have been made in the interim years
that even deepen the mystery sur-
rounding these remarkable birds.
Somehow they are able to utilize a
strange force called dynamic soaring,
that defies logic. Reaching a max
speed of 67 mph, they can fly thou-
sands of miles without ever flapping
those wings that can span nearly 12
feet. They eat fish and squid, and
drink seawater, the salt is filtered out
from a drip-tube in the nose. They
don’t breed until around 10 years of
age (probably more than you really
wanted to know).
One day, out here in mid-ocean, a
little dark-colored bird, no bigger
than a clenched fist, appeared at the
pool buffet nonchalantly salvaging
crumbs from under the tables. How
did he get way out here? Suddenly,
with a flick of his tiny wings, he was
gone!
Our stateroom was small but very
comfortable, with a large porthole,
which allowed a view of the sky and
the ocean — a constant reminder that
we were almost certainly in the midst
of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Two bunks made up into divans in
the daytime, there was a writing desk,
end tables, coffee table and more
closet and drawer space than we
would ever need. We had a shower
and lavatory, plus a built-in radio,
music system and a telephone,
whereby we could call our room
steward for bottled liquor or food at
any hour of the day or night.
Every morning just before we got
out of bed, two ship’s papers (one for
each of us) were shoved under our
door. They listed all the scheduled
activities for the day, plus the dis-
tance we had traveled in the preced-
ing day, how far out we were, how
fast we were going, etc. National
news received via radio also was
included.
We listened to the acceptance
speech of president-elect Jimmy
Carter that morning. It seemed we
were in a detached world of our own
out there, for no one we had talked to
seemed to care one way or the other.
We were informed that there were
254 passengers on board and 261
crew to keep us happy. That is a ratio
of better than one crew for each pas-
senger. We were pampered indeed!
More to come.
LETTERS
Thank you
I have decided to not seek re-election to the Port of Siuslaw
commission. For anyone interested in serving, the filing deadline
for this office is March 19.
District candidate filing forms are available online at
http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/SEL190.pdf.
Thank you for allowing me to serve. It has been my honor and
privilege.
Bill Fleenor
Port of Siuslaw Commissioner
Higher taxes
Well, you all wanted it, you all voted for it, now you’re going
to get higher taxes. Aren’t your taxes high enough already? I sup-
pose not. You keep voting for higher taxes.
This carbon tax is nothing but a get-rich scheme for the
wealthy. The money collected will go to those who can afford
electric cars in the form of subsidies to those who buy them.
USPS# 497-660
Meanwhile, we pay at the pump for higher cost to the wealthy.
Is that not what those on the left say about the those on the right?
More proof that the left does not really care about us and the
Vernon James Selby
Florence
Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News
Publisher, ext. 327
General Manager, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Advertising Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
Press Manager
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday
1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Thursday
1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Lane County, 1 yr manual pay, $71; 1 yr auto pay, $62.10. 10-wks manual $18; 10-wks auto, $15.42.
Out of Lane County, 1 yr manual $84.75; 1 yr auto, $80.95; 10-wks manual, $21.35; 10-wks auto, $20.05.
Out of State, $120; Out of U.S., $200.
MAIL includes E-EDITION
E-EDITION RATE (ONE YEAR): Anywhere, $60.30
Website and E-Edition: www.thesiuslawnews.com
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
economy of this state.
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. Kate Brown
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