4 A
The First Amendment
Letters to the Editor:
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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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SATURDAY
MARCH
7
•
2015
YESTERDAY’S NEWS
LETTERS
No judgment intended
In response to the Feb. 28 letter
signed by Sharon Stiles on “Suspend
Judgment”:
It was not my intent to judge the ille-
gal immigrants who are streaming
across our borders unchecked, but to
point out the fallibility of our leaders in
Washington to make responsible deci-
sions on these matters.
One question I have is: Why didn’t
the Democrats pass immigration reform
when they were in charge? Could it be
that they didn’t want to lose the Senate?
The stats I use are only to stimulate
the reader in looking up this info for
themselves and justly make there own
judgments.
Yes, I have lived in many states and
traveled overseas, so I do know some-
thing about this country and other coun-
tries as to how individuals are treated.
“Treat others as you would like to be
treated.”
Jimmie L. Moe
Florence
Who will benefit?
News in Saturday’s Siuslaw News
regarding the intent of Howard and Lisa
Charnock to apply herbicides to their property
on a hill above Collard Lake in the Clear Lake
watershed was disturbing (“North Florence
Prepares for Herbicide Spray,” Feb. 28, A1).
This land was cleared of trees in 2013 and is
being treated to aid newly planted trees in their
competition for growth with undesirable
plants, particularly Scotch broom.
This plan can be faulted for several reasons.
First, the use of herbicides in a watershed that
provides water for several thousand people is
questionable in concept; should not this desig-
nation limit the pollution inherent in such
treatment?
A second factor is that this area was origi-
nally treated with an herbicide, glyphosate.
The present plan is to utilize the herbicide tri-
clopyr, a compound that has been shown to
produce mammary tumors in both rats and
mice. (Reregistration Eligibility Decision Document:
mark of carcinogenicity that should not be
ignored. The use of well-conducted studies in
experimental animals is a reliable approach to
evaluate the carcinogenicity of a compound.
Given the situation in which it is proposed
that triclopyr be used, it is unlikely that it
would be possible to prove tumor induction by
this agent in humans. That most human tumors
result from exposure to many carcinogens
over years usually precludes the identification
of individual compounds, but does not mini-
mize concern.
The Charnocks are quoted as saying that the
removal of the undesirable vegetation could
be accomplished without the use of herbicides,
but it would be expensive. This begs the ques-
tion as to who will benefit, and who will
potentially be adversely affected?
Charles M. King
Florence
Triclopyr; EPA-738-R-98-011; U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S.
Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C., Oct.
1998; 3-58.)
Herbicide-infused water
A carcinogenic response is often character-
ized by three effects. 1) The percentage of
treated animals that develop tumors is
increased. 2) The number of tumors per ani-
mal is usually greater than in untreated ani-
mals. 3) These tumors reveal themselves at an
earlier age.
In my experience, that spans more than a
half century in carcinogenesis research, the
induction of mammary tumors in rats is a hall-
It was with dismay and not a small measure
of disgust that I read the article about the
Charnocks’ plans for a second round of spray-
ing of the land they logged in 2013 (“North
Florence Prepares for Herbicide Spray,” Feb.
28, A1). There were several important points
left out that the public should be aware of.
Said logging is what led to the explosion of
the Scotch broom, which, Mr. Charnock points
out, is an invasive species. His “responsibility
to the land” should have started by
examining the consequences of logging
his property.
Mr. Charnock portrays his actions as
heroic in taking on the Scotch broom
problem — a problem created primarily
by his action. Scotch broom does not do
well in forested areas. If Mr. Charnock
feels this responsibility, why did he not
work with the Heceta Water PUD which
offered $40,000 to help defer the cost of
manually clearing the land? Or to name
a price at which manual clearing would
have been an acceptable alternative?
There are federal programs that can
help with the cost. So, I take issue with
his statement, “We went with the most
benign option we could.” They clearly
did not. A large herd of goats is possibly
the most benign, and I haven’t heard the
Charnocks discuss the merits of becom-
ing goat herders or burning or any of the
other more benign options they could
have chosen.
It would appear that the Charnocks
feel no responsibility to the possible
effects this poison has on humans and
animals living within harm’s way of
their spraying. There is plenty of docu-
mented information on the health con-
cerns related to the ingestion of the sub-
stances they are using.
And while there are studies showing it is
safe, there are also studies that question how
safe it is for the elderly, the very young and the
infirm. Think about the overarching demo-
graphics of our community population.
It is my understanding that the first time
they sprayed, they used aerial spraying, and
due to the fact that there are streams on this
property that feed into the water source, it
should never have been allowed. How was
that doing everything right and by the book?
Anecdotally, one nearby resident who tem-
porarily left the area during the spray window
was inadvertently exposed to an aerial spray-
ing when she went home to water her yard.
Clearly the overspray affected more than
the Charnocks’ targeted property. Leaving a
20-foot buffer from streams that feed Clear
Lake (the one we get Heceta Water from) is a
joke. I implore your readers to read for them-
selves about overspray and drift with these
applications. This isn’t just affecting the
unfortunate property owners near the
Charnocks’ property, but each and every one
of us who consume Heceta Water.
For reasons unknown, the Charnocks are
forgoing the glyphosate (the active herbicide
in Roundup) from the previous spray for a new
chemical. For those of you that shrug this off
and say “I’m not concerned,” wake up and
smell the triclopyr.
Bryan Bradley
Florence
SESSION UPDATE: FAST AND FURIOUS
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With the first four weeks of
session behind us, we’ve accom-
plished quite a bit. There have
been over 2,000 bills introduced
so far and I am adamant that
when voting on bills before us,
we prioritize expanding opportu-
nity, rewarding hard work and
ensuring fairness for all
Oregonians.
Today, Feb. 27, was a perfect
example, as the House passed a
bipartisan bill to dissolve the trou-
bled Cover Oregon program after
continual missteps and technolog-
ical failures. This move is the
right one for Oregon, and will
allow us to improve our health
USPS# 497-660
GUEST VIEWPOINT
B Y C ADDY M C K EOWN
S TATE R EPRESENTATIVE , H OUSE D ISTRICT 9
care system for Oregon families
while increasing public accounta-
bility, oversight and transparency.
Moving forward, I am commit-
ted to focusing on access to post-
secondary education. This week I
signed on to HB 2623 and HB
2624, which aim at preparing stu-
dents for the high wage, high
demand jobs that our communi-
ties need. It is good bipartisan
ideas like this that will help
expand economic development
along the
south coast.
I also car-
ried HB 2279, which ensures that
utility companies with access to
sections of the Coos Bay Rail
Link have to pay their fair share
of right-of-way fees.
Session has been fast and furi-
ous, and from day one has been
keeping me very busy.
My week begins with Higher
Education, Innovation and
• On March 15, 44 B.C, Gaius Julius Caesar,
dictator of Rome, is stabbed to death in the
Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators, who
believed that his death would lead to the
restoration of the Roman Republic. However,
the result was to plunge Rome into a fresh
round of civil wars, destroying the republic for-
ever.
• On March 11, 1888, one of the worst bliz-
zards in U.S. history strikes the Northeast,
dumping up to 55 inches of snow in some areas.
In New York City, drifts reached the second
story of some buildings and stranded passen-
gers on elevated trains. Enterprising residents
with ladders offered to rescue passengers for a
fee.
• On March 14, 1919, Max Brand, perhaps
the most prolific writer of Western stories, pub-
lishes his first novel, “The Untamed.” Max
Brand was one of 21 pen names used by
Seattle-born author Frederick Faust. Unlike
many Western authors, Faust made no pretense
to historical accuracy in his works.
• On March 10, 1926, “Lolly Willowes,” the
first Book-of-the-Month Club selection, is pub-
lished by Viking Press. The Book-of-the-Month
Club’s 4,000-plus members were not pleased
with the tale of a spinster who takes up witch-
craft, as the author was an openly gay woman.
• On March 12, 1930, Indian independence
leader Mohandas Gandhi begins a defiant
march to the sea in protest of the British
monopoly on salt. Britain’s Salt Acts prohibited
Indians from collecting or selling salt, a staple
in the Indian diet. By picking one salt crystal
off the shore, Gandhi had committed nonvio-
lent civil disobedience.
• On March 13, 1969, “The Love Bug,” a
Walt Disney movie about the adventures of a
Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie, opens in
theaters. The film centered on a down-on-his-
luck auto racer who goes on a winning streak
after teaming up with Herbie.
• On March 9, 1985, the first-ever Adopt-a-
Highway sign is erected on Texas’s Highway
69. The highway was adopted by the Tyler
Civitan Club, which committed to picking up
trash along a designated 2-mile stretch of the
road.
(c) 2015 King Feaures Synd., Inc.
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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: 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
Workforce Development at 8 a.m.
on Monday morning, and ends on
Friday at 4:45 p.m. after
Transportation and Economic
Development.
Then I make a run for the
coast for a few hours in House
District 9 (and a little time with
my husband, my dad and my
dogs).
This coming month I will be
scheduling various community
events and I hope to hear from
you while I’m in the area.
In the meantime, follow us at
the contact below and, as always,
please feel free to reach out to my
office.
Warm regards.
MOMENTS IN TIME
The History Channel
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