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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2015)
4 A The First Amendment Letters to the Editor: C Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com Press Releases: PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com SATURDAY MARCH 28 • 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. 2015 LETTERS YESTERDAY’S NEWS Building bids MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel I want to compliment Mike Nielson on his let- ter to the editor, “Unscrupulous Building Contractors,” March 21. Although a bit older than his sister, over the years I have gone through ren- ovations, additions and painting projects of the few houses I have owned. What I have learned is never get an estimate, but ask for a bid. This year I will have the exterior of my house painted and I have made a detailed bid request document that includes the scope of work, including a physical inspection of the work to be done and just not a walk around estimate. It is very detailed and includes specifications of prod- ucts, warranties and application processes. It also includes payment schedules. Upfront I will pay for material cost but nothing else. Payment schedule will be broken down in two phases, first being acceptance of prep work and then final painting once accepted. Ask for references and actually visit projects that contractors have done and talk to the own- ers. First, I need to get the leak in my roof done. Win Jolley Florence • On April 2, 1863, responding to acute food shortages, hundreds of women riot in Richmond, Virginia, breaking windows and looting stores, before Confederate President Jefferson Davis threw his pocket change at them from the top of a wagon. Davis ordered the crowd to disperse or he would order the militia to fire on them. • On April 3, 1882, one of America’s most famous criminals, Jesse James, is shot to death by fellow gang member Bob Ford. Detective magazines had glamorized the James gang, turning them into Robin Hoods. In reality, Jesse James was a ruthless killer who stole only for himself. • On March 31, 1931, Knute Rockne, the leg- endary Notre Dame football coach, is killed in a plane crash. He was 43. From 1918 to 1930, Rockne compiled a record of 105 wins, 12 loss- es and 5 ties, and won six national champi- onships. Kudos to volunteers The sixth annual Shamrock Run took place Saturday, March 14, this year. It was a very rainy and windy day to say the least, but most runners on the Oregon coast are used to this climate and showed up for the run. What is remarkable and commendable is all the volunteers directing traffic and runners along the course — all of them with a smile and an encouraging word to the runners. They are not paid for their effort, nor do they get the “glory” of running the race and being a participant. They have to be in their places along the course long before the runners and walkers show up, and stay there for a couple hours or more in the pouring rain. I want to say a big thank you to all these won- derful people. You are very much appreciated. Kerstin Johnsen Florence • On April 1, 1948, Soviet troops begin stop- ping U.S. and British military trains traveling through the Russian sector to and from Berlin. In June, the Soviets began a full-scale blockade of the U.S.-British-French sectors. Thus began the Berlin Blockade, when U.S. aircraft began dropping supplies into Berlin. • On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. is shot to death at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. A single shot fired by James Earl Ray from more than 200 feet away struck King in the neck. The death of America’s leading civil- rights advocate sparked a wave of rioting in black communities around the country. • On April 5, 1976, Howard Hughes, one of the richest men to emerge from the American West, dies while flying from Acapulco to Houston for medical treatment. Hughes’ bizarre behavior grew worse in his final years, as he became obsessed with privacy and sometimes worked for days at a stretch in a black-cur- tained room without sleeping. VIEW FROM UPRIVER Vernal fireworks W ESLEY V OTH For the Siuslaw News T he coming of spring and end of Lenten, also known as the vernal equinox, marks an explosion of green leaf and blossom tint, a flurry of feather and fur, a quickening in the egg masses in the ditches, a swelling of life in the waterways as myriads of salmon fry pass tail first down- stream, wary of merganser and cormorant, of mink and otter, of heron and kingfisher. Mating swallows collide with me three times in their frenzy while our daughter’s dog looks on in surprise. I always inventory what I see on the first day of spring: violet green swallows and band-tailed pigeons; the first bleeding hearts, wild iris, Hooker’s fairybells and native trail- ing blackberry blossoms; blooms on the Big- leaf maples. There are leaves on the willows, on the salmonberry, elderberry and thimble- berry canes; up from the earth explode huge leafed cow parsley, manroot vines, the fern USPS# 497-660 fronds of bracken, lady, deer and sword. Mosses and resurrection fern grab the last direct sun they’ll get before leaf fall. On Sweet Creek Road, in the pas- tures I notice three of last year’s fawns with what appears to be deer hair-loss syndrome. While the mothers seem unaffected, these yearlings at first showed what looked like white patches, and then have kept working at these areas with teeth and hoof and rubbing against things until the winter coat is gone along both sides. The syn- drome is apparently caused by heavy lice infestation of a type unknown here prior to 1995, thought to have originally come from deer of the eastern hemisphere raised domes- tically in the United States. So far it has seemed to cause problems for black-tailed deer in lower elevations between the coast and the Cascades in Oregon, Washington and California, resulting in the deaths of many affected deer. I hope these survive. Several people have asked what was meant in my last column by “terrestrial” birds. It refers to land; terms for other types of birds are aquatic focused — waterfowl and shore- birds. For many of these latter, if not most, native vegetation is also critical to their habi- (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc. he Siuslaw News wel- comes letters to the edi- tor on subjects of general interest to its readership. Brevity is mandatory, and let- ters are subject to editing. Libelous letters and poetry will not be published. Thank- you letters are generally inap- propriate. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed. Handwritten or submitted letters via mail must be signed over the writer’s name. All letters must include an address and phone number of the writer for verification. Email letters to: Editor @TheSiuslawNews.com T 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: In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $71; 10-weeks subscription, $18; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $94; 10-weeks subscription, $24; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $120; Out of United States — 1-year subscription, $200; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. 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: 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 tat. In an article last week in this paper about spraying in a recently logged area, salmonberry was lumped with other “inva- sives” such as Scot’s broom. While salmonberry may be unwanted by someone who is trying to grow Douglas-fir as a crop, it is a native plant tough enough to outcompete Scot’s broom in many settings, and I for one hate to see it killed indiscriminately with her- bicides. Last year a Walton woman who wildcrafts many local forest foods told me that she adds the blossoms of Big-leaf maple to her sting- ing nettle pesto and gets a result more like guacamole. After some experimentation over the last couple of days, I have found that lightly steamed (5 minutes max) blossoms with equal parts well steamed nettles, oil (I like olive, sunflower, or grape seed), roasted nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts or sunflower seeds), parmesan cheese and a little salt, well pureed in a blender or food processor yields a great pesto or guacamole-like dip that is great with dark bread, pasta, or corn chips. Big-leaf maple blossoms are coming on now, and due to variations in trees and tem- perature and sunlight, will probably be find- able somewhere locally for the next month. Each emerging bract contains a flower stalk and a leaf stalk — use just the flower stalk. And if in your experimentation you find bet- ter or more interesting results, don’t hesitate to let me know. • On March 30, 1980, a floating apartment platform for oil workers in the North Sea 235 miles east of Scotland collapses, killing 123 people. No one was expecting that a large wave would collapse and capsize the platform. 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