Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2015)
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 SATURDAY APRIL 18 • 2015 Oregon Youth Authority goes ‘green’ Conservation programs help youth connect with their communities ardens overflowing with 3,000 pounds of produce annually. Fishermen put- ting salmon and halibut bycatch to good use by donating it to pro- vide youth with fresh, healthful dinners. Solar-powered green- houses growing seedlings and saplings to beautify Oregon’s highway medians. Silverspot but- terflies coming back to Oregon to roost on newly-planted native vio- lets in hopes of removing them from the threatened species list. If these sound like typical con- servation activities in Oregon, they are. But what makes these activities atypical, especially when com- pared to other states, is that they are taking place in Oregon’s 10 close-custody juvenile facilities every day. Youth are learning not only what it means to be green, they’re also learning from the ground up how to care for their communi- G GUEST VIEWPOINT B Y F ARIBORZ P AKSERESHT D IRECTOR , O REGON Y OUTH A UTHORITY & R ICHARD R OSS D IRECTOR , C AMP F LORENCE ties, and in some cases how to make sustainability a vocation after they leave the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA). Oregon leads the nation in the number of vocational educational programs it offers to at-risk youth, and as part of that educational approach, we’re also leading the way in introducing them to sus- tainability in action. In fact, OYA’s sustainability aims align well with an ambitious new culture the agency is creating called Positive Human Development (PHD). PHD is an agency-wide culture that strives to provide low stress environments for both staff and youth with freedom to make rea- sonable choices, and opportunities for engagement and caring and supportive relationships. The culture of PHD is rooted in a five-level pyramid that shows a progression beginning with a foundation of safety and security, working up to community con- nection at the top of the pyramid. Sustainability, and the sense of belonging to a culturally responsi- ble community, fits within the community connection level of the pyramid. Creating a community connec- tion can benefit both youth and the community. For example, the Institute for Applied Ecology in Corvallis has helped introduce nature into the lives of at-risk girls at Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility in Albany. Girls planted and nurtured native seeds, such as Riverbank lupine and Nelson’s checkermal- low, in the facility’s greenhouse. The plants then were used by middle school students at restora- tion sites at Jackson-Frazier Wetland and Evergreen Creek area. While each of OYA’s 10 close- custody facilities teaches sustain- ability practices, from bicycle repair to wind turbines to refur- bishing computers, Camp Florence has its own way of sus- tainably supporting the communi- ty. In 2014, the camp youth raised more than $1,700 in recycled cans and glass containers and donated all the proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County, Friends of Florence and Siuslaw Outreach Services. A focus on sustainability extends throughout all agency operations. For example, our agency reduced its energy con- sumption by 30 percent between 2008 and 2014. The government mandate was 20 percent, but we set the bar even higher. As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, OYA is proud to embrace green practices for the benefit of at-risk youth. Sustainability means thinking five, 10 and even 100 years ahead, and many of our youth haven’t had the luxury to consider their futures in those terms. Helping them care for the earth reframes how they think of suc- cess. As a result, our communities will be safer and Oregon will be greener. LETTERS telling us not to worry? The principle here is one of preven- tion rather than waiting for the possible consequences of these multiple sprayings each year for several years. Spraying poisons is not the only method to accomplish the landowners’ goal. This is an avoidable risk. These speculators knew that their property was situated in a sensitive area close to the source of Florence’s water when they purchased it. But they don’t live here, share our fate or drink our water. Pip Cole Florence Maple Street ‘gateway’ In the past, Maple Street has been closed to accommodate the Rhododendron Festival Vendor Fair. As a member of the Old Town business commu- nity, I heard only positive com- ments about the substantial increase in pedestrian traffic and business this event generat- ed. Much of that business came from people who had visited Old Town on many occasions, but never thought of walking off of Bay Street. It was inter- esting to hear their comments, such as “We never realized Florence had such a wonderful museum, so many shops and his- toric buildings right off of Bay Street.” Looking at a copy of the Historic Walking Tour Guide of Florence, it became apparent Maple Street is the “gateway” to Old Town, offering many sights of interest along the way. In addition to permitting the two-day event along Maple Street, the city would be well served by providing an illustrative sign at the corner of Bay and Maple streets. This would encourage visitors to see additional sites of interest in Old Town, not only for the two-day event, but all year long. Howard Goldstein Florence Stolen future I am concerned about the likelihood of peo- ple spraying the poisons triclopyr and/or glyphosate near the source of Florence’s drinking water to manage their timber land. The problems here are more than the Florence City Council’s luke-warm “interest” warrants. Suppose people end up getting sick as a result of using water contaminated by the pro- scribed use of these poisons? How will we know? Who will be responsible? According to the Christiansen study done in the 1980s, it takes approximately 30 years for USPS# 497-660 anything introduced into the north Florence single source dunal aquifer to reach the city. Imagine this scenario: your (grand) daughter who is right now 1 to 4 years old, in three decades entertains signals from her body to the extent that, if she has not already, it is time to reproduce. Based on the research of Dr. Theo Coburn, we know that, “Sexual differentiation begins in humans at day 56 of gestation. Not many women know they are pregnant at day 56. Exposure to a wide range of environmental chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, human chemicals in foods, etc.) on this day or after can cause irreversible damage to that fetus’ ability to reproduce. This disruption to the chemical messengers of the body is not an obvious birth defect.” In fact, it may not be apparent until that fetus becomes an adult and wants to repro- duce. This spells the end of your family’s his- tory. There is so much we don’t know about these chemical compounds. I cite Dr. Coburn’s work (“Stolen Future”) because I am familiar with it. If this scenario played out, who would be accountable? What cause and effect rela- tionship could be proved in a court of law? Don’t we have enough poisons in our atmosphere, our food, soil and now our water? Don’t we have enough government agencies We had it all — Easter eggs, volunteers, miles of smiles and sunshine. The annual Florence Community Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by the Siuslaw High School Interact Club and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Florence, was bursting with energetic youngsters filling their baskets, bags and boxes with nearly 4,000 colorful plastic eggs containing treats and prizes as depicted in the April 8 edition of the Siuslaw News (“Mad Dash,” page A1). Both clubs want to thank the following businesses for their contributions of goods, discounts and publicity in helping this year’s Easter Egg Hunt be so successful: Abby’s Pizza, Grocery Outlet, Wind Drift Gallery, City Lights Cinemas, Dairy Queen, McDonalds, Bi-Mart, Siuslaw News, KCST Radio and Pacific Publishing. Our area youth continually benefits from these and other generous businesses in Florence. In addition, thank you to the com- munity for supporting our efforts by attending this event. See you next Easter. Ryan Denning Interact VP & Easter Egg Hunt Chair Lis Farm & Jenna Bartlett Florence Rotary Advisers MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel • On April 25, 1719, Daniel Defoe’s fic- tional work “The Life and Strange Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” is pub- lished. The book, about a shipwrecked sailor who spends 28 years on a deserted island, is based on the experiences of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor who spent four years on a small island off the coast of South America in the early 1700s. • On April 21, 1816, Charlotte Bronte, the only one of three novelist Bronte sisters to live past age 31, is born. Charlotte’s two older sisters died of illness while at Clergy Daughter’s School. The grim institution found its way into her masterpiece “Jane Eyre” (1847). • On April 26, 1913, 13-year-old Mary Phagan is found molested and murdered in the Atlanta pencil factory where she worked. Her murder led to one of the most disgraceful episodes of bigotry, injustice and mob vio- lence in American history — the lynching of her innocent Jewish boss, Leo Frank. • On April 22, 1934, George “Baby Face” Nelson kills Special Agent W. Carter Baum during an FBI raid in northern Wisconsin. The famed gangster was born Lester Gillis but wanted to be known as Big George Nelson. Unfortunately for him, his youthful looks led everyone to call him “Baby Face.” • On April 24, 1940, bestselling mystery novelist Sue Grafton, creator of private eye Kinsey Millhone, is born. Starting with “A Is for Alibi” in 1982 and titling each of her books with letters of the alphabet in order, Grafton is currently up to W, for “Wasted.” • On April 23, 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov is killed when his para- chute lines tangle during his spacecraft’s landing. Komarov plunged to the ground from 23,000 feet. • On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announces that all Cubans wishing to emi- grate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift. The first of 125,000 Cuban refugees from Mariel reached Florida the next day. (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 Egg-citing Easter YESTERDAY’S NEWS 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