4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MAY 13, 2015
Siuslaw News
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
DEAR READERS:
New letters policy
P
lease take a moment to review our
revised policy for letters to the editor
at the bottom of this page. —Editor
From the Editor’s Desk
Time for a change ... of print
B Y R YAN C RONK
Siuslaw News Editor
T
his year marks the 125th
anniversary of the Siuslaw
News, and because of this
remarkable achievement, it seemed
like the perfect time to update some
parts of the newspaper that felt, well,
out of date.
As I hope you have noticed, the
front page has been redesigned.
Teasers for sports and inside stories
are now at the top, along with our
social media sites for Facebook and
Twitter. The index and weather infor-
mation also have been spruced up for
easier reading.
You’ll notice the flags have changed
as well for the Sports and Coast Life
sections and the Opinion page.
This is only the beginning.
In the months ahead, we hope to
introduce more changes and additions
to better serve our readers and contin-
ue the newspaper’s long-established
history in the community.
Speaking of new additions, our
125th Anniversary Flashback series
will return next week. In the mean-
time, let us know what you think of
our new look.
NEIGHBORS
Flashback — A very short dissertation
dinners and BYOB (bring your own
bottle). It was named The
Rendezvous, pronounced “ron-day-
voo” — one of my friends who spent
more time looking at girls in school
than he did studying English, called it
the Ren-dez-voos (which really made
more sense).
One night, a long-time friend
ordered a rare steak in there, and
when it was delivered he carried it
around to every booth and insisted
that the mostly complete strangers
take a bite from the hot, dripping
meat. Buck was a big, good-natured
guy who could get away with most
anything. Such was the uninhibited
attitudes of the times.
Our favorite was the little Snack
Bar on the west side of the highway,
somewhere near the street leading to
the present-day Elks Lodge. It was
owned by Bobbie and Richey
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
F
ew remain in this town of
Florence who know what it
was like here, say in the
1950s. North of the bridge across the
Siuslaw River, a few new restaurants
were beginning to sprout along
Highway 101 amongst the pine trees
and rhododendron bushes. It doesn’t
require much space to list the ones
that I can remember.
Small and unpretentious, they
offered limited menus that reflected
the tastes of the hardworking locals
and occasional tourist visitors. There
was the little Penguin restaurant, and
across from what is now the Oregon
Pacific Bank, a decorative sandstone
facade invited hungry patrons to the
Dorchester House. We had breakfast
there once, and I recall the cook
being a tall, older and very profes-
sional appearing gentleman that
turned out pancakes that were not
only delicious, but browned to a deli-
cate vision of artistic perfection.
Marie’s, a popular diner that eventu-
ally became known as the Windward
Inn, was considered at the time (like
the new airport) as being “north of
town.”
Just south of the bridge, on the
other end of town there was a “water-
ing hole” nightclub where they had
Anderson who also owned a little
Aeronca plane they kept at the new
airport. The Snack Bar had an inside
counter and outside drive-up stations.
It had class, partly because of being
surrounded by walls of attractive
glass block. The bald and portly cook
was unique, through the open pass-
through he could always be seen
whistling popular tunes. It was enter-
taining — and he never stopped.
One night in our bar-hopping days,
I took a wild ride past the little Snack
Bar. Because of my reputation as a
wild and crazy driver, someone was
always trying to out-do me. Martin G.
owned a log truck and must have
been doing alright because he bought
a brand new Lincoln Capri that cost
nearly $4,000 (seat belts were avail-
able for another $25). It was black,
with a white top and had a 317 cu in.
V8. These cars won the top four spots
in the stock car category of the Pan
American road races in 1953.
Cars were still status symbols then,
and Martin was really proud of this
car. We had both been drinking, and
he dared me to take a ride in his “hot
car.”
Well, to make a long story short,
we drove north out of town. Coming
back, in a bit of spontaneous, euphor-
ic, alcohol-fueled swaggering brava-
do, he floor-boarded it. Looking at
the speedometer as we passed the
Snack Bar, the needle was hovering
on 95 miles per hour — this on a city
street.
Youth and drinking is a bad combi-
nation, and looking back, had we hit
someone this could have resulted in
unpremeditated murder. And, if you
think there aren’t guiding angels hov-
ering over us at times like this, well,
think again!
LETTERS
Elect Carnahan, Phillips
I support electing John Carnahan (firefighter)
and Tony Phillips (Tony’s Garage) to the
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Board of
Directors.
Presently, there’s a lack of diversity on the
board. With John, you get a Western Lane
Ambulance retired paramedic and current bat-
talion chief from SVFR. Tony is not only a suc-
cessful businessman, but also a master mechan-
ic who understands the apparatus we utilize in
the department.
Both have invaluable knowledge, leadership
and integrity that will strengthen our department
in Florence and the surrounding area.
Pete “Boa” Warren
Volunteer, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue
Rose sale success
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
the editor concerning issues affecting
the Florence area and Lane County.
Emailed letters are preferred.
Handwritten or typed letters must be
signed. All letters should be limited to
about 300 words and must include the
writer’s full name, address and phone
number for verification.
Letters are subject to editing for
length, grammar and clarity. Publication
of any letter is not guaranteed and
depends on space available and the vol-
ume of letters received.
Libelous and anonymous letters or
poetry will not be published.
All submissions become the property
of Siuslaw News and will not be
returned.
Write to:
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com
USPS# 497-660
The Soroptimist Club of Florence wishes to
extend a very special thank you to the many
supporters of the Soroptimist Rose Sale.
On April 29, almost 400 dozen roses were
delivered by Soroptimist members and spouses.
All the proceeds from the rose sale go toward
the scholarships for local students.
Many thanks to the Florence businesses, folks
of Florence and the surrounding area who
bought roses.
Frankie Jorgensen
Florence
They want more control
I find it ironic that the government is encour-
aging us to reduce our CO2 emissions. I was
taught in science class on multiple occasions
that plant life uses CO2 in the production of
Chlorophyll (you know, that green stuff that is
good for the human body). I also learned that
when the plant life exchanges CO2 for O2, the
gas we breathe is a byproduct of photosynthesis.
Now the ironic thing about the carbon tax is
that many of the policies that are being put into
place actually produce more CO2. The carbon
tax is nothing more than more control of the
sheeple. And it sure seems like the sheeple love
and want more control.
The Department of Energy last week
Can’t fool me twice
The Dunes City Council, with one notable
exception, did not lend their support to Lane
County commissioners’ proposal for a county-
wide fee on vehicle registrations — a sage deci-
sion. The commissioner and his presentation
team showed a graph depicting distribution of
timber funds over some years past, and noted
that it had not been updated with last year’s fig-
ures. That was untrue. It showed that nothing
was distributed, and that was the truth.
Dunes City has exclusively used these funds,
approximately $45,000 annually, over the years
to maintain our city’s roads. Last year, the coun-
ty took the funds and gave them all to the sher-
iff’s department, which does not serve Dunes
City whatsoever.
They now want us to kick in thousands of
dollars more that will come back to us as a
$22,000 per year distribution. A pittance that
will not maintain our roads, and we will again
be subsidizing county activities elsewhere.
The fair solution to the problem is a usage-
based tax, which should be assessed at the
pump. That being said, now is not the time to
act. The commissioners have given all of this a
false sense of urgency, knowing that many do
not vote in May, but interest and participation in
November is a different story, and that this is
their best opportunity to sneak this in.
This is a forever fee, which will only escalate.
Commissioner Jay Bozievich noted that
California’s registration fees run over $400, and
he seemed to think that that was the standard,
and was somehow germane to Oregon.
Baloney! Vote “no” on this measure.
Mary Jo Leach
Dunes City
Re-elect Nancy
I endorse Nancy Rickard. As a Port of
Siuslaw commissioner, she has shown her lead-
ership by giving a voice to the environmentalists
already working to preserve our watershed.
Nancy sponsored the Siuslaw Watershed
Council presentation by Liz Vollmer-Buhl and
the presentation by biologist Paul Engelmeyer
about our bird and fish populations. She is spon-
soring upcoming presentations by the Surfrider
Association’s Charlie Plybon and Ryan Cruse.
Nancy is the voice of reason and experience
during this difficult rebuilding time for the
port’s wharf, facilities, docks and RV Park.
Join with me. Vote to re-elect Commissioner
Nancy Rickard.
Jay Nefcy
Florence
Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News
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Editor, ext. 313
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Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
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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; fax
541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ryan Cronk
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
announced a conditional loan of $259 million to
Alcoa, Inc., supporting the manufacture of light-
weight-aluminum auto bodies. The resurrection
of the DOE’s controversial fuel-efficient-vehi-
cle loan program is a joke.
The DOE’s loan programs have lost taxpayers
at least $780 million. The only energy they pro-
duce is finding ways to waste more of our
money. Alcoa netted $23.9 billion in revenue
last year, and they are receiving $259 million of
our money to develop an aluminum car frame,
which is much more expensive than a steel car
frame.
Alcoa’s green agenda not only costs con-
sumers more, but it also leads to more green-
house-gas emissions and more coal being
burned — and those who oppose this agenda are
demonized for selling out the planet.
Say goodbye to more of your money.
James Selby
Florence
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