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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ JUNE 17, 2015 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion 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. —Editor Putting Florence on the map O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED J UNE 8, 1956 T HE S IUSLAW O AR , V OL . 29, N O . 2 A magazine puts Florence on the map this month with resident Henry Lee speaking in the June 9 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. “Only a map — a new map — will picture for you the breath-taking population-industri- al boom of our Northwest,” Lee related. His observation is made in an article enti- tled, “The Job They’ll Never Finish,” in which he tells the story of the cartographers whose job of mapping the earth is complicated by constant changes. He said that cartographers begin revising a map of any of the 48 states almost as soon as they complete it. In other news, Florence’s order for over 200 street signs is expected to arrive within two weeks. Arrangements for placing the signs are being made with Florence junior chamber of commerce. Also on hand are house numbers. Florence Ordinance No. 280 renumbered buildings and renamed streets in town. It was passed December 1955 and provides alphabetically arranged tree names for north- south streets, numerical designations for east- west streets and houses and buildings to be numbered with uniform figures. House and building numbers will be decid- ed by the city recorder. Numbers run up from west to east and from south to north. They will be even on your right, odd on your left as you travel north or east. Along with area streets, local businesses are expanding and moving to prime locations. Highway 101 north of Florence promises to be a solid business district, north to Heceta Beach junction, before too long. This week, another business opened there with OK Rubber Welders’ move from its south highway location to the former food and vegetable market. Ole and Harold Fosback are still in the throes of moving operations, but are proud of their new larger location for their fast- expanding business. Arasmith Motor company will move from Front Street into a garage constructed for the Vannie Arasmiths by Truitt Woodworth. It is the most attractive and modern garage building in western Lane County. Last week, Williams Photo Service opened on 22nd Street with plans to expand as the business warrants. Mr. Williams does the photo work at night, while Mrs. Williams is in charge of the serv- ice during the day. It should not be too many years before all this area should again be included in the city limits as originally platted. Lastly, Florence is to have cable TV within the next six months, according to terms of an ordinance passed st the city council meeting Monday, June 4. The evening meeting granted Kessel Radio and TV Service the franchise. Joe Kessel said for the present, only Channel 13 from Eugene and Channel 6 from Portland will be available, but he hopes to add two more channels from Portland within a short time. He hoped these channels will sup- ply three major networks and an independent station for reception in the Florence area. Installation will be on the high cliff oppo- site Cushman store, property belonging to William Rose. A 65-foot pole will carry the four antenna and Rose’s TV will be used as a test center or control. NEIGHBORS Health care in Florence B OB J ACKSON N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT For the Siuslaw News I t hasn’t ever been easy, it didn’t happen overnight, but it did hap- pen, and it is still happening — right here in “river city.” Just recently, this news item appeared locally: $5 million has been raised in donations and pledges to expand the 25-year-old emergency room at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence to 4,700 square feet. It will more than double the size of the existing ER, plus pro- vide additional capabilities and nine private treatment rooms. Target date for completion is September 2016. $5 million — in contrast, flash back to 1989 when publicly owned Western Lane Hospital launched a fundraising effort that was aiming at $500,000 to build a new hospital that would be managed by Eugene-based PeaceHealth. Through the generosity of local “deep pocket” leaders, busi- nesses and the general public, an astounding $1.2 million was raised to build the new 25-room facility that replaced the old hospital, which also had 25 beds, plus a 25-bed nursing home at the far end. Go figure! Much of this report is cursory and undefendable. It is barely a peek into the past, for the elapsed period of time has eroded memories of early medical treatment except for the few souls still existing who lived through it, and can still recall the early days as if time itself were standing still. I am indebted to both Dr. Fred Bower’s wife Julie and Dr. Richard Ulman’s wife Arlis for freshening my memories of doctor visits and emer- gency treatment in Florence, as recent as nearing the World War II years and shortly afterwards. Julie Bower, a graduate of Ohio State with a degree in dental hygien- ics, had at one time worked at a vet- erans center. From 1984 to 1992, she worked in Dr. Bower’s office while devoting much time to fundraising projects. Her and Arlis Ulman’s expe- riences in the rudimentary health care in Florence could furnish material for a very big book. Arlis Ulman, a RN in her hus- band’s office, vividly recalls the days of medical care spent in close prox- imity to Dr. Navarre J. Dunn and Dr. Brower’s offices above the Western Auto store and Dick Carroll’s “pills for ills, more pills for ills” drug store. Pete Peterson also had a nearby phar- macy. All this was on the east side of Highway 101, close to where the Rhododendron Drive traffic lights now exist. Arlis remembers how patients had to be transported either to a hospital in North Bend or Eugene. She said driving to Eugene over the old high- way through Swisshome and Triangle Lake, was a two-and-a-half-hour nightmare. I remember that Dr. Dunn’s wife Marie, also a nurse, had at one time been a concert pianist. She drove the ambulance that I believe was a 1937 straight eight Buick. In those days, outlying areas had to be reached on gravel roads. In Florence, most streets were gravel, including Rhododendron. It was a different world. Doctors still made house calls and sometimes wrote off the care of indigent patients who had fallen on hard times. Over the interim years, so many devoted individuals have expanded the health care in Florence. Names come to mind, like my good friend PT Smith who worked with the “sis- ters” of Sacred Heart in developing the new hospital, and then upon los- ing his wife Ester, worked tirelessly at financing the Friends of Florence cancer van to Eugene. Now, we who live here continue to be blessed because of the vision of earlier citizens. Somewhere I read this news item: PeaceHealth has been named as one of the nation’s “health strong” hospitals by iVantage Health Analytics. Sounds pretty impressive! L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR P OLICY The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor concerning issues affect- ing 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 sub- ject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guar- anteed and depends on space avail- able and the volume of letters received. Libelous and anonymous letters as well as poetry will not be published. All submissions become the proper- ty of Siuslaw News and will not be returned. Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News John Bartlett Jenna Bartlett Ryan Cronk Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry 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; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. 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