4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JUNE 24, 2015
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
DEAR READERS:
Seeking letters
H
ave something on your mind? Let
the community know by writing a
letter to the editor today. —Editor
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
AquaDart — Made in Florence
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED J UNE 19, 1969
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 9, N O . 24
Skimming lightly over the surface of the
water, Florence’s newest manufactured prod-
uct looks like an over-sized surfboard pow-
ered by an outboard motor. And, basically,
that is what an AquaDart is, according to Al
Millstead and Ron Fisher, president and vice
president of Century Manufacturing Corp. of
Florence.
Made of fiberglass, the one-man craft is
capable of moving through the water at speeds
up to 60 miles per hour with a full-grown
adult riding it.
“The AquaDart is a flat-bottomed craft
that is eight feet long, 40 inches wide and
four to six inches deep,” Millstead said. “It is
capable of turning end for end in its own
length at 20 or 30 miles per hour and will
carry a person weighing 300 pounds or more
through the water with a six to 10 horse
power motor.”
Millstead explained that about 500 of the
craft had been manufactured in California in
the early 1960s, but that the company had
stopped production three years ago due to
financial difficulties.
“We heard about them from a man who
had seen one operate before. It sounded like a
good product. We went to the company and
bought their molds and all rights to
them. Then we brought them to
Florence and began making them last
May 15,” Millstead said.
Produced in two models, the
Scotchman and the Sportsman, the
craft will sell for between $189 and
$220 as standard models, less motor.
“You can have various accessories
or have one custom made for extra
cost,” Fisher added.
“They are safe for anyone from
eight years of age on up,” Millstead
said. “The exterior is made of fiber-
glass with foam flotation inside. They
can’t sink in normal operation. The
motor mounting is made of solid
mahogany and will take an outboard
motor up to 25 horse power.
“They are practically impossible to
turn over and if you are thrown off,
the boat is designed to turn away
SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTO
from you and the motor is designed to
either stop or go into neutral. They
AquaDart provides thrills and speed for the rider.
are engineered for complete safety.”
The one-man craft can reach 60 miles per hour.
The rider of an AquaDart stands
on the craft with his feet placed on two non-
“The shifting of body weight is also a direc-
slip surfaces on the deck.
tional control factor,” Millstead said.
Control of the motor, gas, gears and direc-
Gasoline for the motor is stored in a tank
tion are provided by ropes connected to the
mounted on the front of the craft.
motor and gripped by the rider.
Construction of an AquaDart begins with
the waxing of a mold at the company’s plant
on First Street. A thin coat of color agent is
then sprayed on the waxed mild, followed by
a 3/16 inch application of fiberglass from a
“chopper gun” that mixes the fiberglass and
resin in one operation.
After the fiberglass is sprayed in the mold,
it is rolled out to remove all air bubbles. The
excess fiberglass is then trimmed and one inch
of foam flotation is added.
The section is then removed from the mold
and the top and bottom sections are cemented
together with fiberglass.
The transom is placed on the hull along
with boards around the motor well to provide
additional motor stability.
“After that, all you have to do is put a
motor on and go for the ride of your life,”
Millstead said.
To introduce the AquaDart to the dealers
that will be handling it, a dealer showing will
be held in Florence the first part of July.
“We will be in full production by then,”
Millstead said, “and ready to take orders for
immediate delivery.”
At the present time, the company employs
three people in its plant.
Millstead said, “Demand for the AquaDart
will dictate future expansion of the company,
but we hope to increase our production and
staff in the near future.” ™
NEIGHBORS
A dog named Mocha
B OB J ACKSON
N EIGHBORHOOD C ORRESPONDENT
For the Siuslaw News
once had a fleeting “love affair”
with a big yellow Labrador, but I
suspect she, like in the song, pret-
ty much “called everybody darling”
— although I always liked to think
that perhaps she liked me best.
Mocha seemed like a strange
name for a dog. Her owner, Debra
Glenzer, confused me even more by
explaining: “All my friends loved to
have a mocha drink, but I hated cof-
fee, and because this beautiful yel-
low lab would be loved by all, I gave
her the name Mocha.”
Whelped Sept. 18, 2002, she was
registered with AKC on Dec. 27,
listing her parents as Sir Cian
McGregor and Lady Helen of Pit N
Shell. (I don’t pretend to understand
any of this, I only repeat what I am
told.)
Her proud owners, Deb and
Sheldon Glenzer, stated that Mocha
graduated from Valley View Canine
All Breed Training with a diploma in
obedience, also receiving a beautiful
maroon ribbon for “Most Improved.”
She was spayed in December 2003
and never had any litters.
Growing up on a small acreage on
I
the Sandy River, near Boring, Ore.,
she must have loved being in the
country. Roaming free and unfet-
tered, she could disappear down to
the Sandy River 300 feet below her
property.
There were the “not too unusual”
trips to the vet, like the time she got
a big marrow bone wedged into her
jaw area. A hacksaw was used to no
avail, but with
anesthesia she
was relaxed
enough for
the vet to
remove the
bone. While
in the veteri-
narian’s wait-
ing room, she
yawned and
revealed
something
they were
able to dis-
lodge them-
selves, thus
evading
another
expensive
visit.
It was decided that she needed a
companion, so a trip to the pound
resulted in adoption of a purebred
Brittany Spaniel that had been res-
cued from a puppy mill. Her new
brother was named Dallas because
that was where he was rescued. And
because Mocha had been “fixed,” the
two dogs’ loving relationship was
purely platonic.
Deb and Sheldon decided to make
a move to the Oregon coast, to a
place they called “beautiful
Florence,” settling right on the
Siuslaw River in a gated adult com-
munity of something like 550 homes
named Green Trees. They purchased
a riverfront home very near our own,
and soon, several times every day I
was to see them happily walking by
with these two magnificent animals
tugging on their leashes.
One day I was out by the street as
they passed, then in a magical
moment the big yellow lab jerked
free from the leash and with a wildly
wagging tail bounded towards me.
Whining and panting she passed
back and forth between my bowlegs,
leaving a coating of dog hair as she
went. This was almost a daily occur-
rence, even from half a block away,
she would break away and come
running. Nearly bowling me over,
she would always go through the
same “through the legs” routine, and
then eagerly enjoy a lot of petting
and ear scratching.
Eventually, Dallas the spaniel,
crippled by age, was “put to sleep;”
however, Mocha was able to spend
several more years swimming in the
river and taking long walks with Deb
and Sheldon. Inevitably, Mocha was
to join Dallas in that big Valhalla
dog park in the sky, and we mere
humans, well, we were left with a lot
of pleasant memories.
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor con-
cerning 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 volume of letters received.
Libelous and anonymous letters as well as 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 Copyright 2015 © Siuslaw News
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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