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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2015)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ OCTOBER 3, 2015 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ Opinion NEW LAWS TAKE EFFECT IN OCTOBER Dear Friends and Neighbors, With summer behind us, the Oregon Legislative Assembly is looking ahead to the next session and reflecting on the good things we’ve already accomplished for the 2015 Legislative Session. While many bills passed during the 2015 Session have already become law, there are some new laws that will take effect in October. Among these are laws that will support rural communi- ties and create jobs, prevent sex trafficking, provide reliable emer- gency preparedness funding, and help create a path to financial security and independence for Oregonians living with disability. Below are a few legislative highlights from the 2015 Session that will become law in October 2015: SB 777: ABLE Act for Oregonians Living with Disabilities The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) program creates a savings program for chil- dren with disabilities, or adults with disabilities whose disability manifested before 26 years of age, allowing those eligible to set and reach financial goals and become more self-sufficient. On Oct. 5, 2015, Senate Bill 777 takes effect and requires the State Treasurer and the Oregon 529 Savings Board to begin work to establish and maintain a qualified ABLE pro- gram. Senate Bill 777 aligns state EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM GUEST VIEWPOINT B Y A RNIE R OBLAN S TATE S ENATOR , D ISTRICT 5 law with federal law, creating a path to financial security and inde- pendence for Oregonians living with disability. HB 2643: Simplifying Economic Development through Enterprise Zones Enterprise zones are an econom- ic development tool used by local governments to exempt qualifying businesses from local property taxes on new investments. House Bill 2643 streamlines the process for establishing an enterprise zone, and removes the limit on how many may be set up in Oregon at once. This allows cities and coun- ties greater flexibility to use this proven economic development tool. The Oregon Business Development Department still must approve creation of new enterprise zones. HB 3188: Predator Management in Rural Oregon Many rural Oregonians rely on effective predator management to prevent costly damage to their livestock or timber. House Bill 3188 gives certain landowners in Coos and Douglas counties the option to petition the county to form a predator damage control district, giving these landowners the ability to voluntarily contribute to funding predator management services. As existing funding sources dwindle, this bill will help farmers protect their livestock and timber. HB 3396: Healthcare Providers in Rural Oregon House Bill 3396 requires the Oregon Health Policy Board to study and evaluate the effectiveness of existing financial incentive pro- grams to recruit and retain health care providers to practice in rural and medically underserved areas in Oregon. The bill will address an ongoing need to attract and keep qualified healthcare providers to practice in Rural Oregon. HB 2908: Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families This bill brings Oregon law into compliance with the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 that also goes into effect Oct. 1, 2015. The federal act was passed to prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care, to extend and improve adop- tion incentives, and to improve international child support recov- ery. House Bill 2908 implements federal provisions in state law to support children in foster care, including: permanency planning, extracurricular, cultural and social activities, transition planning for children 14 and up, and foster chil- dren’s rights. SB 262: Oil Spill Prevention The Oregon Legislature passed the Oil Spill Prevention Act in 1991. This Act directed the Department of Environmental Quality to prevent, prepare, and respond to oil spills from large facilities, vessels and petroleum transportation industries. To fur- ther prepare for possible oil spills, Senate Bill 292 increases fees, expands the uses of moneys in the Oil Spillage Control Fund, and expands reporting requirements. HB 2171: Efficient Government to Protect Critical Services House Bill 2171 protects tax- payers from waste by reining in tax credits and includes savings from several expiring tax credits. The bill also includes strategic investments in the Working Family Child and Dependent Care tax credit to increase access to quality, affordable childcare for working families. I look forward to returning to our State Capitol in 2016 to con- tinue to fight for Oregon families, create a climate where local busi- nesses thrive, and prioritize fund- ing for our public schools. Warmest wishes. YESTERDAY’S NEWS MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel • On Oct. 5, 1892, the Dalton gang attempts to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas, but meets resistance from townspeo- ple, who kill four of the five bandits. The gang had turned to crime when they became bored with their other career possibilities on the Western frontier. • On Oct. 11, 1925, novelist Elmore Leonard is born in New Orleans. He decided to write either Westerns or detective novels, whichever would generate the most income. By the time of his death in 2013, he’d penned 45 books. • On Oct. 9, 1934, the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The Cards nickname, the “Gashouse Gang,” had to do with the team’s close resemblance to the rowdy, dirt-streaked thugs who hung around the Gashouse District on Manhattan’s East Side. • On Oct. 10, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower offers his apologies to the Ghanian finance minister, who had been refused service at a restaurant in Delaware. It was one of the first of many such incidents in which African diplomats experienced racial segregation in the United States. • On Oct. 6, 1961, President John F. Kennedy advises American families to build bomb shelters to protect them from atomic fall- out in the event of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union. • On Oct. 8, 1970, Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize for litera- ture. Arrested in 1945 for criticizing the Stalin regime, he served time in Russian prisons, forced labor camps and internal exile. His works had to be secreted out of Russia in order to be published. • On Oct. 7, 1983, Sean Connery stars in “Never Say Never Again” as the British secret service agent James Bond, a role he last played in 1971. The film’s title referenced the fact that Connery had previously said he would never play Agent 007 again. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc. LETTERS Selfless firefighters The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and fire departments across the nation have worked together in the Fill the Boot Campaign for over 60 years. The Siuslaw Valley Firefighters Association has been an active participant in this event for over 10 years and raised more than $12,000 during this year’s campaign. All money raised by our firefighters is used to send local and Lane County disabled chil- dren to a summer camp where they have fun and are cared for by medical professionals. The Fill the Boot Campaign is a function of our Firefighters Association and is supported by the fire district, which mandates they wear traffic safety vests, receive a safety briefing, use safety spotters, follow all traffic laws and bring apparatus with them so they can respond to emergencies if needed. Before our Firefighters Association is allowed to participate in this event, they are required to register with the MDA, which pro- vides them with liability insurance and assists in obtaining permit approval with ODOT and the City of Florence. On a personal note, I am extremely proud of the many SVFR firefighters who selflessly spent their holiday weekend raising money for a worthy cause. The Fill the Boot Campaign is just another example of how our firefighters willingly give of themselves to serve others in need. We should all be so good. Respectfully, Jim Langborg Fire Chief Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue A ‘personal’ call from Carly Fiorina Today I received a “personal” (robot) call from Carly Fiorina wanting me to sign a peti- tion to prevent a 13-year-old girl from receiv- ing an abortion without her parents’ consent. Three questions: 1. Who would want a child of 13 to carry a baby to full term? 2. Who impregnated this child? 3. What if it was the father or step-father of this child? When Carly — already lying about seeing non-existent videos of abortions — wants to petition for finding the pedophile who impreg- nated this (mythical?) 13-year-old, I’ll sign. Hopefully the Republican presidential line- up will soon be minus one candidate who can’t tell truth from fiction. Barbara Prisbe-Sutton Oceanside, Calif. formerly of Florence 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, Hats off to PUD grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter My neighbors and I would like to express our deep appreciation to the PUD crews that have been working for the past several months in our Clear Lake/Huckleberry neighborhood. They have done such a remarkable job in removing and cleaning out the vegetation and trees, it is a wonderful improvement for all of us to enjoy. Thank you, Mary Jo Leach Dunes City 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 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