4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 13, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE
Cindy Wobbe
C ATHERINE J. R OURKE
For the Siuslaw News
_____________
A
s a busy entrepreneur, moth-
er and mentor with multi-
faceted demands, Cindy
Wobbe could certainly use a helping
hand. Instead, she’s always extend-
ing one of her own.
This virtual “Little Engine That
Could” has raised an astonishing
88,000 pounds of food and matching
funds as host of the annual Pounding
for Florence Food Share holiday
food drive for the past 15 years —
the equivalent of 44 tons. How does
she do it?
“I’m always looking for ways to
use my resources to help people,”
Cindy said. “What matters most in
life is using our gifts in service. If
we all give a little of whatever tal-
ents, skills or connections we have,
then we can truly make a differ-
ence.”
That’s precisely why Cindy
received the 2014 Florence First
Citizen Award, which recognizes an
outstanding individual “who has
given selflessly to the community.”
But there’s more to the story of
this unassuming woman who grew
up feeding the chickens on a farm
outside of Eugene before feeding
those in need in Florence. According
to Cindy, it all began with the influ-
ence of a kind-hearted father serving
as a role model for anonymous gen-
erosity and instilling in her the spirit
of serving others.
“My dad always stopped to help
someone, lend a hand or give food,”
she said. “Throughout my childhood,
I was keenly aware of the haves and
the have-nots. I have vivid memories
of preparing food boxes for delivery
to low-income families.”
This mentorship would inspire her
lifelong dedication to help the less
fortunate. While her list of philan-
thropic endeavors remains long and
vast, Cindy prefers not to broadcast
them. Instead, she just works quietly
behind the scenes, much like her
dad. Whether networking on behalf
of those with catastrophic medical
needs or collaborating with local
organizations to provide triage med-
ical services, sleeping bags, tarps
and supplies for homeless people,
she operates as an anonymous cata-
lyst making miracles happen.
“The homeless population lacks
many critical services,” she said.
“We should treat them like every
other human being, even if they
haven’t had a shower in weeks. I
don’t need to know how they got
where they are; I just want to pro-
vide resources for them. My dad
always taught me to be willing to
step out of the comfort zone.”
Cindy has been no stranger to that
as a single mom, business maverick
and self-described “tenacious, make-
it-happen woman.” She also inherit-
ed her father’s entrepreneurial
streak, starting a secretarial service
in Eugene at age 19. Cindy then
expanded her enterprises with an
answering service, a home décor
business and an organizational con-
sulting practice.
“I wanted to provide income for
single working mothers,” she said.
“That’s how I chose to serve human-
ity.”
Cindy stepped out of that comfort
zone again when the need arose to
serve as a guardian and parent for
her niece.
“Initially, I didn’t plan on being a
mother,” she said. “However, some-
times an unplanned life makes for
the best life of all.”
That would eventually include a
marriage and businesses in Florence.
A job working as an administrator
for Serenity Lane, a private, not-for-
profit, substance-abuse treatment
center in Eugene, brought her to
Florence in 1996, serving as media-
tor for 275 patients at a local outpa-
tient program.
“I look at my time there as instru-
mental in helping people navigate
the system to access treatment,” she
said. “Understanding addictions still
represents uncharted waters.”
Cindy decided to make Florence
her home after meeting her husband,
Gene, a local professional land sur-
veyor. But the avid cook, reader and
gardener still dreamed of blending
her entrepreneurial skills with a pas-
sion for serving others.
“I always wanted to open a cute
little shop and restaurant,” Cindy
said. She would fulfill that vision in
1998 with the Mon Ami Cafe and
Mercantile, the Mon Ami Annex and
then Cindy Wobbe Estates Sales,
helping people liquidate their estates
during difficult transitions such as
the loss of a spouse or downsizing in
a move to an assisted living center.
While she has sold the café to
Diane Marti, a single mom with four
kids who is “continuing the Mon
Ami service legacy,” Cindy contin-
ues to run the estate sales and show-
rooms.
CATHERINE ROURKE
Cindy Wobbe is well known for her dedication to helping others.
Now, 20 years later, she and Gene
share a “blended family” of four
kids, seven grandkids and “a couple
of ‘bonus’ kids we’ve picked up
along the way who needed a safe
place to land and a haven to call
home.” That also includes a rescue
dog named “Bella.”
In addition to her current role of
mother, wife, stepmother, godmother
and grandmother, Cindy describes
herself as an entrepreneur, designer,
writer, mentor and “idea girl.” And
let’s not forget philanthropist. Yet
she still has more dreams to fulfill.
“It’s been a beautiful experience
to live in this community and find
meaning by helping others,” Cindy
said. “I really want to find ways to
employ young girls from local
tribes. My other passion is to help
local people access medical care
where the doors are closed. I want
everyone to have hope. The lack of
that is the root of most of this
world’s ills. If I can inspire hope,
then we’re accomplishing some-
thing.”
______________________
Catherine J. Rourke is an award-
winning writer, journalist and book
editor who teaches creative writing
at the Florence Regional Arts
Alliance. She may be contacted at
CJReditor@gmail.com.
LETTERS
Researchers say this slowing down process is
not the same as cognitive decline. The human
brain works slower in Seenagers, say
researchers, but only because we have stored
more information over time.
The brains of Seenagers do not get weak. On
the contrary, we simply know more.
Also, Seenagers often go to another room to
get something and when we get there, we stand
there wondering what we came for. It is not a
memory problem, it is nature’s way of making
Seenagers do more exercise.
I would say more, but I don’t recall what I
wanted to say. So there!
Duane “Boomer” Wright
Florence
Farewell, Bob
A couple of great tributes to Bob Jackson in
Saturday’s paper (“A Man Named Bob,” Jan. 9,
A1). However, his other unique talent was not
mentioned: his ability to draw sketches of any-
thing and anybody on whatever was available,
most often a paper napkin. He even had a book-
let printed with some of his drawings.
Definitely one of those rare human beings
that we were privileged to get to know and love.
Farewell, Bob, you will be missed by many.
Jim and Lillian Swant
Florence
Times have changed
“Just the Facts” (Dec. 16) is un-factual. The
letter in question never mentioned Syrians. It
stated that when the boats became overloaded
the Muslims threw the Christians overboard and
let them drown. Where they came from is irrel-
evant.
Also, there is no possible way to know who
has been arrested or not. This has been going on
for years. It is just as impossible to determine
what an immigrant has been involved in or what
they have in mind when they come from these
turbulent countries.
The letter writer states, “This country has
been built on the back of immigrants,” but this
is ancient history. Times have changed. We
must become like Australia or New Zealand.
Immigrants don’t get in unless they have funds
or skills the country needs.
Martin Cable
Dunes City
L ETTERS P OLICY
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 let-
Life as a ‘Seenager’
I am a Seenager (senior teenager). I have
everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50
years later.
I don’t have to go to school or work. I get an
allowance every month. I have my own pad. I
don’t have a curfew.
I have a driver’s license and my own car. I
don’t have acne. I have real ID that gets me into
bars and the liquor store.
The people I hang around with are not scared
of getting pregnant. In fact, they aren’t scared of
much of anything; they have been blessed to
live this long. Why be scared?
Brains of Seenagers work slower because we
know so much. Seenagers do not decline men-
tally with age, it just takes us longer to recall
facts because we have more information in our
brains. Scientists believe this also makes us
hard of hearing as it puts pressure on our inner
ear. Much like a computer struggles as the hard
drive gets full, so too, do Seenagers take longer
to access information when our brains are full.
ters 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 edit-
ing for length, grammar and clarity.
Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and
depends on space available and the volume of let-
ters received. Libelous and anonymous letters as
well as poetry will not be published. All submis-
sions become the property of Siuslaw News and
will not be returned.
Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com
USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News
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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