4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ FEBRUARY 13, 2016
Siuslaw News
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
VIEW FROM UPRIVER
YESTERDAY’S NEWS
New, under the sun
W ESLEY V OTH
For the Siuslaw News
––––––––––––
A
s I write this, we are having the warm
sunny weather that we generally get
here this time of year. Never mind that
by the time this goes to print it will be raining,
or that last year weather like this began in
January and lasted for weeks. The crocuses in
our yard opened Feb. 7 — the first hail-free
opening in years — bumblebees responsively
appeared, and people seemed universally
cheerful. We opened the windows and gloried
in temperatures that topped 60.
Today I filled my gas tank at the station in
Mapleton, where I always do. I paid $1.89 a
gallon. National average today was $1.80,
Oregon average $1.95. And you know what?
Some Mapleton people, and not a few others
that come up short as they pass, still come in
and buy a paltry couple of bucks worth before
going on to some other “greener grass” station
to fill up. When I went to Florence later I was
going to compare prices, but didn’t. I forgot
because actually I don’t care what it costs else-
where. I am going to support the businesses I
depend on.
On Jan. 31 I attended a memorial service
for Bob Jackson. There were a lot of people
there, friends and family, some of whom had
traveled quite a distance. I was
impressed by two very young men who
were taking great time and care in writ-
ing their whole long names into the
sign-in book, and by the patient encour-
aging man accompanying them, who I
presume was their father. I thought how
pleased Bob would have been.
Bob was known for his drawing skills and
care in writing. Bob and I knew each other
only through our writing for this newspaper,
and talking on the phone a few times over the
years our columns both appeared. One of the
things we had in common was growing up in
rural Oregon, and leaving home young to
hitchhike south with nothing in our pockets
beyond belief in ourselves, confidence in our
ability to make it in the world, and trust in the
basic goodness of people. We both came back
a little wiser about people, but no less positive
overall.
Having officiated at a number of memorial
services over the years, and attending many
more, I was disappointed that exactly 30 min-
utes into a service that started right on time,
the part where people shared memories about
Bob was ended. I could have listened for
hours, as long as people had stories to tell.
Taps was played, there was a long spontaneous
moment of silence, and the service was over.
Bob’s napkin drawings adorned the walls, and
I spoke with several people who were coping
with the fact that what had seemed like a gen-
erous and limitless supply were now limited
editions.
We were invited to partake of the huge and
varied supply of donuts and told that Bob had
eaten them and other desserts for “breakfast,
lunch, dinner and in between, and lived in
good health until the age of 94, and so we
shouldn’t let anyone tell us that donuts were
bad for us.” Well, all I can say to that is it’s
proof again that Bob was a cut above the rest
of us.
ODOT is working on the Mapleton end of
Highway 36, specifically the guardrails along
the curves where the river and the road cozy
up, the legacy of a nearly forgotten landslide.
More metal railing is being added in places
where vehicles have gone into the river in
recent years, and wooden pilings that hold the
railing in place are being replaced by metal,
these probably more friendly to the environ-
ment than treated wood and being driven
deeper than what was replaced. It is heartening
to see this infrastructure improved.
Rumors that Alpha-Bit Café and Bookstore
is closing are true. The Mapleton Storefront
business, an outreach of Deadwood’s Alpha
Farm Community for the past 44 years, will
have its last day on Sunday, Feb. 14.
According to people from Alpha Farm I
spoke with, it has been decided that continuing
this outreach is not the best use of their
resources at this time. There are no immediate
plans to sell or do anything else with the prop-
erty.
Details of their farewell dinner and closing
schedule can be found at Alpha’s Facebook
page and probably elsewhere in this paper.
This local icon — with its lilac exterior paint,
healthy food, friendliness to strangers and pol-
icy of providing restrooms open to any and all
— will be missed.
MOMENTS IN TIME
The History Channel
On Feb. 20, 1792, President George
Washington signs legislation renewing the
United States Post Office as a cabinet depart-
ment led by the postmaster general. Postmaster
Benjamin Franklin had streamlined postal
delivery with surveyed and marked routes from
Maine to Florida (the origins of Route 1).
On Feb. 17, 1865, soldiers from Union
Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s army ran-
sack Columbia, S.C., and leave a charred city in
their wake. Sherman is most famous for his
March to the Sea through Georgia in the clos-
ing months of 1864.
On Feb. 19, 1878, the technology that
made the modern music business possible was
born in the New Jersey laboratory where
Thomas Alva Edison created the first device to
both record sound and play it back — the
phonograph.
On Feb. 18, 1885, Mark Twain publishes
his famous — and controversial — novel “The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Its satirical
look at racism, religion and other social atti-
tudes of the time led libraries to ban the book.
On Feb. 21, 1948, NASCAR — the
National Association for Stock Car Racing —
is officially incorporated. NASCAR held its
first Strictly Stock race in 1949 at Charlotte
Speedway in North Carolina.
On Feb. 15, 1961, the entire 18-member
U.S. figure skating team is killed in a plane
crash in Belgium. The team was on its way to
the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships
in Czechoslovakia. After the crash, an
American woman (Peggy Fleming) would not
capture Olympic gold until 1968, while a U.S.
man (Scott Hamilton) would not do so until
1984.
LETTERS
Ambulance plan
Why don’t we combine fire
and ambulance services in
Western Lane like they do in
most of the rest of this county?
We would get faster responses
as both fire and ambulance per-
sonnel would be station based
and ready to go.
We would have fewer build-
ings/administration to maintain
and it would be more economi-
cal overall.
I’m sure some clever govern-
ment person could figure out
how to combine the two tax
bases into something more effi-
cient for us all and save a few
tax dollars along the way.
Larry Dunlap, M.D.
Florence
On Feb. 16, 1997, Jeff Gordon claims his
first Daytona 500 victory, becoming at age 25
the youngest winner in the history of the 500-
mile NASCAR race, dubbed the “Super Bowl
of stock car racing.”
(c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
My missing
husband
There are no words signifi-
cant enough to give my and our
family’s heartfelt and joyful
thank-you to the several hun-
dred folks that participated in
some way in the search and res-
cue of my husband’s safe return
to our loving arms.
As he was only wearing light-
weight pajamas and a pair of
shoes, and it was 36 degrees at
the time he left Regency through
his room’s window, we know he
could probably not have existed
through the dark night.
Our fears turned to the dark-
est of thoughts.
There were several search-
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
and-rescue teams out looking as
well as a search dog trying to
pick up the scent.
Our daughter and her
boyfriend came down from
Waldport and joined the search:
he also walked the creek behind
our house from way north down
to Highway 126 in the very
dark, cold night to be sure Don
had not fallen there.
Neighbor friends got out of
bed at 4:45 a.m. to join the
search. Facebook, radio, TV
and the like, as well as Mayor
Joe Henry’s efforts, were a
tremendous help.
So thanks to all, named and
un-named, for your great efforts
and love.
Don was given shelter and a
large warm hoodie by a won-
derful Good Samaritan, who
possibly saved Don’s life.
Don was welcomed and
warmed the following morning
by a person or persons near
Sears, who then called police,
namely Sgt. James Macfarlane,
who did a wonderful job of
informing me and keeping me
up-dated thoughout the dark
night, and finally the good
news: He had been found!
My husband, Don Schug,
wants to thank the Siuslaw
News for printing the Feb. 3
article (“Missing Senior Found
Safe”) and say:
“I am thankful to be alive and
thankful for all the people who
cared and put forth their huge
efforts to find me. I had no idea
the folks of Florence were and
are so wonderful. All the folks
in our ‘church family’ could not
be more loving. I am very
blessed for all those who helped
me find my way.”
Shirley Schug
Florence
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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
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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