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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2016)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ MARCH 9, 2016 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE Albert J. Brauer C ATHERINE J. R OURKE For the Siuslaw News _____________ F or some things in life, there are no explanations. Perhaps no one knows that more poignantly than Albert J. Brauer, M.D., who has embraced the inex- plicable as well as miracles in both his professional and personal life. One day in 1972, while providing volunteer medical services in Kenya with the Christian Medical and Dental Society, he swerved his vehi- cle to avoid hitting some villagers herding their livestock and hit anoth- er car head-on instead. “In a split second, my entire life changed,” said Dr. Brauer, describ- ing how his vehicle spun out of con- trol. In that moment, he lost a leg as well as his beloved wife, Alice. “Things often happen that we sim- ply can’t understand,” he said. “We like to think we have it all figured out, but we’re really not in control of anything.” Suddenly, the doctor — known as “Al” or “AJ” — who had brought surgery to rural Africa since 1970, required five operations of his own and spent several weeks recovering in the hospital. But that didn’t stop him from moving forward. Fitted with a prosthesis and after undergo- ing extensive physical therapy, the single dad with six kids eventually got back on his feet and got his life back. “It was devastating,” he said. “But something good always comes out of tough circumstances.” During his hospitalization, one particular nurse watched over him. Al and Catherine eventually mar- ried and completed 19 medical missions together in Africa and Asia. Today they have 16 grand- children plus two great-grandchil- dren on the way this spring. “Traumas are often big turning points in our lives,” he said. “We have to trust that God will take care of us in tough times.” Al learned that as a young boy during the Great Depression. Born just two months after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Al grew up in the same small “Dust Bowl” town as comedian Johnny Carson. In fact, both attended the same high school in Norfolk, Neb., where he remembers watching Carson perform magic tricks. “Johnny was a very clever, charismatic and classy guy,” Al said. “You could tell he had a bright future.” But so did Al. Following his father’s footsteps as a family doctor and orthopedic surgeon, he earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1955. He met his first wife at col- lege and they married while Al was still in medical school. Al completed his residency at a hospital in Eugene and, after serving in the Navy, eventually opened a pri- vate practice in Florence in 1968. become involved in all three endeav- ors. “I wanted a small town and even Eugene was too big for me back then,” he said. “People here live the way I grew up, with a focus on fami- ly. I also grew up with temperatures of 40 below in the winter and 118 in the summer. Florence offered a good climate without those extremes.” As a physician, he provided versa- tile medical services for the commu- nity, from orthopedic surgery and family medicine to obstetrics and gynecology. “Medicine was vastly different than it is today,” he said. “We still made house calls. I’ve seen the tide turn, with doctors facing too many restrictions and too much bureaucra- cy. We’re losing our freedoms in so many ways in this country and medi- cine is one of them. It’s not healthy for a democracy.” His advice for today’s doctors: “Keep your sanity and uphold your sacred oath. Refuse to do anything that violates your conscience.” Al devoted eight years to help PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center open its doors in 1989 and served on the board for 19 years. “We needed a modern hospital and had to keep pushing for progress,” he said. “Now it’s ranked among the top 100 hospitals in the U.S.” “I JUST WANTED TO SUPPORT After retiring IMPROVING SERVICES FOR THE from medicine in 1995, Al remained COMMUNITY.” —AL BRAUER committed “to make Florence a better place to Al vividly recalls the fishing and live.” He helped plan the Lane logging town of nearly 50 years ago Community College campus, serving in need of a good hospital, a college on its board for 12 years as well as and banking services. Although he on the local school board for six didn’t know it at the time, he would years. PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE Albert Brauer has been making Florence “a better place to live” since opening a private practice here in 1968. But his longest tenure involved Oregon Pacific Bank (OPB), an enterprise he helped launch in 1979. At an age when most people get ready to retire, Al’s work was just beginning. “Banking was never my idea,” he said. “A patient asked me during a medical exam if I would like to help start a bank. I just wanted to support improving services for the communi- ty.” Al served as a founding chairman, director and board member at OPB for a total of 35 years, retiring the day before his 85th birthday in 2014. His passion for community serv- ice also led him to establish a chari- table foundation through Rotary to benefit many individuals and good causes. “When you get to be my age, you get worn out quickly, but you still find energy to support Rotary,” he said with a smile. “The key in life is to stay positive. Things always work out for the best in the end.” Dr. Brauer’s indefatigable contri- butions to Florence’s medical, edu- cational and financial services, as well as its charitable needs, serve as living testament to that positive vision. ______________________ 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 Advice from a first lady Nancy Reagan has provided a partial answer to the Republican dilemma. As to Donald Trump, just say no. Charles Walker Florence Camp deserves our support This is in response to Thomas Nieland’s letter to the editor (“Camp for All Youth,” March 2) about the young men from Camp Florence who volunteered to provide free haircuts for individu- als at the Helping Hands program. He asks why there is not a camp, like Camp Florence, for those youth who are not “law offenders.” Camp Florence is not a recreational facility offered to youth offenders. It is a transi- tional facility for incarcerated youth. The residents of Camp Florence are serving a sentence for a crime they committed as a juve- nile. The purpose of this facility is to provide programs and education to young men so that they can return to society and live positive, pro- ductive lives. The fact that some of these young men want to give back to this community by pro- viding free haircuts to those in need, speaks very highly of who they are and how much they have changed. It costs taxpayers $25,000 a year to house an adult in the prison system. If we can provide skills and purpose to these youth that keeps them from re-offending as adults, we are all winners. Yes, we should have opportunities for all youth — absolutely! But the youth at Camp Florence who have turned their lives around, in spite of some difficult challenges in childhood, deserve our support, and so does Camp Florence, for all it does to make a difference in the lives of young people. Bettie Egerton Florence Stones from glass houses I am probably the only Republican living in Florence and that makes me an outsider to be sure. After reading the letters to the editor in Saturday’s paper (“Trump’s Tyranny” and “Candidate Cannibalism,” March 5) I became not only an outsider, but a scared outsider as well. I had no idea this little community har- bored such narrow, mean-spirited and either uninformed or misinformed citizens when it comes to politics and the upcoming presidential elections. I am reminded of the old saying, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. The Republican party candidates have yet to be investigated for illegal use of a personal server with classified information held on it. Nor have they been involved in the unsettling occurrence with regards to Bengazi. Not one of the Republican candidates favors socialist ideals or allowing communism a foot hold in our highest office. All candi- dates, be they Democrats or Republicans, will always have citi- zens that support them or refuse to support them. That is our sys- tem and one of the privileges of living in the United States. My disappoint- ment with the two letters in Saturday’s paper was the lack of respect shown to the candidates. It takes a very brave person to run for any political office nowadays, especially with the world the way it L ETTERS TO THE is now. My Chihuahua is Catholic so I guess he will be safe. Elizabeth Burletson 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 edit- ing 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 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 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