4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MARCH 30, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
F LORENCE F LASHBACK
1890 ❙
T HE W EST
™
F LORENCE T IMES
™
T HE S IUSLAW O AR
™
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS
™
S IUSLAW N EWS
❙ 2016
EASTER EGG HUNT; NEW CITY HALL
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED M ARCH 30, 1967
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 7, N O . 13
A T LEFT : Children who found golden eggs during
the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the port park Sunday
hold up Easter “loot.” This year each golden egg
contained two 50-cent pieces. Annual hunt is spon-
sored by the Booster Club.
__________________
A T RIGHT : Sign comes down at the old city hall
on Bay Street last Friday, with help from (left to
right) City Administrator Cliff Sanders, Water Plant
Superintendent Don Hagle and Bill Ellis, city
employee. The new City Hall on Highway 101 official-
ly opened its doors at 8 a.m. Monday morning.
LETTERS
get to send our money in and have absolutely no
say about how it’s spent. And, we reap negligi-
ble benefits or none at all. I think that would be
a terrible situation.
I think we really need to consider everything
before we cast that vote.
Linda Jensen
Mapleton
Lost opportunity
The Port of Siuslaw commissioners made a
mistake in judgement March 16 that is a tragedy
for the future of the Siuslaw River and Florence
as a project for the common good (“Port
Rescinds Land Purchase Agreement,” March
19, A1).
Lost will be the first project since the area
was settled in 1876 for a public park along the
lower Siuslaw River, complete with picnic
tables, barbecues, riverside grassy areas, sump-
tuous views, boat ramp and ample parking.
Lost is the chance to showcase the Siuslaw to
thousands of visitors and to provide locals with
a wonderful riverside park. Lost is the opportu-
nity to preserve the two oldest boats that oper-
ated on the Siuslaw River, the Norsky and the
Iris J., towing lumber barges, ferrying people
and milk from the farms upriver, taking kids to
their schools and pushing the logs into ponds
next to this rejected property.
Lost will be public access to the clamming
beds at the confluence of the Siuslaw and the
North Fork rivers.
Lost is the opportunity for the port to com-
plete a project for common use to benefit
Florence, its residents, its kids and their pets
along the banks of the historic Siuslaw River.
Lost is the opportunity for the port to
make history by adding this public park,
this very beautiful site owned by Don
Wilbur, to the Florence scene, something
that hasn’t been done since this area was
settled 140 years ago.
Here is a project, a place, that will increase in
value over the years. The vision of the port
must extend beyond serving the few RVers that
show up every year to enjoy this river.
I urge the port to reconsider what they have
done and to say yes to something that will ben-
efit the many, to make a decision that will make
a real difference to our community.
Gene Olson
Florence
Foundation’s generosity
I am writing on behalf of Siuslaw Elementary
School as the music specialist to express my
sincere appreciation to Western Lane
Community Foundation for its generosity in
awarding grants to our staff.
Our staff and students benefit greatly from
these proceeds.
The specific grant awarded for music has
made it possible to acquire a set of handmade
percussion instruments to increase appreciation
of the performing arts for approximately 650
Looking for a leader
students who attend our elementary school. The
acquiring of the West African Djembe percus-
sion package would not have been otherwise
possible with our current budgetary conditions.
As the sole music teacher for the elementary
site, I am honored that Western Lane
Community Foundation has made it possible for
children to enhance their musical skills and
knowledge and to share what they have learned
through performances for the community.
Thank you for your vision for my specific
grant project that will enhance the music educa-
tion of students for years to come.
Debra G. Dietrich
Florence
Brissenden for justice court
On March 1, Gov. Kate Brown appointed
Judge Richard Brissenden to fill the position of
Justice of the Peace on the Justice Court in
Florence. This is a quote of her remarks, pub-
lished in the Siuslaw News:
“I am impressed by Judge Brissenden’s
almost 20 years of service to the people of
Florence as their Municipal Court Judge. I
know he will bring the same long-established
integrity and conscientious decisionmaking to
his new role, based in the very same courtroom
as well.”
Judge Brissenden knows Florence and sur-
rounding Lane County communities. He has the
important knowledge of the law and the experi-
ence to administer those laws. His experience is
30 years as a judge, almost 20 of those right
here in Florence.
We need his knowledge and experience. He
has been one of our own right here in Florence.
Judge Brissenden should continue in our Lane
County Justice Court.
Judy Ulrich
Florence
Mapleton school bond
The time is coming soon for us to vote on our
school bond. I think we all need to think very
carefully about this. Our school is 65 years old
and badly in need of some serious work. The
money is going to have to come from some-
where.
The infrastructure is extremely old and rot-
ten. We can pass this up, but it will have to be
done soon in order to keep our school open. At
least this way we could have our money
matched.
This is going to cost us whether we vote this
in or not. There are some major problems that
have to be addressed.
The alternative is that our kids will have to go
to other schools in the area if this has to close.
Then we will be paying taxes to that school! I
assure you, that will be considerably more than
we would be paying even if the bond does pass.
It is something to think about because the prob-
lem is not going to go away.
Paying taxes to another school would be
about the same as living in Lane County. We
This is my reply to Elizabeth Burletson’s let-
ter to the editor, “Stones From Glass Houses”
(March 9).
Elizabeth, you are not the only Republican in
Florence. I have been a Democrat for years and
turned independent some years ago looking for
a leader. Within the Republican party, I have not
seen any and still do not see any.
Those who support the Republican agenda,
yet to be defined, need to get off Hillary Clinton
and her emails and Benghazi, which has been
overplayed to ad nauseam.
Now, your mention of socialist ideals or
allowing communism a foothold — I assume
you are relating this to Bernie Sanders. Seems
like you want to go back to the McCarthy era.
Win Jolley
Florence
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR 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 letters should be limited to about 300
words and must include the writer’s full
name, address and phone number for verifi-
cation. 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 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