SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016
7 A
My commencement address (if I ever give one)
Before long, you will step
forward and receive the cul-
Ned
Hickson mination of 12 — possibly
To the Class of 2016, fac-
ulty members, parents, digni-
taries, mis-informed wedding
crashers and Visa/Master
Card representatives who
have gathered here today: I
am honored to have the
opportunity to address this
group of graduating seniors
and impart the wisdom I
have gained since my own
graduation from high school
nearly 150 years ago.
Standing before you today,
I see the anticipation on your
faces as each of you comes
to realize what sharing my
wisdom with you means:
Possibly the shortest com-
mencement speech in school
history.
14 — years of education.
You will shake hands with
some of those who have
helped guide you to this
milestone. And unless your
last name begins with a “Z,”
you will return to your seat
as the rest your classmates
step forward to receive their
diplomas.
That’s when you will
silently think to yourself, “I
really shouldn’t have had
that second bottle of
Mountain Dew.”
But you will sit quietly,
probably cross-legged, and
deal with it. You are now
officially your own person
— making your own deci-
sions, embracing the rewards
and accepting the conse-
quences of those decisions
— as you embark on a jour-
ney of independence in a
world of your own making.
At least until laundry day,
when you will return home
to eat chocolate chip cookies
while mom gets the Cheeto
and pizza stains out of your
favorite underwear.
That’s because having wis-
dom isn’t about knowing
everything. It’s also about
recognizing and acknowledg-
ing when you don’t. Just like
getting those stains out, it’s
OK to admit when you don’t
know how to do something
or handle a tough situation in
life.
A smart person takes own-
ership of the things they
know; I wise person seeks
the knowledge of others
when they don’t.
When I graduated from
high school in 1984, there
was no Internet.
No Siri.
No Pinterest.
No Kanye West.
Therefore, the Class of
1984 was expected to know
EVERYTHING. The pressure
was tremendous! We hugged
our parents goodbye and
entered a dark, Google-less
world. We were young pilots
flying blind. Dead stick.
Rudderless. Broken-winged.
And lots of other euphemisms
I am now able to Google for
occasions like this.
We had no choice but to
rely on each other. We pooled
our knowledge. Challenged
each other. And together we
advanced ourselves and socie-
ty by having the courage to
answer fundamental questions
like: What would happen if
we grew chia seeds on a clay
pot shaped like 'Mr. T?'
Truth be told, it’s human
nature to want to know all the
answers. At the same time,
culture discourages us from
admitting when we don’t
have them. You’ve now spent
the better part of your first 17
to 18 years of life receiving
an education. Not so you’ll
have all the answers, but have
the courage and wisdom to
ask the kinds of questions that
will improve your life and,
hopefully, the lives of others.
This will take more than
Googling.
More than Wikipedia.
Possibly even more than
“How-To” videos on
YouTube.
It’s certainly going to take
a great data and texting plan.
However, most of all, it’s
going to take the kind of
determination that got you
here; sitting in these chairs;
moments away from receiv-
ing you diploma; and still
regretting that second bottle
of Mountain Dew.
Yet, I look upon your
faces and see my own hope
reflected in them. When you
leave here, be courageous
and wise. Never be afraid to
admit you don’t have all the
answers.
Those who do are destined
to a life of empty promises.
Usually somewhere in our
nation’s Capitol.
Always remember the
feeling you have right now.
The anticipation. The hope.
The unlimited possibilities.
It’s who you are at this
moment.
It’s who you will always
be as long as you allow your-
self to be wise...
Ned is a syndicated columnist
with News Media Corporation.
His first book, “Humor at the
Speed of Life,” is available from
Port Hole Publishing, Amazon
and Barnes and Nobel. Write to
him at nedhickson@ icloud.com.
Community preparedness focus of today’s ‘Our Town’
541•999•6078
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
FACEBOOK.COM/PETERSENAUTODETAIL
A four-day exercise aimed
at testing the oversight of dis-
astrous events in Oregon will
involve local emergency
response agencies in early
June.
Members of the Western
Lane Emergency Operations
Group (WLEOG) will talk
about the June 7-10 exercise
on this month’s edition of
KCST Coast Radio’s Our
Town.
Today, June 1, from 4 to 6
p.m. on 106.9 KCST, then
again Thursday, June 2, from
10 a.m. to noon on 104.1
KCFM, the radio show will
highlight the local involve-
ment in Cascadia Rising, a
four-day training exercise that
will examine how planning,
execution and communication
of disaster response agencies
will react in the event of a
widespread disaster.
Megan Messmer, the presi-
dent of WLEOG, will anchor a
four-person
panel
that
includes Florence Police Chief
Tom Turner, Siuslaw Valley
Fire Chief Jim Langborg, and
Western Lane Ambulance
Executive Director Brian
Burright. They will talk with
Our Town host Bob Sneddon
about their preparations and
planned responses this week.
The drill won’t include any
public or actual response
efforts. It will be a closed
“table top” drill that will test
the plans already in place. One
major benefit of the drill,
according to local responders,
will be in testing the commu-
The Florence Organic Farmers’ Market
will start its 20th season on May 28
and continuing through October 29.
The market will be open THIS SATURDAY
from 10am-2pm at 310 Highway 101 ( Pro Lumber)
The market accepts WIC
and Farm Direct Nutrition vouchers.
For more information, call Maria at 541-902-8815.
Eugene Foot and Ankle
Health Center
Podiatric Physicians & Surgeons
From routine checkups to treatments for surgery,
Eugene Foot and Ankle Health Center is equipped to handle all your podiatric needs.
Achilles Tendon
Ankle Instability
Ankle Sprains
Arthritic Foot & Ankle Care
Athletes Foot
Bunions
Calluses
Corns
Crush Injuries
Diabetic Foot
Comprehensive Rearfoot and
Reconstructive Surgery
Flat Feet
Fungus Toenails
Foot and Ankle Fractures.
Hammertoes
Heel Spurs
Ingrown Toenails
Injuries
Neuromas
Plantar Fasciitis
Sports Medicine
Trauma
Warts
To help you understand your options, we've included
descriptions of some of our leading services on our website.
www.eugenefootandankle.com
www.TheSiuslawNews.com
Florence
4480 Highway 101 Building G
Mon/Tues (541) 997-2319
Eugene
1680 Chambers St.
(541) 683-3351
Florence Food Share is your local community food
pantry. We serve emergency food boxes to all those
who qualify fi nancially. Our hours are 9:30a.m.-
1p.m., Monday through Friday. We reopen in the af-
ternoons on Monday and Wednesday from 4-6p.m.
We are also now open the fi rst and third Saturday
of each month, from 10a.m. – 1p.m. Please call us
with any ques ons and/or for more informa on.
2190 Spruce Street
541-997-9110
www.l orencefoodshare.org
nications plans already devel-
oped for the area.
Also on Our Town, Siuslaw
School Board chairwoman
Tammy Butler will talk about
conversations the board has
had following the failure of
last month’s $36.9 million
levy that would have funded
construction of a new high
school in Florence.
“The need hasn’t gone away
just because voters said ‘no,’”
said Butler. Officials are plan-
ning on reviewing their effort
in the coming weeks and
months and might resubmit
another proposal to voters next
year.
Siuslaw Primary School
principal Mike Harkelrode
will talk about a new summer
program called “Kids in
Transition to School” (KITS)
aimed at helping incoming
kindergartners get prepared
for the coming school year.
KITS is also a research project
presented by Portland State
University and works with
parents as well as kids.
One other segment on Our
Town will feature three area
business leaders and their
efforts to establish and endow-
ment fund that would provide
an annual $2,500 scholarship
to the recipient of the Florence
Future First Citizen award.
It would be named in honor
of Marteen Wick, a long-time
local resident and business
owner who recently passed
away.
Lisa Sedlacek, Kay King
and Ron Green will talk about
Wick’s contributions to the
community, as well as their
efforts to establish the endow-
ment fund. They estimate they
need at least $62,000 to perma-
nently endow the fund.
They have raised just over
$10,000 so far, plus an addi-
tional $2,500 that will be
awarded to this year’s recipi-
ent, Siuslaw High School sen-
ior Hannah Bartlett.
Our Town is sponsored by
Andy Baber of Edward
Jones Investments; Holloway
and Associates CPAs; the
Archives Photo Restoration
Specialists, Lane Community
College in Florence, Sius-
law Public Library and
PeaceHealth. It airs on KCST,
FM 106.9, the first Wednesday
of each month between 4 and 6
p.m.; then again the next morn-
ing on KCFM, AM1250-FM
104.1 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Dogs for the Deaf topic at
Lions Club meeting June 7
Dogs for the Deaf is the
subject of the Tuesday, June 7,
Florence Lions Club meeting
at 6:30 p.m. in the Pacific
Pines RV Park meeting room,
4044 Highway 101 (entrance
on 42nd Street).
Interested members of the
public are invited to attend.
Dogs for the Deaf rescues
dogs from animal shelters
throughout the western United
States. After professional
training at its southern Oregon
facility, the dogs are placed
with people with a variety of
disabilities and challenges
(including hearing loss and
deafness), as well as full-time
professionals (teachers, physi-
cians, counselors and other
healthcare professionals) in
the treatment of and work with
their clients.
The dogs are placed with
qualified clients throughout
the United States.
For more information, con-
tact Linda Stent at 541-844-
5573.
Let Paul show you a new car or truck.
Stop by today!
info@l orencefoodshare.org
Florence Food Share es su lacena de comida co-
munitaria. Servimos cajas de comida de emergen-
cia a todos esos que califi quen fi nancieramente.
Nuestras horas son de 9:30a.m. – 1p.m., de lunes
a viernes. Re-abrimos por la tarde del lunes y del
miércoles de 4-6p.m. También, ahora abrimos el
primer y tercer sábado de cada mes, de 10a.m. –
1p.m. Por favor llámenos con cualquier duda y/o
para conseguir más información.
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
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