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WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ AUGUST 3, 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
FLORENCE BECOMES ‘PRE’ OCCUPIED
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED A UG . 7, 1996
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 106, N O . 32
L
ots of people have been standing around late-
ly, looking “pre” occupied. And it’s no won-
der. Principal photography for “Pre,” the
Warner Bros. film co-produced by Tom Cruise and
Paula Wagner based on the life of Oregon running
legend Steve Prefontaine, wrapped up last week.
After some preliminary filming along the coast
north of Florence, film crews poured into Florence
Thursday to film depictions of Prefontaine’s home
town of Coos Bay as it looked in spring 1969.
First and Second streets, and the adjacent Ivy,
Juniper and Hemlock streets, were blocked from
traffic through the weekend so that 1960s era
Fords and Chevys could be strategically placed.
A touch of authenticity was added to the streets
with old rounded metal World newspaper boxes,
from Coos Bay’s local paper. A handful of extras
dressed in bell-bottoms and knit shirts were on
hand to sprinkle the scene with color if needed.
Several bystanders watched the film crew as
Director Robert Towne shouted commands.
The scene depicted actor Billy Crudup, as
Prefontaine, returning home from a run to see if
he had received an acceptance letter from the
University of Oregon.
SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTOS
Scenes from “Pre” were
filmed in Florence, depicting
the home life of legendary
Oregon runner Steve
Prefontaine, played by actor
Billy Crudup (right).
Florence resident John
Neuner said, “This is hap-
pening so quickly — bing-
bang. They must know what they are doing.”
He and his wife turned out to watch some of the
filming activity.
One owner of a local boutique on Bay Street
lives just down the street.
“Isn’t this weird?” she asked with a laugh, look-
ing at the towering crane and scattered lighting
equipment surrounding the set.
Film crews from Warner Bros. rolled into
Florence two weeks ago to start filming at least
two scenes, using Heceta Head Lighthouse view-
point to depict some of Prefontaine’s running
scenes.
Shaun Gavin, assistant locations director, said
that they chose Florence because they wanted to
use the lighthouse and because of the proximity to
Eugene. He also said that older homes in the First
Street area and the look and style of the house also
contributed to the choice.
“The people (who came to watch) have been
wonderful,” Gavin said.
About 100 onlookers watched the filming on the
first day and at the Heceta Head beach.
One bystander, an eight-year resident of
Florence, said she’d never seen the beach so
packed with activity.
Lynnette Barnes, owner of the Oceanaire Café in
Florence, catered the movie crews on location on
First Street and at the lighthouse park.
“They were super, nice and fun people. They
treated us great,” she said.
“Pre” was written and directed by Towne, who
directed “Tequila Sunrise,” co-wrote “Mission:
Impossible” and won an Academy Award for his
“Chinatown” script.
LETTERS
to the Attorney General for prosecution. The
FBI has nothing to do with prosecution.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch was
Hillary’s attorney during the “Whitewater
Fiasco.” Clinton got Loretta her first judgeship.
This is payback and more, and it stinks to
high Heaven.
Martin Cable
Dunes City
Unacceptable use of funds
While I am aware that the Rhododendron
Drive shoulder expansion project is a “done
deal,” it does not make it an acceptable action
by our city council and mayor.
The July 23 article (“Where the Rhodies
Meet the Road,” page A1) described the expan-
sion project as contributing to “increased safety
for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
Although my wife and I do not reside in
Florence, we have lived north of the city limits
since the late ’90s. We have not seen any acci-
dents or traffic incidents on Rhododendron, on
which we drive weekly. We do, however,
admire the rhododendron flowers each season,
which are now destroyed with this expansion.
It appears to be a waste of funds, and it
appears that the council will spend these funds,
no matter what the desires of the community
may be. There really are no safety issues on this
road, other than the poor surfaces, but it appears
to be a good excuse for the city government to
spend the funds.
It does, however, make a good political state-
ment defending the funds’ use, so what else is new?
Arthur H. Gray
Florence
Officer-involved shootings
I feel compelled to respond to the letter pub-
lished July 23 from Julie MacFarlane, “Take
Action for Change.”
What one may see on Facebook or any other
source of “news” may or may not be an accurate
depiction of what led up to the shooting, and
that is a critical piece of information.
Wound him? Unless you have been out on the
streets as a peace officer, or have been in a life-
threatening scenario, you have no idea of what
is involved in a shooting situation. “Shoot to
kill” is not what is in the mind of someone,
peace officer or otherwise, who may find them-
selves with the necessity of defending life or
great bodily injury.
A huge thank you
As a retired peace officer, a certified pistol
instructor and range safety officer, I can tell you
that stopping the individual from doing further
deadly or great bodily harm is what is taught
and thought.
Wound him? That is never taught on any
firearms range that I have ever been on or heard
of. I hope that it never will be. Those who train
for such a circumstance are trained to target the
largest part of the threat, the center mass. The
intention is to stop the threat. Period.
One other thing that I learned during my
years wearing a peace officer’s badge: In any
police-involved shooting situation, I will never,
ever try to second guess the individual who had
to do the shooting; I wasn’t there and it was not
my decision to make.
Let the experts, trained to evaluate shooting
situations, determine whether or not it was or
was not a “good shoot.” Anyone who sees it on
the Internet, the nightly news or any other
media might think about doing the same.
Glenn R. Neklason
Florence
I would like to thank Stecher Buss
(Advanced Construction) for such an amazing
casket he made for my father; Woosley’s ranch
for donating the beautiful material; Peterson
Woodworking for donating his shop and tools to
facilitate in the process; Burns’s Riverside
Chapel for storing it and all the wonderful kind-
ness, generosity and guidance they provided our
family in our difficult time; Big Dog Doughnuts
for donating a platter of food for our family dur-
ing our loss; as well as so many people in the
community with their prayers and warmth.
Thank you Western Lane Ambulance, Peace
Harbor Medical Center and Hospice for taking
such passionate care of my dad when he was ill.
We can’t thank you all enough.
Ron Pearson and family
Florence
Payback for Hillary
The fix is on: Hillary told the devastated par-
ents of our tortured and slain Benghazi heroes
the film story while she emailed her daughter
and others the classified terrorist info.
I watched Hillary lie under oath to congress.
Her attorneys destroyed 30,000 emails with no
oversight. All her emails as Secretary of State
are public property. It is a felony to destroy
them. Nixon destroyed a few tapes, look what
happened to him.
I heard the FBI say that she was guilty of
nefarious deeds, but she shouldn’t be prosecut-
ed. The FBI is supposed to report their findings
L ETTERS P OLICY
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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