Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2016)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ AUGUST 17, 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 S TIFF F LORENCE T IMES T HE S IUSLAW O AR T HE S IUSLAW N EWS S IUSLAW N EWS ❙ 2016 AFTERNOON WINDS BRING EXTREME KITEBOARDING O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED A UG . 5, 2006 S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 116, N O . 62 T he wind is really cranking today. It tugs out of the north at a good 30 knots, gusting 35, leaving a roil of wind waves that a crowd of South Jetty kiteboarders jump like speedbumps. Strapped like so many Leonardo Da Vincis to their flying machines, a dozen or so kiters have brought the extreme sport to Florence. Drawn by what one kiter known simply as Shay describes as “expert conditions, right on the mar- gin,” participants strap themselves to inflatable foils for a wicked skim across the waves, gigantic grabs of air and less than pleasant tumbles in wet sand and foam when out-of-control kites drag them like wild horses on the run. Less than a decade old, this solo sport is taking off in popularity, but the audience for dangling over the water like a bug in a harness may always be limited. “Windsurfing appeals to more people. This is a little gnarly,” says John Ash, a 55-year-old former tree cutter and the only kitesurfer who lives in Florence. He’s kiteboarded for seven years, ever since the sport gained popularity. It started cropping up in the Columbia River Gorge, France and Hawaii about a decade ago, although using wind power to SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTOS Kiteboarders take to the sand and water at South Jetty for extreme rides during heavy afternoon winds. move is not a new idea. The first time a guy put a kite on skiis was 20 to 30 years ago, Ash says. Equipment has improved a lot since then. Early attempts were hard to watch. Painful, says Ash, who got into the sport after recovering from a herniated disk of his own. “The only way to learn is by getting your ass handed to you several times,” Shay says. The sport really took to the air in Maui in the late 1990s, when extreme surfers saw the kite’s radical opportunity. There are even competitions now, like the Bridge of the Gods kiteboarding con- test. Here on the Pacific, the swells add an extra edge. “You have to be a real advanced kiter when it’s like this,” another kiteboarder says. “It’s a different animal.” LETTERS Health care front and center On Aug. 9, Rick Yecny and Nena Harvey spent 90 minutes at the Us TOO Florence Prostate Cancer Education/Support Group pro- viding information on the primary care situation in Florence. They were very well prepared and, following a short PowerPoint presentation, showed their depth of concern and creative thinking in providing solutions to our unfortu- nate loss of primary care physicians. It is very encouraging to know we have these two (and others) at PeaceHealth working fever- ishly in a proactive way on our behalf. I encourage everyone who possibly can to attend their presentation at the FEC, 715 Quince St., on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to get the facts. I think the result will be a positive feeling that they truly have our health care front and center and will move mountains, if necessary, to provide it. Bob Horney Florence So-called rights In response to Dolly Brock’s letter (“Deadly Statistics,” Aug. 10) regarding Tony Cavarno’s letter on the gun issue. By her definition, I am a paranoid gun owner. I refer to her statement that “if more gun owners were less paranoid about losing their so-called rights and more interested in stronger, sensible gun laws, we might stand a chance of changing gun violence statistics.” Since when are Constitutional Amendments “so-called rights?” You can call it paranoia, but I call it a well-founded concern that the sanctity of the Constitution is under attack — not just by well-meaning individuals, but by our current administration. Furthermore, the new Democrat Party Platform panders to the anti-gun crowd while doing nothing, except more demeaning welfare programs, to help solve the root problems in the big city ghettoes. If restrictive gun laws were the answer, Chicago, Detroit and Baltimore, with the tough- est gun laws around, would be havens of peace and tranquility instead of the killing grounds that they are. The street gangs and drug dealers could care less about your “stronger and sensi- ble” gun laws and account for much of your “deadly statistics.” I believe that there is nothing more dangerous than a government that provides for your every need while taking away your rights. Keith Kraft Florence Never too late for change Many of you already know the Real Food Co-op is no longer in business. It’s truly a shame that in a town of over 8,000, there weren’t enough people desiring organic foods. We supported our local farmers. Though many stores tout they carry local products, that usually means it comes from California or Mexico. Our farmers live in this community. They shop here in town or in Eugene. They are the people that grow our foods with love with- out the use of pesticides. And, they are always fighting to keep it that way. Though many may say that organic foods are too expensive, I ask you to examine that. The difference in price between organic Swiss Chard versus conventional is usually less than a dollar. That extra money spent now could potentially save thousands down the road in healthcare costs. The growing information about pesticides and the harm they cause in our bodies is factu- al. I admit it, I don’t like to listen to political speeches and I know that even if I ignore them, someone is going to win. But ignoring the fact there are poisons sprayed and put into the soils of the foods we eat, doesn’t make it go away. There is a price to pay and it’s going to be higher than anything you see in the produce aisle. It is disheartening that fast food restaurants in this town thrive but a co-op cannot. We sup- ported the small businesses selling products without GMOs, using organic ingredients. The labels had words you could read and under- stand. Interestingly, as a friend pointed out, these labels tell us when the products are organ- ic and non-GMO, but shouldn’t it really say when the foods have chemicals in them? As I like to say, it is never too late for change, until we’re not here to do so. If we can go out to eat breakfast at a restaurant and spend $10 or $15 on a meal, why can’t we buy organic eggs for $5 a dozen? If you break it down per egg, that’s less than 50 cents apiece. If you have two eggs a day, you can eat them for the next six days. That’s a savings. I’m no mathematician. I’ll never be an accountant. But I know the final cost comes in more than one way — the biggest being in the breakdown of health. As long as we have a choice, we have the opportunity to learn and understand what we put in our mouths to feed our bodies. This is our responsibility, not our doctors’. Karen Hazelwood (In honor of the Real Food Co-op), Florence L ETTERS P OLICY Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor con- cerning 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 editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of let- ters 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