4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ OCTOBER 19, 2016
Siuslaw News
B Y D AVE R OBINSON
Special to the Siuslaw News
S
tarting about a week ago, the news and
weather folks began warning us a
storm was coming. Heavy rain, coupled
with 100-plus miles per hour winds, were
predicted to strike the Southern Oregon
Coast, bringing widespread regional destruc-
tion with comparisons to the 1962 Columbus
Day storm the old timers remember so well.
Travelers were advised to stay home
unless absolutely necessary. Even yours truly
topped off the gasoline cans, stocked up on
junk food and even discovered I couldn’t
locate one of my extension cords. I leisurely
made my way to the hardware store and non-
chalantly purchased a new extension cord.
Through casual conversation with the
hardware store manager I learned they were
sold out of flashlights, batteries, camping
stoves, lanterns and candles. When I went to
the grocery store, the story was the same.
Some items had been pretty well thinned out
and there were no AA or AAA batteries left
on the battery display rack. According to the
grocery clerk, folks had been stocking up all
day on snack food, cookies, crackers and in
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
DISASTER PREP
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
The Un-Storm
my case, squirt cheese.
So what ultimately happened?
Not much really.
The storm, with a few minor exceptions
“kind of tore itself apart,” according to one
meteorologist. Citing a faulty computer
model, the weather girl indicated that the
storm simply dissipated due to a competing
low pressure system.
All this may be difficult to explain to the
residents of Manzanita, Ore. This small
coastal town suffered massive damage by a
waterspout turned tornado which wreaked
havoc on buildings and trees. Multiple other
waterspouts were observed offshore with no
reports of any further damage.
On the South Coast there were a few scat-
tered power outages and some windfall limbs
and branches. No reports of major damage.
The heavy rains made for a few interesting
football games on Friday evening. The game
I attended was delayed 45 minutes in the
middle of the second quarter due to concerns
about lightning.
At least one contest was cancelled mid-
game for the same reason.
So what are some steps to take when a
major storm is pending? In my case, I
topped off the gas tank on my generator and
ATV. (That’s when I discovered the missing
extension cord.) I had filled all my propane
tanks weeks ago, then made the trip to the
gas station to top off my gas cans.
My wife made sure the laundry was all
caught up. This is a task she usually reserves
for the weekend, but since Saturday was sup-
posed to be D-Day in storm language, she
made sure everything was done ahead of
time.
A few snacks and comfort foods are
always the order of the day when waiting out
the weather. I rounded up a handfull of small
flashlights and put new batteries in each.
That way if a family member needs to make
a trip to the bedroom or bathroom, they don’t
have to take a lantern or candle with them.
And the downside? I suppose there is the
danger of the “little boy who cried wolf” syn-
drome. Will people take the next weather
warning seriously? I think we’re all smart
enough to know that every so often the
weather changes its mind.
And the upside?
We checked our preparations and, in some
cases, made a few dry runs.
One person I know started his generator
and let it run for a few minutes just to make
sure it was going start when he needed it.
Others double-checked their supplies and
filled in where needed. Just like the fire
drills of our high school days, we will know
exactly what to do when the need arises.
No harm done.
______________________
Dave Robinson is the postmaster in
Bandon, Ore., and author of “Disaster Prep
for the Rest of Us.” He may be contacted at
disasterprep.dave@gmail.com. Visit his web-
site for more disaster preparedness tips,
www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com.
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LETTERS
I am afraid
Okay, I am afraid.
When the candidate of a major party says the
Secret Service protecting his opponent should
be disarmed and “see what happens to her,” I
am afraid.
When that candidate suggests “Second
Amendment people” could take matters into
their own hands if she wins, I am afraid.
When that candidate urges his supporters to
go to the inner city precincts to look out for bus-
loads of minorities there to vote in a rigged
election, I am afraid.
When a 50-year-old supporter at a Trump
rally tells a Boston Globe reporter, “If Hillary’s
in office, I hope we can start a coup. She should
be in prison or shot,” I am afraid.
When that supporter can say, “We’re going to
have a revolution and take them out of office if
that’s what it takes. There’s going to be a lot of
bloodshed. But that’s what it’s going to take. . .
I would do whatever I can for my country,” I am
afraid.
When that supporter’s candidate blows the
international-banker and news-media conspira-
cy dog whistle, I am afraid.
USPS# 497-660
When that supporter’s candidate will not say
that he will accept the results of the election if
he loses, I am afraid.
Being afraid, I think to paraphrase Pastor
Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Hispanics, and I did
not speak out because I was not an Hispanic.
Then they came for the Muslims, and I did
not speak out because I was not a Muslim.
Then they came for the Liberals, and I did not
speak out because I was not a Liberal.
Then they came for me — and there was no
one left to speak for me.
My being afraid is not about competing poli-
cies or principals or issues or ideals. Of these
there can be honest, differing opinions. But,
when there is open talk of violence, rebellion
and assassination and nothing is said to discour-
age it… I am very afraid.
You should be too.
Arnold Buchman
Florence
Many are hoping
Having just finished reading the Saturday
edition of Siuslaw News, I reached for the
Amazingly painless
More than once, Western Lane Ambulance
has shown up at my door to help me or my wife.
How grateful I am.
This is an opportunity for the Florence com-
munity to show our support. Simply vote yes on
Measure 20-266.
It is amazingly painless.
Dick Smith
Florence
Focus on actions
As adults, we are confronted with insults and
rants of unkind verbiage from all sectors of
society. The political arena is filled with such
rants on both sides.
We must filter out such language from the
political rhetoric and foucs on actions — which
more often define one’s true value to society.
Mr. Trump is a new participant in the politi-
cal arena and so we tend to judge him by his
words alone; whereas Secretary Clinton has
been around for decades and has much to be
judged by.
A person must decide by doing their own
research as to what is relevant and what isn’t.
Too often, we rely on the news media for the
right answers. But over the years, I feel even
those reporting the news have developed a
political agenda.
Jimmie Moe
Florence
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Register Guard. In it, I read that Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg mentioned
her remarks regarding NFL quarterback Colin
Kaepernick’s silent protests during the
National Anthem as “dumb and disrespectful.”
When asked about the prospect of Donald
Trump winning the White House she said, “I
don’t want to think about that possibility.”
Half-jokingly, she added she was thinking of
moving to New Zealand if he won.
Many of us are hoping Trump does and
Ginsburg does.
Tony Cavarno
Florence
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