4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ NOVEMBER 12, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE
Mayor Joe Henry
C ATHERINE J. R OURKE
For the Siuslaw News
_____________
or some jobs, there simply
are no training manuals or
college curricula. You just
dive in and tackle multifac-
eted challenges with a hands-on
approach.
According to Florence Mayor Joe
Henry, years of business experience
and even football and scuba diving
all contributed to his skills in run-
ning a city. Re-elected this week to
serve a second term, Henry believes
the hard work of his youth also
primed him for his current role.
Born in Hillsboro, Ore., Henry
was still a toddler when his family
moved to Washington state for his
father’s job in the logging industry.
Henry fondly recalls growing up on
a ranch baling hay and tending 200
head of cattle.
“All that shoveling and hauling
prepared me for my work in govern-
ment,” he said with a laugh.
With a passion for sports that
began at an early age, Henry attend-
ed Pacific University on a football
scholarship. There, the former run-
ning back found a mentor — a
chemistry teacher who inspired his
interest in science.
“My goal was to be a chemistry
teacher and football coach,” Henry
said. “Mathematics came easy and
didn’t involve much homework.”
Math won over football and
Henry graduated with a degree in
business administration, which led to
his career in consumer finance. After
F
completing a management training
program, he became a branch man-
ager for American General in
Medford. The company transferred
him to a supervisory position in the
San Francisco area before promoting
him to vice president.
American General not only
spawned a successful career for
Henry, but also a blossoming
romance. There he met Pamela, a
coworker from Wyoming, and the
couple married in 1990 and raised
three sons.
Henry then served as a vice presi-
dent for ABCO in Denver, oversee-
ing 110 branches in 13 states, and
later in Chicago. The mortgage firm
eventually promoted him to senior
vice president in Orange County,
Calif., where he supervised one-third
of its 1,200 offices.
Then came 1999 and Y2K — and
many changes for Henry. A sudden
company merger “out of the blue”
left him with two options: relocate to
Houston or take early retirement
with a substantial severance pack-
age.
“For the first time in my life,
since age 10, I suddenly found
myself with no job,” he said. “There
I was, driving out of L.A. with a
huge check, no job and a question-
able future.”
But Henry never doubted that
something better awaited him. “The
congestion and cost of living were
astronomical,” he said. “It was time
for a change.”
Henry dreamed of living on the
water and Pamela wanted a small
town, so they searched along the
West Coast for a new home. The
PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE
Mayor Joe Henry’s vision includes
expanding employment and hous-
ing while retaining the communi-
ty’s unique character.
couple arrived in Florence one night
in December 1999 at the dawn of the
New Millennium.
“We saw the lights in Old Town
as we crossed the bridge and we
were sold,” Henry said. “We instant-
ly knew Florence was it.”
Henry, who had visited Florence
during fishing trips in his twenties,
felt right at home. The switch from a
sunny climate to a wet one didn’t
dampen his outlook.
“I grew up working in the rain,
playing football in the rain and fish-
ing in the rain,” he said. “I always
loved it here. Florence was an awe-
some place then and still is — only
now it has more culture, arts and
entertainment. Florence was big
enough to have everything we want-
ed, like a good medical facility, and
small enough to have none of the
traffic.”
The resourceful businessman
launched a brokerage operation and
taught scuba diving for a dive shop
that he and Pam managed. Five
years later, Henry turned to local
government, serving two years on
the city council before becoming
mayor in 2014. Now, he eagerly
plans his second term.
“Many residents have asked why I
posted signs in an uncontested elec-
tion,” he said. “I wanted them to
know I wasn’t taking the job for
granted and that I appreciate the
trust they have placed in me.”
Among the mayor’s top priorities:
education, housing, jobs and attract-
ing new business.
“We have to provide better jobs to
retain our youth and bring more
young families here,” Henry said.
“This is what inspired me to get
involved in city government,
because it’s critical for the growth of
this community.”
His vision also includes establish-
ing a Parks and Recreation district
with youth sports, soccer fields and
a community recreation center.
“Soccer is near and dear to me,”
said Henry, whose son played the
game professionally. “It can have an
impact on economic development
and make this community more
attractive to young families. When
175 kids sign up for a previously
ignored sport, our community should
take notice.”
The mayor’s focus revolves
around seniors as well as kids.
“My wife says I now belong to
both groups,” he said with a smile.
The couple share a passion for boat-
ing, fishing and bodyboarding.
“It can get pretty scary when you
go under a big wave,” Henry said.
Like everything else he’s done,
it’s a training ground for facing city
challenges.
“It is imperative that we control
costs in our city so those over 55
aren’t forced out of their homes by
rising taxes, utilities and other
costs,” he said. “I have great empa-
thy for those living here on fixed
incomes with rising costs. We’re
working hard on many facets of eco-
nomic growth and starting to see
results. We look forward to more
positive developments.”
For Henry, his role as mayor isn’t
about the prestige of the title but
about serving the people.
“I enjoy being out and about
town, interacting with people instead
of dealing with bureaucracy,” he
said. “We have a lot of work ahead,
but I’m not a quitter. We’re going to
see exciting changes in the coming
months.”
Blame it on all that hay-pitching
and scuba diving.
Catherine J. Rourke is an
award-winning journalist, author
and book editor who teaches
creative writing at the Florence
Regional Arts Alliance.
Email CJReditor@gmail.com.
LETTERS
Change our perception
In a recent letter about the Electoral College,
I noted that this intended non-partisan mecha-
nism of representative Democracy was devised
by the Founding Fathers as a defense against
L ETTERS TO THE
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demagogues who would attempt to arouse pop-
ular passions in the “tumult and disorder” of
campaigning directly to the electorate.
The emergence of political parties, presiden-
tial primaries and pledged Electors opened up
the “tumult and disorder” of campaigning while
ironically leaving the possibility that the
Electoral College can “protect” against having a
president chosen by direct popular vote.
That happened in 2000 when the loser, Al
Gore, received more popular votes than the
winner, George W. Bush. It happened again last
night when the loser, Hillary Clinton, received
some 200,000 votes more that the winner,
Donald Trump.
The irony is that the loser of the popular vote
won the Electoral College with the kind of pop-
ulist, demagogic campaign the Founders feared
when adopting the Electoral College.
Perhaps, in placing the Electoral College
between the candidates and the people, the
Founders did not foresee the transformative
power the somber responsibilities of the presi-
dency can have on the winning candidate.
Perhaps the view from Oval Office will mod-
erate the disquieting policies and attitudes we
heard from him (and his surrogates) over the
course of the campaigning. Perhaps he will
cause us to change our perception of the flawed
campaigning persona that offends our better
angels.
Perhaps.
The prospects for the reality I woke to this
morning are what they are. But, “hope springs
eternal in the human breast.”
Arnold Buchman
Florence
We’ve all heard the expression “all politics is
local.” Two years ago, our local government,
which includes elected officials, City
Departments heads and staff heard the outcry by
our constituents in regards to the proposed
design for a Rhododendron Drive multi-use
path.
Residents demanded that we not take federal
funds previously allocated through ODOT to
build the path over concerns that the original
design would have widened the road bed by too
much, requiring the removal of nearly all the
natural vegetation along the path.
Turning down those funds would’ve have
had consequences on future City grant applica-
tions.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. A con-
versation between the City, Public Works and
ODOT was initiated and, through diligent
efforts by our City staff, they were able to
change the design and still utilize the federal
money. That is a major accomplishment which
doesn’t happen often.
In addition, Public Works Director Mike
Miller came up with compromise designs which
were embraced by the community.
The fruits of those efforts are now complete.
I urge you to take a look at the work along
Rhododendron Drive near Greentrees. We now
have a modest, permeable path providing a safe
walkway. Mike was keenly aware of the pres-
sure that we were under and saw to it that the
work was done safely, efficiently and to code
while maintaining natural vegetation.
The second phase of the project is currently
being engineered and will continue the path
along Ninth Street to Highway 101.
These are exciting times in our community
and our City Manager, department heads, City
staff, Councilors and Mayor are working hard
on many different fronts. Some are high profile
projects, like the ReVision Florence, Economic
Development projects and the Public Art
Committee.
The Planning Department is also recom-
mending ways to streamline permitting for con-
struction as well as looking at changing land use
codes and zoning.
Who would’ve thought that common sense in
government would prevail?
We serve at your pleasure.
Joshua Greene
Florence City Councilor
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cise thereof; or abridging the free-
dom of speech, or of the press, or
the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of griev-
ances.
Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Kudos to 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