4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ NOVEMBER 26, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE
Greg Williamson
C ATHERINE J. R OURKE
For the Siuslaw News
_____________
T
he belly is such an ungrate-
ful rascal, always craving
more and dismissing what
it devoured yesterday.
After stuffing ours silly with turkey
this week, it’s easy to forget that oth-
ers remain empty — not just in
Sudan, but right here in Florence.
One man recently decided to do
something about that by sharing
whatever food he has with the hun-
gry, out of his own pocket. Every
Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30
a.m. to 1 p.m., Greg Williamson pro-
vides “free food and fellowship” out
of a 41-foot converted school bus on
Quince Street north of Route 126.
“Hunger does not take a holiday,”
Williamson said. “My passion is
feeding people and hungry lives
matter.”
With a mission “to offer people of
all backgrounds, denominations,
genders and beliefs a healthy free
meal in a safe, loving place,”
Williamson rolls up his bus and rolls
out a “picnic” each weekend despite
his own physical and financial short-
comings.
No stranger to hunger like many
he feeds, Williamson is disabled
without any income and homeless —
or “landless,” as he prefers to call it.
Yet Williamson opens his shallow
pockets and lean pantry to others,
using whatever food he can muster
from donations and his own
limited supply.
“Word has spread quickly
through organizations helping
needy and homeless people,”
he said. “I’ve been privileged
to provide Florence with
approximately 300 hot
meals.”
Nicknamed “the Bus Boy,”
Williamson welcomes all ages
and walks of life to break
bread and enjoy some con-
viviality. Picnickers last week-
end included a single mom
with two kids, several home-
less men, a senior on fixed
income and a young woman
self-described as “the working
poor.” On the menu: a vege-
tarian corn chowder with a
PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE
salmon option stirred by
Greg Williamson offers “free food and
Williamson’s ladle of heartfelt fellowship” for hungry folks every week-
kindness.
end out of his own pocket.
“I don’t judge anyone who
comes to the bus for food,” he
pare over 1,000 meals a day with
said. “I am no better or worse than
sufficient staff and provisions.
the people I serve.”
“I really need help and support to
Never certain how he will provide
keep this going,” he said. Like the
food each week, Williamson has
birds of the air, Williamson’s picnics
managed to sustain his “picnics” for
find sustenance. But the bus needs
over three months. How does he do
repairs and Williamson welcomes
it?
food donations and sponsors for his
“On a wing and prayer,”
cause.
Williamson said, pointing to the
Self-reliant since age 13,
“Emunun” sign on the bus which
Williamson is proud of his 40-year
means “faith.” Like a “loaves and
work history. After washing dishes
fishes” miracle, he transforms stock
as a teen, the L.A. native became a
and vegetables into a healthy vege-
line cook in his 20s and spent many
tarian meal that feeds dozens of peo-
years working for restaurants and as
ple. Williamson claims he could pre-
a camp cook and licensed guide at a
ranch. He raised three children and
supported his family through cus-
tomer service jobs until he became
disabled.
“I’ve worked hard all my life but
had to use all of my 401K savings
now that I’m fighting for disability,”
he said. “If it wasn’t for caring about
my fellow man, there were some
days I couldn’t have gotten out of
bed.”
But what drove Williamson to
jump out of bed and drive a bus to
feed the hungry?
“Every human has the right to
food, water and a safe place to
sleep,” he said. “The bible tells us to
‘entertain the stranger for you may
be entertaining angels.’ We need to
stop reading the Word and start
doing it.”
When Home Shalom charity in
Portland needed a volunteer for its
mobile emergency tented kitchen,
Williamson traded his minivan for a
school bus large enough to carry it.
Converted into a motor home, the
bus enabled him to haul volunteers,
equipment and 2,000 pounds of
donated food to Vermont and serve
12,000 free meals.
Williamson’s “loaves and fishes”
miracles didn’t end there. As record
floods in West Virginia left hundreds
homeless, the Kitchen Hauler
steered his bus south, preparing
three daily meals for 30 volunteers
in two weeks.
“After that, I wondered where my
pots and pans could be of service,”
he said. “Then I remembered
Florence.”
Williamson had volunteered at
Helping Hands when residing here
from 2012 to 2015. Now he felt
“guided” to return, offering meals
along the way. Ten thousand miles
later, the bus arrived in Florence and
he has been dishing out his hot vege-
tarian soups since August.
As one who walks his talk,
Williamson remains an active mem-
ber of local groups helping needy
people, such as the Florence
Emergency Cold Weather Shelter.
“Every life God puts on earth is
precious,” he said. “We must start
caring for our fallen comrades with-
out looking down on them; it’s time
to lift them up.”
A man with a heart as big as his
bus, Williamson exemplifies a verse
from Proverbs: “When you give a
feast, invite the poor; share your
bread with the crippled, the lame,
the blind, and you will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you.”
For more info or to contact
Williamson, email gwwid@yahoo
.com, call 541-606-7528 or write to
him at P.O. Box 1296 in Florence.
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
Buyer beware
In just the first ten days of Donald Trump’s
election, some alarming, but predictable, stories
related to his questionable behavior have
emerged.
Among them:
1) Thursday’s Tweet in which he over-exag-
gerated his role in Ford Motor Company’s
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“decision” to keep Kentucky factories out of
Mexico when, in actuality, Ford had never
intended to close their Louisville Lincoln facto-
ry and move it to Mexico in the first place.
Its contract with the UAW forbids it to to
close that factory. Ford had merely decided to
move production of a single model out of
Kentucky. It had also talked about moving the
production of its Ford Focus to Mexico but,
once again, its UAW contract mandates that
Ford must ramp up other production in
Louisville to offset work lost to Mexico.
The net result was that, even without Trump’s
self-proclaimed “help,” no jobs would have
been lost to Mexico thanks to UAW contractual
agreements.
2) At about the same time, Trump’s team
publicized a photo of a meeting in Trump Tower
with the President-elect, Japan’s Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe, and... Ivanka Trump?
I’d also like to point out that prior to the
beginnings of their presidencies, both George
W. Bush and Barack Obama liquidated their
assets and moved them to others that could not
conflict with any policy decisions they might
make as presidents. In this regard, Trump has
done nothing, except declare that he has created
a “blind” trust.
In actuality, he has merely turned his assets
over to the control of his children who, imme-
diately after the election, were placed on his
transition team.
If this were to happen in a third world coun-
try, it would be laughable.
Trump’s daughter will likely become the
CEO of his company. The photo I mentioned
clearly implies that his organization will have a
big hand in choosing key officials in his admin-
istration and will most likely play a role in for-
eign matters — even though nepotism is illegal.
What makes America great
I have held my tongue through the roller-
coaster of emotions since the election of Donald
Trump.
I can no longer.
In Trump’s acceptance speech, he appeared
to be more dignified and repectful. And when he
said he would be a “President for everyone,” I
was cautiously hopeful.
I wondered if his Presidency might differ
from his inflamatory campaign rhetoric, and
that maybe he played on his supporters’ emo-
tions to get elected. However, actions speak
louder than words. His selection of reactionary
advisors and cabinet members; his plans to
deport millions of immigrants; his proposed
Muslim registry; and his continued defensive
Tweets each time someone says something
about him that he doesn’t like — all of it is the
same old Trump.
We will support him in ventures that are fair
and make sense. All of us would like to see jobs
come back to America. And infrastructure jobs
sound great.
But instead of jobs in the fossil fuel industry
which only help his own shortsighted invest-
ments while lining the pockets of lobbyists,
why not make an expansive investment — as
China has — in safe alternative energy con-
struction jobs like wind and solar power?
That would be the mark of a “great” and
innovative leader who cares about the future of
our country and the world.
The majority of us in this country did not
vote for Donald Trump. So believe me, those of
us of like mind will defend social and environ-
mental justice legally and nonviolently at every
turn.
That’s because what makes America “great”
is not demonizing a minority, increased con-
sumerism or the accumulation of wealth.
What makes America great is our embrace of
diversity and equality, regardless of race, reli-
gion, gender or class, as well as our freedom of
speech and assembly, affodable health care and
education, and a safe and healthy planet for all
people.
Now and for generations to come.
Julie McFarlane
Florence
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press, or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress
of grievances.
Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
I see this as a colossal conflict of interest.
What if a foreign leader refused to allow — or
allowed — the U.S. President to pursue a proj-
ect in his or her country? What could be the
implications?
The President is elected to represent the peo-
ple instead of his private interests.
It makes one wonder if our newly elected and
self-proclaimed “outsider,” who pledged to
“drain the swamp” of special interests, is quick-
ly becoming the consummate “insider?”
As they say in the world of real estate, “Let
the buyer beware.”
Curt Buttke
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