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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2017)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ JANUARY 7, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion LETTERS Amazing generosity The recently formed West Lane Hostel Committee, under the direction of Rev. Greg Wood at Siuslaw Presbyterian Church, wants to thank the Florence community for its amazing generosity to our local homeless individuals during our National Homeless Persons Memorial Day drive on Dec. 21. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR P OLICY The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor concerning issues affect- ing 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 guaran- teed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Libelous and anonymous letters or poetry will not be published. All submissions become the proper- ty of Siuslaw News and will not be returned. Write to: Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com USPS# 497-660 When asked for supplies to help our home- less survive the cold weather, this community responded with an overwhelming, YES! This project came together due to the assis- tance of several local business and community members. When asked, nearly 30 percent of donors said they remembered to donate because of articles in the Siuslaw News. Many others heard reminders on our local community radio stations KXCR and KCST. In addition, posters that appeared around town were thoughtfully donated by Shippin’ Shack. These efforts were greatly enhanced by Bettina Hannigan on the Chamber of Commerce’s webpage blast. Jacque Beveridge Smith also posted the information to the City of Florence Facebook page and assisted in preparing public service announcements. KXCR and City Lights Cinemas were both instantly agreeable to assisting this effort as donation sites. Treehouse Signs and Decorative Arts provided all the roadside signage guiding donors to both drop off sites. Several local groups that work with the homeless in different venues gladly accepted donations from this event, including Siuslaw Outreach Services, Helping Hands, the 3RC’s (three Roman Catholics) and Shalom in Mapleton. Our heartfelt appreciation, Leo Ellingson Florence Plundered Port I find it interesting the Port of Siuslaw manger’s letter to the editor (Jan. 4) was so focused on demonstrating that the Port did not will face the facts and hold itself responsible for its failed policies and actions. We the people deserve better. Bill Fleenor Mapleton Troubled by Trump I’m writing in response to a Letter to the Editor in the Siuslaw News (Dec. 21), and want to clarify that my trouble with the idea of a Trump presidency isn’t so much about the pop- ular vote VS the electoral college. It’s more about what the Trump presidency represents in my opinion. It is the appearance of conflicts of interest and potential motive for personal gain — for himself and other billionaires within his circle. It is the possibility of losing Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of the Press. It is the potential for the demise of social and environmental progress, along with the fear of losing protections that help ensure equality for all people and a inhabitable planet. Julie MacFarlane 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 2017 © Siuslaw News 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. John Bartlett Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry lose money this past year — even when the facts and figures show otherwise — that all credibility has been lost. Anyone with an ounce of business sense knows that depreciation of assets does affect the bottom line. This is a fact. Saying anything else is simply sleight of hand and just one of the many symptoms I feel are plaguing our beleaguered port. The Port’s primary mission is economic development. I don’t understand how it can receiving $284,324 from district’s taxpayers, lose $189,420, then state it came anywhere near accomplishing its mission. In addition to its negative net change in its cash position, the Port’s assets dropped just over $1 million the past fiscal year (from slight- ly over $7 million in fiscal year 2014-15, to just slightly over $6 million for the 2015-16 fiscal year). In my opinion, the only economic develop- ment the Port has been able to promote is its own — and even that is becoming questionable. I think it reflects a governing body primarily focused on its own interests, both financially and personally. The result is a governing body that fails to serve the very people its was elect- ed to represent. Since the current board majority took over in a clean sweep several years ago, primarily on promises to bring back the commercial fishing industry and make the port whole again, it has only managed to plunge the port deeper into the red. In fact, the Port has lost money each year since its new board majority was established, with no sign of a turn-around anytime soon. I sincerely hope we see a change in leader- ship in the near future, and elect a board that 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 202-224-5244 541-431-0229 www.wyden.senate.gov U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley 313 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997 541-465-6750 www.merkley.senate.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. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.) 2134 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 202-225-6416 541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732 www.defazio.house.gov U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5) 900 Court St. NE - S-417 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1705 FAX: 503-986-1080 Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us State Rep. Caddy McKeown (Dist. 9) 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1409 Email: rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us 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
