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poetry will not be published.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
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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