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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2017)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ JANUARY 28, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE Gayle Waiss C ATHERINE J. R OURKE For the Siuslaw News _____________ I ndefatigable. That sums up the spirit and essence of 2015 Florence First Citizen Gayle Waiss. But the long- time youth services librarian and community volunteer shuns any praises and never imagined receiving accolades for her efforts. In fact, she would rather help kids spell such words instead of using them to describe her. “It’s just what I do every day,” Waiss said. “Kids and literacy are my lifelong passions.” An assistant director of the Siuslaw Public Library District for the past 20 years, Waiss said she was stunned when she was nominated last year. Presented as part of the annual Siuslaw Awards, the First Citizen distinction honors individu- als who demonstrate selfless involvement to community service. “I was humbled and speechless when the announcement came,” Waiss said. “People don’t volunteer for notoriety but because we truly love helping others.” That dedication has built a long roster of volunteer board posts, including six years at Rotary, anoth- er six at Habitat for Humanity, plus 10 years at the Friends of South Coast Kids Foundation. Waiss has also served for the past three years as the volunteer execu- tive director of the Western Lane Community Foundation, as well as a board member for an additional six years, with a mission to improve quality of life through philanthropic activity. The nonprofit organization administers charitable funds to benefit residents in western Lane County through educa- tion, culture, medicine, sci- ence and social and civic serv- ices. While Waiss has focused her leadership on making a difference for youths in Florence and Mapleton, the work really began in Montana PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE more than half a century ago. Gayle Waiss devotes her life to kids and Growing up in Great Falls, literacy as the Youth Services Librarian Mont., Waiss learned about and Assistant Director of the Siuslaw selfless service at a young age Public Library District. when she became the “eyes and coached a basketball team for and ears” for two family members. deaf girls. Next, she assisted Theatre After her dad lost his sight in an of Silence, a group of deaf students accident, she carefully followed his who perform shows across the West instructions for plumbing, painting using sign language. and repairs around the house while Armed with a scholarship, a loan also serving as an interpreter for her and two jobs, Waiss worked her way deaf brother. through college, earning an educa- “Those family circumstances truly tion degree in just three years. She got me to where I am today,” she married right after graduation and said. “It made me very expressive taught grades K through 8. and taught me to listen, think outside “Teaching middle school was my the box and view things from differ- favorite,” she said. “I don’t always ent perspectives.” behave my age, so I could relate to It also made Waiss a lifelong vol- the kids.” unteer. At age 14, she became a Cub While raising three of her own, Scout leader for deaf and blind kids life took a turn in 1997 when her husband’s job brought the family to Florence. Waiss found it offered the ideal community for her young daughters, encouraging them to pur- sue extracurricular activities such as sports, choir and the school band. “My kids were my greatest chal- lenge and my greatest reward,” she said. “They’ve made as much of a difference in my life as I did in theirs.” Waiss also volunteered at the schools to help children with every- thing from math and reading to crafts and track. “These activities bring out the best in people,” she said. “They also develop great work ethics. School isn’t just about achieving A’s in aca- demics.” Waiss started working at the Siuslaw Public Library District cir- culation desk and then found herself in collection development. That’s when she decided to pursue a mas- ter’s in library science. “Librarians have such a unique profession; we can find anything,” Waiss said. “I love my job, whether reading to toddlers, helping kids select a book or hosting the summer reading program. I make an impact on young lives every day.” In addition to her role at the library and as a wife, mother and volunteer, Waiss paid her way through school, bought a home and built a business with her husband at the Beachcomber. In the evenings and on weekends, she helped run the family business, turning it into a community hub to make a difference by hosting schol- arship fundraisers and bicycle give- aways for kids’ causes. Where does she get her energy? “I’ve always been this way,” she said with a laugh. “I work hard, play hard and sleep hard. I attribute it to my passion for kids and the commu- nity. But I’m not a one-woman show and couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, friends and work staff. Florence gave me the opportunity to blossom.” What’s next for Florence’s 2015 First Citizen? “What matters most in life is mak- ing a difference, whether for kids, dogs or the environment,” she said. “Volunteering is about paying it for- ward. I’ll never stop doing what I love. The work keeps going for kids, my family and for Florence. I just prefer to save the limelight for those under five.” 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 D EEPEST GRATITUDE The recent Women’s March in Florence was a wonderful collaborative event. We would like to express our gratitude to David and Rosemary Lauria for graciously allowing us to gather at the Class Act Theatre (CAT). We want to thank Ron Preisler on the City Council for opening 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 the FEC to us when the tremendous response of marchers exceeded the capacity of the CAT. We want to acknowledge Chief Tom Turner of the Florence police force for helping the marchers cross Highway 101. Thank you, also, to Siuslaw News for giving us excellent cover- age. A group of dedicated women distributed information to let people know Florence was going to be represented among the marchers of the world. We had a great team: Denise Weatherwax, Ruth Baumrucker, Sarah Budaki and Patty Godwin. We could not have organized this wonderful event without Rand and Kathryn Dawson, who guided us through the basics on how to organ- ize. Stu and Joann Henderson contributed many of the beautiful signs we carried. The program presented excellent speakers in Annie Schmidt, who added her MC magic; Tres Eberhard, who spoke on women’s reproductive rights; Bob Teter of SOS gave an eye-opening view of homelessness; April Dumas, who spoke on the need to live within an inclusive social structure in order to combat prejudice; and John Raymonda, who spoke on economic justice and a living wage. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all these amazing people for making this such a successful and positive event. Nin Bebeau Women’s March organizer Florence I N JUXTAPOSITION Dear Siuslaw News, I love your style! Thank you ever so much for the excellent coverage of third-grade election. (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and Pinochet (Chile). Dr. Britt found they all had the following 14 com- mon elements.) The 14 Characteristics of Fascism 1) Powerful and continuing Nationalism 2) Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights 3) Identification of enemies and scapegoats used as a unifying cause 4) Supremacy of the military 5) Rampant sexism 6) Control of — or discrediting of — mass media. 7) Obsession with national security 8) Religion and government become inter- twined 9) Corporate power is protected and even expanded 10) Labor power is suppressed 11) Disdain for intellectuals, the Arts and forms of creative expression. 12) Rampant cronyism and corruption 13) Obsession with crime and punishment 14) Fraudulent elections 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 Marketing Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor Press Manager DEADLINES: Saturday 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, Saturday 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 Saturday 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 I applaud teacher Dolly Green for her enthu- siasm for teaching as it should be done. I also applaud the students for their energy and involvement in learning the election process. Your “Where to Write” addition to the paper is one more step closer to helping people become involved in the government that affects their lives and property — you gave us the “easy button” for access to our government offi- cials. I would like to suggest one more permanent addition to the page. Please highlight the First Amendment as part of the “Where to Write” box. This would be a permanent reminder that Congress cannot restrict the press or rights of individuals to speak freely; that the people have the right to assemble peaceably and petition their government; and that it forbids the promo- tion of one religion over another while protect- ing the practice of religion. We have been hearing the term “fascism” when describing the direction of some members of Congress. In juxtaposition to our U.S. Constitution, I am including “The 14 Characteristcs of Fascism.” (below) This list is an antithesis to our form of gov- ernment and people should be aware of what determines a fascist government. Thank you! Karen Mahoney Florence (Editor’s note: The “14 Characteristics of Fascism” is from the article “Fascism Anyone?” written by political scientist Dr. Laurence W. Britt. It first appeared in the magazine Free Inquiry March 31, 2003, and was based on studying the fascist regimes of Hitler Pres. Donald Trump 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
