4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ FEBRUARY 18, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer-
cise 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.
LETTERS
G ENEROUS VOLUNTEERS
The students, staff and I at Highland
Elementary School in Reedsport want to
thank those near and far who helped with
the set-up of our new swings.
Locally, Frank Hedges has persistently
kept the project moving and has made sure
all the details are worked out prior to hav-
ing additional volunteers show up to work.
We also would like to thank our friends
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from Florence, Tony Miller, Doug South
and his wife, Terri South.
Doug South Contracting supervised the
construction, transported its backhoe and
donated numerous hours to the project.
Viking Concrete provided cement for the
project at a discounted price, and Rainbow
Concrete Pumping from North Bend also
donated its time and services.
Numerous Highland Elementary School
staff and their families, along with students
from Reedsport High School, also volun-
teered.
This project would not have been possi-
ble without the generosity of our neighbor-
ing businesses and all these volunteers.
With much gratitude,
Principal Beckie Lupton
Highland Elementary
Reedsport
M AKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
I believe the failure of Republican
Senators to be swayed by the overwhelm-
ing lack of support for Betsy DeVos among
the electorate was fueled by fear.
Fear of losing face.
Fear of losing an election.
Fear of losing control.
I think there will be many more fear-
based denials of the peoples’ will in the
time ahead.
We have an admitted anti-Semite, Steve
Bannon, in a very powerful position as
President Trump’s Chief Strategist.
How are we, as citizens of this great
nation, to proceed?
H AVE AN IMPACT
We live in a community of Confederated
Tribes of Native Americans. I am writing
this on their behalf.
Attempting to peacefully protect their
sovereign land and sacred burial grounds,
the Lakota Sioux in North Dakota have
been subject to military-style tacticts from
local police, state police and private securi-
ty guards. They have used attack dogs,
pepper spray, being sprayed by fire hoses in
sub-zero weather, and being shot at with
rubber bullets — all of this against “water
protectors” who are using drums and song
as their weapons.
These methods are supported by the local
mayor and the governor in North Dakota.
A recent executive order has lifted the
ban to stop construction, so protesting has
begun again. For our Florence community
that has spoken for a “hate free” communi-
ty, this is an opportunity to extend this atti-
tude.
We can support the peaceful protestors
and help them regain their rightful land. If
you bank with or have credit cards with a
bank that is funding this pipeline, move
your business away and tell them why you
are doing so — and do your banking busi-
ness locally.
Some of the larger banks involved in the
pipeline project are Wells Fargo, City Bank
Citibank (CitiGroup) and Bank of America.
This will not cost you, but could have an
impact on a financial institution that is only
motivated by profit.
Or you could access a number of online
support groups, one of which is the
Indigenous Environmental Network at
www.ienearth.org, where there are a num-
ber of projects to support.
Either one could make a feel-good day
for yourself and others.
Nan Harvey
Florence
T RUMP BEING TRUMPED
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn
and Labor Secretary Andrew Puzder are
gone because of the White Houses’s inabil-
ity to do any vetting.
President Trump has already lost a few of
his transition team members and I won’t be
surprised if Kellyanne Conway soon fol-
lows.
Who will be next in the coming year?
Betsy DeVos?
Stephen Bannon?
Being the President is not a “reality TV”
show. “You’re fired!” only works if it is
within his own staff. He can’t fire the
“fake” press reporters, congressmen or sen-
ators in his own party who disagree with
him.
There will be continued fallout until he
decides to learn to be President.
Win Jolley
Florence
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Many of us are trying to make our voices
heard, but it’s unclear if we are gaining any
traction.
Ivy Medow, MA, CRC, OTA
Florence
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