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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2017)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ MAY 3, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ Opinion NHICKSON @ 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. A tapestry of compassion woven through centuries We tend to think of iconic nurse Florence Nightingale as the beginning of an organized effort to provide care to the sick and injured. Stories of her heroic exploits into the night, attending the wounded by lamplight during the Crimean War (1853-1856), inspired the first steps toward profession- alizing the role of nurses in modern medicine. Her importance is reflected in the fact that the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve is being chosen to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal — and that, for decades, nurses have been reciting The Nightingale Pledge as a part of their “pin- ning” ceremony. However, even as far back as 268 B.C.E., Buddhist Indian ruler Ashoka recog- nized the importance of pro- viding his people with medical care, utilizing what he described as “both skillful physicians and their assistants, who should be sympathetic and devoted to the sick” and made available within hospi- tals built along the routes of travelers. In the Charaka Samhita, the Indian book of medicine writ- ten in about 100 B.C.E., it was said that “good medicine should always include a nurse that is knowledgeable, skilled at preparing formulations and dosage, and sympathetic toward the ill.” The first-known Christian nurse, Phoebe, was mentioned in Romans 16:1 when, in 50 A.D., St. Paul “sent a dea- coness to Rome” to encourage other Christians to tend to the sick. a compassionate protector to provide physical and emotion- al comfort when we’re ill or hurt; a Band-Aid may stop the bleeding of a scraped knee, but a sympathetic word from Mom or Dad seems to take the sting out of it. From the Editor’s Desk N ED H ICKSON It seems that humanity, regardless of culture or time period, has always understood the importance and value of individuals within our society who are inspired to tend to the ill — not just on a physical level, but on an emotional one as well. Perhaps it stems from our basic need as children to have Over the last few decades, more men have entered into the nursing profession as well, with the number of male nurs- es jumping from 3.9 percent in 1970 to 8.1 percent in 2011 (U.S. Census Bureau 2011). Like all the best human traits, compassion and the desire to help others isn’t gen- der specific. In fact, the notions of sym- pathy and compassion are common threads that run through the historic tapestry of medicine, from the time of Ashoka through today, when nurses make the promise “as a missioner of health, I dedicate myself to devoted and com- passionate service for human welfare” as part of The Nightingale Pledge. Fittingly, this year’s National Nurses Week (May 6-12) comes less than a month after naming Sylvia Trent- Adams to the position of U.S. Surgeon General, the first time a nurse has become our nation’s highest medical authority. As we approach National Nurses Day (May 6), which kicks off a week of recogni- tion for all nurses across the country — from the ER nurse that we likely never see, to the neonatal nurse that we entrust our infants to, as well as the RNs that care for us even when aren’t at our most pleas- ant — I encourage you to extend your appreciation to those within our own commu- nity who play such an impor- tant role in our lives when we need them most. Thanks to the promise each of them makes to the rest of us, the care we receive also includes the kind of compas- sion and sympathy that takes the sting out of our ills. Write Siuslaw News editor Ned Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw news.com or P.O. Box 10, Florence, Ore. 97439. LETTERS C ONFIDENT IN B ILL M EYER I work along side Bill Meyer on a Neighborhood Watch group and Condo Association. I have seen his dedication to resolving issues while working with others in a positive manner. His school district board experience is a true indication of his attitude, abilities and under- standing of how to get things done. He recog- nizes the priorities the Port should be address- ing and would bring an essential skill set to the other members of Port Commissioners. My wife and I are confident he would take the responsibility of the Port Commissioner seriously, and work on behalf of, and for, the good of the Florence community. We casted our vote for Bill Meyer for Port Commissioner. Mike and Debbie Lobey Florence F LEENOR WILL PUT F LORENCE FIRST L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR P OLICY The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community discus- sion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Libelous, argumentative and anony- mous letters or poetry, or letters from out- side our readership area will not be pub- lished. P OLITICAL /E LECTION L ETTERS : Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter- writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support can- didates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. A s with all letters and advertising con- tent, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and edi- tor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com USPS# 497-660 Bill Fleenor’s running for a spot on the Port Of Siuslaw Board of Commissioners is great news in my opinion. Having watched his prior strong lead- ership as our Lane County Commissioner, and also during his prior stint on the Port Board, I am convinced that his experience and expertise are sorely needed. I feel he has a proven record of being a watchdog for the public’s tax dollars and understands the ins and outs of the Port’s fiscal issues and long-range needs. During his term as Lane County Commissioner, he held more than 198 town hall meetings and public coffee events. He made sure that County Commissioner Board meetings were live-streamed from Florence so that local residents could testify here rather than being forced to drive to Eugene. As Port Commissioner, I believe Bill Fleenor will ensure that tight budgets are transparent and that docking fees are fair to all. I am confi- dent he will put Florence first with his experi- ence and deep knowledge of the Port and its needs. Mia Li Florence V OTING FOR C RYSTAL F ARNSWORTH I support Crystal Farnsworth for the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Board of Directors— Position 1. She was a volunteer firefighter at Station 4 for six years. We worked together on many fires and rescues during her time as a vol- unteer firefighter. She has excellent people skills and cares greatly for our fire department and community. She knows the importance of continued train- ing for our firefighters, which I agree is impor- tant for our department as well as the communi- ty it serves. Capt. Mike Barret SVFR Station 4 Florence A DD YOUR VOICE TO THE PARKS DISCUSSION I wish to thank Mark Brennan for his excel- lent coverage of the community workshop in Mapleton conducted by the Lane County Parks Division (Siuslaw News, April 29). The workshop received important input from citizens about the county’s vision for a Parks Master Plan. Another workshop will be held in Florence this Thursday (May 4), from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Siuslaw Valley Fire station on Highway 101. The meeting will be engaging, fun and informative. As a member of a county-wide task force rep- resenting the Coast District, I spent several months participating in a re-visioning process for the Parks. Task Force members and mem- bers of the Parks Advisory Committee, along with Parks Division staff headed by Division Manager Mike Russell, are facilitating the workshops. My involvement with Lane County Parks began three years ago when my wife and I spent a full year hosting at the beautiful Harbor Vista Park overlooking the Siuslaw River off of North Jetty Road. While there I developed educational activi- ties for children and interpretive signs to describe the nature and history of the park. Harbor Vista Park is one of many parks and open spaces on the coast offered by the County for recreation and education. These parks give us access to open land, rivers, lakes and the ocean. We loved the Florence area so much we bought a home within walking distance of the park. Recently, we formed a Friends of Harbor Vista Park with many local residents to promote more educational opportunities. The Parks Division in turn is working with us by providing an amphitheater and kiosks for interpretive signs. The Parks Division is encouraging more community partnerships like our Friend’s group and wants to hear from the community at Thursday’s workshop. Michael Allen Florence 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: 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 Along with her experience as a firefighter, she has also served three years as secretary of the Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Association, four years on the SVFR Scholarship Committee, and was also recently a member of the WLAD/SVFR Stakeholders Interview Panel. I am voting for Crystal Farnsworth. 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
