4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MAY 24, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
RYAN CRONK , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The need for a little more community ‘craziness’
After returning to Florence
in 1996, I spent the next 20
years living in Old Town
across from the Port of
Siuslaw boardwalk. We grew
accustomed to the arrival of
the Davis Carnival during
Rhody Days and living so
close that we could practical-
ly high-five riders on the Tilt-
o-Whirl without leaving the
couch.
The banging together of
carnival rides late Wednesday
night signaled the beginning
of four days of craziness that
transforms our quiet commu-
nity of about 8,000 into a
beautiful example of con-
trolled chaos shared by
upwards of 20,000.
For those four days I
always marvel at how our
community transforms into an
unlikely concoction of flower
enthusiasts, bikers and
tourists, all co-mingling over
beers, art, carnival rides, fast
cars, bacon-wrapped hot dogs
and cotton candy.
I’ve described it to others
as Sturgis meets Mardi Gras,
with a little Rose Festival
thrown in — except better
since we have rhododendrons.
This was the first year we
haven’t lived in Old Town
during Rhody Days. It was
also the first year I saw the
festival as something more
than just a few days of much-
needed craziness after a win-
ciate how, with each passing
block, the crowds grew more
diverse.
Baseball-capped Korean
War veterans talking with
bikers whose leathers were
stitched with Vietnam War
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
ter of cabin fever.
Having the opportunity to
travel the few miles from our
home on the outskirts of town
to the heart of the festival was
like seeing it for the first time
each day. It gave me a chance
to step back and truly appre-
veteran patches; young fami-
lies posing with owners of
classic cars built decades
before they were born;
“Captain Jack Sparrow” shar-
ing a laugh with an out-of-
town policeman.
I watched, realizing that
this annual bit of “craziness”
wasn’t so crazy. In fact, it
was the kind of sanity we
could use a little more of
nowadays. It was an example
of how easily we can find a
connection with others, no
matter how different, when
we’re given an opportunity —
or the right circumstance —
to do so.
In the case of our annual
Rhododendron Festival, when
the carnival rides go up peo-
ple’s guards come down.
Whether a biker or banker,
policeman or pirate, there is
an unspoken agreement and
genuine interest in having that
shared experience together —
and an understanding that it
wouldn’t work any other way.
Under normal circum-
stances, these same people
would likely pass each other
without a word, assuming
they would even be in the
same vicinity.
But it’s everyone’s willing-
ness to participate in that little
bit of “crazy” that becomes a
common thread we all share
for a few days each year.
Now that it’s over, I have
to wonder:
Which days are crazier?
Write Siuslaw News editor
Ned Hickson at nhickson@the
siuslaw news.com or P.O. Box
10, Florence, Ore. 97439.
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LETTERS
R EMEMBER WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
Memorial Day is coming. It is a day for all
of us who survived war to remember those
who didn’t. Yes, we enjoy picnics and social
gatherings as symbols of freedom, but it is
still a day to remember those who gave their
lives.
It should not be a day to peddle whatever
you may be selling, so please do not disre-
spect me or any of the other men and women
who offered their lives for our freedoms.
I don’t want your mattresses, trucks, cars
furniture or widgets. Out of respect, the least
you can do is limit advertising to the institu-
tional.
I have other priorities for this holiday.
— Charles Walker
Florence
H AD MY EYES OPENED
Last Wednesday’s Siuslaw News (May 17)
had an announcement regarding Alternative
Radio talk show host David Barsamia giving
a talk in the Bromley Room at the Siuslaw
Public Library on Friday (May 19) covering
the environment and several other subjects
that were of interest to me. I attended and the
USPS# 497-660
room was full with probably 80 or so folks.
Almost half had white hair, both male and
female, with maybe a dozen or so folks were
under the age of 50.
There was a beautiful American flag stand-
ing at the head of the room but nobody called
for a pledge to the flag at the beginning of the
meeting, which is done quite often.
I sat there for more than an hour, listening
to the speaker. Instead of hearing and learning
about the environment and the other subjects,
I was bombarded with how terrible our coun-
try is; how the Defense Department and
Pentagon are destroying America by taking
all the money away from social programs;
how Socialism is best for America; how cap-
italism is the very worst thing for America;
how if Bernie Sanders had been the Democrat
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WHERE TO WRITE
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
didn’t learning anything regarding the envi-
ronment. At least I had my eyes opened on
another subject.
— Tony Cavarno
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
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.
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Erik Chalhoub
Party nominee instead of Hillary Clinton, he
would have “mopped the floor with Trump.”
When he said that, and several other times
mentioned Karl Marx, the room burst out
with loud applause and hand clapping. On
several occasions the speaker punched the air
with a closed fist much to the crowd’s delight,
stating how the group had to appeal to
minorities and make wedges.
On and on he went regarding how bad our
country is and what they must do to correct it.
So I found out it wasn’t the meeting I
thought I was attending but rather more of a
Socialist rally right here in Florence.
And who was the sponsor of the this event?
Local radio station KXCR, who lists itself as
a community radio station.
I’m glad I attended the meeting, even if I
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
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. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
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
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
( Dist. 9 )
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio ( 4 th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan ( Dist. 5 )
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
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