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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2017)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ JULY 1, 2017 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE Don and Pat Stewart C ATHERINE J. R OURKE For the Siuslaw News _____________ W orking on his feet all day as the former owner-manager of local markets never stopped Don Stewart from stepping up to lend somebody a hand. Nor did running around as a working mom with three boys deter his wife, Pat, from going the extra mile to help others. Together, the couple has devoted more than 50 years to numerous local causes. “In a grocery store, you’re never sitting on your rear,” Don said. “We’ve always worked and love being busy,” Pat added. “Volunteering keeps us active, meeting new people and enjoying new experiences.” But it was when they retired more than a dozen years ago that they dramatically expanded their charitable efforts. In 2007, the cou- ple received a Florence First Citizen of the Year award for their combined volunteer endeavors. “Florence is such a generous community full of so many people who just keep on giving,” Don said. “And it’s amazing how the town is run by volunteers,” said Pat. “These big hearts are everywhere you look.” As the scholarship chair and board secretary of Western Lane Community Foundation, Pat and her fellow volunteers recently awarded $38,000 in college and vocational education scholarships to 23 local high school students. the Food Share board and The foundation also another six years on the manages grant funding for Habitat board while serving area nonprofits. eight years on the Lane “These endowments are County Boundary established by a multitude Commission — a position of communitywide donors appointed by the governor. through the foundation,” How did the full-time Pat explained. “It’s about working parents find the local people helping local time for so much volunteer- people.” ing? While that may sound “I saw volunteering as the like enough volunteering to time we spent sitting on the keep her busy, Pat’s heart- bleachers at school functions felt outreach doesn’t end when the kids were young,” there. She delivers Meals Don said. “We always made on Wheels every time for our children, so Wednesday and serves as a once they’re grown, you just deacon at New Life channel that time into com- Lutheran Church. munity projects.” A former human “You don’t figure it out; resources administrator at you just do it because you Peace Harbor Medical PHOTO BY CATHERINE ROURKE Center who continued Don and Pat Stewart have devoted more than 50 love it,” Pat said. “It feels so working part-time after years of volunteering service to the Florence good when you deliver a meal or give in some way. I retirement, Pat has commit- community. get so much more back than ted 35 years to the hospital. I give.” In tandem with her full- Humanity, eventually serving as its As Oregon natives, Don and Pat time job, she was a founding mem- president for two years. have roots deeply planted in com- ber of the local Soroptimists, treas- But Don didn’t just sit on munity spirit. Don began his retail urer for SEAcoast Entertainment, boards. Instead, he hammered, grocery career as a box boy in membership chair of Friends of the painted, installed roofs and laid 1956 and met Pat in high school Library and a Food Share volun- concrete for Habitat construction that same year. After serving in the teer for several years. projects as well. Navy at Okinawa, he married Pat Pat also conducted fundraising “I’ve been working with Habitat and became an assistant manager for the Hospital Auxiliary and for as long as they would have for an IGA market in Corvallis served as a longtime board mem- me,” Don said with a laugh. before transferring as manager of ber of Habitat for Humanity. “When I first started there, we its Florence store in 1962. Meanwhile, her husband kept were building house number 10. Don eventually bought the busi- busy beyond stocking the shelves. This year we finished house num- ness and ran it with a partner Don has been a member of Rotary ber 28.” before purchasing the Heceta Florence for 49 years, serving as But just like his wife, one volun- Market, which he ran for 23 years. its president from 1974-75, and teer project isn’t enough for Don. “I never felt like an outsider remains active on the foundation He delivered Meals on Wheels, sat here,” said Don, noting that board to this day. After retiring in on the Dunes City Planning Florence at the time bustled as a 2005, he began helping Habitat for Commission, devoted six years to fishing and logging town. “It was a wonderful and accepting place.” For Pat, “it was the other end of the world for a girl from Portland.” With a background as a legal secretary, she worked for a local insurance company as well as the Chamber of Commerce before becoming executive secretary to the administrator and board at Western Lane Hospital. Her position then evolved into human resources administration when the new hospital opened in 1990. “I’ve been here for 55 years and love it,” she said. “I’m really just a small-town girl.” Now more than a dozen years past retirement with nine grand- children, the Stewarts have no plans of slowing down. “There’s nothing better than giv- ing to people in need,” Don said. “When you see the gratitude in the families and the positive changes in the children we house at Habitat, it is so rewarding.” Pat echoes the same sense of deep satisfaction that volunteering bestows. “Paying it forward and giving it away is the most wonderful thing,” she said. “Gratitude for everything is the key to a good life.” 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 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 let- ters received. Libelous, argumentative and anonymous letters or poetry, or letters from outside our readership area will not be published. Send letters to: nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com USPS# 497-660 N O PARTISAN PERSPECTIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE In America’s current hyper partisan environment, where one’s “Blue vs. Red” perspective often trumps reality, it seems historic fact, basic economics or scientif- ic knowledge are coveniently overlooked when necessary. These partisan “realities” explain why many Americans seem willing to disre- gard their own observations and common sense when they conflict with their sociopolitical beliefs. The debate over climate change is one example of this. While most scientists and 190 of 192 of the world’s govern- ments support the CO2-related Global Warming conclusions of the Paris Climate Accord, there are those who are climate change deniers simply because of partisanship. This even occurs in the rural midwest, where some of the very same deniers of climate change have witnessed its effect first hand. Oregon Group Publisher (541) 265 8571 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Consulting Editor (831) 761-7353 Email: echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com 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 Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry itarian countries. Also, if I were in the writer’s position, I would think twice before accusing the news- paper and “the left” of toxic rhetoric after my candidate built his political image on what I see as vile smears that brought civil discourse down to a new low. — Rollin Olson Florence —Jeffrey Shear Florence P UBLIC DISCOURSE AT A NEW LOW Regarding the recent letter “Toxic Rhetoric Leads To Real Violence” (June 28), it seems to me the writer misunderstands the role of a free press in a democratic republic. Its purpose is to report — and comment as opinion — on those in power to keep them accountable to the public. The press’s respon- sibility is not to act as cheerleaders or propa- gandists; that is the role of the press in author- The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing 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 griev- ances. 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. James Rand Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Erik Chalhoub For example, the Gulf Coast of the Mississippi Delta, where some of the fastest rising sea levels anywhere are observed — almost 6 inches since 2005. Yet, residents of this same area, when inter- viewed, exhibit one of the highest rates of cli- mate change denial — with many responding that this phenomenon is a “hoax.” It’s going to be hard to overlook climate change from under water. 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
