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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017
M ILITARY H ERITAGE C HRONICLES —
OSU Food Preservation
Safety hotline now open
‘It doesn’t matter’
B Y C AL A PPLEBEE
Special to the Siuslaw News
I
recently had the distinct
honor of speaking to the
nearly 500 veterans and
guests who were in attendance
at the 99th annual Oregon State
Convention for the American
Legion, hosted here in Florence
by our own Post 59.
While the primary purpose
for my presentation was to
update those mostly-visitors
about the Oregon Coast
Military Museum, I couldn’t
help also using it as an oppor-
tunity to thank them for their
service to our nation through-
out the last several decades
represented by those in atten-
dance.
Paralleling the theme to our
museum, which is an institu-
tion honoring all eras and all
T RAVELS
disciplines of military heritage,
I commented that, it doesn’t
matter if they were veteran or
currently active duty; that it
doesn’t matter what branch
they served in (although there
was a healthy dose of inter-
branch ribbing and rivalry
present), they still served our
nation.”
Likewise,
“It
Doesn’t
Matter” if they served in the
1950s shuffling paperwork as a
company clerk in the cold of
Korea, or sat in a cold missile
silo in the middle of Nebraska
in the 1980s, their service was
important.
“It Doesn't Matter” if they
were a brown water sailor in
the waters off Vietnam, or flew
an unmanned drone in the skies
over Afghanistan, their service
was needed.
“It Doesn’t Matter” also
applies to the Oregon Coast
Military Museum. Since open-
ing in 2015 thanks to the phe-
nomenal outpouring of support
from the community, we some-
times now get asked: “Why do
you need more money — it’s
already built?”
We readily acknowledge that
we only accomplished our goal
of building the museum
because of that generous com-
munity support — in funding,
WITH
but also in donation of artifacts
for fulfilling our mission to
honor our veterans.
And, because of that
response to preserve those arti-
facts, memories and experi-
ences, we are now busting at
the seams with displays and
packed to the rafters with arti-
facts in storage. The museum
board has been busy in the last
few months trying to determine
if and how we might expand
the facility.
However, that’s not the only
area where we need the com-
munity’s continued financial
support. It currently costs us
roughly $44,000 annually to
operate the museum and keep
the doors open.
That covers salaries for two
part-time employees at mini-
mum wage, lease for the
grounds, utilities, insurance,
supplies, etc. However, it does
not include any display or
event expenses.
While we do generate a
small portion of revenue from
daily admissions and gift shop
sales, we still need community
support through annual mem-
berships and monetary dona-
tions.
We are proud to have over
700 names on our Kilroy Corps
list representing those early
supporters during our initial
effort. That list is now on dis-
play in the gift shop. However,
we currently have only 65
annual memberships.
We simply need more.
There are multiple worthy
organizations in our communi-
ty that need financial support
— including several Veteran
organizations. But if we want
to maintain this tribute to the
service and sacrifice of our
community’s and nation’s vet-
erans, we need on-going finan-
cial support. And there are sev-
eral ways to provide that sup-
port.
Please visit our website,
where you can find member-
ship applications, Memorial
Gifting forms and a pledge
form offering several options to
share your support.
“It Doesn’t Matter” which
form of support you select; but
it does matter that we keep our
museum’s doors open and our
mission moving forward.
You can learn more by visit-
ing www.oregoncoastmilitary
museum.com or visit the muse-
um, which is open Thursday
through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4
p.m., at 2145 Kingwood St. in
Florence.
W AYNE & J UDY —
Special to the Siuslaw News
M
uch of our Oregon
coast is made up of
miles of desolate
sandy beaches, and for some
the flat seashore is the perfect
place to relax. However, if you
crave something a little more
exciting, check out the 40 miles
of shoreline that begins in
Waldport in the north and push-
es south along twisting
Highway 101.
It’s here that nature created
Oregon’s most scenic head-
lands. Lofty volcanic outcrop-
ings that plunge precipitously
to the crashing Pacific several
hundred feet below.
The best of the stretch is at
Cape Perpetua, where the
views are so outstanding that
the area has been designated a
National Scenic Area by the
federal government.
L OCAL HISTORY
Captain James Cook discov-
ered and named Cape Perpetua
in 1778. The rugged territory
remained virtually unreachable
until it became part of the
Siuslaw National Forest in
1908.
In 1914, the U.S. Forest
Service carved a rough road
around the Cape and joined the
two small neighboring towns
of Yachats and Florence by
constructing a wooden bridge
across the Yachats River.
By 1930, the road was
improved and became part of
historic Highway 101 that
stretches 1,500 miles from Port
Angeles, Wash., to Los
Angeles, Calif.
T HANK YOU CCC
Thanks to the Civilian
Conservation Corps, Cape
Perpetua has become an impor-
tant travel destination for out-
door enthusiasts.
The CCC was created in
1933 to provide manual labor
jobs for thousands of unem-
ployed youth during the Great
Depression. They carved the
American wilderness to create
many of the parks we enjoy
today.
The work was hard, but
equally rewarding, as the
young participants experienced
life in convivial communal
encampments — the remains
of which are still visible in the
forest near the sea.
These were the lucky ones
during those hard times.
Although most of them are
now departed, their lasting
legacy of trails and shelters are
still in use today. We owe this
“Greatest Generation” a debt of
gratitude for so many things.
T RAILS
The paths adjacent to the
Visitor's Center are paved for
ready access by all. There are a
total of 11 trails that offer 27
miles of hiking adventure in
this wilderness. It’s about an
intermediate-level hike across
the rocky shoreline and up
through spruce forests to the
outlooks. Do it if you can!
Happy travels!
HIT THAT
LIKE
BUTTON!
F ACEBOOK . COM /S IUSLAW N EWS
2017
Relay
Florence
2017
Relay for
For Life
Life of
of Florence
Saturday,
Jul y 22nd
22nd
Saturday, July
Noon
Midnight
Noon to
to Midnight
At
Center
At the
the Florence
Florence Events Center
Registration at
at 10:00
10:00 to
to noon
noon
Luminaria Ceremony
Cermony 9:00
p.m.
Luminaria
9:00p.m.
A loved one, friend or neighbor, we all know someone who has
been touched by cancer. After sunset at each Relay For Life event,
there are hundreds of luminaria decorated with the names of
those who have battled cancer. This ceremony of light symbolizes
the hope and courage with which we all continue to fight can-
cer. If you would like to make a donation for a luminaria at our
Relay For Life, simply complete the form and mail to the address below.
Phone (Day/Evening): __________________
I would like a candle lit:
Name: ________________________________
In Honor, In Memory,
In Support Of, Thanks to caregiver
Name: ________________________________
In Honor, In Memory,
In Support Of, Thanks to caregiver
Name: ________________________________
In Honor, In Memory,
In Support Of, Thanks to caregiver
Credit to Team: ____________________________
Donation Amount: $_______________
Requested minimum donation of $5.00 per luminaria
Please make checks payable to: American Cancer Society
Mail to: Relay For Life of Florence ℅ Julie Rassmann
83360 S. Cove Drive, Florence OR 97439
www.RelayForLife.org/FlorenceOR
PHOTO BY JUDY BAYCLIFF
T HE ATTRACTIONS
There are three major natural
wonders within a short walk of
the parking lot at the Cape
Pepetua Visitors Center. Thor’s
Well, Spouting Horn, and
Devil’s Churn — the most
exciting being Thor’s Well.
In simple terms, Thor’s Well
is a collapsed underwater vol-
canic cave that has formed a
large round hole on the surface
— think very large blow hole.
The hole is about 20 feet
deep, and during incoming
tides and rough seas, the water
rushes into the submerged cav-
ern and erupts into a mighty
blast of foaming ocean that can
easily knock down curious
onlookers that venture too
close.
Immediately
after
the
upward explosion, the Well
dramatically inhales the ocean
that it just expelled. You don’t
want to be on the ride back to
the sea!
the OSU Extension Service
hotline for research-based
information to assure a quality
and safe product.
For more information about
home food preservation and
class offerings, visit the OSU
Extension Service Food
Preservation website at www.
extension.oregostate.edu/lane/
food_safety, where there are
many publications and infor-
mation on food preservation
topics and classes offered.
For statewide information
visit www.extension.oregon
state.edu/fch/food-preserva
tion.
Your name: ____________________________
Our magnificent Oregon coast
B Y W AYNE AND J UDY B AYCLIFF
The
Oregon
State
University (OSU) Extension
Service’s food preservation
and safety hotline is now open
for the summer.
The toll-free hotline at 1-
800-354-7319 is available
Monday through Friday, from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Oct.
13.
The hotline is staffed by
certified
Master
Food
Preservers in both Lane and
Douglas Counties. Anyone
who is going to preserve foods
and has never done so before,
or who has questions about
recipes and methods, can call
Surf fills the opening of Thor’s Well.
We save lives & create more birthdays by helping you stay well,
helping you get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back.