SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017
Letters
F LORENCE IS ALWAYS
from 4A
A LL RESPONSIBILITY ,
NO AUTHORITY
Siuslaw News reporter Jared
Anderson’s story “Port of Siuslaw
Fires Steven Leskin” (Aug. 9) encap-
sulated the daily logbook of Mr.
Leskin’s yearlong turn at the helm of
the Port of Siuslaw.
Whomever is chosen by the Board
of Commissioners, or publically elect-
ed — a legal option the voting public
has not experienced — must accept
this fact: The position of Port Manager
has all the responsibility with none of
the authority.
The title states that fact:
Manager, not policy maker.
In my opinion, Port of Bandon
General Manager Gina Dearth’s rebut-
tal (Aug. 12) read like a life ring
tossed to a man overboard wearing a
life vest. Dearth’s tone and stance was
“Us vs. Them,” i.e., “Special District
State Employee vs. We The People.”
She states that for 29 years she has
been with Port of Bandon and, no
doubt, is entitled to a healthy retire-
ment. Her tone may be acceptable in
her Port fiefdom and County, but I feel
it should be kept on her side of the
county line.
The people of Lane County voted
for the Port of Siuslaw commissioners
and the commissioners listened to
them — and acted in accordance.
—Bianca DeMers
Florence
READY TO HELP
The Friends of Florence Van Fans
wants to thank the community for its
contributions to the success of its
annual Pie and Ice Cream Social held
at the Florence Events Center.
Many of the Van Fans volunteers
baked delicious pies and desserts and
also contributed fantastic raffle prize
items. We especially want to thank
BJ’s Ice Cream for donating the ice
cream and Jeff Lovejoy for the won-
derful music he provided for the three
hours of the social.
We all enjoyed his keyboard and
vocals.
This ice cream social is a labor of
love by the members of the Van Fans
and is one of the three fundraisers it
has each year to raise money for the
operation of the Friends of Florence
bus, which transports cancer patients
free of charge to and from the
Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and
Oregon Urology.
The community of Florence is
always ready to step forward to help in
any charitable activity. That is part of
what makes Florence great!
— Sharon Grove
Events Coordinator
Friends of Florence Van Fans
A PPRECIATE THE EFFORTS
FOR NEW PATH
Three years ago, the “Citizens
Committee to Save the Native
Rhododendrons” was formed to fight
for a more aesthetic way to construct a
walking path along Rhododendron
Drive — a way that would enhance
property values rather than tear them
down; a way that would save hundreds
of trees, native rhododendrons and
precious animal habitat for this gener-
ation and generations to come.
Nearly 3,000 citizens of this com-
munity signed a petition to save beau-
ty rather than destroy it.
Volunteers wrote letters, tied rib-
bons, went to every Florence City
Council meeting for months, gave
speeches, walked with protest signs,
placed flyers in many local businesses,
and walked door-to-door with peti-
tions.
And the city listened.
The result is the path that has been
constructed today.
We appreciate its efforts and hard
work in doing so, and would like to
thank them as well as all of the volun-
teers who worked together to make
this city improvement happen.
—Vicki Martin
Florence
N O MORE ‘ STANDARD
RESPONSES ’ AT OCHS
We are writing in response to the
article “Past and Present Board
Members, Volunteers Clash Over
Care” (Aug. 12) in the Siuslaw News.
The comments of current OCHS
board member Ed Gervais are not new
to any of us who have volunteered.
This is the standard response virtually
every time issues of neglect, abuse or
mismanagement are brought forward
to the OCHS Board.
Many in our community have vol-
unteered or been on the board and
have voiced concerns about ongoing
issues including questionable financial
practices, lack of training for staff and
volunteers, and abuse or neglect of the
animals. These volunteers are people
with expertise, education and real con-
cern for the animals, and who were
ready and willing to do whatever was
necessary.
But efforts to improve conditions
for the animals have been repeatedly
rebuffed and animals continue to suf-
fer.
There is little or no training (of staff
or volunteers) and minimal resources
made available to improve the quality
of life for the animals, even though it
appears there’s plenty of money in the
bank.
Shelter management and the current
board are aware of these deficiencies,
but are apparently incapable or unwill-
ing to take action. Any time an issue is
raised, the board — either individually
or collectively — responds with
“We’re working on a plan,” “You
don’t understand the full picture” or
“There isn’t enough money for that.”
Meanwhile, it seems resources are
squandered, problems are ignored or
swept under the rug, and the animals
continue to suffer.
According to many accepted defini-
tions, animal cruelty is not only the
intentional abuse of an animal; it is
also the failure to take care of an ani-
mal. There are many instances of ani-
mals at OCHS that have not received
proper care.
The donations of our generous com-
5 A
munity are funding this and people
deserve to know how their contribu-
tions are being used — or misused.
— Dolly Brock
Donna Mlinek
Florence
N O RACISM , BIGOTRY , WHITE
SUPREMACY
This is my history. When I was a lit-
tle white girl living in the Jim Crow
South of Louisiana in the 1950s, I had
a defining moment happen in the gro-
cery store. I was thirsty, went up to a
water fountain and took a drink.
In my childhood memory, the whole
store gasped and went silent, everyone
looking at me for doing the unthink-
able; I drank from the “colored” water
fountain. I couldn’t reconcile the
response with the cool water I was
drinking.
This event set me on a path of fight-
ing racial injustice I’ve been a part of
since.
Yes, it’s expanded to all social
injustice I see; it opened my eyes to
the fact that, when we say liberty and
justice for all, we have to fight for it
when we see it corrupted or neglected.
That’s where I am now.
Standing in my truth.
Fighting racism, bigotry and, yes,
white supremacy.
White is just one color on a color
spectrum. We all belong.
I am your neighbor.
—Judy Kinsman
Florence
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Florence Branch | 1875 Hwy 101 | Florence, OR | (541) 997-6000 | www.RealEstateFlorence.com
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