4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ NOVEMBER 15, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
What will it take to assure
coastal living as a community?
In today’s edition of
Siuslaw News, we’re launch-
ing an eight-part series that
takes an in-depth look at the
challenges our community —
along with communities
throughout the West Coast —
are facing due to a devastat-
ing combination of low-wage
jobs and a lack of affordable
housing.
While cities like Seattle
and Los Angeles have been
posting some of the lowest
unemployment rates in a
decade, the number of home-
less have risen dramatically.
As Seattle Councilman Mike
O’Brien told the Associated
Press last week, the city has
economically zero unem-
ployment.
“Yet thousands of home-
less people with jobs simply
can’t afford housing,” he
said. “There’s just nowhere
for these folks to move to.”
Since 2015, homelessness
has driven more than 10
cities in California, Oregon
and Washington to declare a
state of emergency — a des-
ignation usually reserved for
a natural disaster.
Here in the Siuslaw region,
while we prepare for the
inevitable earthquake and
tsunami predicted to occur
sometime in the next 50
years, we are experiencing
our own crisis related to a
ness in our region. We’ve
spoken with city officials,
nonprofit organizations, busi-
nesses, volunteer programs,
realtors, property managers
and average citizens to not
only understand the scope on
a local level, but gain some
perspective on what some of
the solutions are — and why
it’s so critical to implement
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
lack of housing and living-
wage jobs. Except, unlike a
natural disaster, it’s not loom-
ing in the unforeseeable
future.
It’s here.
The question is what to do
about it.
In the months spent
preparing for our eight-week
series “Is Coastal Living In
Jeopardy?” we looked into
the common denominator
creating the unhealthy symbi-
otic relationship between
low-wage jobs and homeless-
them to assure the future of
our coastal region.
We were shocked to learn
about how many of those
who we see working two and
three jobs around town retire
to their cars each night
because they can’t afford the
average $750 to $950 rent for
an apartment; the elderly in
our community who sell
donated items in yard sales to
supplement their Social
Security in order to pay their
utilities; how some of those
in situations of domestic
abuse remain because they
can’t afford a place on their
own — even when children
are involved.
In the weeks ahead, we
will explore the many aspects
of this crisis to identify the
problems, some of the poten-
tial solutions and, most
importantly, what it will take
to implement those solutions.
Topics will include the
challenges of creating living-
wage jobs, economic devel-
opment, affordable housing,
the local work force, and the
short- and long-term impacts
of local programs like
Helping Hands, Food Share,
Siuslaw Outreach Services
and others that rely heavily
on volunteers and donations.
We hope you will join us
each Wednesday over the
next seven weeks, beginning
today with Part 1 of “Is
Coastal Living In Jeopardy?”
as we identify the issues we
face together as members of
the Siuslaw region.
Write Siuslaw News editor Ned
Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw
news.com or 148 Maple St,
Florence, Ore. 97439.
LETTERS
W ONDERFUL COMMUNITY
SUPPORT OF VETS
Though it rained on our parade, a
great many patriotic members of our
wonderful community lined the route
to honor all veterans. Parade partici-
pants thanked those who braved the
elements as several distributed flags.
Oregon Dunes Chapter Daughters
of the American Revolution (DAR) is
grateful to Dan Lofy for the use of his
trailer that allowed several members
to ride this year, and to Oregon Coast
Military Museum board member Tom
Benedict, who skillfully towed the
trailer.
Two Coos Bay DAR Chapter mem-
bers joined the fun, one of whom por-
trayed Betsy Ross and delivered flags
and copies of the Flag Code. We also
enjoyed the company of a Yaquina
Chapter member, whose husband is
currently serving in the Air Force.
Siuslaw Elementary School stu-
dents wrote heartwarming notes to
veterans that were distributed along
the way by Shannon and Kaylee
Graham, Carrie West McNeil and her
daughters.
Seeing our community join togeth-
er to acknowledge the sacrifices of
those who served to protect our free-
doms is worthy of our remembrance
and support.
—Jacquie Beveridge
Florence
A DDRESS THE REAL ISSUE
OF GUN VIOLENCE
Recently, 26 innocent people were
killed in Texas by a mentally ill man
who never should have legally been
able to buy a gun. The killing spree
was stopped by a good citizen with a
gun — and if someone in the church
had been armed, maybe many more
lives would have been saved.
The United States has many laws
pertaining to guns, but they are only
as good as the people that enforce
them. In this case, the U.S. Air Force
dropped the ball and didn’t report the
shooter’s court martial, which would
have banned him from buying a gun.
Semi-automatic rifles were first
sold in this country in 1885 and have
been used by hunters, target shooters
and sportsmen since that time. An
assault weapon is, by definition, a
selective fire weapon that can be
switched from semi automatic to full
automatic; assault weapons are used
by the military and cannot be sold to
the general public.
What the Texas shooter had was an
AR-15 style rifle, which is semi-auto-
matic. In spite of what you may hear
on TV, the AR in this instance stands
for ArmaLite Rifle, after the company
that developed it in the 1950s. This is
just an updated version of the semi-
automatic rifle, first introduced in
1885, that is easier to clean, lighter
and more versatile.
It isn’t an “assault” rifle. There are
millions of these rifles in the hands of
private citizens in the U.S. and it is
the best-selling rifle in use today.
Keep in mind anyone who buys a
gun today has to register the gun at
the time of purchase. Nothing is given
to the person buying the gun that
would prove that the gun has been
registered, so requiring a gun owner
to prove registration prior to purchas-
ing ammunition is not possible.
It is estimated that there are over
360 million registered guns in the
U.S., so for the federal government to
provide proof to every gun owner
would be very costly. It seems to me
that the best course of action is to
keep guns out of the hands of people
who shouldn’t have them.
There are laws in effect to stop that
from happening but they are ineffec-
tive if people with mental health prob-
lems or who are involved in criminal
activity are not reported. Let’s not
blame the gun or the millions of good
people in our country who own and
enjoy them on the actions of a few
deranged people.
—Tom Wilson
Florence
P ROUD OF F LORENCE
I am so proud of Florence and
Western Lane County. Once again,
this time in downpours of rain, our
community turned out to support our
veterans in the annual parade held in
Old Town.
I am especially proud of Janet Van
Thies, a new volunteer to The
Salvation
Army-Western
Lane
County. Janet lost her brother this
year, who was a successful graduate
of the Men’s Rehabilitation Program
many years ago in Long Beach, Calif.
In his memory, she marched carrying
our Home Front War Relief banner.
She got soaked and declined a rain
coat so people could see her bright red
Salvation Army Volunteer T-shirt.
Wonderfully, a man standing on the
edge of the street jumped in alongside
Janet to help carry the banner.
He put on an extra volunteer T-shirt
and promptly got soaked, too.
People like this define the character
of Florence and western Lane County,
as do the many who stood alongside
the streets and waved flags for our
veterans. We all got soaked in the love
and respect shown to men and women
who have served our nation in times
of conflict and peace to assure we at
home are more safe and more secure
because of their sacrifices.
What a wonderful way to show oth-
ers the value of their service.
Thank you!
—Bill Olson
Salvation Army-Western Lane
County
Florence
B UDDY P OPPY D RIVE A
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TO THE
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E DITOR
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SUCCESS FOR VETS
I want to thank our local Fred
Meyer store for allowing us to be in
its north entrance for two days over
Veterans Day weekend, and a huge
thank you to everyone who con-
tributed to our annual Buddy Poppy
Drive.
It was our most successful drive
since I became a member.
The Auxiliary to the VFW Post
3232 — which is open to men and
women — has a mission to help vet-
erans in many ways, from physical
and mental health, to housing and
hospital care.
Holidays can be a depressing time
without something special for them,
and all the auxiliaries in Oregon con-
tribute to helping veterans in homes
or hospitals have as close to a normal
holiday season as possible.
We also hep support the annual
Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy
essay writing contest at local schools.
So for all of those who contributed
this Veterans Day weekend, we thank
you. All the money collected will be
used to help our men and women who
served theiur country, as well the
young men and women who will one
day be in our shoes.
—Beryl Foreman
President, Florence Auxiliary to
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3232
Florence
WHERE TO WRITE
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, Ore. 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
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
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
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