4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ DECEMBER 20, 2017
Siuslaw News
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
The long arc of ‘Jeopardy’
from the community both in
support of and in anger over
our coverage of these sensitive
issues. While some feel it
paints our community as prob-
lematic and overlooks the
As we approach the
halfway point of our 10-part
series “Is Coastal Living in
Jeopardy?” focusing on the
housing and economic chal-
lenges currently facing our
community, as well as the
entire West Coast, I thought it
would be a good time to
emphasize that this series has
a very long arc.
Over the past several weeks
since the series began on Nov.
15, we have received feedback
we now? How did we get
here? What can we do as a
community to get to where we
want to go?
When we continue our
series next Wednesday, Dec.
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
many positives, others believe
it’s a conversation that’s long
overdue.
When our newsroom first
began discussing what the
scope of the series would be
and fleshed out its parts, our
overall objective was to iden-
tify three things: Where are
27, with Part 6, we’ll begin
looking at the role local eco-
nomics play in solving some
of the housing issues within
the Siuslaw region.
Heading toward the end of
this long, 10-week arc, we’ll
identify solutions — some of
which are already beginning
to materialize, and others that
are on the horizon.
Early last November, as we
sat looking at the outline of
this series written in blue
marker on a large whiteboard,
we knew it was going to elicit
a myriad of responses.
But most importantly, we
knew it would spark the kinds
of conversations that ultimate-
ly make us stronger; the kinds
of conversations people
around here have never shied
away from having.
Thank you for being a part
of that conversation.
Write Siuslaw News editor
Ned Hickson at nhickson@the
siuslaw news.com or P.O. Box
10, Florence, Ore. 97439.
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
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Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the
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L ETTERS
TO THE
P OLICY
E DITOR
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor
as part of a community discussion 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
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of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on
space available and the volume of letters received.
Libelous, argumentative and anonymous letters
or poetry, or letters from outside our readership
area will only be published at the discretion of the
editor.
LETTERS
C OULDN ’ T HAVE DONE IT
WITHOUT PEOPLE OF
F LORENCE
Thank you so much, Florence. The
help and kindness so many of you have
shown us as we dealt with the sudden
loss of our loved one, Elizabeth Breon,
owner of Coast Jewelers, was profound.
The fire department personnel; sweet
and helpful condo neighbors Mark and
Jim; Alan Burns; the animal shelter,
which took in Liz’s greyhound Dexter
for a few days until he went to live with
Rayetta from Homes for Hounds;
Devan and family who took in Georgie
the bird and Moses the cat; the offers of
help from Liz’s church family; wonder-
ful cabin neighbor Rich, who kept an
eye on her place; and lawyer Kelly Ford
— our sincerest thank you to al of you.
Also, thank you to all her friends who
we met or stopped by her store to share
stories and kind words.
Our family lives near Seattle, so to
handle her affairs from so far away
would have been near impossible with-
out the help of so many in Florence.
Also, a special thank you to Desiree
Clifton and her husband, who made
multiple trips out to Liz’s home and
helped with the disposal and sale of the
cabinets, safe, and misc. equipment
from her jewelry store.
To say she and her husband went
above and beyond can’t begin to
encompass what they did for our fami-
ly.
Again, our sincerest thank you.
—Bill Breon & Family
Seattle, Wash.
‘S OFT TOUCH ’ FOR
THE WEB ?
Regarding your Saturday piece on
Net Neutrality, “‘Net’ Gain from FCC
Decision Unclear” (Dec. 16):
Nonpartisan sources report that
almost 40 percent of U.S. rural popula-
tions lack access to “basic fixed broad-
band service.”
This is true despite billions of federal
dollars paid to corporations by
Congress to build out those rural areas
for over 10 years.
One may ask where were the benign
“market forces” clammoring to “inno-
vate” and connect rural America?
In what way will they expect the new
FCC regulatory “soft touch” to differ
from the Congressional closed-door
corporate fondling they are accustomed
to expect?
Which prompts one to wonder: Will
Roy Moore be our next FCC nominee,
or merely the spokeman?
—Rand Dawson
Siltcoos Lake
N OT HEARING MUCH FROM
THOSE ACCUSED
In regard to Mr. Eckhardt’s letter
concerning the over reaching of sexual
harassment and abuse accusations,
“Sexual Harrasment Accusations Need
Proof” (Dec. 16):
I too have been dismayed and deeply
disturbed upon hearing that a producer
of wonderful films, my favorite come-
dian, a great senator, an engaging talk
show moderator, et al have been
accused of heinous sex related harass-
ment, crimes, etc.
However, the fact that these men
have either been relieved of, or stepped
away from, their positions does not
cause me the same concerns that it caus-
es you. Many of these men were com-
plained about by the victims to their
superiors and HR departments, but to
no avail.
Many of the accusers worked in envi-
ronments where to complain about the
“put up with/put out” culture would
result in their own loss of employment
or advancement opportunities.
This is why the “MeToo” movement
started:
To be heard.
Until our culture recognizes that
there is systemic sexism, and further,
misogyny, in the workplace and in the
public sphere, these accusations — and
I hope resultant repercussions — will
continue.
The men who have left their jobs
either voluntarily or involuntarily have
been informed as to the specific charges
and complaints against them and of the
persons accusing them.
However, aside from Sen. Al
Franken’s sad yet brilliant commentary
on the irony of his resignation amidst
our own president’s admitted sexual
assault history and the repugnant behav-
ior of Roy Moore (who told Sean
Hannity that he only dated girls after
receiving their mother’s permission),
I’m not hearing too much from those
accused.
In the meantime, think about all the
women who for years have endured sex
crimes and harassment everywhere,
from our farming fields and orchards to
the highest levels of government and
industry.
What about those women’s jobs and
reputations?
And, by the way, check out the statis-
tics for false reporting of sex crimes.
Speak to women. Ask them about
their work experiences with harassing
men and being sexually assaulted. Ask
women of your own generation; ask
younger women; ask any woman.
We all have the same stories to tell.
We’ve been telling these stories for
years.
— Candace Thompson
Florence
P OLITICAL /E LECTION L ETTERS :
Election-related letters must address pertinent or
timely issues of interest to our readers at-large.
Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing
campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2)
Ensure any information about a candidate is accu-
rate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or
hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support
candidates based on personal experience and per-
spective rather than partisanship and campaign-
style rhetoric.
Candidates themselves may not use the letters to
the editor column to outline their views and plat-
forms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid polit-
ical advertising.
As with all letters and advertising content, the
newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher,
general manager and editor, reserves the right to
reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above crite-
ria.
Send letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
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