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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2018)
4 A ❘ SATURDAY EDITION ❘ MARCH 31, 2018 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 NED HICKSON , EDITOR Opinion We all play a part in keeping children safe A PRIL W hat if there was a community vaccine for child abuse? Lane County would want it. A recent study by the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect of Lane County residents showed that 98 per- cent of residents believe that all adults have a responsibility to prevent child abuse But we’re not clear how to do it. Forty-four percent of those same residents weren’t sure what the community could do to reduce abuse and neglect. That vaccine is primary pre- vention and this is where 90by30 in West Lane County comes in. In 2011, more than 225 community members gathered at a forum to ask one question: How do we stop child abuse? Participants realized that interventions and supports were necessary to create liv- able communities, but were not sufficient to prevent abuse. 90by30 was born of that and is working to get at the root caus- es of child abuse and neglect. IS ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respecting an estab- lishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer- cise 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 grievances. USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2017 © Siuslaw News C HILD A BUSE A WARENESS M ONTH To affect change, we need an engaged community, proven and effective strategies and a “public health” approach to prevention. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills and resources they need to care for their children — and by mak- ing meaningful connections The strategies chosen for 2018-19 are: • Welcome Baby Box, • Roots of Empathy • Healthy Families — Home Visitation • Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM). During the month of April, pinwheels will be displayed GUEST VIEWPOINT B Y V ONNIE M C C LELLAN W EST L ANE 90 BY 30 with children, youth and fami- lies in our communities — we can help prevent child abuse and neglect. By joining in with the 90by30 campaign of “Play Your Part,” we can each find our place to make that differ- ence and be part of the “vac- cine” against child abuse and neglect. The local regional leader- ship team of 90by30 deter- mined several prevention strategies to implement in our community to “play our part” to reduce abuse and neglect. throughout our communities to raise awareness of this impor- tant effort. The month of April culminates with “Turn your Weekend Blue,” which is three days to celebrate children, families and community. Friday, April 27, will be the day to make a visible commit- ment to prevent child abuse by wearing blue. On Saturday, April 28, take a road trip to discover all of the county’s pinwheel gardens. Lane County pinwheel loca- tions and family activities can be found at www. 90by30.com or at www.getinvolvedlane county.org. The public is invited to come and learn about preven- tion strategies being imple- mented in West Lane, enjoy refreshments and participate in fun activities for the whole family at a Child Abuse Prevention Open House on Sunday, April 29, at the Siuslaw Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. Also on Sunday, or on what- ever day a faith tradition cele- brates, local faith communities will be participating in Blue Sunday — a traditional day of prayer for an end to child abuse that offers a chance for us to speak with one voice in favor healthy, nurtured kids. West Lane Community Foundation, the Florence Rotary Club and several indi- viduals have contributed fund- ing to help support these efforts. Please join us — because everyone has a part to play in keeping our children safe. For more information, visit www.90by30.com. LETTERS O UR YOUTH ARE SPEAKING UP — AND WE SHOULD LISTEN F REEDOM TO BE RIDDLED WITH BULLETS ? In the midst of political and economic turmoil, as world tensions rise and the climate deteriorates, there is reason to celebrate: The voices of our youth are growing in strength. Across the nation and around the world, it is the powerful collective voic- es of children and young adults that offer our best hope for a better tomorrow. Not since the ’60s have we seen such a chorus rising from our students. In those days, it was our nation’s youth who called for cleaner air and water, racial justice, an end to war, and a search for solutions with love and peace. And as a result, changes occurred: the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights movement, the end of the Vietnam War, and much more. Today, while the locations and details have changed, these issues are no less vital — and it is our students who have added another issue of grave concern: Campus violence. Can we blame our students for being upset? They have read and watched for years as their political representatives argue themselves into stalemate while the killings have continued in schools like Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas… Children watch their friends die while the adults ponder whether the problem is too many guns. Or too few guns. Or guns in the hands of crazy people. Or maybe it’s just the price we pay for the right to bear arms? They are demanding that we stop talk- ing and start acting, and they are absolutely right to do so. Our youth are speaking up — it’s their turn now — and we should listen very carefully. I have the great privilege of working daily as a volunteer at Siuslaw High School and interacting with our local students. Every day, in the ASPIRE office and around the campus, I encounter intelligent and caring young adults who are thinking about the future — their future. They want solid, interesting, and well- paying careers in a society that is safe for them and safe for the children they hope to have. I am proud of them for their suc- cesses and for the strength with which they tackle life’s challenges. I want to hear more from our youth, and I want them to help lead us out of these dark times and into the sunlight of a better, safer, saner and more compas- sionate world. —Robert Orr Dunes City I am dismayed at the thought process- es of some conservative letter writers. Ian Eales’ letter (“Sad That Children Being Used as Pawns,” March 24) would have us believe that the revolt of school children against the easy avail- ability of guns is the product of “corrupt politicians, statists and anti-American media” brain-washing. He sees placing restrictions on gun ownership to be the relinquishment of “freedom” to gain “temporary security.” Anybody shot at — brainwashed or not by ex-teacher liberals like me — will take common sense gun restrictions over the freedom to be riddled with bullets anytime. The students that marched and protested March 24 are absolutely right. Presumably, Mr. Eales would prefer to have these adolescents shout: “Freedom to have people buy guns that require weak or no background checks! Vote lib- erals out!” —Harold Titus Florence P ROTEST THE WAR , NOT THE GRUNTS Good for you, Steve Bates (Guest Viewpoint “Fly Your Flag For Vietnam Vets Thursday,” March 28). It’s about time that those who served in Vietnam are recognized. In 1969, my partner and I were laying out a timber sale Near Port Angeles, Wash. It was cold and raining as usual, so we fired up a snag and had lunch. This wet miserable young man came up and asked if he could share our fire. When he stopped shivering, he left and returned with four friends. They all were veterans from ‘Nam who couldn’t take the “homecoming” crap in the cities. Their camp was in the middle of our timber sale, so we moved them to a location near the Olympic NP. I had been in Korea in the mid 1950s, and the things that these guys went through was unbelievable. Protesting the war is one thing, but abusing the grunts that served is another. —Keith J Walker Florence T ODAY ’ S YOUTH ARE A A GOOD FEELING What a lovely article in the Siuslaw News about Casey Kawahara and Woody Woodbury (“Woodbury’s Work Shows What’s Possible,” March 24). The piece spotlighted two persons in our own community who exemplify what makes us great. Thank you, Siuslaw News, for sharing this story of people and making us all aware. Such a good feeling. — Joan Owens Florence A GE RESTRICTION DOESN ’ T MAKE SENSE Here’s my two cents plus some ques- tions. 1) How many young people go hunt- ing with their families every year and what are their ages? 2) How many 18-year-olds go into the military? What are they trained to do? They are trained to use all kinds of armaments. They are sent to places like Afghanastan or Iraq to use their training on those armaments. Then, when they return home at age 20, they are told they aren’t old enough to purchase a weapon for themselves because they are “not mature enough.” Does that make any sense? My husband and sons all served in the military, and our sons are all graduates of Siuslaw High School. They are my heroes. — L.V. Furby Florence GAME CHANGER As an 83-year-old, the past month has been as eye-opening as no other in the many years of my life. With the involve- ment of the issue of gun violence, I must first say that I am ashamed that my gen- eration has done little to address gun restriction issues where current weapon- ry — mainly assault-style weapons — have been responsible for the mass killing for years throughout our country. With the latest tragedy in Parkland, Fla., teenagers, beginning with the Parkland students, have committed themselves to a movement to directly address gun violence. That has been exemplified by the recent March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. — a rally I believe will go down in history as a pivotal moment in addressing gun issues. I say to the youth in Florence, and to our young people throughout the coun- try, your articulation and tenacity in speaking to this issue will be a game changer. This 83-year-old is so proud of our youth. You will not only make a differ- ence at the ballot box, but we may see you in the near future running for office. Yes, we will see you making a differ- ence in our Democracy. God bless you for that, and God bless the United States of America. —Lou Ures Florence 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. 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 Jenna Bartlett Ned Hickson Erik Chalhoub Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Jeremy Gentry 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 classifiedad,sThursday 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, $76; 6-month in-county, $52; 10-weeks subscription, $23; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription,$99; 6-month out-of-county, $65; 10-weeks subscription, $29; Out of State — 1- year subscription, $125; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $71. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com 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 editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen- tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or documented will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside the Siuslaw News readership area will only be pub- lished at the discretion of the editor. 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@ oregonlegislature.gov 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
