4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ APRIL 11, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
Wilbur Ternyik was a character with character
During my more than 30
years working as a journalist
in Florence, I met a lot of
memorable people — but
none more so than Wilbur
Ternyik, who died recently at
the age of 92.
When I first moved here as a
young Register-Guard reporter
in 1970, it took little time to
realize he was a mover and
shaker, not only in the commu-
nity but up and down the coast.
He was a confidant of both for-
mer Gov. Tom McCall and Sen.
Mark Hatfield.
In addition, he served long
stints on the Florence City
Council, both as mayor and
councilman, and also the Port
of Siuslaw Commission.
Perhaps his greatest achieve-
ment was heading the Oregon
Coastal Conservation and
Development
Commission,
which ensured that coastal resi-
dents, rather than just politi-
cians and bureaucrats on the
other side of the Coast Range,
would have a major influence
on rules for how the coast
would grow and evolve.
GUEST VIEWPOINT
B Y L ARRY B ACON
F LORENCE RESIDENT , RETIRED JOURNALIST
But all that political and gov-
ernment stuff was only one
facet of a complex man. He was
a direct descendent of the
Clatsop chief who greeted
Lewis and Clark near the
mouth of the Columbia River,
and was proud of his Native
American Heritage. According
to Ternyik, when Lewis and
Clark left the area they gave
their Fort Clatsop to Ternyik’s
ancestor, Chief Coboway.
Therefore, Ternyik joked,
maybe he still had some owner-
ship rights.
Native American historian
and collector of artifacts, stabi-
lizer of sand dunes, battle-test-
ed U.S. Marine, wetlands
restoration expert, trapper,
hunter, wildlife rehabilitation
volunteer, spinner of yarns —
Ternyik was all of those.
He had no problem rubbing
shoulders with the rich and
powerful, but for years he met
daily for coffee at the
Oceanaire Cafe with a group of
working stiffs to swap yarns
and catch up with the local
news.
To a young reporter, he
seemed to enjoy sharing stories
of times past — like the antics
of the unofficial local militia,
the Vine Maple Savages, or the
times the local Chamber of
Commerce would set up dunes
tours for visiting bigwigs from
the valley that included views
of “Sand Dunes Sally” in the
altogether while basking in the
sand.
As a reporter, I sat for many
hours in public meetings at
which Wilbur presided, some-
times wearing a fringed Native
American jacket and wielding a
tomahawk for a gavel. It was
one of his favorite artifacts, he
said, and appropriate for public
meetings; it not only had a
sharp blade but was construct-
ed to double as a peace pipe.
He had the strength to keep
deliberations on track and the
humor to avoid acrimony.
Sure, Wilbur was a politi-
cian, but I don’t think his public
service was an ego trip for him.
I got the feeling he really cared
about the community and the
coast, and enjoyed working to
make things better.
After he backed away from
state and local government, I
would still see him and his
wife, Joyce, once in awhile
tending to the landscaping at
the intersection of Highways
101 and 126 — getting their
hands dirty and happy to do so.
That’s the kind of folks they
were.
Wilbur once lamented to me
that all the characters he so
admired in his long time at
Florence were disappearing —
special people that added the
flavor and spice that helped
make Florence unique.
Well, one more of them is
gone now.
LETTERS
G LAD FOR OUR COMMUNITY ’ S
POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT
I am hoping for an informative article
about the Lane County Commissioners
Forum held last Friday. I drove down
there and saw that Kingwood was lined
with parked cars.
As I walked toward the Class Act
Theatre, a gal walking away said it was so
crowded in the theater that there was
standing room only.
Sure enough, it was packed, with peo-
ple standing in the adjacent room and out-
side. I’m fairly short and didn’t want to be
packed in staring at someone’s back so I
left.
It’s great that the Florence community
is so politically involved.
—Button Watkins
Florence
W ONDERFUL COMMUNITY
SUPPORT
It is truly wonderful to live in a com-
munity that answers the call for help and
inspires others to get involved.
Siuslaw Outreach Services (SOS) in
Florence expanded its services to include
helping pets of those in crisis with a little
bit of food, thanks to the Sacred Animal
Sanctuary and Loved Again Pets.
The Sacred Animal Sanctuary got
things kicked off a few months ago with
donating over 200 pounds of dog and cat
food. This inspired Loved Again Pets to
do the same.
When Loved Again Pets recently heard
about the program, they generously
donated over 100 pounds of dog food for
the needy. As an SOS volunteer, I am so
proud of our program where we are able
to provide dog food to homeless, down on
their luck, travelers or anyone that needs
help taking care of their pets during trou-
bled times.
Many people feed their pets first before
feeding themselves. When we are able to
hand these people a bag of food and a few
treats, it is like Christmas.
Their faces light up knowing that their
companion will have good food for a cou-
ple of days. The bond between dog and
human is very precious.
We truly live in a caring community.
—Bonnie Compton
Volunteer at SOS
L AWS AREN ’ T CAST IN STONE
— FOR A REASON
While ideally the courts are the arbiters
of justice, we know that justice is not
always served. And like many laws, many
judges are imperfect. That’s why we must
challenge and change them. An unjust law
that allows poisoning of people and envi-
ronment must be challenged and changed.
An elected judge who repeatedly sides
with timber industry cronies must be chal-
lenged and removed.
In response to Bill Gary’s op-ed
(Register-Guard, April 3) slamming Ann
Kneeland, attorney for the Spray Ban
advocates, it was Kneeland who held the
moral high ground in court, as she chal-
lenged the status quo, by revealing how
the law rewards big corporations over the
people.
Did she attack the integrity of the sys-
tem? Yes, she did. And we remain grateful
to her for exposing the tired system that
remains unbending when it is clearly, way
past time to bend.
This is an object lesson, Good People.
Laws are not cast in stone; our laws must
be relevant and just. If not for the coura-
geous challengers of the past, we would
still have slavery, Jim Crow, women with-
out the vote and many more examples of
unjust laws that are now in the dustbin of
history.
—Michelle Holman
Deadwood
A PPLES AND ORANGES ,
GUNS AND KNIVES
Ian Eales’ letter “Banning Does Not
Work” (April 4) makes the all too fre-
quently used comparison of apples to
oranges. Homicides by knife are singular,
almost always one assault leads to one
death.
A 21 percent increase could mean a
total of 21 extra people. A single assault
with a gun, as we have recently seen, can
result in dozens or even hundreds of
deaths.
His letter ignores the enormously
favorable results of gun restriction legisla-
tion in Australia.
Banning weapons does work.
—Bill Durst
Florence
R EPEALING S ECOND
A MENDMENT IS NO ANSWER
In regard to repealing the Second
Amendment, Chicago has the toughest
gun laws in the country and the most
deaths from guns. Their reasoning as to
why the laws don’t work is because the
guns come across state lines illegally from
neighboring states.
So if the Second Amendment is
repealed, what is going to stop groups
from getting weapons from across the
U.S. border — along with all the drugs
that cause more deaths in this country
than guns?
—L.V. Furby
Florence
C OUNTY C OMMISSIONER
DEBATE
I attended the debate for Lane County
Commissioner on Friday, April 6,
between our current Lane County
Commissioner Jay Bozievich and candi-
date Nora Kent.
While it was a lively exchange with
answers to the many questions from the
audience, via the moderator, it became
clear to me that Bozievich has an under-
standing of what the job requires to be our
County Commissioner.
He has done the job so far with integri-
ty and educated insight to the needs of all
the people in his jurisdiction. He has the
experience to continue the job as commis-
sioner.
Kent, I feel, doesn’t have the experi-
ence with economics in the capacity the
job of commissioner requires. Her appeal
is to a small group of like-minded people,
sympathetic to health care for all and
homelessness.
I don’t believe she has the capacity to
understand that while we all want health
care for all and adequate living condi-
tions, it costs money.
Who is going to pay for the free stuff?
Kent speaks much like Governor Kate
Brown and, in my opinion, electing her to
Lane County Commissioner would be a
fiscal disaster for our county.
There is a saying, “If it’s not broke,
don’t fix it.”
Bozievich is doing a good job and I
believe we need to keep him and get
behind him with our support.
—Donna Dobson
Florence
D ON ’ T THROW TRASH
OUT THE WINDOW
I want to thank all of the Woahink Lake
area citizens who participated in the litter
clean-up on Canary and Clear Lake Roads
on March 31.
As someone who is new to the area and
runs on the roads circling the lake, I have
been appalled by the amount of litter I
have seen. Most of the litter appeared to
have been thrown out automobile win-
dows — fast food packaging, including
candy wrappers, cardboard and plastic
containers, lids and straws, as well as beer
cans and bottles, mini alcoholic drink bot-
tles, soda and energy drink cans, cigarette
butts and packaging.
There was also evidence of trash being
blown out of the back of vehicles: full
garbage bags and various pieces of vari-
ous things.
I am deeply saddened by this. I can
remember when, in 1965, Lady Bird
Johnson’s
Bill,
The
Highway
Beautification Act, was passed. I was 13
years old. With the passage of this bill,
Americans began to realize that casually
littering roadsides was not acceptable.
The children taught the parents to change
their ways. Those same children are now
senior citizens who have strived to pass
on this anti-littering mentality to their off-
spring.
There has been a stigma against litter-
ing. So why are people still littering?
Lady Bird Johnson once said,
“Ugliness is so grim. A little beauty,
something that is lovely, I think, can help
create harmony, which will lessen ten-
sions.” We definitely need to keep the
area around Woahink Lake beautiful. And
anything that can promote harmony and
lessen tension in our daily lives is much
needed. I implore those who use these
roads to absorb those words of Lady Bird
Johnson’s and think before you throw the
trash out the window.
—Patricia Briggs
Florence
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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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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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