4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| JULY 7, 2018
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
C
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Letters to the Editor policy
Th at time Florence’s fi reworks fi nale came early
(Editor’s Note: Not to take
anything away from the terrif-
ic fireworks spectacle that the
community and visitors were
treated to during this year's July
4th celebration in Florence, but
we received several calls, emails
and Facebook messages asking
about the time Florence’s fire-
works finale came early. What
follows is the original story that
was published exactly 41 years
ago today in the July 7, 1977,
edition of the Siuslaw News.)
Florence Does It
In A Big Way
Display has early finale
Florence’s version of a fire-
works display is definitely
unique. Instead of the “bombs
bursting in air” the majority
of the fireworks for the July 3
display were exploded on the
ground in a momentary bar-
rage, bringing the 15-minute
Independence Day celebration
to an unanticipated grand fi-
nale. The display, sponsored by
the Florence Booster Club, was
proceeding smoothly at its site
in the sand dunes, south of the
Siuslaw River and west of the
bridge, just after dusk Sunday
The original story as it appeared in the July 7, 1977, edi-
tion of the Siuslaw News.
night.
Then, according to Ron
Shelton, one of the five fire-
works attendants on the scene,
one of the shots drifted back
over the site and a burning em-
ber landed in a case of 3-inch
mortars. One of the rounds
exploded and, Shelton said,
“The guys on the end went up
over the lip of the dune to the
river, and we ran to the west as
things started getting hot.”
Ron termed the event “excit-
ing.”
Fortunately, the 24 sticks of
dynamite had been detonated
earlier to alert spectators that
the show was beginning to
start.
According to Morrie Rob-
ertson, Booster President, the
only casualty was the burned
brim of an attendant’s hat. But
to observers on the north side
of the river, the fiery spectacle
dimmed the cheerful celebra-
tion.
Words of concern for the
safety of the men rang up and
down Bay Street, which had
earlier been the scene of a pot-
luck social around the gazebo
in the new mini park.
And the sound and site of
the Western Lane Hospital
ambulance racing over the
bridge seemed to confirm the
worst.
Some people dashed to their
vehicles and tuned in to chan-
nel nine on CB radios and
were relieved to hear mem-
bers of Oregon Coast REACT
reporting no casualties at the
scene.
A short while later, Don
Hicks announced to a large
crowd at Don’s Beachcomber
that the men were not injured
as cheers went up.
The festivities quickly re-
newed.
Besides Shelton, the oth-
er men who set off fireworks
were Joe Tuttle, Richard Bales,
and Don and Bill Lindberg
who had handled fireworks at
Dunes City for about 10 years.
Robinson said that the
Boosters are ready and willing
to sponsor the event again next
year.
Preferably without the early
finale...
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor as
part of a community discussion of issues on the local,
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Emal letters to:
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LETTERS
State-run news
and television?
They announced today that Bill Shine,
former president of Fox News, has joined
the crew at the White House as the new
Communications Director.
Shine was at Fox News for most of
Roger Ailes’ tenure and reportedly paid
out $50 million, in one of those years, to
women for sexual harassment claims.
It seems apparent that President
Trump wants state-run news and tele-
vision — and now he has acquired the
person who can give him the expertise to
do so, much like Putin in Russia.
—Albert G. Anderson
Florence
Not the America
I was raised in
I continually dwell on the solutions to
problems rather than reiterating, time
after time, the essence of a problem.
The enormity of the situation regard-
ing the separation of mothers from their
children and the dissolutions of families
who crossed the U.S. border may, initial-
ly, seem impossible to rectify.
However, I believe there is a simple,
common sense solution:
Why not bring all of the mothers from
the detention facilities and all of the dis-
placed and missing-in-action children to
a common place — say the Astro Dome
— and let them find each other and re-
unite?
I’ll guarantee you that those mothers,
and those frightened and alone children,
will find their families much quicker
than the government is currently doing.
I am flabberghasted that the where-
abouts of these children are still un-
known.
Was there really a plan for reuniting
those families? And if not, then why not?
This is not the America that I was
raised in.
Where is the respect for humanity?
—Kimberly Ann Fleenor
Mapleton
Limbaugh falsehoods
are easy to find
On June 27, I submitted a Letter to the
Editor in response to a letter written by
Ian Eales. In the July 3 edition of the Siu-
slaw News, Tony Cavarno responded.
I know Tony is a nice man and I have
actually met him and his family at an
open house tour of the wonderful house
he had built.
But in his letter, he took exception to
my statement that from the likes of Rush
Limbaugh come false information.
“I would ask Mr. Jolley to state here
and now at least three falsehoods Rush
has voiced and back them up with ir-
refutable proof for all of us to see,” he
wrote.
I’m sorry, Tony, but I do not want to
spend the time to do so. However, for
anyone interested in doing so, just go to
Wikipedia — Rush Limbaugh or simply
do an Internet search for “Falsehoods by
Rush Limbaugh.”
—Win Jolley
Florence
Not hard to imagine
Imagine leaving your country of ori-
gin because you fear for your children’s
lives.
Imagine a long, treacherous trek to
find safety.
Imagine you make it to a legal port of
entry at the U.S. border seeking asylum
only to be turned away.
Imagine your difficult decision to at-
tempt illegal entry because it’s just too
dangerous to turn back.
Imagine you are caught and put into a
detention camp.
Imagine having your infant, 4-year-
old, 8-year-old or 12-year-old forcibly
taken from you.
Imagine having no idea where they
were taken, and them having no idea
where you’ve been taken.
Imagine not having any communica-
tion with your loved ones.
Imagine your feelings of loss, fear and
heartbreak.
Not hard to imagine if you're a human
being.
—Julie MacFarlane
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
Oregon 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
(4th 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