6A | WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS
MUSEUM from page 1A
“We chose July 4, 2015, as our
opening day for two reasons,”
said OCMM Executive Director
Cal Applebee. “Firstly, it’s the
most patriotic day in American
history and society, and second-
ly, it coincided with the Wings
and Wheels event.”
The two events are very dif-
ferent — one focuses on classic
cars and vintage airplanes, one
on people and military heritage
— but they remain intertwined,
with a mutual celebration of
small town Americana, cross
promotion of both events, repeat
visitors and the use of Rhody
Express and its special shuttle
service.
“Saturday was just phenom-
enal for the whole community,”
Applebee said. “The mere fact
that more than 2,000 people
came out to Wings and Wheels,
and 633 people stopped by the
museum, shows how the com-
munity is growing to appreciate
these annual events.”
Inside the museum, guests
signed the guest book, roamed
the detailed displays created by
local artists and sat in the small
theater to watch short features.
Next door, OCMM and local
military jeeps had a presence at
Wings and Wheels as the mu-
seum’s U.S. Air Force Jeep led a
convoy of military vehicles.
“With such a strong partner-
ship, it’s hard to separate the two
events now,” Applebee said.
Turnout seemed above av-
erage, he said, as cars were
parked on Kingwood Street
from Burns’s Riverside Chapel
Florence Funeral Home down to
Florence Senior Center and the
Singing Pines Dog Park.
“The whole day was a suc-
cess,” Applebee said.
OCMM pulled out all the
stops at its anniversary with a
raffle, reduced admission and
the tantalizing smells of Smokin’
Pops Carolina Barbecue, which
provided sandwiches and cole-
slaw by donation to the muse-
um, to draw people in.
Florence Mayor Joe Henry
serves on the board of OCMM.
During Wings and Wheels, he
stood on stage to welcome peo-
ple to both events.
“We’ve got a lot of sweet rides
out there with the car show, a
bunch of jeeps leading convoys,
several awesome aircraft, some
great model aircraft and our
military museum’s anniversa-
ry next door,” he said. “As you
probably know, our community
boasts a large number of retired
and active military. Almost 20
percent of our population is
military. … We’re very proud, as
a city, of our military communi-
ty. We’re also very fortunate to
have an active military here on
the Siuslaw River, and that’s our
awesome Coast Guard Station.”
In August 2017, Florence was
designated as a Coast Guard
City, one of 25 in the United
States and one of three in Ore-
gon.
“That is a very prestigious
designation that is not given to a
lot of communities, and is real-
ly in recognition of our support
for our Coast Guard communi-
ty,” Henry said.
He invited Senior Chief Jay
Nilles, was sworn as command-
er of the Coast Guard Station
Siuslaw River on June 1, to the
stage and to the community.
Henry then presented Nilles
with a challenge coin with the
logos of the Coast Guard and
the City of Florence on either
side, saying, “Thank you very
much, and welcome to you and
your family.”
Nilles said, “Thank you to the
city for hosting such a great event
today. The weather is beautiful
— mayor you did a great job at
getting some sunshine today, so
I give all the sunshine credit to
you.”
He said it “is very honorable”
that the City of Florence became
a Coast Guard City last year
through efforts of the OCMM
and community volunteers.
“Even though I think, by pop-
ulation, Florence is the smallest
CG City, it has the largest heart
of all of them,” Nilles said. “I’d
like to thank the city for wel-
coming myself and my family to
Florence, and I appreciate every-
thing everyone does to support
us here, including the mayor and
his team.”
Applebee said the weather
was a big part in both events’
success on Saturday, allowing
a record number of planes to
take to the skies. This included
Terry Tomeny giving 16 rides
in his AeroLegends Biplane, the
Ericson Aircraft Collection’s AT6
Texan Trainer giving seven rides
and local pilots giving demon-
strations to please the crowds.
Dozens of people also took
the military jeep convoy.
“This was like a nine-day hol-
iday week for people,” Applebee
said. “My wife and I took the
weekend off before the Fourth of
July, and event organizers picked
July 7 as the closest Saturday to
the holiday. That keeps people
celebrating all week.”
According to OCMM volun-
teers, many visitors who took
advantage of the reduced ad-
mission were repeat guests who
came to see the updated displays.
One couple, which made their
first visit to the museum, said
they enjoyed sharing memories
with OCMM volunteers and
veterans.
Special highlights were music
by the Old Time Fiddlers Asso-
ciation and Civil War historian
Dave Burkett, an OCMM ex-of-
ficio board member, dressed in
full 1860s uniform.
“We were amazed at how
many people showed for this
special event,” the couple said.
“Everyone seemed to be smiling
and having a pretty good time,
enjoying the perfect weather,
listening to the live music and
checking out the cars and air-
planes. We plan to visit the mu-
seum again in the future when
it’s a little less busy. Many thanks
to all of the vendors, volunteers
and Rhody Express.”
Applebee extended his thanks
to the Wings and Wheels for
their partnership, but also to the
staff, board members and volun-
teers who worked to make the
museum’s anniversary possible.
“I’m so appreciative of ev-
eryone who worked so hard to
make this day work. It’s a one-
day event, but it involves a lot,”
he said. “It’s important to our
mission of ‘Honoring Our Vet-
erans by Educating Our Public’
to hold this event, and we ap-
preciate everyone who came out
and attended.”
The annual anniversary cel-
ebration isn’t the only program
the museum holds throughout
the year. In August, it celebrates
its next Military Heritage Day
by honoring Women in the mil-
itary. The Aug. 25 event will fea-
ture local Coast Guard veteran
Sharon Armstrong and Oregon
Department of Veterans’ Affairs’
“I Am Not Invisible” exhibit.
In September, OCMM will
hold its first golf tournament.
In November, the museum
will host the Festival of Trees af-
ter Thanksgiving.
“There’s a lot going on, and
volunteers are working in ear-
nest,” Applebee said. “But time
flies when you’re having fun!”
For more information about
the OCMM, or to volunteer
at the museum or for an up-
coming event, stop into the
museum, visit oregoncoast
militarymuseum.com or call
541-902-5150.
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum
Presents
A Collection of Fabric Woven by
Alice Peckham of Swisshome
and a demonstration of the antique 4-harness fl oor
loom used in the Peckham family for 3 generations.
A 4-harness direct tie-up counterbalance 1951 Allen Loom,
built-in Milwaukie, Oregon, and woven on by three generations
of the Peckham family of Mapleton, was donated to the Pioneer
Museum by Peckham with the hope that “[real words involving
inspiring others to weave if I remember right].”
Th e warping process will continue every Saturday at the museum
(noon to four) until the job is done and weaving commences. All
weavers are welcome to come and help or share ideas, including (1)
what we could do next and (2) what commitment we can collectively
make to assure that the loom remains an active, interactive, part of
our community. Th at four-hour window off ers a good opportunity
for Florence area weavers to get to know each other.
Spinners, there is room on the same fl oor of the Pioneer Museum
to bring your spinning wheels to share your craft and maybe inspire
some new spinners too. Th e museum has a few spinning wheels,
none near operational.
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