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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 2018)
THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM | SIUSLAWNEWS | SATURDAY EDITION | JULY 14, 2018 | $1.00 @ SIUSLAWNEWS RC CLUB LIFTS OFF New art show at OPB INSIDE — A3 SPORTS — B 128TH YEAR | ISSUE NO. 56 Dunes City passes marijuana regulations Cormorant count could determine need for ‘hazing’ Year-long debate over marijuana will now be finalized by the voters Department of Fish & Wildlife looks into managing populations in the estuary By Mark Brennan Siuslaw News T he Siuslaw River is home to many types of wildlife these days. Otters, seals and even orcas have become familiar visitors to the Siuslaw Estuary and to the Port of Siuslaw District in recent years. Significant growth in animal, fish and bird populations can be directly attributed to dramatic improvements in water and air quality and habitat management during the last two decades. Some of these positive changes have been part of an economic process, related to the reduction and eventual elimination of in- dustrial-based businesses, such as canning and timber mills along the river. Some improvements are due to the natural cycle of tides and water collection from the Siuslaw watershed region, which moves millions of gallons of water from FLORENCE, OREGON SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890 upriver to the ocean, flushing tons of debris and waste out to sea. And some of these changes can be attributed to the active role the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has taken in managing fish and animal popu- lations across the state. The idea that the ODFW is managing the wildlife resources for the use of human beings rath- er than for the overall betterment of the larger eco-system is in question in many environmental circles, as it seems business inter- ests have a different view of the proper use of natural resources. One surprising area of conten- tion is the cormorant. The bird has become a flashpoint in the proper role that ODFW plays in determining what policies govern animal value. North Coast Watershed Dis- trict Watershed Manager Chris Knutsen’s responsibilities include determining when and how to mitigate fishery losses to preda- tion. “ODFW has been studying the diet of double-crested cor- MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS Double-crested cormorants are indigenous waterbirds that make their homes in the Siuslaw River and other estuaries. They grow a white crest during mating season, which gives them a distinctive look and makes them a favorite sight for casual observers along the river. morants that feed in estuaries for several years,” Knutsen said. “Our research indicates that out-migrating juvenile salmon are clearly a seasonal component of their diet, but this generally has not exceeded 5 percent of the estimated number of out-migrat- ing juvenile salmon.” The wildlife service evaluates salmon population in regard to what humans catch and what is consumed by wildlife within the ecosystem. The Dunes City council passed a new ordinance regulating the processing and growing of rec- reational marijuana By Jared Anderson within city limits in Siuslaw News a public meeting on Wednesday, cementing the final component needed to end the year-long controversy surrounding the issue. “In early 2017, there were three Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) applications submit- ted and approved by the city on growing marijuana in Dunes City,” Dunes City Planning Secretary Rapunzel Oberholtzer said. “Subsequently, there was quite an outcry and much discussion by the council and citizenry. Eventually, the planning commission suggested that perhaps language in the existing code could be changed to give the city more control over marijuana grow sites.” In the interim, the council passed Ordinance 245, which essentially put a ban on all marijuana growing facilities until November, when citizens will be asked if marijuana growing and production should be banned outright. “This ordinance was written with the intent that, if that ballot measure fails and there is no ban outright, the city will be able to have some control should people begin to apply,” Oberholtzer explained. “This process gives the city a certain amount of control that wasn’t in the previous pro- cess and was asked for by the citizens.” See DUNES CITY page 5A See CORMORANT page 8A Intolerance Part II — This Planet is Ours A look at the beliefs and practices of white supremacy and how one man found his way out Editor’s note: This is part two of a monthly series we introduced in our July 11 edition. In the months ahead, we will examine the different forms of growing intolerance in our society, beginning with racism. Our hope is to gain a better understanding of why in- tolerance — racial, political, geograph- ical, religious, gender-based, etc. — not only exists but seems to be growing. Our hope is that understanding the soil can help change what takes root. The following article contains strong themes and language. n Aug. 5, 2012, a white suprema- cist walked into a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc. The temple was pre- paring a free meal to all visitors without regard to one’s religious beliefs or eth- nicity, which is a tradition of Sikhism. The supremist opened fire on the con- gregation, murdering six and wound- ing four. The shooter then took his own life. INSIDE O Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B7 A3 B5 A4 By Jared Anderson Siuslaw News Though the exact reasons for the shooting are unknown, he was part of an organization called the Northern Hammerskins, a white supremacist group that was known for its violence toward anyone who did not hold their beliefs. Arno Michaelis didn’t know the shooter, but he knew others like him. He was one of the founders of the Northern Hammerskins — a hate group he had left years prior. After the shooting, Michaelis met with Pardeep Kaleka, the eldest son of Satwant Singh Kaleka, the president of the Sikh temple who was gunned down in the attack. They met at the request of Kaleka, who had been haunted by the question of “why?” Given that Michaelis had writ- ten an autobiography about his expe- riences with white supremacy in the book “My Life After Hate,” Kaleka felt Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Side Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B This Week on the Coast. . . . . A6 if anyone had answers, Michaelis could provide them. Eventually, the meeting led to a book collaboration — “The Gift of Our Wounds” — and the creation of Serve 2 Unite, a group that works with young people of all backgrounds to cul- tivate compassion and kindness. “The idea of Serve 2 Unite came about because we didn’t want the atroc- ity to stand unanswered,” Michaelis said. “It was about transforming it into something that would inspire and bring people together — bring about a society where that kind of violence is less likely to happen.” The two have taken their message across the world, and will be coming to Florence tomorrow, July 15, to talk about their mission. For Michaelis, much of the healing process comes from speaking about his own ties to white supremacy: why he joined, how the movement affected him, how certain groups ran and how to get out of them. To understand his story, it’s import- But it wasn’t always like that, propo- ant to look at the ideology that he once nents believed. believed, “The flaws of which are glar- “We believed the Jewish conspiracy ingly obvious,” Michaelis said. began with ancient Rome, assuming that Romans were blonde haired white Church people,” Michaelis explained. “The ideology really started to crys- It began with Rome’s sacking of Jeru- talize for me with the Church of the salem in 70 CE. In the siege, more than Creator,” Michaelis said. a million people were reportedly killed, The Church of the Creator, which is the majority of which were Jewish. Of now known simply as “Creativity,” is a those Jews who didn’t parish, they were white supremacist religion that is “de- prisoners. Thousands were forced to cidedly anti-Christian and very anti-Se- become gladiators and die in the are- mitic,” Michaelis said. “It was all based nas. With such little means of resistance on race and Darwin laws of nature.” left, how could they fight back? There was a lot of pseudoscience “In order to take down the Roman involved, the reasoning muddled. In Empire, the Jews came up with the idea short, Creativity viewed white people of Christianity,” Michaelis said of Cre- as an entirely different species than ev- ativity’s theory. eryone else. Jesus would be a ruse to convince the “We saw the last 500 Years of white Romans that they should turn the other supremacy in the world as evidence cheek and start loving their neighbors. that white people are better than every- body else, and that their rightful place was on top of society,” Michaelis said. See INTOLERANCE page 7A TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 71 54 76 55 70 54 69 54 THIS WEEK ’ S WEATHER Full Forecast, A3 S IUSLAW N EWS 2 S ECTIONS | 18 P AGES C OPYRIGHT 2018 Interior and Exterior House Painting Florence, OR CCB#195304 • Deck and Railing Staining ing • General Repairs • Pressure Washing • Mossy Roof Treatment • Gutter Cleaning