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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2018)
8A | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS Siuslaw News Community Voices Military Heritage Chronicles — Women in the Military Cal Applebee Special to Siuslaw News C ontinuing our effort to honor all disciplines of service and all eras of military heritage, this Chronicles edition picks up on the topic of women in the military last touched on in 2012. While women in the military are sometimes portrayed by Hol- lywood with occasional roles out of World War II, we’ve seen more recent service portrayed such as in the 1996 “Courage Under Fire,” with actress Meg Ryan portraying a chopper pilot killed in action during the Gulf War. In reality, since 1775, the role of women in the military, partic- ularly combat, has been contro- versial. Although most in early years only served in support roles such as nursing, laundering and cooking, several hundred women were discovered to have disguised themselves as men and fought in the Civil War. While most nations partic- ipating in WWII used women in uniform, the majority again performed tasks such as nursing and clerical duties only. However, over 1,000 civilian women pilots served during WWII in the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) ferrying airplanes. During the Vietnam War, roughly 11,000 women were de- ployed. While 90 percent served as nurses, eight were in fact killed in action. The Gulf War saw 40,000 wom- en deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Today, roughly 15 percent of our military personnel in the United States is made up of wom- en. Bringing it closer to home, in 2015, Oregon became one of only a handful of states to establish a permanent, full-time women vet- erans coordinator in the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA), to provide outreach and enhance level of care to the more than 28,000 women Veterans in Oregon, which represents one- tenth of Oregon’s veteran popula- tion. Elizabeth Estabrooks, herself a veteran of the US Army from 1977 to 1980, joined the ODVA in the capacity of women veterans coor- dinator in 2016. “I feel fortunate every single day to be able to work with women veterans and community partners, and facilitate shaping policies and procedures that improve services for women veterans,” stated Es- tabrooks, who was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany, during her army stint. You can learn more about her role and mission when she joins the Oregon Coast Military Muse- um on Saturday, Aug. 25, as one of the two women veteran speakers at the Military Heritage Day. She’ll also be sharing one of her program products, “I Am Not In- visible,” which features 20 Oregon women Veterans from around the state, as well as covering WWII to current service. WWII Veteran H. Jean Wo- jnowski is one of those featured. She joined the US Navy as a nurse immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Another featured veteran, Rosy Marcelin-Macias, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the end of the Gulf War. She also currently serves on the ODVA Advisory Committee. Bringing it even closer to home, although not featured in the ODVA program, Capt. Sharon Armstrong, USCGR (Retired), will be our additional speaker on Aug. 25. She began her career in 1972 under the Coast Guard Re- serve’s “Direct Petty Officer Pro- gram,” the only program offered by the military branches which sought women with no prior mili- tary experience. During her 31-year career, which included assignments in the Coast Guard’s District 5, Dis- trict 12 and our own District 13, Armstrong became the first wom- an in District 12 to receive a direct commission from the Inactive Duty ranks since WWII. While you may not see any of these Oregonian’s in an upcoming release from Hollywood, you can enjoy more about the careers and experiences of both women, as well as view the ODVA 20-poster display about other women veter- ans of Oregon, when you join us at the Florence Municipal Airport on Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. You can learn more about military heritage by visiting the museum’s website at www. oregoncoastmilitar ymuseum. com. Notes from the Siltcoos — Castles made of sand By Barry Sommer Special to Siuslaw News A small plastic bucket, usual- ly brightly colored coupled with a small shovel, square at the end and perfect to fill said buck- et to the brim sits close by. Rows of fortress-like round palisades empty from the bucket and take their place as the defensive wall against an unseen invader. Maybe a small moat filled with salt water and dragons encircles this child’s playroom, making for the perfect imaginary world of make-believe. The sound starts just after sunrise, the crackling cacopho- ny of two- and four-wheel ma- chines scrambling out from their camp spaces into the wide-open dune hills and valleys. Carving grooves across the wind sculpt- ed sand, they reverberate across the expanse and disappear over the crest, scattered wind-blown rooster tails the only remnant of the machines’ visit aside from the declining roar. From “Lawrence of Arabia” to Jesse Honeyman, piles of sand have, for better or worse, drawn us in to a world that continuously fascinates and amuses. I for one have always marveled at the claim that there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. Now you’re probably asking yourself how is that possible, and what was Carl Sagan thinking when he posited this outlandish theory? Well, here’s the big math with lots of zeros. Fraser Cain of “Universe To- day” postulates astronomical av- erages and comes to this number; there are 10 sextillion stars in the universe. That’s a whole bunch of stars all right. Now we need to know how many grains of sand there are. We’ll start with 8000 grains per cubic centimeter, mul- tiply up until we find that there are about 700 trillion cubic me- ters of sand globally, thus render- ing the total number of grains at 5 sextillion. Well what do you know, Carl Sagan was right. Now imagine him, in that authoritative and soothing voice saying the uni- verse is filled with “sextillions and sextillions of stars” instead of the mundane “billions and bil- lions” we’ve heard him utter so many times. More of us would have paid attention; not due to the larger number, but because we would have heard only the word “sex.” Our contribution to the global sand population spans 40 miles from the Coos River to the Siu- slaw River Bridge and is named the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Famed in story but not song, the dunes inspired Frank Herbert to write the sci- ence fiction novel “Dune,” which is, I think, probably more a com- pliment to our naturally formed sand hills than to his fame as a writer. Until 1963, this stretch of beach was just that, another stretch of beach. In that year, Congressman Robert B. Duncan introduced a bill which established the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. A large bit of reasoning behind this national park was to protect not just the dunes themselves but to create a city that would be a buffer to state and federal con- trol, so in the same year Dunes City was born. A slap in the face to the city of Westlake, founded in 1914, but that, dear friends, is a tale for another day. An interesting sidebar: Sen. Wayne Morse opposed some provisions of the bill that would have increased environmental protections by restricting specif- ic types of private property use. Morse need not worry; today the dunes and its environs are pro- tected forever and private prop- erty within those dunes abounds. Aside from being able to wan- der aimlessly through miles of piled dunes and flat expanses all through the official recreation area, to see sand as it was nev- er meant to be one should visit Cannon Beach at the end of June and marvel at the annual sand sculpture contest. Most of us who spent time growing up playing at the local beach know how to make plastic cup forts, but to be able to recreate Windsor Castle, complete with miniature effigies of the queen and her court, is something everyone should see at least once. Well, that and the gi- ant crab emerging from an over- sized fluted glass, ironically titled “Crab Cocktail.” However, there was no representation of the oth- er required implement; the sand sculpted crab fork. While Cannon Beach allows for the sand artist, Dunes City provides for the gearhead. Miles of whoops and valleys let any- one with wheels and an engine drive until they run out of gas. The sounds echo all day and well into the night, with the “vroom vroom” acting as a cash register bell for local businesses. We love our visitors and their excitement at being here, but we love even more the quiet of the off season and being able to drive 101 without fearing the summer traveler pulling out from Honey- man State Park in front of traffic and maintaining a steady 24 mph while they ogle and swoon over our trees and lakes. If from a southwest state I un- derstand the wonder of seeing anything taller than a cactus, but if you’re from a state with actual trees, please, be safe and save the “oohs and aahs” for the Sea Lion Caves. Hello and welcome to tourists from all over the globe. Enjoy the dunes, the beaches and the affability of us locals. We look forward to seeing you again next year with your sand machines and plastic buckets. And don’t worry about that scratching in places you never itched before; it’s just a bit of the Oregon Dunes going home with you. Fundraiser for Boy’s and Girl’s Club. FREE LUNCH 50’s Party Car Show, Elvis & BBQ Wednesday, August 15th 11:30 - 1:00 pm 1451 Spruce Street, Florence Raffl e drawings for; Bi-plane ride, two $100.00 Safeway cards, Family fun Basket, one year subscription to Siuslaw News, and more. All the cars are locally owned. Please RSVP to 541.997.8202 or nhill@shorewoodsl.com Public Art in Florence — August Update H ave you been in Old Town late- locations for public art. The com- getting ready for the future with the -art-program. ly? The Bay Street area of His- mittee is making plans for funding, beautification of Florence. For more information, vis- toric Old Town is seeing some nice locations and designs. The Public Art Committee is it ci.florence.or.us/bc-pac/public improvements. These include: • Newly painted trash cans on Bay Street • Wonderful new sculptures by artist Jesse Swickard of Sherwood, 120 Maple Street Phone: 541-997-4435 Ore., such as “Sitting Wave,” and Hours Open: Wed-Fri 11am-5pm, “West Coast Overlook,” both locat- Sat 10am-5pm, Sun. 11am-5pm ed in the Siuslaw River Bridge In- terpretive Center • “Transformation,” another piece in the interpretive center, made by artist Paul Reimer from British Columbia • Local artist Pancho Clark’s “Copper Leaf Tree” at Old Town Spirit of Summer Artwork Big Wave Poetry 1st Tuesday Park Pickup Open Mic These pieces are sponsored by Tuesday, August 28th, 9:30-11 am, at the Tuesday,September 4th at 6:30 pm. Art Exposed, a project of the City FEC. If you have not been notified that Admission is free and refreshments will be of Florence’s Public Art Committee, your artwork sold, please pick up your available. and part of a long-range program to artwork at the FEC on the 28th. Thank bring art into focus in the Florence you for making the show a success! area. These four sculptures are for Poetry Writing Class with Jeff sale and, if not sold, will be rotated Lovejoy FRAA is on Display at the every two years to bring “fresh” art- Wednesday, September 12th, 6-8 pm. at the Kingwood entrance to the airport, work to this area. Chamber in September All levels welcome! Recapping a bit to get In addition, the Public Art Com- Artwork drop off is Tuesday, September located at Kingwood & 27th St. back into the swing of it. Short readings, mittee invites the community to be 5th, 9:30-10:30 am, at the Chamber of exercises, why we write poetry! Contact Commerce. We would love your 2D on the lookout for other projects: Jeff for questions and registration: 2018 COST artwork and some 3D but no jewelry. • A revitalization and design jlovejoy54@gmail.com Collection of the steps by the Siuslaw River Pickup load • Tree Clippings Bridge. The committee has selected Dates: Next Art Change-Out Day $10 Painting with John Leasure • Leaves artist Jessilyn Brinkerhoff from Eu- Monday, September 10th, 9-11 am Saturdays 9 am - 12 pm • Grass Clippings AUGUST 18 gene, Ore., to complete this project. Small Utility Trailer Please pick up your artwork and bring No painting experience required. • Weeds (Single Axle) The project is scheduled to begin in something new to help keep the art at Contact: jnleasure@hotmail.com or • Prunings $10 SEPTEMBER 15 the next few months. FRAA fresh to our visitors 541-991-2754 for details and fees. • Brush • An artistic mural on the side of Medium Utility OCTOBER 20 the Central Lincoln PUD building Open Studio @ FRAA, Thursdays Trailer Whimsical Hand Building that faces Highway 126 near the in- (10-12 ft) No registration required. Drop-in, bring Ceramics w/ Alissa Clark tersection of Highway 101. This will $15 your materials, and create. All artistic Wednesdays, 3-5 pm & Thursdays, 6-8 pm be a large mural at 125 feet, and the mediums welcome. • Food & Open Lab Ceramics on Saturdays Large Utility Trailer “Call to Artists” is set to open soon. Every Thursday, 1-4 pm Household waste Drop in, work at own pace. Sat 12-5 pm (12-18ft) • ReVision Florence artwork. While the designated day is Thursday, • Animal Waste Call Alissa with questions, 503-957-5222. $21 As the City of Florence, Florence please feel free to stop in and use our • Plastics All ceramics classes held at Alissa’s space and create any day/time that we are Urban Renewal Agency and Ore- • Construction Greater than Studio. 180 Laurel Street. open and do not have a class scheduled. gon Department of Transportation 20 cubic yards Debris work to bring a streetscape to High- $21 +$5/yard over • Hazardous Waste way 101 from the Siuslaw River For more information about classes, visit fraaoregon.org. To register for For questions, please contact the Bridge to Highway 126, Public Art City of Florence Public Works Department at 541-997-4106 these classes, please call or visit FRAA at our Art Center on Maple Street. Committee is looking to include 16 FRAA ART CENTER Classes, Workshops & Events Yard Debris Disposal Next Date is August 18 9am to 2pm Bring: DO NOT Bring your:
