4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| JANUARY 2, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
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ongress shall make no law respect-
ing an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press, or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the Govern-
ment for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
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Copyright 2019 © Siuslaw News
Siuslaw News
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County,
Oregon. A member of the National Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Pub-
lishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore. Postmaster, send address
changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-
997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
Jenna Bartlet
Ned Hickson
Erik Chalhoub
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
Publisher, ext. 318
Editor, ext. 313
Consulting Editor 831-761-7353
echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com
Marketing Director, ext. 326
Office Supervisor, ext. 312
Production Supervisor
Press Manager
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publica-
tion; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Display classified
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Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication;
Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Display classified ads,
Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
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Letters to the Editor policy
LETTERS
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to every-
one who helped on Dec. 28 with
pouring and finishing the pad for
the new Habitat House going up
at Seventh and Kingwood streets.
—Ivy Medow
Florence
derful donation of 1,400 pairs of
socks for the homeless.
We are so blessed to live in a
community that supports so many
who are facing some sort of crisis.
Already nearly half of those
socks have been distributed.
Thank you!
—Bob Teter
Executive Director, SOS
Warm socks for
homeless
On behalf of the staff, volun-
teers and clients at Siuslaw Out-
reach Services, I want to express
my sincere appreciation for Jenna
Bartlett, the staff at the Siuslaw
News and its readers for the won-
A sight to behold
Now that the new City Hall
Palace is almost to completion,
do you think they will repair that
pothole/puddle at the corner of
First Street and the Highway that
we have been driving through for
the last 10-plus years?
Possibly that project is on some
future “Vision” program.
The condition of the roads in
Florence is deplorable, and in the
meantime both Public Works and
city offices have seen major in-
vestments in improvements to the
benefit of the city and not its citi-
zens who are footing the bills.
When, if ever, will the bumpy,
potholed roads in this town ever
get to look as good as the new fa-
cilities they lead to?
—Hank Leach
Florence
New year, new look and new goals
in aged clippings, folded
newspaper pages, pam-
phlets and long-defunct
smaller community
publications like “The Fog
Dog” and “Beachcomber,”
all of which played a role
in chronicling our area’s
colorful past.
They are also things
you’ll never find with a
Google search. They exist
challenges and particular
moment in time.
That being said, I’m not
making a resolution as
much as offering you my
continuing resolve, as edi-
tor, to continue striving for
your trust and partnership
on these pages each week.
“Integrity” is a term that
has come into question
within the realm of jour-
each issue.
Which brings me to
something I’m sure you’ve
already noticed, which
is the new look of the
Siuslaw News. Though the
width is an inch narrower,
we changed our masthead
to allow more space at the
I spent part of my New
top, along with a smaller
Year’s weekend here in the
ad at the bottom. We also
newsroom as I do each
moved the information
year, tackling an annual
box from the bottom to
and ongoing re-orga-
the side. The end result is
nization project of files
more vertical space, allow-
From the Editor’s Desk
and materials that have
ing us to keep the same
Ned Hickson
been staring at me for
amount of news space
more than two decades
while adopting a slimmer,
— and the gaze of which
now only in the memories nalism far too often over
less cumbersome news-
has grown stronger after
of those who wrote the sto- the last few years, partic-
paper that also helps cut
becoming editor in Sep-
ries, lived the experience
ularly at the national level costs as newsprint prices
tember 2016. The project
or, in this case, remain
where the need to be first
continue increase. It’s a
entails sifting through
preserved in the archives
is sometimes more import- goal that will help ensure
boxes of old newspaper
of a small newsroom.
ant than the responsibil-
the longevity of this small,
editions, special publica-
I have to admit, I came
ity of being factual. And
community newspaper
tions, documents, jour-
into the New Year without while we aren’t perfect, we as it heads into its 129th
nalistic guidelines and
any concrete resolutions
certainly try — even if it
year — so that someday,
historic reference materials aside from the usual —
means holding a breaking when another Siuslaw
that have been collecting
and ongoing — intentions news story to make sure
News editor is reading and
along a wall of shelves in
of eating healthier, exer-
the information is com-
organizing the archives of
our newsroom since before cising more and procras-
plete and not based on
our history, like me they
I began as sports editor
tinating less (something
speculation or assumption. will be moved by the same
here in 1998.
I invariably keep putting
As we head into 2019,
sense of responsibility and
With the new year loom- off).
I look forward to the
privilege that now rests
ing, it was once again time
However, my trip
conversations we’ll have
easily in that series of box-
to sort through the past in through the past served
together on the phone,
es along the shelves in our
order to benefit our news- to reinforce the unique
through emails, visits
newsroom.
room’s future. (Coinciden- responsibility and privilege here in my office or while
tally, it also got me out of
we have, as a newspaper, to waiting in the grocery line.
washing the dog, but you
be the keepers of the past, It’s these conversations
didn’t read that here.)
chroniclers of the present
Write Siuslaw News editor
that build the trust and
Over the course of a
and spark conversation
partnership I spoke about
Ned Hickson at nhickson@
few hours, I time-traveled for the future — all while
earlier, and the integrity
thesiuslawnews.com or P.O. Box
through about 50 years
serving as a reflection of
10, Florence, Ore. 97439.
I hope you will feel is re-
of local history captured
our community’s hopes,
flected on these pages with
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the edi-
tor as part of a community discussion of issues on
the local, state and national level.
Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or
typed letters must be signed. All letters need to
include full name, address and phone number;
only name and city will be printed. Letters should
be limited to about 300 words. Letters are sub-
ject to editing for length, grammar and clarity.
Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and
depends on space available and the volume of let-
ters received.
Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen-
tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are
unsourced or documented will not be published.
Letters containing poetry or from outside the
Siuslaw News readership area will only be pub-
lished at the discretion of the editor.
Political/Election Letters:
Election-related letters must address pertinent
or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large.
Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing
campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) En-
sure any information about a candidate is accu-
rate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge
or hearsay; and 3) Explain the reasons to support
candidates based on personal experience and
perspective rather than partisanship and cam-
paign-style rhetoric.
Candidates themselves may not use the letters
to the editor column to outline their views and
platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid
political advertising.
As with all letters and advertising content, the
newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish-
er, general manager and editor, reserves the right
to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above
criteria.
Emal letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
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 McK-
eown
(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