4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| JANUARY 5, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
C
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)
USPS# 497-660
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
ads, Friday 5 p.m.
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
A great place
to be a kid
As another holiday season draws
to a close I am given reason to re-
flect upon the tremendous gener-
osity in the Florence community.
Beginning in November, a num-
ber of individuals, families and
community groups stepped up to
ensure a joyous holiday season for
Siuslaw Elementary School fami-
lies.
School staff worked with donors
to align this support with families
needing some help. The support
took the form of holiday meals,
giftwrapped presents, clothing and
direct financial support.
The fact this support was do-
nated anonymously speaks to the
spirit in which it was given. It also
speaks to the degree of trust SES
staff have earned within the com-
munity.
And such support is not specif-
ic to the holiday Season. We have
benefited from individual and
group donations to our clothes
closet, donated time and effort
to maintain recess equipment,
the support of an active PTA, do-
nated healthy snacks, free dental
screening and follow-up care for
students, free vision screening and
weekly food bags to help families
over weekends.
We have a strong (and growing)
network of volunteers who help
with everything from mentorship,
to student instruction, to planning
cultural events for our students.
Thanks to the support of the
Florence community, Siuslaw El-
ementary is a great place to be an
educator or parent — but, most
importantly, it’s a great place to be
a kid.
—Mike Harklerode
Principal,
Siuslaw Elementary School
We are becoming
dangerously malleable
Here is something I think notice-
able. Since attaining the age where
the actions of presidents became of
interest to me, I have seen 12 come
and 11 go. In no case among those
men have I seen a single one who
did not screw up something once
in a while.
Being president is a very com-
plex, very diffi cult job, frequently
presenting problems never before
addressed.
Faults are inevitable.
Yet, in today’s politics, it seems
the most ardent supporters of a
president simply cannot accept
that their guy is fallible.
No criticism of any kind is valid.
(In today’s parlance, “fake news.”)
And I’m not talking just about
the current resident of 1600 Penn-
sylvania; those who were true to
his predecessor were just as cer-
tain!
When, because of our passion for
an idea, we surrender the capacity
to think objectively and critically,
to listen attentively to criticism and
to evaluate that criticism honestly,
we become dangerously malleable.
—Jimmie Zinn
Florence
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 Governor
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