4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| JULY 10, 2019
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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Letters to the Editor policy
LETTERS
Still the best town,
even when we don’t agree
What a great week
in Florence
Regarding Michael O’Connor
letter (“City Must Have Unlimited
Funds,” July 3), as I was leaving
town I saw all the weeds in the
planters along the highway and
when I came back they were gone.
So, I called the City of Florence
and was told that these plants just
came up in the soil — they pulled
them before they went to seed.
Anyone who has questions
about what is going on with this
or other City project should just
call the City.
However, the part of Mr. O’Con-
nor’s letter that really bothered me
was about the mural.
Admittedly, I did not like it
when I saw the pictures in the
newspaper.
Then I saw the mural in prog-
ress; beautiful with bright colors
— what a statement.
Why would anyone encourage
people to tag the mural?
That is a crime.
What if a neighbor did not like
the color you painted your home?
Would it be ok if they tagged your
home?
It is a painting — Leave it alone
and please be nice to the people
doing the mural. They are doing a
job that they were hired to do.
I have lived in Florence 43 years
and there have been all kinds of
changes, some I liked and some
not so much. With that said, this
is still the best town to live in, with
the best people — even if we do
not always agree.
—Mary Grigsby
Native Oregonian
Dunes City
Lots of good things happened in
Florence over the last week.
A really great park along the
Siuslaw River was opened, com-
plete with picnic tables. I recom-
mend the new park highly. It’s
good for dogs, too.
We had a great day in Old Town
on July Fourth with many visitors
and residents taking part in Hula-
hooping, pie-eating and water-
melon-eating contests. (Although
old folks had some trouble finding
places to sit, and this is supposed
to be a retirement community.)
Then, this past weekend, we had
the Wings and Wheels Show. The
WWII planes were the biggest hit,
with a lineup for the $300 tickets.
They were amazing and exciting
when they buzzed the airfield. Ev-
eryone stopped to watch and took
photos. We loved the car show as
well.
Next, we toured the Military
Museum. I recommend that ev-
eryone should make an effort to
see the many exhibits. There are
tons of interesting and historical
stuff and the staff is so helpful,
with lots of things to buy.
All the events were well orga-
nized and fun to be a part of. Our
only wish is that the Port would
use some of its budget that comes
from the taxpayers to put some of
its 125 picnic tables on the board-
walk so we can also enjoy the river
as much as the RVers do.
Otherwise, we had a great time
in Florence this past week.
—Gene Olson
Florence
Sad state of affairs
Where are the specifics
regarding accusations?
Th is Fourth of July, I sat on the
front porch, contemplating how
radically things have changed in
regard to our national perspec-
tives. Watching the fl ag fl utter in
the aft ernoon breeze, it brought to
mind the Pledge of Allegiance and
these words: “…one nation, indi-
visible.”
Really?
As far as I can tell, that dream is
over, extinguished by the now un-
recoverable polarization in a soci-
ety where there is no respect for
any idea — or for anyone express-
ing any idea — that runs contrary
to one’s own bias. To be disagreed
with is considered an insult; real
taunts and insults have become
the standard tools of the political
trade; and reasonable compromise
is considered surrender.
Such is the sad state of aff airs at
the national level — and now, re-
portedly, right here in Florence.
—Jimmie Zinn
Florence
Lea Patten’s July 3 Guest View-
point (“No Room For Bullies In
Our Local Government”) was in-
teresting but not very profound.
She went on at length to charge
Mayor Henry with “ethics viola-
tions,” violations of his “Oath of
Offi ce” and suggests the mayor is
guilty of bullying.
Yet Ms. Patten off ers no exam-
ples, nor any specifi cs, of Mayor
Henry’s transgressions — but calls
for him to resign.
Cautioning Ms. Patten on the
slander laws in our country, I
await to hear her specifi c examples
of Mayor Henry’s misdeeds.
—Ron Duzy
Florence
Notion that art is not
governmental is
unconstitutional
When some of us testifi ed be-
fore the Florence City Council
concerning the mural project, the
municipal atmosphere was rigged
for adoption.
It was strongly posited by some
that art is not a governmental
function. Th e unconstitutional
notion that it is was theorized by
none other than Lyndon Johnson,
resulting in the Ungreat Society
during the 1960s and, ever since,
has dominated the cultural think-
ing throughout the country.
Localities such as Florence
have accepted this false idea of
governmental responsibility for
art and, as a result, deep division
and contention has erupted in our
community due to personal pref-
erences.
Witness the recent newspaper
opinions and letters submitted by
Del Phelps, Tony Cavarno, Win
Jolley, Bruce Jarvis, Judith Priesler
and Lea Patten. Our strong Mayor
Henry took an honorable stand in
his “no” vote, truly representing
the local populace.
However, tepid groups such as
our local Chamber of Commerce,
not wanting to enter the fray in-
stead of leading and helping the
citizenry, took no strong stand,
apparently afraid of the public
scrutiny.
Education and fortitude are al-
ways necessary.
By the way, wouldn’t it have been
a teaching moment in Florence
to have had a speaker expressing
gratitude for Th omas Jeff erson
and the enobling Declaration of
Independence before the recent
July Fourth fi reworks display?
Because this has been the case
nationally as well over the years,
the Charlottesville City Council
in Virginia recently voted to stop
celebrating Th omas Jeff erson’s
birthday.
Stricken from history!
Yes, without each generation
being educated on America, we
will strike the author of the Dec-
laration from our collective minds
and paint over them with murals.
—Joel Marks
Florence
(Editor’s note: According to
a report by the Associated Press
submitted July 2, the Charlot-
tesville City Council voted to no
longer celebrate Th omas Jeff er-
son’s birthday on April 13 as an
offi cial city holiday and instead
will observe a day recognizing the
emancipation of enslaved Afri-
can-Americans during Liberation
and Freedom Day on March 3, the
day U.S. Army forces arrived in
the city of Charlottesville in 1865.
Charlottesville was the site of a
white nationalist rally in 2017 that
descended into deadly violence.)
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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 McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@oregonlegislature.gov
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