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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2020)
4A | SATURDAY EDITION | APRIL 25, 2020 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) We can aspire to do better. Together. (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis- sions on this and other topics are al- ways welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) T hroughout my life, when- ever I found myself in an especially challenging place, my mother would repeat to me those wise, graceful words, “This, too, shall pass.” It would ap- ply to nearly every obstacle. Those who have lived through times of great change did not know what awaited them on the other side, yet they tempered the highs and lows of the journey with deep patience and their knowledge that this, too, would pass. In an era of constant, magnify- ing hype, their experience is one we should bear in mind. We will come through on the other side of this crisis. But what awaits us might not be what we expect. For many people, this pandemic is the single greatest life-altering event they have ever experienced. Virtu- ally every aspect of our daily lives has changed. Many have lost their jobs, their businesses, their oppor- tunity for education, their housing and any stability they once knew — not to mention any semblance of normal human connection. Those on the front lines have ex- perienced more than their fair share of tragedy. Some have sacrificed ev- erything, including their own lives, to save our friends and neighbors. We are forever grateful to them. As governmental agencies scram- Guest Viewpoint By Heather Buch Lane County Commissioner ble to piece together some sort of return to normal, I am reminded that the future will be permanently altered. It will not be the same as it was, nor should it be. This extraor- dinary time shines a bright light on many troublesome policies and shameful inequities in the world. As we are required to be in this stand- still, it should be a time of deep re- flection locally, nationally and glob- ally. It is only natural that we will see things a bit differently once we emerge from the first global pan- demic in generations. We will not be the same people we were when this began. Many people have learned hard lessons and experienced great loss. Recovery will take some time, and we will have to do things not only in ways we’ve never done them before, but in ways we never thought of do- ing them before. We need our entire community to help us get through it. If there was ever a time for people with diverse backgrounds and po- litical beliefs to come together, it is now — for the sanctity and preser- vation of life around the world. Many historic differences that we fought about in the past now pale in comparison to the current crisis. We need to put those differences aside. They will be there later to debate. For now, we must help our neigh- bors in great need. Lane County is an exceptionally resilient community. We are very familiar with natural disasters like wildfire, snowstorms and floods. This disaster will be different; nonetheless, we will get through it and see the other side. It will take us all working together to lift our neighbors up, help when we can and serve when we are called upon. Many of you are doing this already and we thank you. Just as my mother always prom- ised, this too, will pass. When it does, what do you want our community to look like? What do you want our world to look like? In quiet moments between bore- dom and despair, dream big. Do not settle for normal, aspire to do better. If we can envision something better rising from the ashes of this tragedy, it may just make it easier to bear in the meantime. LETTERS Local theaters on hold, eagerly awaiting return “The show must go on” is a com- mon refrain in the theater world as well as a popular song by Queen and a series of Andrew Lloyd Web- ber’s musicals currently being lives- treamed. So it is also with our own local community theater group, The Last Resort Players. All prepped and ready to go was a March 27 performance of “Based on a True Story” (BOATS), a collection of intriguing stories by those who have lived them. It was put on a shelf in the refrig- erator but ready to be microwaved at the drop of a hat. This flat floor performance will be rescheduled just as soon as some degree of nor- mality is restored. Also on the back burner is the next production, “The Vagina Monologues,” which was to have been done at the Florence Events Center in June. Plans for this pro- duction are indefinite at this time but stay tuned for further informa- tion. The traditional LRP fall pro- duction of a musical is still on the agenda but many of the details are understandably in the formative stage. The Play Selection Committee, headed up by Dr. Jacquelyn Ser- anno is reviewing several musical possibilities. As with performing arts world- wide, Florence, with its local groups including the Last Resort Players and CROW, are chomping at the bit to get back on stage and eagerly anticipating bringing en- tertainment, happiness and cheer to all our friends in our local com- munity. And never forget — “the show must go on.” —Kenneth Janowski Florence We must forge onward with respect, empathy In Editor Ned’s recent column (“Compassion, Not Fear, Has Al- ways Defined Our Town,” April 14), he told of a Washington gen- tleman who was recently the victim of a pandemically-enraged woman reacting to his out-of-state license plates in the grocery store parking lot, yelling at him to “go home” and “I hope you die!” The gentleman is an avid fish- erman, spends many months here every year and has done so for a de- cade. He arrived in town before the coronavirus was a known concern and has been “sheltering-in-place” in Florence due to Washington’s travel restrictions. I felt sad for him, as no one should have to endure that sort of rude and misplaced fear and an- ger. Challenges and unease such as we’ve all experienced over the past couple of months don’t always bring out the best in humans. I’m grateful for the many generous and caring people in this town who are determined to rise above the dis- combobulation and are striving to be guided by respect and kindness. I have an insightful author friend, Gregg Levoy, who has a weekly blog in Psychology Today. On April 10, he wrote an article entitled, “How Stranger-Danger Has Gone Viral in the Pandemic — How to counter- act the fear of strangers provoked by the coronavirus.” I think many will find it to be a thought-provoking and worth- while read (the link is below). So we all forge onward. I just want to say to Mr. Washington Fisherman, you are not an unwel- come stranger to me. I’m sending you heartfelt vibes of peace and good health. —Allie LeCaux Florence (Article is online at https://www. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pas- sion/202004/how-stranger-danger- has-gone-viral-in-the-pandemic) Who will provide factual history of this time? Being from the “boomer” gen- eration, once or twice a year I get asked questions from mid- dle schoolers trying to get an oral history for a class project. Usually their topics include the Kenne- dy assassination, Vietnam or the moon landing. While I try to be as factual as possible, I try to make it fun and interesting for them. Once, I was asked about the bra burning of the late 1960s and watched the disap- pointment in a young boy’s face when I told him I never actually saw one burned. Flash forward to today and the current Covid-19 epidemic we are now facing. The history we are presently living is remarkable to watch unfold. It is something the millennial generation should take great care to obtain the factual details for when they are in their sunset of their lives — and a middle schooler comes up to them with a question that only the very young would ask: “How come with all of the people that are sick and dying, why did ev- erybody hoard toilet paper?” — Robert Fritson Mapleton Wright is a different kind of politician I am a Coos County resident, Vietnam veteran and spent 28 years in Curry and Coos County Law Enforcement with the Oregon State Police and am a strong supporter of labor unions. I have sadly witnessed the eco- nomic decline of our rural com- munities since the late 1970s. The industries that fueled a major por- tion of our tax base and provided thousands of family wage jobs have all but disappeared. Social problems brought by 40 years of poverty abound; education and job training for jobs that don’t exist in rural Oregon have cost tens of millions of dollars. The current I-5 super majority in Salem either has no clue of the plight of rural Oregonians or just don’t care. Some responsibility for this rests with “We the People” for sending elected representatives that have allowed themselves to be badgered into going along or have turned their backs in exchange for a few bones tossed back to our communities. I am endorsing Boomer Wright for State Representative. He’s a dif- ferent kind of politician. —Thomas Benz, North Bend USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2020 © 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 Publishers 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 Bartlett Ned Hickson Susan Gutierrez Cathy Dietz Ron Annis Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Multimedia Sales Director, ext. 326 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor DEADLINES: Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Dis- play classified ads, Friday 5 p.m. Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to pub- lication; Regular classified ads, Thursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Display classified ads, Wednesday 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m. NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $79; 6-month in-county, $56; 10-week subscription, $25; Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription, $102; 6-month out- of-county, $69; 10-week subscription, $35; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $134; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year subscription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com Letters to the Editor policy 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. Email 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 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
