SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020 | 5A
Opinion
Continued
from A4
LETTERS
Impressed with
write-in Wisniewski
I have been watching the prog-
ress of Margaret Wisniewski with
much interest. Ms. Wisniewski is
running as a nonpartisan candi-
date for the Florence city council.
She said she was inspired to run
when a conservative candidate
was bullied into withdrawing his
candidacy.
I met Ms. Wisniewski at a can-
didate forum and later talked
with her in greater detail at the
local post office. I was impressed
with her depth of understanding
of local issues that impact daily
living here in Florence. Issues like
public safety, the recent increases
in property crimes and the need
to help our business community
recover from restrictions imposed
by COVID-19.
I was happy to learn that Ms.
Wisniewski views these as local
issues to be solved locally without
being constrained by party agen-
da or some of the divisiveness
that seems to have overtaken our
community lately. Ms. Wisniews-
ki’s team-based, can-do attitude
is no doubt due to her financial
management and leadership ex-
perience gained from her very full
professional and volunteer life.
In contrast to the other wom-
en running for city council, Ms.
Wisniewski is focused on prag-
matic issues effecting everyday
living here in Florence. The other
women running use vague terms
about “inclusion” or “Climate Cri-
sis Awareness” which I don’t see
as pressing problems for Florence.
Ms. Wisniewski sees tangible
issues like community recov-
ery from the financial effects of
COVID or adding affordable
housing for the working people
trying to house their families as
more pressing issues for Florence.
I truly admire Ms. Wisniewski’s
courage and will proudly write in
M. Wisniewski for Florence city
council.
—Bruce Jarvis
Florence
Unleash our better
judgement for election
We live in a very unusual time
here in Florence, when represen-
tatives for all of us can’t get along,
when a beautiful professional
mural is called “graffiti” and a
woman who dresses colorfully in
feminine attire is called “a clown.”
I am hopeful people will un-
leash their better judgements and
requirements in selecting a May-
or, and not resort to callous and
shallow statements as in a recent
Letter to the Editor from Lori
Straley (“Henry Takes His Job As
Mayor Seriously,” Oct. 14) and
others.
Jo Beaudreau is a successful
Florence business owner, is an ac-
tive participant in a wide range of
civic, business and creative artis-
tic activities. She is highly respect-
ed throughout the community,
unique in bringing people togeth-
er, has a friendly attitude, has ex-
citement and vision for the future
of Florence and will work closely
and creatively with our wonderful
City staff.
Jo Beaudreau will bring inspi-
ration and new ideas, a friendly
community attitude and the skills
to bring people together to work
together.
I will be voting for Jo Beau-
dreau for Florence mayor.
—Gene Olson
Florence
Appreciative for
Farmer’s Market
The Florence Farmers Market
was a brilliant cooperative com-
munity function this summer.
Every Tuesday, with one excep-
tion, from May through last week,
farmers, bakers, mushroomers,
fish and meat suppliers offered us
local products.
A multitude of volunteers in
all weather adapted the market
for social distancing and masks.
While it was difficult to say thank
you at the time, I want to express
my appreciation to everyone in-
volved with this well-organized
event that added richness and
healthy choices to me and others.
Thank you for your work.
—Mary Lehman
Florence
Mayor Henry still
excellent choice
despite ‘Series’
During the course of a recent
virtual city council meeting [July
20], the wife of one of the council-
ors could be clearly heard to say:
“F--- you Joe (Henry)!”
The comment directed at the
Mayor came after a vote had not
gone her husband’s way. After
reading the investigative series
about our local political divide, I
think the epithet could have been
the theme running through the
entire series.
The community is divided po-
litically, and has become much
more so after the election of Pres-
ident Trump. It may be an inter-
esting exercise to “investigate” a
complex topic such as this. How-
ever, in the end it is nearly impos-
sible to accomplish because your
own human biases creep in.
Most of the events discussed
occurred one to three years ago,
and this series could have run
some time previously.
Notwithstanding the
“COVID-19” rationale, I find it
curious that this lengthy series
would go literally up to the arrival
of ballots, while unfairly portray-
ing the incumbent office holders
in a negative light.
The series simply relitigated a
number of previous judgement
calls on things such as public art,
committee assignments and the
role of the city council. The pub-
lic art discussion tended to por-
tray those opposed to the Quince
Street mural as “knuckle drag-
gers,” but in the end the work is
up and the PAC moves on.
There was much ado about
committee assignments, but in
checking with the City of Flor-
ence, I was informed that the
Mayor has the final say on these
members. Apparently, this has
been the case for at least the last
20 years. As to the role of the
council, there are those that be-
lieve it is a combination of the
UN, the EPA, the U.S. Congress,
NATO, the WHO and more.
This is inaccurate and unfortu-
nate.
Things may have been in up-
heaval after the 2016 election, but
they really ramped up after the
3-2 liberal majority on the council
reversed to 3-2 in favor of more
conservative-leaning councilors.
There was no illegal or immoral
activity cited in the series, but it
certainly seemed heavy on innu-
endo. Victory parties, emails, Elks
Club attendance, etc. could all
become the stuff of conspiracies.
Conservatives were coming out
of manholes like “The Walking
Dead.”
Finally, my sense is that Mayor
Joe Henry did an admirable job in
steering the city government fair-
ly smoothly, even though it was
being pulled hard by both liberal
and conservative constituencies
over the last few years.
In examining his many accom-
plishments, I feel he remains an
excellent choice to be reelected.
—Ralph Nichols
Florence
Beaudreau is a mayor
for possibilities, vision
The people of Florence and the
surrounding area are fortunate
to have an intelligent, energetic,
committed, youthful person step
forward to take on the responsi-
bilities of Mayor.
Jo Beaudreau is up to the task.
She has a background in ad-
ministration. She will listen and
take action to do what is best for
community. Jo Beaudreau is a
business woman, a volunteer, a
community leader and is dedicat-
ed to Florence. She is active in the
schools and personally helped me
to assist the art program during
the initial days of online teaching.
Her photography skills have
enhanced the Rhody Days cel-
ebration. She has experienced
city government through several
years working on the Public Art
Committee, where she has taken
a leadership role.
She looks for partnerships and
is concerned with unity rather
than division.
We need a Mayor who believes
in possibilities and has the vision
to make our town even better.
—Nancy Archer
Florence
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All Veterans
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devoted to all military veterans who currently are Florence-area
residents or have a connection to this area. It will be printed in the Saturday,
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are interested in sharing your military background information in the annual
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