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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2020)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION | DECEMBER 2, 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) 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 Cathy Dietz Ron Annis For Advertising: ext. 318 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 313 Office Supervisor, ext. 312 Production Supervisor For Classifieds: ext. 320 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 Under-40 voice needed on City Council In Phoenix, Ariz., The Phoenix Business Journal annually identifies “Forty Under 40,” which is a list of up-and-coming leaders in the metro area. It’s a reminder that we oldsters may have many of our most produc- tive years behind us; that change is a constant; and that the future belongs to the next generation. Here in Florence — a town known for its median age of 60.1 years (in 2016), and also as a retirement com- munity even before being known as a tourist town — we sometimes have a hard time focusing on young people or recognizing the strengths that the next generation can offer the town. Somehow, young people are ex- pected to take their place in society without any real leadership or guid- ance to model what that can look like. It is this very conundrum that I think offers the most important and compelling reasons for Jo Beaudreau to be the appointed City Councilor at this time. She is not only very pop- ular in the town because of her cre- ative, playful and respectful nature, but she is under 40. Jo provides a shining example of intelligence, leadership, business acumen, civic engagement and com- portment. She is an important role model with strong existing connec- tions to Florence’s youth, schools and community partners serving youth. I hope the Council will nominate and approve Jo to round out the team for the next term. I don’t know who all the applicants are, and I am sure many are qualified, but I doubt there’s one as qualified as Jo Beaudreau. —Ivy Medow Florence Annexation is clear and present travesty That’s exactly what the Benedick Annexation of Oceana Drive will mean to all Idylewood area residents. Its “only intent” is for a future de- velopment that will cost everyone on Oceana Drive and adjacent streets big time on many levels. The an- nexation only benefits two entities: a wealthy developer, Benedick LLC., and the City of Florence for tax reve- nue purposes. There is not one resident living in that area that wants this annexation. And don’t be fooled by claims that this is for annexation only; it is so much more than that. What was once supposed to be “A Government Of The People By The People And For The People” has turned into a government of the powers-that-be for its own benefit and those that have bought it. There are hundreds of people against this annexation that know this is bad for them and bad for the Florence area. Do not let yourselves pay for some- thing you do not want, and which is soley for the benefit of an outside de- veloper. —Cher Thatcher Florence ‘I saw Elvis’ And the conspiracy theories are flying. I would venture to bet that I could walk into downtown or Old Town and come back an hour later with at least three signed affidavits from citizens attesting that they saw Elvis within the last week. —Robert Mohr Public art will continue to contribute to community I will be completing my second three-year term on the Florence Public Art Committee (PAC) this year. Prior to that, I formed a steering committee that developed the original concept of public art in Florence and we present- ed it to the city council and gained ap- proval to form the first Florence Public Arts Committee (PAC). I am honored to have been elected to chair the committee every year during this period and am extremely proud of all that we have accomplished in the last six years. Prior to initiating any projects, the committee did extensive research of public arts programs in other cities within Oregon, in other states and throughout the world to find “best practices” that were being used. We also talked in-person to public art of- ficials in several key cities, including Newport, Eugene, Redmond, Joseph and Lake Oswego. We then discussed, at length, what would be the best approach in Flor- ence, and developed a mission state- ment, which we have followed in all our work and is still relevant today. A set of by-laws and guidelines were also developed, as well as a comprehensive grant management plan. We began presenting our ideas to organizations in the community in- cluding the Port of Siuslaw, Rotary, City Club and homeowner groups. We found support from these groups as well as individuals in the community, and we began our work by developing a plan with the Port to install a sculp- ture with a nautical theme from a local artist (which was funded with a grant and a private cash donation). We also presented our concepts and plans to the Florence Urban Renewal Agency (FURA) and received our ini- tial funding from that agency. After much discussion, the commit- tee made a decision to offer a variety of themes and mediums for maximum appeal to the community. As a result, we have a wide range of artwork in- cluding: nautical themes, a totem pole, a running horse, ravens, tall spires and a large heart, as well as a mural depict- ing Florence’s history and landmarks. To date, we have completed 15 art projects, including sculptures, murals and small projects with the schools. This was achieved due to the hard work of individuals on the committee who formed sub-committees to focus on each project. Guest Viewpoint By Harlen Springer Public Arts Committee (PAC) Chair One of these, the “Art Exposed” outdoor rotating gallery, gives the community fresh artwork to enjoy ev- ery two years at a very low cost to the City. The artwork is also for sale and the City received a commission on the piece that was sold during the first round of the program. The PAC mission statement is con- sistent with one of the City’s five ma- jor goals — economic development. We have presented data that shows the economic impact of the arts. In Eugene, it is over $60 million and in Lincoln County it is over $10 million. Specifically, here in Florence, PAC has placed artwork valued at almost $160,000 for the community to enjoy at a cost to the City of less than $50,000 — a 220 percent return on investment. During this time, we have learned a number of important things; not just how to attract, judge and install art- work, but how to best engage with the community and encourage input into our process. Art is extremely subjective and sometimes elicits strong opinions. We have recommitted ourselves to en- suring that we maintain an open and transparent process, particularly with the city council. We recognize that not everyone will agree with each piece of artwork that is selected, but we are committed to a thorough evaluation process that encourages as much input as possible. Having a community dis- cussion about art is a good thing, and should be encouraged. Along the way, we have been rec- ognized for our efforts, with an award from the Chamber of Commerce for “Innovation in Business” for 2018, as well as recognition from the CEO and the Commissioners from Travel Ore- gon who were very impressed with our Public Art program when they visited in December 2019 I am excited about the future of PAC and we have developed a strong list of priorities in our proposed workplan for the next two years that, with prop- er funding, can continue the success- ful momentum supporting the City’s goals. I also believe that membership and leadership should periodically be refreshed to offer new perspectives and voices. With a new city council and a work- plan, I believe this is a good time for a transition in PAC. So, I will not be seeking another term on the commit- tee. I will remain a commissioner on the statewide Oregon Arts Commis- sion and continue my work there ad- vocating for more grant monies and support for art in rural communities like Florence. Thank you to all former and current members of PAC for their hard work and dedication. I also want to thank the Port of Siuslaw; FURA; the City staff; (particularly Kelli Weese and Sar- ah Moehrke) Mike Miller and the Pub- lic Works Department; and Bettina at the Chamber for their support during the formation of the committee and our on-going efforts. A special thanks to Jesse Beers with the Confederated Tribes for his help in accurately depict- ing the figures on the PUD mural. It has been a privilege to serve on the committee and I believe public art will continue to make a significant contri- bution toward the achievement of the City’s goals. Siuslaw News Office: 148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR 87439 Office Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. to noon Letters to the Editor policy The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor 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 in- clude full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publica- tion of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumen- tative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are un- sourced or documented will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside the Siu- slaw News readership area will only be published 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 accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hear- say; and 3) Explain the reasons to support candi- dates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhet- oric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and plat- forms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid politi- cal advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to re- ject 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
