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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2020)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION | DECEMBER 30, 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 Siuslaw News Office: 148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR 87439 LETTERS Great spirit and inspiration in Mapleton In a giving and loving spirit, the Mapleton community came togeth- er during some very difficult times to aid and support their friends, and neighbors in need. A special thanks to the Mapleton Fire Department volunteers, mem- bers of the Mapleton Lions Club, Western Lane Community Foun- dation Directors, Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, SVFR volunteer Capt. Liz Iabichello, and the volun- teers at the Mapleton Food Share. All truly gave from their hearts and of their time to raise more than $1,100 in gifts for children — and for gifts children were able to give to their parents, utility vouchers for families having difficulties making payments, and food baskets for those in need. Great spirit and inspiration to us all. —Dave and Cindy Haberman Mapleton We live in a special place Christmas. A time of joy; also a time of sor- row for those no longer here. A time of excitement and antic- ipation for the young; a time for blessings and prayer for a special birth so many years ago. A time for sharing with those less fortunate; a time for gatherings of and with loved ones. All of this was true until the pandemic hit our world. In many homes now, the holidays have been a time of stress. A time of fear of the future; a time of despair and depression and deep seated loneli- ness. Most of us, including myself, have experienced some of these emotions throughout these many months. Last evening, I was pick- ing up a pizza at a local restaurant across the street from the beautiful display of the wonder of the season lights. It took my breath away and got me to thinking of all the good things in our little town. I’m just so grateful to live in such a generous place where so many think of others. Whenever there is a legitimate need, it is almost al- ways taken care of. After observing so many other cities, we live pret- ty much in freedom and harmony with no overwhelming fears for safety and security. So, thank you to all who con- tribute to help make Florence the special place that it is. So many or- ganizations and groups that give of their time and energy — Kiwanis for displaying our flag on special holidays, Elks, SOS, Soroptomists, Food Share and church groups as well as our men and women in blue and firefighters ... too many to list. I close with wishes to all for a loving and healthy holiday season to be followed by a much better New Year 2021. — Sue Hale Florence in adjacent areas, not just those along Oceana Drive. The only “good” in this annex- ation will be for the benefit of a wealthy land developer (Benedick Holding LLC) and for the city’s tax coffers at the direct expense of old- er, long-time existing residents that have been conveniently denied a say in this decision. Keep in mind that there is no other reason for this annexation — none — other than for devel- opment of a wetland area that was previously shot down by Lane County. If this annexation is passed by the Florence City Council, it will be a complete betrayal of the “for the public good principle” — let alone any democratic principle — and a total loss of trust and faith by citi- zens for whom the city council sup- posedly represents. Not only that, the city can plan on years of expensive legal entan- glements due to what will be solely for the benefit of a special interest. —Jeff Gemutliche Florence Let’s get this straight Thank you, Elks The Dec. 8 favorable approv- al recommendation made by the City of Florence’s Planning Depart- ment and Planning Commission to the city council for annexation of Oceana Drive and certain wetlands had absolutely nothing to do with being “reasonable and for the pub- lic good.” What this gross misrepresent- ed justification for annexation, as stated by Planning Director Wen- dy FarleyCampbell, that evening leaves out the fact that none of the hundreds of existing homeowners and residents — i.e., the public — wants this annexation. It will have future devastating financial, safety and quality-of-life impacts to so many older residents The citizens of Florence are so fortunate to have dedicated people like the Elks, giving their time, en- ergy and Christmas Day hours to provide turkey dinners to anyone needing or wanting them. The meals were exquisitely pack- aged with everything one would want. They even gave thought to whether a person liked white meat or dark — so they provided both. I felt so fortunate that I didn’t have to spend time in the kitchen. I am sure that everyone who took advantage of the gift felt the same way. Thank you Florence Elks for this gift. —Nan Harvey Florence It has been a privilege to serve as a city councilor (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on this and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) I would like to apologize for my part in the trauma that this council has inflicted on our staff and cit- izens. Partisan politics has played an oversized role in the conflict — and on a much smaller scale, we have followed the same divisive rhetoric as seen on our national stage. I suggest the next council take up the task of revising our city charter with the goal of the revision being ready for our next election in 2022. We revise our city rules and regula- tions on an ongoing basis. It’s been almost 32 years since the charter was adopted; our laws need to be better defined and brought up to current standards. That being said, I have had an opportunity to work with Jo Beau- drou and have seen her qualifica- Guest Viewpoint By Ron Preisler Florence City Councilor tions, which are outstanding. Jo has worked on various commit- tees for four years to the benefit of Florence. The fact that she was supported by so many of our cit- izens — and she is young, bright, energetic and creative — makes her a great candidate for our next city council seat. Selecting her would heal some of the divisiveness that we face. I have enjoyed being part of the process that built the Public Works facility, remodeled Florence City Hall, the vision that created the new Highway 101 corridor, remod- eled the Justice Center and many other projects, including a gate for the pocket park on Munsel Lake Road. My committee work has been very rewarding and educational. Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks. I would like to thank Erin Reyn- olds, Megan Messmer, Wendy FarleyCambell, Mike Miller, Tom Turner, Anne Baker and Kevin Rhodes for the privilege of working with them for the past 6 years. They are all dedicated men and women who keep Florence the premier city on the Oregon Coast. 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