4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| FEBRUARY 13, 2021
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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Making 2021 more than another ‘Groundhog Day’
(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.)
passed... but the Groundhog Day as-
pects linger on into 2021, making it
feel as if we are treading a hamster
wheel with “Phil Conners,” but with
no definitive ending in sight.
The movie “Groundhog Day”
starring Bill Murray was released
Feb. 12, 1993. The tragi-comedy
had Murray playing the cynical TV
weather “talent,” Phil Conners, cov-
ering the annual Groundhog Day
hoopla in Punxsutawney, Pa.
For reasons unknown, his charac-
ter becomes trapped in a time loop,
forcing him to relive Feb. 2 repeat-
edly and — spoiler alert — it ends
happily when Phil sheds his cyni-
cism, abandons all attempts to es-
cape the loop and learns how to “get
it right.”
Groundhog Day garnered good
box office traffic and decent reviews
at the time. In the 28 years since, the
movie has grown in popularity and
has taken on a semi-cult status as an
allegorical story, cultural touchpoint
and subject of analysis by writers
from various religious disciplines.
In America, the phrase “Ground-
hog Day” has become analogous
with a monotonous, repetitive, an-
noying and an unwanted situation.
Yeah, kind of like a pandemic.
The unprecedented 2020 year has
Guest Viewpoint
By Rachel Pearson
Florence
Groundhog Day is seemingly
frivolous and ridiculous, with ar-
chetypal characters and the quint-
essentially hokey American holiday
of seeking weather forecasts from
a marmot — and yet, the story is
meaningful because it asks the ques-
tion: “What would you do if you
could repeat one day until you could
“Get it Right?”
With that thought, a section of
the article by Anne Tergeson “How
Covid-19 Will Change Aging and
Retirement” (Wall Street Journal,
Nov. 15, 2020) is worth consider-
ing. It includes pertinent questions
for those of us missing the “before
times” routine and who are seeking
new ways to work, worship, commu-
nicate, celebrate and, yes — thrive.
She writes:
“George Kinder, founder of the
Kinder Institute of Life Planning,
says that [during the pandemic] his
clients ‘...are re-evaluating what’s
important in their lives. The break
from routine has freed up time to
assess plans, values, and the kind of
legacies people want to leave.’
To prompt clients to clarify their
goals, Mr. Kinder asks three ques-
tions:
1. What would you do if you had
all the time and money in the world?
2. How would you live if you knew
you had only five to 10 years left?
3. What would you most regret if
you died tomorrow?
‘Covid essentially poses the same
questions,’ says Mr. Kinder.”
I hope everyone will consider an-
swering those three questions and
maybe even post them in a conspic-
uous spot and refer to them on a
daily basis.
Maybe jot them in a journal and
ignore them, then check back one
year from now and decide either
“Yes... that made sense!” Or, “I’m
going to do things differently in
2022.”
In case you missed it, the 2021
Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog Day
went virtual. And — you guessed
it: He predicted six more weeks of
winter.
Whichever options you choose,
have a safe, happy and productive
“get it right” 2021.
LETTERS
No need to feel
threatened by homeless
I have never thought of home-
less people as being a threat to the
community of Florence.
In my volunteering in Florence,
I have met many homeless folks
over the years and have heard
some of their stories. Instead of
feeling threatened by the home-
less, I hope Mr. Jarvis will think
about the homeless in new ways
perhaps.
Perhaps he could listen to some
of these folks and learn a bit
more about their circumstances
and then feel less threatened.
He might also realize that what
some need — especially during
COVID — are not readily avail-
able. This includes jobs, afford-
able housing and so much more.
—Jan Hirsch
Florence
Proposed community
rec center is exciting
It was exciting to read about the
plans for the old football field to
possibly be developed into a fun
hub of recreation, entertainment,
food and socializing for Florence.
(“New Community Multi-Pur-
pose Center Planned for Region,”
Feb. 6)
This is something that will en-
hance our community for all ages
and it will be exciting to see it
develop, especially as we emerge
from the isolation of Covid.
I can’t help but love that they
are going to keep the old football
field name and call it the Hans
Peterson Recreation Center and
that this center will also sustain
the aquatic center in Mapleton.
It seems like a win/win.
This is the kind of fun, healthy,
family-friendly place a lot of us
have talked about for a long time
and it looks like it is going to hap-
pen. I looked at the website (Siu-
slawRegion.org) and it gives a lot
of good details.
There is also a place under
“Contact Us” where you can give
you thoughts about what you
think the center should include.
It says, “What do you imagine?
Let us know.”
Exciting!
—Jennifer Waggoner
Florence
America is ‘Back’ but
not in a good way
Joe Biden, when he isn’t busy
writing another of his many Ex-
ecutive Orders, keeps on saying,
“America is back.”
For the first time in his 40 some
years at the public trough, I have
to admit he keeps says something
I can completely agree with!
He, along with Patrick Leahy
with 46 years, Chuck Schumer
with 40 years, Nancy Pelosi with
34 years, Bernie Sanders with
30 years, Maxine Waters with
30 years and Dianne Feinstein
with 28 years — for a total of 208
years in Congress — are bringing
America back:
Back to borderless national
boundary lines...
Back to invasion of illegal per-
sons with possible viruses...
Back to a frontal assault on
peaceful law-abiding gun owners
with the new House bill...
Back to higher taxes if they
push paying for student loans and
reparations to Blacks...
And these are just some of the
items being “brought back.”
I could list a lot more of the
things they want to — and will —
bring back.
America was a lot better off
before Biden’s Socialistic regime
came to power.
God help and God Bless Amer-
ica.
—Tony Cavarno
Florence
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WHERE TO WRITE
President Joseph Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
Email: Sen.DickAnderson@
oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
State Rep.
Boomer Wright (Dist. 9)
State Sen. Dick
Anderson (Dist. 5)
160 State Capitol 900 Court St.
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Salem, OR 97301
Message Line:
503-986-1409
503-378-4582
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@
www.oregon.gov/gov
oregonlegislature.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
Lane County Dist. 1
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753 | 541-465-6750
Florence City Council
www.merkley.senate.gov
& Mayor Joe Henry
Florence City Hall, 250
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Highway 101, Florence, 97439
(4th Dist.)
541-997-3437
2134 Rayburn HOB
ci.florence.or.us
Washington, DC 20515
Email comments to Florence
202-225-6416
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 kelli.weese@ci.florence.or.us
www.defazio.house.gov