4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| MAY 12, 2021
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
LETTERS
Miltenberger knows
issues, duties
Upon reading the various posi-
tions of the candidates for Siuslaw
School Board, I decided to then
read the Mission Statement of the
District and the Goals of the Super-
intendent/Board for 2021.
Among the things the school
district mentions in those docu-
ments is the uniqueness of every
child, high standards and expec-
tations, the involvement of and
communication to the entire com-
munity, including those histori-
cally under-represented, as well
as standards focused on visionary
leadership, effective financial man-
agement and an inclusive district
culture.
Maureen Miltenberger is the can-
didate who is aligned and focuses
her positions on the mission of this
district. Her statements showed
she was aware of the policies, reg-
ulations and goals that the district
has put forth and, most important-
ly, knew the purpose and job of a
school board member. Maureen
is familiar with the new and vital
Oregon Student Success Act (SSA),
working with other community re-
sources and focusing on helping all
students of our district to deal with
the continuing and future effects of
the current pandemic.
Maureen is very student-fo-
cused, including experience direct-
ly with students and their needs
while learning — especially inside
the current school buildings.
We need a board member who
understands their job as a member
of the school board team and not
anyone with vague or irrelevant
positions, negative personnel or
political manifestos, or undefined
“-isms” that look backwards.
Maureen Miltenberger has my
vote for school board because she
knows the duties of the position
which she is running for, and is fo-
cused on the positives of issues and
policies for 2021 and beyond for all
our students.
—Mary DeCeault
Dunes City
OSBA guidelines are
important to consider
Having served on the school
board in North Bend for six years,
I felt the following information
might be helpful as we face the
election to fill school board posi-
tions here in Florence.
First of all, I would like to thank
everyone who has stepped forward
to run. It is a massive job, some-
times with little things and some-
times making decisions that no one
is really happy with — but that the
laws and financial restrictions may
dictate nevertheless.
Maturity and life experiences
make the job a lot easier.
If you check with the school
board association (www.OSBA.
org), Code of Conduct, some of the
guidelines that they recommend
are:
• The elected officials should be
a representation of the community,
so that a good cross-section of ideas
can be shared. That may mean that
you do not want an abundance of
retired folks or you may not want
family members serving together
on the school board, which could
lead to conflict of interest issues.
• The elected officials should
serve with an open mind and not
running for this position because
they might have a personal opinion
or vendetta about how they think
the school district should be run.
• There are several areas that the
school board is actually responsible
for: the evaluation of the superin-
tendent, approval of policies and
procedures and approving the bud-
get.
Please choose wisely with your
vote.
—Carol Salisbury
Florence
Viewpoint nothing more
than overt advertisement
While I greatly appreciate the
Siuslaw News providing editorial
space to concerned members of
this community through the publi-
cation of the “Guest Viewpoint,” I
must take issues with that element
in the Saturday, May 8 edition,
“School Board Needs Equal Repre-
sentation.”
This viewpoint was nothing
more than an overt advertisement
for two specific candidates in the
race for positions on the school
board. While it seems other good,
viable candidates endorsements
are limited in length and relegat-
ed to the “Letters” column, Ms.
Mann-Heintz was provided several
column inches to expound on the
qualities of her favored candidates.
Unless other candidates are al-
lowed equal, unpaid, space, this is
blatantly unfair. Of course, at this
point such consideration is moot,
as voting is well underway.
—Jimmie Zinn
Florence
Don’t insult our
intelligence
It is axiomatic in the “course of
human events” that men have cer-
tain talents and abilities — as do
women — to preserve happiness.
That is why when taking full ad-
vantage of citizenry responsibility
as it relates to plebiscite opportu-
nities in America, one must deter-
mine their voting strategy based on
merit not gender.
In the May 8 edition of the Siu-
slaw News, there was a curious Ad
(page A2) requesting those in Flor-
ence and the surrounding environs
to vote exclusively for the fairer gen-
der. Though my native intelligence
is shaky at times, please Florence
Area Democratic Club, do not in-
sult our fair city’s intelligence with
politically correct pablum.
We will decide on who to vote
for based on many different fac-
tors, including philosophy, creden-
tials and who will be most for the
citizens without personal pride of
politics. Therefore I voted for those
who will serve the area best and not
based on diversity or gender.
My votes consisted of a good
man: a builder who is certifiably
non-political and will make a dif-
ference in curriculum, philosophy
and culture for students for Siuslaw
School Board position 4; and simi-
larly a good man for position 6.
For the Democratic Club’s in-
formation, for WLAD I voted for
a good man and a good woman
for commissioners who have not
been tainted as yet by politics in
order to help clean up that district
— though possibly not agreeing on
every nuance.
It is irrational and shortsight-
ed to believe that gender should
be strictly adhered to when using
one’s sacred voting privilege. I hope
that the Florence Democratic Club
reads our Declaration of Indepen-
dence, Constitution and Federalist
Papers to begin to understand their
folly, even in this modern age. Al-
though unfortunately for the Dem-
ocratic Club, men wrote those time
honored documents, just as men
also wrote the 19th amendment.
God bless America.
—Joel Marks
Florence
New school board needs wise representation
(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.)
We (the school board) are in
many respects at a critical juncture
for our students and, therein, the
future of our country.
I’m writing this Viewpoint to
further, as the editor states and in
the spirit of, “… community discus-
sion and exchange of perspective.”
I do have a different perspective.
But before delving into that, let me
set the record straight with regards
to some things I find very troubling
with Suzanne Mann-Heintz’s Guest
Viewpoint (“New School Board
Needs Equal Representation,” May
8).
First, she has seemingly iden-
tified herself as representing the
school board. It clearly states: Guest
Viewpoint By Suzanne Mann-
Heintz, Siuslaw School Board.
She does not represent the views
or opinions of the board nor does
she have the authority to do so.
That sub-heading, Guest View-
point, is the second place people
look when scanning for context.
The assumption they will make is
that she represents the entire board
and therefore the entire board be-
lieves and/or feels the same as she.
Secondly, this notion of unanim-
ity is further promulgated in para-
graph 14, where she writes, “The
board speaks with one voice ...”
I understand what she is trying
to say here but the voters/readers
will not and will again assume she
Guest Viewpoint
By Dennis King
Siuslaw School Board Member
speaks about these candidates for
all board members.
She does not.
So, to be explicitly clear then, I
do not speak for any other Siuslaw
School District Board members.
I’ll begin my perspective by pars-
ing out the word “equal” in Director
Mann-Heintz’s title and the word
“wise” in mine, which interestingly
is the type of language issue I see as
critical for board members to wres-
tle with.
She states, and thereby implies,
that Director Diana Pimlott’s role
and influence on the board will
be diminished because she is the
“... only remaining woman ...” and
therefore the only way she can have
a voice is for there to be “... more
gender balance.” This need for
“equal” representation is to super-
sede all other personal qualities.
I, on the other hand, know that
the reason Director Pimlott is ad-
mired and respected as a director
is because she is wise. I look to
her for her input on topics that
come before the board because of
her wise counsel. Her race, color,
sex, religion, sexual orientation,
national origin, disability, genet-
ic information, pregnancy or any
other protected characteristic as
outlined by federal, state or local
laws have absolutely nothing to do
with it.
Director Mann-Heintz implies,
or wants the reader to infer, that
old white guys are biased and,
without gender balance, will lead
the district into ruin.
Not true.
We need wise people on the
school board. People who can tru-
ly weigh matters objectively with-
out prejudice.
There are candidates on the bal-
lot that are wise. I’ll not publicly
champion them because I find a
sitting publicly-elected official do-
ing so incredibly inappropriate.
So, on principle — and the fact
that the Dunning-Kruger effect
comes to mind (look that one up)
— I’ll simply encourage those of
you who haven’t voted to do so.
And instead of just calling two
candidates, and to have real bal-
ance, call them all.
Copyright 2021 © Siuslaw News
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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