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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2021)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION | JULY 7, 2021 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR | 541-902-3520 | Opinion CMEYER @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM The First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit- ing the free exercise thereof; or abridg- ing the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peace- ably to assemble, and to petition the Government 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 2021 © 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 Chantelle Meyer Front Office For Advertising: ext. 318 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 314 541-997-3441 For Classifieds: ext. 310 DEADLINES: Wednesday Issue—General news releases, Monday noon; Classified line ads, Monday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Friday noon. Saturday Issue—General news releases, Thursday noon; Classified line ads, Thursday 10 a.m.; Legal Notices and Display Ads, Wednesday 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 sub- scription, $65. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com Siuslaw News Office: 148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR 87439 A Celebration of Community T here’s something magical about being near a child watching the sky light up with fireworks on the Fourth of July. After 15 months of isola- tion, that magic was even more present in Florence this past weekend. The Independence Day hol- iday weekend was the first large-scale, in-person celebra- tion held in Florence since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Thanks to groups like Florence Habitat for Human- ity, Oregon Coast Military Muse- um, Florence Elks Lodge #1858, Kiwanis Club of Florence, City of Florence, Port of Siuslaw and others, the area was able to host family-friendly events all week- end. This was all done thanks to the hard work of our emergency response organizations and the community volunteers and staff members who step up time after time. If you were able to attend any of the events in and around the area on July 3 and 4, you probably saw a sea of faces, some familiar and some not. There were easy smiles as people greeted each other with handshakes and laughter. People crowded together, shoulder to shoulder, and it felt like the re- turn of something important. It was community — the blend of residents and visitors, friends and family, business employ- ees and patrons, volunteers and sponsors — and people from all walks of life coming together to make new memories in Florence. From the Editor’s Desk Chantelle Meyer Still, ever present was a re- minder of those who could not be here. In the past year and a half, we’ve honored holidays in var- ious ways, often limited to fam- ilies and small groups, outdoor ceremonies, virtual parties or drive-up events. We’ve grown fa- miliar with navigating technolo- gy and seeing people in little box- es on screens or behind barriers. It makes sense that people would dive into holiday festivities now that they are allowed. It’s important to remember that the pandemic isn’t over, however, even as Oregon Gov. Kate Brown reopened the state on June 30. Those who are immunocompro- mised, unvaccinated or other- wise unable to return to “normal” right away were unable to partic- ipate in many of this weekend’s festivities. These people are just as much a part of our community as those who were able to gather in person. There are also people who can’t or don’t celebrate a tradition- al Fourth of July. Veterans and those suffering from PTSD may not do well with the sounds and sensations of fireworks or large groups. Some peo- ple struggle with patriotism and have complicated feelings about the U.S. and its history. Again, these people are just as much a part of our community. As we continue to move for- ward with vaccinations — Ore- gon reached its 70% vaccination target on July 2 — more people may join in summer activities in person. Or they may not. Every- one is processing the pandemic differently. Florence’s all-American Fourth of July on the Boardwalk marked an end to isolation and a return to community. As the lights burst across the sky and hundreds gath- ered beneath the bright sparkles of the fireworks, something else was palpable in the air. It could have been the music spun by DJ Al Rojas, and a crowd blending voices to join in song, but I think it was more about how we can continue to get through this to- gether. It’s one more way that the Flor- ence community is so special. 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 and Guest Viewpoints as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Email letters to cmeyer@thesiuslawnews.com To be considered for publication: Letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. In addition: • Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Siuslaw News cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Authors should ensure any information is ac- curate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay, and include sources where possible. • Letters have a 300-word limit and may be edited for grammar and clarity. • Authors must sign their full name and include their street address (only city will be printed), as well as a daytime phone number and/or email address for verifi- cation. The person who signs the letter must be the ac- tual author. Siuslaw News does not accept anonymous Letters to the Editor. • Siuslaw News will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poet- ry, open letters, letters espousing religious views with- out reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters also may not be part of letter-writing campaigns. • Writers are limited to one published letter every two weeks. To submit to the Siuslaw News: Emailed submissions are preferred. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. The newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publish- er and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. 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
