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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2021)
4A | WEDNESDAY EDITION | NOVEMBER 13, 2021 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR 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. Siuslaw News Front Office For Advertising: ext. 318 For Obituaries: ext. 320 Jenna Bartlett Chantelle Meyer Misty Berg Jeanna Petersen Mark Brennan Zac Burtt 541-997-3441 For Classifieds: ext. 320 For Faxes: 541-997-7979 Publisher, ext. 318 Editor, ext. 314 Office Manager, ext. 320 Advertising, ext. 325 Lead Reporter, ext. 317 Sports Reporter, ext. 324 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, $84; 6-month , $61; 3-month subscription, $37.50; Out of Lane County — 1-year, $107; 6-month, $74; -month subscrip- tion, $50; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year, $65; 6-month, $35; 3-month, $15. Ask about our senior discounts. Mail subscription includes E-Edition. Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com Submit press releases to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. Siuslaw News Office: 148 Maple St./PO Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 LETTERS (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on these and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community dis- cussion and exchange of perspec- tives.) Ideals of Education Oh, our public schools! There have been varied attacks — hon- orable, or not, based on legitimate concern for children first, or not — continuing a long effort to disman- tle or weaken them. In all, it seems you are either a supporter of public schools and the aim to educate all children. Or you’re not. Public education remains a key institution of our shared civic life. In addition to education, public schools provide kids food and ser- vices they would otherwise lack. They support learning and phys- ical challenges some kids have. They offer enriching experiences — including art, music and social engagement — beyond the reach of each and every family. The idea of a free education for all children, guided by experts con- sidering the highest and best for all, and developing standards for what is taught, how it’s taught, and when and where, was long ago es- tablished as a benefit for each and every one of us. To sustain this, it requires a united and prolonged effort of civility and support, spanning generations. An educat- ed population tends to contribute more to society than those lacking basic skills. I chose public school for my kids. I shopped and compared and found no great academic or social advantage to private schools in my area at that time—Palmdale, Cali- fornia, 1990s. I wanted my kids to experience the world as it really is. A wide va- riety and diversity has been my ex- posure to this world. Also, I wanted every child to be given an oppor- tunity to learn, gain the skills they would need to compete for jobs, understand and consider well this planet and humankind’s potentials, patterns, and history, and discover the good that is available to them here in this moment. I wanted them to be equipped to deal with this life and all it takes to survive and thrive. I also wanted them to be free to be who they are. The best public schools and their educators strive to do that, in my experience. School boards do not need to hear from yelling parents. They need support, decency and reason- ableness. As do we all. Parents often feel frustrated and confused in their choices of what is best for their kids. Voices continue to scream against public education and the good it does. It matters tremendously and deep down all parents know that. Will they look wider and deeper into the issue of public school education? I fervent- ly hope so. — Darlene Norwood Florence Florence Festival of Books Needs Committee Members The Florence Festival of Books for authors and publishers returned this past September. Much was the same, but much was different. It had the same events — Friday af- ternoon panel discussion, Friday evening Keynote Speaker, and book fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. And all events were held at the Florence Events Center. But there were differences. Ev- eryone, participants as well as at- tendees, wore masks. And there was a much wider space for walk- ing from table to table because one-third of the tables had been eliminated. This allowed for social distancing. The crowds for all events were small. But those that attended seemed pleased to be there and bought books. Friday’s events, held also with masks and social distanc- ing, allowed nearly everyone to participate in the question-answer segments. Comments heard over and over were how pleased both participants and attendees were that the Festival of Books was happening in 2021. There was a happy vibe! In spite of COVID, rain and small crowds, the Florence Festival of Books was a success for its 10th milestone year. Held each Septem- ber at the Florence Events Center, it has become one of Florence’s major events. That brings us to the purpose of this letter: The FFOB Planning Committee needs new members. Some members are no longer able to continue and others are having to cut back due to day-jobs. Without more members, there may not be a Festival of Books next year. The committee meets only half of the year — once a month April to May, twice a month June to August, and once a week in September pri- or to the event, with an evaluation meeting afterwards. Next year’s festival is scheduled for Sept. 23 and 24. All interested in helping keep this popular event alive should contact the Florence Events Center at 541-997-1994 or aleia@eventcenter.org. —Judy Fleagle FFOB Co-chair & Co-founder 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. Pub- lication 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 in- terest 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 suggested 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 day- time phone number and/or email address for verifica- tion. The person who signs the letter must be the actual author. Siuslaw News does not accept anonymous Letters to the Editor. • Siuslaw News will not print form letters, libelous let- ters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters also may not be part of letter-writing cam- paigns. • 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 let- ters 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 Oregon Gov. Kate Brown State Sen. Dick Anderson (Dist. 5) 900 Court St. NE - S-303 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1705 Email: Sen.DickAnderson@ oregonlegislature.gov State Rep. Boomer Wright (Dist. 9) 900 Court St. NE, H-476 Salem, OR 97301 160 State Capitol 900 Court St. PO Box 39000 Salem, Ore. 97301-4047 Florence, OR 97439 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 Florence City Hall, 250 Highway 101, Florence, 97439 541-997-3437 U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio ci.florence.or.us (4th Dist.) 2134 Rayburn HOB Dunes City Council Washington, DC 20515 Dunes City Hall, 82877 Spruce 202-225-6416 St., Westlake, OR 97493 541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 541-997-3338 dunescityhall.com www.defazio.house.gov
