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Siuslaw NewsFriday, November 10, 2023 Florence, Oregon

Number 46 • 133 years

Now Serving Florence 541-746-4621 • www.rdpropane.com

Human trafficking a problem on the coast, too By RODNEY HARWOOD Country Media

Not every lining is silver, not every ending happy. But where there is awareness, there is hope and where there is hope, there is the opportunity to change the world. The idea that human trafficking doesn’t happen in your community, doesn’t happen in this day and age, doesn’t happen in rural communities or on the coast by the sea is as far from reality as winning the lottery by wishing it so. Here in the United States, both U.S. residents and foreign nationals are being bought and sold

like modern-day slaves. Traffickers use violence, manipulation, false promises of well-paying jobs or romantic relationships to exploit victims. Christina Causey thought about it for a minute. She is one that can truthfully say she has walked a mile in the shoes of those who have been exploited. “I think it’s healing to tell my story,” she said. “I’ve been there. I’ve been sexually abused, and maybe it helps someone else somehow.” Causey is a survivor, an overcomer, since birth. She was born to a 14-year-old sexually exploited child, whose own mother (Chris-

A newsman’s legacy By TONY REED Siuslaw News The exploding whale gained widespread notoriety, almost exclusively due to a report by KATU reporter Paul Linnman and videographer Doug Brazil. Linnman’s quote that “the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds” marked the tone of a report that captivated the world because of the sheer, unpredicted folly of the incident. That videotaped newscast has become Linnman’s story and legacy. By phone Nov. 2, he said that since the incident, now 53 years ago, hardly a day goes by in his life that someone doesn’t mention the whale to him. He and Brazil have done many interviews about it and requests keep coming in. Asked if there was any

Mike Gallagher leads a training session on human trafficking. Gallagher said a quick search revealed 15 escort services along the Oregon Coast. Contributed photos tina’s grandmother) got her into “the life.” Despite the odds of being a biracial child and abandoned to the system, the generation-

al cycle of abuse and commercial sexual exploitation in her family ended with Christina. “I got out by the skin

of my teeth. Sometimes it takes six or seven times for someone to break the cycle. But you have to keep pushing, keep trying,” the board member at the Portland non-profit group Bridging the Gap said. “I was alone and suicidal at 6 or 7. I was exhibiting high-risk behaviors. I was so out of control. Sometimes I thought I was just born to suffer. But I got out only by the grace of God.” There were no role models in her life, just a mother and grandmother caught up in a downward cycle, she said. Counselors didn’t understand. Overworked social workers did the best they could.

She was just an exposed little girl. “My mother was actually in Foster Care when she got pregnant with me. When I was born, we both went into Foster Care together,” said Causey, who is now 38. “Mom ran off and I eventually went through Foster Care alone until I was adopted. “Foster Care was a pretty negative experience. Even when I was adopted, there was sexual abuse. I was never abducted, but I saw first-hand what (the sex industry) did to my family.” She is hope in its purest form - a role model and magnet for the girls See HUMAN page 6A

Junebugs music combines hippy roots with today’s favorites By BREE LAUGHLIN Country Media

Includes photo of Paul Linnman part of that day that hasn’t been discussed publicly, Linnman said no. “The History Channel interviewed me virtually for an entire hour,” he said. “I thought, ‘you know, if I was interviewing, I wouldn’t have an entire hours’ worth of questions about the exploding whale and I was there.’” Laughing, Linnman said the theme of the HisSee LEGACY page 7A

Music has been a central part of Moses Barrett’s life for as long as he can remember – so it comes with no surprise that he grew up to be a musician. “I was raised by a pack of hippies out in the woods,” Barrett said. “They would play music around the campfire. In the summer, they would sometimes play from when the sun went down to when the sun came up. That’s just the kind of the environment I grew up around,” he said. The Junebugs frontman said he learned to play the guitar from his mother and father.

The Junebugs performed in Florence in June and had such a good time they decided to do it again. They will be playing on Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Florence Event Center. Courtesy photos Soon, he too could play and bassist Nathaniel Tom Petty and some all the songs they played Daniel to round out the Neil Young, John Prine. dynamic trio. around the campfire. Then we also have some To get an idea of the stuff from when I grew Today, the musician combines his hippy roots kind of music they play, up – a little bit of Blackwith decades of hip-hop the band members said street, TLC and some and pop hits with his to imagine Neil Young Taylor Swift mixed in,” and Janis Joplin hav- Barrett said. band the ‘Junebugs.’ The Junebugs origi- ing three love children. The eclectic taste of nated on the Vancou- Then those children the trio ranges from ver, BC circuit before grew up to like folk rock t u r n - o f - t h e - c e n t u r y moving back home to and hip hop. Americana to modern “We have a lot of the Hip Hop, with a strong Portland, OR. There, guitarist Barrett picked songs that I learned emphasis on vocal harup drummer Kyle Owen from my parents – some See MUSIC page 6A

Happy Hallow-101

A resident off Highway 101 north of Florence has gone all-out on Halloween decorations this year, and their display is really hard to miss. Ranging from funny to downright creepy, the characters in the driveway and next to Highway 101 obviously took some time to set up. The display can be seen about 3.5 miles north of Fred Meyer, but as one of the ghouls kindly asks, “Do not block the driveway.” Photos by Tony Reed/Siuslaw News

INSIDE Obituary — 2A Sports — 1B

Opinion — 3A Classifieds — 6-7B

Hope your day is ﬁlled with friends, family, food and festive feelings! Thanks for everything you’ve done to make our year so special here.

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