Biz Beat 2-19-2015

Cybersecurity is a quickly growing field and we see the Oregon State University College of Engineering has collaborated with Intel Security to offer a course at OSU called “Defense Against the Dark Art.” The class of 45 students filled up almost immediately after it was announced. The class will be videotaped and there are plans to make it available in the future to other universities. McAfee Labs, part of Intel Security, reported in 2014 that it is detecting more than 300 new cyber threats a minute and the number of malware exploits in 2014 increased 76 percent over 2015. Career opportunities abound in this ever-changing field of technology.

Wise Turtle Acupuncture is Springfield’s first community acupuncture clinic offering its services at a sliding scale of $15 to $35. Owner is Karen DeBraal who is a longtime animal rights activist and forest defender who has turned her focus to therapy and healing. Address is 807 A St., Suite D, and phone number is 731-1466. 

The Albany Helping Hands Homeless Shelter is doing something different. The faith-based nonprofit has a firewood lot on Highway 20, selling seasoned soft woods and hard woods by the cord and bundle for competitive prices. They even do delivery (for a price) within 50 miles. Interesting idea. We recycle urban logs for furniture, but is there a firewood program that provides jobs for the homeless in the Eugene/Springfield area? 

Eugene-based SilverFire is growing and we hear the company will be sending a humanitarian container of stoves and specialized cooking pots to the impoverished Marshall Islands. “These islands west of Hawaii are under U.S. jurisdiction and many of the folks are really hammered out there under extreme conditions of poverty,” says Todd Albi of SilverFire. “They will be able to sanitize water and cook their food with palm fronds in our stoves.” SilverFire designs and manufactures cooking products for recreation and also disaster relief. One high-tech stove popular with backpackers is designed to burn twigs. Others use solar energy. See silverfire.us for more information or email todd.r.albi@gmail.com.

One Green World is a family-owned nursery, based in Portland and the Willamette Valley, that specializes in unusual edibles that thrive in our region, many of which can be seen in BRING’s Garden of Earthly Delights at 4446 Franklin Blvd., in Glenwood. The PlantMobile (a repurposed beverage delivery truck) will be at BRING from 9:30 to 11:30 am Saturday, Feb. 21, with figs, kiwis, blueberries and more. See onegreenworld.com or call (877) 353-4028.

The Co-op Family Center’s 21st annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser will be from 8:30 to 11:30 am Saturday, Feb. 21, at The Family Center, 2250 Patterson St., next to South Eugene High School. $6 for adults, $3 for kids. The event includes live music, an auction and more.