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FROM THE MAYOR Our wetlands are an incredible community asset. They’re a wildlife resource, home to thousands of waterfowl and other birds, rare and endangered wildflowers, reptiles and amphibians. • They’re a clean water resource, filtering out pollutants that flow into waterways from roads, parking lots and rooftops. Continue reading
FESTIVAL A LABOR OF LOVE Bringing a world-class event like the Kaleidoscope Music Festival to Lane County has been a labor of love for OneEleven Music. We’re local people committed to our local community. The first year for any music festival, especially in a new venue, is bound to have bumps. We expected that and worked to accommodate concerns in advance and will continue to improve. Continue reading
HAIL TO THE QUEEN Like many things in life and art, what one person finds boring, many others find fun and interesting. I completely enjoyed the Professor Doctor’s talent show portion in the SLUG Queen Coronation, and the people around me seemed to as well. Continue reading
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES Kudos to Camilla Mortensen and Micah Griffin for their scoop [cover story, 8/15] on what’s rumbling through town. After the Lac Mégantic disaster I looked around, too. On tracks off Cross Street, the Carson Oil Co. was filling a truck with ethanol shipped by the Renewable Products Marketing Group, a Midwest distributor. It’s highly flammable. Lots of oil cars were nearby. Continue reading
I WANT MY UO BACK In years past I have taken great pride in claiming the UO as my alma mater. Sadly, as the UO has morphed into the University of Nike, I am no longer proud. This last gross expenditure of funds on the amenities for the so-called “student-athletes” is merely the latest in a long list of misspent money. Continue reading
KICKED DOWN THE ROAD I have camped and built shelters in the wetlands of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, my place of birth, since I was a child, and I have camped all across the U.S. in some of the most beautiful national parks. I have camped in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Montana and Yosemite, not to mention (because I have forgotten) many other tourist, hiking trails and scenic places in California, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Continue reading
COUNTY DEBACLE When Faye Stewart voted as Board of Commissioners chair, on a shotgun basis, to proceed with hiring Liane Richardson as “permanent county administrator,” Stewart said he “didn’t think they could find anyone better than Richardson.” Stewart chose a “wired” hiring process instead of a normal public approach. Richardson was hired for Lane County’s top position without an open process, without basic background checks, without even signing an employment application. Continue reading
HELP FOR HOMELESS There’s good news to report for the homeless. St. Vinnie’s is adding capacity to its Service Station on Highway 99. This was one of the recommendations from Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness and it’s great to see it happening. Continue reading
RECALCITRANT PACHYDERMS Continue reading
WORSE THAN COAL Continue reading