 |
|
There are currently, 35 guest(s) and 0 Staff Online.
|
| |
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
One of the most asked questions of me is one concerning lens
filters. So, let’s talk about filters for a minute.
Filters are round glass elements that screw onto the end of
your lens, or in some cases glass or resin panels that are placed on front of
the lens. The purpose of these filters is to affect several different things
when you’re taking a photo.
During the era of film photography many colored filters were
used, mostly used with black and white film. These colored filters would block
or cancel certain colors of light causing corresponding areas of color to
respond in different ways. An orange or red filter will darken blue tones and
lighten reds, while a blue one will darken reds and lighten blues. In digital photography
these colored filters are not needed as the sensor can filter red, green and
blue light.
In digital photography the most commonly used filters are a
circular polarizer and neutral density filters.
A circular polarizer, or a CP filter, will do a couple of
things to your photo according to how it’s used. The primary purpose is to
reduce glare and reflections on things such as the surface of water or even wet
leaves. It will also turn the sky a deeper blue. It is made with two elements,
one which you can turn to adjust the amount or place of polarization. The
filter glass will be somewhat dark, so it will stop light and the amount varies
depending on the darkness of the particular filter, but a typical CP filter
will stop about two f/stops.
The next filter that is most commonly used in digital
photography is a neutral density filter. A neutral density filter modifies the
intensity of all wavelengths of color. In short, its purpose is to block or
stop light. The purpose typically is to extend or lengthen one’s shutter speed
during bright light such as a sunny day. When a photographer mentions neutral
density filters, they typically call them NDs or ND filters. ND filters come in
a variety of “darknesses,” stopping different levels of light. They can vary in
optical density from almost clear to nearly solid dark. The most common NDs are
ND2, ND4 and ND8 with a corresponding 1, 2 and 3 f/stop reduction. Another
common ND used for extreme stops of light is a 10 stop ND filter.
Neutral density filters also come in what is called a
graduated neutral density filter. This filter has a graduation from top to
bottom making half of the filter dark and the other half clear. This is used in
neutralizing the exposure when you have an extremely bright sky and a dark
foreground. It stops the light of the sky making the exposure more even.
As mentioned previously I use my circular polarizer to
affect the blueness of the sky, to remove glare and reflections from water
surfaces and wet foliage which will allow the color and texture to show. I love
using it for creeks and waterfalls, especially on a rainy day or a day where
it’s recently rained as the water will typically reflect the bright light from
the sky. So too will the leaves and plants reflect this light from the sky.
Once you polarize them the shine goes away and color and textures start to show
through. An important thing to remember is that a CP filter works best when the
light is coming from 90 degrees from the direction that you’re shooting. As the
angle changes so does the amount of affect that the filter has on the photo.
Also, the filter will allow me to extend my shutter speed to smooth the water a
little more to give it a feeling of movement or flow.
My primary purpose for ND filters is to allow me to extend
my shutter even longer under extremely bright light. They come in handy if you
show up to a creek or a waterfall during midday sun.
As for graduated ND filters, I use them as little as
possible as they tend to darken areas that don’t necessarily don't need to be.
A good example is if you want to darken the sky but there are trees or
buildings that extend into this area. The most ideal case for the use of one
would be at the coast in a photo of the ocean with an even horizon line.
This can all sound a bit complicated, but once you use them
it will become easy. If you use your camera on the Manual setting it’s also
easier to understand as you probably have encountered some of these problems
while trying to get that shot at less than an ideal time. If I want to extend
my shutter at a creek or a waterfall I find it best to show up when the light
is right. Good light from a creek or a waterfall is subdued light with little
or no glare or reflection on the surfaces in your photo. I find it best early
in the morning or later in the afternoon, but I love it best when it’s
drizzling or an even overcast cloudy sky. Bright light is not your friend in
these cases. Surprisingly, the CP works under cloudy skies too.
On a trip a couple years ago to visit Ricketts Glen and photograph some waterfalls, I hiked in to get
some photos but wasn't able to enter the park until 9 a.m. At that time of the
day the light was harsh and was shining directly on the falls. I had to block
light in any way that I could. I lowered my ISO, stopped down (narrowed) my
aperture and applied my CP for two more stops of light. By doing this I was
able to get some decent shots. Otherwise I would have gotten shots of crusty
sharp water with blown out highlights. Instead I was able to extend my shutter
enough to get the water to flow a little in the photo and get a better
exposure.
I hope that this helps clear up this subject a little. If
you’re serious about your photography put a CP and some NDs in your bag. |
| Preparing for the return of feathered friends by Mt. Hood Community College on 03/01/2021
Last month, students and staff from Mt. Hood Community
College joined thousands of others from around the world to count birds. The
Great Backyard Bird Count began in 1998 as a community-science project to
encourage regular folks to count the birds (as the name suggests) in their
backyards over a four-day winter period.
It has since expanded to the world and any habitat, but the
goal of welcoming new bird enthusiasts to the flock remains. The data are
valuable, but even more important is the recruitment of more advocates for
birds.
And birds need our support. Like all wild things, their
populations are in decline, hit hard by loss of habitat and poisoned by the
toxic biproducts of a consumption economy.
They are also finding it harder and harder to navigate their
human-altered world. Like us, they have been impacted by increasingly
unpredictable weather events – the outcome of an Earth warmed by the burning of
fossil fuels. Migratory birds face additional problems, literal navigation
obstacles.
And here we, as individuals and communities, can take steps
to clear a path for our returning feathered friends. We can reduce the risks of
windows and lights.
Light pollution is a reality easily appreciated by those
living where it still gets dark. Light at night is disorienting for us all, but
especially for nocturnal migrants, and several good options for reducing its
impact can be found online at https://bit.ly/3aU9pVG.
Window-strikes are another major risk for both migrant and
resident birds as they mistake reflections of trees as passages to safety and
crash fatally into the glass.
We can all help here. At the College we are working toward a
“bird-safe campus” and have begun applying paints and stickers to the windows
that cause the most problems.
You can join our efforts in your own homes and businesses.
The solutions range from D.I.Y. and inexpensive to comprehensive and high-tech.
At my own home, I use gift-wrap curling ribbon (salvaged from holiday packages)
taped in strands that dangle and sparkle across a picture window – they don’t
disrupt my view, but they break up the reflection for the birds.
Paint pens work well too (vertical lines) and can involve
young painters who might be home (and underfoot!). Ultra-violet reflective stickers
can be purchased from online venders.
Small changes multiplied by communities who care. Little
efforts that pay large dividends for our feathered friends and those who watch
them.
Walter Shriner, PhD is an instructor of biology at Mt. Hood
Community College. |
| View Points – Salem: A bill's journey by Rep. Anna Williams on 03/01/2021
This month, I decided to use this column to walk readers
through how the legislative process is working during the COVID era, using a
bill that arose out of the mountain area as an example.
In late 2019, shortly before “coronavirus” was a familiar
term, I was approached by a community water system manager in my district. He
had concerns about how to ensure that private landowners were aware of the
impacts their timber-related activities can have on drinking water quality. His
hope was that I could sponsor a bill to require landowners to negotiate in good
faith around offers from the state to purchase privately-owned land for what is
called “source water protection (SWP) land acquisition.”
I thought it sounded reasonable to require landowners to
participate in good faith with the negotiation process. I expected the SWP
program wouldn’t be too burdensome – it would only apply to the areas
immediately surrounding a stream used for drinking water. Also, the landowners
would be handsomely rewarded for their land using public funds, which suggested
to me that they would have good incentives to negotiate. So, I requested the
bill from the attorneys who draft legislative concepts (early drafts of bills).
In a typical legislative session, I would have discussed
this bill extensively with my colleagues in our frequent conversations in the
hallways and meeting rooms in the Capitol, but because the pandemic has us all
working remotely, every encounter with my colleagues is scheduled, time-limited
and narrowly focused. So when I introduced the bill at the beginning of the
2021 session, I hadn’t talked through the full implications of what the bill as
drafted directed the state to do: essentially, the outcome of a “requirement to
negotiate” would be that the state could exercise eminent domain (i.e., paying
a landowner and taking the land regardless of whether the landowner agreed),
which was FAR more power than I was comfortable giving the state, and far more
than the state agencies involved in this process even wanted!
Thankfully, everyone who had concerns about the bill I’d
requested understood that it was a simple misunderstanding (legislators make
mistakes, too!), and were happy to discuss other options for a more measured approach.
So, going back to the drawing board, I consulted with experts in water
conservation, forestry and environmental protection, and came up with a few
minor tweaks to current laws that will go a long way toward keeping the water
we drink safe. In short, my amended bill will allow community water system
managers to petition the state to make specific rules for water quality
protection for a single stream or watershed, if there is a risk of drinking
water being polluted or cut off due to private landowners’ activities.
This new policy will strike the balance that I always try to
find in the legislature: it will be narrowly tailored instead of broadly
applied (since broad application can lead to unintended negative consequences);
it will not be overly burdensome on private landowners’ rights, but it could
have huge impacts for the public’s health; and it will directly address my
constituent’s concern, while also giving communities in other parts of the
state a new tool to keep their constituents safe and healthy.
I look forward to continuing to work with the people in the
mountain community, state agencies and in our natural resources economy to find
appropriate solutions to big problems, and to protect the people who are most
vulnerable from harm. If you have any ideas for bills that I might propose to
support struggling Oregonians or improve public health, please let me know at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative. |
| View Points – Sandy: Coming together by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 03/01/2021
President Ronald Reagan once said, “The person who agrees
with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent
traitor.” President Reagan was right, and I believe that was the major theme
coming out of our recent 2021-22 Sandy City Council retreat this past month.
Our Sandy neighbors have never been more engaged in our
local civics process than they are now. As a result, we had one of the most
highly contested elections for Sandy City Council positions in recent memory.
The results provide our council with three new councilors that bring our
community a diversity of ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds for the better.
At our recent council retreat, we were able to bring
together our councils’ collected experience mixed with new ideas and fresh
perspectives. As a result, we found that Reagan’s adage is true, those that
agree 80 percent of the time are friends.
We developed an aggressive agenda for Sandy that puts our
community first and plans for the long-term opportunity and prosperity we all
believe is possible for Sandy.
We will be addressing traffic congestion by completing our
Transportation System Plan that will include a feasibility study on the cost
benefit of a local bypass in our future.
We will look to break ground on the extension of Bell Street
to 362nd to alleviate the morning and afternoon school commutes and open up an
exciting future of economic opportunity in that part of town.
As one of Oregon’s fastest growing cities, we will blaze
ahead on a comprehensive plan for smart growth with extensive community
outreach and direction.
Because of our growth in size along with side effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in Portland, Sandy has seen an increase in
homelessness and petty crime. Our City Council will be appointing a task force
to find innovative solutions to these issues in the Sandy way.
As many of our neighbors know, because of our rapid growth
in size and improper planning by past leaders and staff, our sewer water
treatment process is simply no longer viable. Our City Council is committed to
working with our elected state and federal delegations to build upon the past
successes of the previous council. In the next year we have a major ask in
front of the state legislature and we also will be implementing WIFIA financing
on the project.
We’ll also look to update our council policies, rules and
processes. Finally, we’ll be providing our community with a visioning process
for the Sandy Community Campus and aquatics center that will revitalize the
Pleasant Street Neighborhood, provide opportunities for our residents and allow
us to grow from our main street core, which is bisected by a state highway.
Additionally, in the year ahead our council will be holding
a series of work sessions on a variety of major topics including public safety,
homelessness, urban renewal, parks and enhancements to our business climate.
I know that our Sandy City Council is committed to heeding
the words of Reagan, putting our community first and planning for our
prosperous future. We’re already busy working together to reach our common goal
– to keep Sandy wonderful!
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy. |
|  Contributed graphic.
The big clearcut south of Hwy. 26 near Arrah Wanna Blvd.
generated quite a bit of buzz in recent weeks. No wonder. All of a sudden, it
seemed, there was a big hole where there had always been trees. Two parcels
were cleared: 21.25 acres and 5.65. Call it 27 acres.
The smaller of the two parcels is slated to be developed for
housing – see the article on Page 3 in this edition – but I don’t have any
information about plans for development of the other one. Both parcels are
zoned Hoodland Residential (HR), which has a minimum lot size of 1/4-acre.
Development would make sense, since the parcels are flat and
have access to existing roads and the highway, and both are adjacent to the
Welches sewer plant (the Hoodland Water Resource Recovery Facility) on Bright
Avenue. And both parcels are surrounded by existing housing.
But the parcels may not be developed. The timber on a
11-acre property on Lolo Pass Road near my home was harvested in 2010, and the
scuttlebutt was that homes would be built there. That rumor turned out to be
untrue, so far. The 11 acres were planted with Douglas-fir seedlings that seem
to be happy there.
Back then, I heard through the forestry grapevine that the
owners had sold the 11 acres worth of timber to a logger (not from our area)
who told them that timber prices were high (they were) and that prices were
sure to drop like a rock in the near future (they didn’t). Not only did prices
not drop, they reached new highs the following year. I’d like to think that the
logger honestly believed that timber prices were about to drop.
It could be that the owner of the two Hwy. 26/Arrah Wanna
parcels wanted to take advantage of the current high prices for timber. Perhaps
they saw a headline such as “Relentless Home-Renovation Boom Sends Lumber
Prices to Record” (Bloomberg, February 18). In mid-February, the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported that the price of lumber and
panels (such as plywood and oriented strand board, or OSB) hit a record high
and had increased by more than 170 percent over the past 10 months.
Prices for logs and lumber will fall, eventually, but while
prices are high, some landowners will decide to harvest their timber. My
ballpark guestimate is that the timber on the Hwy. 26/Arrah Wanna parcels was
worth at least $500,000, perhaps $600,000 or more. If you owned timber worth a
half-million bucks, would you sell it?
What Happens Next?
In the old days, many landowners did little or no
replanting. Fortunately, the forests in our area are very productive and, given
time, they usually reestablish themselves. Most of the trees we see around us
are less than 120 years old, having regrown after fires and harvesting. The Wildwood
Recreation Site, which is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management, wasn’t
always thick with timber. The BLM’s site brochure explains:
“Between 1926 and 1944, Wildwood and the surrounding areas
were logged. In 1930, the Bruns and Jensrud Logging Company built a sawmill
complex at Wildwood. The Salmon River was diverted to make holding ponds (now
Wildwood wetlands) for timber. The logging company also built a steam-powered
sawmill, a bridge, two homes, a machine shop, a cone burner, a cookhouse and
three bunkhouses near the Old Mill Trail. Two families and 45-50 employees
lived on the site. The steam boilers for the mill were fueled by sawdust. The
mill burned down in 1932, but was rebuilt. It operated for several more years
before being sold in 1937 to Bell Lumber Company. A year later, it closed and
the county auctioned the property for unpaid taxes. The machinery and
structures were subsequently removed and the bridge washed out in the 1964
flood.”
Even today you can see the remnants of the mill along the
Old Mill Trail amidst large Douglas-fir, grand fir, western redcedar, alder and
other trees that grew naturally after the logging ended.
Fortunately, Oregon has a law called the Forest Practices
Act that requires replanting after a harvest. The law and the associated Forest
Practices Administrative Rules also regulate logging along streams, road and
stream crossings, the protection of wetlands, and so on. Oregon’s Forest
Practices Act, which became law in 1971, was the first such law in the nation.
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute has a wealth of information about the law
and rules, including “Oregon’s Forest Protection Laws: An Illustrated Manual,”
which I used as a textbook when I taught timber harvesting at Mount Hood Community
College. You can download a free copy at oregonforests.org.
Under the law, the owner of the Hwy. 26/Arrah Wanna parcels
must begin reforestation activities within 12 months of the harvest and
complete the planting of seedling or seeds within 24 months of the harvest.
By Dec. 31 of the sixth year after the harvest, the
harvested area must be an “adequately stocked, free-to-grow stand” – meaning
that there will be lots of young, healthy trees.
As you know from reading this column, I generally support the
use of clearcutting in Oregon. I’d prefer that large-scale clearcutting not be
used in residential areas, and when harvesting is done in communities like
ours, I’d prefer that landowners leave some trees, especially along property
boundaries and roads. Leaving scattered trees and groups of trees throughout
large parcels would probably make residential lots more valuable, if they are
to be sold.
Want to know more about timber harvesting and reforestation?
Want to know why deer and elk love clearcuts? Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com. |
| Irish breakfast by Taeler Butel on 03/01/2021
I’m so intrigued by this recipe, not only because it’s got
beer and it’s for breakfast, but the story is that it’s from the 1700s and said
to be made and set on a stove by the wives to simmer until the men came home
from the pub.
As a former barmaid I appreciate this. Everything you need
to make it you’ll probably have on hand. This is best made in a deep Dutch
oven.
4 potatoes peeled and sliced thick (I use Yukon Gold)
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (drippings
reserved)
1 lb sausages, such as bangers (I use kielbasa)
1 cup Irish beer
1 large yellow onion sliced thick
Salt and pepper
4 T chopped fresh parsley
4 eggs washed well and left whole (optional)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a Dutch oven over medium high
heat crisp the bacon, remove and chop, brown sausages in bacon fat and set the
sausages aside. Turn off heat.
Add beer to deglaze, carefully layer in the potatoes,
onions, sausages, parsley, 1/2 t salt and pepper, place the eggs in whole and
pour broth on the top. Put the lid on. Place in the oven for 45 minutes, remove
the eggs with tongs, set them aside and peel when cool enough (they should be
soft boiled).
Remove the lid, continue to cook 20 minutes more and serve
hot with the soft eggs.
Irish Soda Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
4 T unsalted Irish style butter (1/4 cup)
1 cup raisins or currants
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Zest of one orange (optional)
Coarse sugar for the top
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to
400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda
and salt and stir well to mix.
Cut in the butter using a fork or pastry cutter. Stir in the
orange zest if used and the raisins or currants. In a small bowl, whisk the
buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber
spatula.
Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it
over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf
to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a
cross in the top. Sprinkle top with sanding sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for
about 15 to 20 minutes more until lightly browned and a toothpick in the center
comes out clean. Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of Irish
butter and orange marmalade.
|
| No will could be a mess of stress by Paula Walker on 03/01/2021
“I will do it tomorrow.” How many times have you said that?
Here’s why you may actually do it tomorrow…
When you die without a will the state’s laws of intestacy
kick in and among the many things they do is make the determination of who will
receive your assets. But that is the least of it. Because of leaving this
decision making to the state, the mess to be sorted out is made the more
costly, more burdensome and more stressful on those who are close to you, your
spouse and your children, your friends.
First, through the court the state will name a representative,
aka executor or personal representative, i.e., the person who will account for,
manage and finally distribute your assets. However, many times that is not a
job to envy - all responsibility, little payback and no glory to say the least.
A lot of hard work with lots of liability, headache and dubious reward. Without
a plan the drawbacks of this responsibility are amplified and will likely fall
to your spouse or children, but maybe not. It may fall to someone you or your
family would prefer not to be involved, or to a total stranger.
Who asks the court to appoint this critical role? If you
have family, likely one of them will and even if one of them wants to take on
the daunting job, they must make the case to the court that they are the right
and rightful individual for the role. To the court they are generically
“interested persons.” Their closeness to you as spouse or child lends no legal
stature as the rightful one who should take on this responsibility. Maybe the
court decides they are, maybe it decides they are not. And maybe someone else
contests this appointment. Let the strife begin… But maybe nobody wants to take
on this heavy load or no one in the ordinary line up of intestacy for
representing your estate is available, then the state takes on the role.
And this process of deciding who will represent your estate
takes time. All your assets are frozen until the state can decide. Real estate
cannot be sold; bank accounts cannot be accessed. No matter that you intended
for certain people to handle things for you or certain people to receive from
what you have left behind, none of that can occur until the state can decide on
a representative. That representative may be a total stranger. And the laws of
intestacy may not recognize the people you had intended to receive from your
estate as the rightful recipients even when it gets to the point of
distributing assets, which will be a long time in coming.
And what about those precious ones in your life who depend
on you – for everything. Children – the court will decide the guardian. It will
likely be a family member, but it may not be the family member you would have
preferred. It may be the member you would have avoided. And if there is no
family member willing and able… who then? And what about animal companions/pets?
Well, hopefully you have someone in your circle of family or friends who likes
dogs, cats etc. who wants to give them a good new home. And for either children
or pets, without a plan laid out and communicated, of which the will is a part,
who will be there in the immediate if your passing is the result of an
emergency?
And everything takes time, even with a plan, i.e., a will at
minimum. Without a plan the nature of things is for these processes to drag on
– identifying the right candidate to act as executor, filing for appointing an
executor, securing the court’s appointment. An inordinate amount of time,
especially when things are in the balance, assets frozen, creditors demanding,
children moving through trauma, treasured animal companions shifted to
who-knows-where.
The stress of the mess. No, you will not be around to care,
but assuredly there are those who will.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Bringing the Stars down to earth. An account of someone you
might know, or who could be you. Regarding the time-consuming and expensive
process of handling the estate of someone who had not the simplest of estate
plans – a will; and the toll it takes on those closest to that person. A Forbes
financial advisor reports that it took many months and many court filings to
get court approval to appoint the husband as the executor for the estate of his
wife of 35 years who died suddenly in an accident and to get her assets
transferred to his name. All the time the assets were locked up. Neither the
financial managers nor the husband could touch or manage them.
Dear Reader, we welcome your questions. These will provide
grist for future articles and enhance the potential for those articles to be of
interest and value to you.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
What did we ever do without our cell phones? In this era of
miraculous technology, it's hard to remember how it was to wait until we got
home to make a call or to search for a phone booth along the way, and there are
some of us who have never had to. Cell phones have revolutionized
communication, but these little devices have also revolutionized photography.
Gone are the days of limiting the number of photographs that
you take or the need for delayed gratification due to having to send the film
out to be developed. We just snap, smile, share with our friends on social
media or email and then forget about them as we continue to record in more
pictorial detail our day to day lives.
As cell phone camera technology has improved, the pictures
have become better and better. They have become so good that they have replaced
the point and shoot camera. They are all the average person will ever require
for their personal photography needs and even though they have become
incredibly capable, they still take a little experience to master, especially
in challenging light. A few tricks can make your photos even better.
Clean your lens. As we carry our phone here and there, we
can put them through a lot. Dust and dirt can collect on the lens of the
camera. A little lens cleaner on a soft cloth will help to keep your photos
clear and crisp.
Pay close attention to composition. Composition will make or
break a photo. A photo can be technically flawed but if the subject and
composition are interesting the photo will be interesting.
Don’t miss the shot. Cell phone cameras won’t give you an
instant shutter actuation. They take a second or two to find and focus your
subject. This is referred to as “shutter lag.” Anticipate this shutter lag and
be prepared to get the shot a few moments prior to the moment. This is
especially true with moving objects.
Don’t use direct sunlight when photographing people. Find
bright shade to eliminate sharp contrast of glare and shadows. Your subject's
eye won’t be as apt to be squinting.
Don’t use your flash. The stark light of your flash will
wash out your photos. There’s an HDR (high dynamic range) setting - use it. And
of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. I like to use a flash when
my subjects are back lit, such as at sunset.
Don’t zoom. Zooming with your cell phone camera is not an
optical zoom but it is an electronic enlargement of the image. The image
quality suffers when you zoom in. Choose to move forward or back to fill the
frame. If you have a cluttered background move in to fill the frame to make
your subject dominate the scene.
Don’t use harsh light. If you are going to do portraits
choose to do them in either mid-morning or late afternoon. The light during
these times has a less harsh feel and is warmer and more welcoming. The camera
will struggle less with the light and the photos will turn out nicer.
Don’t settle for straight out of the camera; post-process
them. Your camera does, why not you? Download applications such as Snapseed or
Lightroom Mobile to adjust the photo to make it look its best. Most camera
phones come with their own image editing application.
Don’t be selective in what you shoot. Film is cheap when
you’re shooting digital. You increase your odds of getting a great photo if you
take more of them.
Don’t forget about your photos. In the past we would take
our photos, print them and put them into a photo album. We can still do that
today even though we’re no longer using film. You can either print them
yourself if you have a printer, go to the drugstore and use their kiosk or you
can send your digital file to a company online who can print them and send them
back. Even better is that you can now self-publish your own book in any
quantity, including a single issue of your vacation photos.
Do have fun with it. It’s always with us. In the past we
would leave our cameras at home while today it’s usually within arm’s reach at
any time. You have a much better chance these days to get a unique photo of
life as it happens around us. With these few little tricks, you can make your
photos better, but it takes practice and the willingness to tell your camera
what to do. |
|  Contributed photo courtesy of the National Archives
As we Hoodlanders know all too well, living amongst very
tall trees can be – interesting. When the winds howl through the branches, the
beauty we enjoy every day is forgotten and fear sets in – the dread that a tree
will fall onto our homes, cars, well sheds and powerlines. My house was spared
during the windstorm of Jan. 13–14, but those of some of our neighbors were
not.
As far as I have seen, most of the downed trees are
Douglas-fir, which is by far the most common species in our area. In calm
weather, it is easy to see that Doug-fir is a remarkable species. A new book by
Stephen F. Arno and Carl E. Fiedler explains why: “Douglas-Fir: The Story of
the West’s Most Remarkable Tree.”
Arno and Fielder, who are highly experienced foresters as
well as accomplished writers, also authored “Ponderosa: People, Fire, and the
West’s Most Iconic Tree,” published in 2015. They have a gift for storytelling
in a way that is interesting and informative to foresters and the general
public alike.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is named for two
botanists, the authors write: David Douglas, who came to the U.S. from Scotland
in 1823, and Archibald Menzies, who served as naturalist on a British voyage to
the Pacific Northwest and collected a specimen of Douglas-fir twigs and needles
on Vancouver Island in 1791. A 2009 book by Jack Nisbet, “The Collector: David
Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest,” offers a fascinating account
of Douglas’s travels in the region, including his interactions with Native
Americans.
Of course, the native peoples of the western U.S. knew and
valued the tree for millennia before Europeans arrived.
“North American Indian tribes have lived in relationship
with Douglas-fir since the earliest of times, based on both folklore and
archaeological evidence. The Tewa people of New Mexico, for example, claim that
humankind first came to Earth by climbing up a tall Douglas-fir tree from under
a lake,” Arno and Fiedler wrote.
Douglas-fir is an enigma:
“Its mix of distinctive structural features and
physiological attributes produces a tree that is puzzling, exceptional, and in
ways a marvel of nature. World class in height, geographic distribution, and
wood quality, and unique in architecture and genetic composition, Douglas-fir
also acquires nitrogen in novel ways, and at times even irrigates itself.
Though this tree has long played an integral role in the lives of humans and
animals, many of its secrets are only now being understood through modern
science.”
Today, the world’s tallest trees are coast redwoods (Sequoia
sempervirens) – the tallest known is a hair over 380 feet tall – but in the
past Douglas-fir has topped the redwoods:
“An article in a 1910 issue of the Western Lumberman
reported a huge Douglas-fir east of Seattle that had grown to over 400 feet
tall and 17.8 feet in diameter. A 1970 article in the MacMillan Bloedel News
reported a Douglas-fir felled near Tacoma in early-day logging that measured
412 feet long, plus a stump five feet tall, for a total height of 417 feet. Al
Carder, who was perhaps the world authority on big trees before he died in
2014, firmly believed that scattered Douglas-firs in the Pacific Northwest were
the tallest trees that ever lived prior to heavy logging in the nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries.”
Many of the giant Douglas-firs are gone now, having been
harvested for their valuable lumber, which is still today a highly useful and
valuable product:
“Douglas-fir’s many desirable attributes account for its
lofty status as the most economically important tree species in the world. Its
wood is strong, stiff, stable in drying, and relatively durable. It can be
machined well and is suitable for a very broad range of uses, including its
superior application for construction lumber, high-quality boards, and large
timbers. Douglas-fir constitutes about one-eighth of all commercial timber
volume in the United States, dwarfing the volume of any other species.”
Doug-fir has been planted widely in Europe, South America,
and New Zealand:
“In New Zealand, Douglas-fir doesn’t grow at the same
phenomenal speed as Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), but at higher elevations it
exceeds the pine’s growth rate. In some areas of New Zealand, Douglas-fir
regenerates so well that it spreads into native grasslands and is considered a
weed that threatens these habitats.”
Doug-Fir Forest Health
A decline in forest health throughout the western U.S. has
been an issue of much concern to foresters and other land managers for decades.
Much of the focus has been on ponderosa pine ecosystems, where fire suppression
over the last decade has left vast areas overcrowded and with high levels of
fuels. However, write Arno and Fiedler, Douglas-fir forests also have been
profoundly affected.
“By the mid-twentieth century, most of the West’s Douglas-fir
forests were out of sync with primeval conditions, which became obvious in
overcrowded inland forests that had gone without burning for periods much
longer than any pre-1900 intervals between fires. The historically dominant
fire-resistant or fire-dependent conifers were being largely displaced by more
shade-tolerant Douglas-fir or true firs. Douglas-fir was also starting to crowd
out aspen groves, which provide key wildlife habitat. By the late 1900s, old,
thick-barked, fire-resistant Douglas-firs were being killed by wildfires in
high-elevation lodgepole pine and mixed conifer forests. The wetter coastal
Douglas-fir forests that once went centuries between fires also came to exhibit
effects of fire exclusion. Remaining virgin forests now have few young
fire-generated Douglas-fir communities, and the historically dominant
Douglas-fir is slowly being replaced by shade-tolerant western hemlock, Pacific
silver fir (Abies amabilis), grand fir, and white fir. Despite this seemingly
bleak situation, there are some management alternatives for restoring greater
resilience and sustainability in both inland and coastal Douglas-fir forests
based on the historical role of fire. However, this “ecology-based forest
management” cannot be carried out at any significant scale unless it garners
strong public support, and its advocates can only succeed if they understand
the public’s perception of forests.”
You need not live in Hoodland to appreciate “Douglas-Fir.”
Arno and Fiedler’s story makes for fascinating reading. An appendix, “A
Visitor’s Guide to Notable Douglas-Firs,” may inspire you to see more of these
remarkable trees for yourself.
“Douglas-Fir: The Story of the West’s Most Remarkable
Tree" is available in hardback from Mountaineers Books for $21.95
(tinyurl.com/y5jv65r7) and other retailers. |
| Song sparrows serenade as a preview to spring by Mt. Hood Community College on 02/01/2021
The darkness of winter, while felt deeply, is fleeting.
Already we notice the day extending past mid-afternoon and even early risers
can detect light on the horizon. Certainly, cold days lie ahead, heavy rains
will play their percussive symphony on our roofs and snow will fall in the
mountains for weeks to come, but the first bulbs have broken ground in our
gardens and Melospiza melodia (song sparrows) have begun their early season
singing.
Song sparrows are aptly named. They serenade our
neighborhoods for much of the year. Like most songbirds, they learn their song
through practice and song-matching – a process of taking snippets they have
memorized and assembling them until they have created a full song. But unlike
many birds, these troubadours add to and modify the basic tune throughout the
season and from year to year. The variations are recognizable to other birds
(and bird watchers) as “song sparrow,” but the length and complexity varies
within and between individuals. Indeed, evidence suggests that the males with
larger repertoires are more attractive as mates – the length of song serving as
an indicator, perhaps, of keener genes to be passed on to young.
We don’t always hear the full song at this time of year,
however. These early tunes are likely just practice, a warm-up, so to speak. It
is still early for romance, after all. Hormones flow at rates matched to the
length of day and we are still in the season when dark rules over light. Still,
the sweet sound of spring is near, and a forest walk will gift you not only the
sparrow’s partial song, but also the year-round melody of a Pacific wren and
the contact calls of kinglets and chickadees. February wet does not deter those
who winter here.
Nonetheless, partial or complete, the sounds have me looking
ahead. I know that soon these birds will be joined by colorful warblers who are
undoubtedly getting restless in their tropical wintering grounds – catching
insects as fast as they can, laying on fat to fuel the long flight north, eager
to join the symphony of a temperate spring. Eager, but not ready. A message to
us all to rejoice in the current season of waterfalls, the re-filling of
reservoirs and the peace and joy of snow-covered slopes that dampen sound as
well as land and create the space for symphonies to come.
Walter Shriner, PhD is an instructor of biology at Mt. Hood
Community College. |
| View Points – Salem: How committees work by Rep. Anna Williams on 02/01/2021
Among the duties I’ve taken on during the 2021 legislative
session, I am honored to have been appointed as Chair of the House Human
Services Committee. If you’re not familiar with the legislative process, a
policy committee is a bill’s first stop on its way to passage.
Committees are where we hear testimony about the need for
and problems with proposed bills, whether from experts, lobbyists, fellow
legislators or (most importantly) members of the public who want to weigh in.
Committees are where we debate and adopt amendments to bills after compromises
have been worked out, or after serious flaws in the original bills have been
identified.
A committee’s most important job is its final vote. Without
passing through a committee, a bill never gets to the full House of Representatives
for a floor vote... put more simply, the bill “dies” without the support of a
majority of committee members. Because of the critical role that a committee
has in the legislative process, and because of the leadership responsibilities
that I have as this committee’s chair, I have some important ideas about how
the House Human Services Committee should operate.
For one thing, I think the most successful legislation is
that which has been deeply considered, thoroughly debated and amended as
necessary. Put simply, I will focus on ensuring that this committee does things
well, rather than simply tallying up as many accomplishments as possible.
When election season rolls around, it’s helpful in politics
to have a long list of the topics you have addressed through your work, but
that comes with a cost. For every additional policy we work to pass, it means
we have spent less time on all the other policies we also put into effect. In
my two years of serving this community in Salem, I’ve noticed a lot of the work
of the Oregon Legislature involves revisiting past bills to tweak issues that
should have been identified and fixed the first time around -- not an ideal way
to spend our time. My hope is that bills passing through my committee will not
need adjustments in the near future, except for perhaps adjusting to
unforeseeable circumstances.
Another focus for my committee will be transparency and
access. Among its many terrible impacts, the pandemic has provided us at least
one positive change. The legislature has finally adopted what I’ve been asking
for since I started my political career: the ability for everyone to testify
remotely if they are unable to make it to a committee hearing in Salem! This is
especially valuable for rural communities in Oregon. If you live in a mountain
community and wish to testify on a bill, there is absolutely no reason you
should be required to spend more than four hours in your car (assuming there
are no traffic delays!) to sit in a chair in the Capitol and testify for a few
minutes. The era of “work from home” has finally provided us with an improved
opportunity for rural voices to be heard, and I look forward to inviting as
many people from my district as possible to testify in the Human Services
Committee.
Lately, some of my colleagues across the aisle have been
claiming that it is unjust for the Capitol to be closed to the public due to
the pandemic, but our new ability to hear remote testimony has in fact
exponentially increased how accessible the legislative process is, and in my
role as a committee chair, I will constantly encourage those from outside of
the I-5 corridor to use this new opportunity to weigh in.
My personal priorities in the human services arena will
focus on access to pandemic-related relief, services and prevention for
domestic abuse and child abuse, improving Oregon’s foster care system for kids
and parents alike and long-term care services. Regardless, my personal
priorities may take a backseat to other legislators’ in the committee, because
I am committed to serving Oregonians as best I can, even if it means admitting
my colleagues’ legislative ideas might sometimes be better than my own!
I hope you’ll all engage with the legislative process
throughout this session, however you see fit. If you’d like to get an overview
of bills we’re working on in my committee, or if you’d like to testify on those
or any other bills at a committee hearing, please write to my office at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov and my staff will teach you how to
receive notifications about hearings, to review the text and testimony of
specific bills and of course how to sign up for my newsletter and learn about
my “virtual open office hours” and constituent town hall events. Having engaged
and informed constituents makes my job significantly easier, and a whole lot
more fun!
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative. |
| View Points – Sandy: Wastewater update by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 02/01/2021
I am excited to share some great news for the Sandy
community. Midway through last month, the EPA announced that the City of Sandy
has been invited to apply for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
(WIFIA) loan for assistance with our long-overdue wastewater treatment facility
upgrades. The vast majority of communities that receive this invitation obtain
the requested financing.
As many of you are aware, we’re facing the largest public
infrastructure project in our city’s history with our DEQ-mandated wastewater
treatment process upgrades. This venture has an extremely expensive price tag
of $60-$80 million.
In addition to a competitive interest rate, the first
payment on WIFIA loans can be deferred up to five years after completion of the
project, with a maximum term of 35 years. This allows us the time to continue
to advocate for additional state and federal dollars for this project. It also
helps reduce the impact on ratepayers. WIFIA financing can only be used for up
to 49 percent of the project so we will have to seek other financing sources
for the remainder of the costs. Our financial consultant has determined that
ratepayers in Sandy would save just over $800,000 per year with WIFIA financing
as opposed to a conventional revenue bond, or about $16M over the 20-year term
of a revenue bond.
I would like to thank our team at the City of Sandy for all
of their hard work to help bring this to fruition, as well as our federal
congressional delegation and their staff for all of your advocacy and help in
achieving this invitation. Our previous City Council engaged early on with U.S.
Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden’s offices, and several of us had a
face-to-face meeting with Congressman Earl Blumenauer. I was also able to meet
with Senators Merkley and Wyden during a visit to Washington D.C. early last
year. Our entire congressional delegation also signed a letter and advocated
for our community to obtain this critical financing. A large thanks goes to
Senator Jeff Merkley and his team for leading and coordinating our efforts at
the national level, as well as providing guidance and expertise throughout the
application process.
This news is in addition to the exciting conclusions our
Green Alternatives Analysis is starting to show. Some may remember that the
previous Oregon State Legislature approved a budget that included an earmarked
$500,000 for additional Sandy River water quality studies and green alternative
analysis.
In 2019, our council and staff toured other communities’
water treatment facilities. We all came away excited about the possibilities of
treatment alternatives after visiting the more than 700-acre Fernhill facility
in Forest Grove. Fernhill is owned by Clean Water Services and uses natural
treatment systems, or wetlands, to improve water quality by removing nutrients,
cooling and naturalizing the water after conventional treatment. Fernhill is
designated as an important bird area and is also home to beavers, frogs,
coyotes and other wildlife.
Thoroughly vetting alternative options is crucial for our
community. If one of these options is viable, it would cut the cost of the
current plan in half and would be much better for our environment.
The conclusions of our green alternative analysis are
starting to point towards this being a very viable option for our community. We
have already reached out, engaged with and come to mutual understandings with
key stakeholders to make this become a reality. We look forward to exciting
announcements in the years ahead.
When Sandy faces major challenges, we work together,
innovate and lead, much like the pioneers that settled this area years ago.
It’s the Sandy way in our overarching goal of keeping Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy. |
| The downside of not having a will by Paula Walker on 02/01/2021
Dying without a will – dying intestate – is a huge topic
touching every aspect of our loved ones lives from the legal technicalities of
the laws governing who gets what and how much, and who may get nothing even
though they may have been your closest relationship of many, many years.
In continuation of the article published in January let us look
at the basics of what occurs when you die intestate – that is, without having
even a at minimum a will – from a ‘down to earth’ perspective of how these
events play out in lives like yours and mine.
At its most basic, a will is a plan. A plan is not a foreign
concept. We resort to planning for even the most routine functions of our
lives, like buying groceries or going out to dinner. For bigger events like
weddings or a vacation, we definitely plan because we know that a lack of
planning leads to uncertain outcomes at the least and potentially all-time
disasters of various sorts – missed destinations, frustrations, friction,
disappointments. Add to this the untold weighty element of grief and loss in
the mix, and you have a sense of what dying without even a will visits upon
your closest relationships.
Fighting, confusion, unfair disbursement of belongings and
wealth, unresolvable grief, distress, excessive red tape claiming rightful
benefits and on. Sibling or family fighting over who makes the decisions about
even the most basic things like the burial or cremation. Family friction over
who receives what that can result in lifetime wounds to long-time
relationships. The ex gets all the life insurance because the beneficiaries
were never changed and maybe even still holds title to the house. While the
existing spouse is entitled to some percentage of the assets’ value by law, it
may not be at all the division the deceased intended. Obstacles to claiming
spousal Veterans Administration (VA) benefits because proper beneficiary
designations were never registered. The inability to gain rightful title to
property because unbeknownst it was titled only in the deceased’s name.
And on.
The technical laws of intestate distributions are a topic I
will cover in subsequent articles.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Do not wait till the “last minute.” Those minutes may be
fewer than you would like.
In many of these articles I feature the battles of the
Titans; those high-profile, dramatic, beyond real life warring over assets of
dynasties. So remote, so interesting, so engaging – because it is not us and
never will be. It is the stuff of modern Shakespearean drama.
But for this article, inspired by the many stories of Rhonda
Green, whose book, “My Exit Plan,” provided material for my last article, I
present you with a sobering account, close to home, in a land not-so-far-away
and circumstances any one of us may face, and many of us do face with alarming
predictability.
Dying intestate… the couple had been meaning for the last
many years to create a trust so that the passing of the five pieces of real
estate property, valuable acreage (some developed, some not) would be a smooth
transfer without unnecessary red tape. At the least, ensure that all the
property would pass without issue to the surviving spouse. At best, ensure that
the property and all financial assets would be rightly transferred equitably to
the cherished adult children upon the passing of both of them; no probate, no
lengthy, costly administration through the court system.
One thing however, they never got around to it. The husband
had one stroke. A wake-up call. Intent was re-kindled. But in close succession,
without further action on the intended estate plan, the husband has a second
severe stroke. Children are called from other parts of the country as “it may
not be long.” An attorney is called to create that trust while there is still
time. The problem is that there is not much time. Cognizance is declining
rapidly. There is no time, really for the ideal probate avoidance by creating a
trust, so the decision is to at minimum create a will to ensure that everything
transfers to the dying man’s wife. The issues unfortunately that loom are: 1)
is all the property in both their names? No way to know because no time to
research and the paperwork is somewhere? Where? 2) no time to create deed
transfers to ensure joint ownership if needed. 3) will mental clarity reside
long enough for the husband to be able to sign a will? One of the key elements
to a valid will is that the principal ( the person who’s will it is) has the
mental capacity to know what they are doing and what the contents are; 4) will
death be staved off long enough to execute the valid will so that at minimum,
the surviving spouse will not incur additional time and expense proving to the
court system that the interim document, written hastily with two neighbors as
witness to the “everything to my wife” statement, is in fact her husband’s Last
Will and Testament…?
In the end, death was not staved off. Although the attorney
puts everything else on hold and draws up the basic documents, the attorney
arrives at the house to find the husband has already begun to transition. There
will be no interaction with ‘sufficient mental clarity’ much less a signing of
legal documents. Two of the five properties are only in the husband’s name, so
even if the court accepts the neighbor-witnessed ‘will’ as valid, the wife will
need to go through a full and costly probate for a proper transfer of title to
her of the properties bequeathed.
Dear Reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com. |
| Low-fat food doesn't add up by Victoria Larson on 02/01/2021
Many have tried every single low-fat food and drink
available to no avail. From planned meals to low-cal cocktails, nothing really
worked, right? Well, you've been sold a bill of goods, about a billion dollars’
worth of foods that clearly don't lead to healthy weight management, or a
healthy heart for that matter. Diabetes, heart disease and obesity continue to
rise. What's wrong with this picture.
To this day the American Heart Association, in good faith
I'm sure, advocates avoiding butter, cream, eggs and whole milk as the way to
avoid heart attacks. Instead, you've been told to consume chicken without the
skin, egg whites (but no yolks), margarine, skim milk and low-fat salad
dressings made with questionable vegetable oils. If you followed this advice
you are probably the first to say, "ugh," in addition to not losing
any weight or maybe even not avoiding a heart attack. Why is this?
We tend to believe advertising. What we need to know is this:
our human bodies are made of protein. These proteins are composed of amino
acids, of which several are considered "essential.” That means they must
be consumed in the diet as they cannot be manufactured by our bodies. And our
bodies don't function well without these essential amino acids. Proteins are
needed for all enzymatic processes that happen in daily life - like digestion,
energy and heart function! The following is a list of several amino acids that
must come from foods and which foods they come from:
Histidine comes from dairy, eggs, meat, poultry; Isoleucine
from the same sources; Leucine from dairy, meat, poultry and wheat germ; Lysine
from dairy, eggs, fish, meat, poultry; Methionine from dairy, eggs, nuts,
seeds; Phenylalanine from dairy, eggs, meat, wheat germ; Threonine from beans,
dairy, eggs, meat; Tryptophan from dairy, meat, nuts, poultry (especially
turkey); and finally, Valine from dairy, eggs, meat poultry and wheat germ.
Well, you get the idea...
Vegetables and fruits are wonderful for providing vitamins
and minerals, but other sources of protein are important to keep us healthy.
But wait, those amino acid, protein building blocks, are the very foods you've
been told for the last few decades to avoid! While diabetes, heart disease and
obesity have continued to skyrocket. What's going on here? We've been
advertised to near death. Sold a bill of goods. Crisco, fake eggs, margarine
and vegetable oils were 'sold' to us, via advertising, for heart health and
weight loss. These things were touted as being better for you than real food!
Yet for thousands of years before advertising, humans have
been consuming a traditional diet of dairy, eggs, meat and poultry. These are
the foods that bring us amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and the
good fats. The foods that don't make you fat (unless over-consumed) but have an
important role in keeping you healthy with a managed weight.
If you still believe that fats raise your cholesterol,
you're partially right. Bad fats and simple carbs do raise blood sugar,
cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. The "bad fats" are
things like hydrogenated fats found in baked goods, crackers and chips, any of
the myriad of manipulated, colored, manufactured and preservative foodstuffs
that advertisers push you to consider to be healthy food! But they're not.
The good fats don't make you fat or raise your cholesterol.
Avocadoes, nuts oils, olive oil, sesame oil and even butter are not only real
foods, but they are also foods (fats if you will) that are good for you! Most
cholesterol is manufactured by your body and recycled. Surprised? That must
mean that your body needs cholesterol. And that, in fact, is true. But why do
we need cholesterol?
You have trillions of cells in your body and each and every
cell has a membrane composed of lipids. Lipids are fats. Good fats keep those
cell membranes fluid and "squishy" so they can move around your body
and do their "chores.” The chores of a cell include taking in nutrients,
building enzymes for metabolic processes and releasing waste materials. Each
and every cell. If those cell membranes are composed of trans fats (from the
above mentioned sources) the cells become stiff and unable to function
properly, leading to illnesses and the inevitable endpoint.
The bottom line - get the trans fats out of your diet, put
the good fats back in. Stop stressing about cholesterol, your body's going to
make it anyway and you need it for cellular health. Eat real food, not fake
food. Don't be cajoled or scared by advertising. Use your brain and think it
through. Your brain, by the way, is composed of 40 percent fat, so that should
convince you of the need for good fats. But more on that another time. |
| New Orleans cooking by Taeler Butel on 02/01/2021
Any time I travel I take in local flavors as much as the
scenery.
The food in Louisiana is influenced from Native American,
African and European cultures as well as the regional seafood and agriculture.
This month of course celebrates Mardi Gras, which in French
translates to “Fat Tuesday.”
Jambalaya is the quintessential Cajun dish, is scrumptious
and can be made in one pot!
Beignets deserve a National holiday all their own!
Jambalaya
In a large pot over medium heat add:
1 diced green bell pepper
4 sliced green onions
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 lb. sliced andouille sausage
2 garlic cloves
2 T butter
Sautee until sausage is browned and then add in:
1 t salt, plus 1/2 t each black pepper, cumin, chili powder,
paprika
1 small can chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup long grain rice
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Add in 1/2 lb. raw,
cleaned shrimp once the rice is tender. Cover and cook for five minutes. Serve
warm with chopped parsley and hot sauce.
Beignets
In large bowl of an electric mixer bloom 2 tsp yeast in 1
cup warm water with 2 T granulated sugar. Set aside until its frothy.
Whisk in 1/2 t salt, 1/2 cup sugar, two eggs, one cup milk,
1/4 cup melted butter then add hook attachment and fold in 4 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
Knead for five minutes, then cover and let rise.
Roll dough on well-floured surface to 1/2-inch and cut into
squares of 3x3” for large beignets.
In a large pot over medium/high, heat 4” of vegetable oil.
Test the oil: throw in a little flour – did it bubble? Ok,
it’s ready.
Fry a few at a time for two minutes a side or until golden.
Serve warm with powdered sugar, jam, chocolate sauce.
|
|  Composite image by Gary Randall.
The year 2020 will not be forgotten. It will be one of those
years that when it’s mentioned we will all remember how our ability to simply
go about our daily routines without taking precautions was curtailed.
For landscape photographers, that can severely limit how
productive they are when it comes to producing new images. The year 2020 will
also be remembered as the year when computers started to take control of many
aspects of our lives, including photography.
Artificial intelligence, or AI for short, has finally
arrived in the world of digital photography. There are now several programs
that have started to use AI to process digital photos in a single click of a
button. This also includes the ability to send one’s digital photography into
the realm of graphic art.
These programs have the ability to add components of an
image that didn’t happen. They also have the ability to create a sunset, a blue
cloud-dotted sky or to even add a mountain onto the horizon. These programs do
this by feeding a computer with thousands of sample images. This allows the
computer to learn how to create these conditions in your photos.
There is a bit of a debate within the photographic community
that discusses the ethics behind this kind of digital manipulation. It is not a
new discussion, as photographers have been manipulating photos since
photography was invented. The discussion is not as much about the action of
making these composited images as it is considered art and nobody has a right
to tell anyone how to create their art, and most people agree with that.
The discussion centers more around honesty and clarity. It
is argued that when someone views a photo there is a certain expectation for
the image to be real. This expectation is not applied to painting as much as it
is a photograph as artistic license is expected in a painting.
Many people look at a photograph and do not expect to wonder
if it actually happened. Therefore, many people feel that there should be
clarity and honesty from the photographer when asked about their photo.
Especially when asked if it is real.
There is a lot of ego in the art world, especially
photography these days. Websites like Instagram promote the narrative above the
image itself which can tempt a photographer to exaggerate the story of their
lives, and digital manipulation of images can support this exaggeration with
exaggerated images. Therein lies the question concerning truth and ethics.
I am certainly not opposed to manipulating photos. It can be
fun and can produce some striking images, but what I am a proponent for is
honesty. If an image is not real, I would like to know. I would simply like to
know if it is a photo or a graphic art piece as I feel that these digital
manipulations are no longer photographs once they are created in or by a
computer program.
Maybe I am a photography snob but that is how I see this
situation. I would like to differentiate between someone who has actually
fought hard and lost more times than they’ve won to get an epic image, and one
who didn't leave home. I’d like to know if someone sat at their desk and took
numerous stock photography images and mashed them together or if they actually
experienced what the image shows.
For me photography is not just about the image. It is also
about the story and the experience behind the image. Reading about an actual
experience is exciting and inspiring. Viewing a digital recreation of a scene
just is not the same and should not be presented as such.
This trend has been exacerbated more this year than in
previous years due to the inability of many to travel, further exaggerated by
the advance of artificial intelligence in photo software. It’s my hope that we
all can resume our lives and the ability to roam free once more and to be
inspired to be at a location when the magic happens and not be tempted to
create this false narrative supported by unreal computer created images.
The photograph that I have included with this article is an
example of what a computer will do if you let it. I removed Mount Hood from
this scene and then asked the computer program’s artificial intelligence to add
clouds and a mountain. I ended up with Mount Fuji over Timberline Lodge. As you
can see by this photo one can take a trip and never leave the farm.
Let's all hope that 2021 reverses many trends that were
established as normal in 2020 and that truth is valued over vanity once more. |
|  Contributed photo.
A change of pace from last month’s article on holiday trees
– a much more serious issue.
The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the national news in 2020,
with the presidential election coming in a close second. The pandemic and
presidential politics are sure to dominate 2021, too. Without so many barrels
of ink and so many gigabytes of digital news devoted to the two topics, another
pandemic might have drawn much more attention: wildfires in the western U.S.
From 2010 to 2019, wildfires burned an average of 6,613,017
acres in the first 11 months and 12 days of the year, according to the National
Interagency Fire Center – an area nearly the size of the state of
Massachusetts. As of this writing on Dec. 15, fires this year have burned more
than 9.5 million acres, 145 percent of the 10-year average – an area about the
size of New Hampshire and Connecticut combined.
Some local perspective: 9.5 million acres is an area eight
times the area of Clackamas County, or about the area of the 14 counties in
northwest Oregon – Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Lane,
Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill.
A study published in “Geophysical Research Letters” in November
found that wildfires in the West are more severe than in the past. The authors,
Sean Parks, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Rocky
Mountain Research Station, and John Abatzoglou, a professor at the University
of California, Merced, calculate that the area burned by severe fire – areas
where more than 95 percent of trees are killed – has increased eight-fold in
western U.S. forests over the past four decades.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease experts such
as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, urge us to wear masks, wash our hands frequently, avoid
public places and take other measures to slow the spread of the disease and
help reduce the burden on hospitals and medical personnel. Likewise, simple,
common-sense measures can help reduce the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
If there were a Dr. Anthony Fauci of forest and wildfire management, he or she
would undoubtedly promote fuels reduction, both by mechanical removal and with
prescribed fire, and other forest management activities.
The need “to get good fire on the ground” was the subject of
an Aug. 28 article in “Propublica,” “They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why
Won’t Anybody Listen?”
Some people and governments are listening. In August, the
USFS and the State of California signed a Shared Stewardship Agreement aimed at
addressing “a cycle of catastrophic wildfires, longer fire seasons, severe
drought, intense wind, tree mortality, invasive species, and human population
pressure threaten to convert conifer forests to shrublands and shrublands to
invasive grasses.” The two partners plan to spend $1 billion on fuels reduction
and watershed restoration, with a goal of treating one million acres annually by
2025. Oregon and the USFS signed a Shared Stewardship Agreement in 2019, and
recently Gov. Kate Brown and the state legislature have been considering $50
million in spending to help reduce the risk of wildfire – a drop in the bucket.
Even with adequate funding, the prospect of treating vast
areas in the west is daunting.
“Two of the basic problems with the current regime of prescribed
fire are resources and staffing,” Amanda Monthei wrote in “Land Managers Can’t
Burn the West Fast Enough,” an Oct. 28 article in “The Atlantic”
(tinyurl.com/y5dognvo). “Federal lands often require qualified federal
firefighters to perform a majority of the burning. These firefighters must
understand the intricacies of prescribed burns – they must know the right
weather conditions for a successful burn, understand the terrain, and
anticipate how fire might interact with that landscape.”
“However, the greater part of federal funding and resources
are allocated to suppression in the late summer and early fall, when fires are
burning under more extreme conditions and communities are most at risk. Many
federal firefighters are seasonal employees, hired primarily to battle the heat
of the summer. They work from April to October or November and are then laid
off until the following spring, for almost the entire window when the weather
is mild and prescribed burning is most effective and safe. Permanent federal
employees are capable of this work, but are small in number and often busy with
administrative tasks.”
Articles like this are important insofar as they help
educate the public and policymakers, but education isn’t enough. A plan of
action is needed. Two prominent figures in forestry and wildland fire
management – the equivalent of two Dr. Anthony Faucis – have written one. Dale
N. Bosworth, a former chief of the USFS, and Jerry T. Williams, formerly the
agency’s national director fire management, have outlined a comprehensive
effort to address the wildfire problem in a recent paper, “The West’s Wildfire
Crisis and the Urgency to Restore Safer, More Resilient Conditions in its Dry
Forest Types.” The paper acknowledges the recent fires in the wetter forests in
our area, west of the Cascades, but focuses primarily on drier east-side
forests, such as the ponderosa pine-dominated forests around Bend and Sisters.
I would argue that the Riverside Fire (more than 138,000 acres), Beachie Creek
Fire (193,573 acres) and Lionshead Fire (204,469 acres) on the Mount Hood and
Willamette National Forests show that addressing fire danger and promoting
safer, more resilient conditions in these forests also is needed.
“Fundamentally, the crisis is not a fire operations
failure,” Bosworth and Williams wrote. “It is a land management and land use
failure abetted by regulations and policies that don’t reflect the realities of
climate change or the ecologies of fire disturbance regimes. It is a failure to
adequately manage fire-adapted, fire-dependent, fire-prone ecosystems. The
onset of climate change has made manifest the deteriorated condition of the
West’s dry forest types. It is a condition that history and science tell us
bears the hand of man. At its core, the West’s wildfire crisis is also a
failure of imagination. We seem unable to imagine that things can get much
worse, when almost every year they do. We seem unwilling to imagine a whole new
approach to wildfire protection; one rooted in how we might better manage the
land.”
Bosworth and Williams propose looking at the issue through
three lenses:
– Regulatory: most of the country’s environmental
regulations were conceived and enacted before the onset of climate change and
before the science of disturbance ecology emerged.
– Fiscal: fiscal policies are heavily weighted to reacting
to disaster, rather than preventing disaster.
– Markets: there are few markets currently available for the
kinds of material that, once removed, can reduce the severity of wildfires.
Among their proposed actions is “a rigorous cost-benefit
assessment among the range of wildfire protection alternatives and conduct a
trajectory analysis of where each alternative is headed, forecasting the
social, economic, and ecological effects over time for each option.”
This is precisely the kind of approach that is needed – that
has been needed for many years. The question is, “Will anybody listen?” If
policymakers hear often from their constituents – people like you and me –
about Bosworth and Williams’ blueprint for addressing the wildfire pandemic,
perhaps they’ll do more than listen.
Want to know more about how to make forests more resilient
to wildfire? Need a drone to deliver a copy of the Bosworth/Williams paper to
Congress? Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com.
A copy of the Bosworth/Williams paper is available for
downloading from the National Association of Forest Service Retiree’s web site,
tinyurl.com/yy8jfm5z. |
| A wonder of the season – the winter chanterelle by Mt. Hood Community College on 01/01/2021
Welcome to a new year and a new Our Community, Our Earth,
where instructors from Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) will continue to
provide insight on subjects related to our environment, ecology and more. We
look forward to another fantastic year sharing our knowledge with the
community.
Like many of us, fall is my favorite season. I adore the
crisp bite in the air and the marvelous golds and reds of falling leaves. I
look forward to filling our pantry with a rainbow of squashes and pulling on my
galoshes for wet weekends foraging in the forest.
Fall lovers may feel a bit of despair creep in as the crispy
air turns downright chilly and the days grow shorter, limiting our time
outdoors. However, there is a cure for the winter blues, and it is mushrooms.
There are several species of fungi that continue to fruit as the winter takes
hold, and finding these brilliant creatures nestled amongst the frosty twigs
may be the thrill we need to turn that winter frown upside down.
One such species is the winter chanterelle. This beautiful
fungus has many common names; it is also called the yellow foot, the funnel
chanterelle and (unhelpfully) the winter mushroom. The inexact nature of common
names can lead to confusion, and in the worst-case scenarios can lead to
misidentifications, so using scientific names is helpful when discussing our
fungal friends.
The scientific name of this species is Craterellus
neotubaeformis. Until recently it was called Craterellus tubaeformis, but
molecular evidence indicates that our west coast variety is unique when
compared to the east coast or European varieties, and thus it deserves a new
name (hence “neo” which means “new”).
Craterellus neotubaeformis is a joy to find in the wild! It
has a brown cap that is funnel shaped and sometimes the funnel extends all the
way through the stem toward the forest floor. The stem is yellow and hollow,
which contrasts beautifully with the brown hues of the cap.
The whole body of the fungus has a distinctive flexibility
and pliability to it. You could practically bend it in half before it snaps in
two, and it keeps this nice texture when cooked.
The gills of this fungi are important when it comes to
correctly identifying it, as they are blunt ridges instead of sharp plates.
These ridges are often forked, widely spaced, running down the stem and should
be a shade of yellow to pale brown.
This fabulous edible is associated with conifers, which in
our area means it is plentiful under Douglas fir trees. I love to eat these
mushrooms fresh, although they may be dried or frozen if you find an abundance
of them. A quick sauté with some oil is all you need, then this fabulous fungus
is ready to be a welcome addition to eggs, pasta, tarts or your favorite winter
stew.
Recipe suggestion:
http://chocolateandmarrow.com/2014/10/19/chanterelle-and-gruyere-frittata/
Catherine Creech is an Instructor of Biology at Mt. Hood
Community College. |
| View Points – Salem: 2021 session starts soon by Rep. Anna Williams on 01/01/2021
In the final ten days of a very chaotic year, my colleagues
in the Oregon State Legislature and I came together for the third and final
special legislative session of 2020. I wanted to take this opportunity to
summarize the emergency policies we put into place. Although there were hours
of public testimony and months of debate and compromise that went into the
bills we passed, this is just a broad overview. As always, if you have any
questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to me at the email address
below.
First, I was thrilled that the legislature finally passed a
bill that I have been pushing for as a priority since the summer: a bill to
allow restaurants to serve “cocktails to go.” I’ve heard from restaurant owners
in every community I represent about how they need more income to make it
through the winter. Because our state constitution requires the legislature to
raise revenue to pay for all its policies, the state isn’t able to provide the
billions of dollars that would be needed to keep restaurants afloat - we need
federal support to do that. But the legislature is able to loosen regulations
to help restaurants make more income, and that’s what I tried to do when I
joined a colleague from Portland in spearheading this bill.
Second, we passed a bill to protect school districts from frivolous
lawsuits related to the pandemic, providing limited liability in order for
schools to be able to re-open and get our kids back into the classroom. I
supported this bill because I thought it was a reasonable compromise between
people on both sides of the issue: it requires schools to follow all public
health guidance in order to keep educators, students and students’ families
safe and healthy, but it prevents a flood of litigation that could bankrupt our
schools. People can still sue schools for reckless, wanton and intentional
misconduct that puts them or their kids at risk.
Third, and maybe most importantly, we passed a bill to
prevent the pandemic from worsening our state’s housing crisis any more than it
already has. Our state’s eviction moratorium was set to expire Dec. 31 if the
legislature did not extend it. But simply extending the eviction would have
left landlords high and dry: many have not collected any rent from their
tenants since last March and are suffering serious financial hardship as a
result. The bill we passed (which I was proud to support) will create a fund
for landlords to access state money on behalf of their tenants whose inability
to pay rent is due to the pandemic.
The landlords will only be able to recover 80 percent of
what they are owed, which is of course not ideal for them. Still, every
landlord I’ve spoken to has said that the cost of collecting back-rent (through
courts or collections agencies) would have left them with far less than 80
percent. Also, this bill allows landlords to forgo the 80 percent from the
state and pursue 100 percent of the back-rent through their own legal means, or
to encourage their renters to obtain rental support (up to 100 percent) through
their local rental assistance programs. By providing both resources and choices
for landlords and renters, the Oregon Legislature will protect people’s housing
while offering much-needed support to the small landlords who depend on rental
payments to make ends meet.
Finally, we passed a budget bill that allows $600 million
from the state’s general fund to be released in the months to come. These funds
may be needed to respond to emergency expenses related to the pandemic and
wildfire recovery. Because the new congressional stimulus package does not
include direct aid for states or local governments, we unfortunately need to
continue to rely on our state’s revenue to be flexible as the pandemic evolves.
Preparations are still underway for the 2021 session that
will begin later this month, but these issues urgently needed to be addressed
before the end of the year. As I prepare to head back to Salem for the long
haul of a six-month session, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and
welcome you to reach out to me at Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov if you
have any issues that you’d like to discuss.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative.
|
| View Points – Sandy: City Council's accomplishments by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 01/01/2021
This past month, our 2018-20 Sandy City Council met for the
final time. Sadly, three councilors will be stepping off of council after doing
truly amazing things for this community.
When I was sworn in as Mayor two years ago, I had no idea
how much I would grow both as a person and a leader through my experiences
serving our great city. The individual members of our Sandy City Council and
our ability to work together as a team is likely the biggest factor in my
personal growth.
These community leaders, all coming from diverse backgrounds
and opinions, showed me that it’s still possible for people to come together,
put their community first and accomplish bold solutions to difficult
challenges.
Despite a global pandemic, national civil unrest and an
unprecedented wildfire season in our region, the work we’ve done as a city to
enrich the lives of our neighbors, improve traffic congestion and keep our
citizens safe is something I’m truly proud of.
To help keep Sandy moving, we negotiated a joint venture
with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to conduct a feasibility
study for a local bypass for our citizens. Additionally, we received approval
for synchronized traffic lights from ODOT on Hwy. 26, secured funding for 362nd
to Bell Street to alleviate the school time commute off Bluff Road, won county
transportation funds for paved shoulders along 362nd Avenue and took over
control from ODOT of a vital stretch of Hwy. 211, allowing our community to
control our destiny on one of our most important stretches of road.
Our local Sandy Main Street small businesses are the
heartbeat of our community and as promised, we stood up for them! We
spearheaded two separate COVID-19 relief funds to provide $3,000 in aid to
local small businesses. We slashed red tape by removing System Development
Charges for patio seating at local restaurants and burdensome parking
requirements. We also increased funding for the Tenant Improvement Program for
local businesses.
Additionally, at our last meeting, we approved a new program
for small businesses. The city will partner with local business owners to
provide funds to build permanent outdoor structures like this one displayed in
our Centennial Plaza. This will help our local restaurants and pubs provide
outdoor dining options in compliance with current COVID-19 restrictions. This
will have the added benefit of being a long-term addition to our Sandy
community for years after this pandemic is over.
Now is the time to invest in our Main Street businesses so
that they can serve the public and employ our neighbors now and in the future.
This program is the first of its kind. We used to do bold, innovative things in
Oregon, we still do those things in Sandy.
Finally, one of my most important responsibilities as your
Mayor and council is to protect your pocketbook and your family. These past two
years we’ve been enormously successful in doing precisely that. We adopted the
Wastewater Treatment Facilities Plan Study that included $500,000 in funds from
the State. If successful, this study could help us cut the facility costs in
half. Perhaps even more importantly, we provided our Sandy Police Department
with not only increased funding, but also a stable funding source that should
pay huge dividends for the department in the years ahead.
These are just a few of our major accomplishments, and yet
there is still so much left to do. We’ve done a terrific job laying the
foundation for Sandy to flourish into the future.
Our Sandy City Council has a lot to be proud of. We’ve left
a legacy that shows what can be accomplished by putting differences aside,
working together as a team and putting your community first.
These next two years as your Mayor, I look forward to
working with our new incoming City Councilors to continue to stand up for you
and your family. I look forward to interacting with you over these coming years
as we dream big about Sandy’s future. Let us together continue to keep Sandy
wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy.
|
| It's not about you, it's about them by Paula Walker on 01/01/2021
As we head into this New Year it is a good time to reflect
on those who have been the fabric of your life; those you will turn to for help
and support should you ever need to do so in your lifetime; those you will ask
to take care of your affairs when you pass.
A stark reality I know, but a truth undeniable, we all die
eventually. We cannot avoid that outcome. What we can control and ensure, is
what we leave as we exit… a legacy or a mess. We won’t be around to deal with
it but someone, and often those most dear to us, will.
Creating a proper estate plan is about creating your “exit
strategy.” And the results of that are a loving gift for the ones you love.
Preparing a proper estate plan is not only for the wealthy,
it is about a process that applies to each of us. We all will have final bills
to pay, taxes to settle, funerals to arrange, creditors to settle with,
finances to distribute, property possibly to sell and personal belongings to
disperse upon our passing. Depending on what we have accumulated in our life
these functions can take on greater complexity, warrant more effort, be the
source of conflict and lead to unnecessary cost and confusion when we leave
with no directions to follow.
A proper estate plan provides sound instructions on helping
us during our lives as well.
As this year starts, consider the following:
Do you have someone you know and trust to take care of you
and your well being, if you should have the need, because you cannot do all for
yourself?
Do you have someone you know and trust to take care of your
children if you are not able to do so?
Do you have someone you know and trust to take care of and
provide a home for your treasured animal companions should you suddenly be
unable to do so?
Have you appointed someone to settle with the state and the
federal government (the two certainties of death and taxes)?
Was there someone or something you wanted to provide for
with what you leave behind? Have you put that in writing? Have you appointed
the right person to make that happen?
Do you care if everything you have and everything you own
falls to the state to decide who benefits from your life’s work and legacy?
Will your leaving be a source of potential conflict in the
family you treasure, or have you given the gift of certainty to guide them and
avoid the pitfalls confusion can generate?
Will the persons most dear to you inherit a “hot mess” for
lack of planning or the benefits of clear direction so that they can take the
time to honor your memory and attend to their own grief?
A proper estate plan does not have to be an insurmountable
undertaking, it just has not to be put off. In that proper plan you want to
create the documents that take care of your assets on your passing — a Will or
a Trust — and that take care of you during your life — your Durable Powers of
Attorney for finances and health, and your Advance Directive for critical life
support decision making.
Remember, as you reflect on the many things important to
you, that an estate plan in its essence is not only about you, it is really
about those you love because with or without your direction they will be the
ones called upon.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
I thought that I would kick of this year’s Stories of the
Stars with a very down to earth star, Rhonda Green, and really, the people
whose stories she represents are the Stars, as we all are.
Ms. Green’s book “My Exit Plan: Getting My House in Order”
was developed from her many years as funeral services manager, acting — more
often than one would like to think — as mediator for embattled families. Her
book provides many sobering accounts of everyday people, you and I, whose lives
are turned to turmoil when a family member dies without leaving even the most
simple of valid wills.
And those stories are not all about rifts over riches; they can
be more heart wrenching. By example, there is the account of the mother whose
four adult children fought bitterly after her passing about burial versus
cremation. Two wanted cremation to save on burial expenses. Two wanted to honor
her wishes for burial. In the court battle that ensued it was discovered that
their mother had purchased a burial plot for herself. Though in the end her
wishes were consummated, and her decision made clear, the rift was without
repair.
Ms. Green’s words at a recent symposium are a good way to
end this article and start the year: “If you really love your family, then put
your wishes in writing and make it legal.”
Dear reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
| Who's got Roast Beast? by Taeler Butel on 01/01/2021
I’m going to do it. It’s time, I’m an adult now, I’m going
to cook a real prime rib with Au Jus (awe juuz) and horseradish sauce. This is
the roast that prime rib steaks are cut from.
Why is this meat so intimidating? I’m guessing it’s the
price and reputation as a special dish reserved for special occasions.
Talk to your butcher – ask them to help you find the perfect
prime rib roast (also known as standing rib roast) for your needs. They can
pick one with nice marbling and a fat cap that’s not too thick.
Let the meat sit uncovered in the fridge 24 hours ahead of
time to ensure crust.
Let the meat come to room temperature (leave on the counter,
wrapped for two hours)
General cooking time is five minutes per pound. 10 lbs.
equals 50 minutes.
Get your digital meat thermometer ready - you’ll need to do
an internal temp check to make sure meat is 135 degrees which is med/rare
inside.
Rest the meat. Take the pan out and let it rest for 20
minutes minimum before cutting.
What you’ll need
1 10 lb prime rib roast, bone in or out
Prime rib rub: mix 1 T each, salt, brown sugar, pepper,
paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder
3 large onions, sliced
1 head garlic cloves, peeled
Rub the mixture all over meat. Let it sit in fridge
uncovered overnight then cover and let it sit at room temp for 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. In the bottom of a large
roasting pan place onions and garlic. Place the roast on top and add 1/2 inch
of water. Place roast in oven and roast at 500 degrees for 50 minutes. Turn the
oven off and let it sit for 2 hours with the door shut! Take out the meat and
set on a cutting board to rest.
Au jus
Strain pan drippings into a large measuring cup. In saucepan
add in: 1 cup water mixed with 1 T cornstarch and 1 cup of pan drippings. Add
in 1 t Worcestershire and 4 cubes of beef bouillon - whisk until thickened.
Horseradish sauce
Mix together:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 T Worcestershire
2 T Grated horseradish
1 T brown mustard
1 T white wine vinegar |
| Monthly resolutions can help the burden by Victoria Larson on 01/01/2021
A new day, a new week, a new year! Though many start a new
year with resolutions, I've always found them either too stringent, too vague
or just too overwhelming. So this year, let's try something different. Since it
takes 28 to 30 days to make or change a habit, we actually have twelve chances
to improve our lives!
In order to not be too stringent, we can pick only the ones
that apply to our individual lives. But we won't be so vague as to let the new
knowledge or habit fade out of consciousness. And by choosing only the ones
that apply to each individual, it will not be so overwhelming.
Twelve months to make changes, somewhere:
1. Let's start with forgiveness. Forgiveness comes from
within the forgiver and benefits that person just as much as the person being
forgiven. And remember, the forgiven person is you, the one who ultimately
needs it.
2. On a more practical side, avoid trans fats and vegetable
oils as much as possible. Trans fats and vegetable oils are in all fast foods
and virtually all packaged foods, including cakes, chips, crackers, cookies,
breads, etc. Unless you are gluten sensitive, concern yourself more with trans
fats and vegetable oils than gluten content. Oils such as coconut oil, fish
oils, flax oil, nut oils and olive oil are all better for you than canola, corn
and soy oils.
3. Fish – now there are new worries about plastics in
seafood. A very valid concern. Ultimately, it's our fault. Many plastics are
not recyclable, so we need to stop using them so much lest they end up in the
ocean. Think plastic grocery bags, straws and cups, take-home containers from
restaurants.
4. Turmeric needs to be warmed in order to be of benefit
(antioxidant, arthritis). Warm your spices in a pan before using to make meals
or tea. Pills taken cold just won't do the trick.
5. If you prefer coffee to tea, drink no more than two to
three cups per day. At that amount coffee appears to be protective against
diabetes. Take your coffee with a smidgen of butter and some coconut oil, but
no sugar. It's called "bullet coffee" and helps your brain to
function because of the good fats in it.
6. Try to avoid sugar as much as possible. Sugar is the
preferred fuel for cancer cells to grow. This also means only one or two
servings of fruit per day. You may have more in the summer as it will keep you
cooler.
7. Back to the good fats. Don't bother with low-fat
anything. It's a longtime experiment that didn't work and many people bought
into it. So many Americans bought into it that it undoubtedly contributes to
the near epidemic of Alzheimer's that we now have in our nation. Though
lowering fat intake is not the only cause, it's looking like a definite poor
choice. Be like the French - enjoy anniversaries, birthdays, feast days and
holidays. Then go back to avoiding sugar. Knowing that you can have some sugar
in small amounts on special occasions will make avoidance more tolerable.
8. Detox. Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It
takes 15-30 days for skin cells to reach the epidermis layer to be sloughed
off. Try skin brushing, using perhaps a baby hairbrush or a soft clothes brush,
to help remove those top layers of already deceased skin cells. You don't need
them, and this will help you to detoxify through your largest organ.
9. Then get into a detoxifying, relaxing bath of Epsom salts
to which you may gently add a few drops of a favorite essential oil. Depending
on the oil, start with four to five drops and don't go over 12 drops as it may
burn, sending you running down the hall in your altogether!
10. If you are a smoker, STOP. It is the single worst thing
you can do for your health, guaranteed to shorten your life. Any smoking.
Period.
11. The second worst thing you can do for your health is
sitting, just sitting. Couch potatoes get up. If you're already up, do
something. Every hour. If you are in a wheelchair, wave your arms, lift
weights, wiggle your feet every hour. Get rid of your "clickers"
except the dog training one. That will get you off the couch as it is. In fact,
get a dog. Also guaranteed to make you move.
12. Get more rest. Lack of sleep raises the possibility of
illnesses, reduces efficiency and is estimated to cost our economy $280 billion
per year. Employers, get tough. Employees, listen to your body. Quit the
frazzle-dazzle which often leads to late nights and increased alcohol
consumption. Before electricity people slept ten to twelve hours a night. They
had less cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
I've left out the really obvious changes we all know about
like eat more vegetables (six to ten servings per day), drink more water (to
reduce risk of headaches and stroke), exercise more (or at least move more).
But those ones you already know. Just pick one of the above to work on each
month, adding a new challenge the next month. In a year you will be healthier.
Just remember #1 and forgive yourself if you fall back. You've got a whole year
to make changes! |
| The View Finder: Sharing your peace by Gary Randall on 12/01/2020
It's funny how a photographer can plan and plan to be at a
location in hopes of capturing a beautiful sunset or even just an epic scene in
nature just to have airplanes decide to fly through it casting a contrail as it
goes. Most of the time it will ruin your epic photo, but sometimes... albeit
very rarely, it works.
This is one of those photos where I really wanted a shot of the
lenticular clouds thrown up into the sky by Mount Hood at Trillium Lake and
just as I was ready here came an airplane. It's kind of funny how it headed
straight for the mountain and then circled around it and kept flying. I'd like
to think that it was giving the passengers a view of the mountain.
I remember back when I was in the military in the late 1970s
when I took a United Airlines flight from Portland to San Diego. I took what
was called a West Coaster flight, which was one where the aircraft purposely
flew along the Cascade and the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges in a way that gave
everyone on the flight a view. As we flew the pilot would name mountains and geographic
scenes as we passed them. I'm sure that in this day and age a flight like that
would be completely impractical, but I think it's a shame.
On this particular day when the aircraft came into view, I
cussed a bit, but after I took the photo and noticed the symmetry of the lines
and the reflections of them in the water. I decided that I liked it. I actually
liked a photo of a sky with contrails in it.
I remember a day in the Columbia River Gorge when the whole
gorge froze solid. I wanted to go out and document it. I arrived at Latourell
Falls and was alone. As soon as I was set to take a shot I noticed a guy
walking down the trail. He walked into the scene and stood on the edge of a
small cliff edge and stood there. He was in stark contrast with the frozen
scene with his red jacket. I stood there for a minute thinking. At first, I was
irritated but I decided to snap a couple photos. I looked at the photos that I
took and realized just how much of a story the photo told with this man
standing there taking in such an amazing scene. I learned a bit of a lesson
from the experience.
I have spent time in the field with a lot of photographers
in my days and have witnessed a lot of people who get so upset when something
happens to "ruin" their photo. It could be one of many things from
another photographer walking into the scene or an airplane flying through the
sky, but it is what it is. We don't go out to get frustrated or to be unhappy.
We can't change the conditions that we're dealt.
We go out to be chill and be happy. That particular day or
evening isn't the only one that you'll photograph. It's not the end of all
sunrises or sunsets. It's just another one and whatever happens happens, and in
some cases you end up with a unique photo.
We must remember why we are landscape photographers. In most
cases we are landscape photographers because we love to capture peace and
beauty in our images. It is my experience that the more that we’re in peace
personally the more that it will show through in the images that we create. |
|  Photo by Audrey Addison.
The season of darkness. Nature slides inexorably toward its
shortest day.
Though, as with all things, point-of-view matters. For some,
the shortest day is the longest night. Do nocturnal animals rejoice in the gift
of time? Does December’s dark provide a bounty for an owl? Like the silent
creatures that move through the night, these answers remain unheard.
For the light-bound souls the reality of shorter days means
scarcer and more widely spaced food. The economic benefits of holding
territories breaks down, but the benefits of more eyes looking for food, and
out for predators, increases. As a result, birds who were competitors in June
are traveling companions in December.
Mixed flocks of chickadees, kinglets, nuthatches and
woodpeckers, move through the trees in search of quiescent bugs immobilized by
cold. Bushels of Dark-eyed Juncos have gathered from northern environs or have
been chased down the mountain by newly fallen snow. In the “lowland”
neighborhoods and our college campus, they join noisy gatherings of robins who,
themselves, may have summered in the far reaches of the Arctic.
These “snowbirds” likely move unnoticed by their human
counterparts heading up the hill for winter recreation. Pity for them (the
humans) for winter brings with it a chance for closer observation of a smaller
set of species, gathered in larger numbers. Though a bird feeder helps, it
isn’t required to watch the antics of a group of quarrelling crows, the
frenetic foraging of finches or the strident declaration of ownership by a
wintering hummingbird. Their intense concentration on gathering food means that
they often allow longer inspection of their behaviors.
For me, these winter companions also bring light to the gray
skies and provide a worthy distraction from the political darkness of our
world. With their constant motion and attention to the task at hand, they
remind us that the trade-off for year-round activity is an almost constant
search for fuel.
As a fellow endotherm, I feel the urge myself, craving rich
foods and finding myself wanting to eat even when not hungry, still stuffing
myself with turkey dinners. Perhaps the darkness tugs at a primeval instinct to
keep the furnace stoked, connecting me not only to the natural world, but also
to a time long past when our ancestors lived closer to the edge…
Sitting in a warm house, I allow my mind to drift backwards
in time, thankful for the option of inside, fire and blankets, and content to
wait for future days and the light they bring.
Walter Shriner is an instructor of Biology and Natural
Resources Technology at Mt. Hood Community College. |
| Going out on a limb to celebrate the Christmas tree by Steve Wilent on 12/01/2020
My family has had Christmas trees in the house during the
holidays for as long as I can remember. Finding the perfect Christmas tree was
an annual event, almost as fun as the holiday itself. From the time we were old
enough to walk, my parents took my brother and me on tree-hunting expeditions,
regardless of the weather or the amount of snow on the ground. Hot chocolate
and cookies were administered to keep our energy and spirits up. My mother and
grandmother would spend hours decorating the tree with lights, ornaments of all
colors and shapes, and long strands of lead tinsel.
Lara and I continued the tradition. I have a photograph of
me cutting a tree while a one-year-old Jeff, the first of our two sons, looked
on from a kid-carrier backpack. As teenagers, the boys would argue over which
one of them had found the best tree and which was strong enough to carry it to
the truck. We’ve been empty nesters for many years now, but I still look
forward to the annual tree hunt, the smell of fresh evergreens in the house and
recalling happy memories as we hang lights and ornaments.
We’ve had a variety of Christmas tree species over the
years. I prefer noble fir or the similar Pacific silver fir, because the wide
space between the branches lets ornaments hang straight and you can see them
from all sides. Both species are native to the higher elevations of the
Cascades. We’ve had Douglas-fir and grand fir from lower elevations, too, and
one year had a Nordmann fir from a tree farm near Sandy. The Nordmann fir, or
Caucasian fir, is a tree native to the mountains along the Black Sea, in
Georgia, Russia and Turkey.
One year we had a lodgepole pine as our holiday tree. We
found it growing under the power lines near Lolo Pass, and it was unusually
full and symmetrical for a lodgepole. Years ago it was easy to find nice trees
to cut in the cleared area under those power lines, but somebody let the secret
out and today you’ll find few trees, if any, worthy of the holiday.
Another year we had an Englemann spruce, a species that grows
widely in the mountains of the western U.S. and Canada. I found this particular
tree growing not far from the Top Spur trailhead, and it was perfectly
symmetrical. This and some other spruces are known not only for their beauty,
but also for their sharp, stiff needles. I carried the tree gingerly into the
house, where Lara praised it — until she encountered the needles. But it turned
out that the prickliness of the needles solved a problem: for years, one of our
cats had the habit of playing with the decorations on the lower branches of our
trees, and even managed to break a few treasured ornaments. But one swipe at
that spiny spruce and she was cured of her penchant for creating Christmas tree
mayhem.
I favor natural, unpruned trees, while some folks like the
dense, heavily sheared, cone-like trees that some tree farms and stores sell.
Don’t ask me what I think of artificial trees.
Speaking of stores and farms, we have purchased some very
nice Christmas trees at Mountain Building Supply and at tree farms in the area,
when snow kept us from finding a wild tree in the Mount Hood National Forest.
We cut a nice grand fir one year at Harrison Farms (48080 SE Coalman Rd, Sandy,
503-668-9769, tinyurl.com/y34a6s23). In past years, Harrison’s has had a sign
at its entrance off of Hwy. 26 just west of Cherryville. Rainy Mountain Farms
also has nice trees (49400 Southeast Marmot Rd., Sandy, 503-351-0965,
rainymountainfarms.com). Call or check the farms’ web sites before you go, as
hours of operation may have changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 25 to
30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year. Oregon farms cut
and sell more holiday trees than any other state – 4.7 million trees in 2017,
according to the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association. Most of them
were Noble fir (54 percent) and Douglas-fir (32 percent).
Nationwide, the average price of a Christmas tree in 2019
was nearly $77. At Rainy Mountain Farms, all trees regardless of size are $40
each, according to its web site. If you’re willing to put some effort into
finding a tree on the Mount Hood National Forest, you can buy a permit to cut a
tree up to 15 feet tall for $5. To buy a permit online, see
tinyurl.com/y4luzdfj for information, along with a list of locations where you
can buy permits in person, including the Zigzag Ranger District office and area
stores.
Whatever the source of your tree, do it a favor and put the
cut end in a bucket of water as soon as you get home. And keep the tree outside
until you’re ready to bring it in to decorate it. Once it’s inside, keep the
tree stand’s reservoir full of water. Take good care of your Christmas tree and
you can reuse it as a Valentine’s Day tree and maybe even an Easter tree.
Want to know more about Christmas trees? Want to know how to
tell the difference between a regular Christmas tree and an organic Christmas
tree? Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com. |
| View Points – Salem: Don't give up by Rep. Anna Williams on 12/01/2020
This pandemic cannot end soon enough. No matter our
political alignments, belief systems or how directly the coronavirus has
impacted our lives, every Oregonian can agree on one thing: we are all tired of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’re tired of the risk of illness. We’re tired of the
changes in our daily lives. We’re tired of worrying about the economic, social
and emotional toll that business restrictions, remote learning and social
distancing are taking on our communities.
But here’s the thing: we’re now seeing the result of what
happens when we start giving up. When people get tired of missing out on
connecting with friends and loved ones, they start gathering indoors again and
case counts increase. When people stop wearing face coverings while spending time
around their friends, case counts increase. When people ignore the advice of
public health experts and host a dozen friends to celebrate a special occasion,
case counts increase.
This latest “freeze” may feel like an overreaction until the
pandemic touches your life. You may have asked yourself what right the
government had to limit the size of your Thanksgiving gathering – after all,
your family and friends should have been allowed to weigh the risks and decide
for themselves whether they wanted to chance it, right? But these days,
decisions like how to celebrate with friends and loved ones don’t just impact
the people who attended that one event.
They may impact every person who interacts with anyone who
attended that meal for days or weeks after the celebration – every fellow
shopper in the grocery store you visit in December, every server in every
restaurant at which you order takeout, every friend who you miss spending time
with enough to feel it is worth the risk of exposure to visit.
This is why it feels like we are losing our hard-fought
battle against the coronavirus: we are failing to appreciate that each decision
we make can have profound impacts over long periods of time and huge geographic
areas.
When we think about the people we may risk infecting with
the virus, we often think of them as well-informed, rational people who have
the power to decide how comfortable they are with risking exposure to the
virus... but in fact, each of us may end up sharing this virus with a large
number of people, some of them vulnerable to the worst impacts of COVID-19,
before we’re even aware of our own infection.
It may seem compelling when influential voices – elected
leaders, media figures or community members – tell us not to worry, that the
virus isn’t a big deal. These voices may remind us that young people are much
safer from tragic impacts of COVID-19 than the elderly and infirm, or that 98
percent of people infected will survive. But, as we know, young people can
easily transmit the virus to their older and more susceptible neighbors and
loved ones. If we were to allow the disease to spread freely through our state,
a 98 percent survival rate would mean we all suffer as we witness the deaths of
over 80,000 Oregonians.
Maybe you feel frustrated that the restrictions have gone on
so long, and that’s reasonable. At the root of our temptation to stop following
these guidelines is exhaustion. I feel it, too. It has been such a long year,
and such a stressful month, filled with loss and trauma and chaos. But with
encouraging news about vaccines, I can see an end in sight. Like marathon
runners in their final mile, we need to dig deep, find the same kind of energy
we applied at the beginning of this challenging pandemic, and take the
necessary steps to keep our friends, families, neighbors and communities safe.
My mother in law, who lives in a tornado-prone area of the
country, often calls to remind us to “hunker down” when the weather is bad. By
this, she means stay inside, eat high-calorie foods and watch movies or do
puzzles together.
Please, join me this holiday season in hunkering down, one
more time, to protect our neighbors, healthcare workers and elders, from the
worst impacts of this disease.
We may have to slim down our holiday celebrations, but at
the end of it all, we will have so much to be grateful for – one another, the
shared sense of community that comes from doing hard things together and the
knowledge that whatever comes our way, we can weather the storm in partnership
with our neighbors across the state.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative. |
| View Points – Sandy: Keep the holidays wonderful by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 12/01/2020
With the winter chill in the air and a blanket of snow
covering Mount Hood, it is once again the most wonderful time of the year here
in Sandy. As I have said before, there’s no time more special in our community
than the holidays.
Every year our neighbors in Sandy gather for festivities and
charities that lift the spirits of our community. After a year like no other,
the need of our community has never been greater. In the wake of Governor
Brown’s COVID-19 “freeze” restrictions, we have local small business owners
along with their employees and their families who also need us now more than
ever.
Never has it been more important to both shop and dine
local. It is said that a single dollar spent locally gets spent four additional
times here in our community. Whether it be shopping for your gifts or a gift
card at a local store or grabbing some food on your way to get the tree, Sandy
has everything you need.
We will be proceeding with many of our annual traditions,
though they look a little different this year. One of my family’s favorite
traditions is the annual Sandy Community Christmas Basket Program sponsored by
the Sandy Kiwanis Club. Planning is already underway for their 65th anniversary
of the program! Last year 300 families were assisted, and this year with
increased needs the goal is to help over 350 local families. As many know, in
addition to community and local business support the Sandy Kiwanis depends
heavily on the Sandy High School food drive that will not be able to happen
this year. As a result, they need our help with donations more than ever.
This year each basket will have the same items as in the
past that will provide a holiday meal: a ham and all the sides to go with it.
The cost of each basket is $50. Please go to their website
sandykiwanis.org/christmasbasket.html to donate to this amazing program.
Something else that will be a little different than previous
years is our annual Holiday Tree Lighting. This year’s event will be held
Friday, Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. The lighting will be a drive-thru and live streamed
event with holiday messages from well-known community members. Please visit the
event Facebook page for the latest details for this incredibly special event.
One event that doesn’t have to change this year is the Sandy
Light Show! One of our favorite local traditions is to put the kids in the car
on Christmas Eve and head over to the Scenic Meadows neighborhood to enjoy the
lights. One of our local City Councilors, John Hamblin, and his family put on
this amazing light show each year for our community. Because of the growing
need for families to find activities during the holidays, they’ve decided to
start even earlier this year and begin the show on Thanksgiving night. We
greatly appreciate their efforts as the holidays in our community would not be
the same without it!
While 2020 has brought unprecedented challenges, it has
served as a stark reminder of the people and moments that are so important in
making our lives meaningful. No other time in Sandy’s history has it been so
important for our community to come together and look out for one another. We
must remain vigilant in our united mission to keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor if the City of Sandy. |
| Relax and have fun for the holiday season by Victoria Larson on 12/01/2020
There is no question that this has been a most challenging
year. Since March of this year, we’ve all been facing the challenges of
COVID-19 – hardship, loss, stress. We are still in the “season of the lungs,”
which is known for grief and sadness. Now we all have a greater awareness of
health – the greatest gift of all – for the trend is not yet behind us. We must
still take precautions to reduce exposure.
Just because a neighbor or co-worker still travels often by
airplane does not mean you should. To be extra careful, stay home as much as
possible. Wear your mask when in groups. And build up your immune system. The
elderly and some young people already have compromised lung function. Yet there
are still many things we can do to work together to conquer these deficiencies.
Epidemics have connected societies despite race, class, ethnicity and religion.
The past year has brought us closer together; families
bonded, neighbors have gotten to know each other, our community has come
together to help those in need in countless ways. We have survived in ways we
never thought possible – through power outages, evacuations due to smoke and
threats of fire, food shortages, loss of businesses, jobs or income. The
evacuations are when I met my most excellent neighbor. He unloads my groceries
from the car, takes out my garbage and recycling, even helps with the yard
work.
Fungi, microbes, viruses, all want to survive in an
inhospitable environment. Pandemics are on the rise because of our increasing
population and unhealthy environment. The way to prevent epidemics (besides
masks and social distancing) is to provide clean air, food and environment.
The Earth will abide, along with the bugs, because the sun
keeps showing up, though in Oregon we may call it “liquid sunshine.” The
seasons will return, tulips and daisies will come up again and won’t we be most
thrilled. There will even come a day when we will complain about the heat. In
the meantime, we need to stay warm. Especially keep your feet and neck warm.
Wool socks work nicely. Cover your ears from a “cold wind invasion.” Wrap a
scarf or some article of clothing around your neck as you head out the door.
Wrapping your midriff with a large scarf or small blanket will help keep your
kidneys warmer. Have a cup of hot tea or even a second cup of coffee, cider or
hot milk with molasses. Invite your cats or dog onto your bed. Get out one
cookbook and your favorite seed catalog and plan, or at least dream about, next
year’s garden.
Taking care of your immune system takes a little more work
during the holiday season, mostly because of the extra stress. When I was a
schoolgirl, I always got sick as soon as the holiday break happened. My mom
would let me take a sleeping bag and sleep under the holiday tree. I swear the
pretty colorful lights cured me, or at least had me feeling better. Of course,
maybe it was just the rest.
We tend to automatically lean towards the more warming foods
during the cold weather, yin foods like soups, stews, root vegetables and the
seasonal mushrooms, especially reishi, which block the uptake of viral
particles. Not the teeny, tiny reishi pills, but foods. Or powders stirred into
hot drinks. Since our source of Vitamins A and D are diminished in winter, we should
eat more fish and seaweeds. Elderberry is helpful, too. Keep a diet diary so
you can try to decrease sugar. It always used to amaze me that patients
couldn’t recall what they’d eaten for that day’s breakfast or what they’d eaten
for dinner the night before. A diet diary keeps you honest and helps you know
when you’re veering off track.
Eating properly will help you to sleep better. Sleep is the
best anxiety reducer there is. Try sauteed mushrooms over toast for breakfast.
For a no-dishes-cleanup dinner, cook fish in foil packets with onions and
peppers and tomatoes, if you still have some on the windowsill. Add lemon
juice, olive oil and capers if you can afford them.
While the parents recuperate, perhaps with a glass of warm
red wine with a splash of elderflower and slices of orange or lemon floating in
it, have some fun with the kids. Let them make blanket forts in their rooms or
the living room. Kids love to do this, and you’ll get a kick out of watching
them. Take old wrapping paper or cards and make paper chains for the tree.
String popcorn (better if stale for this) into chains for an outdoor
remembrance of birds and critters that need our help, too. Make it the best
season you possibly can. Have fun. Enjoy. I love you all. |
| Homemade goodies by Taeler Butel on 12/01/2020
Spoil the people on your list with thoughtful and creative
homemade goodies.
Hot fudge sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T corn syrup
2 T butter
2 t vanilla extract
In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan heat 1 cup heavy cream
with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 T light corn
syrup.
Cook until boiling and continue to boil four to five
minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in 2 T butter and 2 t vanilla. Let
cool uncovered in glass jars. Refrigerate until completely cooled then add
lids.
Keeps well for about a week but won’t last that long! Reheat
before serving.
Squirrel stash
1 cup corn kernels popped
4 cups mixed nuts
1 cup bite sized pretzels
1/2 cup corn syrup
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1-1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 t shortening
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
In a large bowl toss nuts, pretzels and popcorn.
In a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat stir together
the sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Cook stirring constantly until mixture
comes to a gentle simmer, about four minutes.
Stop stirring and continue cooking five minutes more until
mixture turns pale. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda.
Pour sugar mixture over the popcorn and nut mixture and toss
to coat. Pour onto rimmed baking sheets and bake, stirring every 15 minutes
until almost dry (about one hour). Let cool completely.
In a medium sized glass bowl over a pot of simmering water,
melt the chocolate and shortening together - drizzle over popcorn mixture.
Mulling Spices
Peel of 2 oranges and two lemons
Whole cardamom
Whole cloves
Whole allspice
Whole star anise
Cinnamon sticks
Candied ginger
Bay leaves
4 x 2x9-1/2-inch treat bags (from the craft store)
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler,
peel oranges and lemons in long strips avoiding as much of the pith as possible.
Bake peels until dehydrated for about one hour – place in bags with two
cinnamon sticks, 1/2 t each of cloves, allspice, star anise and cardamom. Add
one bay leaf and a piece of candied ginger.
To make the cider: in a large pot set over medium heat add one
gallon of unfiltered apple juice, one cup orange juice and the mulling spices.
Heat to a gentle simmer and serve with a cinnamon stick.
|
| The season of good will(s) by Paula Walker on 12/01/2020
In this age of convenience and efficiencies of effort, many
products advertise “set it and forget it.” Sounds so good in our busy,
sometimes harried lifestyles with family, work and social obligations to
lighten the load of things to attend to with “do-it-for-you products.”
But estate planning is not one of those. Not set it and
forget it but set it and tend to it – over time.
One of the many advantages in creating an estate plan, Trust
or Will is providing the basis for family harmony as part of your legacy. The
certainty and clear direction that you provide with a well-thought out and
executed estate plan is one of the greatest gifts to those who will support you
and fulfill your directives, as well as to the family and friends your plan
encompasses. When it comes to who you will rely on to support you or your
estate, this is not something to wait for an “unveiling” after you pass, or a
plan to be discovered in a time of emergency. It is a plan whose intended
outcome is best assured if you talk with those involved about it now.
The holiday season is a prime opportunity to have such a
talk, with many/most of the family already gathered. Be thoughtful in planning
for and launching into such a talk, for your sake and theirs. Tell them in
advance that you want to have this discussion. Set aside a quiet time and
space, a brief spell apart from the flurry of festivities. Create an agenda for
yourself to help organize your thoughts and to be sure that you cover what you
want in the way you want to express yourself. Keep this first foray short. Its
purpose is to convey that you have a plan. Allot time for this discussion and
stick to the time. Maybe this first foray, having broken the ice, may lead to
follow up discussion. Allow yourself the benefit of discovery and see how this
unfolds and what more you and yours may benefit from in further discussion if
such seems the case. Explain your intentions, i.e. to provide clear direction
and guidance to help them help you at some future date.
Talk process and framework, not content which is your
private affair. Though discussions of death and incapacity can be awkward to
initiate, often such conversations serve to bring the family closer. As well,
you provide a model for your family to follow that can benefit them as they
travel a similar path.
So, this season, whether you are having your holidays shared
by Zoom or can gather in person, consider asking your family to set aside time
to have this conversation with you.
Ask your estate planning attorney for guidance in preparing
for a family discussion.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
We'll be back in the New Year with stories of the foibles,
follies and fantastic tales of prominent persons, celebrities – stunning
stories highlighting “things gone wrong” that you can avoid by doing things
right in your estate plan.
For this article I leave you with my wishes for a joyous
season of warm friendship and family, sharing in every innovative way this 2020
has called upon us to invent. For all its challenges, 2020 has also deepened
our sense of the importance of our connection to friends, family, cherished
times and cherished moments.
We will be on the other side of the difficulties and
distances this time of social distancing and quarantine has imposed on us and
when we do, as we breathe a sigh of relief, let us celebrate our resilience and
preserve the good that emerged. And in the value we placed in the unmatchable
source of well being that we have in the wellspring of our bond with each
other, friends and family, and the joy
of hearing “that” voice, the purr of a snuggled cat, the never daunted wagging
tail of the pup that accompanied us on our walks and kept our minds calm –
those moments and many more that provided us some serenity when all else seemed
up-for-grabs.
As this year comes to a close and you step forward into a
new year, may your life grow in ways meaningful and fulfilling. Be well. Stay
well. And thrive. |
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We
are blessed with many scenic locations that attract millions of people each
year. Most of these locations are found by searching for the photos that we
take and share on the World Wide Web. In most cases we don’t realize the
potential for harm of the places that we love and photograph. It is natural for
us to want to share the photos of these incredible places but I feel that we
need to be aware of and to share with others how to protect the environment
which, in most cases, is the reason that these places are so special.
In the years that I have spent as a full-time working
landscape photographer I've been able to see the gradual damage that's being
done to some of the most beautiful spots in the Pacific Northwest by its
overuse. Most of the erosion and the denuding of the grasses, ferns and mosses
is from repeated footfalls onto areas beside and beyond designated paths and
fences.
I spend a lot of time in the field visiting these beautiful
places and am a witness to so many people who shun the posted signs or fences
that are placed to keep people from fragile environments or those that are
being reclaimed due to the traffic that has ruined them. I feel that it’s easy
for most people to think that it won’t hurt if they go because as an individual
they won’t cause any harm. I personally feel that it’s a form of selfishness
and greed to think that the signs and rules are for everyone else but them.
Although it is true that as individuals, we have little
impact on the areas that we tread, we’re not individuals when we visit these
areas. We are a part of a collective of humanity that causes an accumulative,
damaging effect. It is not just the one person but the effects of us all
wearing these places down. I feel that it is imperative that we develop a
collective consciousness that instils a want to preserve these places. We each
should develop a personal code of environmental ethics and to encourage others
to do the same. We need to take responsibility for these places. We need to
take care of them. Not doing so will further erode them to a point where access
will be limited or closed completely.
As photographers who share photos of these places, we can
take the lead in raising the awareness of the fragility of the places that we
photograph. I think that every landscape photographer who shares their work
online should create and adhere to their own photography code of ethics. One
that addresses how we conduct ourselves while in the field. We can also add a
short plea in the description of the photos that we share that urges those who
go to be careful where they trod.
My personal code of ethics includes three parts:
environment, social and self. I adopted the code from the League of Landscape
Photographers, a group formed to urge photographers to become responsible
stewards to the places that they visit and share online. If we all adopt a code
of ethics and encourage others to do the same, perhaps we can turn this trend of
abuse around and make it cool to protect the beauty of these photogenic places. |
|  Photo by Nicole Ward.
Welcome to Our Community, Our Earth, which will be taking
over the space where the Green Scene was previously published. This column will
now be authored by instructors from Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) who teach
subjects related to our environment, ecology and more.
We are excited to begin contributing to The Mountain Times
and look forward to sharing the knowledge and observations of MHCC's faculty
with the community.
The annual transition from fall to winter, while always
dependable, brings its uniqueness each year. The day of first frost, salmon
sighting or departure of a favorite warbler comes with a plus or minus date on
the calendar, and collectively these events color the season (sometimes
literally) with their own hues.
For some, myself included, this year’s transition has been
muted and less dramatic than some. After a summer of natural drama and daily
political theatre perhaps our senses are simply tired. Yet, as always, nature
has a way of reaching us, surprising us, lifting our experience with color and
life.
With our transition to remote learning, the Mt. Hood campus
is uncharacteristically quiet. Only a few academic programs, where face-to-face
instruction is essential, are located physically in classrooms. Not surprisingly,
the campus wildlife has expanded their use of the grounds, a pattern many of us
have noticed in our own backyards – deer browse on the lawns and coyotes pad
along the drives.
This unique “COVID expansion” imitates the usual seasonal
shift we see in bird communities. Many of our migrant birds have left our
forests and the year-long residents have stopped defending territories.
Dark-eyed Juncos come together, then disband, as they search
conifers and ground cover for insects and seeds. Bushtits, in their extended
family groups chatter non-stop as they dart in and out of trees. If you hear
them coming, stop and wait by the closest tree or bush and you may be blessed
with a close-up view of these smallest of passerines. Standing still, you are
just another obstacle to fly around, and they will enter the tree, one after
another, like so many feathered puff balls blown by the wind.
Other creatures are spreading out as well, taking advantage
of the changing moisture levels and stream flows from early rains. Salmon, of
course, are coursing through the streams, in their contest for immortality.
Rough-skinned newts creep through the moistened leaf litter.
Recent rain showers and morning fog creates paths for roaming tree frogs. They
have begun moving away from their wetland reserves, calling now from vegetation
far from ponds and pools. The trills of their calls are in tune with the
cackling of geese overhead – classic sights and sounds of autumn.
The transition in visual landscape is also mirrored in the
acoustic environment. The rustle of steps through dry leaves and the crackle of
autumn’s wood fires will soon yield to the silence of the first winter snow.
And as the yellows and reds of summer’s birds have gone from our yards and
forests, so have the whistles and trills of their summer melodies. Left behind
are the chits and chats of grey-scale nuthatches and chickadees, and the caws
and croaks of the monochromatic crows and ravens.
From bright and noisy to cool and subdued – both sound and
light shift in hue and spectrum, yielding novelty to season-adjusted lenses and
allowing us to see and hear anew. Encouragement enough to open our eyes wide to
absorb the last warm rays of autumn sunshine and the intensity of sight, then
close our eyes and soak in the soothing sound of rain, the quiet of a resting
forest and the serenity of silence in a noisy world.
Written by Walter Shriner, instructor of Biology and Natural
Resources Technology at Mt. Hood Community College. |
| View Points – Salem: Recovery work has begun by Rep. Anna Williams on 11/01/2020
In his column last month, Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam wrote
about the importance of community in times of chaos, calling for wildfire
response through “a holistic approach that involves partners at every level of
government, as well as local businesses and charitable service organizations.”
“This is a time that we must all work together,” he wrote. I
couldn't agree more.
In that spirit, I want to tell you about some of the ways
I’ve been working with partners at the federal, state and local levels to lay
the groundwork for our region to recover from the overlapping disasters of
COVID-19 and the wildfires.
As more than one million acres across the state of Oregon
have burned (including more than 100,000 acres in Clackamas County),
Representative Mark Meek (D-Gladstone) and I have co-convened the Metro Region
Wildfire Economic Recovery Team. This group includes state and local leaders,
as well as representatives from community-based organizations and non-profits.
We are identifying the needs of different Clackamas County communities and
working to ensure that the resources which are available get where they most
need to go. Whether we’re discussing assistance for individuals and businesses,
hazardous waste cleanup, infrastructure investments, restoring natural
resources or rebuilding lost housing, we are working together to identify and
solve problems.
So far, we have heard from the Oregon Housing and Community
Services about the need for long-term temporary shelter for people to stay in
while their homes are cleaned up and rebuilt. We have heard from county
commissioners about the unique challenges faced by farmworkers who lost their
homes due to the fires. Community-based organizations have pointed out the
difficulties faced by displaced people who speak languages other than English,
and the concerns many people share about relying on the government for support.
One of the fundamental goals of the Economic Recovery Teams is to focus on the
fact that rural and low-income Oregonians, as well as Oregon’s Black,
Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities have been hardest hit by both
COVID-19 and the fires. No matter our political alliances, every member of this
team understands that our region’s recovery should focus on helping those who
are suffering the most as our top priority.
On the other side of the mountain, I am doing similar work
for the North Central Region’s Equity in Recovery Council, focusing on
recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic in coordination with the Governor’s
Office. Just like the wildfires’ impacts, Oregon’s BIPOC communities have been
hit hardest by the pandemic and will have the steepest climb in recovering from
its health and economic impacts. The Equity in Recovery Council aims to improve
access for all Oregonians to the basic resources they need to survive and
thrive, so that a person’s success in life is not determined by their race.
We’ll be looking at how the state can prioritize equity as it responds to the
many COVID-related crises that are all happening at the same time: housing and
homelessness, education and business recovery are only the most pressing
concerns on a much longer list.
There are a number of different voices on each of these
teams, and a number of opinions about how we should approach the challenges we
face as a state. Yet we are focused on the same goals, and we are committed to
achieving them through cooperation. I plan to approach the rest of my time in
office with this same attitude, because our community and the people depending
on my leadership, expect nothing less.
Recovering from this difficult year, in all the many ways
that we will need to recover, will require all of us to work together in good
faith. We don't have to agree which problems are most pressing or on how each
of them should be solved, but we do need to see each other as neighbors who are
in this together. In the midst of all the problems confronting us, I remain
hopeful. I believe in our community – in Oregon, in House District 52 and in
every member of these two groups I’m working with – to disagree with respect,
to work together in good faith and to accomplish something good together that
will leave Oregonians better off in the long run.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative |
| View Points – Sandy: Thanksgiving unity by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 11/01/2020
As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel of a
long and divisive election season, we have a lot to be thankful for this
holiday season! As Mayor, this holiday season has taken on an even stronger
meaning to me.
While December brings many of Sandy’s more high-profile
events, November also offers many ways for our community to come together and
help our fellow neighbors.
In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Sandy
Community Action Center always springs into action with their annual food box
program. As in previous years, the Action Center is partnering with Suburban
Auto Group to fund the box program. Over 200 local families are helped each
Thanksgiving holiday thanks to their efforts. Please keep an eye on the Sandy Community
Action Center Facebook page for updates on how to get involved with this
wonderful program.
One annual tradition that will be a little different this
year is the Action Center’s annual Tickle Trot. Each year on Thanksgiving
morning our family joins other neighbors in the parking lot of the Sandy Fred
Meyer and then take to Tickle Creek Trail for our kinda, sorta run. Perhaps,
that is why they call it a “Trot.” This year due to COVID-19 restrictions the
Tickle Trot is going virtual! There will be “swag” offered to anyone who
registers and all are encouraged to participate on the Facebook event page and
take the time to share you participating in this annual event with your family
and friends.
COVID-19, civil unrest, wildfires and perhaps the most divisive
election in our nation’s history has led to an incredibly difficult year. This
past year has tested us and like all times of great challenge it has also shown
us the things that are most important to us in our lives. This holiday season
provides us with an opportunity to remember those things and to come together
with our loved ones and neighbors in solidarity.
The story of the first Thanksgiving is one of hope and
unity. It is about people with different backgrounds and cultures coming
together for the common good. In times like these, we can all take solace in
such a story. Last month, I reminded readers to remember what we learned over
this past wildfire season. That it will be important to remember how much more
unites us than divides us. How, like family, at our time of greatest need, it
was our neighbors who stood with us. We did not ask what your political party
was or who you were going to vote for as President, neighbors only asked other
neighbors if they needed help.
As Sandy turns into a more optimistic season and as we leave
the election behind and turn towards the holidays, let us continue to remember
the important message that far more unites us than divides us. We have all
chosen this community of Sandy as our home. Most of us for the same reasons.
Together let us unite to put our community first. Let us continue to put our
people before politics. Let us keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Divorce and Separation by Paula Walker on 11/01/2020
A difficult time under any circumstances, separation and
divorce are rife evidence of the instability at hand. Estate planning attorneys
advise clients to review their estate plans for necessary revisions upon the
experience of a variety of “life events” and the process of separation and
divorce factor in those.
In fact, this imposes two important milestones: you want to
take stock of your estate plan during the divorce proceeding or separation and
after your divorce settlement. You have the ability to amend or revoke your
estate plan documents at any time.
Notes of caution to consider during a divorce involve the
asset restraining order in place during every divorce. This may limit your
ability to change the nature of assets held by a trust during the divorce.
Once the divorce is settled, Oregon law revokes provisions
in the estate plan that favor the ex spouse as beneficiary or personal
representative.
However, because during the divorce those provisions remain
effective, you may consider amending those provisions during the divorce
proceedings. Be certain to consider your pre nuptial agreement, if one exists,
such that any changes you make to your estate plan are aligned with its terms.
As well, during and after the divorce settlement you will
want to consider the appointments you have made in your Healthcare Power of
Attorney, your Advance Directive and your Durable Power of Attorney.
Keep in mind as you consider the legal effects of a
separation or divorce on your estate plan the “spousal elective share.” This
law seeks to provide a measure of financial protection to a surviving spouse,
saving them from financial destitution.
The elective share provides that a surviving spouse may make
a claim on the assets of the deceased spouse regardless if the spouse was left
out as a beneficiary or disinherited.
Ex-spouses may also make a claim which the court will
consider conditional to a number of criteria in determining whether and to what
extent to authorize such a claim.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
A battle raging in Manhattan … Ric Ocasek - lead singer of
The Cars, at age 45 married Sport Illustrated swimsuit model Paulina Porizkova,
age 24, in 1989. A marriage many thought would be short-lived given their
twenty-year disparity in age lasted 30 years. When Ocasek passed away on Sept.
15, 2019, they were in the midst of divorce proceedings since May 2018. As a
result, upon Ocasek’s death, they would be considered still married which
ordinarily would have accorded Porizkova certain rights to the estate as
spouse. However, weeks before he died, Ocasek took steps to cut off Porizkova’s
rights by redoing his will, appointing a new personal representative (aka
executor), disinheriting Porizkova and taking extra steps to also eliminate her
right to the elective share by stating in the will that even if he died before
the divorce was finalized, Porizkova had “abandoned” him and therefore should
not have a rightful claim to an elective share. Although a disinherited spouse
generally still has a right to claim an elective share, the court may deny such
a claim upon finding that the spouse abandoned the decedent.
Dear Reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com. |
| Edible resources in the forest are our treasures by Steve Wilent on 11/01/2020
I wish we could start the year on October 1 and end it on
the last day of November. When the maple and cottonwood leaves turn to gold,
the nights get chilly, the smell of wood smoke and damp earth is in the air,
and a quilt on the bed brings comfort, I think I could learn to live without
the other seasons. These are small pleasures, to be sure, but in times like
these, we need them more than ever.
Our forests hold many such pleasures. If you’re old enough
to remember television from the 1970s — I sure am — then you may recall the
famous 1974 television commercial for Grape-Nuts cereal featuring Euell
Gibbons, author of books such as “A Wild Way to Eat” and “Euell Gibbons'
Handbook of Edible Wild Plants.” In the ad, Gibbons says, “Ever eat a pine
tree? Many parts are edible.”
Indeed they are, and some parts of pine trees (and other
conifers) taste a lot better than Grape-Nuts. This summer I made a big batch of
pesto, with fresh basil and parsley from Hood Hills Farm in Sandy, olive oil,
garlic (of course), parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Most of the pine nuts
available in stores these days come from Asia or Europe, but pinyon (piñon)
pine nuts from high-desert states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah
are an excellent — some say better — alternative. For Native Americans in these
areas, pine nuts have long been a staple food. The seeds of western white pine
and sugar pine also are delicious, as is the inner bark. I once had a job in a
US Forest Service nursery that involved inspecting seeds and picking out nonviable
ones. This was extremely boring work, but eating sugar pine seeds help pass the
time. Until my supervisor reprimanded me for eating up the inventory.
Western white pine was once fairly common in our area, but
white pine blister rust, a disease native to Asia that was introduced
separately into North America early in the 20th century, has killed most of
them off. The last one on my property died in the late 1990s.
I’ve never heard of anyone eating the seeds of the
Douglas-fir, the most common tree in our area, but a tasty tea can be made from
the needles. Pull a handful of fresh needles from the branches (young,
light-green spring growth is best, but fall foliage is fine), coarsely chop
them, and add about two tablespoons to a mug of hot water. Let the needles
steep for a few minutes, add a bit of honey if you like, and you have a
satisfying tea that is rich in vitamin C. Who needs fancy tea from a bottle, or
Emergen-C “daily immune support” drink mix, when you can make your own?
Native huckleberries also are loaded with vitamin C. The
picking season is over at our elevation, but you might find some up higher —
say, 4,500 feet and above. On a late-October camping trip a few years ago in
the vicinity of Ollalie Lake, I found a huckleberry patch loaded with sweet,
dark-purple berries. I had planned to bring a bunch of them home, but none of
them lasted that long. What tastes better than fresh huckleberry pancakes on a
crisp mountain morning?
Up at that elevation, you’ll likely see brilliant yellow
conifer trees. These are western larch, one of the handful of deciduous
conifers in the world, most of which are larches. When the needles on these
majestic trees turn bright yellow, they can rival our maples and cottonwoods
for fall color.
Vine maple, so common in our area, often displays brilliant
fall colors, too, especially when we have an early fall cold snap. If you see a
tree that looks very similar to a vine maple, but with vibrant red and orange
fall foliage, that’s probably a Rocky Mountain maple. You’ll see lots of these
trees along Highway 35 between Mt. Hood Meadows and Parkdale. Vine maple leaves
have five to nine lobes or points, while Rocky Mountain maple leaves have
three.
Autumn is the main wild mushroom season on the Mountain. A
friend recently gave us a big bag full of morels that he’d picked in a
super-secret location — delicious. Lara knows the location of a prolific
chanterelle patch, but she won’t tell me — her own husband — where it is. I offered
to tell her where my favorite huckleberry patch is, in exchange for the
coordinates of the chanterelle patch, but no deal. Look, I said, we’ll need
this kind of information about wild foods so we can survive the zombie
apocalypse. She agreed, and said she’d reveal the coordinates as soon as the
zombie apocalypse starts.
Speaking of zombies, while on a woods wander the other day,
I met a couple of mushroom hunters. No, they weren’t zombies, though their eyes
were glazed from focusing on the ground. Maybe I looked like a woodsman, so
they asked me about the large, bright orange fungi they’d found, and whether
they are edible.
Zombie mushrooms, I said.
They looked askance at me.
Seriously, I said, those are lobster “mushrooms.” They’re
not really mushrooms, but a parasitic fungus that grows on other mushrooms,
turning them a reddish orange color that looks like the shell of a cooked
lobster. Are they edible? I've heard that, unless one knows what type of
mushroom they’ve parasitized, you can’t be sure.
However, according to the University of Washington's Burke
Museum Herbarium, “Hypomyces lactifluorum, the lobster mushroom, grows in the
tissue of certain russulas and lactariuses in the PNW, especially R. brevipes,
and turns the host mushroom into a dense mass of mummified tissue.”
Okay, mummies, not zombies.
And in our area, they’re safe to eat: “Lobster mushrooms are
edible and can often be found at PNW produce stands and farmers’ markets. The
warnings against eating them usually are based on the assumed uncertainty of
the host mushroom’s identity. However, we are not aware of any serious
poisonings caused by it.” That’s sort of comforting.
Doug-fir tea, huckleberries, fall color. Autumn’s small
pleasures. Winter’s are on the way.
Want to know more about our Mountain trees? Need a strategy
for surviving the zombie apocalypse? Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com. |
| Leftover magic! by Taeler Butel on 11/01/2020
Some amazing meals can be made with the scraps. I'm so
thankful to share a few recipes with you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Leftover mashed potatoes pierogies
(makes about 20 large pierogies)
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup whole milk
1 t kosher salt
2 T cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T unsalted butter
1 T chopped green onion
2 cups mashed potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Make the dough: in a large bowl whisk together eggs and salt
until frothy, add milk. Whisk in flour one cup at a time and switch to a spoon
to incorporate and knead for one minute, adding the flour to make a tacky
dough.
Spray dough with nonstick oil spray or coat top with thin
layer.
Boil large pot of salted water. In a large skillet, brown butter lightly, and
put skillet aside.
Mix together the mashed potatoes, sour cream, onion, cream
cheese and salt and pepper with a wooden spoon.
Roll the rested dough on a floured surface and cut circles
three inches in diameter using a biscuit cutter or glass.
Wrap the pierogi dough around 1 T of potato filling, pinch
the sides together and boil in salted water until floating.
Warm the browned butter and carefully remove the boiled
dumplings from the water and put into the skillet. Toast on one side in butter,
then turn and toast the other side until light brown. Serve hot.
Cranberry chutney
A chutney is a chunky fruit-based sauce that contains
different textures and pairs wonderfully with savory. Try this with a cheese
plate or charcuterie.
1 1/2 cups whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup apple cider
2 oranges zested, then peeled and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts chopped large
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 t ground ginger
1/4 t cloves ground
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice ground
Splash of vinegar
Place everything into a medium saucepan, bring to the boil,
and reduce to simmer for 20 mins until thickened.
|
| Vote with your grocery dollars and support local businesses by Victoria Larson on 11/01/2020
You’ve probably heard of a one-horse town, though I must
admit even I am not old enough to envision that. But two-stoplight towns I know
and love… and support. They are friendlier and keep your dollars out of the
hands of big corporations.
When you buy cheap, industrial food from a Big Box Store, a
large portion of your dollars are going to support the already wealthy
corporate head honchos, not those doing the work of harvesting. One out of
every four dollars goes for your healthcare because I see many of you still
buying the same foods always purchased – sugary drinks and packaged snack
foods.
My favorite small two-stoplight town has opportunity for
human connection and keeps your money local. For more than ten years I’ve taken
my car to a locally owned auto mechanic for everything from oil changes to
“what’s that noise.”
The people there know me so when checks were stolen from my
mailbox they readily accepted my temporary checks from my bank a mile away. Run
by a very friendly family, they and their workers bring their dogs to work.
Across the street is a locally owned soup, sandwich and
coffee shop, not an international chain of unhealthy industrial fast foods.
Tastes way better, too. The local auto mechanic suggested I try it as they
often get their lunches there.
Next door to the sandwich stop is a garden center – also
locally owned for many, many years. I spend one nice moment gazing at the koi
fish that live in their pond year round, discussing with a nice young man how
I’d once had koi that I trained to come up out of the water to eat out of my
hand. This human connection is somewhat rare during COVID-19.
If you do not want to, or cannot, grow your own food, next
door to the local garden center is a local fruit stand. Go early enough and
you’ll see berries from the surrounding fields coming in. Talk about fresh –
not from out of state or the county and sitting on a grocery shelf until almost
dead!
But there are other reasons to buy locally too. While in
Costa Rica driving through a banana plantation, they were spraying pesticides
on the bananas while workers’ kids were playing in the streets of the housing
development in the middle of the plantation. I don’t and cannot abide that… so
I don’t buy bananas.
Then there are the animal welfare protagonists. Do you
really support de-beaked chickens being raised in tiny cages? A ratio of omega
6 to omega 3 should be about four-to-one or less. Industrial chickens have more
than 1,000 omega 6 factors, which causes inflammation. Pastured eggs have more
than 1,000 omega 3 factors for a ratio of one-to-one.
Industrial meat (especially burger) has more than 1,000
omega 6, while pasture-raised and finished meat has 4,000 omega 3, leading to a
ratio of two-to-one. Much healthier. Most omega 6 comes from soy or corn oils,
which lead to obesity and inflammation. Margarine has a ratio of six-to-one,
while pastured butter is closer to one-to-one.
We don’t need more food so much as we need more nutrition!
Our kids and grandkids are likely to die younger than we are. Maybe that’s why
their lives are so busy, busy, busy. No time to cook. We tend to believe that
“busy” makes us important, with Facebook and technology.
There was a time when life was governed by people, not
technology. Do you know that huge warehouses containing huge computers know
everything you buy or look at online? Remember the book “1984?” It’s here now.
I’m not comfortable splatting my life out there for strangers to see- hence I
have no computer or credit cards.
What we need is more integrity, hard work, knowledge. So,
vote with your grocery dollars. If you really do want organic food, then buy
it. Put your money where your mouth is. We have 20 years of voting by mail in
Oregon with only 15 instances of voter fraud! So vote early and then continue
to vote daily with your grocery money! |
|  Contributed photos.
Living on The Mountain has always been a matter of pride for
me and many of my friends and neighbors. I have always felt a part of this
community through good times and bad times. We have always considered ourselves
as being of heartier stock than most “Flatlanders.”
For the most part our lives seem simpler and a bit more
primitive but living here has its own set of problems. The results of natural
disasters seem just a little bit more severe up here. Trees fall over roads,
power lines and homes. Floods can come from the rivers or from rapid snow melt
from the mountain tops, and both can destroy homes. We consider losing our
electricity for days if a wind blows a somewhat common event. It is often the
case that the power will go out during freezing weather and then once the power
is out the water lines freeze which, once thawed, can result in broken pipes
and water leaks.
I can remember several times in the past when our community
would gather at the firehouse for sandbags during a flood. I remember relief
efforts and food distribution for those who had lost everything. When these
times come, our Mountain neighbors have always stepped up to the challenge to
help each other. And after living through this latest challenge I’m proud to
say that our community unity is still intact.
I can recall several bad situations since I’ve lived here
but this is the first time that I can remember where we had to consider
evacuating the complete community to escape a forest fire. And seeing other
rural communities devastated by the fires and a map showing how close the fires
and evacuation zones were coming to us, it felt like an absolute real
possibility. Looking back now that the rains have returned, we are all
fortunate that our community is still whole.
Traditionally communication during these storms or floods is
disabled due to fallen phone and electrical lines and most of the news we would
hear at the post office or at the Thriftway store. These days we have the
Internet and our battery powered cell phones equipped with a camera with us at
all times. Even though connecting to the web during these disasters can be a
bit dodgy, the connectivity can usually be found. Websites such as Facebook and
the NextDoor app allows us all to not only check in for information but they
also allow us to document these events and share them with each other. I was
fascinated, heartbroken, inspired and encouraged by the images that my
neighbors were posting up online. I was seeing everything from tragedy, broken
homes and dense unhealthy smoke-filled air to kindness and charity.
I wanted to share just a small portion of some of the photos
that tell the story of how our community dealt with an event that we will all
remember for a very long time. I am proud to be a part of our Mountain
community family. |
| View Points – Sandy: We are all together by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 10/01/2020
Like so many of our fellow neighbors, this past month we
were forced to make the unimaginable decision to decide what personal
belongings we would take when evacuating our homes in the event of an
emergency. Many people in neighboring communities like Estacada and Molalla had
to evacuate quickly without many personal belongings and will return home to
find their houses destroyed and their lives forever changed.
The needs of these neighbors will not end when the smoke
clears on their burnt properties. It will take a holistic approach that
involves partners at every level of government, as well as local businesses and
charitable service organizations. This is a time that we must all work
together.
In the case of a natural disaster, one does not have to look
hard to find stories of unity and heroism. I’ve been humbled by local public
servants putting political differences to the side and instead putting
community first. The first morning after the evacuations started in our
community, our congressman Earl Blumenauer reached out to offer help.
The next morning, we were sitting in Sandy along with
Estacada Mayor Sean Drinkwine. Mayor Drinkwine and I both left encouraged with
the congressman’s eagerness to work with us as we rebuild and plan for
necessary federal resources for disaster relief in the future.
We are already beginning to hear the tales of valor and
courage. Stories of siblings, parents, children, friends and neighbors with
their tanker truck of water and heavy equipment working side by side to save
their communities.
Speaking of local heroes, the relief efforts offering fresh
food, water and other supplies that began shortly after the evacuation notices
were simply incredible. Sandy local Brad Magden sprang into action and enlisted
the help of Sandy Les Schwab and nonprofits Sunshine Division along with
Hood-To-Coast. By Thursday they had a full Fresh Food Relief Center up and
going for local evacuees. Soon after they had the board members from Sandy
Helping Hands mobilizing volunteers, while local businesses, service
organizations and citizens donated much needed items.
Within days, with help from Estacada Neighborhood Watch and
local officials, Brad set up a much needed secondary relief center in the heart
of Estacada located at the Cazadero.
I’ve been asked why, as the Mayor of Sandy, was I so
involved in relief efforts for other neighboring communities. My answer was
simple, the communities of east Clackamas County are more than neighbors, we’re
like family and family takes care of each other. Like so many families
throughout Oregon who have helped relatives this wildfire season, we are also
taking care of our relatives in their great time of need.
2020 has been a year of challenges, and as with most
election years, this next month looks to be contentious, perhaps the most
contentious in our nation’s history. It will be important to remember what we
learned over these past several weeks. It will be important to remember how
much more unites us then divides us. How, like family, at our time of greatest
need, it was our neighbors who stood with us. We did not ask what your
political party was or who you were going to vote for as President, neighbors
only asked other neighbors if they needed help. As long as we stay united,
we’ll keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy. |
| View Points – Salem: Disagree with kindness by Rep. Anna Williams on 10/01/2020
This month, I am writing my column not only as your state
representative, but also as a community member, a mother and an educator in a
polarized time. Most of all, though, I’m writing as a social worker who
believes that a strong sense of community and solidarity will get each of us
further than division and self-interest.
Compared to any other year of my life, 2020 has presented
unheard of challenges: a pandemic that has caused more deaths in America than
in any other nation, a resulting economic crisis that has left millions
struggling, a national protest movement and reckoning over racial justice and
now unprecedented wildfires devastating entire communities and leaving
thousands of our fellow Oregonians without a place to call home. Even people in
our community who have remained healthy, employed and safe throughout this
difficult year are reeling from the stress of so many compounding crises piling
on top of one another and affecting their neighbors.
My background as a social worker tells me that we all need
to give ourselves permission to process everything we’re feeling right now.
Even if you’ve been largely untouched by these crises, you’re allowed to be
sad. You’re allowed to be tired. You’re allowed to be grumpy and frustrated
and, yes, each of us has good reason to be angry about the challenges and
uncertainty we’re facing.
Let’s also be mindful of the reasons for those feelings and
express them in healthy ways. Let’s not resort to scapegoating when it comes to
the complex problems that are confronting us, and let’s avoid directing our
anger at our neighbors simply because they may hold different values than we
do.
As your state legislator, I have always governed in an
independent, open-minded way that puts the needs of our community first. I’m
not afraid to stand up for what I believe in or what my constituents ask of me,
even if it means deviating from party lines. I am always looking for ways to
support small businesses, to invest in and improve our education systems, and
have fought for our essential workers to have access to adequate PPE during the
COVID-19 crisis. I believe in the power of working together and finding common
ground.
During these trying times, I encourage everyone to pursue
their conversations with the same critical approach as I pursue my work in the
legislature. Before you cement your opinion about a topic you’re learning more
about, think about other perspectives on the issue. Before you believe
something you read on social media, consider its source and do your own
research.
Our brains are designed to believe information that confirms
our pre-existing opinions and to agree with people we care about without
thinking critically about their perspectives. That’s human nature. However, in
an effort to work together to heal the divides that have grown in our
communities in recent years, we need to learn to discern between opinion and
fact, and to speak respectfully and honestly with one another when we disagree.
Disagreement and debate are essential in a democratic
republic like ours, but compassion and understanding are just as fundamental.
Today, I challenge you to be kind to someone who you
disagree with – in person, online, or in your home. It is in our most spirited
debates that we learn the most, and in our kindest moments when we heal the
most. Let’s come together to listen to one another, for the sake of our
struggling neighbors, for the sake of our great state and for the sake of our
collective future.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative. |
|  Contributed map.
We dodged a bullet in September. The Riverside Fire sent us
thick smoke and gave us plenty of reason to worry, but no homes in Hoodland
were damaged or destroyed, no one here was killed by the fire. Other
communities in Oregon weren’t so fortunate, and I grieve for those who have
lost homes and loved ones.
As I write this, our forests are damp from recent light
rain, and heavy rain is in the forecast for Sept. 23. These rains will very
likely douse the Riverside Fire with enough moisture to stop it in its tracks
until the snow flies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few smokes pop up next
spring, as happened after the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, but the threat to our
community is probably over.
Probably? Yes, because hot spots will remain even after a
soaking, and another east wind event could whip the embers into a raging
wildfire. Even so, the flames would have a long way to run before they could
get here. The northeast side of the fire is a bit more than 12 miles as the raven
flies from Welches.
Even if the chances of a flareup are miniscule, it is wise
to remember how frightening the fire was only a couple of weeks ago when the
skies were filled with smoke and we were under Level 1 of the three “Ready,
Set, GO!” alerts: Be ready to evacuate. Sandy was at Level 2 for a few days: Be
set to leave at a moment’s notice. Level 3 means Go NOW!
During the Level 1 alert, Lara and I had two of our vehicles
packed with our most treasured possessions, pet supplies, sleeping bags, food
and water. We planned to load our cats and computer gear at the last minute.
The two cars were gassed up and ready to go. My faithful old Ford pickup would
have stayed, along with so many things in the house and sheds, a lifetime’s
worth of stuff. Fortunately, we had plenty of time to get ready. What if we had
suddenly been given the Go NOW! order?
What would you have done?
Years ago, when I taught wildland fire management classes at
Mt. Hood Community College, one of the videos I showed to students captured a
scene of panic inside a home in southern Oregon. As flames approached, a woman
ran around inside her house with a framed photograph in one hand and an antique
chair in another, trying to decide which of her valuables to take. She was in a
panic and couldn’t think straight. The captain of a fire engine stationed
nearby, but ready to bug out while they still could, ran into the house and
shouted to the woman, “Leave now! Those things aren’t worth your life! Get out
NOW!”
It could come to that, for us. You may not have believed it
before, thinking that you were safe here on the wet west side of the Cascades.
Now that you know you’re not, take time to prepare for the worst.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(Cal Fire) has an excellent web site with guidelines for preparing to evacuate
during a wildfire. It offers a range of tips for creating a comprehensive Wildfire
Action Plan, which includes a Family Communication Plan (designation of an
out-of-area friend or relative as a point of contact to act as a single source
of communication among family members in case of separation) and an Emergency
Supply Kit for each person. Cal Fire urges you to remember the six “P’s”:
people and pets; papers, phone numbers and important documents; prescriptions,
vitamins and eyeglasses, pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia; personal computer
hard drive and disks; and “plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) and cash.
If you’d like to learn about how to help your family, your
neighbors and the community prepare for wildfire, think about joining Hoodland
Fire’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Go to www.hoodlandfire.us and
click Join.
As I wrote in the January 2020 installment of “The
Woodsman,” the forests we live in are sure to burn. It’s a question of when,
not if. Some dry summer day, a campfire or burn pile will escape, an arsonist
will do his evil work or lightning will strike dry fuels and we’ll have a
wildfire. Maybe a campfire on Old Maid Flat will escape and east wind will push
it down the Sandy River valley toward Zigzag and Welches. The Riverside Fire
was human caused, according to the U.S. Forest Service; an investigation is
under way. Regardless of the cause, take a look at the map that accompanies
this article and note the size of fire compared to Hoodland. Most of the
138,000 acres scorched by the fire burned in just 24 hours after the fire
started on Sept. 8, pushed by a dry wind from the east.
Are you prepared to evacuate within 24 hours? What will you
do if you get the Go NOW! alert? Read those Cal Fire web pages while you have
time to get ready.
Want to know more about preparing for wildfire? Want to hear
about a great way to reuse, repurpose and recycle our Oregon wildfire smoke?
Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com. |
| The season for scary, wacky and always interesting by Victoria Larson on 10/01/2020
We all get a thrill out of being scared sometimes. Hence the
popularity of Ferris wheels, zip lines and even Halloween. Though this year may
“take the cake” for scariness, let’s look at some of those things – some you
may have heard before and some you may not know.
In no particular order here are some things that are scary,
wacky and weird… but always interesting.
We don’t always use good moral judgement – the goal of our
society has become commerce, the god of greenbacks. If large corporations don’t
make money, the shareholders abandon it! Next month how to vote with your
dollars.
Did you know that wooden cutting boards and spoons are less
“germy” than glass or especially plastic? Wood “self-heals” any cuts, whereas
plastic takes longer to do so.
Whether you live in an area that went to Level 3 during the
fires or not, pay attention to your community. Any firefighter will tell you
that in any major disaster, you will undoubtedly have to rely on neighbors for
help. Our heroes will be overwhelmed with the big stuff.
Here are a few things that may seem counter-intuitive:
tearing up your lettuce before you store it may double its antioxidant value.
Just remember to dry it before storing or it will rot faster. Apricots that
have been sulfured actually have more antioxidants than the dark, unsulfured
ones (be sure you are not allergic to sulfur).
You probably already
know that purple carrots, radishes, cabbage, etc. have more antioxidants than
the orange ones, but did you know that carrots should always be cooked in oil or
butter or a good fat source (never margarine) so they will have a better source
of beta carotene than raw carrots? Buy carrots with the tops still on to make sure they are fresh, but remove the tops
before storing so they don’t dry out.Cook carrots whole and slice them later to
get eight times more beta carotene. Don’t bother getting those little bags of
carrot nubbins. They’ve simply been whittled down and the most nutrient dense
part thrown away, to the point where they have zero flavor.
Whether your kids are doing online school or taking the bus,
in Chinese medicine we say that now is the time to “close the gates,” stay home
as much as possible. Perhaps you’ve noticed the “cold wind invasion.” When it’s
windy out, cover your ears with flap hats, stocking caps or earmuffs. Stay
well.
Remember that spiritual values will always out-trump
monetary ones. If you need more food, learn about foraging and look to your own
back yard. Those “weeds” are quite edible (some are tastier than spinach) and
those weeds can become part of your diet.
Europeans routinely eat dandelions in their salads. Good for
the liver.
The water you cook your green leafies in has almost 300
antioxidants compared to the spinach itself, which has less than 100. Drink the
spinach water or at the very least cool it to water your plants.
We currently live in a world of wastefulness. The “clean
your plate club” began between WWI and WWII. Now Americans throw out almost
half of the food we purchase, while children are starving throughout the globe.
This is shameful.
The reasons we want to maintain biodiversity are because if
one crop fails utterly, we have a chance that the seeds of another crop won’t.
If we are all eating the same few foods, and that one fails, it won’t be
pretty.
The potato famine in Ireland happened because only one
strain of potato was being grown. When that crop failed, all of Ireland was in
trouble and mostly abandoned.
Buy your garden seeds from a company that signs the “safe
seed pledge,” vowing to avoid genetically modified (GM) seeds. Local companies
may have seeds better adapted to your environment. Most of the world refuses to
buy GM foods. But in the U.S. it’s a growing monetary concern. Aren’t we at
least as smart as the rest of the world? Buy organic.
Read up on Jeffery Smith’s works on GM foods – it’s very
scary. I was once at a seminar of 300 physicians and numerous speakers from
around the world. Smith was the only speaker who got a standing ovation. Three
hundred healthcare workers stood to applaud Smith, who had no fancy letters
behind his name. Information comes from many sources.
It’s not that we don’t have hope. If we all start doing our
part, we will survive to leave a workable Earth for generations to come. We own
a lot of stuff and we make a lot of garbage. We use up 70 percent of the
world’s resources though we’re only 40 percent of its make up. But we can
change. Are you up for the challenge? |
| The role of an inventory by Paula Walker on 10/01/2020
Perhaps it seems so commonplace, as to be surprising, that
something as basic as a list of items could be so important to the legal
system, when you are acting as Personal Representative (PR), aka “Executor,” of
a will. But such is the case that your key responsibility after being appointed
to this position by the court is to turn your efforts to begin creating a list
of the decedent’s property that has fallen to you to manage, account for, value
and some of which eventually to distribute.
As court-appointed PR, once you have thoroughly reviewed the
will with legal counsel and before anything is removed from the home, take
stock of the decedent’s personal belongings. Some of those will possibly be
designated as a gift to someone in particular. You must track those to account
that they were distributed as designated in the will.
Your inventory is the start of that final accounting. You
want to know what the home holds: e.g. jewelry, clothing, household furniture,
furnishings and fixtures, chinaware, silver, photographs, works of art, books,
sporting goods, electronic equipment, musical instruments, etc., and those
assets not directly in the home that are part of the house and property,
including boats, automobiles, shop tools, yard equipment, etc. Each are listed
with your estimated or appraised value of a particular item or a category of
items.
In addition to household items, personal effects and other
personal property as listed prior, your inventory will contain a listing of the
decedent’s real property and personal property: e.g. bank accounts, contracts
and loans with balances outstanding, investment accounts, stocks, bonds, and
could include other financial accounts such as life insurance and retirement
accounts, depending on the provisions in the will.
There is a universe of items that must be included in your
inventory unique to the holdings and possessions of the decedent.
This provides just an example of the task before you as PR
to account to the court and manage transfers to the designated beneficiaries.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Anthony Bourdain, international chef, provides insight into
the likely contents of an estate inventory that would have been prepared for
the court by his PR/Executor, his estranged wife Ottavia Busia. The contents of
his will that directed the distribution and management of his $1.21M estate
upon his death by suicide in the Hotel Le Chambard in the Alsace region of
France in June 2018, account for items that fall along the lines described in
the prior section.
According to court papers his assets included: personal
property cash and savings of $425,000, a brokerage account of $35,000, other
personal property valued at $250,000 and intangible property including
royalties and residuals valued at $500,000. The court documents did not list
real property, such as Bourdain’s East 94th Street New York City condo, purchased
for $3.35M in 2014 and listed for sale three months after his death for $3.7M.
Wonder how that missed the court records? Well, in addition to his will,
Bourdain did also have a trust. Trusts are not a matter of public record.
Something to keep in mind as you make your decisions on your own estate plan. |
| Break out the stock pot by Taeler Butel on 10/01/2020
Goodbye summer, you were... something. We will need some
comfort this fall. Here's some piping hot recipes that will feel like a
cashmere sweater for your soul.
Sausage and potato beer cheese soup
I love to use ale for this soup. If you'd like to switch out
potatoes for cauliflower you would make it keto friendly.
1/2 package kielbasa sausage diced
2 cups peeled, diced Yukon gold potatoes
1 small onion minced
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves minced garlic
1t Italian seasoning
1t salt
1/2t pepper (white pepper is best here)
1T butter
2T all-purpose flour
1T olive oil
1 cup good quality ale
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese
Over medium high heat in a large pot add the oil and butter,
then add in the sausage. Cook until the edges are crisp. Use a slotted spoon to
remove and set aside, add the veggies including potatoes and seasonings. Cook,
stirring often until veggies are almost tender.
Add beer (it will bubble) and the stock. Bring to a boil,
reduce and simmer covered for 30 minutes, remove from heat and let cool
slightly - ladle the soup one cup at a time into blender, pouring back into the
pot until the soup is chunky smooth. Whisk together the cheese, cream and
flour, add mixture to soup and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until
thickened. Garnish with sausage.
Apple pie cookie skillet
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
4 Grannie Smith apples peeled and diced
1t corn starch
1T lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2t cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
One recipe of homemade or prepared sugar or oatmeal cookie
dough. Press into the cast iron skillet and set aside.
Optional toppings:
Chopped pecans
Caramel sauce
Ice cream
Whipped cream
Mix juice and cornstarch and set aside. Add the remaining
ingredients to skillet and cook over medium heat until apples are tender. Add
juice mixture adding some water if too dry (consistency should be syrupy). Add
corn starch if too much liquid.
Pour apples over cookie dough, bake for 20 minutes and serve
warm topped with ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans. |
|  Photo by Gary Randall
I enjoy being a landscape photographer. Being a landscape
photographer allows me opportunities to be out within nature to photograph its
beauty, many times in breathtaking conditions. Being out in nature also allows
me to enjoy encounters with the creatures that inhabit these beautiful
sceneries.
Landscape photographers are typically unprepared to
photograph an encounter with a deer, a squirrel or even an occasional bear,
primarily since a landscape lens is a wide-angle focal length. A wide-angle
lens will not do justice to any kind of wildlife photography. Most of the
creatures will be small and obscure within the scene. A typical focal length
for a landscape scene will be somewhere around 18mm/24mm. In the world of
wildlife photography life begins at 600mm and so an investment in a long focal
length zoom lens must be made. I use a 150mm – 600mm lens.
Photographing wildlife takes a different approach as well. A
landscape photographer will set their camera up on a tripod and, basically,
take their time constructing the shot. There is usually no rush at all, and the
shot is usually made with manual settings. But with wildlife, the animals do
not pose for you and they are usually fleeting in their appearance. Your photos
usually must be made in a blink of an eye and handheld.
My method for photographing wildlife is to set my camera up
on either Aperture Priority or even Shutter Priority. I then will set my ISO to
Auto and make sure that the range will cover all lighting conditions. In
Aperture Priority you will set the aperture and the camera will choose the best
shutter speed and ISO, again making sure that the shutter speed is quick enough
to get a shot without any kind of motion blur. Open the aperture all the way
and push the ISO. Some photographers prefer to set the shutter speed and not
the aperture to make sure that it is always fast enough. In that case you set
the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture and ISO. Either method
works and depends on personal preference or conditions. But it is important to
make sure that you have a fast enough shutter speed. Either way these settings
will be preferred over manual operation as it allows you to make a shot quickly
without having to manually adjust as the animal is moving. Give it a try.
I had the opportunity to photograph wildlife in Alaska
recently. Black bears, grizzly bears, moose, harbor seals, sea lions, sea
otters, eagles and other animals, but the grizzly bears were the most
thrilling. This allowed me to use these techniques to nail the photos as the
bears were going about their business feeding on fish in the river. Grizzly
bears are very focused on fishing and are not aggressive toward humans in this
situation unless they were to feel threatened. Using a 600mm focal length
allowed plenty of room between us and the bears and allowed them to go about
their business as we went about ours. We sat on the opposite side of the Kenai
River and watched them as they pulled fish from the river.
Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority works well in other
situations as well. Photographing people in quick moving situations, such as
candid photos of wedding guests for example, will allow you to pay attention to
your subjects and not have to deal with the camera settings. Also, a longer
focal length zoom lens works well for that too as you don’t have to get up
close to your subject, allowing for more candid photos.
I recommend any photographer that wants to photograph
wildlife to invest in a “long lens” and practice. Try the automatic settings
Aperture and Shutter Priority. Use it in your yard on squirrels and birds and
then go out to a wildlife refuge or a natural place frequented by animals and
become a wildlife photographer. While you are out in the wild please be careful
of your safety as well as being respectful of the animal’s space and safety.
And as always when in nature, leave it better than you found it. |
| Clearcuts are ugly – but they can also be useful by Steve Wilent on 09/01/2020
What’s wrong with clearcuts? I’ll tell you what I think:
They’re ugly. A patch of trees is prettier than a patch of stumps.
Some clearcuts are done in the wrong place, such as on steep
slopes with houses or roads downhill. Sometimes runoff from clearcuts gets into
streams and fouls habitat for fish and other aquatic critters. There are other
valid objections to clearcutting. However, clearcutting in our western Oregon
forests often is an appropriate forest-management practice.
I’m a forester, and I’ve objected to clearcuts in some
cases. Many years ago, when I worked for the US Forest Service on the El Dorado
National Forest in California, part of my job was measuring and marking timber
to be harvested. Sometimes I objected to the use of clearcutting. For example,
one 20-acre parcel had a few large, old-growth Ponderosa pine trees and lots of
relatively young pines and firs, the result of a seed-tree harvest 40 years
previously. The Forest Service’s prescription was to cut everything and plant
seedlings. My opinion was that a better option would have been to leave most or
all of the large trees and cut about half of the younger ones, since many of
them were too close together and not growing well. Such a thinning would have
allowed the remaining young trees to grow faster and taller. The next harvest,
say in 20 or 30 years, might have been another seed-tree harvest, where all but
the largest trees were left to scatter their seeds to start a new generation of
young trees.
In other cases, the use of clearcutting was justified. My
colleagues and I mapped and marked trees on many areas with 60- to 80-year-old
Douglas-fir, white fir and other species. Logs from these clearcuts were sent
to lumber mills and seedlings were planted. Today, those seedlings are close to
40 years old, and most visitors wouldn’t know that the site had been clearcut
decades ago. Yes, a seed-tree cut or a thinning could also have been
implemented, but in this case timber production was the primary goal. I’m okay
with that. I live in a house made from lumber from clearcuts, and I’m okay with
that, too.
Many people object to the use of clearcutting, period.
That’s understandable, since they’re ugly and, if used improperly, can cause
environmental damage. But consider this: just about everyone who lives in the
Hoodland area lives in a clearcut. Trees once stood where your home is. The
same goes for Welches school, Hoodland Plaza and other businesses and
restaurants – and the roads we use to get to them. If you use Hwy. 26, you
drive on a clearcut. The city of Portland was first known as Stumptown, and
most of the metro area was once covered in forest. Sandy, too.
Do you enjoy the delicious apples, pears and cherries grown
in the Hood River area? What was on the land before the orchards were planted?
Much of it was timbered.
Do you enjoy the superb wines made by Oregon wineries? Last
year, according to the Oregon Wine Board, nearly 2,000 acres of new vineyards
were planted in our state, bringing the total number of acres of wine grapes to
nearly 36,000. Before they were vineyards, most of those acres were covered
with trees, grass and other vegetation.
Do you use electricity? The Bonneville Power Administration
power line corridor that runs from The Dalles to Troutdale, known as Big
Eddy–Troutdale No. 1, cuts across the Mt. Hood National Forest and a bit of
private land from Parkdale to Sandy, then heads north to Corbett, a distance of
about 43 miles (measured via Google Earth Pro). Drive up Lolo Pass Road and
you’ll see miles of the corridor. Most of the corridor was cleared of timber
when it was built in the 1950s; these days, BPA crews regularly cut seedlings
cut and/or use herbicides on the brush before it grows tall enough to interfere
with the lines. At roughly 375 feet wide, this section of the corridor is
essentially a clearcut that covers about three square miles. (For what it’s
worth, I hope that someday we’ll get our electricity from small, local, solar
arrays or generators that use hydrogen as a fuel, making such powerline
corridors unnecessary.)
Clearcuts to make way for housing and commercial
development, orchards, vineyards and power lines are permanent clearcuts.
They’ll never be forest again. Clearcutting for timber production and other
purposes – yes, there are other purposes – almost always become forest again.
Under Oregon law, all areas where timber is harvested must be replanted or have
certain levels of natural regeneration within a few years.
Believe it or not, clearcutting can have positive impacts on
wildlife habitat. I’ve been following a story from the Sparta Mountain Wildlife
Management Area in New Jersey, where the state Division of Fish and Wildlife
and partner New Jersey Audubon have harvested small areas of mature timber in
the 3,500-acre reserve. One of their main goals was to create habitat for bird
species that need brushy areas, not dense timber. At least one of those birds,
a golden-winged warbler – a candidate for the federal endangered species list –
showed up in June, and it may have a mate and a nest. This was six years after
the harvest – a clearcut that had drawn loud protests from people who object to
the use of clearcutting, period. New Jersey Audubon reports that bird diversity
increased almost twofold in the clearcut, to an average of about 30 species,
including 10 species of concern. The same sort of thing happens here in Oregon.
Clearcuts are ugly, sure, but sometimes some good comes from
them. I’m okay with that.
Have a question about clearcutting? Want to take a walk in a
clearcut area to see birds and other critters? Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com. |
| View Points – Salem: Wildfire season by Rep. Anna Williams on 09/01/2020
As I navigate the uncharted territory of representing our
communities during a pandemic, I’ve been spending a lot of time calling people
throughout Sandy, the mountain communities and the Hood River Valley, asking
them what they’re concerned about. A few things have understandably been coming
up over and over again since spring: unemployment, racial justice and public
health. One thing I’ve only just begun to hear about, though, is something
people in our part of the state should all be aware of: wildfire season is upon
us.
Since fire season began in early July, dry conditions, high
heat and wind have led to fires throughout Oregon. As I write this, the Mosier
Creek Fire, a nearly 1,000-acre fire that ignited mere miles outside of the
boundaries of my legislative district, has only just been contained after
spreading rapidly and burning for days. Despite that single success in our
state’s wildfire response, Governor Brown has declared a state of emergency due
to the imminent threat of wildfires throughout the state.
Wildfire is a serious concern for people in this part of the
state. I’ve heard the same sentence uttered by many people in our mountain
communities: “I’m afraid we could be the next Paradise, California.” With one
road into these communities and one road out, atop a mountain covered with
wildfire fuel, it is clearer to people in the Sandy and Hoodland area than to
most others throughout the state that we need to invest significantly in our
wildland firefighting programs.
The first bill I signed on to co-sponsor when I was sworn
into the legislature was aimed at increasing our state’s preparedness for fire
season. Community resiliency in the face of fire threats has been a top
priority for me after hearing from so many people who were impacted by the
Eagle Creek fire in 2017. Unfortunately, political gamesmanship – namely, the
repeated walkouts by my Republican colleagues – have kept us from passing
several bills that would have provided crucial assistance to Oregon’s fire
response efforts.
Thankfully, in April, the legislature’s Emergency Board
approved a spending increase of $3.6 million to assist crews in fire
suppression efforts. However, this investment pales in comparison to the
roughly $4 billion that our state will spend over the next 20 years to adapt to
the new fire management challenges that climate change has forced upon us.
That’s why, no matter what other disagreements we may have, I am committed to
working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide robust
wildfire prevention funding.
Rest assured, we have seen successes despite our limited
resources. In the Mosier Creek Fire, for example, the state’s pandemic-ready
fire response teams had their first successful deployment. The “COVID fire
module,” a new tool for firefighting during the pandemic, allows the men and
women at the fire line to do their brave and essential work with reduced risk
of spreading illness to their colleagues. Thanks to the deployment of this
state resource, the Mosier Creek fire was quickly and safely contained, and I
remain optimistic that any other fires that may flare up in the months to come
will be managed quickly and effectively.
That said, we all need to do our part. This year, a higher
than usual percentage of fires have been human caused. So please, if you’re
visiting a campground to safely distance while getting outside, be sure to
completely extinguish any campfires you set (and, of course, follow all fire
bans if they are in place). If you smoke, put your cigarettes out completely
and be sure you toss them in a trash can when you’re done. Finally, make sure
your car is in good condition if you’re driving through dry areas: metal
dragging from cars, worn brake pads that throw off sparks and even hot exhaust
pipes or mufflers (if driven through dry brush), can start wildfires.
If we all do our part – on an individual and statewide level
– we can confront the threat of wildfires even with limited resources to invest
in prevention and preparedness.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative |
| View Points – Sandy: Planning for Sandy's future by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 09/01/2020
As a precocious teenager interested in civics and public
service at Sandy High School, my Civics teacher nominated me for a “shadow
councilor” position for the Sandy City Council. As a shadow councilor, we would
receive meeting briefing packets in the mail at school, meet with our City
Councilor and sit behind them during council meetings. At the end of the
meeting we would even get to participate in councilor reports and provide our
own as a shadow councilor.
I would sit there as a young high school student and watch
as our local leaders debated issues and planned for the future of our city.
During that time and over the next 20 years, I would often think about the
actions I would take and the kind of leader I would be if I were ever to have
that kind of responsibility to the city that so many of us love so dearly.
These past two years as your Mayor has been one of the
greatest highlights of my life. To serve the community that I both grew up in
and then later decided to raise my own family in has been a true honor. The
only better feeling is knowing how much we have accomplished with the help of
my fellow Sandy City Councilors!
Despite a global pandemic, the work we’ve done as a city to
enrich the lives of our neighbors, improve traffic congestion and keep our
citizens safe is something I’m truly proud of.
I made a lot of promises two years ago, and as your Mayor
I’ve been able to keep every one of them.
To help keep Sandy moving, we negotiated a joint venture
with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to conduct a feasibility
study for a local bypass for our citizens. Additionally, we received approval
for synchronized traffic lights from ODOT on Hwy. 26, secured funding for 362nd
to Bell Street to alleviate the school time commute off Bluff Road and won
county transportation funds for paved shoulders along 362nd Ave.
Our local Sandy small businesses are the heartbeat of our
community and as promised, we stood up for them! We spearheaded a COVID-19
relief fund to provide $3,000 in aid to local small businesses. We slashed red
tape by removing System Development Charges for patio seating at local
restaurants and burdensome parking requirements, and we increased funding for
the Tenant Improvement Program for local businesses.
Finally, one of my most important responsibilities as your
Mayor is to protect your pocketbook and your family. These past two years we’ve
been enormously successful in doing precisely that. We adopted the Wastewater
Treatment Facilities Plan that included $500,000 in funds from the State. If
successful, this study could help us cut the facility costs in half. Perhaps
even more importantly, we provided our Sandy Police Department with not only
increased funding, but also a stable funding source that should pay huge dividends
for the department in the years ahead.
These are just a few of our major accomplishments and yet
there is still so much left to do. We’ve done a terrific job laying the
foundation for Sandy to flourish into the future. Now is the time to work with
our neighbors to collectively plan for our future as a community.
As one of Oregon’s fastest growing cities, now is the time
to properly plan for our potential. These next two years need to be about
making good on my promise for a community-led effort to plan for what we want
Sandy to look like in the years ahead. This coming year, I want our Sandy City
Council to make it a goal to both identify funding for and officially kick-off
our comprehensive planning efforts for growth. This endeavor should include a
community outreach and engagement effort. Every neighbor, small business owner
and community volunteer or activist should have the opportunity to participate
in the planning of our community.
We will also look to this same kind of community-led effort
for the Sandy Community Campus. Now is the time for our neighbors to engage and
collectively develop a long-term plan and strategy for this major project.
Let us together continue to keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy |
| Fantastic flavors by Taeler Butel on 09/01/2020
Crab Boil
A whole meal in a pot, fit for a crowd. Sausage, potatoes,
corn and shellfish simmering in a spicy broth. Add a loaf of crusty bread and
you'll have the perfect summer meal alfresco!
2-3 lbs crab legs
2 lbs shell on shrimp
4 ears of corn, each cut into four pieces
1 lb baby potatoes
1 lb andouille sausage
1 onion, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 stick unsalted butter
Bay leaf
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
Grab a large pot, and over medium heat melt the butter, then
add the seasoning. To the pot add onion, celery and garlic. Sautee for a few
minutes then add the sausage, corn, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce
to a summer, add the shellfish and cook for five minutes more.
Key lime bars
A cool citrus desert is the perfect ending to a hot summer
night.
For the crust:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
Process in a food processor or mix with a pastry cutter.
Press into square pan and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make
the filling.
For the filling:
6 oz soft cream cheese
4 egg yolks
1 T key lime zest
1 t vanilla
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
Mix all the ingredients together using a whisk or electric
mixer. Pour onto the cooled crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Cool
completely. |
| Even the smallest garden can offer empowerment by Victoria Larson on 09/01/2020
The most rewarding money and stress reliever is gardening,
empowering your food security. I gave my son-in-law a tomato plant for Father’s
Day. Hie lives in an apartment and was thrilled when he got his first tomato!
Even if you only grow one plant on your porch, you empower
yourself. Even if you only grew one zucchini you probably ended up with a lot
of food. One eight-inch zucchini shredded will fill a one-quart freezer
container. A quart of frozen zucchini mixed with cooked rice or quinoa makes
lovely fritters for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or there’s always zucchini
chocolate cake!
Of course, if you had/have a larger garden, you may need to
lock your car door at church to avoid anyone dropping a baseball-bat-sized
zucchini into your car. Though they may be sliced lengthwise for lasagna or
crosswise for sautéing.
Never waste food. In addition to the Victory Gardens being
promoted between WWI and WWII, there was the “clean your plate” endeavor as
part of those global efforts. Now we’ve somehow come back as almost half of all
food in America is tossed as “garbage.” No wonder starving nations think we are
wasteful. Start a compost heap, get chickens or even pet Guinea pigs to eat
your vegetable “waste.”
If you have a larger garden, it’s not too late to preserve
food for winter. Canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting may consume your
time, but if you’re currently out of work it’s a good way to empower yourself.
And it feels great to look at those filled pantry shelves. You’ll be “prepared”
for surprises.
There’s still a lot coming out of the garden – cukes,
peppers, tomatoes, beans and of course, kale. Make kale chips or kale
guacamole, or zucchini hummus. Simply substitute whatever you have a lot of in
your favorite recipes.
And forage – actually pick all those apples on your or your
neighbor’s apple trees (with permission, of course). When I lived on my five-acre
homestead, I owned Clackamas County’s oldest living Gravenstein apple tree.
After applesauce, juice and dried cinnamon apples, my four
donkeys and two llamas got the rest. Chickens cleaned up any pests under the
trees. Alas, while also something of a homesteader, the new owner of that farm
has cut down that tree, as well as the pear tree next to it (which once gave me
96 quarts of pears in one year). Is buying applesauce in little plastic
containers a better option? Not any more.
That new farmer also tore down the old cabin that was always
cool, under that historical apple tree. It was built in the 1930s as a place to
live, with an outhouse and no electricity or running water. I had used it as a
guest house, a bunkhouse for farm workers and my ex-husband wrote several books
there. Now it’s history that is gone forever.
But my new property, while not even an acre, may have one of
the last free-standing fruit rooms around. Eight-foot by nine-foot, all four
walls are fifteen inches thick. A perfect place to store my home-canned goods,
potatoes, squash, onions, fruit and eggs. Even t.p. in case of the next
unforeseen disaster.
I am no longer part of the “consume all you can” society,
thought I’ll admit that previously living alone in a 2,200 square foot house
left lots of room for “acquiring.” Maybe the pendulum is now swinging back to
“less is More” – even my 12-year-old grandson requested no gifts for his
birthday party. Buying things for a moment’s pleasure that end their lives in
the landfill is no longer sustainable. Let’s build up spiritual abundance and
peace instead of “stuff.”
As the time to “gather up” the garden nears, remember to
tithe to the soil which provides for you. While continuing to plant lettuce and
other green leafies, every couple of weeks, you can still plant starts of
cabbage, kale, garlic, onions, potatoes and root crops to see you through the
winter. With store squashes, that’s a lot of food. So you can maybe stop buying
industrial and packaged food and eating out so often.
We each need enough food to see us through the “lean months”
of February and March. Those home-canned tomatoes become the “fast food” of the
end of the year – think soup, sauces, casseroles. Many grocery stores still
don’t have fully filled shelves and may never again! What if our next crisis is
over oil and gas? Transportation will become different. Though we’re all
getting used to staying home more, it never hurts to be prepared.
The cooler air of September makes us restless, we know
change is in the air. Time to gather up sweatshirts and blankets for we know
cooler times are coming. Learn new skills and teach the children. Publications
like Mother Earth News, the New Pioneer and this newspaper will help you learn
– and empower yourselves! Even if I never make a bone needle or hook up my own
solar heating, I like knowing where to find acorns and black walnuts and which
plants on my own property are useful for medicine or food. I feel empowered. |
| Aren't all trusts revocable? by Paula Walker on 09/01/2020
When we talk about a Trust as opposed to a Will as your
basic estate plan document, we are in general referring to a Revocable Living
Trust. A ‘brain-ful’ to remember and a mouthful to repeat. But why the term
“revocable” and what about the term “living?” And are all trusts “revocable?”
First off what is a Trust? It is a legal entity you set up
to manage your assets and possessions, such as investment accounts, real
estate, qualified tax accounts, cars, art, jewelry etc. You place your assets
inside the Trust to manage them during your life and to provide the means to
manage them and/or their distribution upon your death. There are two types of
“living trusts,” i.e. trusts made effective during your lifetime. They are
revocable and irrevocable.
A Revocable Living Trust provides you the means to change
the terms of the trust, retain control of your assets or cancel the trust
altogether, i.e. ‘revoke’ it. Powers over the trust include adding and removing
assets, naming beneficiaries, changing, adding and/or removing beneficiaries,
changing what and how much is distributed to each beneficiary, dictating how
distributions occur and when. This is in contrast to an Irrevocable Trust,
which can also be a ‘living’ trust that is by contrast cast in stone. Except
for rare circumstances, the terms of an irrevocable trust are set upon signing
the agreement. Once signed, the Irrevocable Trust may not be changed, altered,
modified or revoked after its creation.
Some of the key advantages to a Revocable Living Trust as
the main estate planning document include avoiding probate, eliminating or
minimizing estate taxes, eliminating or minimizing other tax consequences and
other advantages to assist you in passing the value in your estate to those you
intend to benefit from all that you worked to achieve.
More to come in subsequent articles on types of trusts and how
they might work together or independently to meet your estate planning goal(s)
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Just for fun… an interesting story about a pair of jeans.
Who would think that an old pair of jeans would be a treasure found and a
valuable inheritance? Well such was the case for Jock Taylor. When rummaging in
an old wooden trunk handed down in the family, Taylor—the great great grandson
of Arizona pioneer Solomon Warner, a storekeeper in the Arizona Territory –
found an old pair of jeans that dated back to the 19th century. The design of
the jeans showed that they were made by Levi Strauss & Co. before 1901, in
part because they had just one back pocket. Like archaeological finds, the size
of the jeans, indicate that Solomon Warner was a “larger than-life character”
as the jeans had a size 44 waist and 36-inch inseam; and because their pristine
condition indicates that he had worn them very few times before his death. Not
accepting the eager offer from Levi Strauss of $50,000 for the artifact jeans,
Taylor eventually sold these jeans—a replica from the American Old west, sold
in Maine, to a buyer living somewhere in Southeast Asia whose representative
purchased them on May 15, 2018 – for nearly $100,000. Could a storekeeper in
pioneer territory ever imagine that his practical purchase of a pair of jeans
in 1893 would fetch a small fortune nearly 125 years later and travel the
country and the globe in winding their way to a new owner?
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
Focus and clarity in a photograph is something that we try
our best to achieve when making a photograph. It’s a part of the process that
takes time and practice to study and to understand. It’s important to be able
to understand how to focus properly and to direct that focus to where it will
benefit the impact and quality of the photo. But does the photo need to be
completely “tack sharp” in its focus and clarity? Let’s discuss how to use
focus and depth of field to create better images.
There are two ways to eliminate, or cause, areas in your
photograph that are not in focus, but only one can be affected by focusing.
Focus typically affects the whole photograph while a shallow depth of field
will cause softness and clarity in areas of the photo. Focus is easily
explained and affected by the action of turning the focus ring to bring the
image into clear focus. The next that I’ll discuss is more complicated.
Affecting the depth of field, or the depth of the focused area in the photo is
controlled by the aperture.
A lens aperture will have the effect of deeper depth of
field when the lens is “stopped down.” The action of stopping down a lens is
simply changing the aperture opening to a smaller hole (a larger number on the
aperture ring). When you reduce the size of the aperture opening you are
stopping more light from entering the lens, but you are also increasing the
depth of field - the amount of area in focus. Stopping down will usually create
more focus from front to back in the photograph. Conversely opening up the
aperture will cause a shallower focused area.
One element of focusing that must be understood is that the
closer an object that’s being focused on will also create a shallower depth of
field. Every lens has a minimum focus distance.
This minimum focus distance is the area when the lens can no
longer focus as the foreground of the object that needs to be focused is too
close to the lens. And the closer that you get to this minimum focus distance,
the shallower your depth of focus will be, causing things in the distance to be
less clear.
There are calculations that can be used, called hyperfocal
distance, but just understanding how this works will allow you to use it to
better understand how to maximize or control your focus. Just keep in mind that
if you stop down, you maximize the depth of field and if you open your aperture
up you will minimize the depth of field. In addition, your depth of field will
narrow the closer that the subject gets to the lens.
Now, how can we use this knowledge to make better photos?
It’s pretty simple really when you understand that it can be used to separate
the subject from a background, for instance.
You can open up the aperture, creating a narrow depth of
field, to focus just on a flower or a person while blurring out the background.
Or if you’re struggling with keeping as much as possible in focus,
understanding that you need to stop down and/or back up a little bit from the
foreground will help you achieve that.
Having a camera that allows you to control the settings
gives one the ability to craft better photos. Understanding how to achieve
focus or soft out of focused areas according to the effect that one wants to
achieve will elevate your photography to a whole new level.
|
| MHGS: the end of an environmentally excellent era by on 07/30/2020
It all began five years ago. I had responded to a classified
ad in The Mountain Times, and soon I found myself having coffee and listening
to a man share a vision he had for creating sustainability opportunities on the
mountain. Doug Saldivar had cut his teeth with the pioneering nonprofit
organization Portland Recycling Team that operated at a time when recycling was
far from the norm.
Now through his position as President of The Villages board,
he had recruited Dave Fulton and they were seeking others to join their
efforts. The new organization had launched five years earlier by holding a
contest for the Welches school children to choose a name. Second-grader Benny's
entry won, and the Mt. Hood Green Scene was born.
The Mt. Hood Green Scene later merged with the Portland
Recycling Team, becoming a 501(c) non-profit organization. Through our efforts
on the mountain, we were able to bring the community a number of collection
events for items that are not recyclable curbside, thus preventing much toxic
waste from going into the landfills.
We are proud of the partnerships we formed with the Hoodland
community. Page’s Auto & Tire collected used tires. We worked with the
Hoodland Thriftway to bring about used plastic bag collection.
Together with the Welches Mountain Building Supply Company,
we initiated a used paint collection program. We collaborated with youth from
the Ant Farm to clear the land at the Welches School for use in their outdoor
school program.
We worked with some local lodging facilities to collect bath
soap for donation to homeless shelters in Portland. With the support of
Clackamas County Environmental Services, we collected things such as used
fluorescent lightbulbs and batteries to keep toxic elements from seeping into
the groundwater. We cleared English Ivy, an invasive species, from a local
community.
Much of our work has focused in the area of community
education. We held a movie series at the Wraptitude, various lectures at
Wy’East Book Store & Art Gallery. We worked with the Sandy High School
Science Department to involve kids in our events in hopes of inspiring them.
They developed a drama version of Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” long before the film
came out. And of course, for the past five years a monthly column thanks to the
wonderful support of the Mountain Times.
The Mt. Hood Green Scene has been embraced by the community
and even had some detractors. In spite of it, we persevered and are proud of
the work we have done. Now the time has come for us to pass the baton. Our
non-profit organization is closing its doors.
The remaining funds have been “recycled” to the
Environmental Learning Center at Clackamas Community College. It is intended to
support their work of teaching the youth to become stewards and defenders of
the planet they will inhabit.
In the name of all of the Board of Directors and myself, thank
you for the years of community support and please continue to tread lightly on
our Mother Earth.
|
| View Points – Salem: One voice can make a difference by Rep. Anna Williams on 07/30/2020
Civil unrest in our state and the constantly evolving
pandemic brings about new, major public health measures every week. With all
this going on, it’s easy to lose sight of some of the small but important
policy changes taking place in Oregon, and it can be hard to feel like one
person’s voice can really make a difference. Recently one of my constituents
contacted me, leading to small change that could have vast impacts on the
quality of tens of thousands of Oregonians’ lives.
I received an email from a Hood River resident asking about
a program put in place by Colorado’s state health department. The department’s
guidance allowed for outdoor visitation at residential care facilities –
putting an end to the state’s ban on any visitation to long-term care residents
that had been in place since the beginning of the pandemic.
My constituent wondered whether Oregon could implement a
similar program. At the time, long-term care residents in Oregon had been
almost completely isolated for months and I’d fielded several messages from
long-term care residents’ frustrated family members about the psychological
impacts of loneliness and spoken to older constituents who were suffering from
isolation in their care homes. Earlier in the pandemic, the science on viral
transmission indoors versus outdoors was not as clear as it is now, so outdoor
visitation didn’t seem like a safe solution to the issue.
However, by June, all it took was an email. I reached out to
the director of the Division on Aging and People with Disabilities within the
Department of Human Services (DHS). He got back to me, emphasizing that the
agency had been struggling with how to approach resumption of visitation. He
said he would look into whether Oregon could implement such a program in the
near future and agreed with my constituent and me that it would probably be
low-risk for residents and family members alike.
Less than three weeks later, I’m proud to say Oregon
released new guidelines that are nearly identical to Colorado’s. Starting July
21, long-term care facilities are now permitted to offer outdoor visitation as
long as they put required safeguards in place. This will make a huge
difference. Although visits to loved ones do carry some risk, they are also
essential to well-being and I’m thrilled at this quick action to provide our
long-term care residents some much-needed support.
While the policy itself is worth celebrating, I also share
this story to highlight something that many people may have forgotten at a time
when so much seems out of our hands: your voice matters. Whether it’s
testifying at a school board meeting about racial equity, contacting elected
officials to find solutions that help your small business navigate regulations
(something else I was recently involved in) or writing your state
representative about your policy ideas, a single person really can make a
difference in this community, this state and this world. As always, I welcome
your input on any changes you would like to see in Oregon. Email me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov or call 503-986-1452. I look forward to
hearing from you!
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| View Points – Sandy: A lifetime of service by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 07/30/2020
The late American Civil Rights icon and United States
Congressman John Lewis once said, “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be
hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a
month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to
make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
John Lewis was the epitome of a lifetime of service. In
recent years there has been an uprising of populist activism across not just
our nation and the globe, but also in our local communities like Sandy. Whether
it be demonstrations for second amendment rights, against vaccines, opposing
cap and trade policies, supporting cap and trade policies, the Black Lives
Matter movement or the Blue line in support of local police departments,
activism is on the rise.
While this activism, along with the right to protest and
rally, are an important part of American life and what makes our nation so
great, our democracy demands more of us than to simply participate in these
kinds of activities and do nothing more.
Too often people get engaged too late in a process to invoke
change and are only left with the ability to complain after the fact. What I
have found through my own volunteerism is that the real difference needs to be
made on the front end. This is not the easy work, but it is effective and the
best way to invoke real change.
Too often local committees and board positions on local
government bodies and nonprofits go unfulfilled. People notice things they
don’t like happening or local festivals diminishing and are willing to go
online to complain but are too often unwilling to roll up their own sleeves to
help out to do the heavy lifting to get things done.
In his farewell address President Barack Obama said,
“Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when
there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but
over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on
the internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing,
lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you’re disappointed by your
elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures and run for office
yourself. Show up. Dive in. Persevere.”
President Obama was right. While there are many things I
disagreed with him on, it was these words that began to motivate me to run for
Mayor of our community of Sandy.
My service has been one of the greatest highlights of my
life. While extremely challenging
and frustrating at times, service at the local level is incredibly rewarding.
At this level, you can see the change you’re making. You get to know the names
and personalities of your neighbors. You learn their backstories and their
hopes and dreams.
There is nothing more intimate or important than local
community public service.
In Sandy, we have several open City Council seats available
to run for as well as committee and board positions, from planning and parks to
the library and arts. All of these positions have a direct impact on the
community in which you live.
Our community needs you. We want you involved. We want you
to show up when you can. We’d love a lifetime of service.
We want this because we know that with you involved, we can
keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Why did my tree die? (Or, there's a fungus among us) by Steve Wilent on 07/30/2020
Have you heard the one about the mushroom who walks into a
bar and orders a beer?
The bartender says, “Hey, we don’t serve your kind in here!”
The mushroom says, “Why not? I’m a fungi!”
Here on the Mountain, if the mushroom who walks into the bar
is a chanterelle or a morel, the bartender will probably welcome the “fun guy”
and invite a few hundred of its closest friends to join them. And they’ll never
be seen again — unless they’re on a plate or in a bowl.
Seriously, certain fungi are a serious topic in my
neighborhood and elsewhere in the area, and not because they’re delicious. Some
of them are tree killers. And those dead trees can be dangerous if they fall on
you or your house. Ask me how I know.
I’ll tell you how: About 20 years ago, during a December
windstorm, Lara and I were watching through a window as the very tall trees on
our property whipped and bent in the wind. We heard a deep subterranean
snapping sound, and another, and then watched a 150-foot Douglas-fir fall onto
the house. We weren’t hurt—we were 20 feet from the point of impact, but we
sure felt the impact. The tree “only” clipped one corner of the house, but
smashed a sizable portion of the roof, broke a couple of windows, and did other
damage. Fortunately, our insurance company paid our claim quickly and the
damage was repaired within six weeks, thanks to Jim Gunesch of Cherryville
Construction and his crew.
Several other large trees on our 1.5 acres have blown down
or died since then. Three that were apparently healthy blew down without doing
much damage. Two died but remained standing, and I cut them down before they
could fall where we didn’t want them. All of these trees died because they were
infected with a fungal root disease. Several trees on my neighbors’ properties
also have died recently, but — so far, fingers crossed — no homes or cars have
been hit by falling trees. Asplundh crews have been in the neighborhood this
summer to cut down trees that had died and threatened power lines. I have a
feeling that the crew will be back before long.
The three trees on my property that blew down, including the
one that hit our house, and the two I cut down, had a fungal disease called
laminated root rot. I suspect that many of the Douglas-fir trees that are dead
or dying in our area also have laminated root rot, alone or in combination with
other diseases and insects. When a tree’s roots are weakened by a fungal
disease, insects such as bark beetles are attracted to the tree and their
attack can overwhelm the weakened tree’s natural defenses. But by the time the
insects arrive, the tree is probably as good as dead anyhow.
According to Oregon State University, laminated root rot is
one of the most damaging root diseases in Oregon. It affects all conifers, but
is most damaging to Douglas-fir, the most common tree in our area. The fungus
causes roots to decay and separate along annual growth rings, thus the term
laminated. Unfortunately, evidence of the disease is usually not visible —
often, the first indication of any trouble is when an apparently healthy
Douglas-fir dies or is blown down.
Also unfortunately, even if a forester or arborist can
determine if a tree is infected with laminated root rot — even experts have
trouble doing so — there’s nothing they can do about it except to cut the tree
down if it poses a danger to life and property. That can be spendy. Several
years ago, when a large Douglas-fir across the road suddenly developed an
ominous lean toward my house, I asked the neighbor to have the tree removed. He
did so, at a cost of more than $1,000. Because the tree was close to several
houses and power lines, it had to be removed in pieces from the top down—a
labor intensive procedure. Of course, removing the tree also had the benefit of
saving a house and other property from being squished. My neighbor said that
the two cords of firewood in the tree made up for a portion of the cost of
cutting it down.
To make matters worse, laminated root rot spreads from tree
to tree underground through root contact. If one tree dies from laminated root
rot, it is likely that nearby trees, though apparently green and healthy, are
already infected. It is small consolation that the disease progresses slowly,
once a tree is infected.
Several other root diseases may by affecting trees in your
neighborhood. A publication from the Oregon State University Extension Service,
“Ecology, Identification, and Management of Forest Root Diseases in Oregon,”
has a wealth of information about laminated root rot and four other root
diseases that are common in our state. See tinyurl.com/ybc46y68.
What to do? If you think a tree near your home is in poor
health, consult an arborist or forester with experience in evaluating such
trees.
Have a question about root diseases? A suggestion for a
future column topic? Want to hear another great mushroom joke? Let me know.
SWilent@gmail.com. |
| What is fair about 'Fair Market Value' by Paula Walker on 07/30/2020
No – I didn’t switch over to real estate law since the last
article, but the truth is that estate planning touches all aspects of law,
because it is about people, their lives, their undertakings and their
accumulations as a result. Real estate is a part of that formula. Very often, a
person’s residence, or additional real estate holdings, is a key component of
their plan. How they transition that asset, and the directions they want to
codify for that purpose, constitute a core focus of their wealth, and often
their legacy. A person’s home often is central to the life they have lived. The
people that they intend to benefit with the transfer of that home, and its
potential transfer of wealth financially or in terms of real property retained,
deserve careful thought about how to handle the transfer and the distribution of
interest in the real property. So, enter the concept of ‘fair market value,’
FMV.
In your estate plan you will leave your home and possibly
other real property to one or more people to keep or to sell; or you may simply
direct that the real property is to be sold, without option for retention. For
the sake of your beneficiaries you want the best price possible if sold. FMV is
often the standard set for that purpose. It differs from appraised value and
market value though either of those may be used to help establish the FMV. The
FMV, as a standard of guidance for the transfer of the wealth in that real
property to your beneficiaries, is the price that the real property will fetch
if placed on the open market for fair competition among multiple potential buyers
and skillful negotiation on the part of the seller to bargain for the best
price possible given the market at the time of sale. Or if the market is
depressed, perhaps you create terms and conditions in your estate plan that
support holding the property in the estate if that is the case, waiting for a
market adjustment and return to better sales conditions.
The ‘fair’ in ‘fair market value’ refers to the conditions
under which the price is established. i.e., the asset is (or would be) sold on
the open market, both buyer and seller have reasonable knowledge of the asset —
such as the condition, the features of the land and structure(s), what aspects
of the property are in demand or are what the buyer is looking for, the
competition for purchasing i.e., real estate in a high growth area will command
a higher price; etc. — both are acting in their own best interest, each are
free of undue pressure to trade and there is ample time to negotiate the terms
of sale. That, in summary is the ‘fair’ of FMV.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Luis Carlos de Nornha Cabral de Camara.
Who??
None other than Luis Carlos de Nornha Cabral de Camara, the
lonely, childless, wealthy Portuguese aristocrat whose valuable estate was
distributed to 70 people that he did not know as orchestrated by his own
deliberate action. As part of that estate, he owned a 12-room apartment in
central Lisbon and a house near the northern town of Guimaraes. Wonder if he
specified their sale at the Lisbon equivalent of FMV? At any rate, when he
passed away at the age of 42, in 2001, seventy people that he had chosen from
the Lisbon phone book some 13 years prior were his estate’s designated
beneficiaries, having authenticated his will at a Lisbon registry office with
two witnesses, one of them a friend of his who stated that, “He was determined
that nothing should go to the state, which he thought had been robbing him of
money all his life." Many of these strangers upon receiving a check from
his estate, several thousand euros each, thought this was a scam. No wonder.
Hopefully, all checked the facts and did not refuse the unexpected and
unprecedented gesture of giving. Life is interesting – is it not? |
| The new normal – adjusting to less money and more stress by Victoria Larson on 07/30/2020
Here’s hoping all of you planted something last May as by
now those gardens and plantings should be giving you a fair amount of fresh
fruits and vegetables. With even some to put away for winter, for who knows
what the future will bring us. It’s a different world now but hopefully you’ve
found a way to fill your time while still staying in touch with family and
friends.
Dealing with stress is a big part of daily life – computers
and smart phones make huge amounts of information available to you… but do you
need all that news? If it makes you anxious, you don’t. If it makes you sit,
just sit, for eight hours at a time, you don’t. Spending time learning to knit
or change a tire will help you become more self-sufficient and in control of
your life. And it’s OK to turn off your phone for a period of time if the
interruptions are causing stress. Use your phone to get in touch with, or keep
in touch with, family and friends.
How do we deal with less money, more stress, health? Let’s
start with laundry. Laundry can be easier (and the soaps much cheaper) if we do
things in a new way. 90 percent of energy usage with laundry comes from heating
the water. You don’t need to heat the water, as cold-water friction is as
effective as hot water. Even though the fancy bright-packaged laundry soaps are
back in the stores, you don’t need to go back to them. Natural cleaning
products are as effective as the fancy ones. These include baking soda, borax,
castile soap, white vinegar and even lemons and coarse salt. They are far
cheaper and have less packaging, thereby saving you money and decreasing your
carbon footprint.
Dishwashers are another energy hog due to their use of
extremely hot water. And they break down. 90 percent of the people who own them
rinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. “What does the
dishwasher do?” Dishwasher detergents have enzymes in them to break down food
particles. People actually do matter more than machines. Just stop pre-rinsing
the dishes. Scraping plates into the compost bucket is OK.
When it comes to soap, remember that dishwasher soap is
designed to break down food particles. If you use the cheapest kind, using more
won’t make it work better. And while all those anti-bacterial liquid soaps have
their place (the car, for instance), they are not necessarily anti-viral.
COVID-19 is a virus. Anti-bacterials kill bacteria but they come in plastic
containers with non-recyclable parts. Soap and water work as well as it’s the
friction of scrubbing that really does the trick. Which is why we teach our
kids to scrub their hands (often) and use a nail brush.
One of the biggest users of your energy dollars comes from
driving. Though we’ve all been doing less of it, can we get it down even more?
Gone is the “Sunday drive.” Do you really need to leave the house every day if
you’re not currently working? Do you really need an SUV if there are only one
or two people in your household? Do you really need to eat out three or more
times per week? Fewer trips out will mean less exposure, less stress and less
money spent.
Reduce your energy use as much as possible. Not only will
this save you money, but you’ll have a sense of power (no pun intended) over
your life. The absolute easiest thing you can do to decrease your energy use is
dry clothes outside. Stop using your dryers, at least during the non-rainy
months. Dryers use a tremendous amount of energy, as does anything that makes
heat. Most of the world line dries their laundry, but in the U.S. 92 percent
use dryers even when the sun is out! In China it’s hard to even find a clothes
dryer to buy and only three percent use dryers. Brazil uses fewer than one
percent dryers. Air is free (so far). Bring the smell of fresh air and sunshine
into your home by drying clothes outside.
Back to gardening as it is a most rewarding money and stress
reliever. One hour of gardening or 15 minutes outdoors if possible. Magnesium
is important for the natural absorption of vitamin D. Men need 420 mg per day
and women need 320 mg per day. Magnesium is in most vegetables. Best sources
are almonds and spinach (80 mg), beans (60 mg), pumpkin seeds (70 mg). Eat
these foods daily if you want to have more energy and stay healthy.
The simple life is just not so simple anymore. Google
“simple life” and in a half a minute you will have more than a million
responses! That is not exactly a simple start. Go slow in making changes. Start
small with maybe one or two things per week. Children and the elderly are 50
percent less likely to experience depression and loneliness if they spend daily
time outside. Give of yourself. It makes you feel good about yourself as well
as your recipient. Be honest and kind in all of your dealings with others.
Create connections by writing the story of your life and share that with
grandkids, people in nursing homes or prisons. Share your life stories with
those who are in quarantine.
|
| One pan BBQ meal by Taeler Butel on 07/30/2020
All together now. Let's fire up those BBQ grills for one-pan
meals!
Spatchcock chicken and veggies
Preheat the BBQ grill to 325 degrees.
1 whole chicken flattened, back bone removed (the butcher
can do this for you). Coat with a dry rub.
Dry rub:
Mix together 2t each pepper, paprika, garlic powder, 1t
salt, 1t cumin
4 sweet potatoes, halved
Sprinkle lightly with olive oil, salt and a pinch of
cinnamon.
2 zucchini squash halved
1 large sweet onion – cut off one end and trim the other end
– cut side up and quarter but not cutting quite through. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper and garlic powder.
Place all ingredients on a large baking tray or cast-iron
pan, bake on the grill for 45 minutes and serve with Alabama white BBQ sauce.
Alabama white BBQ sauce:
Mix together 1 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1T
Worcestershire sauce, 1/2t each of onion powder, cayenne, pepper and water to
thin. Refrigerate. |
|  Photo by Gary Randall
It’s rhododendron season again on Mount Hood. The “rhodies”
are revered here on the Mountain as they are most likely the most popular
wildflower. We even have a town that is named for the beautiful pink flowers
that line our roads every springtime. They’re very photogenic and my wife
Darlene and I are always glad to see rhododendron season arrive.
The name rhododendron is derived from the ancient Greek
words for rose and tree. Of course, rhododendrons are neither a rose nor a
tree. They’re a part of a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heather
family. They’re found mainly in Asia but are also widespread in the mountains
of the American Pacific Northwest as well as in the highlands of the
Appalachian Mountains. Azalea are related to rhododendrons.
Rhododendrons are so beautiful that they seem out of place
in the forest. I have been asked several times by those friends not from here
if they were planted along the highways as a beautification project. Of course,
these beautiful flowers also grow far from roads throughout the forest but they
love sunshine. You can find them growing along the roads because of that.
As photographers we can capitalize on that by going to a
clearing with a beautiful view of Mount Hood for a photo. Many views can be
found by taking a hike on many of the trails in the area.
The flower’s pastel pink blossoms in contrast with a
beautiful blue sky is a perfect color combination and when blended with a
beautiful snowcapped peak creates a classic composition. But these beautiful
flowers will also grow in the forests among the trees. Many homes in the area
have domestic rhododendrons of varying colors in their yards, but the beautiful
native flowers are my favorite.
And furthermore, the bear grass blooms along with the
rhododendrons on a typical year. The shape of these flowers, with their stem
shooting up from the ground and their hundreds of small, white, sparkle-like
blossoms flaring out into an orb reminds me of fireworks bursting in the sky.
The best news is that a photo such as that can be made with
a cell phone. There’s no need to pack extra camera gear on a hike to the
flowers, but if you want to create a more complex photo a digital camera will
need to be used.
There is really not a lot more to say about these beautiful
flowers besides my encouragement to take some time to appreciate this local
flower that represents the beauty of our forests.
|
| If you have a burning desire, call the burn information line by Steve Wilent on 07/01/2020
Hello, my name is Steve, and I’m a pyromaniac. Well, not
really — I don’t start fires that cause injury or harm, only small campfires
that I and others enjoy. But when I was a small boy, my parents may have
wondered whether they were raising a pyromaniac.
One day when I was about five years old, I saw smoke rising
into the air from not far away. I hopped on my tricycle and raced off to
investigate. A couple of streets away, firefighters had lit a field of tall,
dry grass, presumably to burn it before a pyromaniac could do so. The fire was
burning toward me; the firefighters were monitoring the blaze from across the
field. As I sat on my trike on the sidewalk, I spied a telephone pole oozing
with creosote set into the concrete a couple of feet from the edge of the
field. I imagined that the pole would burn pretty well; I envisioned flames
racing up its sides to make a huge torch.
But the pole was probably too far from the grass to be
ignited by the flames. I decided to make sure the pole would catch. Working
quickly, I gathered several armloads of dry grass and piled it around the pole,
then added more dry grass between the pole and the edge of the field—a fuse of
sorts. Satisfied that my plan was foolproof, I rode my trike across the street
and sat back to watch the show.
As the flames approached the pole, a shadow came over me. I
looked up and saw not a cloud, but a firefighter scowling down at me. He told
me to stay put, then crossed the street and kicked all of the grass from around
the pole into the field. He then escorted me home, explaining all the while
what a terrible idea I’d had. After the firefighter explained my scheme to my
mom, she escorted me directly to my room, where I imagine I was confined for at
least the rest of the day.
These days, I confine most of my fires to the fire pit on my
patio or in campgrounds. Once a year or so I burn a pile of forest debris,
usually after a heavy rain when there’s no danger of the fire spreading to the
woods. When fire danger is high, burning debris piles, otherwise known as
backyard burning, is prohibited. Burning larger piles requires a permit from
Hoodland Fire District. As most Hoodlanders know, all outdoor fires may be
prohibited when fire danger is extreme, including campfires, also known as
recreational fires.
What can you burn and when can you do it? As of June 15,
2020, all backyard burning is prohibited until further notice — even though the
woods are still wet from recent rains. Recreational fires are still allowed.
In mid-June, I asked Scott Klein, a longtime Hoodland Fire
officer who is temporarily serving as deputy chief, to explain.
“We have a seasonal closure on backyard debris burning from
June 15, usually until October 1, depending on fire season. This is the
standard season,” he said. “Right now it might be rainy, but we’re supposed to
get temperatures into the 80s in the next few days, and if people have piles
that are hot and smoldering, we could have the potential for fire spread.”
As of this writing, recreational fires are still allowed.
However, conditions may change quickly.
“Recreational fires are allowed until the Oregon Department
of Forestry and the Clackamas County Fire Defense Board shuts down all burning,
and that’s usually when fire danger is very high or there’s a Red Flag
Warning,” Klein said.
Red Flag Warnings are issued when warm temperatures, low
humidity, and strong winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk
of fire danger.
Last year was exceptionally warm and dry in our area, with
several Red Flag Warnings, and recreational fires were prohibited for much of
the summer, as were charcoal barbecues, outdoor fireplaces, and even smoking
cigarettes outside.
When backyard burning is again allowed this fall, you won’t
need a permit for debris piles five feet or less in diameter and five feet or
less in height. For larger piles, you’ll need a free permit from Hoodland Fire.
Klein strongly advises anyone wanting to conduct a backyard
burn or have a recreational fire to first call Hoodland Fire’s Burn Line,
503-622-3463, which provides a recorded message about current conditions and
what, if any, burning is prohibited. Don’t rely solely on social media or other
unofficial sources. Note that messages on Hoodland Fire’s Burn Line apply only
to private lands in the area. Check with the Mount Hood National Forest
(tinyurl.com/yc69s85s) and the Bureau of Land Management for restrictions on
these federal lands (blm.gov/oregon-washington).
Klein said that most of the calls to the fire district are
complaints about smoke that is irritating to neighbors. Check Hoodland Fire’s
website for a list of materials that may not be burned, such as plastic, paint,
household garbage, and other materials that create dense smoke or noxious
odors.
Even when burning is allowed, it is important to monitor the
fire and the surrounding area, even after the fire is out. Fire can burn
underground along decomposed roots and spread to the woods. I saw this happen
several years ago when a neighbor conducted a backyard burn, and two days later
saw smoke arising from the ground across the road. Fortunately, he noticed the
smoke before it could erupt into a fire that threatened his neighbors’ homes.
Have a question about wildfires? A suggestion for a future
column topic? Need directions to the next meeting of Pyromaniacs Anonymous? Let
me know. SWilent@gmail.com.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Legislature returns by Rep. Anna Williams on 07/01/2020
With protestors still marching in the streets across our
nation on a daily basis, coronavirus cases on the rise in many Oregon
communities and no end in sight to the economic uncertainty that has kept many
of us up at night, the Oregon State Legislature is convening in a special
session to address some of the most urgent issues affecting our state.
As I write this, the legislature hasn’t yet convened and
we’re still finalizing the bills that will be discussed when we do. By the time
you read this, we should be well on our way to passing policies that keep
families safe and healthy, help them stay in their homes through the economic
downturn and more. We’re also finalizing the procedures within the legislature
that will keep legislators and staff safe and compliant with social distancing
guidelines: this includes a limitation on how many Representatives are allowed
on the House floor at one time, and it means that the business of legislating
will be slower than we’re used to. Still, there’s a lot of important work to be
done, and a lot of vital policies to help the people of Oregon.
With regard to pandemic response, the governor has used her
executive powers extensively, and I think it’s time that the legislature be
allowed to weigh in. As a co-equal branch of government, I’m happy she has
sought our leadership in creating long-term policies that will support
Oregonians in addressing the ongoing crisis.
At the risk of just giving a boring laundry list of bills, I
want to keep everyone updated about why the legislature is going to Salem in
the middle of a pandemic. We will be addressing the looming end of the
governor’s eviction moratorium and providing utility bill assistance to low
income Oregonians; we’ll also be looking at policies to address mortgage assistance
and temporary restrictions on foreclosures for landlords who have stopped
receiving rent during the moratorium. Other measures discussed could provide
emergency shelter siting to combat homelessness during the pandemic, impose
limited legal immunity for emergency isolation shelters and create rulemaking
authority to make sure state agencies can react to this and other future viral
crises.
I’ve written here before about the importance of bringing
broadband service to rural areas, and one bill we’ll be discussing will do just
that. As part of an economic recovery plan, the Rural Telecommunications Act
will create a $5 million broadband fund to provide grants to service providers
to create infrastructure in rural areas. While rural Oregonians have needed this
sort of assistance for years, it’s especially pressing now as we rely more and
more on remote teleconferencing, telehealth and distance learning during the
pandemic.
We will be responding to a national call to action by taking
up several timely police accountability measures introduced by our People of
Color legislative caucus. We will be working to ban chokeholds as a method of
restraint, as well as possibly banning the use of tear gas and sound cannons to
disperse crowds. We’ll also discuss a proposed legal duty for law enforcement
officers to report and intervene in fellow officers’ inappropriate uses of
force, and a law that would require police departments to report officer
disciplinary actions to a statewide, publicly accessible database. Finally, with
regard to police use of force, we’ll discuss a bill that would assign the
Attorney General as the independent investigating authority for all use of
force cases that result in serious injury or death.
I’m hopeful that these measures, plus several other
time-sensitive issues, will pass with bipartisan support, but I’m bracing for
some heart-felt disagreements as we figure out how to navigate the process of
legislating during a public health crisis. I’m looking forward to working with
my colleagues regardless of party affiliation to get important things done for
hardworking families across Oregon.
Finally, we know that this session is only a first step. We
will also need to come back to balance the state budget. I look forward to
working with my colleagues to make sure we pass a responsible budget that
doesn’t cause deeper harm to those already impacted by Coronavirus and the
recession. If there are any policy or budgetary issues you would like to see us
address before the 2021 session, please don’t hesitate to write or call and let
me know your thoughts: Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov, or 503-986-1452.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: Sandy needs to be wonderful for everyone by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 07/01/2020
It is one of those moments in life that I’ll never forget
where I was when I saw it. I will never forget that feeling of sheer horror and
powerlessness as I watched as the officer knelt on the back of George Floyd’s
neck and heard the pleas to the officers from onlookers to stop.
I felt the sudden urge to jump through the television screen
as if I would be able to make it stop. As I watched, like so many of our fellow
neighbors in Sandy and across America, I began to realize just how much work we
have left to do.
I remember growing up as a kid in this community attending
schools in the Oregon Trail School District. I remember learning in school
about race relations, history and equality. I remember sitting in Brian
Rausch’s class and listening to our nation’s history of civil rights in the way
only he could teach. Like many of you, I also remember debating the issues of
the day in Bert Key’s civics classes.
While in school, we were left with the sense that as
Americans we had made mistakes, but everything was going to be different now.
That all of the racism and discrimination would come to an end with our
generation. For some, that fantasy came crashing down the day we witnessed that
tragic scene through our screens.
We now had to face the reality that not only are we not
going to see the end of these injustices in our lifetimes, our children would
likely never see it in theirs either. For others, it was a stark reminder of
the fear and intimidation they experience in their lives every day.
It is for these reasons that I strongly support and agree
with our neighbors who have decided to speak out for the equality of black,
indigenous and people of color in a peaceful manner.
The events that surround the murder of George Floyd at the
hands of those who serve to protect us has rocked our nation to its very core,
as it should. Our country, state and local communities, like Sandy, still have
a lot of work left to do. Peaceful protests like the ones our neighbors have
engaged in are an important first step in a dialogue that I hope leads to
positive reflection and action. Additionally, our first amendment rights of
freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble go to the very core of
what makes this country so great.
I also think it is important to point out that these
neighbors of ours have decided to identify themselves separately from and chart
a different more localized course than the national Black Lives Matter
organization. Their name is The Stand-Up Movement and while they’re still
figuring out their policy platform, decreasing or abolishing the police budget
is not one of them. From my initial conversation with leaders of the group,
they want to enhance the livability and wonderful experiences Sandy affords to
all of us. They want to make sure those experiences are inclusive and equitable
for all of our neighbors.
I am proud of how our neighbors participating in The
Stand-Up Movement have proven their peaceful intentions. I have also been proud
of how other neighbors have shown up in peaceful solidarity to ensure no
violence and looting occurs, like in other larger more urban communities.
The support for our local Sandy Police Department has also
been terrific. Like all of you, I am proud of our Sandy Police Department and
the work our officers have done to become an integral part of our community.
Their coordination with the leaders of The Stand-Up Movement to ensure the
safety of all our neighbors is just a recent example of the exemplary work our
local law enforcement officers have come to be known for here in Sandy. My
understanding is that there is to be a rally in mid-July held by neighbors to
show the much-deserved support for the officers. That’s outstanding.
I speak often about what a special place Sandy is to both
grow up and raise your own family. We must work together to make sure those
special qualities are extended to all of our neighbors who live here now and in
the future. Together, we’ll keep Sandy wonderful for everyone.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Trying new things and staying healthy by Victoria Larson on 07/01/2020
We are not out of the woods yet. New Zealand sought to
eliminate COVID-19 rather than merely “contain” the virus and had very few
deaths per capita as a result. They did widespread testing for the disease and
had strict lockdown policies. The more “industrial” nations (U.S., U.K., Italy,
France) did less testing and had increased per capita deaths. Americans
appreciate our freedoms, but where do we draw the line? Our own president
refused to wear a mask even when there was an outbreak of COVID-19 in the White
House.
Many believe the way to control disease lies in what kind of
a field the germ (be it bacteria or virus) lands on. That “field” is your
God-given body. The trick then appears to be to get healthy and stay as healthy
as possible. Focus on the person, not the disease.
The vital force is that magic, that magic that makes us
“alive.” We need to maximize essentials of health – good appetite, digestion
and elimination; good sleep and moods; remove conditions such as pain and
stressors. We can start with the basics – six to eight glasses of water per
day, good food (fresh, organic – not packaged), adequate sleep (seven to 10
hours per night), sunshine (15 minutes per day) and movement (five minutes
every hour or 30 minutes two or three times per week). If these seem too
simple, ask yourself how many people you know who are even doing these simple
things.
Simple things, like adequate sleep, can mean it’s easier for
your body to stave off infections. Fifteen minutes a day of sunshine to your
upper chest (where the thymus gland lives) goes a long way towards giving you a
faster response to any infections. If you have trouble remembering these simple
things, write them on your daily “to-do” list – how much water, how many
servings of vegetables, etc. to get in the day.
During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that devastated Europe
and America, those patients who were exposed to fresh air and sunshine fared
better than those who were more confined. Pandemics tend to occur every 10-20
years. In 1957 it was the Asian Flu, 1968 Hong Kong Flu, 1978 Russian Flu and
so on. We still need to maintain some social distance, but more important is
maintaining our health.
While maintaining social distance, I’ve watched shoppers
coming out of upscale health markets carrying homogenized milk, sugared drinks
and white bread. All of these are foods you should try to avoid if you want to
maintain health. Lower your body’s inflammatory responses with green tea and a
more plant-based diet. Avoid trans fatty acids as these raise triglycerides
which increase insulin resistance leading to pre-diabetic conditions.
I know many are hurting for income, but sometimes buying the
cheapest food possible is not the wisest choice. Healthcare is way more
expensive than food. A bunch of carrots with the tops still on is way cheaper
per pound than a plastic bag or box of whittleddown carrots. And there’s no
garbage generated. The outer portion of a carrot has much more nutrition than
the core. Cut off the tops of your carrots before you store them so they don’t
dehydrate in your refrigerator. Carrots are healthier cooked than raw! The less
contact with water, the better. Cook or steam them whole and slice and dice
them after cooking. Serve them with a source of good quality fat (olive oil,
butter) so they will have the 25 percent more falcarinol, a cancer-fighting
compound.
Potatoes are a popular vegetable in the U.S. and around the
world. Purple (yes, purple) potatoes are more nutritious than white or Russet
and can lower hypertension enough to decrease the risk of stroke and heart
attack by 20-34 percent. Potatoes are not all bad. To avoid the high glycemic
rush associated with potatoes, cook them then chill them overnight and reheat
them later. This will decrease your glycemic response by as much as 25 percent.
Then to slow digestion sprinkle potatoes with vinegar as the English do or
consume them with mustard as the French do. It’s better for you than sugared
ketchup.
Since it’s strawberry season, you should know that
strawberries are one of the most pesticide contaminated fruits in the U.S. There
can be traces of as many as 60 different agricultural chemicals on
strawberries. So, buy organic whenever possible. Saving a few pennies may not
be worth it. Organic strawberries have more vitamin C and more cancer fighting
nutrients than conventionally grown strawberries. Shop farm markets to find
local, organic berries and be sure to thoroughly wash any that aren’t.
I generally recommend only one to two fruits per day unless
it’s extremely hot. Choose organic as much as possible. Make a fruit salad with
three to five kinds of fruit and add nuts, seeds, fresh mint or basil, lemon or
lime juice. If you must add sugar, use date sugar or honey as these have a
modicum of nutritional value whereas white sugar has none.
People are fond of saying they “don’t like” something (fish,
garlic, whatever) but try something new each time you go to the market. Maybe
just one fruit or vegetable that you’ve never tried. You may find something you
like. When did you last have chicory, kohlrabi or Lamb’s quarters? They’re out
there! Seek and you shall find them!
|
| Food like fireworks by Taeler Butel on 07/01/2020
Happy Fourth of July!! May your meal get as many ooohs and
ahhhs as the fireworks!!
Red, white and blue potato salad
2 lbs. red potatoes, peel on
1 t salt plus more for potato cooking water
1 t pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1 T Dijon mustard
½ cup blue cheese crumbled
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs hard boiled and sliced
2 bacon slices baked crisp and chopped (optional, but why
wouldn’t you?)
½ cup sliced black olives
In a large pot bring potatoes and two quarts of water with
about ¼ cup of salt to a rolling boil, cover with a lid and turn heat down to a
simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender for about eight minutes. Drain water off
and let potatoes cool slightly then slice. Add the dressing while potatoes are
still warm.
Dressing: In a large bowl add next seven ingredients and
whisk until smooth, then add warm sliced potatoes and remaining ingredients.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Orange chicken satay
1 lb. chicken breast tenders cubed, thawed if frozen
½ cup orange marmalade
½ cup soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t sesame seed oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove smashed
½ t fresh ginger peeled and minced
12 bamboo skewers soaked in water or orange juice
Salt and pepper
Place the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar,
ginger, sesame oil, garlic clove and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan,
stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Let simmer until
thickened, approximately five to ten minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to
cool at least five minutes.
Reserve ¼ cup of marinade for a glaze. Marinade the chicken
in the rest of the marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to four hours.
Skewer the chicken and grill on med high for about three
minutes on each side or until cooked through. Drizzle the glaze onto the
skewers in the last minute or so of cooking. Sprinkle cooked chicken with
sesame seeds (optional).
Easy peach raspberry galette
1 lb. peeled & sliced peaches
1 pint raspberries
1 T sanding or coarse sugar
1 tube sugar cookie dough
1 T corn starch
2 T orange juice
Whipped cream
Open the package and slice the cookie dough into
quarter-inch rounds, place some of them on a cookie sheet or pizza stone in a
12-inch circle pressing the spaces together so that the circle is solid.
In a large bowl mix the juice, cornstarch and fruit. Pile
onto middle of cookie dough circle, place remaining cookie dough rounds on top
of fruit in a concentric circle leaving the top exposed. Sprinkle with sanding
sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with
whipped cream.
|
| Dying without a will by Paula Walker on 07/01/2020
My first article written for the Mountain Times in 2018
reported the results of a Gallup poll conducted in 2016 showing that only 44
percent of Americans reported having a will and that the trajectory was
downward, i.e. that percentage was down from 51 percent in 2005. Given that the
results of a 2019 survey by one source, that deals with assisted living and
elder care, reports the trend continues downward decreasing by nearly 25
percent since 2017, I thought it a good topic to discuss the rules of intestacy
succession. What happens in Oregon to your assets if you die without an “asset
transition instrument” of any sort, i.e. a will or a living trust? What are the
rules governing how the State determines who gets what from your estate.
What follows is oversimplified, because, as with all things
in law, everything “depends” on the particular circumstances of a given
situation, in this case an individual’s life, relationships and circumstances,
that play out in expected and unexpected legal interpretations. In other words,
there are legal nuances to be determined in each of the steps evaluating who
receives what and in what percentage.
Still it provides an initial sense of the hierarchy the
state follows in determining who stands to receive what you have and in what
measure if you leave this world without making a clear, and legally supportable
transition of your assets, designating who is in charge of following through
with that plan.
Initially, the state looks to determine your immediate family.
If you have a spouse, that spouse is first in line to receive everything. If
you have no spouse and you have children, your children will receive
everything. If you have a spouse and children, if all the children are your
children together, then your spouse still receives everything. However, if any
of your children, i.e. your descendants, are with someone other than your
spouse, your assets are divided between your spouse and your descendants. Then
the circle widens from your immediate family. If you have no spouse and no
children, if one or both of your parents survive you, they receive everything.
Finding no living parent(s), your assets will be divided amongst your siblings,
if you have any, or their descendants if your siblings predecease you. Finding
no siblings, or their descendants, your assets will be distributed to your
grandparents if they survive you, or their descendants. So, as you see it can
get very involved finding who has the legal right to receive your assets when
you have not made that clear.
Stories of the Stars, If Only…
Who gets what and how much from an estate of a wealthy
individual has been the stuff of many entertaining legal battles – for those of
us not involved, that is. And the estate of billionaire Howard Hughes, provides
us with no less entertainment than the many in the annals of the wealthy who
depart without an estate plan in place. An excerpt from an article by David
Margolick of the New York Times from Oct. 5, 1997 speculating on the results of
a battle that spanned 10 years, involving more than a thousand participants,
gives a wry summation of the obsessed, complex, seemingly tortured personality
we’ve come to know of Howard Hughes who died without so much as a simple will
in place.
“Howard Hughes… didn't like anybody very much. He hated
doctors. He fought with lawyers. He despised his relatives. And most of all, he
loathed tax collectors. And yet these were the folks who laid their hands on
his vast estate – in part because no one could ever find a bona fide Hughes will
directing the money somewhere else . . . [and yet] . . . Howard Hughes's power
to do something worthwhile with his billions . . . somehow survived the
lawyers, the relatives, the leeches, the fakers and Hughes himself [because his
most valuable asset, Hughes Aircraft was owned by a charity, Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, incorporated in the state of Delaware]. ‘Howard Hughes,
whatever he may have been, has left something of value to all American People’
the Attorney General of Delaware … declared after the divvying up. ‘But I just
don't think that was ever his intention.’”
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
Summer is here. For a landscape photographer this time of
the year means good weather, green forests, flowers, warmer nights and starry
night skies. I enjoy heading out for a sunset and staying until the stars come
out, and in many cases, staying out until sunrise. Sunsets and sunrises are
always a wonderful time to get dramatic landscape photos, while landscape
photos with an amazing Milky Way in the sky above can be unique and dramatic.
Night photography is a form of photography that seems
mystical and magical. To many people night photography appears to be
complicated and left only for those with the most acute photography skill, when
in fact once you understand just the basics of the exposure triangle – shutter
speed, aperture and Iso – you will realize that all that’s being done to get
these dark night sky photos, in most cases, is to get as much light into your
camera as possible.
Set your camera on Manual, set up your tripod and let’s get
started.
As most photographers know when you use a long exposure you
will need a tripod. Your tripod will keep your camera still during the
exposure. You will want to ensure that no movement takes place at all during
the exposure. Another device that helps with this is a shutter release. The
shutter release will keep you from moving the camera when you press the button.
If you have no shutter release you can usually set your camera timer to take
the photo a few seconds after you click the shutter button.
Your exposure setting will need to be extended, in most
cases up to 20 or sometimes 30 seconds. This will depend on how dark the sky
is. Remember that the darker the sky, the brighter the stars, therefore a night
without a moon will give the best starry sky. The only negative consequence
will be less light on your subject or foreground. Many times, just a slight
sliver of a moon will allow a more defined foreground while still allowing the
stars to shine.
Concerning shutter speed, the only consideration that you
must have is that the longer the shutter is open the more movement you will
detect in the scene. Even in the stars as at some longer focal lengths the
stars will streak slightly when you extend the exposure to 30 seconds. These
star streaks turn into star trails if allowed to streak long enough, sometimes
up to 30 minutes. This method will create amazing surreal images of streaks and
circles of light above your subject. To do this requires another method, not
explained here, to pull off.
The next thing that one must consider is how the aperture
will block or allow light to pass through the lens and into the camera. When
light is dim or it’s dark outside, you will want to allow as much light through
as possible and to do this you must use a wider more open aperture - a smaller
number. Without getting into the math involved just remember that when you open
your aperture you will be allowed a quicker shutter and a lower Iso. Both are
desirable, which I’ll explain later. A good quality lens will allow an f/2.8
aperture setting.
Next is your Iso setting. What is Iso? You know that the
longer that you keep your shutter open the more light will pass through the
lens and into the camera.
We also know that an aperture that’s open wider allows more
light in. In digital photography we have no film but we do have electronic film
in the form of the image sensor. The image sensor’s sensitivity to light can be
adjusted. The higher the Iso number the more sensitive to light your camera
becomes. Iso 1000 will be more sensitive to light than Iso 100, for instance.
Therefore you will need to raise your Iso to get your starry night photos.
It’s easy to think that all one needs to do is raise their
Iso, but there are negative effects in the form of noise in the image. In film
it’s called grain. To get a cleaner image you want to keep your Iso as low as
possible. Extending your shutter speed and opening your Iso allows you to do
this.
One thing that one must remember when setting up is that in
the dark it’s more difficult, or in many cases impossible to use your light
meter to determine your settings. Therefore, one must take a couple test shots
before they get the exposure right.
Another important part, and in many cases the most difficult
part, of getting setup for the shot is focus. Unfortunately, on a zoom lens
when you set the focus to infinity the stars will not be in focus. And at night
it’s dark and difficult to focus manually.
I recommend taking your camera out in the daylight and
setting the focus to an object far away and then marking the lens. I have used
tape where when I line up the edges of the tape it’s in focus. There are other
methods, but this is the simplest until you gain more experience.
And so, once we understand this we can let more light into
the camera using these three settings and we can start taking photos in low
light. Tripod, long exposure, open aperture and a higher Iso. The next thing to
do is to go out and practice. Once you do this a few times your photos will get
better and your understanding of what settings to start with will become more
second nature.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Protecting farmworkers by Rep. Anna Williams on 06/01/2020
As our state starts down its path toward reopening, I am
mindful of the ongoing risk that the coronavirus poses. Of course, those of us
who have been practicing physical distancing within the state will be exposed
to possible infection when we venture back out into our communities.
However, I’m also paying close attention to the large wave
of newcomers that have already begun entering our state to perform essential
services for our state’s economy: I’m talking, of course, about migrant
farmworkers.
Oregon is home to about 160,000 farmworkers every year, and
a significant number of them work in House District 52, in orchards, nurseries
and elsewhere. These essential workers come to our beautiful district to help
make sure the food grown here gets to markets and to our families’ dinner
tables. They are critical to the supply chain of the food we all eat. They
often live in close quarters and work long hours with limited access to hand
washing and other preventive health measures. Many of these essential workers
don’t speak the same language as their employers or even many of their
coworkers. All of this creates an unprecedented challenge to our state as we
work to avoid the outbreaks that other states have seen in meat packing plants
and other food processing facilities.
I support farmworker advocates’ petition for new emergency
rules from Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect
these workers from catching and transmitting the coronavirus. I have said from
the outset that our state and federal governments need to help farmers cover
the costs of complying with those rules.
I’m proud that the state of Oregon came through: after a
series of conversations that I was happy to be a part of, almost $30 million of
our state’s discretionary CARES Act funding will be dedicated to help cover the
costs of keeping our agricultural workforce safe and healthy through the
pandemic. In this crisis, it has become clearer than ever: our food system
depends on collaboration between farmworkers and farmers, and it requires that
we protect the health and well-being of this critical work force. Without this
investment, our state’s agricultural economy would face additional risks beyond
the export challenges and increased costs we’ve seen recently.
Still, while Congress gave states some discretion in how to
spend its first round of relief funds, other federal officials have undermined
efforts to protect workers’ health. The White House has declared that
farmworkers are “essential” to our economy while refusing to require safety
regulations to protect them, and actively working to cut migrant farmworkers’
pay. It’s long past time for the federal government to step up and provide
protective equipment and testing, not just for farmworkers, but for all
businesses that are beginning to reopen and workers who are returning to work.
I’m thrilled that Oregon is doing our part to keep essential
farmworkers healthy and protect our communities in the process. As we know, our
community is strongest when we look out for our neighbors, and the security of
our food systems and our economy depend on thoughtful implementation of these
updated public health guidelines.
Thanks for reading. I hope you are healthy and well, however
you’re responding to the ongoing nature of this pandemic. If you need help
accessing resources, please reach out to my office by emailing
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov. As a social worker and legislator, I am
grateful to be able to serve our district at this time.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: The place for grub by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 06/01/2020
As the Governor begins to lift her Stay-At-Home order and
Sandy’s local dining and entertainment businesses begin to open back up, there
is one misnomer that I’ve consistently heard in the past that I would like to
clear up about our community. I constantly hear that we do not have enough good
dining options in Sandy. That is simply not true.
First and foremost, and while this is not at all an
all-encompassing list, we are the community of iconic establishments such as
Joe’s Doughnuts, Tollgate Inn, Paola’s Pizza Barn, No Place Saloon and Mountain
Mocha.
Have you seen the newer additions to our dining scene?
Brady’s Brats & Burgers, Scooters, Boring Brewing and Le Happy? These
places are fantastic, and you can bring the entire family.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and entertainment at places like
Sandy Family Restaurant/Ria’s and Stephanie’s Café are simply terrific.
Like pizza? Grab and go or dine in, you’ve got Wallstreet
and Sparky’s. Dinner and a movie? Smokey Hearth is a must. Thai? Thai Home and
Try My Thai restaurants are unbelievable. Chinese? Double Dragon and Golden Key
are delicious. You like craft beer where everyone knows your name? The Beer Den
and Bunsenbrewer are among places to be. Do you enjoy a good glass of wine?
Alder Tree Vineyard, Buddha Kat Winery and Boring Winery and Taproom are
wonderful places to find yourself. Especially on a spring or summer evening.
Have you seen the improvements people are making to their
buildings downtown in Sandy? Look how nice some of the fast food restaurants
look after their “Sandy Style” remodels. Does the remodeled Best Western look
good or what? How about that Safeway remodel? People are reinvesting in our
community. I think that’s awesome.
Whether you want a night out with a good dinner and drinks,
a cool “dive bar” hangout, a coffee meeting at local nonprofit AntFarm, lunch
or a quick grab and go at our Sandlandia food carts - there is absolutely zero
reason why we’re not dining local right here in Sandy.
Our community has vastly upgraded dining and entertainment
experiences and it’s only getting better. We have Sandy Transit services and a
local business hub trolley shuttle to help you get around, and all of our
businesses are powered with access to first class amenities such as internet
powered by SandyNet, our lightning fast internet service.
Whether you’re catching dinner and a movie on Champion Way,
hanging at the Local Buzz getting a haircut, letting the kids burn off energy
at Wippersnappers, taking a date night at Red Shed Public House or La Bamba or
walking down Pioneer or Proctor Blvd’s - Sandy’s the place to be. We are all
doing our job to Keep Sandy Wonderful!
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Recreation can be confusing in the time of COVID-19 by Steve Wilent on 06/01/2020
Some of my earliest memories are of playing outside, in the
yard at first, and then in the field at the end of the road. Though the field
was perhaps five acres, it was a vast wilderness for me as a five-year-old. Its
narrow game trails became my own, the shrubby hedge with its green tunnels my
castle, the majestic oaks at one end the guardians of my kingdom. And it was
all accessible — by tricycle.
My first memory of recreation beyond my neighborhood was a
campground at Yosemite National Park, where my parents and brother and I slept
on the ground wrapped in blankets — we had little camping gear aside from a
brand-new Coleman stove and an ice chest. The aroma of frying bacon and wood
smoke on the chilly mountain air was intoxicating. As a six-year-old, the
trails to the park’s awesome waterfalls, wading in the Yosemite River, and
eating meals by a campfire made for an adventure far beyond any I had known.
My first car, a 1964 Pontiac Tempest station wagon — a sport
utility vehicle, as far as I was concerned — took me all across western North
America. I kept camping gear in the back so I could strike out for a national
forest or state or county park on a whim, after school or work.
When I told my parents that I would go to college not to
study engineering or business, but forestry, I wondered why they were
surprised.
We Hoodlanders have an amazing wealth of recreation
opportunities right in our back yard. Or at least we did until so many sites
were closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I miss those places. Personally,
I think many of the sites can be safely re-opened, with guidelines for visitors
such as those issued by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department when it
reopened some state parks: bring all supplies — food, water, hand sanitizer —
needed for a short trip, wear a face covering in congested areas, stay at least
six feet away from people who aren’t from your household and so on.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) reopened the Sandy Ridge
Trail System on May 9 — it is a very popular place for mountain biking. At this
writing, the Wildwood Recreation Site is open only to people on foot. A sign at
the gate on May 13 read, “Wildwood has been temporarily closed to motor vehicle
access. Restrooms are closed and portable toilets have been positioned in
family picnic, trailhead, and group areas. Please practice social distancing,
hand sanitizing, and other recommendations from the CDC. These are difficult
times. Stay safe and healthy.” I wish the BLM would open the gates, so people
don’t have to park along the highway, but I’m glad that the policies for using
the park are clear.
The BLM’s website states that “Despite facility closures,
millions of acres of BLM-managed public lands across Oregon remain open to
enjoy, as long as you do so responsibly.”
On March 19, the Mount Hood National Forest (MHNF) closed
all campgrounds, day-use sites, trailheads, OHV areas, Sno-Parks, cabin rentals
and other developed recreation sites. In theory, other areas on the forest are
open, but signs on Forest Road 19 (Mountain Drive) and at the gate to Old Maid
Flats don’t say so, nor does the MHNF’s web site. The signs say, “Following
guidance from the centers for disease control and prevention and
recommendations from state and local public health authorities, the Forest
Service is temporarily closing this location to limit the spread of the coronavirus
(Covid-19).” This is confusing. The three campgrounds and several trailheads on
the flats are developed recreation sites, but other trails, roads, and woods
certainly aren’t “developed.” Was I technically violating a regulation by
walking past the sign and onto the flats? I wish the Forest Service had made it
clear that National Forest lands remain open to enjoy, as long as you do so
responsibly.
It’s easy to opine that these lands ought to be reopened.
Doing so would bring more folks to The Mountain, thus increasing the risk of
spreading COVID-19 locally. On the other hand, the local businesses that are
open seem to be handling the pandemic well enough. At Thriftway, for example,
employees wear masks and Plexiglas shields separate cashiers from customers.
As our recreation sites reopen, site managers will need to
provide clear information about what is required of visitors — and what is off
limits.
Recreation in forests and on rangelands still calls to me. I
don’t keep camping gear in my SUV, a 21-year-old Ford Explorer, but I head for
a trail or a campground as often as work and family obligations — and COVID-19
closures — allow. An hour or two on a trail or a couple of days in a campground
never seem like enough.
Have a question about forest recreation? A suggestion for a
future column topic? Want to buy a map of super-secret dispersed camping sites?
Let me know. SWilent@gmail.com.
|
| Genuine food and finding the fundamental natural rhythms of life by Victoria Larson on 06/01/2020
Genuine food is food that is grown with respect for the
environment, the produce itself and the people who consume it. It implies the
absence of chemicals and industrial processes. We call it “biodynamic” but most
of the world grows food this way, just not in the United States. Maybe it’s why
we are not the happiest nation in the world, nor the healthiest.
Last spring this column explored the Blue Zones of the
Earth, those areas where the people were known to live a long time. Yet there
are still many places on Earth where people live long, like several villages in
Italy. Outside of these villages, the average lifespan for males is 75 years
and 82 years for females. But in the Italian village of Campodimele, the
average lifespan is 95 years for both males and females! It’s from lifestyle as
much as anything. These people get up when the sun comes up and retire when it
goes down, a rhythm in sync with nature that has been known to aid in longevity
due to the healthful impact on melatonin levels in the body. They all live in
pure, mountain air, know the restorative powers of sunlight (anti-bacterial for
the immune system, increased levels of vitamins that decrease depression) and
they live by nature’s tranquil rhythms, not the frazzle dazzle we’ve been known
to experience.
This does not mean life is always tranquil. If you want to
live a long time, you have to work at it, not the least of which lies in what
you choose to eat. Not only in growing your own food, but in eating what’s
fresh and in season, foraging some and not eating packaged food. In a garden
there is always something to do! With food, if you put energy in, you will get
health out.
I moved to Oregon in 1970 to a 100-acre farm. Before making
the major decision to move here, I had dinner on a farm owned by the family of
friends. At this farm in rural Oregon, everything, repeat everything, on the
table came from the farm we were on – the main dish, the sweet peas and the
potatoes, the home-baked bread and home-churned butter. It was enough to make a
person swoon. But when coffee was served (the only purchased item), they asked
if I’d like cream, then pulled a gallon jar of cream out of the refrigerator.
That was the moment I decided to move to Oregon.
So we moved from a gorgeous home in Marin County, Calif. to
a dilapidated farm in rural Oregon where you could literally peek through the
walls to the outside. But I learned the value of leading a seasonal life. If we
didn’t grow it, we didn’t eat it. Food was picked daily, in season and prepared
within hours (sometimes minutes) of the harvest. There was an incredible
abundance, as you may just be experiencing now.
In villages or areas conducive to feelings of community,
people talk to each other in real life. We’d talk while shucking corn in an old
barn with owls in the rafters. Talk to the check-out person, the postal
workers, even strangers (if you’re an adult). Make someone’s day. Perhaps this
accounts for the success of the farmers’ markets. Don’t shove elders off if you
can help it. Get out in nature as much as possible, at least 15 minutes a day
if we’re not having the most horrible weather. Sunlight on the thymus gland
(your upper chest) is good for the immune system.
I went from that 100-acre farm through a circuitous route (a
death, divorce, disease) to a five-acre small-holding where money was more of a
problem, but I learned to waste nothing. I once knew someone who threw away
mushroom stems (you can dry them), celery leaves (dry them, too) and even stale
bread (Panzanella salads, unless you have critters to feed). A hundred years
ago land supplied the only form of income, or at least a way to eat.
During and after World War II, many people didn’t have
enough food and there was much hunger in the European villages. For many, the
only food choices were beans and legumes (the pulses also known as “poor man’s
meat”). Unless you lived on a farm – then there was meat, eggs and dairy, and
tons of zucchini.
Genuine food is the antithesis of fast food. Time spent
preparing food is an investment in health and happiness. Live life with a
new/old philosophy where you celebrate food with gratefulness. You worked rather
hard to get it. Spend time living with the fundamental natural rhythms of life.
|
| Relief for your retirement by Paula Walker on 06/01/2020
The pandemic has impacted our lives in many ways and not the
least of which has been our work life and the financial climate. Of the efforts
the government is marshalling to provide relief as we recover and the economy
recovers, there are two pieces of legislation, one enacted and one currently in
review in the Senate, the CARES Act and the HEROES Act, respectively. Both have
elements that do, or may if enacted, directly impact our retirements savings
plans, IRAs, 401(k)s and their ilk, and inherited retirement accounts.
The CARES Act, (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act), a giant relief package totaling more than $2 trillion, signed
into law March 27 to support American businesses, hospitals and individuals,
provided significant changes to the rules for retirement account holders’
required minimum distributions (RMDs). RMDs are suspended for 2020. This allows
retirees and inheritors of their plans to leave these investments alone for a
year to reap the benefit of the potential recovery from the market downturn.
This also makes Roth conversions easier because retirees will not have to take
out their RMDs before making the conversion. Those who have experienced a
coronavirus adversity, or have been diagnosed with the virus, have the ability
to take a withdrawal of up to $100,000 from their retirement account, without
incurring the 10 percent penalty tax if doing so before the age of 59 and a
half. This draw can come from an IRA which does not usually allow loans to be
taken, as well as from other retirement plans that do, and take up to three
years to repay the loan.
The HEROES Act (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus
Emergency Solutions), a bill that has passed the House and is now in review by
the Senate, could be another gigantic relief package totaling more than $3
trillion. While it is aimed more at providing relief to state and local
governments, frontline healthcare workers and other specific groups and
programs, it also has provisions that could impact individuals’ retirement
accounts. If passed, it could address a few of the gaps in the CARES Act
handling of RMDs. For instance, the CARES Act allows account owners to skip
their 2019 RMDs if it is their first year to make those RMDs. All well and good
if you did not withdraw before the CARES Act was enacted, but what if you did?
Under the current law an owner has the option to rollover a withdrawal into an
IRA, thereby avoiding the taxable distribution in 2020 if the rollover is done
within 60 days of making the RMD. But again – what if you missed that window?
If passed, the HEROES Act would suspend RMDs for all 2019 not just for those
first time RMDs due, and it would waive the 60-day rollover rule for 2019 and
most of 2020. Thus, people could potentially reclaim the RMDs paid out and put
them back into the shelter of their retirement plan and do a tax adjustment
when filing for the taxes that would have been incurred. This is all speculative
right now. Based on the Senate’s determination of the bill before them this may
or may not become a reality to act upon.
There is much more detail to this that may apply to you.
The most important take-away from any information provided
here is to consult your financial advisor and tax accountant if you have
investments in qualified retirement plans, to develop a strategy that may
provide you some benefit and turn some of this pandemic mayhem into some
advantage.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
“Nothing is certain but death and taxes… ” a variation on
the famous, oft repeated quote from Benjamin Franklin in his letter to French
physicist Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1790. The statement holds as true today as
when it was first written. And sometimes those two certainties coincide, as in
the case of Joe Robbie who died in 1990 owning 85 percent of the Miami Dolphins
and 50 percent of the Dolphins home stadium. His intention that the business
would remain in the family was thwarted by family feuds and an estate tax
liability. Until 2015, the NFL did not permit trusts to own any part of an NFL
franchise. This placed a heavy burden on the owner’s estate taxes for an
illiquid but appreciating asset. The result for Robbie’s legacy is that in 1994
the estate sold the ownership of the Dolphins and the stadium for $109 million,
$43 million of which went to pay estate taxes. A mere fifteen years later the
team and the stadium sold for a whopping $1 billion…
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
| Strawberry season! by Taeler Butel on 06/01/2020
Get them while they are at the peak of perfection, add them
in almost any recipe for a sweet tart pop of color and flavor.
Strawberry creme scones
These are luscious and melt in your mouth thanks to the
addition of lots of butter and cream.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1T baking powder
1 cup cold diced unsalted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup cream or Half & Half
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1t sea or kosher salt (fine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1t vanilla extract.
Heat the oven to 365F. Whisk together the dry ingredients in
a large bowl and set aside. Whisk together the egg, vanilla and cream. Cut
butter into dry ingredients making large crumbs, stir in the cream mixture
until just moistened, then fold in the strawberries. I use a two-inch ice cream
scoop to scoop dough onto a parchment lined baking tray, leaving two inches in
between the scones. Bake 14-16 minutes until lightly golden.
For the icing, whisk together until smooth:
4oz cream cheese at room temp
4oz softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1t vanilla extract
Ice once cooled.
Strawberry jalapeño BBQ sauce
1 cup seedless strawberry jam
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1T oil
1t salt
1/2t pepper
1t stone ground mustard
2 jalapeños, chopped/seeded
1T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
In a saucepan heat oil, add onion, garlic, jalapeños and
strawberries. Cook on medium heat five minutes, stirring often. Add the
remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then lower heat. Cover and simmer for 40
minutes to an hour.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
If you are like most of us, you have been spending a lot of
time around the house lately. We can only spend so much time working or doing
chores before we start to try to figure out something that will occupy our
creative minds between obligations. I like to give my mind a break by taking
time to be creative. As photographers, and creatives, we have a lot of options
for making some creative artistic images at home.
Macro Photography – Macro photography is a type of
photography that involves photographing small things. It is Springtime and the
flowers are blooming and the bugs are starting to crawl. They both make
excellent subjects for macro photos. You do not necessarily need a lens that is
made specifically for macro if you have a zoom lens that will shoot at a focal
length of about 90mm or more. Something that I like to do with flowers is to
take a spray bottle and spray water drops on the flowers. I also like the look
of a shallow depth of field. Using an open aperture and getting close to your
lens will create a soft feel around the narrow-focused area in your shot. Give
it a try.
Abstract Photography – Everyone knows about abstract
painting, but abstract images can be created with your camera too. An observant
eye can find patterns and textures that could be interpreted as impressionistic
paintings. Structural shapes, angles and patterns can be framed in a beautiful
yet abstract way. Not only are you able to create abstracts by observing your
surroundings but you can use the camera adjustments to alter the reality of the
scene. Something that I enjoy doing is to extend the shutter speed to a second
or more and move the camera to create patterns of movement. This technique is
called Intentional Camera Movement. Try varying the degree of focus. Shoot into
the sunshine through leaves. Be creative.
Portraiture – Portraiture Photograph your family or your
pets. Artful portraiture is something that can challenge you. Try using your
family members or your pets as subjects for your photos. Be mindful of the
background and consider the lighting on your subject. Some beautiful portraits
can be made using the light that comes in from a window. Set up a sheet as a
backdrop and use shop lights with a fabric or some translucent paper in front
to reduce the harshness of the light. Be creative.
The best thing about a digital camera is that we are not
limited on how many photos there are on a roll of film. This allows us to just
get lost in taking photos. It allows us to experiment. You can take a photo,
preview it, correct or change a setting and try it again. It allows you to be
able to occupy yourself creating artistic images all day. So, do not despair if
you are agonizing about not being able to get out and take photos like you
would like to. Play and practice close to home in the meantime.
|
|  Contributed photo.
Imagine watching news and social media reports of a forest
fire in Clackamas County – say, in the Bull Run watershed or between
Rhododendron and Government Camp. There’s smoke in the air. You’re concerned,
but the fire is a couple of miles away and firefighters are working to control
it. And then burning embers start raining down. Your worry turns to panic as
the embers ignite fir needles and dead leaves around your house – and the bone-dry
debris in your gutters. Your only choice is to escape while you can as your
house burns to the ground.
Sounds a bit melodramatic, doesn’t it? Something like a
scene from a movie? Something that can’t happen here in wet, green Oregon?
Wrong.
Take a look at the photo on this page. It was taken from a
drone shortly after the Camp Fire destroyed much of Paradise, Calif., in
November 2018. The image shows the remains of some of the thousands of homes
destroyed by the fire. In all, more than 19,000 homes, condominiums, apartments
and commercial buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the space of a
few hours. Notice the green trees and shrubs amidst the ashes? Embers fell on
them and filtered to the ground. Embers also fell on the houses, ignited pine
needles in gutters, under decks, or on the ground near the walls, and the
houses burned. Some of the trees were scorched by the heat of the burning
buildings, but many of them survived.
Does your home have a chance of surviving an onslaught of
flying embers? Of flames that burn though the woods in and around your
neighborhood?
If you take action now, you can give your house that chance
– not a guarantee, but a chance of surviving a wildfire.
After the fire in Paradise, analysis by the McClatchy news
service found that more than half of the single-family homes built after 2008,
when California updated its building code to help make structures more likely
to survive wildfires, survived the Camp Fire. Only 18 percent of the homes
built prior to 2008 remained intact. The new building code required houses to
have fire-resistant roofs, exterior
walls, decks and so on.
If your house has metal or asphalt shingle roof, as most
houses in the heartland area do, you already have an advantage. However, wooden
siding and decks can be a disadvantage. In that case, there is much you can do
to increase your home’s chances of survival.
Websites such as the National Fire Protection Association’s
firewise.org and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s
readyforwildfire.org offer a wealth of information on preparing your house and
property for wildfire. Hoodland Fire District also has information and a
helpful video on creating a “defensible space” around your home (hoodlandfire.us).
Start by performing regular cleaning and maintenance on the
house itself, especially when dry weather is in the offing. Clean debris from
accumulating in gutters, roof valleys, behind chimneys, and along walls.
Install eighth-inch metal mesh screens on attic and foundation vents; small
embers can easily pass through mesh with quarter-inch or larger holes.
Next, remove flammable vegetation and other materials within
five feet of the house. Rake fallen fir needles cones, leaves, and branches in
that five-foot zone down to bare earth. That includes bark dust and mulch—when
dry, it can burn. Better yet, place a layer of gravel around the house and keep
it clear of debris. Is your firewood stacked up against the house? Move it.
Once you’ve cleared that five-foot immediate zone, work on
the intermediate zone, between 5 feet and 30 feet from your home. Remove live
and dead “ladder fuels” so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns. Prune
branches that hang over or near the house – keep them at least ten feet from
the house.
Beyond that 30-foot zone, out to 100 feet or more,
especially if your property is sloped, remove small conifers growing between
mature trees and thin larger trees so that there is at least 12 feet of clear
space between them.
These are just a few of the steps you can take. Visit the
websites I mentioned for more information.
Still not convinced here at risk from wildfire, even a
distant one? Remember the Eagle Creek Fire that burned in the Columbia River
Gorge in 2017? The fire burned on the Oregon side of the river, but at least
two spot fires were created when large embers rose into the air and drifted
across the Columbia River into Washington, more than two miles away.
Take advantage of the time you have while self-quarantined
during the Covid-19 pandemic to get started. Come on, you know you need the
exercise anyway.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Exercising care in a return by Rep. Anna Williams on 05/01/2020
It’s been almost two months since Governor Brown declared a
state of emergency in Oregon, and about seven weeks since the World Health
Organization officially declared a global pandemic. This span of time has been
filled with unprecedented levels of stress, and though it has been different
for each of us, I would venture to guess that it hasn’t been easy for anyone.
For me, it has been a struggle to address the needs of the many people who
depend on me, whether family, students or constituents; others have struggled
just as hard to find a way to occupy their time or to keep themselves content.
Many people are worried about their jobs, their ability to pay the bills or
their access to health insurance. Some people’s lives have been occupied by a
fear of the virus or the reality of its health impacts on them or their loved
ones; for others, the relatively small number of cases in our state has begged
the question, “was social distancing even necessary?”
To be clear, social distancing was not an overreaction:
instead, it is the reason some now find themselves with the luxury of thinking
we may have overreacted. Without the strong measures imposed in our state,
experts agree that we would face very different prospects for our economy, our
health care infrastructure and our hopes of returning to normal life. Even with
the relative success we have achieved through social distancing, many
challenges lie ahead. Very few of us have gained immunity to the virus, and it
remains unclear whether the few who have been infected will remain immune in
the long term. As of the time I’m writing this, no effective treatments for the
virus have been developed, and a vaccine is still at least a year away. Our
best defenses are still vigilance and caution: even after the state “reopens,”
we will not return to life as we knew it in December or January.
I have spent most of my hours during this pandemic thinking
about the pain and loss people are facing, and will continue to face, as our
economy reels. Yet still, the steps we take to reopen must be taken slowly and
carefully. We can’t safely take our first steps toward that goal until our
state’s case count has dropped, we see fewer people with suspicious symptoms,
and the rate of new infections has fallen. We also need to increase our testing
capacity, our ability to trace contacts and contain new outbreaks, and our
supply of personal protective equipment for frontline health care workers.
Our first steps toward reopening will probably look a lot
like our current way of life: we will continue to stress the importance of
handwashing, of face coverings and of staying home when you feel at all ill. We
will still need to limit our travel and to avoid unnecessary physical contact
with others. We will continue to forego handshakes in favor of the awkward
“elbow bump.” As they reopen for non-remote work, businesses will need to take
care that employees aren’t exhibiting symptoms of illness and will need to be
generous with allowing sick time. Restaurants and bars will need to limit the
number of people admitted for seating and maintain a safe distance between
tables and chairs. People who loosen their own social distance from friends and
loved ones will still need to gather in small groups and limit the size of
their social circles to minimize the risk of passing on the virus.
The last two months have been chaotic, and they have taken a
tremendous toll on our state, on our communities and on each of us
individually. I am as eager as anyone to put this crisis behind us.
Unfortunately, that is not a simple task. If we don’t exercise extreme care as
we inch back toward our normal way of life, we will find ourselves having to
return to this one: isolated from one another, worrying about what lies ahead and
dreaming of a return to our former routines. I hope you will join me in
optimistically awaiting a post-COVID-19 Oregon, and in expecting and accepting
that we will need to endure many challenges before we get there.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: In this together by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 05/01/2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our daily
lives, many of Sandy’s iconic events that so many of our neighbors look forward
to each spring and summer have been forced to cancel. Sadly, this is a year
that we won’t be enjoying such incredible annual events as the annual Sandy
Fire Pancake breakfast, Kiwanis Easter Egg hunt in Meinig Memorial Park and our
beloved Sandy Mountain Festival.
While it is true that 2020 will be a year that many of us
think back to the community events we are not able to enjoy, I believe it will
also be a time that we remember neighbors coming together to uplift each other
in our time of need.
I’ll think back to Kirsten Pitzer and her team at the Sandy
Community Action Center working diligently to ensure access to food to some of
our most vulnerable citizens.
I’ll think back to Machel Heldstab and her board at Sandy
Helping Hands who stepped up to team with Sandy Transit to deliver groceries to
those in need of assistance, as well as helped collect much needed supplies for
local seniors.
Speaking of seniors, I’ll think back to our city staff and
the way they’ve stepped up for Meals on Wheels delivery to Sandy-area seniors
in the wake of us having to close the Sandy Senior Center. I’ll also remember how
one of our longest Meals on Wheels volunteers contributed his and his wife’s
federal economic stimulus money to go towards seniors in need.
I’ll think of our team at the Sandy Library and how they
felt a need to provide their invaluable services and became the first in the
Portland metro area to re-open and establish curbside service.
All of our city employees have been terrific. Whether it’s
our team at City Hall, Public Services, Transit, Community Services, Police,
Library, Planning or SandyNet - everyone has stepped up their “A” game during
the crisis. It’s been incredible as they’ve adapted to the crisis and put
together services to add economic relief for our local businesses.
I’ll think back to how we realized we have new patriots in
our midst with our front-line workers in healthcare, grocery and many other
essential services. The city has realized just how crucial SandyNet is to our
way of life. It’s been so vital as our neighbors work, learn and entertain
their families at home.
I’ll think back to our education system and how quickly our
local teachers, administrators and school board leaders adapted to the change
to provide our children with ongoing learning. I’ll also remember how much
parents stepped up to make sure our community’s future continues to look
bright.
I’ll remember how Sandy’s first responders continued to be
heroic and display why they’re the very best in our community.
Most importantly, I’ll remember how our community came
together to show everything I knew we were – special.
The months and year ahead will be difficult. This crisis
will not end with the end of the stay at home order. There are many local
businesses and employees that will feel the effects into the future. We will be
tested, but we’ve been tested before and come out the other end.
Now more than ever, we need to intentionally dine and shop
local. We need to donate to our local charitable nonprofits, service
organizations and faith-based institutions.
Now more than ever your community needs you and you need
your community. We’re in this together and I know that we’ll succeed. We’ll
keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| A Meal for May by Taeler Butel on 05/01/2020
An easy and elegant meal for May and Mother’s Day. Oh momma!
If anybody deserves a day of honor it’s you!
Blackened rockfish
Blackened seasoning: Mix together and set aside - 1T each
garlic powder, salt, onion powder and 1 t each chili powder, black pepper,
paprika, oregano and thyme.
2 T fresh chopped parsley
2 lbs. rock fish or another sustainable white fish
1 T each butter and olive oil
One lemon zest and juice
Heat oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and dry the fish,
and coat with about a t of seasoning on each side of a filet. In a large
oven-safe skillet heat the oil over medium high/heat until hot (but not
smoking), and carefully lay in filets cooking for around 4 minutes on one side.
Do not move the fish as you want the seasonings to form the crust. Flip the
fish using a spatula, add butter and lemon juice and zest to pan over the fish,
place in hot oven until firm (about 6 minutes more)
Quinoa & Lentil medley
1 T butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 t sea salt
1/2 cup each zucchini & artichoke hearts (canned or
frozen)
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup diced carrot and celery
1 cup lentils cooked al dente
1 cup uncooked quinoa
In a large stockpot add butter, onion, celery, carrots and
garlic. Cook for five minutes. Add salt and pepper, quinoa, stock and lentils.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and steam for ten minutes. Add
in the veggies, cover again and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the
veggies and quinoa are tender.
|
| Gardens offer security and a source of nutrition by Victoria Larson on 05/01/2020
In fixing the Earth with permanent agriculture, or
permaculture, we begin the process of fixing ourselves. A pandemic is the
embodiment of widespread disease (usually viral, as COVID-19 is), but it seems
to me we’ve had pandemics of disease going on for years already, like cancer,
chronic fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and the
list goes on.
We have a nation (a world?) where 80 percent of citizens
have insulin resistance and don’t even know it. Insulin resistance from
so-called “convenience foods,” high sugar intake and decreased exercise.
After WWII, all those war chemicals had to go somewhere!
Fresh foods diminished as people left the farms. Heavy marketing of
shelf-stable junk foods became the norm. In the 1940s, pesticide and
preservative use was virtually zero. In the 1950s, we had TV dinners and access
to cheap food 24/7. Our ancestors never had such luxury, if you want to call it
that.
Perhaps we can find a compromise. If you want good health
(and who doesn’t?), you should grow your own food. When shelf-stable, industrial
foods became available, nutrition was no longer taught in medical schools. It
was abandoned in favor of pharmaceuticals. All doctors used to be “natural,”
but after WWII the MDs no longer used or touted nutrition. This led to the
break between MDs and NDs, and nutrition was no longer taught in medical
schools, except the few remaining naturopathic ones. Even as late as the 1990s
during my pre-med schooling, I literally had chemistry teachers saying that
food had nothing to do with health!
There are many, many reasons to grow at least some of your
own food. Its good exercise, good for your nutrition, saves money, can be
shared and taught to the kids and is good for bees, soil and your soul. Among
those many reasons are the feeling of being in control of your own well-being
and realizing self-reliance.
Those of us who believed it was wise to be prepared for
whatever disaster (earthquake, terrorism, tornado or war) already had a year’s
worth of food stored. We were not the ones who panicked because of a “toilet
paper shortage.” Even now, there are those people who have “enough” and rarely
need to go to the grocery stores. Fewer outings means less exposure to any
virus.
Lots of resources are available for learning to grow food,
though seat-of-the-pants may be the best teacher. I was a neophyte during the
1970 back-to-the-land movement. I began by subscribing to Mother Earth News.
Living on 100 acres with a new baby and no car meant it was time to learn to
grow food. Maybe because of the proverbial beginner’s luck my first garden
there produced 150 lettuce plants. What does one do with 150 lettuce plants?
Besides making lettuce soup, which is delicious in the springtime, I sold my
lettuce to the only local health food store, then owned by Ken Kesey’s family.
Now I still have thousands of different seeds, but I admit
to trying to use up the older ones. Some seeds don’t keep well, notably onion
seeds. Whether you have an apartment porch or a back 40, now is the time to
seek out a modicum of self-reliance, rather than relying on stores that no
longer have shelves that are filled to the brim. Even if you only have buckets
or 100 square feet, you can grow a lot of food.
And fresh food is so much better for you. If you do go to a
store, make smart purchases. Buying from bulk bins is liable to be fresher and
cheaper than preservative-laden, over-packaged stuff on the shelves. In the
same vein, make your own soups, stews and casseroles with leftovers. Calculate
the price per pound to make sure this all makes sense to you. If you don’t
cook, learn. All it takes is practice.
And if you don’t know how to garden, it’s time to learn.
Again, all it takes is practice. If you are new to it, start with the easy
stuff: beans and radishes, cukes and zukes. Then there are the can’t-kill-‘ems
like Swiss chard and kale. Kale is over-priced and over-packaged in the stores,
but pretty much guaranteed to grow in a bucket or your back yard. All it needs
is a little sun and some water. Save the cooking water from your veggies and if
you are not using it for soup stock, cool it and use it to water your plants.
The extra nutrients in the cooking water will benefit your growing crops.
Seek guidance from your local and regional newspapers (like
this one). Establish your purchasing choices now (do I need it, or just want
it?). Grow what you are most likely to eat. Use locally abundant foods, like
berries and filberts, and that ever-present health food, kale. Eat more
plant-based foods, use up leftovers and use scissors to cut ribbons of green from
your unsprayed dandelions. Eat in season or by reaping the abundance from your
garden. Feel more secure by being prepared. The more you grow, the less you
need to buy.
|
| Tales (and Tails) of Trust by Paula Walker on 05/01/2020
We are thriving on smiles these days. Sharing things that
make us grin to get us by; keep us focused on the things that matter; things of
the heart, humor and happiness. And who better for that role for many of us
then our furry, sometimes purry, companions. From Betty the Weather Cat whose
cameo debut at the start of April with Indiana meteorologist Jeff Lyons,
triggered an avalanche of letters from as far away as Australia — to a little
Yorkie with a set of false teeth whose video went viral replete with his human
friend and “cameraman” collapsing in laughter in the background.
Estate planning is, in large part, about taking care of our
loved ones. For many of us those can include four legged companions. Of course
not to imply that there may not also be non furry, non human companions that
need our protection if we are not able to provide the care they are accustomed
to, the care that we’ve lavished on them for the joy they lavish on us. All
right – fair enough, there are those chewed shoes, indoor ‘oopsies’ and raids
on the delicacies left on the kitchen counter. So maybe they teach us how to
forgive as well as teaching us the many aspects of unconditional love that they
bring to us.
Back to estate planning, an important consideration in
creating an estate plan is the on going care of our chirping, purring, tail wagging,
bridle wearing, lizard lounging non human companions. There are a number of
means by which an estate plan can provide for these “family members.” They
range from making sure that you have specifically designated someone in your
family or a friend you know you can trust to give your animal companion a good
home, someone who knows your companion and vice versa, to creating what is
called a Pet Trust that provides for the on-going care of your companion(s)
with the legal protections and oversight in place to ensure that the care
continues according to your directives.
You want to consider providing for their care if you have a
time of incapacity as well as providing for giving them a new home after you
are no longer here, a home that understands their emotional needs as well
attending to their various physical needs for shelter, comfort, exercise,
proper diet, special needs and veterinary care. Your estate plan can provide
the funds to support someone taking this responsibility for a limited time
(incapacity) or as a permanent new home. Having someone at the ready to step in
and take care of your companion(s) at a sudden time of incapacity, having the
means to alert first responders that you have animals at home can forestall an
extended time of deprivation that might otherwise happen to your companions,
abandoned because in an emergency no one knows that there are those waiting at
home for you.
One well-thought out program available to Oregonians is the
Oregon Humane Society’s (OHS) Friends Forever Program. For any amount
bequeathed in a Will or Trust to OHS, OHS commits to finding a home for your
companion(s) for times of incapacity and after death. You incorporate this
planned gift in your estate plan. Making the necessary communications of your
intent to OHS assures you that the OHS will go into action immediately to
receive your companions and find a placement based on the particulars for care
that you have conveyed in your estate plan, where your companions will be cared
for, in good hands, for a temporary stay or permanently, if you have such a
need. Check out: https://legacy.oregonhumane.org/friends-forever and
https://legacy.oregonhumane.org/ollie-and-rusty.
So, when you consult with an attorney to create your estate
plan, remember the “other” family member(s) who fill your life with joy and
maybe, a sense of purpose.
Betty the Weather Cat :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d98Rl49H91A and
https://www.facebook.com/143109659110100/videos/247416563311566/
Yorkie with a big smile : https://nypost.com/2020/04/22/dog-steals-fake-teeth-runs-around-with-gigantic-smile-in-viral-video/
Stories of the Stars… If Only
And let us not forget
those with feathers, not fur… taken from a 2015 Vanity Fair article about a
“Manhattan woman” who left $100,000 and “very specific instructions” for the
care of her “32 pet cockatiels — Wheetie, Port, Blackie, Zippy, Tara, Zara,
Shasha, Pigeon, Victory, Alie, Zack 12, Dart, Cubby, Max, Baby, Ruthie,
Pumpkin, Tattoo, Susie, Tracy, Margie, Sammy, Angel, Inky, Sara, Tunra, Tanteleah,
Eva, Cody, Nicki, Avis and Dragon — along with her cat, Kiki, and dog, Frosty.”
Dear Reader… We welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
|  Organizing backups.
As I write this the whole world is dealing with and
addressing a worldwide pandemic called Coronavirus – COVID-19. This is a
serious situation that we all can affect. Social distancing and self-isolating
has become a part of our lives. Those who are able to work from home are doing
just that.
As photographers we can take this time to catch up with
certain chores that are usually left for more opportune times. If you find
yourself with some time on your hands during this odd time, I have a few
suggestions for you to consider that will help you in the long run. Let's just
call them chores – necessary chores that are easily put off for later. These
really don't have to be unenjoyable, especially if there's really no rush.
So here you go...
Seven Things a Photographer Can Do While Social Distancing
Clean your camera and sensor – Dust bunnies sound cute and
cuddly, but they're certainly no friend to the photographer. Most modern
cameras have a self-cleaning feature that one can use for most common dust
specks, but in time there will eventually accumulate more stubborn particles
that will need to be dealt with a direct cleaning of the surface of the sensor.
Sensor cleaning sounds scary. We've all been warned how we
could ruin our sensor if we do it wrong or have heard horror stories about how
a friend ruined their camera for good trying to clean their sensor. And, in
fact, the earlier methods of sensor cleaning could cause scratches if an
abrasive dust particle was dragged across the surface of the sensor. I was scared
for years to even try it until one day I decided to take an older camera that I
had replaced with an upgraded body and attempt to clean the sensor. This sensor
was terrible.
I had done some research into the different methods and kits
available for one to clean their own sensor. I decided upon one that had a
sticky pad that you would dab onto the surface of the sensor. It worked great
and at this time it's the type of sensor cleaner that I would recommend.
But if you still are unable to build up the nerve to try
this yourself you can still take some time to clean your camera body and
lenses. Once this situation is resolved and we're all able to mix and mingle
again, take your camera body to a camera shop and let them handle the sensor.
It doesn't usually cost a lot.
Clean your lenses – Purchase some good lens cleaner spray
and some soft cloths and take some time to carefully clean the front and back
elements (glass part) of your lenses. While you're at it pull out your filters
and do the same to them.
Clean and adjust your tripod – We don't think a lot about
our tripod until it breaks or quits working. And when it does it's usually
because we have neglected it. We've allowed the parts and pieces to corrode or
to become out of adjustment.
Most all tripods have some sort of metal parts, be it a
screw or the whole thing. Even carbon fiber tripods can have places where
corrosive or abrasive material can hide. Saltwater and sand are the worst and
it's recommended that you clean your tripod completely as soon as possible
after getting it wet with saltwater. Aluminum can corrode quickly and make
disassembly difficult. Rinse your tripod with fresh water right away and
disassemble and clean it as soon as you can.
Disassembling your tripod can be a bit intimidating at first
but once you do it once you'll remember the next time. Especially if you do it
with a certain amount of frequency. If you're unsure of your ability to
reassemble it, take photos as you disassemble it so that you have some
reference when you put it back together again. You can do one leg at a time so
that you have the others to reference.
Once it's apart wash and dry the pieces in fresh soapy water
and then rinse and dry completely. Never use oil or WD-40 on your tripod as it
will attract and adhere dirt particles which will hinder operation and wear the
tripod out prematurely.
Calibrate your monitor – I've heard so many people complain
that their photos, when viewed on a different computer or their phone, don't
look the same as they did when they processed it on their computer. Sometimes
the photo is darker or brighter than it looked or that the colors aren't right.
There are times when someone is printing their photo and it comes back from the
printer looking completely wrong.
Computer monitors need to be calibrated every so often. It's
not a difficult chore to do but you will need to invest in a monitor
calibration device. It's a good investment and once you buy one you will own it
and use it forever. I use a Spyder 5 Pro but most all are good.
Organize and backup files – It's easy to come in from a trip
out in the field and download all of your photos and then forget about them
until you have time to process one or two. They can all add up and then left
unattended, including backing them up. Redundancy isn't just a fun word to say,
it's something that's important to a photographer when it comes to keeping
their work secure for the future. Hard drives and memory cards fail. Accidents
happen.
If you're anything like me, you will have ten times more
unprocessed files than you will keepers. Create some hard drive space. Thin
them out and backup the keepers. In addition to any hard drive backups consider
uploading the master files for any photos that you process and finish to some
cloud space. Most of us have some free space available to us from our cell
phone providers, for instance. Secure some cloud space and create a folder in a
file that contains the raw file, the finished processed file in a high
resolution/non-lossy format such as PSD or TIFF and even your formatted jpegs
for sharing on social media, etc. If you do that you won't need to worry about
hours of uploading all of your files, good or bad, and you will have a secure
copy of your finished photos, the most important ones.
Clean cards/charge batteries – Don't wait until the night
before a shoot to clean your cards and check your battery charge. If you have
multiple batteries, consider getting some small round sticky tags to stick onto
the batteries that are charged so that you don't have to put the battery in the
camera to check the charge. Take it off of the charger, tag it on the end. Once
you use the battery take the sticker off of the end of the battery and stick it
on the side so you know that it's been used and needs to be charged once you
get back home.
Learn something new – What a great time to sit down in front
of YouTube and pull up a few processing videos. YouTube can be a good place to
learn something new or to completely run in the other direction, but you have
the power to know if someone there aligns with your vision or not. Whether they
have value in their video that you can use to make your photos better.
We have finally come to a place in photography where people
understand that digital photos can be shot in a format that allows the
photographer to decide how the finished photos will look. They are
understanding that many of the processes are similar to what was done back in
film days in the darkroom by artistic photographers like Ansel Adams. Talented
photographers are usually also expected to be talented in how they process
their photos in Lightroom, Photoshop or both. Find some videos that will push
your understanding of them.
Also, in this day and age, there are so many other options
for photographers than Lightroom or Photoshop. Give one of them a try, you may
like it better. Process some of your photos using the help of a tutorial video
using software such as one of my favorite alternatives to Adobe, On1. Give some
new software a try. You might like it. You can usually download and install a
program for free for 30 days to try it out.
These are all ideas for things to do, but in reality,
they're all things that we are doing or should be doing anyway. Zombie
apocalypse or not. This is just as short list of six things. I'm sure that
you'll discover more things that you've not had time to do because you had too
much time away from your desk. I didn't mention cleaning out Clif Bar wrappers
from your backpack. Now's the time. Make social distancing work in your favor.
Then once it's over you'll be raring to go. Your camera and sensor will be
clean, your tripod will be smooth and functioning properly, your monitor will
be calibrated, your files will be organized and backed up, your cards will be
clean and your batteries will be charged. And furthermore, you'll be smarter than
you were before because you've taken the time to learn something new in your
down time.
Now. Tell me how bored you are.
|
| Viewpoint – Salem: Facing the challenge together by Rep. Anna Williams on 04/01/2020
These are strange and uncertain times, but I remain
optimistic despite the challenges ahead. As I write this column (about a week
before the newspaper’s publication), I can’t predict what the coronavirus
outbreak will look like by the time you read it. Presently, there have been 209
confirmed cases and eight deaths. Sadly, those numbers will certainly have
increased significantly by April. However, it’s important that we look at this
crisis in terms of how things could have gone if we had not acted decisively,
if we had not come together (metaphorically, of course, given the importance of
physical isolation) and sacrificed our comfort for the welfare of our
communities.
Oregon is unique among the nation’s smaller states in how it
has responded to the crisis. We were one of the first to identify a positive
case as a result of community spread, but by that point we had already begun to
prepare for what seemed like an inevitable outbreak. Even as I write this, when
news on the pandemic is changing by the hour, the state government is
responding quickly to every development and sharing as much information as
possible with the public.
With regard to the legislature specifically, a Special Joint
Committee on Coronavirus Response was announced on March 12. It has since met
publicly for dozens of hours to discuss a huge number of proposed ideas for
economic relief, housing support, health care expansion and other issues. These
concepts will be drafted into bills for the legislature to pass during a
special session, probably sometime in early April. After that, help will be on
the way. I am hopeful that we will be able to keep Oregon’s thousands of small
businesses operational after this crisis is over. We will do everything we can
to keep renters from losing their housing due to financial hardship and we will
help small landlords avoid hardships of their own due to nonpayment of rent. We
will do everything in our power to help Oregon’s hospitals and health care
workers see us through the months to come and we will try to find relief for
every Oregonian struggling as a result of this outbreak.
But the legislature can’t do this without your help. We need
every Oregonian to remain vigilant in the face of this disease and hopeful in
the face of the economic struggles that await us. This means practicing
responsible social distancing to minimize the spread of the virus: stay home
unless you absolutely need to leave for groceries, health care or other
essentials, and keep six feet of distance from others if you do go out. It also,
importantly, means taking care of your mental health – minimize the amount of
time you spend reading dire news reports or scrolling through social media and
focus instead on what is within your control. Call your loved ones, call your
neighbors and give yourself space to process your worries, your fears and your
grief. Share your gratitude for the people who are keeping our communities
running: health care workers, grocery workers, farm workers and first
responders. Expressing this appreciation and strengthening your relationship
with your community will help you cope with the stress that we’re all feeling.
We will get through this. Our communities, our state, our
nation and all of humanity have been resilient throughout our history. There
will be significant challenges in the months to come, of course, but when we
act collectively to address these sorts of challenges, we not only survive them
– we emerge from them stronger than before. If you have thoughts on how to
strengthen our communities in the midst of this crisis, or if you have stories,
questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov or 503-986-1452.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Weathering the COVID-19 storm by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 04/01/2020
I have been truly humbled by our community’s response to the
COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic currently facing us. Our wonderful city
employees, the Oregon Trail School District, our service organizations, local
small businesses or our fellow neighbors – everyone has stepped up to the plate
to lift our community during this trying time.
First, I’d like to just remind everyone that we have both
President Donald Trump and Governor Kate Brown saying this is an extremely
serious situation and when those two agree, I think we all should take note.
I agree with Governor Brown’s Stay-At-Home order and thank
her for listening to leaders from all over Oregon. These measures are vitally
important to flatten the curve and provide our hospital system with much needed
relief. When this pandemic is done, we need to have a nuanced conversation on
the cost/benefit analysis of whether shutting down our local economies has been
worth it.
At the city, we’ve had to take unprecedented steps to close
our public library and programs, senior center along with community
programming, City Hall, the business office of the police station and much of
our public parks system.
To help provide a helping hand to our neighbors, we’ve
suspended all shut-off’s and late fees for our public utilities and are
committed to ensuring seamless operations of SandyNet, which is incredibly
vital during this time.
So, what can we do with all of this newfound time on our
hands? First, let’s use this unique opportunity to spend much needed time in
our busy lives with our loved ones. I for one have really enjoyed this newfound
time with MacKensey and our girls.
Additionally, maybe use this opportunity to finally fix that
fence, improve your back yard or garden and finish up those home projects
you’ve been putting off.
Also, please help our local Sandy small businesses. I’m very
concerned for our local businesses and employees. I’d like to encourage
everyone to both dine and shop local. While we may be confined to our own
spaces and homes for the next several weeks, we all must still eat. Please
consider ordering food from one of our local favorites for pick up to eat at
home.
Additionally, if you’re unable to leave the house to pick up
groceries, Sandy’s Helping Hands and the City of Sandy Transit Department are
partnering to provide Clicklist delivery from Fred Meyer in Sandy. You can
visit the Sandy’s Helping Hands Facebook page for more details.
If you need groceries or supplies, please consider buying or
getting supplies along with a gift card from one of Sandy’s local businesses.
As many of you know, I grew up here in Sandy. I like to
believe that my core beliefs about giving back, putting your community first
and providing a helping hand to a neighbor are all a result of growing up in
this special place we call Sandy. Together, we will get through this difficult
time. Together, let’s keep Sandy wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| The Woodsman: beyond toilet paper by on 04/01/2020
Toilet paper was, until recently, on the very bottom of my
list of article ideas for this column. However, at this writing, TP — and the
people buying it as they hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic — have
been in the news for weeks. Some folks have been accused of hoarding, of buying
years’ worth of TP, and there have even been reports of people fighting in
store aisles over the last package. Coming to blows over toilet paper? I can
see fighting over beer or bacon, or maybe a bottle of bourbon (which I would
use for medicinal purposes only, of course). But bathroom tissue?
At the risk of being accused of over-stocking up, I went to
Bi-Mart a couple of weeks ago and was relieved to see dozens of 12-roll
packages on the shelves, with a sign saying, “One per Household.” I bought my
one package. So did everyone else in the store that morning. No forest product
has ever been so popular.
As one who closely follows the forest-products industry, I
can tell you that there is no need to worry about a shortage of TP. In
mid-March, the American Forest & Paper Association issued a statement saying
that, “This situation is highly dynamic and changing daily, and the industry is
working diligently to respond to the spike in demand for tissue products due to
coronavirus (COVID-19) purchases. Rest assured, tissue products continue to be
produced and shipped — just as they are 52 weeks each year as part of a global
market.”
We Americans use paper every day: TP, paper towels,
newsprint, writing papers, sales receipts and paper grocery bags (which we now
have to pay five cents each for), to name a few. Newsprint production is
declining, as Americans read fewer newspapers (with the exception of The
Mountain Times and other local papers). Corrugated cardboard is increasing
along with the popularity of online shopping. Toilet paper production is
growing slowly along with the US population. One area of growth in the US paper
industry: adult diapers, which are made primarily of absorbent wood fibers,
also known as wood pulp or fluff pulp.
Aside from being a key ingredient in TP and Depends diapers,
wood pulp is a highly versatile product that can be used in making a
surprisingly wide range of products, from concrete to solar cells.
More than Paper
The pulp-making process starts with hardwood or softwood
logs that are debarked and chipped. The chips are broken down mechanically or
chemically to separate out the cellulose fibers needed for paper. In addition
to cellulose, wood also contains hemicellulose, which is a minor ingredient in
paper, as well as waxes, oleoresins and ethanol; and lignin, which is used for
making glues, biofuels and other chemicals. Together, these three elements of
wood are called lignocellulose or lignocellulosic biomass, which is the most
abundant organic substance on Earth.
In recent years, scientists have discovered some interesting
uses for cellulose, especially when the fibers are broken down to much smaller
particles, called nanocellullose or cellulose nanomaterials (CNs). I recently
interviewed Robert J. Moon, a materials research engineer at the U.S. Forest
Service’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Wisconsin. Moon is an
internationally recognized CN researcher who works closely with scientists at
Purdue University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. According to Moon
and other scientists, the addition of CNs to cement may have a significant
impact on global climate change. Research by the FPL, Purdue, and Oregon State
University has shown that the addition of CNs to cement makes concrete
stronger. What’s more, because less concrete is required to provide the same
strength, less carbon dioxide is emitted during the production of cement, which
currently accounts for an estimated eight percent of global carbon-dioxide
emissions.
Another promising use of CNs is in producing flexible,
transparent films that serve as a platform for electronic circuits — flexible
electronics.
“The substrate [film] is fully recyclable, and you can put
electronic circuits on it,” Moon said. “You take regular pulp and disintegrate
it about 10,000 times. The particles are super small, and they don’t interact
with light in the same way, so instead of having an opaque substrate, you have
a transparent substrate. And because the particles are so small and they’re
packed together very tight, the surface roughness is much less. When you try to
print micron-size lines or smaller on regular paper, they get lost in the
roughness of the paper and you lose your connection. But on substrates made
from much smaller particles — cellulose nanocrystals — you can print circuits
on it and do a lot of other things to it.”
Nanocellulose films are strong, flexible and less prone to
thermal expansion — a critical property for electronic circuits. That makes CNs
useful in flexible cell phones and displays, and in solar panels that can bend.
Examples of other innovative uses for cellulose
nanomaterials include paper food packaging with a CN coating that serves as a
barrier to oxygen and is impenetrable to oils and grease. CN films also hold
great promise in biomedical uses, such as skin tissue engineering and wound
healing. As a covering for severe burns, CN dressings help promote new skin
growth, block germs that could cause infections, allow for the application of
medicines without removing the dressing and don’t stick to wounds when removed.
Say “forest products” and most people think of lumber,
plywood and paper, even toilet paper, but forest products are all around us and
will be in future products that we can only dream about. The great thing about
all of these products is that they come from a renewable natural resource:
trees.
Have a question about toilet paper or cellulose
nanomaterials? Want to buy some two-ply TP, cheap? Let me know. Email:
SWilent@gmail.com.
|
| A happy and healthy Earth makes us all happy and healthy by Victoria Larson on 04/01/2020
If we don’t “fix” the Earth, the Earth won’t take care of
us, we the people. We cannot have the economic success without the support of
our Earth. In the U.S., undesirable nutritional choices lead to diseases such
as cancer, chronic fatigue, diabetes, depression and heart disease. The inner
person reflects the outer environment. In Chinese medicine, we say, “The
microcosm is the macrocosm.”
That means we are responsible for the condition of our local
landscape and the earth as a whole. We can no longer hide our heads in the sand
and wait for our neighbors to make a change!
Yes, we are making some steps in the right direction: air
pollution in northern China has been reduced, for instance, and that was the
most polluted area I’d ever seen on Earth when I was there in 1996. But China
still had millions of plastic bags snagged in trees and clogging waterways
(which often were roadway ditches). So, we’ve made some steps in dealing with
pollution and the future of our Earth by banning plastic bags. Quit-cher
complaining – I’ve been using cloth bags since 1986 when I went to Europe where
they don’t provide shopping bags in stores. Easy change and I’m glad to see so
many doing it.
Ever notice how Mother Nature doesn’t like barren Earth, so
she fills in with what we call “weeds?” Another word for many of our weeds is
“edible food.” Author Bill Mollison coined the word “permaculture,” a
contraction of “permanent” and “agriculture.” He was not the first to espouse this
style of restoring the Earth, but he’s been around in our lifetime. Bill
Mollison worked for the Division of Wildlife, the Fisheries Commission and
universities in Australia. In the 1970s, the “green revolution” hit America and
Mollison and David Holmgren began the concept of permaculture, based on ethics
not greed.
If we don’t take care of the Earth, it won’t take care of
us. Hence, we had the back-to-the-land movement, the interest in herbal
medicine, vegetarianism and new ways of living. I moved to 100 acres and had a
radio program called “The Wildflower Farm Report.” I learned a lot but we’re
all still learning.
Now we have moved so far in the other direction, money
before people, that we are in danger of losing our global health. DDT once was
widely used until it was discovered that the bird population was declining.
Chemically resistant bugs proliferated. The National Pesticide Use Database
states the pesticide use in the 1940s was about zero. Post-World War II left us
with a lot of war chemicals and nowhere to get rid of them. Hence the growth of
the pesticide industry. Now we use half-a-billion pounds per year of
pesticides. A greed-based move in the wrong direction.
DDT is now banned but what about its half-life? Some farms
claim to be organic probably used DDT from 1950-70. RoundUp will be banned next
as it’s been proven to cause cancer in some. Yet, Monsanto claimed it to be a
“dream come true” herbicide (for Monsanto, maybe) and you can still buy it
over-the-counter. Start saving the Earth by not buying RoundUp, which is an
endocrine disrupter. And patients wonder why they have thyroid imbalances,
cancer, depression. Were you born before 1970, or even after?
Every one of us can start on the road to permaculture,
restoring the Earth to increased safety. Covering the Earth with green, growing
things is a start. Everyone can garden, whether on the windowsill or the “back
forty.” Before our industrial food system (which makes money for stores,
refrigeration specialists and packaging companies), how did people feed
themselves? We all need to eat. How about more money in your own back pocket?
Invest in yourself, your local economy, your local farmer. A natural ecosystem
is ethics-based – people before money. After all, you cannot eat money. In
study after study, it’s been shown that backyard gardening can produce more
food than large-scale, monoculture farming. Food security means “enough for
all,” not just the rich.
Personal food security makes you feel “rich.” A freezer
stocked with berries, a pantry filled with home-raised and canned tomato
products can decrease your food bill by up to (and sometimes more than) $1,000
per year. And you can save more if you dry beans, garlic, peppers and ferment
herbal vinegars, sauerkraut, pickles. Store foods in that pantry mentioned in
last month’s column. All this will create a feeling of abundance, the ability
to share in times of disaster, such as we’re all experiencing. Now, doesn’t
that just beat the “dog-eat-dog” culture of money?
This is the month to plant most anything, whether on your
apartment porch of in the back forty. Start with things that take the longest
to mature – your personal permaculture. Trees take longest to mature,
especially nut trees. Hazelnuts (also known as filberts) yield very high amounts
of food calories per year. A consortium of universities (including Oregon State
University), the Arbor Day Foundation and several state agencies are working to
come up with a hardy European hazelnut that is cold-hardy and more resistant to
previous species.
The devastation of hazelnut tree-shrubs that occurred
locally in 1988 did not include the stand of trees next to my (then) recently
purchased farm. I referred to that grove as “kittywoods” and vowed to leave the
farm if that grove was ever removed. It was cut down and I left the farm after
living there for 30 years, almost half of that on my own. I admonished my cats
to not go in there as sometimes they didn’t come out. Coyotes, don’t you know.
But, while I did lose a few animals, that grove continued to provide healthy
nuts for the 30 years I lived on that farm, as long as I got the nuts before
the jays did!
I’m reminded of the humbling experience I had while working
at Northwoods Nursery (now defunct), where we sold fruit trees. Elderly people,
some on crutches or in wheelchairs, came to purchase trees that wouldn’t even
begin to bear fruit for three to five years. What faith! What trust and care
these elderly people taught me – me being the naive whippersnapper who could
lift those potted or balled-root trees.
Now I, too, am of an age where lifting trees is more
difficult. But I have trust and faith. Permaculture will see us through, even
if I’m not around to see the results. I am no longer on that five-acre small
holding but a year and a half ago, I began permaculturing my land, which is now
less than an acre. I put in my “Victoria” rhubarb (of course) which I should
wait another year to harvest, lest I weaken the plant. The
one-fruit-tree-per-year that I plant will give me Anjou pears this year. My
only dilemma is where to put my next tree. Make that your dilemma, too. But
have faith and trust in your goals. Wendell Barry said it succinctly: “Nature
includes us, we are in it and part of it. If it does not survive, we cannot
thrive.” Be a part of nature’s permaculture!
|
| Time for some levity by Paula Walker on 04/01/2020
If there was ever a time for levity, this is certainly among
them. So, let’s take a look at some of the laughable, zany and strange in the
world of Wills & Testaments as we navigate our own often zany** and strange
time of COVID-19.
I’ll start with the top of the list pick approved by my two
feline owners. Yes… they have established clearly who “owns” who in this
household.
British pop singer Dusty Springfield who left us with
memorable ballads, among them “Son of a Preacher Man” and “You Don’t Have to
Say You Love Me,” put her elderly cat at a place of prominence in her will. Thirteen-year-old
Nicholas was to be fed baby food imported to the U.K. from the United States
and serenaded to sleep each night with her songs.
Leaving nothing unattended to for his care and happiness,
Dusty also arranged that Nicholas would sleep on a bed lined with Dusty’s
pillowcase and would be wed to the female cat of the caretaker Dusty had
appointed. A devoted animal rights activist all her life, Dusty Springfield,
born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien, died in 1999 just two weeks
before being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not before she
was awarded as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for “services to
popular music.”
Knowing of her advanced illness, the Queen gave permission
for Dusty to receive her medal of honor in the hospital, a few months before
her passing.
Next, there is Harry Houdini, in a tale of life’s
fabrication that will rival the creative talents of the best novelist in
piecing together events and circumstances for a sensational read. For starters,
Houdini died on Halloween. Now who could have arranged better than that?
Intrigued with the idea that communication was possible
between the living and the dead, he had created a ten digit secret code with
his wife Beth, which only she would know and by which she could be certain that
he was communicating to her. His will contained provisions of the pact with his
wife that she would hold a séance each year, for ten years, on the anniversary
of his death.
Beth held the last séance in 1936, however the tradition has
continued in various places, gaining in popularity over the years. Google
“Houdini séance 2020” as the time for this event approaches. Perhaps there is a
trip in store for you for next Halloween?
And then there’s Tom Shewbridge. You’ve not heard of him?!
Neither had I. A California prune rancher, his fame was little assured until
his will, in which he guaranteed that his two “Heinz 57” variety canine
companions, Mac and George, would continue to live a life of comfort after his
passing.
Tom’s estate, valued at $112,000 in 1958 (more than $1
million in today’s dollars), was invested, in the dogs’ names, in 29,000 shares
of stock in the local power and light company. The dogs were regular attendees
of the stockholders’ and board of directors’ meetings.
Finally, oscillating between stories framed by animal heirs,
and bequests with an occult shadow, the last story for this article regards
Nina Wang, who at the time of her passing in 2007 was reported to be the
richest woman in Asia. She left her entire $12.8 billion fortune to the charity
that she and her late husband founded. Her lover and former feng shui advisor,
Tony Chan, contested this, finally losing his battle of many years with the
courts. The judge described Chan as a fortune teller and “opportunist” who was
guilty of forging a fake will in his attempt to make his claim on Nina Wang’s
fortune.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
In this episode, I celebrate ‘US’. We are the Stars and the
creators of interesting tales and tellings.
**The zany… who knew peanut butter and toilet paper would
top the list of items to hoard as a bulwark against the flu and the top items
to have if you’re stuck at home for an extended period of time to minimize
exposure to the flu?! Who knew even a month ago that we’d be stuck at home for
such an extended amount of time?!
And the admirable… from the stories and accounts I hear
personally, in the news and through social media, the human spirit is
indomitable. We always find a way to play, to laugh, to pull together to help
each other to get through challenging times.
Dear Reader… we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
| Comfort Food by Taeler Butel on 04/01/2020
Take pleasure in the stirring, the aroma and the mouthfuls
of comforting dishes. These dishes are simple and frugal to make, have few ingredients
and will feed everyone.
Baked Orzo
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 t granulated garlic
¼ t each salt & ground black pepper
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces orzo pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 T Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 cup Half & Half
1½ cups Mozzarella, leave a little for sprinkling on top
2 eggs
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine ricotta, 1¼ cups mozzarella,
Half & Half, garlic, eggs and pepper in bowl. Combine the hot pasta and
sauce in a separate large bowl. Stir in ricotta mixture. Spoon into 11x7-inch
baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup mozzarella, breadcrumbs and
Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, removing foil for the last
five minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and cheese is melted.
Chocolate chip cookie pie
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup chopped walnuts
Vanilla ice cream
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs
on high speed until light and foamy. Add the softened butter, flour and both
sugars to the bowl and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts
and mix gingerly. Bake for 30 minutes until just set.
Serve with ice cream.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
In all forms of art there are compositional rules that are
applied to its creation. Music, painting, sculpting - they all have standard
methods that are used to create them that have been observed to be pleasing to
those who enjoy it. These methods have been developed or discovered, documented
and taught through time to the students of the selected art. Understanding
these rules during the initial layout of the painting, for instance, helps to
establish a more compelling image, but the painter usually has creative freedom
to place elements into the scene or arrange them in a more pleasing way. They
are starting with a clean canvas, but a photographer doesn’t have that freedom.
We are handed an unmovable scene and then tasked with interpreting the scene in
an artful way.
Composition as it’s applied to photography, especially
landscape photography, doesn’t have the freedom to place or arrange elements
within the frame as we create our photo. Therefore, it’s critical for landscape
photographers to be aware and observant of the scenery that surrounds us. In
landscape photography it’s important to understand classical compositional
rules so that they can recognize them when they’re discovered in our
adventures.
So, what are these compositional rules? How strict are these
rules, and what happens when we break them? First of all, never be afraid to
break any compositional rule, and try your best to stretch the rules to fit
your situation. They are no more than a “rule of thumb.” There are no
consequences for breaking these rules other than creating a total failure, or
in many instances creating something unique. So, go for it.
Now that we know that there’s no consequences worth worrying
about, let’s try to understand the basic rules that I keep in mind as I’m
composing a photo. The first is the one that most all artists are aware of and
it’s most likely the one rule that’s considered universal. That’s the Rule of Thirds.
The second being the Fibonacci Curve or the Golden Ratio, and in cases where
I’m dealing with diagonal lines, the Golden Triangles.
The Rule of Thirds: The rule of thirds creates guidelines as
a grid of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines equally spaced to divide
the frame into nine different parts. Important components of the composition
are lined up along the lines or at their intersections.
The Fibonacci Curve: The Fibonacci Curve or The Golden Ratio
is a curve whose shape is created using the Fibonacci Sequence of numbers where
each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. Plotted out on paper it
creates a spiral similar to the spiral of a snail shell. This pattern can be
found in nature in many things besides the snail shell, such as the arrangement
of flower pistils and petals. It can even be seen in the rotation of a hurricane
as it’s observed from above.
The Golden Triangles: Diagonals in a scene can be used as
compositional elements. Not everything in the world lines up with the Rule of
Thirds. Hills, valleys and sometimes even chaotic elements can be organized
into a direction, usually in a diagonal.
There are more rules, but for the sake of simplicity, and
the lack of need for more rules, I feel that it’s important to learn these
three rules and to understand them in a way that they can be recognized when
you’re in the field. As I said before, we don’t have the freedom that a painter
has to move elements around on our canvas, so we have to observe and recognize
these harmonious arrangements when we come across them. Although we’re not able
to move the elements we are able to move our camera left, right, up, down,
forward or back to try to place them within our frame.
Besides a basic understanding of types of harmonious
arrangements of elements within our frame, there are other important elements
or components in a scene that can be used to make a more compelling
composition.
Lines: Lines within a scene are very important elements that
can be used to create separation of elements or even depth in a scene. Leading
lines are lines that typically start in the foreground and lead the viewer’s
eyes into the background of the scene. They can be most anything from a creek
or a canyon to a crack in the earth. Another important line is the horizon and
its placement between the bottom of the frame and the top of the frame, usually
depending on the importance of one area over the other to the image.
Shapes: The shapes of the elements in the scene and how they
interact with each other is an important part of composition. Let’s say that we
have a mountain peak in the background with trees in the foreground. You would
try to place the trees in a complimentary way to frame or emphasize the
mountain.
Color and Light: A lot of people don’t consider how color
can affect composition. Even the brightness or intensity of color can affect
how the scene is viewed. An example would be a darker cool color in shadows in
the foreground, with warm light in the back creating depth in the photograph.
Colors can also create mood in a photo. Brighter, more saturated colors are
typically viewed as more cheerful, whereas cooler or darker colors are more
solemn or moody.
Textures, Patterns and Space: Texture and patterns are
excellent components in a composition. They give the image a look or feeling
how it would be to the touch. It is also important to try to use textures and
patterns to replace negative space. Negative space being an area in your photo
with no subject, element or pattern. It could be a flat gray overcast sky, or
even a blue cloudless sky. There are times when negative space can be used as
an effect, but it’s typically avoided.
Simplify: When you’re composing your photograph, I feel that
it is important to leave out of the frame all that is not needed to create a
compelling photo. Take time to look at the scene, recognize subject elements
and zoom into it to solidify and simplify the scene. Position the frame of the
photo in a way that excludes clutter, distracting or hard to photograph areas.
Combining Elements: There are times when one can combine
characteristics of more than one element into their composition. You could line
up a complete scene with the rule of thirds, yet leave a distant mountain
centered on the horizon for instance.
“So many rules, how can I remember them all?” I hear you.
But remember what I said earlier. Understand these things but don’t dwell on
them. It’s best to understand that the scene that you’re photographing will
speak to you and tell you how it should be composed. You don’t know what
elements will face you when you arrive. You don’t know their placement or relationship
with each other. It’s our job as photographers to read the scene and try to
determine what elements are presented to us and how we can arrange them within
the frame of the photo. We can move left, right, forward or back. We can zoom
in or out to include or eliminate that which isn’t needed to tell the story
that you hope that your photo will tell. We can raise or lower our camera until
the scene fits comfortably and harmoniously within the frame of our photo.
I tell photographers that once you understand the rules of
composition to a point where you no longer think about them, your eye will
recognize these elements when they’re presented to you automatically. When you
have practiced enough, they become second nature. And when you get to a point
where you can take a photo without relying on using these grids and patterns,
and then apply the grid to the photos and it all lines up, then composition has
become second nature to you.
Learn composition and then forget it. Let the scene talk to
you. Most of the time it will tell you how it wants to be photographed.
Composition is, in most cases, the most important part of creating an
interesting and compelling photo. Become familiar with the rules, but don’t be
afraid to break them.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: The broadband conundrum by Rep. Anna Williams on 03/01/2020
The science fiction writer Phillip K. Dick once said, “the
future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” Anyone who has tried
to log on to the internet in rural Oregon knows exactly what he was talking
about. Over the last 20 years, the web has changed every aspect of our lives,
from how we make phone calls to how we shop and run our businesses. However,
across large portions of our state, internet access is spotty in some areas and
non-existent in others.
According to a recent report, 27.6 percent of people in our
state live in places - mostly rural - that are not “Future Ready,” meaning they
have internet speeds lower than 100mbps. This may seem fast to those of us who
remember the screech of dial-up modems, but in our tech-driven economy, high
speed internet is a necessity, not a luxury. More than 50 rural Oregon schools
don’t have access to broadband internet. In an age where healthcare is
undergoing a technological revolution, patients and providers in rural
communities are being left behind.
This is bad for Oregon on several fronts. Instead of staying
in the towns where they grow up, talented young people are relocating to bigger
cities, increasing housing scarcity and reducing the tax base in rural areas.
This deepens the ‘rural brain drain’ problem and contributes to a cycle of
decline. There are some high-tech industries setting up in places like Hood
River, Bend and Pendleton, but further growth in smaller communities is
inhibited by the lack of broadband infrastructure.
High-speed internet is perhaps our state’s most powerful
economic development tool, and every community deserves to have access to it.
However, the very thing that attracts so many people to our state - wide open
spaces - makes installing high speed internet incredibly expensive. Engineers
estimate that the total cost of providing broadband internet fiber to all
unconnected households in Oregon is about $1.3 billion. Providing broadband to
only Senate District 26, which includes the House district I serve, would cost
$18 million.
The state simply doesn’t have the funds to cover these
costs. What we can do, however, is provide meaningful assistance to help small
communities access partnerships with companies that could connect them, and
incentives for those companies to do so. In theory, small communities are
eligible for USDA grants to cover the massive costs of providing fiber
connectivity, but these grants require extensive administrative work and a 25
percent cash match (which many small communities can’t afford). Even if a
community does manage to secure a grant, they are still on the hook for ongoing
costs to provide the internet service.
As I write this, about ten days before publication, Senate
Republicans stand poised to walk out and the House is due to hear House Bill
4079 (the Rural Telecommunication Investment Act). If it passes, the RTIA will
allocate $5 million per year to expand broadband investment, including funding
to help rural communities apply for federal funds and secure private
partnerships. Despite widespread support, however, there is a strong chance it
won’t get to the floor for a vote.
If my Republican colleagues follow through on their
threatened walkout, it isn’t only the controversial cap-and-invest bill that
will die. While they claim to take a stand on behalf of their rural
constituents, they are also threatening legislation like HB 4079 that could
help transform education, healthcare and commerce throughout the rural parts of
our state.
It is difficult to write speculatively about the future –
I’m no Philip K. Dick, after all – so I hope that by the time you read this
column, there has been no walkout. One thing you can be certain of is that
whatever happens in the coming weeks, I will keep looking for ways to support
broadband expansion and other initiatives that help rural Oregon to build an
economy ready for the 21st Century.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Addressing childcare by on 03/01/2020
In a town full of young working families, Sandy is severely
lacking in providing enough quality childcare for residents. According to
recent data gathered by Clackamas Workforce Partnership, we currently only have
spots for six infants and toddlers in licensed childcare settings. There are
about 162 spots for preschool aged kids and 63 for school-age. To put this in
perspective, Sandy is estimated to have about 1,400 children under the age of
5.
What does this mean for our families? It means that we are
having to send our kids to childcare centers outside of our community. Families
have constant stress about finding and keeping quality childcare so they can
continue working. If you are lucky enough to secure a spot in a setting that
works for your family, you are then faced with the barrier of how to afford to
keep that spot while still paying the rest of your bills. According to data
from the Partnership, the average cost of providing infant care in the United
States is about $15,000. That amounts to around 20 percent of a typical
family’s income. We even see amounts much higher than that.
The flip side of this equation is that our childcare
providers are also struggling to pay the bills. Childcare standards for
facilities, education level of providers, child to teacher ratios and safety
standards mean that the people providing care for our children are making
barely over minimum wage in a lot of cases. As we know, it is very hard to
raise a family on $10-15 per hour. As a result, this is an industry with a lot
of turnover.
This conversation was started towards the end of 2019 when
Clackamas Workforce Partnership reached out to the City of Sandy to see if we
could come together to find solutions. I am so pleased with the leadership our
city has taken to explore this issue. We have had two formal convenings with
city staff, elected officials, Clackamas County ESD, local childcare providers
and more! House District 52 Representative Anna Williams was even in attendance
at our January gathering. She is especially interested in focusing on this
issue with us during the 2021 legislative session.
With so many voices and so much passion, I am feeling
confident that we will be able to address this childcare crisis in a way that
will meet the needs of both our families and our childcare providers. At a very
local, practical level, city staff is working towards changing some of our
codes to make childcare businesses more profitable. These include parking code
modifications, possible creation of a tenant improvement grant solely for
childcare businesses and grant programs for facade and public infrastructure.
This is a timely and important topic as we continue to see
more young families settle down in our wonderful city. The City of Sandy is a
leader in this conversation that is gaining momentum and being discussed all
across the county. We have made it an official goal of our Sandy City Council
for this year.
We will continue to have discussions and move toward
positive results to keep Sandy the most amazing place to live and raise a
family.
Bethany Shultz is a Sandy City Councilor
|
| The Emerald Season offers greens by Victoria Larson on 03/01/2020
Unless you are living in outer space eating entirely
chemical food, you no doubt realize that food does not come from grocery
stores. Food comes from your beautiful green Earth. Every ounce of food in any
grocery store has traveled using petroleum to get there! The average distance
your food has traveled is between 1,200 and 1,500 miles. That’s a lot of gas.
And doesn’t include the rest of it – like processing, packaging and
refrigeration.
It doesn’t have to be that way if you only use food from
your hundred-mile radius. Or better yet, grow your own food in your own
backyard, at least some of it. Or forage in your own yard if you are not using
cancer-causing chemicals (glyphosphate, otherwise known as Round-Up). Or learn
to do without some things. There are no strawberries growing in our area at
this time of the year. Soon though.
In fact, a hundred or so years ago there were NO grocery
stores as we know them. They were mostly called general stores, for you could
get cloth, thread and tools, as well as staples such as flour, coffee and tea.
But some of the general stores were few and far between so most everyone
outside of the cities grew most, if not all, of what they ate. Of course, they
didn’t eat packaged foods in those days. Our ancestors had a real sense of what
grew on their own land, when in was in season, what keeps through the winter
and how to preserve those foods.
Among rural people were many farms providing food for rather
large families. Most had a large garden, a cow, some chickens, an orchard. I’ve
now, in my brief lifetime, lived in two places that have had a free-standing
fruit room – one was a hundred-acre farm outside of Eugene, the other where I
live now.
A “fruit room” is a thick-walled building which allows cool
air in with just a small screen (about four inches) to allow for an exchange of
air. Sometimes they were root cellars or rooms in the back of a house. This was
in the era before refrigeration was everywhere. Most food was kept in these
cool rooms and not mechanically refrigerated like today.
Root crops such as beets, garlic, onions and potatoes were
kept there as well as home-canned goods and some orchard fruits. Even eggs and
milk may have been stored there if there was not a spring house on the land.
Where else would you put these things? A cooler perhaps? Think emergency. What
will you do if disaster strikes?
Our grandparents also knew from those who came before them,
what wild greens to look for in the spring and which mushrooms were safe to
eat. Few of us know this information anymore, though there are still foods out
there to be foraged, if you care to learn them. It takes years, so start now.
By March, fruits and produce in the fruit rooms were drying
up, literally. Not only had most of the home-grown and canned foods been used
up by then, but even the flour and coffee from the general stores were about
gone. We would then be approaching “the bottom of the barrel” by March. This
was known as “the hunger month” as new crops had yet to be planted and
harvested. Hence the reliance on neighbors and learning to forage for food. No
Cheetos for our ancestors.
As we wait for spring vegetables to come into season perhaps
it’s time to try some of those greens, known nowadays as weeds, while we wait
for asparagus, greens and eggs to come fully into season. If you are lucky
enough to have these foods in your backyard, you are truly lucky. You can have
beautiful, nourishing meals by using up the root veggies in your fruit room and
learning to forage in your own or your neighbors’ yards. With permission of
course.
But don’t do this at home if you are using cancer-causing
Round-Up chemicals in your yard. Do NOT forage near railroad tracks or golf
courses. There are deadly chemicals in the soils there. Also, some farms where
DDT (now outlawed) was used in the 1950s. But if you have a chemical-free lawn,
or back 40, it’s time to learn about foraging
I once asked a midwife I worked with if I could pick the
chickweed in her garden. She was astonished as I picked two black garbage bags
full of chickweed. I have chickens so I never have chickweed growing on my
property. It’s named “chickweed” for a reason!
In medical school there was a small, local restaurant we
went to almost daily. In fact, my best friend and I would go for both first
lunch and second lunch. In a terraced garden next to the restaurant Miner’s
lettuce grew. It tends to grow through our mild winters and it is very
distinctive, extremely nutritious and more delicious than spinach. I would take
a bag and some scissors and cut enough every day for the nightly dinner salad.
Even my fellow Naturopathic medical students thought I was a bit weird. But I
had spent years in advance herb classes taught by the woman instrumental in
starting the National Herbalist Guild.
A lot of people are now trying to get off the industrial
food train – not buying foods that are overly packaged or with ingredients that
are unpronounceable, reading labels, buying more local produce.
Only about one quarter of American households have
food-producing gardens. To keep our Earth green there needs to be more local
orientation. It’s the beginning of the Emerald Season. Soon we will be
inundated with greens from the Earth. Maybe even your own patch of earth. Enjoy
it all.
|
| State prefers you don’t die intestate by Paula Walker on 03/01/2020
These articles in the past have covered the concept of
“dying intestate,” i.e. without at minimum a will to direct the proper
disposition of your assets, and other estate planning vocabulary that amuses or
hangs in the air with a sense of the strange and arcane; remnants of legal
concepts born in medieval ages.
This month I’ll take a closer look at the term “intestate”
and its potential companion, “escheat.”
Dying intestate calls upon the state to undertake the search
to find the people in your family relations, that could legally inherit your
assets. Failing to find people who are qualified by law to inherit the value of
your estate, the state holds the proceeds from liquidating your estate, and in
some cases the tangible item itself, for a ten-year period as it continues to search
for rightful heirs and as a waiting period for rightful heirs to come forward.
Last October, Fox 12 reported that the State had holdings of approximately $600
million in unclaimed assets.
This is where “escheat” comes to play. Those unclaimed
assets having remained unclaimed for ten years escheat to the State. The word
having its origins in 13th and 14th century “old French” and Latin; literal
meaning “that which falls to one,” i.e. falls to the State.
In this month’s Stories of the Stars I present you a link to
an interview with a representative from the Oregon agency that deals with
intestate estates. Considering why people may not create a will, often people
think that really, they don’t have much and can’t afford to, but says the
representative straightforwardly, “you can’t afford not to.”
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Sometimes you discover allies and collaborators in the most
unexpected places at the most unexpected and often propitious times. Such was
the case with Fox 12 Portland News and the occasion of writing this article
this month. Instead of a celebrity gawking story of the mishaps of the very
wealthy, I invite you this month to consider an account of the “close to home.”
A tale of the every day person, like you and me, Fox 12’s recent airing on its
nightly news of why everyone should at least have a will, if not a complete
estate plan.
Interviewing Sally Wells, Estate Representative for Oregon’s
Department of State Lands, this broadcast walks us through several estates of
ordinary folks who died fairly recently without a will and shows how the state
must intervene to determine what must be done with everything they’ve left
behind. The proceeds, if no legal beneficiaries are discovered, eventually
allot to a worthy purpose, the State’s Common School Fund.
Nonetheless, the State of Oregon aired this news broadcast
to advise Oregonians: 1) to at minimum, create a will; 2) that the State would
prefer not to be called upon to find the legal beneficiaries for people’s
unappointed assets; 3) that the search is costly and time consuming; 4) that
this effort likely does not result in the outcome you’d prefer; 5) that the
cost to your estate for the State to do this search, many times spanning a
decade, robs the value of your hard work and life’s effort that could go to
people and causes that you would otherwise like to take care of and promote; 6)
that state assumed estates are on the rise. Since 2009 the state handled estate
cases have grown by a factor of seven.
Take a look. You’ll be interested to know, may be surprised,
may be appalled at the potential for your own situation.
Check out the embedded video of the interview.
https://www.kptv.com/news/fox-investigators-look-into-what-happens-to-oregon-estates-when/article_a27db22c-519b-11ea-847b-c7d2b7ed1d81.html
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
|
| Butter cookies by Taeler Butel on 03/01/2020
With half their weight in butter these simple cookies are
rich but not expensive. There are only a few steps and ingredients between you
and a plateful of happiness. Use the best organic butter you can find. European
butter really makes a difference.
Shortbread with chocolate chips
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached if available)
1/2 t sea salt
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 t cornstarch
1 T vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with
parchment.
In an electric mixer beat butter with sugar for three
minutes until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla.
Mix salt, cornstarch and flour together, then add the flour
mixture to butter mixture and beat on medium until combined. Stir in the
chocolate chips.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap making a disc and chill for half
an hour. Roll out the cookies to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and
bake for 11 minutes or just until the edges get color.
Pistachio wedding cookies
2 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped, shelled, unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t salt
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place the powdered sugar in a bowl
and set aside. With a paddle attachment beat remaining ingredients on a slow
speed, scraping the bowl as needed just until well mixed. Shape dough into
one-inch balls and place the cookies on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove
cookies from the oven and cool the cookies slightly before rolling in the
powdered sugar.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
Landscape photography has a reputation for being one that
includes travelling to epic corners of the earth to bring back photos of places
that are rarely seen by most people. Or places that we’ve seen in National
Geographic magazine or a TV documentary. But from my point of view, landscape
photography should include the photographer’s artistic touch. It should be
separate from documentary photography or marketing photos that are seen in
magazines. It shouldn’t always need to depend on a location to send a message.
I think that a beautiful landscape photo can be taken on the side of the road
in most any community, especially ours.
As an example, where we live the first subject that we’re
drawn to is Mount Hood in the distance. It’s iconic and known all around the
world. But we have so much more available to us that we could use to make our
photos, and many are along the side of our side roads. Don’t ignore our
mountain, but maybe consider taking a photo of a group of flowers that happen
to have a snow-capped volcano behind them. Be creative in choosing your
subjects and be creative in how you compose and photograph them.
A photographer can consider that landscape photography can
be reduced to two basic types, grand landscapes and intimate landscapes. A
grand landscape typically is a territorial view, or one where there’s a view
off into the distance that includes a lot within its frame, whereas an intimate
landscape is typically one that’s a smaller part of a larger scene. A grand
landscape is more apt to include a recognizable location, certainly a
photograph that includes Mount Hood in the distance is going to be considered a
grand landscape. It’s going to be location dependent and in a lot of cases
weather dependent. I feel that a landscape photographer really spreads their
wings when they embrace intimate landscapes.
Intimate landscapes can include a small part of or a detail
within a grander scene such as a small segment of a creek or maybe a section of
the scene that is affected by some atmospheric conditions, think fog and
sunlight as it filters through the forest, or maybe sunlight illuminating a
curtain of moss that is draped across the limbs of the trees. I also look for
designs and patterns within the scene. An intimate landscape can include a part
of the scene that, when extracted from the larger view and seen separate from
the context of the larger scene, stands alone and on its own merits. Put the
wide-angle lens away and use your zoom lens. Get closer to the scene.
It’s said, in painting as well as photography, that it’s not
what’s included within the frame but what’s excluded that strengthens a
composition. And this is very true in simplifying complex or generally
unappealing scenery, at first glance. Analyzing a scene and trying to find an
interesting composition for a photo allows us to look deeper into the scene and
to recognize what more that it has to offer. The first glance at a scene is
like looking at a book’s cover. Looking further into a scene is like reading
the book.
I tell my students that as artists we shouldn’t take the
scenery at its first impression. In most cases we will take all it has to offer
all at once. Instead take some time to stop and analyze the components of the
scene and separate these smaller scenes and abstracts. Be creative and I’m
confident that you will be able to stop along most any side road and find a
photograph within sight of your car.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: What is missing in some data by Rep. Anna Williams on 01/31/2020
Sometimes, statistics hide as much as they reveal.
Inaccurate data may be worse than misleading; it may have real-world negative
impacts on people’s lives.
As an example, I recently learned that official state data
estimates that there is one homeless person in all of Sherman County. Just one.
This paints a rosy picture: you might guess that there are tons of housing
resources available to people in Sherman County. However, if you ask local
authorities about homelessness, they will tell you that there are well over a
dozen homeless camps throughout the county.
There are several reasons that state records drastically
under-report the number of homeless people in places like Sherman County. The
main one is because the methods used to collect that data rely on a voluntary
“point in time” count where agencies who provide services to people at risk of
homelessness counts the total number of homeless clients who come through their
doors on a single day. Lacking social service providers in rural areas to count
clients, the state could only verify that one person lacked housing. In fact,
the number may be closer to one hundred. Put simply: in areas where no services
exist, the people who most need those services become invisible within the
state’s official data.
This creates a vicious circle: if the state doesn’t allocate
enough funding to a particular rural area, then very few people in that area
can access needed services. When fewer and fewer people in the area are
recorded as accessing the services, the state interprets that as a reduced need
for funding.
When I took office, I sought to ensure that nobody is
invisible when it comes to the allocation of resources or the creation of new
policies. That’s why, as my colleagues in the legislature push for Oregon to declare
a “homelessness state of emergency,” I’m reminding them that the focus can’t
just be on the Portland metro area. Portland may have the highest concentration
of unhoused people in the state, but an estimated 75 percent of our homeless
population lives outside of the metro, many of them in rural areas like ours.
Furthermore, far too many rural Oregonians live paycheck-to-paycheck and could
be just one financial emergency away from losing their housing. If our state
government is going to address the homelessness crisis, its allocation of
resources must reflect the needs of the state as a whole, not just areas that
our imperfect data highlights as homelessness hotspots.
The dilemma of the invisible homelessness in Central and
Eastern Oregon is echoed in other areas of decision-making at the Capitol.
Despite having the best of intentions, Salem doesn’t always know the true
picture in Sandy, in our mountain towns or in other more distant communities.
This session, I’m presenting three bills that tackle state-wide problems in
ways that are sensitive to how rural Oregonians live, work and access services.
One of those bills is particularly relevant to the
relationship between statistics and services: HB 4112 will vastly improve the
way we gather data on the prevalence of child abuse in Oregon. Currently, the
legislature makes its policy decisions regarding child welfare based on the
number of abuse incidents that are reported to the Department of Human
Services. As a result, because abuse is less commonly reported in rural areas,
those regions lack sufficient funding for victim services or for specialized
law enforcement units. This is despite some experts’ estimates that abuse is
twice as prevalent in rural areas as in cities.
If you have other ideas about how I can correct the
provision of services in rural areas, I would love to hear from you. You can
contact me at Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov or by phone at
503-986-1452. Also, let me know if you have any questions or concerns about
upcoming bills and how they might impact the people in our community. I look
forward to hearing from you!
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Building on the momentum by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 01/31/2020
Last spring, our Sandy City Council had to make the
difficult decision to temporarily close our community swimming pool because of
inherited budget deficits. During this process, several of our community
members said they’d be willing to pay more for increased recreational
opportunities, primarily for aquatics.
As a result, we conducted a survey to see if this opinion
was shared by the community of Sandy, as well as nearby communities of Estacada
and Boring, which could potentially broaden the proposed Parks and Recreation
District and tax base.
The goal of the survey was to gauge support for the pool, provide
options for possible future outcomes of the pool, ask additional questions
about what the community would like to see done with the Sandy Community
Campus, along with additional community parks, and seek community interest in
funding such proposals through the creation of a Parks and Recreation District.
The results we received from the survey show overall support
for this effort to the tune of 76 percent.
Next, we’ll conduct a phone survey and additional community
meetings to get direction on what the final proposal and boundaries of the
Parks and Recreation District may be, which will give us the best opportunity
for success in November.
I don’t love the idea of taxes going up, especially on my
watch. However, I feel the message is pretty clear from the community for our
council to develop a proposal for the voters to decide on. I prefer voters make
decisions for themselves when it comes to paying more for something they want.
That’s democracy.
Our City Council believes strongly that we must capitalize
on the momentum behind this effort and to do everything we can to place this
decision in front of our neighbors on the November ballot in 2020. Even if
successful, our community will still have to wait on construction for the
renovations and improvements to be made before re-opening the pool. This holds
true for all of the projects that will be funded within this proposal.
As a result, we feel the need to get this process moving.
All of this means reduced timelines so there with be limited time to flesh out
all of the details of this proposal for our citizens before the vote in
November.
There are some decisions in front of us that should be
relatively easy. For example, the boundaries of the district seem to be
self-apparent. The boundary lines will most likely go as far east as Firwood
Road, west to the METRO boundary in Boring and north to the Sandy River. We
will need to work with the leadership of Estacada to determine their interest
in participating, which will determine the southern boundary.
There are only so many people that live within that boundary
and as the result of something called “compression,” that limits the tax rate
for the district. This determines how much we’ll be able to raise on a yearly
basis. This result, and the fact that swimming pools are expensive, a large
portion of the budget will go towards the pool renovations in the first few
years.
As a result of these factors, our City Council is leaning
towards a plan that would create a new Parks and Recreation District governed
by a board of local community members representing zoned districts. They would
be responsible for managing the budget and deciding how to allocate the funds,
after first addressing the pool.
If this proposed Parks and Recreation District passes in
November, our City Council may potentially use some reserved funds to renovate
a portion of the old Cedar Ridge Middle School into a revamped community center
with community meeting spaces that will be a part of the new Sandy Community Campus.
I believe this to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for
our greater Sandy community. A Parks and Recreation District would be a
complete gamechanger in livability and recreation opportunities for all of us.
It would enable us to remain close to home to access amenities and recreational
opportunities after spending our weeks commuting to work. From that point
forward, on weekends – we’ll stay. This is for us and will help us keep Sandy
wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| A will doesn’t make an estate plan by Paula Walker on 01/31/2020
Words to the wise drawn from one of the wisest… Aristotle.
Considering his turn of phrase, advice that one experience or thing does not
provide the whole — “One swallow does not the summer make.” (Aristotle’s Ethics)
So too, this advice applies to creating your estate plan, or considering
whether you have one, or examining whether what you have will do the job for
you when the time comes.
“When the time comes” is not only after your passing, but
during your life as well as after your death. An estate plan, whether based on
a Trust or a Will, should consist of a number of interrelated documents that
support you while you are alive, not only serve to distribute your assets when
your estate is to be administered upon your passing.
And those documents should contain language that covers
certain areas that can affect you, your estate and your beneficiaries; that
have are known to be areas of legal vulnerability leading to complications,
conflict, confusion and that unnecessarily prolong the ability for taking
action on your behalf or on behalf of your estate.
A comprehensive estate plan includes documents that provide
or convey: 1) Directions for distributing your estate according to your design,
i.e. a Trust and/or a Will. 2) Legal control of your assets to extend the
benefit for beneficiaries you know will need assistance in managing the assets
that you leave to them, i.e. a Trust. 3) Your decisions on managing your finances
in the event that you are unable to do so for yourself, that appoint the
persons you know you can depend on, i.e. a Durable Power of Attorney. 4)
Directions for your care if you cannot care for yourself; that appoint the
person(s) that you can rely upon to talk to your doctors, make critical medical
decisions, take care of your day to day affairs, i.e. a Healthcare Power of
Attorney and an Advance Directive. 5) The necessary authority and means to
access your digital assets, passwords to online accounts of photos and family
memories. 6) Those ideas and thoughts not contained in your Trust or Will; that
“speak” from your heart to your loved ones or carry information and
instructions that will help them in carrying out your directives, ideas that impart
your intent in creating your plan. 7) A list of those documents and their
location that will be necessary to administering your estate and/or that will
have meaning to your family’s history, such as life insurance policies, birth,
death and marriage certificates, real estate deeds, divorce records, bank and
other financial accounts.
A comprehensive estate plan is the solid compass you provide
to those you care about and support to navigate life’s transitions with you and
for you. It is the essence of the generosity and an act of love that you
undertake to leave those who will carry you in their memories as part of their
lives. It is the means by which you have confidence now that you will be well
taken care of should you face a time where you must rely on someone else to
make the decisions for you that you have always made for yourself.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
According to Wikipedia, Snoop Dogg carries a long list of
accomplishments and achievements, “American rapper, singer, songwriter,
producer, media personality, entrepreneur and actor…” Model for an approach to
estate planning that others should follow and aspire to is not among them.
When a Business Insider reporter in 2016 asked Snoop Dogg
after the sudden death of Prince, who left behind an estate estimated at $300
million and no will, whether he, unlike Prince, had a will, Snoop Dogg replied,
“ I don’t give a f--- when I’m dead. What am I gonna give a f--- about?” Adding that he hopes to be reincarnated as a
butterfly and watch the ruckus of fighting over his estate.
Well I can’t say about the butterfly, but with a net worth
of $124 million reported in 2017, his position promises to place his estate
among the annals of famous celebrity inheritance fights, with his accumulated
wealth pouring into the accounts of those hired to fight for the spoils, rather
than supporting people and causes Snoop Dogg may have championed or cared for
during his life.
|
| Simply delicious by Taeler Butel on 01/31/2020
Thinking of a special dinner for a valentine?
These dishes are simple yet elegant and most important,
scrumptious!
Browned Butter seared scallops
1 lb. sea scallops, dried on paper towels, room temperature.
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 t fresh cracked pepper
1/2 t sea salt
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet on medium/high
heat. Sprinkle half the salt and pepper over the scallops. Swirl pan until the
butter is lightly browned, and using tongs, carefully place in the scallops
with the hot oil.
Sear for two minutes on one side, then turn the scallops,
salt and pepper the other side and cook two more minutes. Remove from the heat
and serve with fettuccine if you like.
Simple fettuccine Alfredo
The first recipe was said to be made by a husband for his
wife after the birth of their first son, now that’s amore!
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 lb. fettuccine cooked al dente
In a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan heat the cream and
butter to steaming, whisking in the cheese, salt and pepper and stir until
thickened. Add in the noodles and remove from heat.
Chocolate pots de creme
These are individual, which means you don’t need to share.
They taste like a rich chocolate pudding with a custard like consistency.
4-6 Ramekins
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
1 t vanilla
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Whisk the yolks and sugar together until a ribbon
consistency. In a medium saucepan scald the cream and half & half. Slowly
stir the cream mixture into the egg mixture, pour back into the pan, whisking
slowly over medium heat until it just steams. Remove from heat, stir in the
chocolate and vanilla, divide into ramekins. Refrigerate for six hours.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
I love the diversity of landscape in Oregon. We have most
everything that a landscape photographer could want to photograph.
Oregon has a pretty awesome ocean coastline abutted against
forested mountains and hills, valleys, glacial peaked mountains, sage and
juniper high desert plains, low elevation desert mud playas and a canyon that’s
deeper than the Grand Canyon – Hells Canyon on the Idaho border.
We also have windswept sand dunes, not just along the
coastline, but right in the center of the state in Central Oregon.
Christmas Valley Sand Dunes in Central Oregon are some of
the remnants of the catastrophic volcanic explosion of Mount Mazama just 7,000
years ago that blew 1,600 meters (almost a mile in elevation) of the
3,700-meter (12,000-foot) mountain completely off and created a caldera that
contains the iconic 1,943-foot-deep Crater Lake that we know today.
The Christmas Valley sand is composed of ash and pumice that
was ejected during the eruption. Although the dunes are majestic on their own,
they’re only a small part of the evidence of an event that changed what we know
as Oregon forever, and greatly affected the people who lived there.
What’s thought-provoking to me is the fact that humans were
in the area and were witness to this event. Incredibly preserved reed sandals
have been unearthed in a cave near the little town of Fort Rock, not far from
Christmas Valley, and have been dated from 9,000 to 13,000 years old.
Life for the native Klamath people in the area changed
forever after the massive eruption. Their legends tell of an angry battle
between Llao, their “Chief of the Below World” who inhabited Mount Mazama
(Giiwas in the Native American Klamath language), and his rival Skell, their
“Chief of the Above World.”
Llao fell in love with a beautiful Klamath maiden but she
refused his offer of immortality if she would become his wife. This angered
Llao and he rained rocks and fire down from the sky onto the people below.
During the battle, Skell tried to protect the people from above while standing
atop Mount Shasta. The battle ended when Skell was able to force Llao back into
the mountain. All of this commotion formed the crater on Mount Mazama which
filled with torrential rains that followed the battle.
The mountain became sacred ground to the natives and the
people were forbidden from going there. Some shaman forbade them from looking
in the direction of the mountain. 7,000 years ago, all of this would make
perfect sense. The human catastrophe and the pure terror that they witnessed
must have been something that we as modern humans can hardly understand.
Today we can still witness the effects of the massive
geological battle that formed so much of the landscapes that we photograph. I
feel that understanding the science as well as the legend of these areas works
to enhance our appreciation for them and allows us to better translate their
meaning and message through our photos.
The winds in Central Oregon blow with some regularity in
this area and create dunes as well as ripples in the sand. The patterns that
they create are perfect for a photographic foreground. Unique conditions such
as a vivid sunrise or sunset can complete a breathtaking scene.
Christmas Lake, Christmas Valley and nearby Peter’s Sink and
Peter’s Creek were named for pioneer stockman Peter Christman, who grazed his
cattle there and had a house at Silver Lake, 18 miles to the southwest. The
name “Christmas” was an early corruption of the name Christman that became
entrenched in the vernacular by 1900.
The Christmas Valley Sand Dunes are administered by the
Bureau of Land Management, are easily accessible and are designated as a
recreational area for campers and wanderers as well as off-highway vehicle use.
Camping areas are available for extended camping stays. If you find yourself
wandering in Central Oregon, exploring our amazing public lands a trip to
Christmas Valley should be on your list of places to stop and experience.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Rural-urban partnerships by Rep. Anna Williams on 01/01/2020
In conversations about lawmaking for the entire state, I
often hear about the “rural-urban divide” in Oregon. I don’t use that phrase –
in fact I don’t even like hearing it – because I don’t think there is a divide.
On the contrary, I think the rural and urban parts of our state are more
connected than a lot of people realize. What Oregon needs is not some
metaphorical bridge between rural and urban communities. Instead, we need to
build a strong rural progressive movement that extends services into the communities
that need them most; and we need to have more frank conversations in large
population centers about how drastically underserved rural communities are.
I am proud to constantly voice these concerns in the House
Democratic Caucus (to the occasional irritation of my colleagues), and I think
it has won some hard-earned recognition for the people in this district and in
rural communities throughout the state. I have been working to build a
coalition of other progressive lawmakers who represent rural, frontier and
agriculturally focused districts, and I think we’re starting to make
significant headway in statewide policy. I worked hard to get historically
unprecedented funding to our state’s farm-to-schools program. I pressed my
colleagues to ensure that everyone in rural parts of the state, where car
travel is necessary for survival, had access to a driver’s license and car
insurance regardless of their citizenship status. The list goes on.
In conversations around the climate policy that will again
be a major focus in the 2020 legislative session, I have tried to bring
together the diverse voices in my district. Climate activists and farmers,
timber producers and farm workers, business owners and underrepresented
communities... all of these voices belong at the table, but many of them feel
their concerns are not being heard in Salem. I have listened to all of them and
urged my colleagues to consider the unintended consequences that may result
from sweeping statewide policies. Problems that impact our entire state need
solutions that meet the needs of our entire state. This includes (and maybe
should especially take into account) the parts of our state that are already
struggling the most.
That’s why I’m helping craft the Oregon House Democrats’
policy platform to better reflect rural communities’ interests. The lack of
affordable childcare affects every community in the state, but none more so
than small cities and towns like ours. Many communities are underserved by
social workers, healthcare providers and qualified caregivers, but many rural
areas effectively have no access to those services. The issue, as I see it, is
that progressive policies have often been crafted with urban centers in mind,
then implemented statewide in a uniform way. A truly progressive policy would
take into account the differences between rural and urban areas, and support
each of them in catering services for the most effective delivery.
I agree with most progressives in believing that the state
should set expected outcomes when implementing a new policy; I also agree that
the state should provide the financial means to reach those outcomes. But I
sometimes feel like an outsider in my party when I believe that the state
should refrain from prescribing the specific methods that rural communities
should undertake to reach expected outcomes. Each small community of Oregonians
has its own way of relating to one another, and oftentimes there is no way a
person without roots in one community could ever know the best way to address a
problem there. Where such a problem exists, the state government should not
command a fix; it should be a partner in finding one. I hope to use my position
to build those partnerships.
If you would like to share your thoughts on issues
confronting rural communities, please let me know. You can reach me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov or 503-986-1452. Happy New Year!
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: A chance to go big by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 01/01/2020
Like many of our neighbors here in Sandy, the coming of the
new year gives us at City Hall the opportunity to reflect on the past year and
set goals for the year ahead.
2019 marked a year of transition and change for Sandy. In
January, I was sworn in as our Mayor. That meeting also marked the first day of
our new City Manager, Jordan Wheeler. Together, along with our City Council and
our dedicated and hardworking staff, we forged ahead on one of the most
ambitious agendas in our city’s history.
As a result, we didn’t just dream big in 2019, we
accomplished some big things. We were able to get the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) to agree on a joint venture to conduct a feasibility
study for a local bypass for our citizens. We secured funding and a timeline for
the 362nd to Bell Street connection. We kickstarted our master planning efforts
for transportation, transit and parks. We adopted our Wastewater Treatment
Facilities Plan that included $500,000 from the State Legislature for a green
alternative analysis which was our top 2019 legislative priority. We created an
Economic Development Committee and adopted a budget that included a dedicated
and stable source of funding for our police department. We also increased
funding for our economic tenant improvement program and invested more into a
reserve fund in case of a rainy day.
2019 was about laying the right foundation for Sandy to
build off in the future. And 2020 is about adopting that vision and beginning
our building process.
While our City Council is committed to continuing progress
on our successful projects from 2019, we are now transitioning our focus onto
the Sandy Community Campus project, Pleasant Street development and beginning
the process of updating our Master Plan for growth.
As I’ve discussed in previous columns, the Sandy Community
Campus is an exciting project that can serve as the starting point for a bright
future for all of us. This project could allow us to completely revitalize the
Pleasant Street neighborhood into a vibrant gathering place for our community
and allow us to not rely so heavily on a downtown core that has a state highway
running through it.
Recently in order to determine our vision and direction, we
commissioned a public opinion survey which asked neighbors to share their
opinion on what amenities they’d like to see in such a project as well as what
they’d be willing to pay for such amenities. The results of this survey will be
released to the public at our City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, at
City Hall, 39250 Pioneer Blvd. Additionally, citizens will have the opportunity
to express what the City Council should do for next steps at our City Council
Open House held at 6 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Sandy Senior Center, 38348 Pioneer
Blvd.
If this public opinion survey comes back favorably, our
community will have an important decision in front of us. Will the community
decide to support a Parks & Recreation District that would provide our
community with new and ongoing recreational, athletic and aquatic opportunities
for all of us? In 2020, Sandy will have the opportunity to go big and not just
dream big.
Additionally, our City Council and urban renewal board will
be looking for opportunities to invest in Pleasant Street to help generate more
economic activity. A vibrant Pleasant Street that provides a walkable gathering
space for our neighbors with retail and entertainment-based business
establishments that interface with a new Sandy Community Campus is something to
get excited about.
Together, we can develop a vision for Sandy’s future that
provides a great sense of community for generations to come. Together, we can
Keep Sandy Wonderful. Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of City of Sandy
|
| The Season of Good Will(s) by Paula Walker on 01/01/2020
A time for conversations…
In this age of convenience and efficiencies of effort, many
products advertise “set it and forget it.” Sounds so good in our busy,
sometimes harried lifestyles with family, work and social obligations to
lighten the load of things to attend to with “do-it-for-you products.”
But estate planning is not one of those. Not set it and
forget it but set it and tend to it – over time.
One of the many advantages in creating an estate plan, Trust
or Will, is providing the basis for family harmony as part of your legacy. The
certainty and clear direction that you provide with a well-thought out and
executed estate plan is one of the greatest gifts to those who will support you
and fulfill your directives, as well as to the family and friends your plan
encompasses.
This is not something to wait for an “unveiling” after you
pass, or a plan to be discovered in a time of emergency. It is a plan whose
intended outcome is best assured if you talk with those involved about it now.
The holiday season is a prime opportunity to have such a
talk, with many/most of the family already gathered. Be thoughtful in planning
for and launching into such a talk, for your sake and theirs. Tell them in
advance that you want to have this discussion. Set aside a quiet time and
space, a brief spell apart from the flurry of festivities. Keep this first
foray short. Its purpose is to convey that you have a plan. Explain your
intentions i.e. to provide clear direction and guidance to help them help you
at some future date. Talk process and framework, not content which is your private
affair. Though discussions of death and incapacity can be awkward to initiate,
often such conversations serve to bring the family closer. As well, you provide
a model for your family to follow that can benefit them as they travel a
similar path.
Ask your estate planning attorney for guidance in preparing
for a family discussion.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
We’ll be back in the New Year with stories of the foibles,
follies and fantastic tales of prominent persons, celebrities—stunning stories
highlighting “things gone wrong” that you can avoid by doing things right in
your estate plan.
For this article I leave you with my wishes for a joyous
season of warm friendship and family sharing. As this year comes to a close and
you step forward into a new year, may your life grow in ways meaningful and
fulfilling.
Dear Reader… we welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Opportunities abound in the New Year by Victoria Larson on 01/01/2020
The play “Our Town” is a favorite of mine and my favorite
line is this: “Do any human beings ever realize every minute of life while they
live it?” Clearly, the answer is “no,” but we can try. Change is constant --
maybe the only constant. But change begets more change and one step in the
right direction can lead to more steps. Go slow, if possible, as sudden change
can be stressful.
This blessed year we actually have an extra day, it being a
leap year and all. A whole extra 24 hours! But we feel the tug to start as
early as January first, so let’s do it!
The cells of your body live 21 days. At the end of 21 days
all your cells will be new ones, though in a relative stage of “newness” as
they don’t all change at once. What an opportunity we all have here.
Interestingly people who live in developing nations have a much greater
diversity of healthful bacteria in their gastro-intestinal systems than most
Americans. Hmm, why is that? It’s because they eat a much wider diversity of
foods than we do, especially vegetables.
Maybe this partially explains why the United States has
sky-high healthcare costs, but a decreased life expectancy compared to those
developing nations. In America the choice of vegetables runs to corn, green
beans and potatoes. Lower fiber foods in general. And we have tons of packaged
foods available. And sugar. Tons and tons of sugar. Sugar kills the good
bacteria in your gut. Fermented foods feed the good bacteria in your gut.
Prebiotics like garlic, grains, onions and root vegetables and plant fibers in
general will ferment in your colon to increase the good bacteria. All from what
you choose to eat. We need the trillions (literally) of gut bacteria. Fermented
foods can be eaten to help the cause. Fermented foods include such foods as
aged cheeses, kefir, sourdough, yogurt, vinegar. Even three to four ounces of
aged wine is acceptable, but only one glass a day and not every day.
Eliminating white foods is a good opportunity to start your
health improvement. Eliminate or at least cut down on milk, potatoes, sugar and
white flour. But not cauliflower, Daikon or other radishes, or mushrooms! Tend
towards the Mediterranean lifestyle not just the nutritional aspects. Use good
quality fats like cold-pressed oils, flax oil, palm oil, olive oil and even
butter (but not margarine). Eat seeds -- sesame, fennel, even two Brazil nuts a
day can be enough. Eat organic as much as you can afford and remember that YOU
run the economy by what you choose to purchase. One to three times a week eat
beans (canned or dry beans are fine), lentils or peas. And eat as many whole
foods as possible, as they come from nature, not packaged foods. What an
opportunity!
After my frantic harvest of Bok Choy, lettuce and Swiss
chard before the freezing temperatures, I was still harvesting herbs almost
daily. Hundreds of years ago we humans paid close attention to the seasons, the
stars, the plants. Using herbs was our way of relating to the awesome universe.
Rosemary and pomegranate protect against Staph aureus (otherwise known as
methicillin resistant Staph aureus, or MRSA). The spices that appeal to us are
now readily available -- cinnamon, cloves and ginger for instance. I currently
am using a hefty dose of cardamom in my coffee, but you could make Golden Milk,
an ages old recipe of milk (any kind) with butter or ghee, a scant teaspoon of
both powdered ginger and turmeric. Add a pinch of nutmeg or pepper and you have
a very healing bedtime drink.
Most experts agree that lack of movement is a huge risk to
our health. Decreased movement leads to decreased muscle mass, a big risk
factor not only for elders but for all of us. Women lose muscle mass and gain
an average of five pounds of fat per decade, or maybe even per season. This is
not good for your bones or your heart. Moderate exercise -- walking, carrying
laundry, even walking to the end of the driveway -- it all helps. Try for some moderate
exercise of 30 minutes at least three times a week. At home get up and move
around after every chapter in that book or every commercial on TV. For those
who are more ambitious there are fitness classes, dance classes, running or
yoga. At my favorite health store in Eugene, The Kiva, the workers used to
dance while stocking the shelves. It put a smile on everyone’s face.
Winter in our area is the traditional time to slow down,
look inward, re-evaluate. Moderate alcohol intake. A study of Japanese and Americans
found increased mental well-being in those who abstained from alcohol.
Interestingly, women who had quit drinking were even better off. Alcohol can
interfere with sleep and you really need your sleep to de-stress in the winter.
Try cooking more with rosemary to enhance sleep and mood. But don’t go beyond
ten hours of sleep unless you are overworked, as this could lead to a higher
risk of heart disease.
Danish people live by the concept of Hygge (pronounced
hoo-guh). This is a call for simplicity and coziness. Being half Danish (don’t
ask about the spelling of my name, though it is a good story) coziness can
include just slowing down, lighting a candle and wrapping yourself in a cozy
blanket with cats on the bed. It could include a relaxing bath which includes
Epsom salts and a very few drops of your favorite essential oil. For the much
more adventurous it might mean taking the Polar Bear Plunge into cold water, or
simply turning your shower to cold for the last few minutes to invigorate you
and build your immunity.
Spend some time outdoors in green spaces. Fifteen to twenty
minutes in sunlight gives you enough Vitamin D for the day and decreases stress
hormones. Children who spend that amount of time outside are almost half as
likely to develop mental health issues. And our children clearly need our help.
Take the dog for a walk, check out the neighborhood, take that holiday popcorn
string out to feed the wild birds.
While outdoors look for the “good” all around you. Always be
aware of your blessings. Be grateful that you woke up this morning and say
“thank you” for everything. When you think there are no more possibilities,
there still are. Chances are good that the sun will come up tomorrow (though we
may not always see it) and February will be here in no time with that extra 24
hours. What an opportunity!
|
| More treats, less cheats! by Taeler Butel on 01/01/2020
If you’re eating for health this year check out a couple of
recipes that are as yummy as they are healthy. Tips:
*Remember to think of it as an eating plan not a diet.
*Eat for health, not weight loss, losing weight is a
byproduct.
*At a restaurant? Take half of your food home for later,
you’ll have a nice snack.
*Sugar cravings? Eat a piece of fruit and wait.
*Have a fiber rich soup – split pea, bean, vegetable soups
are all good for your body and soul!
Happy New Year!
Roasted veggie enchiladas
3 T olive oil
1 red pepper
1/2 small zucchini
1/2 small yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
1/2 cup black beans rinsed and drained
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
For sauce:
1/2 cup half & half
2 cans diced green chiles
1 1/2 t cumin
1/4 t salt
2 garlic cloves minced
2 T chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Chop vegetables into 3/4-inch pieces, toss all vegetables
(omitting beans) with 3 T olive oil and spread on a large rimmed baking pan.
Roast at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside. Add black
beans to roasted vegetables. Heat corn tortillas slightly to soften, then fill
each tortilla with approximately 1/3 cup roasted vegetable mixture. Roll
tightly and place seam-side down in 9x13 inch pan. Repeat until all the
tortillas are filled. Prepare the sauce by combining half & half, diced
green chiles, cumin, salt and garlic cloves. Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
Top with shredded cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for
30 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Top with cilantro.
Skinny apple crisp
3 lbs. Granny Smith or Fuji apples, 1-inch slices
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 T cornstarch
Topping:
1 cup oat or nut flour
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup brown coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 sticks butter chilled and diced into cubes
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples.
Place them in a 9×12 baking dish and pour the rest of the filling ingredients
over the apples. Toss with a large spoon to coat evenly. This can be done in a
large mixing bowl if you prefer, I just like to save dishes. Combine all
streusel topping ingredients in a food processor with the ‘s’ blade, pulse
until crumbly and pour evenly over the fruit. Bake for approximately 40 minutes
or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Check with a
knife or fork to make sure apples are soft. Cool slightly and serve warm with
vanilla frozen yogurt.
Eat Cake
Can you even celebrate without cake. Confidence is key,
cakes can smell fear! Just prepare well, easy on mixing after the flour and
don’t open that oven door! Bake one of these up for your favorite mom or to
celebrate any day of the week. Remember... boxed mix is out. Here’s a couple of
my family’s favorite cakes.
Flourless chocolate cake
For the cake:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t espresso powder
For the glaze:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a circle out of parchment
paper to fit the bottom of the cake pan and put inside the pan. Spray the
inside of the cake pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Put the butter and 1 cup
of chocolate chips in a small heat-safe bowl over a pan with an inch of boiling
water (make sure water doesn’t touch the bowl). Continue heating and stirring
until the butter and chocolate are melted and combined. Put the chocolate and
butter mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and espresso. Add the eggs and
whisk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined. Pour the
batter into the cake pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and
let cool for 10 minutes. Run the knife around the edges of the cake to separate
it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate.
For the glaze:
Put the heavy cream and 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small
pot. Heat it over medium heat and stir until the cream is hot and the chocolate
chips are melted. Glaze the cake.
Confetti cake
Childhood goes by like confetti in the wind and I hope
you’ll remember all of its sweetness! This cake is so much fun, almond and
vanilla extract give it depth of flavor.
For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3/4 soft unsalted butter
3 egg whites
1 t almond extract
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sprinkles
For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted soft butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 t milk
3 t vanilla extract
1 drop pink food coloring
1/3 cup sprinkles
Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour the
batter into the buttered and floured pans. Cool layers while making
buttercream. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the
sprinkles at the very end and mix at little as possible.
Bake at 340 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until the
centers are springy to the touch. Whip butter with electric mixer until fluffy
while slowly adding sugar, add vanilla and food coloring, Frost and sprinkle
cake.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
There’s no other piece of equipment that a photographer
possesses that elevates the perception of skill and professionalism than a
tripod. Walk down a pathway or a trail with just a camera and you’ll blend in,
but put it on a tripod and walk down the trail and you’ll be noticed and
recognized as someone who must obviously be taking more than snapshots.
A tripod is usually the first accessory that photographers
will acquire after they buy their first fancy camera, but I have found that
it’s also the most misunderstood. A tripod doesn’t elevate a photographer’s
skill or professional ability. Sometimes it’s the photographer without a tripod
that knows when and how to use one, but understanding your tripod (as with any
other tool that you use) will certainly allow you to elevate the quality of
certain photos.
The purpose of a tripod can be to steady the camera to
prevent it from shaking during extended shutter speeds that are longer than is
practical by hand, such as for smooth water photographs of creeks and waterfalls.
It can also be used to simply allow for a brighter exposure or to give the
photographer a platform to rest their camera on while they compose their
photos. You can maintain the same position while you wait for conditions to
change for instance. The most practical purpose is that it’s used when the
shutter speed isn’t fast enough to hold the camera by hand for the photo that
you are trying to make.
The times where your tripod is indispensable is when light
is dim and the shutter speed needs to be extended, but the average photographer
isn’t taking photos during this time. Daytime lighting can typically allow
photographers to have a shutter speed that’s fast enough to eliminate motion
blur for a clear and focused photo while handheld. Making sure that you have a
shutter speed that’s quick enough is usually nothing more than choosing the
proper ISO or aperture setting, as both can allow increased exposure without
extending the shutter speed.
Taking photos without a tripod can be liberating, especially
while hiking. A tripod can be cumbersome, heavy and usually unnecessary.
Using a tripod can also limit creativity in composing a
shot. You must fiddle around with the tripod to get it positioned properly to
get the photo, when if you didn’t have it you can simply come up to the scene,
focus and frame the shot and snap it. A photographer is typically more apt to
wander around and find different compositions if not tethered to a planted
tripod.
A tripod comes in handiest to landscape photographers as
they tend to take their time composing, focusing, adjusting and reshooting the
scene. In that case it’s handy to set up on the tripod and take the time to
make sure that everything is perfect. It’s also used to maintain a composition
while conditions change. It’s most indispensable to a landscape photographer
than most other genres of photography. In the case where there’s a lot of
moving from one shot to the next, such as candid photos during an event, being
able to react quickly prohibits the use of one.
Tripods can come in varied levels of quality, sizes and
types and made, basically, from two kinds of material – aluminum or carbon
fiber. Weight is a very important consideration, especially while travelling,
hiking or in cases where the tripod is carried throughout the day, but weight
saving should never compromise stability. Make sure that it’s sturdy enough for
the camera that you use and the conditions that you plan to use it in. Remember
that we use tripods to steady our cameras, so having a steady tripod is a must.
When choosing a tripod, I’ve found that paying a bit more
for one that is of a higher quality, like most things in life, will pay
dividends in time.
When I first started in photography I used cheap tripods,
but after having a few break, typically with no way to repair them, usually at
the most inopportune times, or being frustrated by unstable versions that would
move in the slightest breeze, I decided to save my money and buy a sturdy
carbon fiber tripod that will last a lifetime. If I had done so in the
beginning it would have eventually paid for itself.
No tripod is complete without an accessory that attaches the
camera called a head. The more inexpensive versions may have a head that is
attached permanently, but most tripods will need a separate head.
There are typically two types that are most commonly used –
pan-tilt or ball head. My experience is that a ball head is the most versatile,
reliable and most simple to use. A ball head has a spherical joint that can be
easily positioned in many ways and then locked down with a single knob. A
pan-tilt head has two levers that are used to adjust the tilt, elevation and
direction separately. As with the tripod legs, buying a sturdy head will save
you a lot of frustration and will last longer.
Carbon fiber or aluminum? Carbon fiber is always preferred,
but carbon fiber tripods are usually more expensive. Carbon fiber is lighter
and will not oxidize or rust. There have been many times where I’ve been in
creeks or lakes or even worse, in the surf at the ocean with my old aluminum
tripods where I hadn’t gotten around to cleaning it before it started to seize
up due to the corrosive nature of saltwater. Saltwater is terrible for
aluminum. Carbon fiber and plastic parts will not corrode and will give you
more time to get around to rinsing or cleaning your tripod. Keeping your tripod
clean is an absolute must, so learn how to disassemble it and reassemble it.
I hope that this helps to better understand your tripod and
how and why it’s used. My advice is to learn your camera and the basic
principles of photography to allow you to know when a tripod is needed and when
it’s not.
As with any tool, using your tripod properly will enhance
not only your photography but your experience of creating photos.
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: options beyond gift cards by on 12/01/2019
It’s the holidays! That wonderful time of the year when we
spend time with friends and loved ones, coming together to share expressions of
gratitude and love. We express our friendship and love through symbolic
gestures such as sharing food, spending time together engaged in seasonal
activities and in giving gifts. Whether Chanukah, Christmas or whatever your
religious or world view is, it is a time when the world seems to soften.
When we are exchanging gifts, something that we in the
social sciences refer to as reciprocity, we put much thought into what we would
like to gift to say. A new sportscar, for example, would have a very different
message if given to a spouse than if it was given to a member of the local
cleaning crew. Another example would be if you gave that same car to your
teenage offspring while giving your spouse a new power drill (may God take pity
on your soul!).
In a different time, holiday gift shopping was a special
event where one would contemplate what might please the recipient. The
objective of this is that you are demonstrating that you care enough about the
individual, are aware of their tastes and have spent both time and money in
finding just the right gift for them, wrapping it in a way that pleases the eye
and in general shows how much you care for that person. To illustrate this,
while working in a retail jewelry store once, a customer asked me to help him
select a gift for his mother that would “make her cry.” He later reported
success in his endeavor. Jewelry is marketed as equating cost to “show how much
you love her.”
In this day and age, we live in a virtual world where
shopping is as simple as the click of a computer keyboard, especially when
living in a remote location where shopping options are limited. Online shopping
gives the benefit of comparison shopping and access to a wider variety of
merchandise. At the time, the day of shopping in downtown Portland or at the
mall, window shopping, seeing the holiday décor in the hustle and bustle,
stopping for lunch or meeting with friends for dinner are gone. Shopping has
become more of a tedium than an adventure, coming across something unexpected
that will put a smile on Bobby’s face. The holidays have become more about the
merchandise than about the act of shopping. Stores start putting out their
holiday merchandise as soon as Halloween is over, hoping to entice people to
buy from them rather than waiting until the last minute to buy online.
The other aspect that has changed is that we no longer try
to find the “perfect” gift to express our care. The stigma of not choosing the
right color, size or item has resulted in our taking the easiest way out of
shopping – hence the gift card. It’s our way of saying, “I didn’t know what to
buy for you, so go buy something for yourself.” While it takes the guessing out
of the game, it also removes the element of surprise and delight, which in my
opinion is half the fun. And the recipient doesn’t remember who gave them the
card after it’s spent.
To be fair, prior to the advent of gift cards, gift
certificates were used when we wanted to give someone a gift of their choice at
their favorite store. Those have been replaced with plastic gift cards that can
be found in abundance in nearly every retail store. We asked what the
environmental impact of plastic gift cards is, and learned from giftbit.com
that “In 2013, physical gift cards have an estimated annual CO2 footprint of
585,300 tons. That’s more than all the daily air flights in Europe combined.
What’s worse is that 8%-19% of all gift cards go unused.”
What are the alternatives to plastic gift cards? As I’ve
stated previously, my favorite gift is a voucher made by someone with an
invitation to spend time together. Rather than a physical object, their time is
their gift. It’s always the right gift! A homemade gift (especially food) is
always a welcome expression of friendship. A wrapped gift with a gift receipt
for exchange if something is not the right one is another option. If a gift
card is still the preferred choice, there are many digital options for sending
a gift card. They have a significantly reduced footprint compared to physical
cards, so the environmental impact of gifting can be reduced.
Happy holidays to you from all of us at the Mt. Hood Green
Scene!
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: The Holidays in Sandy by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 12/01/2019
Whether it be the holiday tree lighting at Centennial Plaza,
breakfast with Santa or the Sandy Light Show – our local businesses, service
organizations and talented neighbors are on display. It’s truly the most
wonderful time of year in our community of Sandy.
The holidays are all about family, community and giving, and
in Sandy we have no shortage of ways to get into the holiday spirit.
In Sandy, we kick off the holiday season with our annual
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony held at Centennial Plaza. This year’s ceremony
is on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. In addition to the lighting, Sandy area families
get to mingle with Santa, enjoy treats and hot cocoa from local Sandy
businesses, caroling by the SHH Choir, free trolley rides and more. My girls
Lucy and Olivia love the Sandy Historical Museum’s free kids craft projects
during the event inside the museum adjacent to the plaza. And I’ll be there
lighting the tree at 7 p.m.! The annual tree lighting is an event that our
family looks forward to every year. With this being the first year as Mayor
lighting the tree, my girls, MacKensey and I are incredibly excited.
Growing up in Sandy, no annual event had a bigger impact on
me as a person than the annual Sandy Community Christmas Basket Program
sponsored by the Sandy Kiwanis Club. Every year this program helps assist more
than 400 families within our community with baskets filled with food and toys to
make the holidays a little brighter to families who otherwise wouldn’t be able
to afford a special dinner or presents.
According to their website, Kiwanis purchases the fresh
food, meat and basic canned goods that are included in each box. The Oregon Trail
School District supplies additional canned food and non-perishable items
collected through their annual canned food drive as part of high school
Leadership and Key Club activities.
Last year, my wife, MacKensey, and I took our girls to
deliver baskets to locals, just like I did as a student at Sandy High School.
There’s nothing like looking into the eyes of your child as they give to
another in need and realize the impact they have on that individual. You can
find more information about this program by visiting the Sandy Kiwanis Facebook
page or their website at www.sandykiwanis.org.
Every year in early December, the city of Sandy’s Senior
Center puts on our “Breakfast with Santa.” This year’s breakfast will be held
at the Senior Center on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 7 a.m. to noon. In addition to
treats and getting to visit Santa, there are crafts and activities for kids,
and vendors for parents to shop. This is one of the most well attended and
highly anticipated local events of the year and all proceeds help benefit our
local Meals-on-Wheels programs. More details will be available soon on the
city’s Facebook page.
One of our favorite local traditions is to put the kids in
the car on Christmas Eve and head over to the Scenic Meadows neighborhood to
enjoy the Sandy Light Show. One of our local City Councilors, John Hamblin, and
his family put on this amazing light show each year for our community. We
greatly appreciate their efforts, as the holidays in our community wouldn’t be
the same without it!
The light show begins the evening of Saturday, Nov. 30 and
will run nightly from 5:30-8 p.m. This year we may need to make a trip over to
the Sandy Light Show a little earlier as Santa is coming to town! The Sandy
Light Show is teaming up with local area charitable nonprofit Sandy’s Helping
Hands on Dec. 20. Santa will be visiting the light show and Sandy’s Helping
Hands will be collecting canned food and non-perishables to help local
families. Make sure to check out the Facebook pages for both organizations for
future updates.
As a community leader, I tend to spend a majority of my time
thinking and focusing on our future. The holiday season allows all of us the
opportunity to take a moment, reflect and be reminded of what it is we’re
working so hard to preserve. This column only scratches the surface of local
activities and charitable efforts of Sandy’s local businesses, charitable
organizations, churches and neighbors that helps spread holiday cheer each
year. It is this reminder of why we must continue to work so hard together to
Keep Sandy Wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Funding SAR by Rep. Anna Williams on 12/01/2019
Most people in our mountain communities are fans of outdoor
recreation and are aware of the risks that go along with it. Unfortunately,
some of the millions of people who come here from around the world are less
experienced on slopes and trails, and less aware of the dangers that Mount Hood
and its surrounding attractions pose. When tourists venture away from trails or
injure themselves in the wilderness, it falls on the people in our communities
to conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.
Under state law, county sheriffs are responsible for SAR,
which makes sense. Sheriffs know the terrain of their counties better than just
about anyone. They are on the front lines when someone needs rescue: they know
all of the local resources available and they have relationships with groups
and individuals who can help effectively conduct SAR operations. Often, this
means that they rely on the generosity of volunteers and non-profit groups to
help find and rescue people in need.
Unfortunately, volunteers and non-profit groups are
necessary for this work to get done, because the financial cost for SAR
operations also falls on county sheriffs. In rural counties especially,
sheriffs’ offices are overwhelmed by these expenses. Yet some rural areas like
ours are points of pride for our state’s tourism industry; so the state works
hard to draw people to the mountain, but doesn’t provide adequate resources for
mountain communities to address the SAR needs that result from this booming
tourism.
During the short session, I will be co-sponsoring a bill
with Representative Paul Evans to create a voluntary outdoor recreation SAR
card program. Put simply, this will create a card that will be advertised and
sold to recreators at locations where fishing and hunting licenses, ATV permits,
and other outdoor recreation passes are available. The card will cost $10 for
an individual and $25 for a family, and the proceeds will go to the Office of
Emergency Management, who will distribute the funds to county sheriffs’ offices
as partial reimbursement for their SAR expenses.
This is nowhere near a complete solution to the massive
funding problem that SAR poses to our counties, but it is an excellent way to
highlight the issue for the public and to bring in some of the direly needed
funds. My hope is that this program will be a steppingstone to a more robust
SAR funding policy in the near future. In addition to pushing to pass this
bill, I will keep working with a coalition of sheriffs, business owners,
outdoor recreation groups, volunteer rescue units and government organizations
who developed this plan. I’m confident that, with this large group of diverse
voices that are as motivated as I am to solve Oregon’s SAR problem, we can find
the funding our sheriffs need to keep performing this essential function. They
deserve the state’s help in keeping our communities safe for everyone to enjoy.
If you have thoughts about SAR costs or ideas about how to
help counties cover them, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov, or to call us at 503-986-1452.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| The e-state of passwords by Paula Walker on 12/01/2019
Passwords, passwords, passwords. In our world steadily
moving to online everything from buying your daily groceries, to auto-pay for
all your utilities, to the family photo album… managing all those passwords
maybe challenging for you. But imagine the task of accessing, closing and/or
retrieving the data in those accounts after your death. Managing your accounts,
increasingly takes a prominent role in estate planning. Our various on-line
accounts, aka digital assets, demand attention if you want your accounts to be
settled, final bills paid and your mementos secured. Without the necessary
provisions in your estate plan, your electronic bill pays go unattended and
your auto pays continue to pay out months after your passing.
In short, you have a “digital legacy” to consider and
provide directives for. You may think that this information does not apply to
because you don’t have a Facebook account or don’t use social media, but your
digital assets are much broader than whether you have a social media account or
not. Our most every day dealings involve some form of cyber asset, PayPal,
frequent flyer miles, NetFlix, Flickr photos, email, Amazon subscription
orders, cloud storage like Google Drive and even cryptocurrency.
Cyber intestacy: dying without a will is called “intestacy”
and for digital assets there is a phenomena called “cyber intestacy,” dying
without a will (or Trust) and leaving your cyber assets unaddressed along with
all your other assets; or with a will that does not specifically authorize your
estate administrator access to your digital assets.
Consequences: without provisions in your estate plan
authorizing your estate administrator to access your digital assets, the
companies holding those assets, the “custodians” can (nay, most likely will)
refuse access. The TOSAs (terms of service agreements) that we say “yes” to —
clicking through without reading as we sign on to one of the many accounts with
which we conduct our every day affairs — result in our agreeing to the terms of
the custodian. Those terms often reserve the custodian’s right to refuse access
to those accounts by a third party. While that may be a valuable privacy
protection to you during life, it can pose significant challenges to the
persons you ask to act on your behalf when administering your estate.
What to do: if you do not have an estate plan, create at
minimum a will that includes provisions designating authority to the person you
trust to access your accounts when administering your estate. If you do have an
estate plan, check that it has those provisions. If it does not, take action to
create them. In addition to ensuring that you have the necessary digital assets
management provisions, create and store in a secured place an inventory of your
digital assets along with the detailed information necessary to access the associated
accounts. Include in that list links to the custodian’s detailed information on
how to make contact on behalf of the estate and what information to provide to
access and close your account(s). Tell your estate administrator where they can
access that information when the time comes. This information may be needed by
your Agent, acting as your fiduciary in a time of incapacity, so these
provisions should be part of your Durable Power of Attorney as well.
Examples of links to custodian websites detailing their
processes for handling the removal of a deceased members account include this
page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/1111566045566400 and this one
on Twitter:
https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/contact-twitter-about-a-deceased-family-members-account.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
John Ajemian – not a household name or a celebrity, but a
name that holds prominence in the struggle to create laws that both protect the
data privacy of the initial account holder, as well as dictating the rights of
the estate to access those accounts after that person’s passing where such is
the decedent’s intent. In the Massachusetts case Ajemian v. Yahoo!, Yahoo
denied access to Mr. Ajemian’s email accounts to the estate administrators
after Mr. Ajemian’s death in 2006 based on Yahoo’s terms of service agreement,
which denied third party access to accounts. In a court battle that yet ensues,
the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) concluded in fall 2017 that neither
state nor federal law prohibited the personal representative from acting on the
decedent’s behalf to give “lawful consent” to release the contents of the email
account.
The SJC however stopped short of requiring Yahoo to release
the emails to the family. It instead sent the case back to the lower court to
address particular fact issues regarding Yahoo’s terms of service. Yahoo
meanwhile petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. In 2018, the U.S.
Supreme Court denied Yahoo’s petition.
Dear Reader… we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Trees are part of the holidays and nature by Victoria Larson on 12/01/2019
While many will indulge in holiday trees and honor them, we
must remember that ALL trees are sacred and honor them. It’s the season of
peace and love, of a need for light, a time for sharing.
The lunar month of the birch tree is Dec. 23 thru Jan. 20.
At the winter solstice we are smack in the middle of the darkest time of the
year. Heat and light become important to us. The burning of the Yule log
(traditionally birch) was more about the need for light and warmth around the
time of the solstice according to the ancient druids. It was not yet a
celebration of Christian beliefs, but more about the Yule log later in this
column.
In this season of peace and love we recognize the importance
of trees. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or some
Celtic ceremony, it’s more about peace and love than about war. War is not
healthy for children and other living things. The “real” things in life are
air, water, food, shelter and love or community.
Without a thriving ecology we will never really achieve a
thriving economy. We first need to revive our ecology. We are leaving an
inherited Earth to our children and grandchildren. Will it be a living, green
planet filled with lush trees and plants...or will it lead us into another ice
age. A restored and healthy landscape will give us more continued food,
medicine and resources than a planet of bare, exposed, cemented-over earth!
The National Science Foundation (NSF), which studies our
ecology, has had no funding increase in over ten years. The amount of funding
for non-defense research has been frozen for most scientific research. Since
1983, spending on government allocated scientific research has been just over
$7 billion per year. If that sounds like a lot, note that our government spends
over two times that much on defense, more than $18 billion per year. Yikes.
Looked at from outer space, which we’ve been able to do
since the startling Mother Earth News Catalog of 1970, it reveals that our
planet appears less green each year. With the health of our planet being
closely tied to human health, is it any wonder that we now have increased rates
of heart disease, diabetes and cancer pretty much worldwide. We are destroying
our ecosystem at a rate that is faster and greater than any other culture in
history. We’ve polluted water and air, degraded our soils and toxified the
Earth at a rate never known before. Certainly not known by our grandparents. We
no longer have enough trees to return oxygen to our living bodies. Increased carbon
dioxide from our destruction of our atmosphere has led to increased drought,
floods, heat, hurricanes and tornados. We might need to decide what’s more
important - the essences of life or big screen TVs and plastic grocery bags.
We’ve relied upon trees and green vegetation since the dawn
of civilization, approximately 10,000 years ago. One of the oldest trees on
earth is a chestnut tree growing on the rocks composing the side of Mount Etna
in Sicily. It is more than 4,000 years old. Another tree of the same age is the
Ginkgo tree found growing on the top of Mount Qingcheng in China. The ginkgo
tree was thought to be lost for years until discovered there in China. All
ginkgo trees now grown are descended from this one tree. I heard this historic
story in 1991 in a Biology 101 class so when I went to China, in 1996, I made a
special effort to visit that sacred tree. I laughed when I found its huge trunk
embedded in the earth around a pig sty!
Closer to home, I had on my small holding, Clackamas
County’s oldest living Gravenstein apple tree. Alas it was undocumented. It
grew next to an old cistern that seeped water even during the summer months.
When I got tired of canning applesauce and pie fillings, I simply threw the
fruit over the fence to my rescued donkeys and llamas. Next to the apple tree
was a pear tree of similar lineage and age though not girth. The pear tree once
gave me 96 quarts of pears before I realized that living alone, I’d probably
never finish all those home-canned pears. I should have thrown those over the
fence too! Needless to say, most everyone got quarts of pears or applesauce for
Christmas that year.
Wendall Berry said that nature include humans, we are part
of it. If nature does not thrive, we will not thrive. Whether you choose a real
tree or a fake tree to honor this season, think at least of the future. How
will you dispose of said tree when you are done with it? The real tree can
become firewood or mulch. How will you dispose of the fake tree? This is the
kind of forward-thinking we need to be doing.
Now back to that Yule log. Engage your family and friends in
locating a log that would be appropriate for honoring the season. One that will
give back heat and light for your fireplace, firepit or woodstove. Decorate
that log by gluing on things like berries, herbs, cinnamon sticks, moss or star
anise for ceremonial and fragrant burning. Sing carols around the fire, share
stories or pray silently in the tradition of honoring trees. Then save the
ashes to spread round trees in your yard and surely spring will come. Have a
peaceful, loving season.
|
| Gifts from the kitchen by Taeler Butel on 12/01/2019
This is the season for indoorsy fun and sharing calories.
Pie kits are fun to make and give!
Here’s what you’ll need:
– Decorative glass jars, medium size
– Crushed candy canes, mini M&Ms
– Double recipe pâte sucrée (store bought pie crust works
also)
– Wax and parchment paper
– Kitchen twine
– Gift tags, bows, etc.
– Pie tins
– Printed Recipe/Directions
Pâte Sucrée (sweet pie dough)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1 t salt
2 T sugar
1 cup unsalted diced chilled butter
1/4 cup chilled water
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Using forks or a food
processor, cut in the butter until crumbly. Mix water with the egg yolk and
gently mix in. Make two disks, chill. Roll out on a floured surface and roll up
with a sheet of greased wax paper. Wrap in parchment and tie with kitchen
twine. Keep refrigerated.
Apple cherry pie filling
In a large saucepan add in four sliced and peeled Granny
Smith apples with:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 T lemon juice
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup cornstarch
Bring to a boil over medium/high heat then reduce the heat
to medium stirring often and cook for six minutes until the apples release
their juice and mixture thickens slightly. Allow to cool completely, spoon
ingredients into a pretty glass jar with a lid, secure lid, add a nice ribbon
to the pie dough and place in a nice pie tin.
Chocolate cream pie filling
In a saucepan over med heat whisk together:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
3 cups Half & Half
Increase the heat and bring to a boil whisking constantly.
Reduce heat and cook until thickened, then add in 2 t vanilla and 2 T butter.
Pour into a jar, cover with plastic on the surface and cool completely. Gift
with the pie dough, a pie tin and a bag of mini M&M candies and crushed
peppermint.
|
|  Rhododendron circa 1940.
Since photography was invented it has been an important part
of the preservation and interpretation of history. I have an enthusiastic
interest in the history of Mount Hood as well as photography and so it’s not
hard to imagine that I’d also be interested in historic photos of Mount Hood
and its surrounding areas.
It’s easy for those who live on or around Mount Hood today
to become familiar with how things are without having anything to compare how
it once was. We may think that this area hasn’t changed much in the last 100
years.
But buildings come and go. Forests grow and die. Flooded
rivers change landscapes. Fashions change and transportation methods improve.
The activities of the people who live on or visit Mount Hood change through
time as well. All of these things have changed through time but are captured in
their own moment with a photograph.
Most of the towns on Mount Hood were established and grew
during the age when the average tourist could own a Kodak camera and not need
the bulky cameras from the past that required a professional to operate.
Government Camp has been photographed by visitors since before it was a town.
Once it was a town, thousands of photographs were taken by tourists while they
hiked, climbed the summit or skied its slopes and relaxed afterwards.
Documented from these activities are photos of early Mount Hood scenes,
buildings and the people that made Government Camp a town.
Further down the south face of the mountain Samuel and Billy
Welch were creating their own situation in the Salmon River Valley, where Sam
homesteaded and built his ranch. A couple of decades later Billy turned the
ranch into a tourist destination and Welches was soon established, and with
that came more photographs by those who came to visit.
Not long after came the town of Rhododendron as an
attractant of folks from Portland that wanted to get away and relax in the
woods with their cameras. The old Rhododendron Inn was a popular destination
for out of towners.
During the golden age of postcards for those who didn’t have
a camera, professional photographers created what are called Real Photo
Postcards to be sold at the inns, resorts and tourist attractions. Many
depicted the places that the tourists visited including inns, hotels and
restaurants. Many also depicted the surrounding countryside, much of which has
changed over the last 100 years.
I’ve included several old photos of familiar locations that
have changed over time. These old photos are invaluable to understanding the
history of our home here on Mount Hood. I wonder if, in this day and age where
photographs aren’t printed, if the digital images that are being made will
still be around for those in the future to understand us and what Mount Hood is
to us today.
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Rate increase explained by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 11/01/2019
For the past year I have talked often about the issues with
our Wastewater Treatment process. In previous months, I’ve attempted to provide
background as well as updates on the what, when, where and why in this column.
Now, our community is faced with the reality of our first rate increase in
order to help pay for the project.
At the City Council meeting held in October, we were forced
to raise our wastewater rates by an average of $22.44 a month for our
ratepayers. Land and housing developers will see a hefty increase as well. New
commercial and residential development projects in Sandy pay a one-time System
Development Charge (SDC) to purchase wastewater system capacity. Sandy’s SDC
will increase from $1,834 to $4,889 for a single-family residence.
As you can imagine, this was absolutely gut wrenching for
our City Council. This is the result of years of deferred maintenance, not
budgeting for upgrades, a resistance to raising rates after the recent
recession, and basically ignoring a giant elephant in the room.
The truth of the matter is that we do not have a choice. As
a community, it’s not realistic to say we’ll stop running water or flushing
toilets. There is no possible future without a new plant. We are currently at
capacity. The Department of Environmental Quality will not allow us to legally
discharge any more water into the Clackamas River Basin and they are mandating
that we update our process by 2024.
City Council and I are doing everything we can to minimize
this impact on our community ratepayers. We’ve engaged with our state
legislative delegation and have successfully advocated for funds for additional
Sandy River water quality studies and green alternative analysis. Thoroughly
vetting these options are crucial. If one of these options is viable, it would
cost approximately half the price of the current plan and would be much better
for our environment.
We have also engaged with our federal delegation to advocate
for federal loans, grants and budget earmarks.
Despite these opportunities to decrease costs, we still must
increase the rate now to start saving funds for this massive project. If our
efforts are successful, we will be able to lower or eliminate planned future
increases.
The lack of strategic budgeting for this current project is
frustrating. For years, there were no wastewater rate increases and the
facility has continued to deteriorate. The first fines from DEQ began in 2003,
and we are just now taking substantial steps towards fixing our issues in 2019.
Small rate increases should’ve been planned for gradually over the past 16
years, but that never happened. We will need to do a better job of long-term
budgeting and rate forecasting in the future.
It should be noted that our wastewater rates are still on
the lower end compared to other Portland-area communities. The only communities
with rates lower than ours in the area are Gladstone and Estacada. I recently
had a chance to speak with the Mayors and staff of those cities and they’re
both under the same mandate from DEQ that we are and plan to raise rates
dramatically in the near future as well. My guess is that once they raise their
rates, we’ll be back at the bottom for the area again. Our project webpage has
the graphics that compares our current and future wastewater rates to other
Clackamas County cities for your reference:
https://www.ci.sandy.or.us/wastewater-system-improvements
Together, we will address the future needs for our community
while protecting the rivers and streams that run through our town. Together, we
can Keep Sandy Wonderful.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Fixing a gap in the law by Rep. Anna Williams on 11/01/2019
Every now and then, an omission in the law is so glaring
that I’m amazed it hasn’t already been dealt with. For example, I was shocked
when I recently learned of a gap in our state’s child labor regulations: there
are currently no labor laws that keep child employees from coming into contact
with adult coworkers who are registered sex offenders. Even more shocking is
the fact that no other state in the country seems to have any law that provides
that protection!
In Oregon, employers that want to hire anyone younger than
eighteen need to apply for an employment certificate from the Bureau of Labor
and Industries (BOLI). In limited circumstances, even kids as young as nine
years old are eligible to be hired as long as their parents consent. The
application for a child labor certificate asks employers what sorts of duties
the minor employees might perform, where they will be working, and whether they
will be using any potentially dangerous machinery or other equipment.
These questions are all intended to protect kids from
hazardous workplace situations, but the laws that created this application
didn’t take one significant risk into account: there is nothing in the
application process to require employers to ensure that the minors they hire
won’t come into contact with registered sex offenders. Worse, there is no law
that gives BOLI the authority to look into whether an employee who will work
alongside those minors is a registered offender, or to deny an application on
those grounds.
When BOLI brought this issue to my attention, it was
immediately clear that something needed to be done. Since agricultural
districts like mine are the main employers of minors in Oregon, I decided that
correcting this disturbing gap in our labor laws would be one of my priorities
in the 2020 session. I plan on introducing a bill (the first of its kind in our
nation!) that will require employers to attest that none of its employees who
will likely come into contact with young workers is a registered sex offender.
It will also empower BOLI to perform background checks on applicants and their
employees.
Sometimes, the gears of government grind slowly. Here,
though, is a chance to fix a potentially serious problem quickly and
effectively within months of my having learned about it. Even better, Oregon
has the chance to be a national leader on this issue. There are a lot of good
life lessons and fundamental values that young Oregonians can learn from
part-time employment. I will see to it that they remain as safe as possible
while they do so.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: bagging our pooch’s poop by on 11/01/2019
I love dogs. Over the past three decades, I have had at
least one dog in my household. My current dogs, Joe Cockerpoo (a Cockapoo) and
Dogma (a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mutt) keep me active, entertained,
protected and healthy. Dogs can have such wonderful health benefits. Among the
benefits are that they improve your heart health by keeping your blood pressure
and cholesterol levels low, so that dog owners are likely to have fewer heart
attacks.
Dogs have to exercise and guess who has to do it? If it
weren’t for my dogs, I don’t know if I would be hiking along the Salmon River
in the rain or traipsing all over Mt. Hood in all kinds of weather instead of
only on nice days. Research indicates that people with dogs are more fit and
active (even if reluctantly) and as a result require fewer doctor visits.
We used to think the opposite was true, but owning a pet can
help children become up to a third less likely to develop allergies to pets. In
fact, pets can help them develop their immune system.
Dogs, like children, are good for the social life. Dogma’s
predecessor was Karma (don’t judge me!), who loved to roam the neighborhood
around my cabin. The neighbors all knew the 120-pound gentle giant. After
spending some time in Portland, I once had a call from one mountain neighbor
asking if I was okay because she hadn’t wandered into their home to say hello.
In town, people tend to live more reclusive lifestyles, but those who own dogs
are forced to be outdoors at dog parks or walking in their neighborhood and
share a common bond.
There’s a good reason why dogs make great therapy animals.
Spend a few minutes with a dog to reduce stress, lower anxiety, increase levels
of serotonin and dopamine to calm and relax you. They’re good for easing
tension at work or at home. If my husband and I would ever argue, Karma would stoically
stand between us until we finished.
Retirees find that dogs give structure to the day and all
dog owners have a sense of not being alone or isolated when they have a best
friend with them. For that same reason, dog owners are less likely to suffer
from depression. Dog owners feel a sense of responsibility because their pets
depend on them and give them a sense of purpose.
Dogs do so much for us and we, in turn, treat them like
family. We want to protect them and make sure that they are getting the
healthiest nutrition possible. We take them to the vet for their vaccines and
check-ups. We should also be cautious of what types of toys they play with.
Plastic toys can be ingested, or plastic containers and even plastic-lined dog
food cans leach into their food. We already know how plastic can harm other
animals, and we’re slowly realizing the extent of damage it can have on our
beloved pets as well.
So as much as we love and care for our dogs, we must also be
aware that when we take our dogs for a walk where we need to collect the dog
waste, we need to think about how we’re doing it. I often wonder what some
archeologist of the future is going to think when they discover that I and the
other 60 million pet households have been collecting dog poop and encasing it
in plastic bags as though it were something to be treasured. Plastic bags that
don’t decompose and are packed tightly in a landfill will “mummify” the waste
rather than allowing it to break down.
Until recently, I had been using what were supposedly
“biodegradable” dog poop bags that were misrepresented. Apparently, there is
much controversy about what is authentically so. I’ve now discovered
compostable bags made of natural ingredients. If we lived in Portland, we could
avoid the hassle and subscribe to a low-cost service that will collect dog
waste from your yard and dispose of it in a composting site. Other people
choose to collect the waste and flush it down the toilet. Still others use
paper bags to avoid using plastic bags.
The best part of this is that people have realized that the
volume of dog poop being preserved in plastic bags is an environmental
catastrophe and that we are looking for solutions to the problem of how to
balance the needs of the environment with the needs of our best friend. We will
all be happier for it.
|
| A great trust – accept or not? by Paula Walker on 11/01/2019
Your friend, perhaps a member of your family, is preparing
their estate plan. One part of that plan is the healthcare document set that
contains two key documents, the Advance Directive and the Healthcare Power of
Attorney. You’ve been asked to be the healthcare representative, i.e. the
person appointed to perform responsibilities called out in those documents
should your friend face a time that they cannot make their own healthcare
decisions. It is a gesture of immeasurable trust. Still - should you accept or
decline?
Acting as someone’s healthcare representative, aka
healthcare proxy, in the event that they cannot make medical decisions on their
own behalf is a huge and potentially weighty responsibility. Here are things to
consider as you make your decision.
The Healthcare Power of Attorney conveys the fiduciary
responsibility for the day to day; that, for an indeterminate amount of time of
incapacity, you are seeing to that person’s daily affairs. It may mean that you
make sure that they have what they need for their medical care as well as daily
fundamentals such as groceries, heat and other utilities in their home; that
you or someone you’ve arranged for prepares meals and provides the fundamental
care needed, ensures transportation to doctors’ appointments and arranges
medical care as required by their condition.
The Advance Directive requires that you step into the narrow
margins of life and death decisions according to the document prepared and
person to person interactions that person may have, hopefully did have, with
you so that you have the intimate knowledge needed in a high intensity, often
emotionally charged circumstance to make decisions acting with the knowledge of
their preferences that may or may not be supported in writing. You may be,
likely will be called upon to make tough choices in tough circumstances
regarding medical treatment and life support.
The range of circumstances in which you will be called upon
to decide on another’s behalf will require you to be ready to make firm
decisions timely, at times within limited timeframes, i.e. you must make a
decision and make it now. It will require a strength of character, a backbone
in standing firm on behalf of the person you represent in the presence of
possible opposition from the medical staff with whom you are dealing and from
other friends or family members. It may require you to make one of the toughest
decisions you may ever be called upon to make, the decision to pull
life-support – or continue life support – according to what the person who
entrusted his or her care to you made clear as their desire should you be faced
with certain circumstances in their condition that present or limit the medical
options remaining.
Another consideration in accepting this awesome responsibility
is practical in its nature. Will you be around? If you travel often for various
reasons and it is reasonable to foresee that you may not be available in an
emergency or to provide that day to day oversight, this is not a role that you
could reasonably assume, regardless of how you might otherwise serve in this
role, i.e. understanding the intimate decisions of the person you’d represent
and possessing the strength to follow the course if ever called upon.
Another practical consideration involves who will be the
financial counterpart to you. Determine whether you are compatible with the
person who has been asked to manage your friend’s finances because acting as
healthcare proxy requires that you interface that person. You will be dependent
upon their support for the work that you could be called upon to perform and
the services and supplies you may need to provide.
And yet another fundamental examination of your fit for the
role is your ethical position on the treatments that may be required and/or the
continuation of life, or not, decisions that may present themselves. Do your
religious, spiritual or intellectual guideposts conflict with what you may be
called upon to support?
Saying yes to a person honoring you with their trust in you,
anticipating the most intimate decisions in a time when their life depends on
you, requires some careful and thorough introspection before yes should be your
answer.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Equal to preparing the asset management components of your
estate plan is “end of life planning.” Joan Rivers may be a grand star shining
in the universe of ideas discussed in this month’s article when it comes to
knowing that and showing the way. Joan Rivers, who found material for her
comedy even in this topic, gave the responsibility for making the decision of
her continued life or its end to her daughter Melissa.
In Time Magazine’s tribute to Joan following her death,
calling Joan “the boundary busting comedian” carried the line Joan liked to
quote from Sally Marr: “I ain’t afraid of death, I’m in show business. I died a
million times,” in humorous recognition of the many rejections survived on the
way to fame.
Making her wishes known regarding the trust and confidence
she had place in her daughter, even publicly, with a spot in her reality show
in 2014 prior to her death in September of that year, Joan candidly advised her
daughter to be ready in case Joan did not recover from upcoming surgery;
assuring Melissa that she would be fine when the time came.
Not an “If Only” example of estate planning that could have
gone better, but instead a model to consider as you ask someone to support you
in this most profound undertaking and as you respond to taking such a mantle.
Dear Reader… we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| The fabulous flavors of the fall feast by Victoria Larson on 11/01/2019
Fall is the season where we harvest the fruition of what was
planted in spring and summer. We gather in the fruits, grains, nuts and seeds,
and all the abundance of fall vegetables. We turn to inward thoughts, our homes
and our families. We take quiet walks to enjoy the coloring of the leaves. We
rest more to keep that immune system in tip-top shape. The Days of Thanks
(which should actually be every day) are a good time to do a little fall
cleanse of our digestive system in which you might include the juices of beets,
celery, carrots, parsley, zucchini and such though always diluted with water or
apple, grape, or pear juices.
Chinese medicine states this is the season of the lungs and
the large intestine. After the mine-cleanse of juices you may be eating fewer
fruits than you did in the summer. We turn now more to the grains and
vegetables, which are especially nice roast in the oven or even over an open
fire or the grill. Those who eat meat may include more, while the vegetarians
may increase beans, nuts, seeds and even some eggs. Either way, the Instapot
and crockpot will play a greater role in the preparation of soups, stews and
bone broths. Fall is the start of the yin cycle, the inward turning cycle. It
is the time to finish those projects of spring and summer, and to put the
garden temporarily to bed. Thus, may we prepare for a day (or more) of
feasting.
There will be an abundance of recipes for stuffing, whether
you stuff a turkey, bell peppers, squash or cook the stuffing in a pan. We are
so scared of gluten that gluten-free is on most every menu in every restaurant
now. But the real problem may be in buying average bread from a big box store
or regular grocery store. Our bodies are not made to digest that amount of
gluten at one sitting. If you make an effort to locate organic, heirloom
grains, preferably sprouted or soured, you may digest better than most of
America’s quickly grown, high-gluten bread! In our country everything is all
about the money, so everything is fast, fast, fast. While there is currently no
genetically modified wheat in the United States (yet), it would be a good thing
to avoid. Pita bread has no yeast but should be avoided by anyone with a grain
allergy.
Broccoli is being harvested now and even the children learn
to love those “little trees.” It is very nutrient dense and easy to prepare. It
is high in vitamins C, B complex, calcium, potassium and chromium (which helps
to prevent diabetes). Broccoli is among the cruciferous vegetables which
include cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi and more. These cruciferous vegetables
are all anti-cancer foods, though you should try to avoid any vegetable grown
in high nitrate soils or where Round-Up is used. Opt for the freshest and
darkest broccoli you can find and roast in a hot oven or steam it just until
the color turns a very bright green.
Cranberries, that traditional accompaniment, are very high
in vitamin C, bioflavonoids and fiber. Also pretty on the plate and a nice
tangy side dish for the other rather salty and rich foods of the fall feast.
Most women are aware of the reputation that cranberries have for alleviating
urinary tract infections. But don’t stop just with the cranberry sauce, put the
dried ones in your green salad or bake a cranberry and pear pie.
Mushrooms are body-building and anti-aging foods that can be
eaten after your mini-cleanse and at any big feast. Use them when they are very
fresh or totally dried as a base for broths, gravies, soups and stews. Called
“fungus” in Asian cultures, they are very low in calories but high in minerals
and will boost your immune system, which is a good thing to do in the fall as
preparation for winter colds and flu. According to Paul Stamets, PhD, it is
best to not eat mushrooms raw (even the common white ones found in most grocery
stores). Though I can’t imagine that three or four in a salad would cause much
harm. Probably best to serve mushrooms on the side as one never knows who among
your guests might not enjoy mushrooms.
Olives are usually served as an appetizer or worn on the
fingers of any children present. Olives are a big part of the Mediterranean
diet as they are high in monosaturated fats which help control cholesterol
levels. Plus, they too are low in calories (for those who are still counting
them). My belief is there’s no need to count calories if you just eat healthy
foods and not many of the packaged, processed, junk foods on the supermarket
shelves. Olive oil is one great oil to use on your salad with just a little
fresh lemon juice and herbs of your choice added.
Onions, which can be so well used in the fall feast, are a
good source of trace minerals, especially germanium, which is also in mushrooms
and many herbs. Onions help decrease food allergies, fungal overgrowth, viruses
and cancer as well as being beneficial for the heart. I eat onions daily, both
cooked and raw, and have been told that my heart is two years younger than my
actual age! You can fill your onions with stuffing or nuts, make pickled onions
or even cook the small ones with your broccoli.
Mashed potatoes are known to be a big part of the fall
feast, but you can serve them in any form that appeals to you. Commercial
onions and potatoes have been treated with sprout inhibitors which have been
known to cause cellular changes in tests, so try to buy organic potatoes, or
better yet, grow your own potatoes. Try to harvest them before there are too
many rains as that can cause them to rot in the ground. Do not make the mistake
of thinking that potatoes should not be grown because they are so cheap to buy.
The flavor of a home-grown potato is superb! You can even use any potatoes you
have that may have sprouted to grow new ones next spring. The lifeforce is so
strong that they will grow even if coated in sprout inhibitors (which obviously
don’t work anyway). Potatoes are a staple in some of the Mexican cancer clinics
because of their potassium content. To make a high potassium broth, just cook
potatoes with carrots, celery and parsley. Strain out the broth and store it in
your refrigerator to be warmed up for recovery from illness.
Ahh pumpkin, the piece-de-resistance. Pumpkins are plentiful
and being harvested right now. Their lovely color makes them a rich source of
beta-carotene, as well as vitamins A, C and potassium. The seeds are a source
of iron, vitamins B, E and fiber. The seeds can be baked or roasted, used to
top soups or stews. You can roast the seeds for a snack and flavor them with
your favorite herbs. You can purchase them already shelled or roasted as well.
Try to buy them packaged rather than from open bins as the ones in the bins may
have been already oxidized. This is the opposite of my usual advice to not buy
packaged foods.
The Day-of-Thanks is a feast day in the United States and
many people serve turkey. Though I once had a friend who had a freezer full of
trout that her husband had caught and she decided that would make a perfect
Thanksgiving meal. So, you don’t have to serve turkey, but poultry is an
excellent source of protein. You could serve anything from game hens to
Tofurkey as they all have less saturated fat than any other meats. Turkey is
high in vitamins A, B and minerals. The latest studies say to not wash your
poultry as that leads to kitchen-wide contaminants. If you can afford a
free-range and organic turkey go for it as supermarket pre-packaged turkeys are
preserved with formaldehyde. Whether you cook your poultry in an oil-coated
paper bag or a deep-fryer, remember to be thankful for your food.
Last but not least, the pies if you are serving them.
Whether apple, berry, nut, pear, pumpkin, squash or Vegan be sure to enjoy!
It’s ok to treat yourself and your guests and they will be thankful.
|
| Thanksgiving for two by Taeler Butel on 11/01/2019
A Thanksgiving dinner using just a few ingredients. This
meal is casual and scrumptious. Great for Friendsgiving!
Mustard & cranberry turkey thighs
4 turkey thighs, skin on and pat dried with paper towels
1 T each olive oil and butter
1/2 t dried thyme
1 T sea salt
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t onion powder
1/4 cup flour
1 T baking powder
1 T stone ground mustard
1/2 cup prepared whole cranberry sauce
Heat the oil and butter on medium high heat in a large,
oven-safe skillet. Mix together flour, baking powder, onion powder, thyme, salt
and pepper. Dredge turkey thighs in mixture, place skin side down in hot oil.
Sauté skin side down for five minutes, flip and place in oven. Bake at 365
degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear. Mix cranberry sauce
and mustard, pour over the thighs and place back in oven for ten minutes.
Roasted Brussels with Parmesan
1 lb Brussels sprouts
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 each t salt and pepper
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Trim bottoms of sprouts, peel off
any tough leaves and cut in half. Mix salt, pepper and parmesan cheese
together. Toss mixture with sprouts and roast for 30 minutes, turning once.
Butternut squash fries
1 med-sized butternut squash
1 each t salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel butternut squash and
slice into steak fries. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Spread the fries onto a large baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes
turning every so often.
Pie apples
Medium size peeled apples, any type, with bottom cored,
leaving the top intact
1/2 cup light brown sugar mixed with 1 T cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks
1 package thawed puff pastry
Egg wash
Caramel sauce
Heat the oven to 365 degrees. Push a cinnamon stick into the
top of each apple. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a dish and roll the peeled apple
in the sugar. Cut pastry into squares, and wrap around the apples using the
scraps to make leaves. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm
with caramel sauce.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
It’s autumn once again and for many parents and
photographers it means senior portrait season.
There are many photographers to choose from these days when
it comes to creating portraiture, but what if you would like to attempt it
yourself? In this day and age, you have the tools to do it, even if you use
your smartphone camera. All you would need to provide would be your own
artistic touch, but there are a few tricks to learn and remember that could
help your success.
The first thing to keep in mind is composition. As in all
forms of visual art a strong and creative composition is imperative. A photo
can be technically imperfect, but if the subject is interesting and the
composition is strong then the photo will still be effective. Remembering the
basics of composition, especially the “Rule of Thirds” will help to create that
perfect composition. Avoid centering your subject or having them stand facing
directly at the camera. Turn their body in one direction and have them turn
their head toward the camera for instance. Take some time to research poses before
your go out with your subject.
Find an interesting location. The location should not be a
part of the subject of the photo but should enhance the experience of the
moment that you’re capturing. Places such as a garden or a park with
landscaping or features such as rock walls, interesting buildings or trees.
Allow your subject to be a part of the scene. Have them lean against or stand
in front of the feature. It’s autumn, so many times a location with some
beautiful fall leaves will be a great backdrop, especially if the leaves are
illuminated by warm morning or afternoon light from behind.
Second only to composition in importance is lighting.
Portraiture can be created outdoors in natural light without external lighting
in certain situations. Try to find filtered light or a shady spot for even
tones. I try to avoid direct sunlight on my subjects. This can be done by
standing in a shaded area or by blocking the light with a piece of cardboard or
matboard. If the subject is too dark in the area that you choose, then either a
soft flash or a reflector to direct ambient light onto the subject can
illuminate them. You can use a simple piece of white matboard, or something
similar, to reflect indirect sunlight onto your subject. This method also works
well when the subject is backlit.
Choosing a camera is less important these days, especially
considering the resolution that modern smartphones possess. It’s completely
practical to use a smartphone for your photos. Today’s phones are capable of
taking excellent images and there are apps that will allow you to artfully edit
the photos. The only limitation may be the size of which that you’re capable of
printing the photos, but in most all cases it’s not an issue. Most smartphones
can allow you to set certain settings manually and to save the image as a raw
file which enables the photo to be edited more extensively, including creating
a shallow depth of field to blur the background. The phone app will also give
you editing options for your photos. Take out your phone and give it a whirl.
If you own a digital single lens reflex camera, or a similar
solid body camera, with interchangeable lenses, make sure that your shutter
speed is fast enough so as not to have any kind of motion blur from movement of
your hand or the subject. An open aperture, smaller f/stop number will help by
allowing more light into the camera while also creating a shallow depth of
field, blurring the background while keeping the subject sharp. This will also
help to separate your subject from the background.
Post processing, or developing, your photos can be fairly
easy with some of the apps for smartphones or programs for desktop computers
that are available. Many are similar to Instagram filters where you have a list
of effects that you can click on to preview to see what your photo would look
like. Just click until you find one that works or is close, you can do fine
tuning in most cases, and then save the high-resolution file.
In most cases there’s no substitute for a professional with
experience in working with composition and light who uses professional level
equipment. But if you’re wanting to try it yourself first, go for it. What do
you have to lose but a little time? It’s fun to photograph your children or
your grandchildren and will give you some quality time with them, and you’ll
gain some valuable photography experience and, perhaps, some beautiful senior
portraits.
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Community Campus update by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 10/01/2019
The Sandy Community Campus is an exciting project that can
help our community grow into the future. This project would allow us to
revitalize the Pleasant Street neighborhood into a vibrant gathering place for
our community. It would also allow us to create a more business and community
friendly area for businesses off of our downtown core that has a state highway
running through it.
To make this project a reality, our community must first go
through a process that engages our citizens, local business leaders,
neighborhood advocates and taxpayers to create something that we all want.
First a little background. The City of Sandy purchased the
former Cedar Ridge Middle School Campus and neighboring aquatic center in 2017
for about $3 million. Included in this purchase was two parcels of land to the
north of the old Cedar Ridge Middle School: the existing football field and the
adjacent wooded areas. This gives the city 35.08 acres of land to work with.
This purchase allows our community to control the plans for
nearly 40 acres of land that sits just adjacent to our downtown core. Rarely
are communities afforded an opportunity to dream so big. That said, as is
usually the case with big dreams – there are also significant challenges.
Our City Council is embarking on a process that will begin
with community feedback. We are commissioning a public opinion survey that will
gather the opinions of our neighbors regarding what amenities they’d like to
see in such a project, as well as what they’d be willing to pay for them.
Additionally, there will be a large amount of community feedback gathered
through our Parks Master Planning process that our Parks Committee is embarking
on over the next several months.
This information will help determine if we move forward with
a proposal to put in front of voters.
In the past, leaders have simply decided to pay to keep the
aquatic center open. The recent result of this decision was the draining of our
city’s general and contingency (rainy day) funds to the tune of nearly $500,000
a year. This put our city budget into a very precarious situation. To move
forward, both the pool and the community campus will need proper and stable
funding. Taxpayers need to be the ones to decide the future of the project
since they will be the ones funding it.
If this public opinion survey comes back favorably, our
council would look to support the consideration of a ballot measure for our
community to decide whether they’d like to fund such a project in the form of
an Oregon Trail Recreation District. Not only would this district provide a
long-term and stable funding source for the Community Campus Project, but it
could additionally provide funding to improve Sandy’s current parks and trails.
Additionally, our Council is looking at alternative solutions
that can help us reach and/or enhance these same collective goals through
public/private partnerships in a more efficient and cost-effective way
utilizing the skills and entrepreneurial spirit of America’s private sector.
The idea would be to provide a service to our community from the private sector
that could stimulate commercial retail activity along Pleasant Street. It would
also provide our community with a plethora of greatly enhanced recreational
activity choices and parkland on the back portion of the property.
Together, we will develop a vision for Sandy’s future that
provides a great sense of community for generations to come. Together, we can
Keep Sandy Wonderful.
|
| Viewpoints - Salem: Supporting Child Welfare by Rep. Anna Williams on 10/01/2019
Last month, the legislature gathered in Salem for September
Legislative Days, a time for the House and Senate to check in, set priorities
for the next session and hear how the bills we passed in previous sessions are
being implemented. During Legislative Days, I was honored to sit as Vice-Chair
of the House Committee on Human Services and Housing for the first time. The
committee held an informational hearing on a wide variety of topics, and I took
in a huge amount of information. The two issues that most stuck with me,
though, were child welfare oversight and children’s advocacy center funding.
It’s no secret that Oregon has struggled with our Child
Welfare agency in recent years. That’s why Governor Kate Brown instituted the
Child Welfare Oversight Board, which provided our committee with an update on
its progress. Child Welfare is in the process of hiring more than 300 new
caseworkers, which should end the current backlog of reports of abuse and
neglect. As a social worker, I know that massive caseloads are a primary reason
people can’t access needed services, as well as the main reason for high
turnover at agencies like the Department of Human Services. I worked hard to
ensure the legislature would fund these new caseworker positions, and I will
continue to push for strong oversight of our state’s child welfare programs as
the new caseworkers and managers get to work.
Unfortunately, no matter how effective our child welfare
programs become, some children will still be subject to abuse. That’s why
funding for our state’s children’s advocacy centers (CAC) is a top priority for
me. By working with law enforcement officers, mental health counselors and
forensic interviewers, CACs are critically important to our state’s response to
violence against children. They expertly investigate reports of abuse, which
allows law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable, but most importantly
they help children heal from the trauma of abuse. By all accounts, communities
that have access to CACs have vastly better outcomes in terms of offender
accountability, and also in terms of children and their families having access
to the supports needed to overcome these traumatic experiences.
CACs, like many other services, are disproportionately
underfunded in rural areas. The Columbia Gorge CAC, for example, serves five
sprawling, rural and frontier counties, and only has a single part-time medical
provider to see patients. Some patients have to drive for more than two hours
just to get to the facility, and if the medical provider is unavailable for any
reason, they are sometimes referred to a similar facility in Portland. The
Columbia Gorge CAC and other facilities facing similar struggles deserve
assistance from the state government.
This investment would pay for itself: in over ten years of
operating, only three cases investigated by the Columbia Gorge CAC have gone to
a jury trial, because the quality of evidence produced there almost always
leads to a guilty plea.
That’s not to mention the future health care costs that may
be avoided when children receive specialized counseling and begin the process
of recovery as soon as possible. While abuse can impact a child’s life forever,
effective treatment can drastically reduce those impacts and empower victims to
thrive.
Until the state improves our funding model for these
programs, CACs are forced to do their own fundraising to pay for the services
they provide. It’s a travesty that Oregon isn’t doing a better job to support
facilities like the Columbia Gorge CAC, and I pledge to work for state funding
during the upcoming legislative session. Still, in the meantime, fundraisers
are essential for these organizations, so I encourage you to join me and the
Columbia Gorge CAC at its annual fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 26 at The Ruins
in Hood River. The Children’s Center (serving Clackamas County) is also holding
a fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 25 at the Embassy Suites Washington Square in
Tigard.
If you would like information about either of these events,
or want to reach me for any other reason, please email me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov, or call my office at 503-986-1452.
I am committed to addressing these challenging issues and
would love to hear your feedback as I do so.
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: Library of Things opens by on 10/01/2019
In May I wrote a column about toy-sharing programs and I’m
giddy with excitement about something that is happening in our community – a
Library of Things! “What is a Library of Things,” you ask? Well, according to
the Clackamas County Library website, “A Library of Things is a collection of
items such as kitchenware, musical instruments and games hosted at a library
that library patrons can check out with their Libraries in Clackamas County
(LINCC) library card.” Imagine that you are hosting friends for the weekend and
would like to have games for their kids to use, and maybe you want to make an
extra special meal that you haven’t made because you don’t have the equipment
you need. You can just go down to the library and check them out. When you’re
finished, you return them. There’s no expense of purchasing equipment that
you’ll rarely use again. And the best part of all is that you don’t have to
find space to store things you won’t need again.
Ours is a material culture that embraces the idea of owning
more and more things. If you’ve never watched the classic video by comedian
George Carlin on our accumulation of “stuff,” I highly recommend it. He states
that when we run out of room in our houses to store our stuff, we need to get a
bigger house to place it in. Or we need to avail ourselves of the one of the
fastest-growing industries – personal storage space. According to the website
Curbed, one in 11 Americans pays for space to store our overflow, making it a
$38 billion industry. They cite that “The volume of self-storage units in the
country could fill the Hoover Dam with old clothing, skis and keepsakes more
than 26 times.” This is due to people relocating, young people being forced to
live in tiny urban residences, and retirees who have downsized into a home
where their accumulated stuff doesn’t fit.
I’ve had occasion to check out a piece of equipment from a
library in Portland. It was a VHS to DVD converter. I had a favorite exercise
video (from the 1980s) that I had held on to just in case I ever had a VHS
player again. Alas, I didn’t, but I was loathe to part with the video, so it
languished in a drawer for years. Until I learned of the lending library. There
was a waiting list, but eventually I got the email telling me that the
converter was mine for two weeks. I laughed uproariously when I saw the big
hair and the shimmery leotards, but I was happy to have my video again.
One of the best parts of having a Library of Things is that
you can experiment with something before you decide to invest in one of your
own. Let’s say you’ve always wanted to learn to play the bass guitar. You can
try it out and see if you actually have the time and patience to develop
musical mastery. If you decide that it was a passing fancy, you won’t feel
guilty about having invested heavily in it.
Of course, another benefit to the community is that a
Library of Things promotes sustainability. If each household purchased the same
baking mold, it would require the use of more resources and eventually the
disposal of those molds. However, if we as a community shared those molds, the
demand for resources would be diminished and waste would be reduced.
The Library of Things became available on Monday, Sept. 23
at eight Clackamas County libraries including the Hoodland and the Sandy libraries.
The funding for this innovative program is through Clackamas County
Sustainability and Solid Waste (SSW). Please check the website for updates on
what types of things are available. As the program grows in popularity, so will
the number of things that are available.
Although there will be all types of stuff available to
borrow, you won’t find any power tools at the library at this time. My guess is
that would create a liability if some novice hurt themselves misusing one of
the library’s power saws. Nonetheless, there will be plenty of other things
that you can borrow. Please share this information with others and make this
exciting community program a huge success!
|
| Is your diet beneficial to your brain? by Victoria Larson on 10/01/2019
Last month’s column brought up more questions that we may
need to address – like why is increasing fats in your diet a better idea for
our brains and why we should avoid the current Standard American Diet (SAD) of
high carbohydrates and sugar and prepackaged foods?
Some of the interesting things to note are that we all
should know that doing the same thing over and over while getting the same
results just doesn’t get us anywhere. The Federal Drug Association (FDA)
currently lists five drugs to help with Alzheimer’s and dementia symptoms. None
of these drugs is a cure. The cost of this drug development has been more than
five billion dollars, and that is approximately twice the cost of research and
development for every other drug on the market! Yearly deaths from heart
disease, HIV and strokes are going down while deaths from Alzheimer’s have gone
up by 89 percent over the last 20 years. One in two people over the age of 85
gets Alzheimer’s. Death occurs because the central nervous system of the brain
no longer signals the body to function, like breathing or heart rate. We are no
closer to a cure than we were twenty years ago.
The cost of taking care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients
was almost $300 billion in 1918. The cost of healthcare in the US is expected
to be more than $20 trillion between 2018 and 2050. Somebody is watching these
numbers. Yet in the past year, a half a dozen drugs have gone away due to
failures. The debate continues to focus on whether the amyloid plaques or some
other biomarker for the disease. Drugs from companies like Astra Zenica, Ely
Lilly, Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Takena are rarely advertised now as they
didn’t really work and were very expensive, as are most drugs in the US. So,
the ads have been quietly removed.
Amyloid plaques are the biomarkers currently found in the
brains of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. These are the neurofibrillary
tangles of proteins, also called tau. These markers usually show up in people
who get brain scans and are over 65 years of age. They show up in even younger
people now. They also show up in ALS.
Paul Cox, a 65-year-old with a PhD in biology from Harvard,
wanted to know more before it was too late. His in-depth studies led him to
Guam where citizens were 100 times more likely to get Alzheimer’s/dementia than
people anywhere else in the world. What was going on? It seemed like a good
place to start his research, but it gets complicated from here on.
It turns out that cycad tree seeds with a certain blue-green
alga contain the toxic substance called BMAA, which interferes with amino acids
crucial to brain health. Then bats ate the seeds and the toxin accumulated in
their fat store. Now I know you’re not eating bat stew like the people of Guam
were, but it was a delicacy to the people of Guam. So much so that the bats
were actually hunted to extinction. Good, right? But there’s more. The increase
in the concentration of the toxins have been found in Africa and Asia. Also, in
some lakes in Arizona, Lake Erie, New England and Utah. Blue crabs, a delicacy
I’ve always wanted to try off the coast of Florida, have a concentration of the
toxin as high as the bats in Guam. Some toxins are now getting into the crabs,
shrimp and other marine life off Florida. Talk about “bats in the belfry…”
It turns out that the toxin replaces serine (an amino acid)
in the brain by getting into the protein chains in the amino acids. This
triggers a misfolding that can kill the neurons (but serine is safe for humans
as it is neuroprotective against the protein folding). There’s a lot of protein
in bacon… or do you think you should go out and buy a lot of expensive
supplements? I don’t think that’s the answer, especially if you have a
compromised digestive system as most people over 65 years of age do. My
experience can tell you that most people over 45 years of age have compromised
digestive systems.
Now let’s go back to Okinawa, the subject of my May 2019
column. The small area of the north side of the island of Japan is known as the
Village of Longevity (though hardly a “village” as 4,000 people life there).
Many have now studied the area, including the researcher of the Blue Zones.
They have decided that reasons for such longevity are multifactorial. They
include a diet high in tofu (locally made and without GMO materials), diet,
intimate communities, matriarchal societies (women live particularly long
there) and years of exercise. These are people who do not eat bread, eggs or
milk. A typical breakfast is seaweed and miso soup with a small amount of rice
and mushrooms, which is what I was served in my month-long stay in China. While
an unfamiliar taste, I was told that the greens had been collected at dawn and
the mushrooms (known as fungi there) were also freshly picked. Other meals in
“the Village of Longevity” were stir-fried greens with burdock (like a cross
between a carrot and a parsnip), mushrooms (fungi) and other vegetables over
rice and a small amount of fish or meat.
The people of this Okinawa are consuming three to four times
more serine that Americans get. But we do have these foods available, it’s just
that few people are eating them. While you probably cannot get locally made
tofu unless you are making it yourself, many places like healthy markets
provide burdock and dried seaweed (kids love it and it makes a great snack),
and sweet potatoes.
We can all decrease meat, have fish two to three times a
week and small amounts of rice. Keep trying and keep trying different recipes.
Don’t you want to live to be over 100? Many of my friends are in their 90s and
even Rose Kennedy lived to be 106. Maybe we can too?
|
| Revoking a will, let me count the ways by Paula Walker on 10/01/2019
You’ve completed your will and now life’s changes bring you
to the point that it no longer serves your purposes, what can you do in Oregon
to revoke that will.
Slash and burn: starting with the possibly more dramatic
approaches, you can completely or partially destroy your existing will — burn,
tear, cut, otherwise mutilate. Physical destruction or damage to the will
invalidates the entire will. You can also have another person take those
destructive actions for you, however, for that to be determined as your willful
and intentional act that person must destroy the will in your presence with two
witnesses, and you must make it clear to each that it is your intention to
revoke your will by this destroying it, whether the destruction is complete or
partial in its damage.
Physically alter: you can write ‘VOID’ on each of the pages,
or X out your signature to invalidate your entire will.
Replacement: a bit less dramatic and a whole lot more
effective is to create another will to replace the prior version; the replacement
stating your intent to “revoke all prior wills.” Not only more effective in
conveying your clear intent, replacing with a new will does not leave your
estate to the consequences of dying “intestate,” i.e. without a will, without
any direction of your intent for who should receive what, leaving instead to
the state and the court system to decide.
Revoke in full or in part (i.e. change it in part or fully
change it): the replacement approach above, constitutes revoke in full.
Revoking in part requires other methods. The ‘slash and burn’ tactics mentioned
above do not serve to change specific portions of your will and leave the
remaining provisions serviceable; neither does physically altering only
portions or certain provisions of your will. In Oregon those techniques are all
inclusive, the entire will is invalidated. To revoke in part under Oregon law
you must create a codicil, which is a written amendment to your will. Like the
original will, a codicil requires two witness signatures to be legally valid.
Legal presumption: in Oregon, if the will is lost the
presumption is that it was intentionally destroyed or never existed and hence
the estate falls to the Oregon’s rules of intestacy.
The do it yourself approach of physically destroying or
altering a will, its disappearance, especially without credible evidence in
writing of some sort that it was your intent to completely invalidate the will
you had prior, leaves your family in a limbo regarding your intent and can
cause timely, costly legal proceedings to try to uncover your true intent, the
rightful administrator of your estate and the rightful recipients of what
you’ve left behind. The rules of intestacy identify the legally “rightful”
recipients according to those rules; however, they may not be your intended
recipients.
Stories of the Stars, If only…
This September, a year since her death, finds Michigan
courts and the potential beneficiaries of Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,”
embroiled in the effort to determine whether of three hand written documents
found in her Michigan home there exists a valid will. These include one found
under her couch cushions.
About the family “in limbo,” Aretha’s four sons, Clarence,
Jordan, Ted and Kecalf had filed for probate in Michigan court shortly after
her death simply as “interested persons.” Most recently, the discovery of the
handwritten documents has upended the agreement by the four sons to accept
Sabrina Owens as the executor of the estate. Court proceedings have begun on
petitions to appoint instead Kecalf, Aretha’s youngest, based on information
found in those documents.
And the legal wrangling continues. . .
Dear reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Preserving the summer by Taeler Butel on 10/01/2019
Summer is gone, but these late crop recipes can help the
sunshine linger longer. Store and eat within a week or can for the winter, when
you need a sunny day.
Zucchini relish
So good on hamburgers, hot dogs and spoons!
3 medium size zucchinis, shredded
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 t caraway seeds
1 t celery salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup organic or raw sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 T pink peppercorns
Mix squash, onion, salt and pepper and place in a large
covered glass bowl overnight.
Drain water the next day, combine with the other ingredients
and place in jars. Process or refrigerate.
Summer Succotash
This veggie-filled side is making a comeback!
3-4 ears of corn or 2 cups frozen
2 cups frozen lima beans
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 T heavy cream (optional)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t each black pepper and kosher salt
Chopped basil or parsley
Cut the kernels off the corn cobs over a bowl. Heat a large
skillet to medium heat and heat the olive oil in the skillet. Add the corn, red
onion and red bell pepper. Add salt and pepper. Sauté for about six to eight
minutes. Everything should be soft but not mushy. Add in the lima beans, heavy
cream, red wine vinegar and pinch of salt. Stir and let the flavors come
together for a couple minutes. Finish with some chopped herbs.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
It’s summer here in Oregon but it won’t be long before the
leaves start to turn to their autumn colors. The viney-maples up Lolo Pass are
turning red, particularly those that are in direct sunlight most of the day, so
once the process starts the leaves will change quickly. I love summertime and,
considering the approach of the long stretch of wet grey winter weather, never
really want it to leave, but I love the colors of autumn for photos.
I don’t make my most beautiful photos in the warm, clear,
long summer days. It’s the spring or autumn days that I wait for each year to
make the photos that I like the best, especially autumn. I even dare to say
that I like photographing these landscapes in the rain. The rain creates a
lush, rich feel to the photos. I like the rain because it dampens and cleans
the forest. A wet forest allows me to use my circular polarizer filter to
remove the glare and reflections of the sky from the forest foliage and allows
the lush, bright color to come through in the photograph. It’s not the same with
dry leaves, but wet leaves polarized make the colors pop in the photo.
It’s not like summertime is devoid of photography
opportunities, I can take some nice photos in the summertime, but at that time
of the year the bulk of the photos that I make are sunrises or sunsets which
require a little sacrifice of sleep at times, and then once the sky is filled
with bright sunlight I’m done until the light changes again. And winter is
fine, but the trees are stark and bare, and the best photos are made in the
fresh snow so timing can be critical. And besides, it’s cold outside.
I enjoy photographing the forests, creeks and waterfalls of
our area a lot. We have so many little creeks or views into the forest from the
edge of our local side roads that I don’t even need to hike to create a
beautiful photo, which really makes it handy if it’s raining. The creeks are
full in the fall and are usually lined with bright yellow viney-maples and
devil’s club, with broad leaf maples arching overhead and backed by columns of
Douglas fir trees. And when there’s a mist in the trees, especially with soft
light sifting through, it creates an ethereal scene. Add the colors of the
autumn leaves and these scenes take on a new life of warm light. And when the
sun does shine into the wet forest, some amazing misty conditions can be
created. Shafts of light cut through soft mists as they filter through the
trees.
It’s natural to think that the best time of the year for
photos is during the dry weather of summertime, but don’t discount the wet
weather of autumn. Instead of dreading the end of summer, embrace it as it’s
inevitable and have a great time taking photos.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Better support for survivors of violence by Rep. Anna Williams on 08/31/2019
As I consider my priorities for the short session in 2020,
one topic keeps coming back to me: our state needs to do better at providing
accessible and appropriate services for domestic violence and sexual assault
survivors.
As a social worker, I spent more than a decade working
directly with these survivors, finding them support, counseling and basic needs
like food and housing.
Survivors face struggles well beyond the direct physical
impacts of the violence inflicted upon them. As their injuries heal, their
trauma can accumulate and cause long-term emotional harm. Their children and
loved ones also suffer as a result, which in turn impacts educational
attainment, housing security, health outcomes and financial well-being. In this
way, an act of domestic or sexual violence can impact a family for generations
after the violence takes place.
I am proud to say that Oregon does a great job of helping
survivors in some very specific circumstances: when a victim reports abuse to
law enforcement or to emergency medical providers. Some areas of our state have
robust violence prevention programs in their schools, taking advantage of the
excellent work done by the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force and the
Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
However, in many parts of our state, particularly the rural
areas, the only points of intervention the state provides exist in law
enforcement and hospital settings. These are crisis response services, and
they’re critical, but if this is all we provide we are addressing the problem
far too late. Many of the struggles survivors face are indirectly caused by the
fact that they lack access to health care (physical and mental) as well as
supportive services like child care until they are faced with a medical
emergency.
In addition to the personal impacts of abuse, the fact that
so many survivors receive no assistance until they check into an emergency room
results in massive, unnecessary costs to the state. In the coming legislative
session, I will propose that Oregon should use its public healthcare funding to
provide qualified domestic and sexual violence advocates to survivors. These
advocates will connect survivors with the care that they need before their
situations become medical emergencies, which is better for survivors, their
children and our communities as a whole.
It is incredibly difficult for a survivor to tell their
doctor, “I’m coming to you because I am a victim of domestic violence, which is
impacting my health, my parenting, my job and my connections to my community.”
With an advocate to help them articulate these struggles to service providers
before a crisis takes place, survivors can get the help they need when it can
do the most good.
The benefits of such a system would be widespread: it could
bring about reduced health care costs, improved housing outcomes, increased
high school graduation rates and higher economic prosperity in communities
where abuse has disproportionately negative impacts.
Domestic and sexual violence are not only criminal justice
issues: they are health care issues, educational issues, economic issues and
fundamental societal issues. It’s time that we started treating them that way,
and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Oregon Legislature to
continue to improve our services for survivors of violence across the state. Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative.
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: Traffic update by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 08/31/2019
I’m thrilled to announce that at this past month’s City
Council Meeting, we directed our city staff to advance forward with a proposed
timeline for the SE 362nd to Bell St. Extension Project. This project is
critical to improving the bottleneck that is created every morning and
afternoon during the school year as a result of most of our schools’ single
access point of Bluff Road.
As someone who commutes to work and has two young daughters
enrolled in Oregon Trail Schools, we drive to and from school each day, I can
attest to the frustration! This extension of 362nd Ave to Bell St. (the street
which Sandy High School is on) will provide another access point, giving
parents and neighbors the alternative route to and from schools off of Bluff
Road.
The following is the approved timeline:
– January, 2020: solicit qualifications statements for
design and construction management services and shortlist consultants (three
maximum)
– February, 2020: negotiate scope of work and fee
– March, 2020: begin survey, design and environmental
– August, 2020: define right-of-way requirements, perform
appraisals
– September, 2020: submit offers to property owners, submit
removal - fill permit application
– October, 2020: February, 2021 - complete right-of-way
acquisition, design and permitting process
– January, 2021: set up project financing in conjunction
with budget adoption process
– March, 2021: advertise for bids
In addition to City Council approving this timeline, it was
announced that our efforts in advocating for more funds out of Oregon
Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the Vista Loop – Ten Eyck Pedestrian
Sidewalk Project was successful. The Oregon Transportation Commission approved
an additional $1.1 million of funding for the project last week. This project
and funding is critical for the safety of our neighbors and young families that
continually walk that stretch of highway.
This is hot on the heels of our recent announcement of ODOT
agreeing to conduct and fund a feasibility study on a local bypass and their
willingness to install signal timers for our lights through town in the next
year.
Our Council and I are committed to working to improve our
traffic conditions in town, as well as work towards a more citizen-friendly and
walkable community. As you can see in our proposed timeline for the SE 362nd to
Bell St. Extension Project, these things take time. That said, we’re moving at
a rapid pace for a local government in order to reach our overarching goal to
keep Sandy wonderful! Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: sustainability on the run by on 08/31/2019
My favorite grocery store is a local Portland-based chain
that features local, organic and fair-trade items. When in their area, I like
to cruise the bulk snacks to restock the snack jar in the car. It comes in
handy when I have no time for lunch or just want some road food. I also get
prepared food from the deli department to eat on the run or take home and
reheat. As a conscientious consumer, I carry a reusable covered container
similar to a three-section plate so that I can put everything in one container.
Voila! Lunch on the go with zero waste. Just wash the dish when I get home and
toss it back in the car. It also comes in handy to take leftovers from
restaurants.
Then I learned about a service that allows individuals to
subscribe to a lunch box to-go program. When you go to the grocery counter, or
into a growing number of delis and restaurants, you can ask for food to go in a
nice reusable plastic box, and then return the box to any vendor and it will be
cleaned and re-used. Kind of like when we used to refill glass pop bottles
rather than recycling them.
One of the benefits of using “to go” boxes is the idea of no
packaging and no food waste, of course. Another is that after you’ve consumed
the food, you won’t dispose of the container. You purchase a subscription for
the number of containers you want. When you return the ones you’ve taken,
you’re eligible for new ones.
I love the current movement to cut down on the amount of
waste produced by food and beverage containers. One group that has espoused the
idea are the promoters of the Hood to Coast Relay, held on Aug. 23-24 this
year. Although the event is good for local economies, it is also a mixed
blessing, in part because of the debris left in its wake. This year, they
partnered with a sustainability event organizer, Elysium Events. They began
with sending information to participants about sustainability. It included a
recycling sorting guide (via app to avoid printing) so that recyclable goods
are not sent to landfills due to contamination from non-recyclable materials.
According to a recent article in the Seaside Signal
newspaper, “Elysium has a strategy for helping in this area by providing
back-of-house sorting to remove contaminated items. Groups of students from
Glencoe High School and Roosevelt High School have volunteered to help with
sorting in exchange for bottles and cans that can be deposited for money at the
Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.” This program allows money from bottles
and cans collected to be diverted to the organization of their choice.
Another campaign asked participants to sign a pledge to use
refillable containers. According to the Hood to Coast website, “If every team
pledges to use a refillable water jug and bottles, we can collectively avoid
over 150,000 single-use plastic bottles!” Similarly, they asked people to make
home-made snacks or purchase snacks in bulk rather than individually wrapped
items.
As this is the first year that sustainability measures were
taken for Hood to Coast, it will set a baseline that will inform how efforts can
be improved upon in the future.
While the Hood to Coast is working to decrease its footprint
on the mountain, there are other marathons and other events and sports that
have yet to follow in their footsteps in thinking about their environmental
impact. We all understand that when hiking, skiing, snowshoeing or bicycling,
we need nourishment and hydration to keep us going. Whether you’re running
errands or running a marathon, it is not so difficult to think outside the box
and to plan ahead. The choices are much more appealing, healthier and a lot
less expensive.
|
| Don’t be a pirate with an estate plan by Paula Walker on 08/31/2019
In equal importance to leaving your affairs neat and tidy
with a well-drafted Trust or Will is the comprehensive checklist that supports
this instrument. The biggest gift you can give to those you leave behind, is to
make it easy for the person you’ve appointed to administer your estate to
identify and access your numerous assets. Make the contents, location and means
of access to your entire treasure trove — those many things that constitute
your estate and your legacy — easy and straight forward to locate and manage
according to your plan. Do not make the transition a search for buried
treasure.
Provide a map: a single point of information that provides
the all-in-one guide to what you have and who to contact for the assistance
your administrator will need to wrap things up, close things out and properly
maintain them until that occurs. Help them, help you fulfill your objective for
a smooth, orderly and efficient accounting and transfer of your assets. Your
comprehensive Trust or Will serves the purpose of clearly stating to whom and
how to distribute your estate, but it does not identify, in needed detail, the
complete listing of all assets, where they are and the means to access them.
This “one stop” source of information is truly the key. This
comprehensive list must include not only each asset or type of asset but the
means of accessing it; the code, if you will, to the treasure chest. Internet
accounts, including social media accounts, email and online banking to name a
few, require passwords and possibly other coded information, such as your first
car, your favorite first grade teacher, your mother’s maiden name and more,
while financial institutions and banks require personal identification
information.
What should you list? Everything. Financial accounts: list
the financial institutions, the accounts, the account purpose if relevant to
managing their closure, such as the payments need to be made from them or
payments received in them. Retirement accounts. Credit Cards. Internet
accounts, including social media, email, photo repository. Real Estate holdings
and the location of deeds. Key Advisors, including your attorney, financial
planner, accountant, insurance agent and your spiritual/religious advisor. For
all of these provide the contact information and location if, for instance, you
deal with a particular branch and representative; and access information, user
IDs and passwords. Property maintenance: in the interim between your passing
and selling your real estate, list the person(s) to call if that property needs
maintenance. Property Security, including how to access your home, keep it
secure, not trigger alarms. Personal relationships: add to this a list of
personal relationships. These are just a few ideas for the many and varied list
of assets that you may have that belong on “your map.”
After creating it, maintain it. Equal in importance to creating
your map is maintaining it. As you know, this critical information is always in
flux; changes of bank accounts, new investments, changes of passwords. Review
this information annually. Set a date that makes it easy to remember this
important task; New Year’s or another date that is key to you and is a
convenient time to attend to this. It is a bit of a chore to create your first
edition, but revisions can be fairly quick and take reasonably little time to
accomplish.
And remember to safeguard this highly sensitive information,
such as keeping your map in a safe deposit box, a locked safe or a securely
password protected file. Give only your administrator the information necessary
to access this map, so that they have it when the time comes.
A treasure trove it is. This information is literally gold,
the key to the realm for your administrator who will be grateful that you left
them everything needed to do the job you’ve asked of them, straightforwardly
and efficiently. Good for them, and good for those you intend to benefit from
your life.
Stories of the Stars
If Only...
Billionaire Matthew Mellon II, heir to a banking dynasty,
died suddenly of a heart attack in Cancun, Mexico on April 16, 2018, reportedly
leaving behind him cryptocurrency, XRP, that had risen to $1 billion at its
peak in January 2018 from his initial $2 million investment and placing him on
Forbes’ “First-Ever List Of Cryptocurrency’s Richest People.” This asset may
never be recovered due to Mr. Mellon keeping his digital keys to this currency
in different cold storage locations across the U.S., rented under different
names. Ingenious. Interesting. Inaccessible.
Taking a clue from this intriguing tale of the most
contemporary of asset types: remember to provide the map; the administration of
your estate plan should not be an Easter egg hunt or search for Spanish
doubloons.
Dear Reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you. Please submit
your questions to Garth Guibord, at garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| The Ketogenic Plan: food for thought and focus by Victoria Larson on 08/31/2019
With school starting, we want to help our kids and grandkids
focus. For that matter, many of us adults could use some help in this matter.
Though changing what you eat, or what your kids eat, may not be easy it’s
certainly worth the effort. Especially if you want them to focus and think.
I’ve been writing these columns for nearly twenty years now
(!), so longtime readers know that I don’t like the word “diet.” So, let me
start with calling it the Ketogenic Food Plan. The Ketogenic Plan has grown out
of the Paleo style of eating which is what our ancestors did -- from early
humans up to about 100 years ago. Then things changed. Face it, our
grandparents ate simple, home-grown, home-prepared food. Not the overly
preserved, packaged stuff that dazzles the eye in modern supermarkets and big
box stores.
What we eat today is responsible for our health tomorrow...
or next year. Approximately three percent of chronic disease is caused by
genetics. The rest is caused by lifestyle choices. Most chronic disease today,
from diabetes to heart disease, is caused by those choices. The generation
behind me may not live as long as I will, and the generation after them may
live even less. When money and the economy are people’s biggest concerns, we’ve
lost perspective. What does it matter if you are rich if you don’t feel well or
our Earth is gasping it’s last breath?
Each of you must make your own choices regarding what you
eat, but you may have some control over what the kids eat. All – repeat, all -
modern food plans stress the need to avoid packaged, sugared food. Yet stores,
which are money-making enterprises, continually include more packaged foods,
leaving the poor oranges and avocadoes to languish. The simple truth is that
low- or no- sugar foods, high good-fat foods and less-packaged foods, like our
ancestors lived on, are the way things should be.
The Ketogenic Plan has lots of good fats, protein and less
than 5 percent carbohydrates. The healthy fats include fish (two to three times
per week), nuts (a handful per day), full-fat dairy, eggs, nuts and even butter.
Some say the brain needs glucose to function, but sugar has compromised out
health. The brain is composed of 90 percent fat and functions better with good
quality fat, but not the manipulated fats found in many of today’s foodstuffs.
The good fats include avocadoes, unprocessed full-fat cheese, sardines and
other foods, but not cakes, French fries, etc.
When food enters your stomach, it triggers receptors to
signal the hypothalamus to register that feeling of satiety (being full
enough). Good fats do this readily but manipulated fats and carbohydrates make
you want to eat more and more to achieve that state. Eating carbs makes you
want to eat more carbs as you’ve no doubt discovered. Eggs have been given a
bad rap for years. Yet dementia and heart disease continue to rise. Eggs are a
very good source of good fat. And for the record, the yolk contains lecithin,
which keeps cholesterol under control. Most cholesterol is made by your body
anyway.
The Ketogenic Food Plan means fewer grains, sugars and legumes.
You, and your kids, will do better with a breakfast of eggs, avocadoes and nuts
than an expensive bowl of over-processed grains known as cold cereal. Today’s
children (and many adults) cannot think straight on just air and that is most
of what’s being eaten. They, and we, become befuddled, confused and sluggish.
The Ketogenic Plan encourages a very low carbohydrate intake in order to cause
your body to use ketones from healthy fats to fuel your brain instead of
glucose. Very low manipulated fats mean bread, grains and legumes, as well as
starchy vegetables are restricted.
The Ketogenic food plan was researched to help those who had
seizures. I have a friend who asked about his seven-year-old granddaughter who
was having dozens of seizures every month. I’m retired now and not practicing
so couldn’t treat her, but I could tell him what I know or learn. Just like
this column does every month. My advice was the Ketogenic Plan. His kids put
their daughter on the plan and within one day her teachers noticed she was
calmer and more focused with fewer seizures.
Aim for 70 percent of your calories coming from the good
fats (again that’s eggs, avocadoes, full fat dairy, nuts, seafood, etc.) and
less than 50 grams of carbs. That’s still plenty, so you can occasionally give
the kids tortillas or rice or beans. While the Ketogenic food plan is also
touted as a weight loss program, I think that ANY plan that decreases junk
food, packaged food and simple sugars will go a long ways towards weight loss.
Give it a trial but realize it may take a few days for the
body to switch from burning glucose (sugars) for energy to burning ketones
(fats) for energy so a few days of tiredness could ensue. Vegans and
vegetarians will need to find sources of proteins that do not include manipulated
soy products (most of which are genetically modified) unless they include some
fish, eggs and dairy. Increased protein may cause some constipation so be sure
to drink two quarts to one gallon of water per day, depending on weather and
activity level. If a little more fiber is needed increase whole grain foods and
vegetables. Check with your doctor if you have kidney problems as the high
protein can be irritating to kidneys.
Now just watch those brains focus. You’ll see changes in
yourself and your kids and your grandkids. Focus! Think!
|
| Fabulous Labor Day menu by Taeler Butel on 08/31/2019
Peach Brined Pork chops
3 lbs. 1-inch thick sirloin pork chops (5-6 chops)
3 fresh yellow peaches
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (optional)
vegetable oil
Brine:
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups peach nectar or peach juice
1 T black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1 T fresh thyme.
6 cups boiling water
Place brine ingredients in a large bowl and stir to dissolve
the sugar and salt. Cool brining liquid to room temperature, add pork chops to
the brine and chill two to four hours. Heat outdoor grill or grill pan and
place pork on grill for five minutes each side until cooked through. Cut
peaches in half, discard pits then brush cut sides with oil. Grill cut side
down for two minutes or until grill marks form, top with a dollop of mascarpone
cheese if you like. Serve with the pork chops.
Grilled corn on the cob with herb butter
6 ears yellow or white corn
Herb butter:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T chopped fresh basil
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
1 t fresh thyme leaves
1 t chopped fresh rosemary
1 t fresh oregano
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
Heat grill to 350. Grill the corn in husks for five minutes
on each side until tender. Place ingredients for herb butter in food processor
and pulse until combined. Husk the corn and spread 2 T of the butter on each
ear. Leftover herb butter can be served over noodles, in soups, on hot crusty
bread.
Roasted Potato salad
3 lbs small red potatoes cut into one-inch pieces
1 small red onion cut into wedges
6 cloves minced garlic
2 t olive oil
2 T cider vinegar
1 1-oz envelope dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayo
4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 avocado, chopped
Salt, pepper, fresh chopped parsley
On a large baking sheet toss together potatoes, onion,
garlic and olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425 uncovered for 15-20
minutes. Stir, and continue to roast 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables are
tender and browned. In a large bowl whisk together mayo, vinegar and ranch
dressing, toss in roasted vegetables and celery, eggs, bacon, onion and
avocado. Salt and pepper to taste and top with chopped fresh parsley.
Blueberry panna cotta with lime mint syrup
3 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, cut and scraped or 2 T vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream or crème fraiche
2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
4 strips lemon peel (yellow only)
1-pint blueberries picked over
For the syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup water
Zest from 2 limes
“Bloom” the gelatin by sprinkling over two tablespoons cold
water, set aside.
Place the cream, milk, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla bean
with seeds in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, bring to just a simmer, turn
off heat and add the sour cream or crème fraiche. Take out the vanilla bean pod
and lemon peel and discard. Stir in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved, then
add blueberries. Carefully pour mixture into eight one-cup ramekins or into
muffin tins that have been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Let chill in
refrigerator three hours or overnight. To loosen the panna cotta run a thin
clean knife around edges and invert onto serving plate.
To make syrup bring water and sugar to a boil and stir
constantly until sugar dissolves, then add lime zest and fresh mint. Cool completely
and serve over panna cotta.
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
|  Family photo.
My family has always valued our photo albums. When I was a
boy, I enjoyed looking at the photos that were passed down through generations:
my great grandparents, when they were young through to their senior years; my
grandfather, from his childhood through his time in the military, including
World War II. My own family photos, mom and dad as children, fascinated me, as
did seeing photos of places that the family had lived through the years. As
time passed the album started holding my own memories: my childhood through
high school, Navy days, as well as photos of my own children.
Many old photos were made to remember places as well as
family members. Since the advent of the portable Kodak camera at the turn of
the 20th century, a camera accompanied family vacations. This was also the era
of picture postcards. A lot of locations that attracted tourists usually had a
postcard stand that included views that would have been photographed by
visitors if they would have had a camera. These location photos have become
valuable documentations of change through time.
Although we have more options for printing and collecting
photographs, digital photography has made printing photos and photo albums
almost obsolete. A lot of people don’t associate printing their photos with
digital photography but there are a lot of companies that will print your
digital photos in the same manner as film photos. The motivation to take a
photo these days has little to do with documenting moments that would be
valuable to others in the future, but are usually motivated by bragging about a
passing moment in time that will be forgotten by the time the next photo is
made and shared on social media. These are mostly never printed and with the
chances for hard drive crashes or computer failure, these photos are prone to
loss or deletion. I know that many people who make these photos these days probably
won’t be proud of them in the future. In most cases they will document the
person but not really the experience or the place, and certainly not in a way
that would be valuable to historians or curious people or family in the future.
On the other hand, digital photos have made documenting our children as they
grow much easier, but printing them and putting them in an album is rarely
done.
As a photographer and a local history fanatic I am so
thankful for the people in the past who had taken the time to capture important
moments and places in their more primitive form. If photographers such as
Carlton Watkins had not photographed the Columbia River Gorge prior to the loss
of the native culture or the commercial development and the damming of the
river we would have little idea of just what it was actually like back then.
Once photography was practical for the average hobby photographer, more and
more images were made of these areas as they evolved into what they are today.
For those of us who live on or are in love with Mount Hood
and its history, we’re fortunate to have many photos that were made by those
who came here to recreate. The early days of climbing are well documented and
as skiing became popular, photographs followed. Mount Hood’s only town, Government
Camp, was the launching place for most of these activities and coincided with
the boom of photography. Because of that there are a lot of great old images
from that era available for collecting, research or just the enjoyment of
seeing the changes that have happened through the years.
Government Camp has changed a lot in the last 120 years.
It’s a great place to show examples of the changes that have been documented
with photographs. I’m thankful that those who made the photos of their times on
Mount Hood back in its early days and wonder if the photos made today will be
available to those curious in the future.
Besides providing strangers a glimpse into the past,
printing photos today for family in the future will be a more reliable way to
preserve those memories. I urge everyone to do it and to save these photos in
an old-fashioned photo album. Put it on your coffee table to share with friends
and family. Make it an heirloom for future generations.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Less heralded legislation by Rep. Anna Williams on 08/01/2019
With the 2019 session behind us, plenty has been written
about the major accomplishments of the legislature this year. We passed a Paid
Family and Medical Leave Insurance program (which I’ve written about in this
paper before), we raised $1 billion per year for education funding (also the
subject of a past column) and stabilized funding for Oregon’s Medicaid system,
which provides care for about 400,000 children in the state. I want to take
this opportunity to highlight some of the less headline-grabbing accomplishments
from the session – legislation and action that was every bit as important to
people in our mountain community.
One thing I was especially proud to help make happen this
session was bringing home $4.6 million that will be directly invested into
cities in House District 52. This includes $1.7 million of state funding for
storm line repairs in Hood River, $2.4 million for economic development in
Cascade Locks and $500,000 for the first phase of wastewater treatment
improvements in Sandy. These vital public works will help our growing cities
continue to thrive.
One piece of legislation we passed that hasn’t gotten much
press is a bill I chief-sponsored that will expand the Office of the Long-Term
Care Ombudsman. Volunteer ombudsmen from that office are charged with extremely
important work: visiting long-term care facilities to build relationships with
staff and residents and addressing their questions and concerns about the
quality of care. However, some of the long-term care facilities in our state
(especially in rural areas) receive only one to two visits a year from these
volunteers because the staff that oversees them did not have funding to
adequately supervise enough volunteers to ensure full coverage. House Bill 3413
adds three paid staff to the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsmen, which in
turn will allow them to recruit and oversee more than 100 new volunteers. This
funding increase will improve quality of life as well as health and safety for
Oregonians living in long-term care facilities in communities like ours.
Finally, I want to highlight some behind-the-scenes work
that I did on behalf of our communities’ natural resource protection efforts.
When the Sandy River Watershed Council sought a permit to begin work on their
annual floodplain reconnection project, which helps native salmon in both their
migration and rearing, they struggled to get timely approval. Because it was
crucial that they be allowed to begin their work as soon as possible (so they
could finish in time for the salmon spawning season), they reached out to me
for any help I could offer. I reached out to the offices involved with
permitting and was able to help coordinate with all parties to ensure that the
process was completed in a timely manner, saving the state money and protecting
critical salmon spawning habitat.
My efforts to help these environmental advocates achieve
their goals highlights the fact that not all of the work I do as a legislator
necessarily involves legislating. We don’t always need new laws to solve
problems in our state; we just need to figure out ways to more efficiently
administer the laws already in place. I hope to continue working toward this
type of solution – the type that doesn’t involve unrolling additional red tape
– whenever possible. I would love to hear from the people in my district about
similar issues they’ve been having in their daily lives. You can contact me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov, or by phone at 503-986-1452.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative.
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: Wastewater updates by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 08/01/2019
As many of you are aware, the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) is requiring that the City of Sandy update our
Wastewater Treatment Process. This venture has an extremely expensive price tag
of $60-80 million. We are hoping to explore other options that are more
environmentally-friendly and cost-effective, and we are in luck. When the
Oregon Legislature convened last week, they approved a budget that included an
earmarked $500,000 for additional Sandy River water quality studies and green
alternative analysis.
In the last few months, our council and staff have toured
other communities’ water treatment facilities. We all came away excited about
the possibilities of treatment alternatives after visiting the more than
700-acre Fernhill facility in Forest Grove. Fernhill is owned by Clean Water
Services and uses natural treatment systems, or wetlands, to improve water
quality by removing nutrients, cooling and naturalizing the water after
conventional treatment. Fernhill is designated as an important bird area and is
also home to beavers, frogs, coyote and other wildlife.
Thoroughly vetting alternative options is crucial for our
community. If one of these options is viable, it would cut the cost of the
current plan in half and would be much better for our environment.
I’d like to thank our state legislative delegation of State
Representative Anna Williams and State Senator Chuck Thomsen for their
leadership in making this happen. Between this and our Oregon Department of
Transportation negotiations, this past legislative session had some of the most
successful outcomes for the City of Sandy in our community’s history. Their
bipartisan and cooperative efforts on our behalf are greatly appreciated.
Additionally, we have exciting news regarding our city’s
application process to obtain a $25 million Water Infrastructure and Financing
Act (WIFIA) loan administered by the federal government. Our congressional
delegation of Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Greg Walden and Senator Jeff
Merkley have agreed to co-sign a letter to help us get this crucial financing.
In addition to a competitive interest rate, the first
payment on WIFA loans can be deferred up to five years after completion of the
project with a maximum term of 35 years. This allows us the time to continue to
advocate for additional state and federal dollars for this project. It also
helps reduce the impact on ratepayers by allowing us to make small gradual
increases in rates, rather than a large initial increase. WIFIA financing can only
be used for up to 49 percent of the project so we will have to seek out other
financing sources for the remainder of the costs. Our financial consultant has
determined that ratepayers in Sandy would save just over $800,000 per year with
WIFIA financing as opposed to a conventional revenue bond, or about $16 million
over the 20-year term of a revenue bond.
I’d like to thank our federal delegation for their critical
assistance in working to make this a reality. Our community of Sandy faces a
huge monetary challenge with meeting DEQ requirements. I have been humbled by
the willingness of both our state and federal lawmakers to set partisan
politics to the side and work side by side with others to go to work for our
community. This is both a critical and special time in Sandy’s wonderful story.
Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy.
|
| The journey to happiness can start with slowing down by Victoria Larson on 08/01/2019
“Living well is the best revenge” was always on the back
page of a regional newspaper in Marin County, in the San Francisco Bay Area 50
years ago! A nice reminder that always made me smile. While “revenge” is not
necessarily a goal it could be restated as “living well is the best revenge
against aging and unhappiness!” The Blue Zones represent not only the
healthiest areas on Earth, but also the happiest places. Social scientists have
been studying almost 100 countries for happiness levels since the early 1980s.
Health and happiness go hand in hand. Face it, it’s harder to be happy when
you’re unhealthy.
But what can you do to “get happier” and “healthier?” People
often ask this saying they want a simpler lifestyle or more happiness in their
lives. You can do this, but it means lifestyle changes, attitudinal changes.
Studies of the happiest places on Earth have shown lots of consistencies. And
surprisingly the areas where the rich live are not the happiest areas!
The happiest areas are Denmark, Mexico, and even the city of
San Luis Obispo, Calif. Singapore comes in fourth but it’s more of a
manufactured happiness than a lifestyle. For the record, the United States came
in 20th on the list of happiest nations! The least stressed states in the U.S.
are those with the most space – Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Maybe you have no intention of moving to these slower, roomier states but you
can change your lifestyle and become happier and healthier.
The Danish people cultivate “hygge” which translates as the
“art of relaxing in a warm and cozy environment.” This could mean anything from
candles to street vendors selling herring instead of sweets! A relaxed attitude
means slowing down – better to arrive late than to not arrive at all. In 1988, I
made my move to this area. I’d spent the previous months packing up our small
800 square-foot house and was spending the weekend on an herbal retreat. I was
late and stressed about meeting a friend of mine on time. Though dusk was fast
approaching, the greeters to the retreat sat in the parking lot waiting for the
last-minute arrivals. While apologizing for my lateness profusely they let me
know it was no problem and pointed me in the direction of the cabins, assuring
that my pickup full of household goods would be perfectly safe there. We had
touched on the happiness factor.
The Monterey area of Mexico also has a laid-back attitude
when it comes to stress. Let’s face it, less stress is going to be better for
your health all around. The Mexican people are much more family oriented than
most U.S. citizens. They spend six to seven hours a day in social time, which
includes helping each other accomplish tasks, long Sunday dinners with lots of
laughter and church activities. Laugh therapy (for it is therapy) does not mean
putting down others, but instead humor is aimed at corrupt government
(otherwise ignoring it), poverty (most are considered very poor) and even death
(the only guarantee in life).
San Luis Obispo, Calif. took it upon itself to make this
university town livable and lovable. In 1990 they were the first city in the
world to ban smoking in workplaces! This town limits growth to a mere one
percent a year. They discourage distracting signage and fast food restaurants.
The nearest fast food location is in a city twenty minutes away. They encourage
bicycle and pedestrian lanes, encourage tolerance and support the arts. Is it
any wonder this city of decreased stress is considered the healthiest city in
the United States?
Americans (U.S. citizens) tend to think more is better. They
work more than 40 hours a week to earn money for the gym, a bigger car or
refrigerator or just to buy more stuff, most of which ends up in thrift stores
and landfills. Where’s the satisfaction in that? Americans take six to eight
days of vacation a year. Europeans are required to take six weeks of vacation.
If you’re on vacation right now, enjoy it! You will go back to work renewed.
Extend your vacation if you can.
There are plenty of things you can do to increase your
happiness level, and thereby your health level:
– pay off your house (no matter what catastrophe you’ll have
a roof over your head).
– then pay off your car and try to have only one car per
household, or at least per person.
– have not more than one credit card (if any). I was
recently writing a check in a store and the man in line explained to his
daughter what I was doing. I told her that no credit cards means no debt.
– decrease screen time. One TV per household is plenty. If
you want interaction with your kids, take the TVs out of their rooms. Set a
good example and turn the TV OFF!
– invest in experiences instead of stuff. You only get one
life, and this is it. Play games, read books, cook, sew, garden, work on the
car, take a walk.
– get outside more. Most Americans in the U.S. do not get
enough Vitamin D. 15 minutes in direct sunlight will give as much vitamin D as
a gallon of milk! Take a walk or a bike ride, garden, socialize more outside,
go on a picnic.
– just socialize more, with people of all ages (it teaches
tolerance). It might be hard to get six or seven hours of socializing in each
day, but you could do it.
Few will make these changes in their lives. Even getting rid
of the alarm clock and getting a smaller refrigerator is probably not going to
happen. Start small -- take your own bags to reuse at the grocery store, take
your own containers to restaurants for bringing home leftovers. Use bars of
soap instead of expensive plastic containers of mostly water with a little soap
that become non-recyclable garbage.
Put family before friends and make time for socializing.
Chat with the people you meet. Facebook and Twitter are not real face-to-face
socializing. Don’t get a fancier phone or a bigger TV or more clothes. You
don’t need them. Strive for decreased use of electronics, less garbage, more
time for pleasurable activities. You can be happier!
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: perfecting your portions by on 08/01/2019
I had a wonderful surprise at a restaurant recently. While
browsing through the menu, I noticed that each entrée had a large and a small
option, with corresponding differences in prices.
This was something I have only come across on rare
occasions, yet serving size is something that I struggle with each time I go to
a restaurant to eat. In a world where we believe that anything “bigger is
better,” many restaurants have a mindset that everyone wants to be served a
portion suitable for a 19-year old football player. But the reality is that a
petite middle-aged woman whose body does not need a huge amount of calories is
going to be overserved. So will a younger person.
The assumption, of course, is that we will take our leftover
meal home and eat it later. Personally, sometimes I do, and there have been
times that there’s enough food for three meals. But I am sorry to confess that
despite my best intentions of eating re-heated leftovers from last night’s
meal, it gets less appealing each day until I can be forgiven for throwing it
away when it is no longer edible.
The point of this was driven home over the past month while
traveling. I visited family in the Midwest where we went out to breakfast. My
dining companion’s chicken fried steak arrived on a separate platter from the
eggs because it was nearly the size of a pizza! The next time I was invited out
to breakfast, I was so afraid of what might be placed in front of me that I
limited my order to a couple of side dishes.
On another recent trip where my sisters and I celebrated one
of their birthdays in Las Vegas, we quickly learned that rather than ordering
individual entrees, we had more than plenty of food by ordering and sharing
fewer entrees. Not only did we have enough by eating family style, but we could
each have a broader selection of food.
In retrospect, perhaps this propensity for oversized
portions that overwhelm me is what has driven me to enjoy Happy Hour as my
preferred meal when I go out with friends. Not only can I order food that comes
in smaller portions, but we can order and share a wider variety of food.
Restaurants are also becoming aware that the “Supersize Me”
model is not ideal. Americans are beginning to demand changes. According to the
website MenuCal.com, “With portions of many food items exceeding the USDA
recommended serving size by up to 700 percent and obesity rates skyrocketing,
Americans are well aware that something needs to change with respect to their
food. And given that over one-third of the calories the average American consumes
is eaten outside the home, the public wants more choice when it comes to
restaurant food.” Offering healthy options with smaller portions will be what
creates a strong repeat clientele, will reduce food costs for the restaurants
and will also avoid food waste.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans
waste approximately 30-40 percent of the food we produce, or about half of the
world’s supply of food. In 2010, that was the equivalent of 133 billion pounds
(218.9 pounds per person a year), worth $161 billion. According to their
website, “This amount of waste has far-reaching impacts on food security,
resource conservation and climate change…The land, water, labor, energy and
other inputs used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing,
and disposing of discarded food are pulled away from uses that may have been
more beneficial to society – and generate impacts on the environment that may
endanger the long-run health of the planet. Food waste, which is the single
largest component going into municipal landfills quickly generates methane,
helping to make landfills the third largest source of methane in the United
States.” Not only are large portions unhealthy for our bodies, but they also
impact our environment.
Taking all of that into consideration, you can imagine my
delight when I sat down at the aforementioned restaurant and saw that I could
order a “small” meal and be served an entrée with a portion suitable for
enjoying at that time without the inevitable to-go box haunting me afterward
(Don’t make me take that Styrofoam box!). I look forward to going back there
again. Bon appetit!
|
| Got to get a witness by Paula Walker on 08/01/2019
Marvin Gaye sang, “Can I get a witness.” Don’t know if he
ever got one, but to have a valid will, you’ll need one; in fact, you’ll need
two.
To be valid, a will must not only be in writing and signed
and dated by the person creating the will, it must also be signed by two
competent witnesses.
Why?
The main purpose is to protect against fraud or forgery. But
why does a will, in particular, need this safeguard? Why not require witnesses
to the signing of all contracts or other legally binding documents dealing with
finances and assets? The main reason is that simply, when the will is submitted
to the probate court the person who created it is no longer living — cannot
validate to the court that this is their will, their true last and final will.
Disputes, if they arise, generally take aim at the validity
of the will. It is the witnesses, one or both, who are in the position to
testify to the validity or lack should such disputes arise.
What is the role/purpose of the witnesses?
First let’s say what it is not — it is not the witnesses’
role to know the content of the will.
Their purpose is strictly to know that the document being
signed is a will and that at the time of the signing the following conditions
are true: the person creating and signing the will is an adult or allowed by
law to create a will; understands the task they are undertaking; is not under
duress; and has the mental capacity to create the will (“is of sound mind”)
i.e. has “testamentary capacity,” the ability to make rational decisions about
giving their assets.
Who can be a witness, i.e. what is a “competent” witness?
A “competent witness” is a legal adult over 18. It is best
that the witness is a “disinterested” person, not a beneficiary of the will. In
Oregon, having a beneficiary as a witness does not invalidate the will per se,
but because it can be a weak point in a challenge to the will it gives support
by circumstance to a claim of undue influence. In general, estate planners
advise clients to select a “disinterested person” as witness.
The witness may be a “stranger,” however, be sure to get
their address and if possible, their phone number so they can be found to
testify to the validity of your will if ever needed.
What is the process of witnessing a will?
During the will signing, the attorney presiding or the
person creating the will — testatrix (female) or testator (male) — states to
the witnesses that they are about to watch the signing of the will. The
testatrix/testator signs the will. Then the witnesses sign the will. In Oregon,
the witnesses must be in the presence of the testatrix/testator. In addition to
witnessing and signing the will itself, witnesses may sign an affidavit
attesting to their witnessing the signing of the will and the capacity of person
whose will it is. An affidavit is an oath-in-writing, thus lending legal weight
to the witnesses’ validations for the document when it is eventually submitted
to the probate court.
Stories of the Stars, If Only...
Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, who died in August of last
year at the age of 76, as it turns out, needed a witness. It was initially
thought that she had died intestate — without a will. In May of this year
reports surfaced that she had not only one will, but three wills including one
discovered (that was the most recently dated and nearly illegible due to cross
outs and margin notes) under couch cushions in her living room. Two wills were
dated 2010. The most recent dated March 2014. It is reported that her attorney
had been advising her to create a will and it appears perhaps she did so but
without involving or informing him. As of this July, reports are that three of
Aretha’s sons, Teddy Jr., Kecalf and Edward are engaging in court battles over
the control of her estate and seeking a restraining order from the court
against Franklin’s niece, Sabrina Owens, the estate’s current acting
representative — perhaps self-appointed — from further actions and decisions on
distributions from Franklin’s estate until the court decides who has authority as
representative. Seems Owens has been self-serving in a number of distributions,
creating a mess that perhaps the presence and evidence of two witnesses may
have helped to minimize.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
|  Lolo Pass
We’re focusing on focusing this month. “How do I focus my
photos?” is one of the most asked questions of me by other photographers. It’s
a great question and one would think would be pretty basic and simple to
answer. It’s usually the last skill that a beginning photographer considers
when starting out but seems to be the toughest to master.
I mean it seems that it would be pretty basic, what with the
sophistication of the auto focus features in modern digital cameras, but once
one takes a few photos and is let down by the auto focus mode it’s easy to see
why in many cases, especially landscape and portraiture, you will want to
manually focus your photo.
There are several things that will affect the focus or
clarity of our photos including a completely out of focus image, one where the
focus is so far off that nothing is clear or in focus. That issue is obvious,
of course, so we won’t discuss this in depth.
We will assume that we are focusing but want to refine the
clarity and focus of the shot. I’m going to try to proceed without citing
mathematics or terms and theories such as Hyperfocal Distance, Circle of
Confusion etc. The purpose of this article is to just understand the basics
enough to understand how to overcome a common problem with focusing. Trust that
this could become so lengthy that it would require another ten pages of the
Mountain Times to cover it. Sometimes when someone is learning something new
more information beyond what it takes to understand the concept causes confusion
and discouragement. Once the basics are learned the understanding can be
broadened in the future. I always tell people that if it requires mathematics
to take photos, I’d be a C-minus photographer.
First let’s consider blurring caused by the camera moving or
objects in the scene moving. This is not a focus issue, but it can affect the
clarity and areas of focus in the photo as you affect it. If movement is
causing problems, then your shutter speed is too slow. You’ll need to make sure
that your shutter speed is sufficiently fast to freeze the movement. There are
times where a slow shutter blur effect is desirable such as in creeks or
waterfalls. This typically requires one to make an aperture adjustment to vary
the shutter speed. Opened more to make it quicker and closed more to make it
slower, but the depth of field will change with each aperture change.
So, what’s this depth of field, you ask? The depth of field
is how deep the area that will be in focus is from front to back. The wider
your aperture the shallower or narrower your depth of field will be and then
when you stop down, or close the aperture down, the depth of field becomes
deeper. Remember that the larger the aperture opening the smaller the f/stop
number and the smaller the aperture opening is the larger the f/stop number.
Something to consider when you’re trying to maximize your focus is that the
closer you are to the subject or foreground, the narrower your depth of field
will be. If you’re having trouble getting everything in the scene within
acceptable focus stand back a little. The same with portraiture. if you’re
shooting with a wide aperture to blur the background intentionally, you may
have trouble getting the person’s whole face in focus. There’s not a lot worse
in portrait photography than having the eyes in focus but the nose out of focus
or vice-versa. Either stop down (close the aperture) or stand back a little
further or both. This works best with a zoom lens so you can recompose as you
move away.
Hyperfocal distance - I know. I said that I was going to try
not to mention this, but I think that curiosity will eventually lead a
photographer to wonder. Simply and basically, the hyperfocal distance is the
point where you will focus to allow everything from the foreground to the background
to be in “acceptable focus.”
There’s a mystical mathematical formula to determine what
the hyperfocal distance is, but if you remember this advice you will get by
like I have been for a long time without taking a calculator into the field
with me. Here goes – I remember that I want to be in my lens’s sweet spot,
which is the upper and lower limit of the aperture’s clearest settings.
Each lens is different, but the average lens is
approximately f/8 to f/14. Compose your shot but try not to get too close to
the foreground unless you don’t mind the background to be soft (remember the
closer to your foreground the less likely the object in the background will be
in focus), and then focus to infinity on your lens focus ring and focus back
until the foreground just comes into focus. Then you will usually have the
depth of field maximized and pushed out as far as possible while still
maintaining a focused foreground. It’s easy to understand once you try it.
That may have been a long road to a short conclusion but
just a basic understanding of how your aperture and depth of field affects
focus allows you to take control of exactly how you will focus your photo. I
hope that I made that as clear as possible.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Putting a bow on the bills by Rep. Anna Williams on 07/01/2019
The legislature is almost ready to adjourn, but there are a
few things I hope to get done before we head home. A few of my priorities
include Family and Medical Leave Insurance (or FAMLI), The Equal Access to
Roads Act, The Clean Energy Jobs bill and a bill I brought forward, House Bill
3413. So, I have plenty to do as we wrap up the session.
One of the main reasons I ran for office was to advocate for
state-wide family and medical leave insurance. If Oregon creates a FAMLI
program, workers won’t have to worry about financial hardship when taking time
away from work to care for a loved one or to welcome a new child to their home.
I was personally affected by the lack of a FAMLI program in our state when I
was fired for taking maternity leave after I had my youngest son. The small
company where I worked could not afford to keep the person who replaced me and
also rehire me. Because every family deserves to be able to care for one
another and make a living, I am working hard to ensure that House Bill 2005
passes this session.
Another bill I’m excited to support is House Bill 2015, The
Equal Access to Roads Act, which ensures every Oregonian who can pass a
driver’s test can get a driver’s license. This bill will ensure that our roads
are safe, and that our neighbors are able to drive their kids to school, get to
work and take care of their families. In states with similar policies, the
rates of drivers who are insured have risen significantly, making roads safer
and saving drivers millions through reduced insurance rates. To be clear, this
program does not provide citizenship or voting rights to anyone who is not
eligible. The House passed HB 2015 this week, and it’s on its way to the
Senate.
Of course, I am excited about Clean Energy Jobs, or House
Bill 2020. Throughout the legislative session, I have heard the concerns of
many farmers who are nervous about how this bill may hurt their businesses.
I’ve also heard from hundreds of supporters who want to see Oregon lead the way
for other states to create carbon-reduction programs that can have a real
impact on climate change. I worked to help these two sides communicate with one
another, find compromises and understand one another’s perspectives. I passed
their concerns along to my colleagues who were working on HB 2020, and the
final version is stronger as a result.
Finally, House Bill 3413 is a bill that will expand the
Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, or OLTCO, by adding three full-time
employees. That office’s function is to address complaints about the care and
treatment of Oregonians who reside in long term care facilities. Currently,
there are seven deputy ombudsmen, each of whom manages about 35 volunteers who
serve at facilities across the state. The addition of three deputies will add
critical support for seniors and people with disabilities in rural communities
like ours. This bill passed unanimously on the House floor and I am optimistic
it will pass in the Senate before the end of session.
If you have questions, concerns, or ideas for the future,
reach out to my office at Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov, or visit me
in the Capitol. We will be opening an office in Sandy soon, so you will have
another way to connect with me. I’m looking forward to some rest in July, and
to getting out to see you in your communities this summer. Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: a ‘step’ for greener shoes by on 07/01/2019
I went shoe shopping a couple of weeks ago. Who doesn’t love
shoe shopping? I try to limit the amount of clothes shopping I do in order to
lessen my carbon footprint, so to speak. Once or twice a year, I allow myself
the luxury of shopping for a pair of shoes that I will wear over and over again
that season, and hopefully for many seasons to come. I try to purchase good
quality shoes that will endure. One of my guilty secrets is that I still have a
pair of black suede heels that I purchased in the early 1980s that still get
tons of compliments because they are chic but classic.
So, on this particular shopping trip, I set out to find a
pair of comfortable flats that would not go out of style next year when the
manufacturers would try to convince us that the shoes they are all raving about
this season are now outdated. All in an effort to try and get us to part with
our hard-earned cash and buy more shoes.
I ventured into a couple of different stores at the large
mall complex and I was surprised (but not really) to see how many shoes are now
made of “Man-made materials.” This means plastic, of course. Plastic shoes are
inexpensive to produce, yet if manufacturers can convince a designer to put
their name on it, the price goes up into the hundreds of dollars. Personally, I
prefer leather shoes because they’re waterproof, breathable, and over time,
they conform to the shape of your foot, making them much more comfortable.
Plastic, on the other hand, while also waterproof, is not breathable, and there
is less flexibility in the shape. But leather shoes are harder and harder to
find because they’re more expensive to produce.
I finally found the right pair of loafers, stylish enough
that I could wear them for to a nice restaurant, yet comfortable enough to wear
for a full day of business. A little spendier than shopping at the discount
shoe mart, but worth it. When we purchase quality over quantity, we may be
spending a little more for the better pair of shoes, but in the end, we won’t
be replacing them over and over again, so the cost will actually be less over
time.
One of the reasons that I spend so much time thinking about
what to purchase is because unlike in my youth, I take a longer range look at
each purchase. What will happen with the shoes that I bought nearly a decade
ago that are still in good enough shape because they weren’t worn much, but
they sit in the closet gathering dust? I can donate them to the local
non-profit, of course. That will make me feel less guilty than tossing them in
the trash, headed for the landfill. But let’s be realistic. The amount of clothing
that doesn’t get re-sold and re-used is staggering. Although those shoes might
take a more circuitous route, they will likely still end up in the landfill.
There are a few non-profits around the country that collect shoes and donate
them to those in poverty around the world. But the cost of shipping can be its
own problem.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, each year
we produce about 20 billion pairs of shoes. And Americans throw away at least
300 million pairs of shoes each year. Those shoes end up in landfills, where
they can take 30 to 40 years to decompose. In the case of athletic shoes, the
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, which usually makes up the midsole of most running
shoes, can last for as long as 1,000 years in a landfill. Some companies are
trying to address the problem. Nike will collect unusable used shoes so the
materials can be converted to athletic equipment and surfaces. Nike, Adidas,
and New Balance are using manufacturing methods to curb the amount of waste
during the production process. And Adidas is working on producing a shoe that
uses recycled gill nets that have been abandoned in the ocean and are
responsible for killing large amounts of marine life.
Athletic shoes and dress shoes aren’t the only problem. I
remember those expensive snow boots I bought with the polyurethane soles. I put
them back on one winter and as I began to walk around Sandy, the soles started
to disintegrate. Apparently, this disintegration process, called hydrolysis, is
a result of our damp environment after they’ve been stored for a while. Learn
to store your boots in a dry place, away from the heat, and put newspaper and
silica packs in them to keep them dry. It will help your expensive boots last
longer.
We can help also by being mindful of the shoes we buy and
what type of materials they’re made of. Also, taking good care of our footwear
will give them a longer life and save us some money in replacing them. It’s a
small step toward solving the problems that we have with waste and excess.
|
| To trust a trust, you must fund it by Paula Walker on 07/01/2019
Getting your estate organized for a smooth transition when
the time comes was important to you. Furthermore, for many factors, one of the
main ones being avoiding probate, you elected to create a revocable living
trust. You expended time, energy and money to accomplish this. The document is
done. The plan is in place. All is taken care of. Right? Yes and no… depending
on whether you complete that final step called “funding” your trust.
For your trust to do one of the primary jobs for which you
created it — avoiding the complexity, cost and lengthy process of probate — you
must fund it. This is often a well-intended but not attended to task. Some
estate planning practices incorporate the funding phase into the development
and delivery of a trust. Others leave it to the client to undertake. In either
case, the responsibility eventually falls to you, the owner of the trust, to
keep the funding current. Even if you walk out of your attorney’s office with a
fully funded trust you must remember to fund newly acquired assets to the trust
as your life moves forward. Nothing is static. Life is dynamic. You open a new
investment account. You sell your home, buy a condo, purchase a rental, etc.
These new acquisitions must be funded to your trust. Assets of value (e.g. bank
accounts, real estate, investment accounts) that are not funded to your trust
could be subject to probate. What a headache for your trust administrator and
beneficiaries; and after you so diligently attended to making this process as
simple as possible for them.
Funding involves re titling assets from your individual name
to the name of your trust or designating the trust as a beneficiary. Your
attorney will guide you in determining which type of asset requires which
funding approach.
With your revocable living trust, you are the trustee,
meaning that you manage the trust and the assets funded. You can add or remove
assets. Keeping your funding current is a task that you can perform
independently. In creating your trust, with guidance from your attorney, you
learn what to fund to your trust and how to do it so that you can stay current
as you acquire and release assets.
So, remember, in order to trust your trust to do the job of
avoiding the public, costly, time consuming court processes of probate, you
must fund it and keep that funding current.
Stories of the Stars - If only…
Superstar Michael Jackson who died untimely in June 2009 at
age 50, unlike many superstars whose legacy of intestacy abound, had the
foresight to create a revocable living trust, but not the follow through to
fund it. As a result, his estate — currently valued by some estimates at
approximately $600 million — fell to probate. Court disputes continue to this
day. His estate is still open. His beneficiaries wait. All assets are held
until, by court approval, the probate process is completed.
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Recapping the Blue Zones: lessons learned to live longer by Victoria Larson on 07/01/2019
The columns of the past few months have all been about the
Blue Zones. Those areas on Earth where many citizens live longer, healthier
lives than most people in the United States. Greece, Japan, Sardinia and Costa
Rica all qualify as Blue Zones. Even Loma Linda, Calif. where most people are
vegetarians and live an average lifespan of ten years longer than the rest of
the United States as a whole.
First of all, almost all of the Blue Zones are in areas that
Americans tend to think of as “underdeveloped” and cut off by water. When I
look at the Blue Zone areas (with the possible exception of Loma Linda) I
sometimes think that just living in such a beautiful area, surrounded by
gorgeous, blue unpolluted water would be enough to lead to a better life. And these
places have plenty of natural sunlight without smog. And few roads. I’m
reminded of the couple (he was a doctor and she was a judge) on my Costa Rica
trip who wanted “the roads fixed.” That would of course bring in a bigger
population and totally changed the character of Costa Rica. I was there twenty
years ago. Maybe it’s already happened. Maybe our worldwide population is
already growing that rapidly.
The average person in the United States eats about 80 lbs.
of fat per year and most of it from vegetable oils used in fast food cooking!
The Blue Zone areas use mostly olive oil and lard, natural sources of brain
reviving fats. And there are no fast food places in “underdeveloped” places.
Most Americans consume 8,000 teaspoons of sugar a year, most of it hidden in
breakfast cereals and packaged foods. And then there are the 60 gallons of
sodas consumed per year. Yikes. And we wonder what’s wrong?
A couple of generations ago our grandparents and great
grandparents burned at least five times more calories than we do now. There was
no Internet, TV, cellphones, microwaves or dishwashers, among other so-called
“timesavers” that sometimes aren’t “saving” any time at all. Blue Zones rarely
have those “helps.” Food is kneaded or blended by hand, cast iron pots are lifted
into brick ovens or open fires, dishes are washed by hand and sometimes in
community troughs. I loved the sight of the children washing doll clothes in
those community troughs during the day. In one month spent in the outlying
areas of China I saw exactly one TV and it was black and white. Most areas only
had electricity for two hours per day.
In America most of us live a life of abundance and ease –
can openers, microwaves, computers, fast food. Yet it is entirely possible that
this is part of our downfall. Because we are NOT the healthiest nation on the
planet, nor are we the happiest. We do, however, spend the most on healthcare!
Here we rush through our frazzle-dazzle lives to get to the next thing, never
savoring where we are now. We stress about health yet spend the most on
healthcare, yet we suffer more cancer, diabetes and heart disease than people
in the Blue Zones. We put value on money but not on lifestyle.
In order to spend less money, we cut food costs in general.
Americans spend less on food than most other industrial countries. In the Blue
Zone area, most food consumed is grown in backyard gardens and what markets
there are, are used mostly for cleaning supplies and staples like flour. In the
United States we buy packaged food with all its extra packaging and wonder why
we have a garbage problem. But we worry that it might not be organic or
gluten-free. Maybe it’s time we open our eyes.
We seem to have lost perspective on reality. Most food from
the supermarket tastes like the cardboard it’s packaged in! And why not, it’s
packaged and has been on the shelves for weeks longer than it would take to
pick it from your trees and gardens. Do you really think food comes (delivered
mind you) only from grocery stores? We get little enjoyment from most of what
we eat.
We also get little energy from what we eat. All areas of
Blue Zones rely most heavily on fresh (and I do mean fresh) fruits and vegetables.
Maybe meat or fish one to three times a week. Eggs, if home raised. A little
wine, but no more than one or two glasses per day. Lots of slow-cooked beans,
soups and stews. Now that’s inexpensive food. Also, some hand-kneaded,
home-baked sourdough bread, mostly. Handmade cheeses.
Rates of dementia in Greece are half what they are in the
United States. Half of their diet is vegetables. Women live a long time in
Okinawa, where seaweed,sea veggies, beans (pulses) and vegetables make up close
to 50 percent of the diet. Sardinia, Italy and Costa Rica boast the
longest-lived men on Earth, where vegetables and grains make up 50 percent of
the diet. And in Loma Linda, a very Biblical and unprocessed diet of a whopping
72 percent is beans (pulses), vegetables and fruits.
There are lessons to be gleaned here. We need to stress
less. Maybe garden more, sing and dance. Move every hour and put down the
phone, turn off the TV. Instead, slow down and commit to what really matters in
life – family first, friends next, community as well. And make a global
commitment to create less garbage, less technological use, less consumerism.
Perhaps consider more yoga, more foreign meals and less Facebook and Twitter
time.
Make it fun. Go slow and enjoy more. Try one new food a week
(but not packaged), reduce your garbage by buying in bulk and at farmers’
markets, not so much in the dollar-oriented grocery store. Drive less. Take up
music, sewing, reading. Play with the kids – outside. And remember to always be
grateful.
|
| The View Finder - Moss by Gary Randall on 06/01/2019
“Only farmers and summer guests walk on the moss. What they
don’t know – and it cannot be repeated too often – is that moss is terribly
frail. Step on it once and it rises the next time it rains. The second time, it
doesn’t rise back up. And the third time you step on moss, it dies.”
¯ Tove Jansson, The Summer Book
Living in the Pacific Northwest and near Mount Hood, we’re
surrounded by lush green forests full of majestic trees of many kinds and
bushes that contain berries and flowers. Usually the last thing to be mentioned
in the list is moss. Moss is an important component of the forest ecosystem
that is easily overlooked and sometimes even walked over without a thought.
When we do notice it, we usually notice it when it grows on our roofs and
sidewalks.
As a photographer I’m keen to notice all of the details in
the scene that I’ll be photographing. Through that close attention to the
details I’ve become a “mossaholic.” I love moss and seek out mossy scenes in
forests and near creeks and waterfalls. Another thing that I’ve noticed as a
photographer is how many of the areas that once were covered with moss are
becoming muddy worn out areas due to increased traffic. Many are being closed
due to the erosion that this causes.
Because of these reasons my attention has been drawn to
moss, how it grows, why it grows and how to best live with moss without
damaging it in nature and how to deal with it around my home. So, let me
explain moss.
Moss was the first plant on Earth. Algae adapted to life on
earth eventually evolving into lichen, liverworts and moss. Moss grows all over
the earth with more than 10,000 different varieties. Mosses prefer damp shaded
areas, but some can grow in deserts or even in frozen regions. In severe dry
spells they can go into dormancy until moisture returns.
Moss doesn’t have roots but instead has rhizoids, string
like structures that anchor the moss to trees or rocks but can grow on
practically anything. These rhizoids don’t draw water like a root system does
and the moss itself has no vascular system to carry nutrients like other plants
with stems, leaves and flowers. It absorbs water and nutrients like a paper
towel. Mosses are not parasitic and seldom damage the plants that they’re
attached to. Mosses get their nutrients from absorbing rain, fog or dew and
sunshine. They use photosynthesis to convert sunshine and carbon dioxide to
sugar as a nutrient.
Mosses are able to absorb large amounts of water and release
it slowly which reduces erosion and helps keep the forest moist. Typical mosses
can absorb 25 times their weight in water. Moss is sensitive to air pollution
and actually is used by scientists to measure the level of certain types of
pollutants in the air. Moss, actually the bacteria that grows on moss, is a
perfect nitrogen fixer, meaning that it gathers nitrogen from the air and
distributes it into the forest as a fertilizer. Mosses collectively absorb more
carbon than all the trees in the world.
The list of benefits moss provide can go on and on, but as a
photographer the primary benefit is its beauty in a forest scene. It’s my goal,
while I’m in the forest, to affect the moss as little as possible. When I’m
walking along a mossy stream, I will choose to walk on forest duff or in the
water if possible, limiting the effect that my boots have on the integrity of
the plants and moss that hold the stream bank together.
Some may argue that the little bugs in the water may suffer
but besides not going into the forest I feel that this is the best method to
preserve a pristine area in the forest. Those bugs will benefit from a healthy
stream bank.
Most all problems with wear and tear of a mossy area are the
result of a lot of foot traffic. The most popular and easily accessible areas
are the most susceptible. Most people who go and walk over these fragile areas
consider their contribution to be insignificant, but when there are lines of
others waiting to stand in the same spot the accumulation of the effects of
this traffic adds up over time.
As photographers, it benefits us to help to mitigate damage
being caused to these areas for several reasons, but most important, besides
the health of the forest, is to maintain the aesthetics and beauty of the area
for future photographers. It’s important to keep these areas open to visitation
in the future. I know of several areas that once were iconic photography
locations that have now been closed just because people wouldn’t stay on the
pathway in these sensitive areas and the damage warranted closure for
remediation.
I urge everyone who goes adventuring into the outdoors to be
mindful of their effect on these places, especially those with large amounts of
visitation. If we don’t, the consequences will be the loss of these locations
to visitation by ruination. Moss may seem insignificant until you understand
its value and importance in the lifecycle, health and beauty of our forests.
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: Call to action to help the most vulnerable by Gary Randall on 06/01/2019
There are people in our community that must make tough
decisions when it comes to feeding their families. There are community members
that must choose between paying bills and feeding their children. One in seven
of our neighbors face food insecurity, meaning they are unable to access a
significant quantity of nutritious, affordable food.
I write to you today requesting help for these neighbors,
these most vulnerable citizens.
Because of new regulatory changes enacted by the Oregon Food
Bank, our community’s food bank and largest non-profit food provider, the Sandy
Community Action Center, needs to purchase a new refrigerated van to serve
their clients as soon as possible.
As you may know, the Sandy Community Action Center serves
the Oregon Trail School District. The District is made up of 424 square miles
and includes the Sandy, Boring and Mt. Hood communities and approximately
30,000 people. The Oregon Trail School District is the seventh largest school
district out of 156 in our state. According to Clackamas County, small rural
towns and communities tend to have larger concentrations of people living in
poverty, and often, isolated seniors in need of basic resources. These are the
people that Sandy Community Action Center serves.
The primary mission of the Sandy Community Action Center is
to provide hunger relief, assistance and encouragement to those facing food
insecurity in our community. The Action Center serves the elderly, disabled,
families and homeless.
These recent regulatory changes from the Oregon Food Bank
require constant temperature monitoring of products; this could be avoided with
a refrigerated van. The Sandy Community Action Center could also pick up
additional food from partners like Starbucks, who require that we use an active
cooling method for transporting food. This helps reduce food waste, which is a
primary goal of many of our partners.
Through one of our local business partners, Sandy Suburban
Auto Group, the Sandy Community Action Center has secured a great deal on a van
with the refrigeration unit insulation package.
Through contributions from local businesses like Clackamas
County Bank, community members and awarded grants, we are only $8,000 away from
reaching our goal to fund our new refrigerated van.
J. Frank Schmidt Family Charitable Foundation has approved a
challenge matching grant of up to $4,000. If we can raise just $4,000, they
will match those funds and we will be able to purchase the van to provide much
needed services to our community for years into the future.
Please consider making a contribution to help us meet the
matching grant offer. Any amount helps. You can contribute by visiting the
Sandy Community Action Center website at sandyactioncenter.org, visiting their
Facebook page or by stopping by the store. Thank you for supporting such an
outstanding local organization as they work to build a hunger-free community. Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Viewpoints - Salem: The Student Success Act by Rep. Anna Williams on 06/01/2019
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve almost made it to the end of
the legislative session. We still have a lot of work to do to get some
important bills across the finish line, but I want to highlight one bill that
I’m extremely proud to have supported: the Student Success Act.
The Student Success Act is a landmark investment in Oregon’s
students that will change the course of public education in our state. This
bill is the product of the Joint Committee on Student Success, a bipartisan and
bicameral group of legislators who have been working for years to improve the
way our schools are funded and operated. This group of legislators traveled for
15 months around the state, listening to educators, administrators, parents and
students about what improvements were necessary within their schools.
By combining accountability, transparency and a focus on
historically underserved students, the Student Success Act will, in many ways,
rebuild Oregon’s statewide education system. This bill creates strategic new
investments that enhance pre-kindergarten funding, keep class sizes down and
ensures struggling schools have the resources and technical support they need
to help their students succeed. This investment in our schools will build a
brighter future for students, families, communities and businesses in every
community in Oregon.
The legislature will fund this proposal through a Modified
Corporate Activities Tax (MCAT) which was developed in partnership with a broad
coalition, including small business owners, educators and corporations across
the state. The MCAT will yield approximately $2 billion per biennium (or $1
billion per year) and will result in approximately $16 million towards schools
within House District 52 in just the upcoming biennium. That will grow in the
years to come.
This is a significant investment for students in our
district and across the state. One of the exciting things about this bill is
that it provides for a major increase in resources for early childhood
education, summer programs and brings back the kinds of programs that get kids
to love school - like arts, music and engineering. Schools will be able to hire
more teachers to keep class sizes down, provide long-deferred maintenance for
their facilities, fully fund career and technical education, increase mental
health and behavioral supports for students and more.
One of the main concerns that was brought to me was that the
newly-raised revenue would go directly into the unfunded liability for our
state’s pension system, and I wanted to make sure that this record investment
would actually go to serve Oregon’s students before I voted for this package.
The bill includes the creation of a dedicated fund that is only able to make
focused investments in education. Money in the Student Success Fund cannot go
toward paying for retirement costs and schools must submit proposals on how
these funds will be used to access those resources. Again, I appreciate the
work done by my colleagues to keep us accountable in how we allocate these
funds.
Thanks to everyone who has engaged with my office and shared
their thoughts on the Student Success Act. As always, if you have a question or
an idea, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov.
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: planting a pollinator garden by on 06/01/2019
It’s wildflower season and this year seems to be more
resplendent than ever, with flowers blooming everywhere you go. I constantly
marvel at nature’s paintbrush and seeing that we humans aren’t the only ones
loving the explosion of colors competing against each other. The birds and the
bees seem to be equally active.
Last month I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by
Thomas Seeley, Biology Professor at Cornell University. He was discussing his
new book, “The Lives of Bees,” which explores survival strategies by wild bees
at a time when managed beekeepers’ colonies are threatened by severe population
decline and extinction of different species of bees. He theorized that wild
bees, especially native species, may be better adapted and will hold the key to
bee survival.
The reason it is important to learn about bees and how we
can help them survive is that our own food supply is at stake. We now
understand that bees and other pollinators are key to the survival of our own
species, as without them our supply of fruits and vegetables is severely
threatened. According to Green Schools Alliance, “It is estimated that bees
produce over 10 billion dollars’ worth of agricultural crops annually in the
United States.” They cite statistics from the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC) that “over 80% of all crops, especially fruits and vegetables, depend on
pollination in order for their output to keep up with public demand.”
(https://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/blogs/16/427)
However, for a variety of reasons, bee populations are
declining by as much as 30 percent per year. One reason is that temperature
shifts caused by changing climate means that bees are not able to pollinate in
time and therefore cannot gather nectar at the time of year that they need it.
There are ways that we can help bees, as well as
hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, bats and other pollinators to survive in
these difficult times, especially native species that are adapted to our unique
climate. A simple computer search lead me to the USDA’s “Gardening for
Pollinators” (https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening.shtml).
Among their recommendations are the following:
– Plant a variety of native flowers that bloom from early
spring until late fall, but avoid hybrid plants that have been genetically
altered, especially those that have “double blossoms.” And don’t forget those
flowers that bloom at night in order to attract our vast population of moths
and bats as well.
– Whenever possible avoid the use of pesticides, especially
the most toxic ones. If you must spray, wait until dark when bees have gone
into their hives.
– Plant a butterfly garden that will allow larvae to eat the
leaves and flourish. You can attract butterflies with moist soil mixed with
ashes from your fireplace or wood stove, or a bit of sea salt. They also like
pieces of rotting fruit.
– Leave fallen or dead trees or branches – provided that
they aren’t a safety hazard – so that bees can build their hives inside them.
According to Seeley, bees build their hives inside trees that provide
insulation for a more constant temperature than managed beehives.
– Attract hummingbirds with a feeder using four parts water
to one part sugar. Do not use honey, artificial sweeteners or fruit juice. And
please wash the feeder with hot soapy water twice a week to prevent mold that
will kill the birds.
While it’s wonderful that springtime brings with it a
cacophony of color in our wildflowers, we should all do our part to ensure that
pollinators are getting the nutrients that they need during the time they need
it. Planting native flowers will ensure that by helping bees in the wild
survive, we will actually be doing a good thing for the planet and for our own
well-being.
|
| Blue Zone finale – Sardinia, where the men live long lives by Victoria Larson on 06/01/2019
In honor of Father’s Day and men everywhere, we’ve come to
our final Blue Zone. Not that there aren’t other places and other peoples who
live long on this earth, but this Blue Zone is where, proportionally speaking,
men live longer than anywhere else on our planet! In America only one in 5,000
people live to the age of 100; in the Ogliastra villages of Sardinia, Italy,
five people out of 2,500 live to be 100 years old. Blue Zones are those areas
where it was discovered that people lived longer than other areas of
habitation. Circled in blue ink by researchers, they became the Blue Zones.
In most of the world where a man reaches the age of 100,
there are five women who do so. In Sardinia that ratio is one to one, probably
because men are able to stave off heart disease longer. But how do they do
that? For starters older people don’t retire they just change jobs. In America
it is not uncommon for a man to die of a heart attack within three years of
retirement. However, changing what work men do keeps them alert and active and
using their brains. Not sitting in front of a computer or the TV and just
sitting.
I recently went to lunch at Bob’s Red Mill with friends, and
who was standing in line behind me but Bob Moore himself. I took that moment to
shake his hand and thank him for the thousands of dollars he’s donated to the
medical school I attended -- NUNM (National University of Natural Medicine)
formerly known as NCNM (National College of Naturopathic Medicine). Bob is now
90 years old and still goes to work every day, though he may be considering
lunch as “work.” Such a deal.
Sardinians claim their longevity is due to clean air, local
wine, and, despite the movie “Never on Sunday,” physical intimacy at least once
a week. It is also important to note that electricity and roads didn’t come to
the area until the 1960s, bringing other changes and a taste for carbs and
sugars. At the same time, we saw an increase in diabetes, heart disease and
obesity. Prior to the 1960s most men worked as shepherds slowly following their
sheep in the sometimes steep hills, while women traditionally cared for children,
elders, gardens and home.
We tend to think of the Mediterranean diet as the best diet
in the world (see April column). There is no question that the Mediterranean
diet is healthier than the Standard American Diet (SAD). Almost half of the
Greek Mediterranean diet is greens, pulses (beans and legumes) and vegetables.
Yet in Sardinia that same portion of the diet is grains. Dairy, in the form of
sheep’s mild cheese, comprises over a quarter of the daily diet. None of the
Blue Zones use much sugar.
Protein comes primarily from the beans and legumes (the
pulses), mostly as Fava beans and Ceci beans, as they are called in Italy (they
are known as chickpeas in the African areas of the Mediterranean and in the
United States). A low protein diet is associated with decreased risk of
diabetes and cancer in people under the age of 65. However, for people over 65,
a high protein intake was associated with a 28 percent decrease of those
diseases. This at the age when many elders are onto the “tea and toast” diet usually
due to a decrease in the ability to smell food, whether from nasal surgeries,
injuries or just aging. In Sardinia, meat was consumed no more often than
weekly and mostly for festivals. Barley and the pulses are the main sources of
protein otherwise.
Fava beans were grown extensively in England and in the
United States as John Seymour tells us in his gardening classic. Barley was the
grain found to be most closely associated with living to be 100, at least for
the Sardinian male! Ground into flour for bread it has a much lower glycemic
index than wheat bread. Barley was also added to daily soup as well as the
addition of tomatoes, the beans (Fava and chickpeas) and sheep’s cheese.
Other breads include a high protein, low gluten bread made
with hard duram wheat that is high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. This
bread does not cause the spike in blood sugar found with many of our quickly
manufactured American breads. On the other hand, sourdough bread made with
whole wheat and using live lactobacilli (see April column) converts the sugars
and gluten to lactic acid, thereby lowering the glycemic index.
A dark red wine made locally in Sardinia from the Grenache
grape is consumed almost daily by adults. At the level of three 3-ounce glasses
per day it does not usually lead to disruptive behaviors. This does NOT mean
you can save up your quota of wine for the weekend and consume more. And of
course, if you don’t imbibe alcohol there’s no need to begin the habit at all.
Americans consume about 2,000-3,000 calories a day, but we
sit a lot -- in cars, at desks, in front of the TV. It is now known that the
second worst thing you can do to your health is sitting (first worst thing is
smoking). Sardinians of Italy consume about 3,000 calories a day but they move more.
They engage in more cooking, gardening, walking and chasing kids, whether human
or sheep. The latest studies show that even ten minutes per hour while awake
can extend your life. So set your computer alarm, get up after every chapter or
with each commercial on the TV. At the very, very least move your arms and legs
at least once an hour. Then feel energized and go back to whatever you were
doing.
|
| Episode XXXIV: Bruised, battered amid poolside pulchritude by Max Malone, Private Eye on 06/01/2019
CIA section head Bryan Brodsky filled out his swivel chair
like Kim Kardashian seated in a Yugo. He leaned forward, elbows on a desk in an
interview room that had seen more guest appearances than a Johnny Carson
retrospective. The interview room itself was a masquerade, looking more like an
abandoned meat locker with the refrigeration shut off.
Seated on the opposite side of what was passed off as a
conference table was Wildewood World editor Nigel Best with 8-by-10 glossy
photos strewn atop the tired ridges of the table like a scene from Alice’s
Restaurant. Nigel sat as erect as he could manage, which amounted to all of 5
and ½ feet of muster.
Brodsky’s jaw would give Rocky Marciano second thoughts. He
clenched his teeth together after decades of cigar smoking that was no longer
allowed in government buildings much to the eternal disgust of the CIA section
head. The jaw remained permanently set and the teeth gnashed together, even
when he spoke.
“Nigel Best?” he belched, as if finding long-lost relief
from an ill-advised taco and overdose of Pepto Bismo.
Nigel nodded, his back as straight as a terrified prairie
dog.
“What kinda name is that?” Brodsky managed without
surrendering to a lower colon eruption.
“English, maybe some Swedish.” Nigel muttered.
“Mmmmm.” Brodsky fumbles with the photos, tossing one after
another aside as if surveying his losing cards in a low-stakes poker game. “I
think I saw most of these in the Miami Herald, didn’t I?” He doesn’t wait for
an answer. “And this Cavendish broad. Why don’t you think her death was a
run-of-the-mill car wreck? And do you actually believe this MI6 chick is a
double agent?” Again, no hesitation. “And who in the hell is this Andy
Campanaro dude and that two-bit private eye?”
“Max Malone, sir.” Nigel’s response surprisingly clears the
lump in his throat.
Brodsky studies the newspaper guy through slitted eyes that
have seen more espionage plots than George Smiley, and a furrowed brow that has
suspected every Joe he’s run from Serbia to the Seychelles.
“And according to your story, there’s no evidence that
munitions were actually shipped from the Caymans to who the hell knows where,
right?” Brodsky skillfully keeps the information of the pharmaceutical shipment
tucked in his already overtight shirt.
“Well, Mr. Brodsky, the evidence is all circumstantial,
admittedly. But (Nigel clears his throat and reaches for all the investigative
reporter that hopefully lives somewhere deep down inside him), there’s simply
too much evidence to brush off as mere coincidence. U.S. Attorney Cavendish
hires Max Malone to investigate this Campanaro guy, who Max believes blew up a
resort in Oregon killing three people, including Campanaro’s twin brother, and
the attorney believes is running munitions to our enemies, then Max gets plugged
and is now being held against his will at Campanaro’s estate in Grand Cayman,
all the while Max has been set up by Dolly Teagarden who happens to be a
British double agent, and U.S. Attorney Cavendish conveniently dies in an auto
accident on Capitol Circle in Tallahassee with a 45-mile-per hour speed limit.
And there’s my photos of Max being taken captive. He’s an American citizen.”
Nigel lets out his breath, then offers rather meekly, having exhausted the last
of his bravado,
“That convinces me of a terrible conspiracy against my
country, and a job for someone like you.” Then, after a life-saving gulp of
air, “Sir.”
“And why exactly should I give a damn,” Brodsky claims,
spreading his arms around the shabby expanse of the conference room, then
realizing his point has been rendered much less important than it was intended,
tries again. “We have big problems to solve here.”
“Because it’s not just my country, sir. It’s also yours.”
* * *
Max gets wheeled poolside once a day for the amusement of
Andy Campanaro. He’s shackled to a wheelchair. His ribs remind him of every
breath he takes. He takes his meals through a straw. One eye remains closed
beneath a purple haze. And the other eye is forced to witness the parade of
bikini-clad beauties who find Max too disgusting to look at. Max thinks: Dear
me, let that skinny newsie Nigel Best deliver me from this hell.
After all, bruised, battered, and shunned by poolside
pulchritude, he remains Max Malone, private eye.
|
| Review and Revise by Paula Walker on 06/01/2019
So, it’s done. Finally. After the many years you’ve had it
in your mind to create that will or trust as the gift it’s meant to be to help
your family take care of your affairs as cleanly and simply as possible after
you’ve passed, you’ve done it. There now. Nothing more to do with it! Right?
Well … not so fast.
One thing is for certain, life doesn’t stand still. Your
family, your circumstances, and (don’t forget) the government are constantly on
the move, growing, changing and imposing new laws respectively.
Too often people tuck their estate plan away and twenty
years or more hence, when the time comes to rely on the plan, it is discovered
inadequate or inflexible to their current needs. Their life’s circumstances
changed and the plan in many places is no longer relevant, or worse, undermines
their intentions. While your estate plan may not be your favorite bedtime story
every evening, as a practical matter for your benefit it is best to review the
plan you have in place every three to five years. Some circumstances that
should trigger a review on that boundary or before, potentially as
circumstances arise, follow:
– Moving to another state. Estate planning laws vary state
to state, by example, some states have an inheritance tax and/or an estate tax,
others do not. Another example, the requirements for advance directives and
durable powers of attorney vary.
– Births; those new family members, you may have a place in
your heart that you want reflected in your estate plan.
– The three D’s: death, divorce, disinheritance. Major
shifts in life that alter the way you originally intended to distribute your
wealth and belongings, impose a need to review and revise.
– Marriage - your own or one of your beneficiaries can
impact your plan.
– Charitable giving - there is a cause you want to support
that did not have your attention when you first created your plan.
– Your executor or successor trustee may need to be changed.
They are no longer able or willing to serve in that capacity, or they are no
longer a good fit for your life’s circumstances.
– Children reach the age of majority, i.e. they turn
eighteen.
– Changes in the law, tax law and laws that govern aspects
of your estate plan, like laws governing the durable power of attorney or
advance directive.
This is just a sampling of the events that should trigger
you to review your estate plan. Some of these, like changes in the law, you may
not be aware of which is why, as I started with, it is a good practice to
review your estate plan regularly. Every three to five years review your plan
with your estate planner so that you can identify impacts, the obvious and the
not so obvious.
Stories of the Stars... If Only
Examples from a few celebrities.
Robin Williams, comedian extraordinaire, with his estate
planning and revamping of that plan likely reduced the battle between his third
wife and his children from becoming a wildfire out of control, to a mediated
settlement that concluded in a relatively short amount of time by creating a
prenuptial agreement with his third wife and then updating his revocable living
trust in line with that agreement.
Paul Walker, The Fast & The Furious, in contrast to
Williams stands as an example of missed opportunities by leaving his estate
plan untouched for twelve years, omitting to review and revise. With forward
thinking, he created a revocable living trust to provide for his three year old
daughter, Meadow. Kudos. But in the twelve years intervening between that event
and his untimely death, many of the life changes mentioned in this article
occurred that went unattended to in his plan. At the time he created his plan
his career was just taking off. He amassed significant wealth, an estate
estimated to be in excess of $25 million at his death. And then there was his
seven-year relationship with the person that many thought was destined to be
his future spouse. None of these significant life changes were incorporated.
Much to speculate on that could have better served his estate and his
intentions for those that he provided for or may have wanted to provide for had
he reviewed and revised his estate plan.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
|  Contributed photo
I love Mount Hood, history and photography, and when I can
bring all three together in one place, I’m happy.
Loyal readers of my column may remember the article that I
wrote about Jennie Welch, her photography and its importance to the history of
Welches and the Mount Hood area (August 2018 Mountain Times). Before Jennie
Welch took her first photo another Mount Hood icon was bringing cutting-edge
photography technology that would eventually allow consumers, such as Jennie,
an easier method to create their own photos to the Pacific Northwest.
Oliver C. Yocum, known to everyone as “OC,” came to Oregon
in a wagon on the old Oregon Trail as a five-year-old child with his parents in
1847, and by the time that his life ended, he became a legend indelibly etched
into the history of Mount Hood.
His family settled in Yamhill County, where he spent his
childhood working on the family farm and odd jobs in between. By the time he
was 17 he had worked as a clerk in the family hotel in Lafayette, was an
apprentice saddle maker, a builder and in his spare time studied law. In time
he struck out on his own.
He loved Shakespearean novels and travelled mining camps
with a troupe reenacting the plays on a portable stage.
He eventually made it back to Lafayette where he met Ann
Robertson, herself an Oregon Trail immigrant who travelled to Oregon as a
two-year-old, and they were married. OC did some building, cabinet making and
grain buying before the couple moved to Portland in 1881, where OC became a
photograph printer and eventually a professional photographer.
Photography, back in the old days, was a messy and
complicated procedure. It required a glass photo plate to be prepared with
chemicals, exposed and developed all within a 15-minute period of time and
required a portable darkroom in the form of a tent if you were taking photos in
the outdoors. This form of photography was called wet plate photography.
But in 1871 a process called dry plate was invented and by
1879 factories were being made to manufacture glass dry plates.
Oliver Yocum was the first person in Oregon and perhaps the
Pacific Northwest to manufacture dry plates. Dry plates were portable and able
to expose the photo quicker, allowing for hand-held photos and were able to be
stored for a time after the photo was made before it needed to be developed.
This allowed more people to be able to enjoy photography and even though the
cameras were still rather bulky, they allowed folks to carry their cameras into
the outdoors.
In 1883 Oliver Yocum climbed Mount Hood for the first time.
During the trip he carried a large 8” x 10” wooden camera and all of its
accessories, weighing close to 50 pounds.
It was on this trip that the first photos taken on the
summit of Mount Hood were made. It was also on this trip that Yocum fell in
love with the countryside on the south side of Mount Hood.
For several seasons Yocum did photography in Portland during
the winter and came to Government Camp in the summer. He took every opportunity
to climb the mountain. In 1887 he was a member of the party that illuminated
the summit and was one of the founding members of the Portland climbing club,
the Mazamas, in 1894.
He guided people to
the top of Mount Hood until he turned 67.
In his quest to spend time outdoors in clean air, due to
“pulmonary problems” caused by smoky air in Portland (and no doubt the
chemicals from the photography process), he changed his occupation to surveyor.
In 1890 Yocum moved to Mount Hood, homesteaded, operated a
sawmill and started guiding people to the top of Mount Hood.
In 1900 he built the first hotel in the town that was named
Government Camp.
Oliver lived on Mount Hood until 1911, when he sold most of
his holdings in Government Camp and moved back to Portland where he decided to
study dentistry and accepted a position at the North Pacific Dental College. He
was 69 years old at that point and had sold most of the business to the
soon-to-become-legendary Lige Coalman, including the hotel.
OC lived a long and varied life and will forever be
associated with the history of Mount Hood, but will also be a part of Mount
Hood’s photographic history. OC died in 1928 and was followed into eternity by
his wife Ann two years later.
Although his legacy rarely mentions his contributions to
photography, his name will be preserved in some of the geographic locations on
and around Mount Hood. Yocum Ridge, a very challenging ridge on the
southeastern side of the mountain was named for him, as well as the picturesque
waterfall on Camp Creek, Yocum Falls.
|
| Viewpoints - Salem: Looking out for rural Oregon by Rep. Anna Williams on 05/01/2019
The 2019 legislative session has reached its midpoint and we
have a number of important policies still to work through. The legislature’s
main priorities are coming into focus now that many bill proposals have fallen
by the wayside, and I want to discuss three important bills that could make an
impact in our local communities.
First, House Bill 2007, a diesel pollution reform bill, is
one that I strongly support. Some areas in Oregon have some of the worst diesel
pollution in the country. This raises both environmental and public health
concerns. HB 2007 would require owners of certain older trucks to install model
2010 or newer engines by January 1, 2029. This bill will also use the remaining
funds from the Volkswagen Settlement to help fund that transition to cleaner
diesel engines. Although 2029 may seem like a long timeline for such an
important law, the longer timeline will give agricultural producers in the
Mount Hood area time to budget and plan for the transition.
House Bill 2020, another measure I plan to support, would
launch a “cap and invest” program to regulate carbon gas emissions in our
state. Under this bill, the state will auction off “allowances” for companies
to emit those gases and use the money from the sale of the allowances to help
Oregonians transition to lower-emission practices. I strongly support this
concept, but I have heard from farmers in our communities about their concern
that they may be more negatively impacted than other industries by this law.
In my conversations with those farmers, I have learned about
their fears for their farms’ futures and the challenging reality of our
ever-changing economy. I have passed their concerns along to my colleagues who
are managing the amendments proposed for this bill. My hope is that the final
bill will avoid unintended hardships for farmers while creating effective tools
to combat climate change. I will keep pushing to ensure that these farmers’
voices have an impact on the bill’s final language.
Finally, there are several bills that propose to ban various
pesticides, including chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoid chemicals. Although I have
heard from some of my constituents about the risks of recklessly using these
chemicals, I have also heard from Hood River Valley and East Multnomah farmers
about the challenges that total bans might create.
I worry that farmers will be forced to turn to more damaging
or even dangerous alternatives to avoid pest outbreaks if a total ban is passed
by the Legislature. Another possibility is that no alternative would exist at
all for certain specialized farms in our part of the state, such as blueberry,
peppermint and Christmas tree farms.
This would mean that some crops would be exposed to serious
and potentially devastating infestations while farmers scrambled to find
non-chemical means to combat them. So, while I would probably support
restrictions on how certain pesticides are used, I have been proud to stand by
the agricultural community in opposing these total bans.
All of these policy ideas may make sense to legislators and
voters from more urban areas of our state. However, I am concerned that many
farmers feel the cumulative impact of many bills this session are having an
outsized negative impact on the agricultural sector and rural communities. It
is essential that we protect our farms and small towns, while we find ways to
encourage better environmental practices. So, I am open to your thoughts and
ideas about how to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and
security for rural Oregon that helps make our beautiful district such a
powerful economic force in the state.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| Viewpoints - Sandy: The Mountain Festival Carnival is back! by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 05/01/2019
I’m excited to announce the return of one of Sandy’s most
sacred traditions – The Sandy Mountain Festival Carnival!
A big thank you to the Sandy Mountain Festival Committee,
especially to Martin Montgomery and Steven Brown. Additionally, this event does
not happen without outstanding community partners like AntFarm and the Leathers
Family and Leather’s Fuel.
As someone who grew up in this community, I have fond
memories of attending the carnival as a child. As a father of two little girls,
I’m excited to see this annual tradition continue for future generations.
As some may remember, even prior to me making the decision
to run for Mayor, I was a vocal critic of the lack of proactive leadership
displayed by the city for such a popular event.
In an editorial that garnered lots of local attention, I
stated that while “I understand that most of the work and planning for the
festival is done by the committee, it’s imperative that the city begins to
coordinate logistics and show this kind of proactive leadership to troubleshoot
issues. How is it possible that one simply cannot find a local business owner,
a community organization or a parcel of publicly-owned land for a carnival one
weekend out of the year?”
I’m happy to say that as Mayor, this is exactly how I have
chosen to lead. I’ve had several meetings with the leadership of the Sandy
Mountain Festival Committee, as well as the property and business owners
affected by the event. I also hosted a joint meeting with all the event
stakeholders including our city department heads who interact with the Mountain
Festival, like police, public works, recreational services, transit and
economic development.
The Sandy Mountain Festival is one of the largest festival
events in Oregon and attracts thousands of people to town each year. According
to the festival’s website, its purpose is to enhance Sandy’s business climate
by showcasing products, allowing local nonprofit organizations to raise funds,
providing artists a forum for their talents and promoting community pride and
participation.
Basically, the Sandy Mountain Festival provides citizens
opportunities and allows our city to put its best foot forward. This is only
the first step in our efforts to create the best possible Mountain Festival
experience for both our neighbors here in Sandy, as well as our visitors.
In the years ahead, we hope to better incorporate our
transit services with the overall visitor experience and help alleviate some of
the traffic and parking concerns that arise during this popular event.
We want both our neighbors and visitors to have an
experience when interacting with our community that leaves them wanting more
and coming back to support our community and our local business owners. The
Sandy Mountain Festival is a unique and outstanding opportunity to do just
that.
The Sandy Mountain Festival Carnival is back at its usual
location! What a crucial piece to reaching our overarching goal – To Keep Sandy
Wonderful! Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Welcome to adulthood by Paula Walker on 05/01/2019
Our theme of “never too young” continues from last month
with a topic that surprises many, if not most parents. The fact that your
child, just turned 18, is now legally an adult, imposes legal requirements
you’ve likely not yet considered. Although still their parents, and they still
live at home, you no longer have legal access to your 18-year old’s medical
records or information about their medical condition; nor can you transact
business on their behalf should they need you to do so. This becomes especially
relevant as your child heads for college, or that gap year of travel between
high school and entering college; or otherwise ventures forth, independent and
ready to be so, but, in emergencies, still looking to you for support and help.
Four documents each emerging young adult should have, are:
1) Healthcare Power of Attorney; 2) HIPAA Authorization; 3) Advance Directive;
and 4) Durable Power of Attorney. With these instruments in place, whomever the
young adult appoints in those instruments can intervene on their behalf in
cases of medical emergency; can support them with medical care; can have access
to medical records as needed; can make life and death decisions; can manage
financial affairs as needed. Without these, even though you are paying the
medical bills, you may not be able to speak with medical staff about medical
conditions, prescriptions, handle insurance claims etc.
While the parent may be the best person to appoint in many
cases, the young adult may appoint another trusted adult, aunt, uncle, older
sibling, instead of or in addition to a parent. It is advisable to appoint
alternates in case the first choice is unable or unwilling to serve.
How long do these four documents remain in effect? Two
answers to that. First, each document is ‘durable,’ meaning that they remain in
effect during a time of incapacity. Second, the appointment lasts as long as
the young adult wants. They can revoke or amend the documents at any time
appointing other persons to serve as their agent as they move into other stages
of their lives and relationships, such as marriage.
Not only for medical events, having these proxy authorities
in place can be useful in a variety of situations as your child ventures forth,
perhaps travels overseas for a gap year or study, such as your ability to wire
money from child’s bank account, contact the local embassy, sign a legal
document for your child in their absence such as their lease, sign tax returns
and pay bills. As well, a young adult may not want their parents to have access
to certain information. They can stipulate not to disclose information they
want to keep private.
Where forms may be state specific it is advisable to prepare
the forms for the state in which you live as well as those for the state of the
school attended and the school’s forms, if they have their own. Once executed,
scan and save the documents so that they are readily available on a computer or
by smartphone.
Attending to these documents is a good investment; part of
your back-to-school/next-stage-of-life support. This can give peace of mind to
your child as well as you as they venture forth, that in those fledgling years
between childhood and fully independent adulthood, you can still be there for
them if they need you.
Stories of the Stars, If Only …
Sobering statistics emphasize the importance of considering
this. One source reports that each year, a quarter-million Americans between 18
and 25 are hospitalized with nonlethal injuries, and that accidents are the
leading cause of death for young adults. However, there are numerous incidents,
less drastic than this that may call upon a parent to be there for their child
and act on their child’s behalf.
For this article I offer up, not stories of the celebrities,
but stories from our common shared experience as parent and young emerging adult.
One father recounts a scary episode in which his nineteen-year-old, who had
traveled to Mexico on spring break, developed a severe intestinal bug and was
admitted to the college infirmary. His father rushed to visit him there,
however, doctors would not discuss his son’s condition citing privacy concerns.
Another parent recounts the events following a phone call
informing her that her son, in college 270 miles away, was being rushed by
ambulance to the emergency room due to severe chest pains. She called the ER only
to be told that she had no legal right to talk with the doctor about her son’s
condition. Even though in this case the son would not have wished to keep his
parents in the dark, he was in too much pain to authorize their access to his
medical information.
In both cases the children recovered, thankfully. Each
story, though, goes to underscore the importance that these documents can
provide in that transitional period of your and your children’s lives.
Dear Reader… We welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Blue Zone delicacies: seaweed, turmeric and mushrooms by Victoria Larson on 05/01/2019
Okinawa, Japan is the Blue Zone where women tend to live
longer than other areas on our earth. In honor of women and mothers everywhere,
let’s look at the lessons from this Blue Zone. Blue Zones are those areas in
the world where it was discovered that inhabitants had better health and lived
longer than most other areas on earth. The areas were circled on a map in blue
ink and henceforth became known as the Blue Zones.
Okinawa, Japan is about a thousand miles south of Tokyo, an
island of white sandy beaches and palm trees. Maybe that alone is enough to
lead to longevity? Early Chinese explorers called this “the land of immortals.”
Life expectancy for males is 84 years and for females it is almost 90 years! In
addition, they have one-fifth the rate of breast cancer and prostate cancer and
half the rate of dementia compared to the United States! I know both men and
women in our immediate area who are in their 90s too, but for now let’s look at
what has been discovered in Okinawa.
While yoga is performed almost daily, it was presumed that
the Japanese diet had more to do with the longevity than any other factor. This
is now presumed to be the cause of longevity almost everywhere, but a
best-selling book, The Okinawan Diet Plan, written by brothers Craig and
Bradley Wilcox, proves interesting. Investigation into the eating habits of
Okinawans has now been divided into pre-1940 and post WWII. Hmm ... The
pre-1940 diet was intensely focused on ingesting a sweet potato, related to our
delicious orange ones, but purple and called “imo” in Japanese. This sweet
potato used to constitute 60 percent of the daily caloric intake of the people.
After WWII and our Western influences, consumption of those sweet potatoes fell
to only five percent. In addition, consumption of foods like white bread, white
rice, milk and eggs increased considerably. At the same time, cancers of
breast, colon, lung and prostate about doubled.
A typical breakfast was miso soup with seaweed and “green
leafy things.” Even as late as the mid-1990s, I remember being served a watery
soup with rice and mushrooms (called ‘fungus’ in China) on a month-long trip to
China. Added to this breakfast soup were greens foraged from nearby hills only
hours before. Very fresh and highly nutritious. Main meals were stir-fried
vegetables including burdock (we call it a weed) with a very small amount of
fish or meat, if desired.
Before 1940, fish was eaten at least three times a week.
Dairy and meat represented only three percent of daily caloric intake.
Okinawans favored pork, usually only served on feast days, when it was stewed
for days before until it was mostly collagen (which we tend to buy in plastic
containers for a lot of money). It was believed that the protein substance
actually repaired small tears in blood vessels, thereby reducing risk of
stroke.
A typical meal was seaweeds, sweet potatoes and turmeric, a
digestive mode now believed to mimic calorie restriction. And calorie
restriction is believed to lead to greater longevity in Okinawans, at least in
older citizens born before 1940. In 1940 Okinawans ate 40 percent fewer
calories than the average American. It appears that seaweed, sweet potatoes and
turmeric all provide genetic triggers to decrease free radical production
without causing increase in hunger.
Tofu has been popular in Asian countries for hundreds of
years, being made into everything from milk to ice cream and was the dairy
consumed daily in Asian countries. Also consumed daily was green tea made
wonderfully fragrant by adding jasmine flowers! You’ve all heard the phrase
“all the tea in China?” In fact, while we brought our own tea to tea houses and
eateries in China, it was weeks before we learned that we had to ask for hot
water in order to brew it ourselves at our table.
Turmeric is used as both a tea and as a spice and is best
warmed and served with a pinch of black pepper. Not as an encapsulate pill.
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory now being further studied for its
anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. Add in mushrooms and the hundreds of
kinds of fungus with their immune protecting compounds, lots of garlic and the
many different kinds of seaweed and you have a very healthy diet.
It’s no wonder that older Okinawans have the longest life
expectancy, especially for women. Live well, live long. Sushi anyone?
|
| The Mt. Hood Green Scene: toy exchange programs by on 05/01/2019
It’s May already and summer is just around the corner. The kids
will be on vacation before you know it. What are you going to do? How will you
keep them busy and out of trouble all day? Apparently, they disallowed child
labor some time ago. And child development experts strongly recommend that you
limit a child’s screen time (TV, phone, computer, tablet, etc.) to two hours
per day. So, it remains up to parents and grandparents to keep them busy and
entertained while making learning a part of the play experience during the
summer break.
One of the best things when we were kids was receiving a
monthly subscription of Highlights for Children, a magazine that began
publishing in 1946 and continues in popularity today. It is filled with
activities, reading and puzzles. Geared primarily for children ages 6-12 it has
kept up with the times by launching a mobile app, Highlights Every Day, in
2017. While an app is nice, it’s not the same as receiving a surprise package
in the mail addressed to your child(ren). Luckily, there is a new type of
service that has become quite popular that will keep the kids from saying
they’re bored. It’s called a toy exchange subscription.
With this type of service, your child receives a used and
sanitized toy each month that they play with and then return. When they’ve
returned the toy, they get a new one. If the child has fallen in love with the
toy, they can keep it for the cost of the toy. There are different types of
programs available, based on the type of play that the child enjoys and on
their age.
Some popular services such as Toy Library or Pley boast
brands such as Lego, Minecraft, Disney, among others, and have hundreds of toys
to choose from. Often the cost of the monthly subscription is less than the
cost of purchasing new toys and the quality of toys is top-notch.
Other services offer a packet of activities that the child
can engage in and there is nothing to return. Companies such as KiwiCo or
Spangler Science Club both focus on play as a way of developing a child’s
intellectual curiosity. Each month, kids ranging from infants to teenagers
receive a box with various arts and crafts activities that focus on science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Dress-up was always a favorite at our house. If your child
is into playing pirates and princesses, My Pretend Place is the company for
them. Each month, the package includes costumes, books and activities
surrounding a specific theme that will set their imagination free.
The advantage of using a toy exchange program is that the
toybox won’t get full of toys that the kids will have grown bored with or have
outgrown. From an environmental perspective, the toy exchange programs use the
“reduce” and “re-use” philosophy in a great way. By sharing or exchanging toys,
it reduces the number of toys that end up in the landfill. One environmentally-friendly
company, Green Piñata, ensures that their high-end toys “use
sustainably-sourced wood or recycled plastic” as well as being toxin-free.
It’s inspiring to see the creative ways that individuals are
finding to bring about new models for doing things. Toy exchange programs solve
the problem of getting tired of the same toys, keeping them busy, helping the
child develop through play, all while saving parents money. Of course, a
subscription would also make a great gift for those grandchildren, nephews, and
nieces who are far away.
|
| Adventures in meal prep by Taeler Butel on 05/01/2019
As someone who works in nutrition, I’ve seen diet fads come
and go as I’m sure many more will come and go. Such is the cycle of life.
Recently, I was hired to prepare (or “meal prep” as the streets call it) a keto
style menu. This new language included words like “Macros” and “Ketosis.” So, I
researched a little and decided on a menu, and now I’ll share a few recipes
with you.
Happy Ketosis!
Italian cream cake
(Gluten free also)
Heat oven to 325
Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
For the cake cream together:
2 sticks soft butter
1 cup sweetener such as swerve
1 T vanilla
Add four egg yolks, one at a time. Put whites in a large
bowl and set aside.
Whisk following dry ingredients:
1.5 cups Almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
Add dry ingredients about 1/2 at a time alternate adding 1/2
cup heavy cream.
Beat egg whites with 1/4 t cream of tartar.
Carefully fold egg whites into the mix.
Bake 40-45 minutes, let cool in pans, frost when cool with
cream cheese frosting.
Use mixer to beat together:
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 sticks soft butter
1 cup sweetener
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
Optional
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Toast and add around sides and top of cake.
Creamy Tuscan chicken
Between plastic pound out four large boneless skinless
chicken breasts.
On a large plate toss together:
1/4 cup almond flour
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 T lemon zest
1 t Italian seasoning
Dredge chicken in mixture, set aside.
In a large skillet heat on medium, melt together:
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Brown the chicken 4-5 minutes on each side one at a time,
place in warm oven.
Wipe out skillet. Then add:
1 T each butter and olive oil
1 t chopped garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup each chopped sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Bring to a bubble, stir until everything is melty and serve
over chicken.
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
| Episode XXXIII: Rolexes and a Palisade of Pain by Max Malone, Private Eye on 05/01/2019
Max tried to shake the fuzzy gauze from his eyes. Slowly, he
began to focus. The wall in front of him, viewed from the floor, the hideous
pastels of island architecture from hell. Despite the four-alarm fire in his
head, he was still able to feel the humid air clinging to him like an iguana in
heat. He forced himself to a seated position, saw, figures in the room,
thought: I probably have these knuckleheads to thank for my headache.
He heard a door open and the footfall of two men, one very
heavy. The big one stopped in front of him. Max looked up and managed a sinful
hobgoblin smile.
“Ah, Mr. Fong. So good to see you again. (beat, fighting
against the continuing cobwebs in his brain.) You really need to take a dip in
the ocean. You smell like fish guts.”
The big Chinaman didn’t appreciate the reference to where he
had been tied up by Max and friends, and Max didn’t expect him to. Rather, Max
knew he was in deep trouble, but had already guessed he wasn’t going to be
killed, because if he was, he’d already be there – call it private eye
instincts – so he might as well get in a few licks of his own, albeit only of
the verbal nature.
“You stink in a worse way, Mr. Private Dick,” Fong slavered.
“But soon it won’t matter to me.”
Max managed a laugh, impressing even himself at its
authenticity. The blow came suddenly and with such force Max could only guess
it was delivered by Mr. Fong. It sent him reeling across the floor, and Max
could feel his nose exploding through the pain. He squinted at the shoes. There
were four. Two moccasin types, brown, and two as shiny as a marine’s dress low
quarters. He forced himself to look up at his tormenters, got as far as their
hands, noticed both wearing Rolex watches, wondered to himself why cheap thugs
sought legitimacy through expensive watches.
He almost got back to a seated position when he was sent
reeling – a serious blow to his ribs. Had to be a foot, he thought, of the
shiny shoe variety. He searched deep inside for a breath, found one, then
regretted it as the pain shot through like a bullet train from Brussels.
More blows came. The pain seemed to fall away, like a rock
down a deep well. He knew he was losing consciousness as the pastel walls faded
with the torment and he began to drift toward a distant shore.
He tried to focus on something he could hang on to. Being
Max, he thought of women: Valerie Supine, the meanest little woman in thirteen
western states; Hope, who had ventilated his fedora, and was doing time for a
murder she didn’t commit; Francoise, his faithful secretary now in the good
hands of Frank Strong, the former porn star Feral Strong; Natasha, dead on the
fecund soil of rural France; Katrina, who swept through his cabin like her
hurricane namesake; Anna Belle Wilde, the supposed innocent widow of Paul Kimatian-turned-Andy
Campanaro; Jemma Gayle, the delightful and helpful Jamaican nurse who made a
habit of pulling him out of trouble; then, before giving in to the gathering
darkness, Dolly Teagarden.
Did Mr. Fong see Max smile, or try to smile? If so, his work
wasn’t finished.
Max thought of the morality of Dolly, the MI6 agent from
England. What cause did she serve? What was her reward? Where does she go from
here? After all, he had accompanied her through France while cuffed to various
versions of interior furniture, afterward here to the Caymans.
Then it came to him, his final thought before the lights
went out: Why is it that as soon as I get to know a woman, I suddenly don’t
like her anymore? Is that a flaw, or a salvation? Bah. A split lip and a bother
of women.
* * *
Jemma Gayle got off work, checked her watch, and hurried
down the crowded street of her neighborhood, finally reaching the Internet
Café. She got her phone cabin number from the clerk and went in, closed the
door, took a slip of paper from her purse and dialed a series of numbers.
She thought: After all, I’m doing this for my new friend,
Max Malone.
|
|  Dalles Mountain, Wash.
It’s April again, and we photographers all know what that
means - it’s wildflower season again! Especially around the Mount Hood area as
we have so many options and a very long season to photograph them.
Early in the season the flowers such as the purple lupine
and bright yellow balsamroot sunflowers start in the lower elevations,
especially along the east end of the Columbia River Gorge. Places such as
Rowena Crest or Dalles Mountain on the Washington side of the river are both
very popular locations for those who seek these wildflowers in the springtime.
As the season progresses the flowers work their way up into the foothills of
Mount Hood and in time onto the slopes of the mountain during the summer
months. Most of the best wildflowers on Mount Hood are accessible from the many
hiking trails available to us but a drive on some of the forest roads will be
lined with everything from lupine and paintbrush to a wide assortment of
orchids and lilies.
When photographing the flowers, I like to get up before
sunrise to be able to be there during the best light available to me,
especially for my landscape photos (but a sunset can be just as nice). I
typically avoid the light of midday but a nice blue sky with some fluffy clouds
is also striking. As the light changes, I like to take more close-up photos of
the flowers. Macro photography is fun, but bring some knee pads. I spend a lot
of time on my knees during wildflower season.
When out in the wild and roaming among the fields of flowers
be aware of your surroundings so as not trample or destroy any plants or areas
surrounding them. Don’t break new trails as there will be many opportunities
for photos along the pathways and trails. As outdoor enthusiasts we need to
practice and preach proper stewardship of the lands, especially in these days
of increased usage.
Some of my favorite secret locations:
Rowena Crest Viewpoint, Mosier – early season
Rowena Crest Viewpoint is located on and is a part of the
old Historic Columbia River Highway. Located between Mosier and The Dalles, it
gives you a commanding view of the Columbia River Gorge, especially to the east
which makes it a great place to photograph a sunrise. Lupine and balsamroot
sunflowers dominate the scene, but it is home to an amazing variety of native
wildflowers. There are great trails through the area, including the Tom McCall
Preserve.
Columbia Hills State Park, Dalles Mountain, Wash. – early
season
Across the Columbia River from The Dalles, Oregon lies a
whole world of exploration. One of my favorite places to photograph is Dalles
Mountain Ranch near Dallesport. It once was a ranch and several of the
buildings, including barns and the original farm house are still there and a
part of the historical history of the area. With views over fields of
wildflowers in the Springtime that overlook the southern skyline including
Mount Hood amazing photos are made here.
Mt Hood National Forest roads – after snow clears
I love to just go for drives on many of the roads that are
open for travel that are on National Forest land, especially while the
rhododendrons and bear grass are blooming. Many of these roads come to views of
Mount Hood. As you drive you will also notice a wide variety of wildflowers
that grow along the road. Just pack up your camera and go for a drive.
Mount Hood’s Wy’east Basin –late season
For those who enjoy a beautiful hike that will get you onto
the upper slopes of Mount Hood I recommend a hike up Vista Ridge to Wy’east
Basin. It can be strenuous to some but if you pack a lunch and water, take your
time and stop and photograph the flowers along the way, a wonderful day can be
had. The trail weaves its way through the ghost forest created by the Dollar
Lake fire, the floor of which can be covered in flowers including beautiful
white fawn lilies. As you break out of the forest, views of Barrett Spur and
Mount Hood bear grass and rhododendrons line the trail. When you arrive above
the timber line and into Wy’east basin you will be greeted with areas covered
with beautiful mountain heather.
These are only a small sample of the amazing scenery that
can yield amazing wildflowers and, consequently, amazing photographs. Grab your
gear and hit the road.
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Budgeting the biennium and beyond by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 04/01/2019
Sandy’s budget planning process for the next biennium is
upon us, which means we get to dream big, but we must also be mindful of the
challenges that lay ahead.
Our rapid growth along with the nearly 40-acre Sandy
Community Campus means exciting things for our community. Our growth also puts
a large strain on our infrastructure and core functions of government, and as
the leaders of this community, we can no longer side-step those issues.
Past leaders have been willing to ignore major deficiencies
in core local government services, have failed to plan for a rainy day and have
continued to ignore a failing waste water treatment process. I refuse to be
that kind of leader.
Here are the issues that face us as we enter our budgeting
process:
As with other local municipalities, Oregon’s recent rise in
the minimum wage and soaring PERS costs are finally catching up. For example,
the City of Portland Parks & Recreation Department is facing a $6.3 million
shortfall forcing them to dramatically cut staff and close several Community
Centers. Similarly, the Sandy City Council recently decided to temporarily
close Sandy’s Aquatic Center. In addition to the large maintenance expenses,
the salaries and benefits of employees restricted our ability to explore
short-term funding solutions to allow the pool to remain open.
Because of poor leadership planning, the city was forced to
transfer nearly $500,000 from our general reserve and contingency funds in 2018
to subsidize the Aquatic Center for the remainder of the biennium. This left
our reserve and contingency funds at their lowest point in the last decade. The
ramifications of that decision could be disastrous if we experience another
economic downturn.
Secondly, since Estacada ended their contract with our Sandy
Police Department, our department has felt the financial loss. Currently our
police budget is in an operational deficit of nearly half a million dollars and
that is just to maintain current levels of operation, which means only one or
two officers on duty at a time. Past leaders have found this to be acceptable.
I do not. As a growing city with increasing petty crime and homelessness
issues, this is below standards that our taxpayers deserve.
Adding to all of this is years of not addressing our waste
water treatment issues. As a result, the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality is now requiring our community to fix the problem. As I addressed in my
column last month, fixing the issue is one thing, but doing so while creating a
plan that can handle our rapid growth in population is another. This project
has a price tag of $60-$80 million and must be addressed by 2024. This will put
a financial burden on our utility users and compounds our other budgetary
shortfalls.
While the issues facing us are complex, my plan to address
these new realities is quite simple.
First, we must release some of the strains currently
stressing our general fund budget. The first step of this was the temporary
closure of the Aquatic Center and the eventual proposal of an Oregon Trail
Recreational Parks District to our voters. This will provide a long-term and
stable funding source for the Community Campus Project including a new aquatic
center and could also help to improve access to Sandy’s parks.
Additionally, our council will need to investigate the
viability of a public safety fee to secure adequate funding of our police
department. Every citizen in Sandy depends on public safety officers. For a
small fee of $5-10 a month, we could finally begin to have the kind of coverage
our citizens deserve and expect.
These two items will put Sandy into a position where we can
offer core services to our neighbors, create a healthy reserve/rainy day fund
and lay the foundation to a wonderful and exciting future for our community.
|
| Viewpoints - Salem: Solutions to the housing crisis by Rep. Anna Williams on 04/01/2019
As I enter the third month of the 2019 session, the pace of
legislating shows no sign of slowing! Final deadlines for new bills are
approaching quickly. After those deadlines pass, we will focus our energy on
evaluating the bills that have already been introduced and passing the good
ones. I look forward to getting as much done as possible before we adjourn this
summer.
Much of my energy has gone to one major topic for the past
month: housing. Since I serve on the House Committee on Human Services and
Housing, I get to be involved in the early process of reviewing and amending
nearly every housing bill that could eventually become law. Because Oregon’s
housing shortage is an issue that affects our district as much as it affects
the rest of the state, I will highlight some of the accomplishments and
possibilities in this area of lawmaking.
Senate Bill (SB) 608, a bill that you may have seen or read
about through local or national media, was signed into law on Feb. 28. The bill
places a cap on annual rent hikes at about 10 percent and prohibits no-cause
evictions of long-term tenants. I heard from landlords who were concerned about
the impact this bill may have on their investment properties, and I listened to
every one of their concerns. I also heard from landlords who appreciate this
law and the clarity it provides around the eviction process and how landlords
can navigate improvements to their rental properties. In the end, I believe
this bill will have an overwhelming positive impact on Oregonians and it will
be a useful tool to protect safe, stable housing for more Oregonians.
However, SB 608 is only one part of the plan to address the
housing crisis. Several other pending bills, if signed into law, will increase
the availability of affordable housing and help people who may not be able to
afford housing at all. House Bill (HB) 2001, for example, will make it so that
cities and counties with large populations would have to provide property
owners with the option of building “low-rise middle housing” like duplexes and
triplexes, even in areas previously zoned for single-family houses, as an
overlay to current city zoning plans. This will provide the opportunity for
thousands of affordable housing units to be built in the years to come. To be
clear, this bill would not make single family housing illegal in Oregon. It
would simply open up local zoning processes to ensure that they prioritize
housing which is affordable and appropriate for middle-class people and
families in communities across the state.
I am also working with colleagues from Eastern Oregon to
encourage the building of new housing in our rural communities across the
state. We are looking for ways to encourage developers to invest in smaller
towns, especially those which are further away from the interstate system.
There are many challenges involved in making development of
affordable, accessible housing a profitable endeavor for housing developers
(and they won’t do it if it’s not profitable!). Your ideas are, as always,
welcome. What are the challenges to housing development in your community? I
look forward to hearing from you and putting your good ideas into action.
The housing bills which are passed this session will have a
major impact on the housing crisis. They will make housing available to more
Oregonians, help our neighbors find and move into appropriate housing and help
us all remain securely and stably housed.
I intend to do everything in my power to fight for the
people of our community who currently lack that security and stability. I would
love to hear from anyone who would like to weigh in on housing issues. Please
feel free to reach out to my office at Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov
if you would like to share your thoughts on these or any other bills.
|
| MHGS: the unwelcome early spring by on 04/01/2019
Spring is here! Have you noticed in recent years that it
starts earlier and earlier? Twenty years ago, we would not have seen such
beautiful weather as we had recently so early in the season. According to the
journal Nature, researchers started tracking data on the annual temperature
cycles about ten years ago by studying the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere
as well as over the oceans.
They looked at two components. The first component,
amplitude — “loosely, half the difference between summer and winter temperatures
— has been decreasing over most continental areas and increasing over the
oceans.” The second component is phase – “the relative timing of the periodic
(seasonal) component of temperature.” (NATURE|Vol 457|22 January 2009). They
found that over time, for the most part, the seasons occur earlier over land
and later over the oceans.
Researchers in the U.S. and in other parts of the world
concluded that shifting seasons are directly linked to warmer global
temperatures. According to one website, “As a result, winters are shorter,
spring is earlier, summers are longer and fall arrives later.”
(http://climatechange.lta.org/climate-impacts/shifting-seasons)
With the earlier arrival of spring and thawing temperatures,
trees and wildflowers are blooming earlier than previously. The US EPA uses
leaf and bloom dates to track shifting seasons, and scientists have high
confidence that the earlier arrival of spring events is linked to recent
warming trends in global climate. When the weather warms in late winter, a
trend that we have experienced in recent years throughout the United States,
this can create a “false spring” that signals to plants that it’s time to start
to bloom.
While we are all delighted with the warm weather, sunshine
and the miracle of rebirth that spring brings, plants that begin their growth
cycle too early are vulnerable to damage from any subsequent frost. This can be
especially harmful to sensitive plants and trees and can bring about economic
disaster such as in our part of the world where the economy relies heavily on
the production of fruit and nuts.
The disruption in the timing of the typical seasons has
implications for the ecosystems and for people as well. As Dr. Stephen Thackery
of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, in Lancaster, England explains, “Each
year, a sequence of natural events unfolds,” he said. “Plant life becomes
active, then herbivores that eat those plants, and finally the carnivores that
eat the herbivores.” (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/23/spring-early-plant-animal-behaviour)
The early advent of spring disrupts the natural cycle
because different species respond in different ways and at different rates.
Species that rely on others for survival are not born in time to do so. One
example is birds that need to feed on specific species of insects may be
hatching too late. Another example is juvenile fish that need to feed on water
fleas may hatch too late and could starve from a lack of insects that
flourished earlier. This may also affect migrating species, many of which
travel through the Cascade Range. Their journey may misalign with the timing of
the species they need to survive along the way.
Other effects of the shifting seasons can lead to earlier
snow-melt, with corresponding flooding. At the same time that spring is
arriving earlier, winter is arriving later as measured by the first frost of
the year. They’re shorter winters, however. Plant pests and diseases don’t have
time to die and can flourish over a longer summer growing season.
There is little that can be done to change the pattern that
we are seeing. Sadly, the rate of which the change is happening is accelerating
according to researchers. We can however, as a community recognize the changes
that we are experiencing and act to identify and minimize risks. Some groups
are beginning to include more plant diversity in restoration projects in order
to provide native fauna with other food sources and habitats as the timing of
seasons change.
Let’s enjoy the beauty of spring while we have it. Summer is
just around the corner. Just realize that with a longer growing season, it also
means earlier and longer allergy seasons.
|
| Episode XXXII: Nigel’s the ‘Best’ that Max has by Max Malone, Private Eye on 04/01/2019
The longer Max keeps the conversation rolling, the more
comfortable he becomes with believing he’s getting out of this with his hide.
But absolutely nothing else. Andy Campanaro is too calm – icy calm, like a
glacier too big to fail – and too capable, and Dolly Teagarden is thrown in
with the scum as she swirls down the drain amid the remains of all the human
detritus of Max’s adventures.
Yet, Andy is enjoying his position of being totally in
charge. And Dolly is a willing supplicant – which isn’t that tough to figure
for Max at this moment, considering the miserable pay check she deservedly
receives from MI6 accountants who are doubtlessly all descended from the
miserly Ebenezer Scrooge of Dickens fame, albeit sans Jacob Marley, the ghosts
and the Cratchit family.
Along with that thought, Max’s mind skips to Tiny Tim, which
leads directly to how is the newsie Nigel Best doing? After all, he could be
Max’s last shot at improving his hand – Nigel, not Tiny.
“So how long you two been using the same outhouse?” Max
asks, sharing the question with both Andy and Dolly via syncopated sideways
sneers.
“It’s business old sport,” Andy grins his way through
another response. “I’ve explained it.”
“And so have I,” Dolly says, with a not-so-convincing smile.
“Yeah, I get that,” Max parries, covering his concern over
Nigel. “We all do business of one kind or another. Some legal. Some not so
legal. But I’m just wondering, is there no sense of honor? Nothing bigger than
the allegiance to a profit motive? (pause) “And I’m not your old sport.”
“That’s funny as hell, old sport.” Max cringes, but Andy
presses on. “What was your motive for doing nothing for a fat retainer back in
hillbilly heaven?”
Max remembered his motive perfectly: trying to maintain the
last shreds of decency for the Wilde family, and protecting an innocent waif
from Campanaro’s crustacean-like clutches. OK. Admittedly. At the time he
needed the dough.
But he still needed to play for time.
* * *
Jemma Gayle kept her eyes open for trouble, but feigning it
with a natural-born thrusted hip and crossed legs at the ankles as she leaned
against the outside window of the internet café. Still in hospital uniform, she
could have been a nurse on hold for her married doctor to arrive.
Inside, Nigel Best was dictating off his reporter’s notepad,
fighting to keep the sweat from ruining his notes. Finished, he motioned for
Jemma to come help. She quickly dropped the doctor charade and joined Nigel at
the desk. She helped with instructions as the clerk was in over his head with
downloading photos from Nigel’s nifty palm camera.
Nigel and Jemma stood outside the café, both looking at the
purloined Lincoln, and instinctively and innocently sauntered up the street.
Jemma pulled off the innocent part much better – the obvious scene stealer in a
B-grade movie.
* * *
Max was guessing he had stalled all he could, and the rest
was up to Nigel. That still left him holding a pair of deuces in this real-life
game. He went all-in.
“You know,” directed at Andy, “your big mistake was knocking
off the U.S. attorney in Tallahassee.”
Andy shrugs it off with a washtub full of nonchalance.
“Don’t worry,” Max keeps moving forward, daring for his hand
to be called. “I’m confident you have plausible deniability. Especially with
that thing running interference,” Max dips a disrespectful shoulder in Dolly’s
direction. “But that attorney was a college mate of Nigel Best. Remember him,
Andy? From Wildewood? And she was probably the first, and maybe only, woman
Nigel ever had. Know what I mean?”
“You’re boring me, old sport.”
“Photos of this escapade,” Max scans the villa, the rooftop,
Dolly, then back to Andy, “and the story are headed to the bureau chief of the
Associated Press in Tallahassee. And he’s some old curmudgeon who has buried in
the Tommy Lee Jones wrinkles that define his face a well-earned disdain for
creatures like you. (to Dolly now): and you, doll face. And I don’t know if
you’re familiar with AP, but news spreads like a west coast forest fire with
that bunch.”
It was an uneasy feeling, putting all your chips in the
middle of the table on this 140-pound Nigel Best, and an AP bureau chief he had
just invented, but after all, that’s all that Max, the Wildewood private eye,
had at the moment.
|
| Scrumptious spring! by Taeler Butel on 04/01/2019
Spring chicken
A whole meal in one pot, bursting with the flavors and
colors of spring:
1 whole cut up chicken
1 jar artichoke hearts
1 cup sliced, cleaned leeks
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 t lemon zest
1 T each garlic powder, salt, pepper
1 cup white wine
1 cup chopped fresh asparagus (1/2-inch pieces)
New potatoes (2 cups)
2 cups chicken stock
2 T thyme
1/4 cup flour
Olive oil
Mix together flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Toss chicken in mixture, heat oil in a large oven safe pan
with deep sides.
Add chicken in, skin side down, cook on med heat turning
chicken until well browned on all sides.
Remove chicken from pan and add all other ingredients to the
pan.
Place chicken back on top, heat oven to 365.
Place pan in oven and roast another 45 mins until chicken
and vegetables are cooked through.
Strawberry cucumber salad
1 lb sliced strawberries
1 cup chopped kale
1 sliced English cucumber
1 cup halved red grapes
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup feta cheese.
Dressing – mix together 1 T olive oil, 1T honey, 1 t Dijon
mustard.
1 T apple cider vinegar, pinch salt and pepper.
Combine with fruit and other goodies and enjoy!
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
The more time that I spend as a photographer the more that I
recognize how I handle life equates to how I should handle photography. How
just being patient and using simple life lessons can affect my photos.
How many times have we been challenged by a situation where
when we walk away for a period of time and then return everything falls into
place? How many times have I came to a location and walked away without a
pleasing photo, or with a photo that I’m proud of, only to return another day
and effortlessly snap an impressive photo? What makes the difference? In my
life it sometimes is only a matter of looking at the problem with a fresh set
of eyes, being there under different conditions or using different tools or
techniques for the job. Sometimes it takes all three.
When we are challenged by an obstacle that impedes our
progress sometimes just a simple break can allow us to throw out or forget
about a thought process that keeps us from looking at the situation in a
different way, many times creating a “now why didn’t I see that before”
situation. Sometimes it requires a totally different approach with a different
set of skills or tools, sometimes it’s just a matter of looking at it with
fresh eyes. I’ve been out shooting with a friend and saw their photo and
thought, holy guacamole! Why didn’t I think of that? Many times, we insist on
taking a path that is difficult when the easy way is not far and can be found
if we just step aside for a moment and look around. My father would say to me
that sometimes you have to stop or back up to make progress again. I apply this
to photography when I visit a location where I know there’s a photo but have
been challenged in the past.
Technique, or how one uses their camera to capture the
scene, is very important. Understanding how your camera works allows you to
become instinctual about how to be able to capture the moment according to your
vision, adapt to changing conditions and overcome challenging conditions. The
three basic settings, shutter speed, aperture and ISO (film speed) and how
they’re combined will create certain effects that will capture the scene
accurately or will allow the photographer to create an effect that can enhance
the image. These techniques can help create a stronger or more unique image.
Another part of technique involves composition, including different points of
view. Standing in a different spot, raising or lowering your camera zooming in
or out. These are all things that the photographer has control over that allows
them to adapt the photo to their vision.
Next is opportunity. An opportunity can be an event, a fraction
of a moment in time or a set of conditions that are unique. Simple analogies
would be a sunset or a rainbow. A photo’s quality or beauty, in most cases, is
enhanced under good light. A landscape photographer will always prefer shooting
a scene at sunrise, sunset or in “sweet light,” but the light doesn’t always
show up. When it does it creates an opportunity for more beautiful photos than
in stark light. Outdoor portrait photography or even real estate photography is
no different. Being there when these conditions, or opportunities are there
brings us to the next variable.
The next variable is planning to take advantage of the
previous two variables. Planning is being prepared to use skill or technique to
capture an opportunity. Relying on coincidence or luck is like a game of chance
and it rarely happens. When it does happen, many times the photographer isn’t
at the right place or doesn’t have their camera set properly to completely
capitalize on the situation. When the opportunity is fleeting, the photographer
needs to be prepared.
When I consider how I handle making a photograph I find that
I get the best results when I stop, relax and look around, master the proper
tools used for the situation and am prepared to take advantage of opportunities
when they occur. I find handling life to be much the same.
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Investing in wastewater by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 03/01/2019
Today I write you on a major issue facing our community that
I’d like to talk to you about.
As you may have read recently on social media and in our
local newspapers, Sandy has been faced with several DEQ (Department of
Environmental Quality) fines for failing to meet permit limits at our
wastewater treatment plant. Our current treatment plant was last upgraded in
1998 when we were a small community with just over 5,000 residents. In the past
20 years, our population has more than doubled to approximately 11,000
residents and we are expected to double again in the next 20! With those new residents comes more
wastewater and our wastewater system just hasn’t been able to keep up with the
increased flows.
So, where does our wastewater go?
Starting in May and continuing through summer and into
October, there is not enough water in Tickle Creek and our treated wastewater
is recycled and used for irrigating potted plants at a nearby nursery. We
aren’t planning to change this program – it conserves our water resources and
reduces the amount of wastewater released to local streams during the summer,
when stream flows are at their lowest.
From November through April, our treated wastewater is
released to Tickle Creek. As many of you know, Tickle Creek is not a large
stream. Unfortunately, the creek doesn’t have the capacity to accept any more
wastewater. In fact, increasing wastewater loads into the creek is prohibited
under state law.
Our sewer system also needs investment. We have old, leaky
sewer pipes that allow clean rainwater to get into our wastewater system. It
costs less to fix the pipes than the build an even bigger treatment plant to
treat all the extra water.
The question for our community is – how can we meet the
needs of our growing community while protecting our local streams and
maintaining affordability for our customers? To answer that question, we hired
Murraysmith, a reputable regional engineering firm, to develop a comprehensive
Wastewater System Facilities Plan.
That plan showed that the best path forward for Sandy is to
build a second wastewater treatment plant to treat our additional wastewater.
The new treatment plant will use state-of-the-art membrane technology – the
treated wastewater will be very similar to the water that comes out of your tap
at home. Water from the new treatment plant will be released to the Sandy
River. The Sandy River has much greater flows than Tickle Creek and a greater
capacity to accept the treated wastewater.
Under this plan, we will continue to use our existing
wastewater treatment plant, making the most of our past investments. We did
evaluate whether we could upgrade the existing treatment plant to meet all of
our needs – it turns out those upgrades would cost just as much as building a
second treatment plant and would only meet our needs for 20 years.
The long-term solution comes with a hefty price tag of more than
$60 million. I wish this was not the case, but we don’t have any lower-cost
options available to us. Now is the time to address this major challenge facing
our community, waiting will only kick the can down the road and result in even
greater costs for our community.
Now, you can only imagine what this could mean for our local
ratepayers. The City Council and I are doing everything we can to mitigate the
costs for our neighbors here in Sandy. We have engaged State Representative
Anna Williams and State Senator Chuck Thomsen, among several other regional
State Legislators to help find funding solutions at the state level. There is
bi-partisan support in this effort and we’re all working together to do what’s
best for our community of Sandy.
Additionally, I’ve already engaged with U.S. Senator Jeff
Merkley’s office and have future meetings set up with a representative from
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s office and a face-to-face meeting with Congressman
Earl Blumenauer. I’ve also been in discussions with John Huffman, who is the
State Director of the US Department of Agriculture. This is all in effort to
secure additional federal funding for our wastewater project.
City Councilor Carl Exner has done a tremendous job in his
outreach with both the Clackamas River Watershed Council and the Sandy River
Watershed Council to engage them early on in this process.
Councilor Jan Lee has joined water resource committees at
both the county and state levels, and Council President Jeremy Pietzold and
Councilor Laurie Smallwood have joined me in our advocacy efforts. We’re
all-hands-on-deck working side by side fighting on behalf of our community of
Sandy.
As someone who grew up here, who returned to raise my own
family and knows many of you through our kids being in school together,
attending youth activities or delivering food baskets during the holidays, you
can bet I understand what an increase in utility costs means for our neighbors
here in Sandy. Nobody runs to be Mayor of their hometown to champion an issue
like wastewater treatment. However, this is a core function of government we
must address together. I promise you that Council and I will do everything we
can to mitigate the impact this will have on our community. That said, we
cannot do it without your help. We need your involvement and your feedback.
Posted on our City of Sandy Social Media pages is an
opportunity for community feedback on this process. Please also take a few
moments to review the plan along with a video presentation on our website at
https://www.ci.sandy.or.us/sewer-wastewater-system-facilities-plan. While
there, you can also provide us with your feedback and comments.
Additionally, there will come a time when we will need you
to advocate to our state and federal representatives on the need for their
assistance in funding this new system.
Together, we will address the future needs for our community
while protecting the rivers and streams that run through our town. Together, we
can Keep Sandy Wonderful. Thank you.
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: Funding Search & Rescue by Rep. Anna Williams on 03/01/2019
Somehow, it’s already February. Things at the State House in
Salem are bustling and there’s too much going on to give you an overview this
month. So, I will use this column to tell you about one of the bills I’m really
excited about this session.
I’m serving as a Chief Sponsor for House Bill 2503, along
with Senator Thomsen, Representative Bonham, Representative Helt and
Representative Marsh, among others. This bipartisan and bicameral bill “directs
the Office of Emergency Management to study and make recommendations regarding
funding of search and rescue operations.” Search and Rescue operations (SAR)
are a necessity in our community, but they are expensive and strain our Sheriff
and our community’s resources and budgets.
People come from all over Oregon (and the world!) to visit
the Mount Hood area and enjoy our beautiful scenery, exciting recreation
opportunities and delicious local food scene. As you know, folks who live here
are incredibly proud of this, and many of us make our livings through tourism.
We love showing off our amazing communities to visitors, but sometimes those
visitors get lost or injured in our mountains, rivers and trails and need help
to get back to safety. Our SAR teams are hard-working, dedicated volunteers and
professionals who only care about getting people back to safety. However, our
counties and cities have to pay for the costs of these vital programs and these
operations can be expensive and pull law enforcement away from enforcement and
crime prevention.
House Bill 2503 would mandate a study to find out how SAR
expenses are currently spent and offer suggestions for how we can better fund
these critical services. It doesn’t allocate funding or resources, but it is a
first step toward a stable solution. Once we have a clearer understanding of
SAR costs and practices, we can work with stakeholders to make recommendations
for how to adequately and fairly fund SAR in counties like Hood River and
Clackamas where the majority of our search and rescue operations are for people
who don’t live in (and pay taxes in) our counties.
I love our mountain community. We need to be sure our search
and rescue providers have the resources to make sure that all Oregonians can
enjoy what we have to offer.
It is important to note that thousands of bills are proposed
each session - but generally, only a couple hundred pass and become law. Bills
often change significantly as they make their way through the legislative
process. With this in mind, if you’re concerned about a particular bill or have
a question, my door is always open. Feel free to email
Rep.AnnaWilliams@oregonlegislature.gov or stop by my capitol office.
Onward!
|
| MHGS: going gray is the new green by on 03/01/2019
Perhaps it’s just my age. Perhaps it’s my gender. Perhaps
it’s my imagination, but I’ve noticed a recent trend in women of a certain age
refusing to color their hair and opting instead for a more natural aging
process. It’s refreshing, really, like a big exhalation when one has been
holding their breath for a long time. You no longer have to impress anyone or
yield to social pressure to conform. Women are shedding the mantle of eternal
youth, instead choosing to feel comfortable with the real woman they are.
In part this is due to the realization some time ago that
hair color contained toxic chemicals. P-Phenylenediamine (PPD), an active
ingredient in most hair dyes, has been linked to skin irritation, as well as
immune and nervous system problems. Ammonia, another common hair dye
ingredient, can cause respiratory problems and throat irritation.
In addition to the effects these chemicals have on us
humans, they are also damaging to the environment. According to one website,
“to put it simply, when you wash commercial hair dyes out of your hair,
chemical ingredients often wind up in local waterways. Ammonia has been linked
to soil acidification and changes in ecosystems, and the EPA notes that
chemicals associated with personal care products like hair dye are proven to be
in our water supply.”
As a result of the research giving the harmful effects of
hair color, companies have developed products that avoid these two ingredients.
More and more salons and home kits have shifted toward dyes that use natural
ingredients rather than harsh chemicals. Organic and henna-based hair colors do
not cause damage to the skin, the body or the environment. While chemical hair
colors strip the hair of its natural coating and cover it with dyes, the way
that henna works is to instead wrap the hair in color. The down side is that
the color does not last as long as the chemical dyes, but it is less damaging
to the shaft of the hair.
Still, it has now become fashionable to have gray hair. Even
young people are using hair colors to dye their hair different shades of gray.
As Anne Kreamer, author of “Going Gray: How to Embrace Your Authentic Self with
Grace and Style,” points out, it is liberating. As a 46-year-old businesswoman,
she literally wrote the book about it letting go of the “brown helmet.” Not
only does she describe it as an act of desperation while one tries to hold on
to an imaginary youth, “Kreamer is adamant that using colouring as an ageing
disguise does exactly the opposite and is detrimental to your confidence. ‘It’s
your sense of vitality and your character that define you. You could have the
best dye-job from a top salon, but have a slump in your step, and you would
look ancient.’”
Another advocate for gray hair, Jane Mayled notes the
disparities between how society views men and women. In an article in the
Guardian in 2016, she notes that men who have gray hair are viewed with respect
as being wise. “Men who embrace their grey are treated as if they’ve found a
cure for cancer,” she said. “They’ve become gorgeous. Women who do it don’t get
that response. We’re either brave or mad.” She sees the move to go gray as a
political one. “I want my children to see what a real live middle-aged woman
looks like.”
The baby boomer generation is one that has blazed new trails
in many social norms. Perhaps the way that mature women are seen in regard to
their appearances and the “Forever 21” syndrome is only beginning to change.
|
| Episode XXXI :A tough hand of Cayman hold-em by Max Malone, Private Eye on 03/01/2019
Seemingly in charge of Andy Campanaro matters, Max’s
attention turns back up the hill as four squad cars of Cayman cops roar toward
the villa, and after passing Andy’s Lincoln Max sees his newsie buddy from
Wildewood, Nigel Best, scramble from beneath the limo, fire up the engine, and
take off over the hill and disappear into the distance, heading in the general
direction of town.
Dolly Teagarden’s MI6 “assets” have lowered their Glock 17s,
Carlo’s gang has lost its advantage on the roof of the villa, holding their
hands aloft as a newly arrived band of Campanaro reinforcements have gained
control of the high ground, while Dolly’s fierce expression of triumph has
morphed into one of conspiratorial conquest, and of course Andy, the eternal
vision of evil incarnate has rediscovered his mocking smile – one that has
never completely disappeared despite the highly charged turmoil that has
erupted over the last minute which could have also been described as an
eternity.
Despite a flood of questions that could have floated Noah’s
ark, Max at least understands that his position has suddenly become as
untenable as Joe Frazier looking up at Muhammad Ali standing over him rhyming
“I told you your fate, you were going down in eight.”
Max turns to Dolly. She shrugs as if she’s just turned down
a glass of champagne at a cocktail party that she has long ago found boorishly
boring – not to mention the dubious history of the bubbly being offered.
“Tough luck, old sport,” Andy chuckles predictably. “Best
laid plans, and all that.”
Max buries his fists into his sides as his glare turns from
Dolly to his nemesis. “Got it all figured out, eh?”
“You’re a private dick. Think about it. I’ve got two boat
loads of precious seed and farm equipment headed to countries ravished by
famine.” Andy raises both arms, palms upward in self-praise. “I’m a hero.” He
pauses, drops his arms to affect something more sinister. “Of course, there’s
the aircraft winging across the Atlantic with all those life-saving drugs.
Granted not completely tested, but they soon will be, old sport.”
Max turns again to Dolly. “It’s way above our pay grade,
dear Max,” she rasps, as if still at the crushing cocktail party. “Drugs,
dollars, deception, diplomacy. It’s really that simple.”
Max knows he has to drag this out. No one has left the scene
except Nigel. Have they forgotten about him? Not likely. It’s also unlikely
Nigel can outwit this band of island thieves. But those are Max’s only cards.
“I suppose it’ll be easy enough getting rid of me,” Max
opens holding a pair of deuces. “You’ve got enough weapons. But what do you
plan to do about the authorities back in the states who know what I’m up to?
You can’t kill ’em all.”
Andy’s grill grows into his gruesome grin. Dolly cocks her
head to one side like a Labrador retriever begging for a command. The “assets”
have holstered their Glocks suggesting all danger has passed.
After the flop, Max’s hold-em hand still tops out at deuces.
* * *
Nigel Best careens into town, searching with the limo for
the right side of the road, or in this case, the left side. The Oregon newsie
leans into the steering wheel as if at the helm of an undersized fishing boat
in the perfect storm – albeit therein ends the comparison of Nigel to George
Clooney.
He pulls up at the emergency room entrance to the hospital
where Jemma Gayle comes running down the ramp, squishing in her spongy,
sensible nurse’s shoes, and slips into the passenger seat, which nearly every
other driver in the world knows should be the driver’s seat, but isn’t.
“Can you drive?” Nigel implores hopefully.
“Never tried,” Jemma disappoints.
“Terrific. Where to?”
“Straight ahead.”
Nigel screeches onward down the narrow market street
scattering alarmed locals trying to do nothing more than collect their meager
supplies for the evening meal.
“There it is,” Jemma shouts, pointing at the Internet café.
* * *
“What does England get out of this?” Max asks pointedly to
Dolly.
Again, the Dolly shrug, as if everyone should already know.
“There are things in this world that cause we cousins to join forces.”
“Cousins?”
“Americans,” followed by the seductive Dolly smile that Max
recalls like the soft sigh of a scented breeze from the not-too-distant past.
After all, if even for a brief, yet stressful, romantic
moment, he’s still Max Malone, private eye.
|
| Blue Zone benefits – Costa Rica offers the ‘pure life’ by Victoria Larson on 03/01/2019
They don’t say “hello” in Costa Rica, they say “Pure Vida”
(purr-ah veedah) as a greeting. Literally translated it means “pure life,”
loosely it translates as “life is good.” Imagine being with a cheery “life is
good” ten, twenty, fifty times a day. Pretty soon you internalize it and life
IS good!
Costa Rica is another of the Blue Zones on our lovely
green-and-blue Earth. Blue Zones are those five areas on our planet where it
was discovered that people lived the longest. Last month I told you about the
only Blue Zone in the United States, Loma Linda, Calif. This month I’ll let you
know about Costa Rica, the only Blue Zone I’ve actually visited. But it is the
one place I’d move to in a heartbeat if all things were equal. But my family
and grandkids don’t want to move, and I don’t want to leave them. They give me
so much happiness.
Costa Ricans live to be ninety years old and older at a rate
that is two-and-a-half times greater than US citizens. They have decreased
rates of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, yet they spend one-fifteenth of
what we Americans spend on healthcare. How can that be? What are they doing
that we should be doing? Pharmacias (drug stores) are on almost every corner in
the cities. The pharmacias sell mostly homeopathics for healthcare. Homeopathics
are generally considered to be safe, effective and cheap. And for mental and
spiritual well-being there are several churches in each city.
I was in Costa Rica in 1999 after graduating naturopathic
medical school, and I consider it the best vacation I ever had. It was an
ecological tour with a dedicated guide and instructor. Twelve people travelling
together to learn more about the ecology of Costa Rica - why coffee needs to be
grown under shade trees, how to avoid being bonked on the head by falling coconuts
and myriad other tidbits of knowledge. We hiked in jungles to see butterflies,
orchids and snakes, swam in rivers, took water tours where our guide could spot
caiman eyes or a hummingbird nest yards from the boat. Using a machete he’d
open a coconut for all to try. We awoke early to the sounds of howler monkeys,
ate mostly vegetarian food and basked in the glow of lava running down
mountains.
The food was always freshly prepared, never packaged, as it
is a small country and there’s no place for garbage to build up. For the
duration of the trip I had the same meal for dinner every night, corvina with
hearts of palm salad and every night it was prepared differently though
incorporating identical foods. Costa Ricans have a diet that is high in complex
carbohydrates, not the simple carbs over-consumed in America. There was an
abundance of fresh foods, locally made cheeses, and wonderful seafood. Members
of our group were taken to a garden where we each took turns digging and
pulling Casavas, a staple food of Costa Rica, much like a large yam. Then we
were treated to a meal of them baked, mashed, even as freshly prepared ‘potato’
chips.
Costa Ricans eat a diet high in fruits – bananas (they grew
outside the hotel rooms), plantains (which are not sweet), papayas (both green
and ripe) and strawberries. Though it was March they already had strawberries,
several months away from ripeness in the rainy Northwest. A sweet young woman
came onto the bus and we all sampled her basket of berries. But when we
purchased baskets of berries from the farm stand we’d stopped at we discovered
alas, that we’d been duped. The berries we bought were not sweet like the ones
we’d sampled on the bus. Caveat emptor! Buyer beware!
The Costa Ricans who live outside of cities work hard. They
don’t spend their days sitting in front of computers or in cars or watching TV.
They grind their own corn for their daily tortillas, manually (or more likely
fe-manually). Everyone in the country has a garden, for grocery stores are few
and far between. Beans, corn and squash are grown in every garden and beans are
eaten daily. Many grow their own coffee in the shade of the jungle and daily
use machetes to keep that jungle at bay.
Thus, the average Costa Rican earns time for fishing,
socializing or just loafing. There are a lot of hammocks to be enjoyed in the
mild climate of Costa Rica. On a video of that trip in a view of me resting in
one of those hammocks with a book fallen across my face, saying “All I have to
do is breathe in and breathe out.” Any wonder I’d like to move there?
The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica has been cut-off from
rampant development for several decades. Most roads in the outlying areas are
dirt or gravel, becoming mud roads during the rainy season. And it rains a lot
in jungles. One person in our group complained when our bus was delayed for a
few hours, waiting for torrential rains to abate so we could continue our
travels. I thought back to the dirt and gravel roads of outlying China that I’d
travelled in 1996. Better roads would make Costa Rica more travelled, which
would completely change the character of this gorgeous Blue Zone country. No
wonder so many live so long there.
|
| Healthier comfort food by Taeler Butel on 03/01/2019
This menu will get in some healthy ingredients in a tasty
way, great for a night in!
Sloppy joes on cheddar biscuits
For the joes:
1 lb lean ground beef/ turkey
1/2 cup each chopped onion, celery and carrot
1 T each onion powder, garlic powder, salt and white pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup water
In a large pan, brown ground meat with seasonings, add in
onion, carrots and celery, cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in
tomato paste and cook another few minutes, then add in other ingredients.
Let mixture simmer until thick, around 20 minutes.
For the cheddar biscuits:
Heat oven to 375 – place a layer of parchment onto a baking
sheet.
2 cups flour
1 stick butter; chopped
1 T salt
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup milk or cream
Stir dry ingredients, cut in butter and cheese, then stir in
milk or cream until mix just comes together then drop by large tablespoons onto
parchment lined sheet pan. Bake 15 minutes until tops are golden.
Sweet potato chips
2 sweet potatoes, sliced thin
1 T olive oil
1/2 t sea salt
Heat oven to 365. Toss ingredients together and lay out on a
baking sheet, bake 30 minutes or until crisp, tossing every ten minutes.
Cauliflower “Mac n cheese”
1 large head cauliflower, chopped
1 t garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup half-and-half
2 cups vegetable stock
1 t corn starch
1/4 cup minced onion
1 T butter
Salt and pepper
Melt butter in large pan, add in onion and cauliflower,
garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add stock, cream and vegetable stock to the pan
and bring to a simmer.
Mix cheese with cornstarch, stir in and cook until mixture
is thickened and cauliflower is tender.
Stress-free skinny brownies
Trust me these are delicious! I’ve made them weekly since
all ingredients are often in my cupboard:
1 large sweet potato, baked (1 cup)
1/2 cup nut butter
2 T real maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Pinch of salt
Heat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, melt nut butter with
syrup and set aside. In a large bowl whip potatoes with cocoa powder and nut
butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, bake 20 minutes.
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
| You are never too young by Paula Walker on 03/01/2019
The adage “You are never too old …” has a reverse corollary
in Estate Planning — “You are never too young.” And in some circumstances
better young than old.
We have all heard of the sensational feuds, battles of the
Titans, waged by family over the wealthy estates of famous people who die at a
relatively young age without an estate plan, or at minimum a will in place to
direct the distribution of their amassed wealth. The result leaves the
claimants to wrassle and whittle away the spoils in the legal firmament.
Their stories bring us to the realization that you are never
too young to put into place at minimum the most basic of estate plans: a will.
But, better to attend to creating a comprehensive estate plan and moreover to
consider the benefits to your family and loved ones that a revocable living
trust may provide over a will, because after all, the main point is taking care
of those who are dear to you.
Compelling reasons include family harmony, appointing a
guardian for your children and managing assets for your children as they emerge
into adults.
Family harmony … an estate plan conveys your clear
directions of how to distribute your assets, when and to whom. It can alleviate
the potential for conflict over what you intended, saving costs in time, energy
and dollars to those involved, and allow for the personal time need to grieve
and deal with loss.
Appointing a guardian for young children … with an estate
plan you entrust the care of your most precious responsibility to the person of
your choosing and not leave this paramount decision to the court, a timely and
costly process that leaves children’s fate in limbo for a time and can result
in a placement you may not desire.
Managing assets for young children and young adults … money
left to minors must be managed by an adult. Your estate plan appoints who you
trust with that responsibility and provides your directions as to how to manage
that financial support for their care and upbringing. And it provides the means
to spread distributions over time to help the just-turned-eighteen-year-old
emerge into the financial realities of adulthood, to further support them in
preparing for life’s financial milestones like higher education or a first
house down payment. An important boost because as we know, becoming legally an
adult at eighteen does not immediately confer fiscal wisdom and foresight.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
The estate plan of actor Paul Walker provides an example of
“never too young.” Upon his sudden death in Nov. 2013, in a car accident that
rivaled the spectacular and sensational scenes from the program he’s well known
for, “Fast & Furious.” The planning from years earlier did not compound
this tragedy with the issues of intestacy. Paul had created his estate plan
based on a revocable living trust at the age of 28, providing for his wealth to
transfer to his daughter, Meadow Rain Walker, who was three years old at the
time.
In the estate plan he also appointed his mother as Meadow’s
guardian to manage the estate he left his daughter until she reached adulthood,
if his ex wife, Rebecca Soteros, was unable to take or keep custody.
Others whose early death provide sagas to emphasize the idea
of “never too early” include: Bob Marley, whose death from cancer at age 36 in
May 1981, with a fortune of $30 million at that time, now estimated at more
than $130 million from posthumous earnings, triggered legal suits between
family members for more than 30 years. Jimi Hendrix, whose sudden death at age
27 in Sept. 1970, with an estate valued at more than $80 million at that time,
triggered sibling battles in a $1.7 million lawsuit that was still active in
2017. And Prince whose sudden death at age 57 in April 2016, leaving a fortune
estimated at approximately $200 million, still has court battles raging and
escalating related legal fees estimated at more than $9 million.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
|  Alaska
The gurgling sound of the twin 200-horsepower outboard
motors mounted on the stern of our excursion boat mixed with the sound of
camera shutters and the random “ooh and ahh” as we cruised back and forth
through the still, ice laden water at the face of the massive wall of glacial
ice before us.
Once everyone was through photographing this incredible
scene, our boat captain eased forward on the throttle, turning the gurgle to a
roar as we left the sheltered cove to head back to where we started this
incredible day.
Our group of intrepid photographers sat at rest and enjoying
the views after a full day of cruising the Prince William Sound in the Gulf of
Alaska, photographing wildlife and the immense, wild remote scenery that
surrounded us.
Our day started at our log lodge located near Palmer in the
beautiful Matanuska Valley, located about an hour northeast of Anchorage. We
had a drive to make to be on schedule, as we had to be at the Whittier Tunnel
on time to pass through with the regularly scheduled opening that allowed
visitors and residents to get to the little town of Whittier, located at the
other end on the majestic and scenic Prince William Sound. The Anton Anderson
Memorial Tunnel, commonly called The Whittier Tunnel, is a tunnel that was made
through a mountain between the town of Whittier and the Seward Highway, a major
thoroughfare taking traffic to and from the Kenai Peninsula to Alaska’s
mainland.
The Whittier Tunnel is a one-way, single lane, tunnel that
is two-and-one-half miles long. It’s the longest highway tunnel in North
America. The roadway includes a set of train tracks to accommodate the Alaska
Railroad. The inside of the tunnel is rough rock, almost cave like, and is a
bit claustrophobic the first time through, but is a bit exciting nonetheless.
There’s a time schedule for opening the tunnel that accommodates the train as
well as car and truck traffic in each direction at different times. If you miss
your scheduled opening, you must wait an hour before it’s open again in your
direction.
On this morning our group awoke with adventure on our minds.
We all climbed into the van and headed out. We were right on time, although the
bathroom break along the way caused a little concern about catching the tunnel,
and we made it with time to spare. Our destination this morning was Epic
Charters and the boat that we had reserved to take us out into the fjords of
the Prince William Sound to photograph not just scenery, but also to photograph
its wildlife.
The day was calm with some overcast skies. The ride out into
the sound was calm and exhilarating. The Chugach Mountains surrounding us tower
up from the water to reach an average height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet, with peaks
as high as 13,000 feet. Many have majestic glaciers covering their flanks and filling
their valleys with some ultimately crumbling into the ocean waters. As we
traveled along, we passed small islands covered with sea lions, rafts of sea
otters (as they’re called) and eagles flying overhead while we hope to see
orcas and black bears.
Our skipper navigated our boat into a couple small bays, one
of which was the location of a remote salmon hatchery where we found at least a
dozen or more opportunistic black bears roaming the shore, dipping their paws
into the water and dragging out a fish with little challenge. We left and made
our way to another bay where we found several more bears away from manmade
surroundings, a small group of which consisted of a mother and three cubs
hiding in tall grasses on the shoreline. Their heads peeked up every so often
just to keep an eye on the boat full of shutterbugs sitting in the water beyond
the shoreline.
We left that bay and made our way further into the sound to
a little island where we all stepped off the boat to stretch our legs for a
little while before heading into the incredible Harriman Fjord, a finger off of
the sound and a realm of huge hanging and tidewater glaciers. Our boat made it
to the face of Surprise Glacier where we floated around taking in the massive
mountains and huge flows of glacial ice. Massive waterfalls flowed down huge
solid stone walls from the ice fields and hanging glaciers above. The boat
slowly cruised through the iceberg filled water, several of which were the size
of the boat itself as we observed walls of ice caving into the ocean and
creating waves that would gently rock the boat as we stood there in amazement
of the scene surrounding us.
In time we turned to head back to Whittier. As we skimmed
over the calm water, we passed by the glaciers in the College Fjord before
heading back into deeper water and passage back. The boat’s captain pushed the
throttle further and brought the boat up onto a plane as our group sat at the
stern watching the scene disappear behind us. As we sat there taking it all in
for one last time and recalling all that had happened on that day, a rainbow
appeared behind us as one final parting gift from this spectacular land.
Our group left the pier and our captain as we gathered
together to make sure to catch the tunnel scheduled opening for our trip back
through and to the Seward Highway for our drive back to the lodge, with one
more stop for a meal at the Turnagain Arm Pit, a favorite barbecue restaurant
along the way. Once back at the lodge all everyone wanted to do was rest and
look at all their photos from this amazing time. This trip has become a
favorite part of our yearly Alaska Adventure tours but is only one day of the
five that we spend photographing Alaska. Each and every day is filled with
another incredible experience.
|
| Viewpoints – Sandy: Local officials ready for action by Mayor Stan Pulliam on 02/01/2019
Winston Churchill said, “I never worry about action, only
inaction.” I’ve spent the past few months since being elected mayor meeting
with members of our local city council, community stakeholders, department
heads and state and federal officials. I’m excited to say we are ready to work
together on a plan to keep Sandy wonderful!
While the Federal government is mired in partisan bickering,
we at the local level are ready to put people before politics and do what’s
best for the future of our beautiful city.
I’ve known Senator Chuck Thomsen for some time and have
watched him work across party lines to get great things done for our community.
I’ve also been impressed with our newly elected State Representative Anna
Williams. Representative Williams and I have met several times and discussed
ways that we can collaborate on Sandy’s behalf at the state level. It’s been
over a decade since our community has had majority party representation in
Salem, and we are fortunate to have someone like Anna who is willing and
excited to carry Sandy’s priorities to our state capital.
What are these Sandy priorities you may ask? At our recent
goal setting retreat for Sandy’s City Council and department heads, we created
an aggressive agenda to get our quickly growing city into the 21st Century
while preserving our unique character and pioneer spirit. These goals are some
of the most ambitious in our communities’ history.
We’ll be addressing traffic congestion by conducting a
Transportation System Plan, advocating for a viability study for a local bypass
and an extension of Bell St to 362nd to alleviate the morning and afternoon
school commute.
As one of Oregon’s fastest growing cities, we plan to put
together a comprehensive plan for growth with extensive community outreach for
input and direction. Our neighbors will no longer be bewildered by development
projects that have little vision, guidance or infrastructure built to support
them.
As a result of our rapid growth in size, our sewer water
treatment process is simply no longer viable. In the months ahead, there will
be announcements involving a new Waste Water Treatment facility. I will be
working collaboratively with our state and federal officials to find funds that
will help make this plan a reality without overburdening our local rate payers.
And finally, we’ll be providing our community with a vision
for the Sandy Community Campus project that will revitalize the Pleasant Street
Neighborhood, provide opportunities for our residents and allow us to grow from
our main street core, which is bisected by a state highway.
Additionally, in the year ahead our council will be holding
a series of work sessions on a variety of major topics including public safety,
homelessness, urban renewal, parks and enhancements to the Sandy Style and Sign
Code to become more small business friendly.
We will also be updating our cities policies to incentivize
industry to come to Sandy that will create more family wage jobs, allowing
families to thrive with parents who will be able to work where they live.
We’re going to leave the partisan fighting to Washington
D.C. Our locally elected officials are already busy working together to reach
our common goal: to keep Sandy wonderful! Stan Pulliam is the Mayor of the City of Sandy
|
| Viewpoints – Salem: 2019 legislative session starts by Rep. Anna Williams on 02/01/2019
This week has been an exciting one for me, as the first week
that the 2019 Oregon State Legislature is officially in session. The Capitol is
bustling with excitement and I’m really looking forward to getting to work with
my legislative colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Up until now, I’ve been
taking meetings with state-agency representatives, lobbyists and constituents,
but this week my committees had their first meetings and I voted on the House
floor for the first time.
Speaking of committees, I’m thrilled to have been appointed
to the following: Agriculture and Land Use, Energy and Environment and Human
Services and Housing. I’m really looking forward to getting to work on these
committees - I think they are a perfect fit for my experience and they also
represent the district well. My legislative priorities include creating
affordable housing, healthcare for all Oregonians and protecting our
environment and what makes Oregon so special, so I’m glad that I will have opportunity
to work on these issues in my committees.
Another exciting new development is that I hired staff for
my Capitol office! If you ever visit, email or call my office you will likely
either speak to myself, Amy and/or Justin. I’ll be in my Capitol office Monday
through Thursday, but I’m looking forward to spending Friday in-district to
take meetings and visit with constituents and spend the weekend with my family.
My staff will also be at in-district events I’m attending and will be
organizing town halls and constituent coffee meetings throughout House District
52.
There are already a few bills that have been introduced this
session that are getting some attention, and I think it’s important to note
that a lot of these bills will likely change significantly as (or if) they make
their way through the legislative process. I want to wait and see the final
version of a lot of these bills before I make my voting decision, but I’m
always happy to answer any questions you may have along the way. We may not
always agree on the specific issue, but I think it’s important to let my
constituents know where I stand, while also hearing their thoughts.
I’m excited to get to work to represent House District 52,
and I hope that you will reach out to me and my staff to let me know how you
think I am doing.
Anna Williams is the House District 52 Representative
|
| MHGS: the forest’s therapeutic benefits by on 02/01/2019
Shhhh! Our secret is starting to get out. The knowledge that
those of us forest-dwellers already knew – that being in nature and spending
time in the forest is good for the body, the mind and the soul. According to
the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, “Forest
Therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness
through immersion in forests and other natural environments. Forest Therapy is
inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, which translates to ‘forest
bathing.’ Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially
in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving
mood and cognition.”
Dr. Andrew Weil relates that, “researchers from UK’s
University of East Anglia analyzed 143 studies of forest therapy including data
on some 290 million participants from 20 different countries. Not only was
forest bathing associated with lower levels of cortisol, lower blood pressure
and heart rate, it also lowered blood cholesterol and reduced rates of
diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma and death from heart disease.
In addition, it was associated with decreased risk of preterm birth and lower
all-cause mortality. Some studies suggested that forest therapy helped people
sleep better and improved outcomes in those with cancer and neurological
conditions. Finally, people exposed to forest therapy were found to be more
likely to report that their overall health was good.”
For example, one research study cited by Quarts.com states
that, “From 2004 to 2012, Japanese officials spent about $4 million dollars
studying the physiological and psychological effects of forest bathing,
designating 48 therapy trails based on the results. Qing Li, a professor at
Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, measured the activity of human natural killer
(NK) cells in the immune system before and after exposure to the woods. These
cells provide rapid responses to viral-infected cells and respond to tumor
formation and are associated with immune system health and cancer prevention.
In a 2009 study Li’s subjects showed significant increases in NK cell activity
in the week after a forest visit, and positive effects lasted a month following
each weekend in the woods.”
Another study measured the physiological effects of forest
bathing on “280 subjects in their early 20s. The team measured the subjects’
salivary cortisol (which increases with stress), blood pressure, pulse rate,
and heart rate variability during a day in the city and compared those to the
same biometrics taken during a day with a 30-minute forest visit. Forest
environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower
blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic
nerve activity than do city environments.” In other words, being in nature made
subjects, physiologically, less amped. The parasympathetic nerve system
controls the body’s rest-and-digest system while the sympathetic nerve system
governs fight-or-flight responses. Subjects were more rested and less inclined
to stress after a forest bath.
One theory presents the idea that spending time among the
trees is beneficial for one’s health due to various essential oils, generally
called phytoncide, found in wood, plants and some fruits and vegetables, which
trees emit to protect themselves from germs and insects. Forest air doesn’t
just feel fresher and better—inhaling phytoncide seems to actually improve
immune system function. For city dwellers, time in nature can be spent in a
park. The benefit is best if one spends time simply absorbing nature, leaving
behind the electronics, the stressors of daily life and taking time to relax
and de-stress. No need to hike, ski, snowshoe or exert yourself.
We are fortunate to live adjacent to a national forest. The
more we learn about forests as a living organism, we realize that not only do
they provide clean drinking water, clean the air and offer myriad opportunities
for recreation and healthy living, but that our very well-being is dependent on
them. It is therefore our responsibility to protect the last remaining forests
from overlogging, exploitation and development. It is also our responsibility
to walk back out of the woods leaving them without a trace of our having been
there.
|
| Bringing healthy ‘Blue Zone’ principles into your life by Victoria Larson on 02/01/2019
As mentioned last month, we can learn a great deal from the
Blue Zones. Blue Zones, circled in blue ink by researchers looking at longevity
on a world map, are areas on our glorious blue-green earth where people live
the longest. Most of these areas of longevity are in other places in the world,
save for one in the United States.
The area of our nation with the lowest rates of heart
disease, diabetes and even obesity, is Loma Linda, Calif. Let’s start studying
Blue Zones with this area, as it most likely is the most “user-friendly” area
worldwide for those of us who live in the United States.
The people of Loma Linda statistically live about ten years
longer than most of the rest of our nation. Hmm... let’s find out why.
As a cardiologist and epidemiologist, Gary Fraser, of Loma
Linda University, has directed huge health studies for the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). These studies looked at causes of death among this Blue Zone
segment of the population. The AHS-1 study included 34,000 people for 14 years.
The AHS-2 study included 96,000 men and women and all ethnic groups.
Most of the participants of both studies followed the
Adventist lifestyle which we will look at in greater depth in this column in a
bit. Participants were asked 500 questions regarding diet and lifestyle, these
being determined to be indicators of longevity.
The well-known principles to follow for longevity were not
smoking, primarily a plant-based diet, maintenance of body weight and physical
activity. We’ve all heard about the usefulness of oatmeal, six to eight glasses
of water per day, physical activity and even a handful of nuts per day, but
many have ignored the benefits of avocadoes, seafood and pulses (the
old-which-is-new-again name for legumes like beans, lentils and peas).
The AHS 1 and 2 studies included vegans, lacto-ovo
vegetarians (those who include a little eggs and dairy), pesco-vegetarians
(those who include some fish in the diet) and non-vegetarians. While vegans
weighed the least, they didn’t live the longest. The people who lived the
longest ate primarily plants with up to as much as one serving of fish per day.
Non-vegetarians tended to not live as long and consumed more sugar and refined
foods, and hence tended to carry more weight, especially around their middle,
which is a sign of high risk of diabetes.
Even those in the study on a plant-based diet ate up to one
serving of fish per day or even had the occasional egg or dairy. Researchers
found that a three-ounce serving of fish one-to-three times a week provided
enough essential fatty acids (EFAs) to reduce the chances of dying from a heart
attack by one third. Alaska wild-caught salmon was by far better than farmed
Atlantic salmon (which should be avoided if possible). Other tasty and
good-for-you choices included cod, clams, crab, scallops, shrimp and sardines.
The smaller the fish the less mercury. An ounce of nuts (about a handful) was
capable of decreasing heart disease by 20 percent.
A primarily plant-based diet helps to clear out arteries,
helps you to lose weight and leads to a longer lifespan. The Adventists in the
study ate a very Biblical diet consisting of whole grains, fruits, nuts and
seeds, vegetables and water. They ate little or no refined grains, salt or sugar.
New studies show that consumption of good fats such as avocadoes, flax, nuts,
seeds and seafood will give you the needed omega 3s needed for heart and brain
health.
In addition, let’s remember to get up and move around even
if you don’t exercise per se. Get up from the book, computer, TV or video game
every half hour or hour. Walk around, jump up and down, move your arms and
legs. My grandsons and the neighbor kids do this even though they laugh about
it.
In fact, in order to decrease stress reactions, it is better
to spend some “sanctuary time,” time without computers, TV or video games. Our
grandparents burned at least five times more calories a day than we do in
modern times. Of course, they also didn’t have blenders, microwaves, Mixmasters
or TVs to start with!
Reducing stress includes 15-20 minutes walking in nature
every day. Eat sitting down, never standing up or in the car. Eat with family.
If you live alone, your “family” may be cats, dog or even a goldfish.
Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. So, do something
nice for someone. Carry their groceries, buy a stranger a coffee, do something
for someone else. It’ll de-stress you as much as them. For sanctuary time, go
to church, meditate, have a potluck, turn off the electronic devices and remember
to say “I love you.” I love you.
|
| Itemizing isn’t just for your taxes by Paula Walker on 02/01/2019
‘Tis the season … no not nostalgia for the holidays just
passed, but an acknowledgement of the focus that many of us have during the
first few months of every year to meet or beat that annual April 15 filing
deadline.
But, ‘tis not only the season to itemize for taxes but also
to consider what to leave to whom in organizing our affairs for our loved ones
to divide the belongings that we leave. The recognition of memories and
valuables contained in items termed “tangibles” when developing your estate
plan.
Itemizing can be a very important part of keeping family
harmony intact as your belongings are distributed amongst your family. Often
people simply state that their “tangibles” are to be divided in shares of equal
value amongst their children as they agree — and that may be sufficient.
However, there can be particular items of value — emotional,
sentimental, utilitarian, as well as those having financial worth — that may do
you well to specify their distribution to eliminate or reduce the possibility
for disagreement, conflict and stalemate.
One very important aspect of this process of itemizing is
conversation. The best outcomes for your estate administration in the future
are those discussions you have now. Find out who wants what and work out
overlaps for family treasures. You don’t need to itemize every little thing.
Itemize those tangibles that are meaningful to someone you are close to or that
serve some enduring purpose you want to support as part of your legacy.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
One example of such a seemingly easy distribution lies in
the estate of Audrey Hepburn, who left a storage locker in Los Angeles full of
her memorabilia to be divided equally between her two sons “as they agree.” But
they could not agree … for many years. In 2017, twenty-four years after her
death in 1993 at the age of 63, Audrey Hepburn’s two sons settled a two year
legal battle over dividing the possessions kept in that storage locker. The
settlement encompassed those items that each will keep, and those items that
they will sell and divide the profits. The famous Christie’s Auction house
expects that Hepburn’s photographs from this collection will sell for prices
ranging from $120 to $101,000.
About Ms. Hepburn, these highly prized memorabilia represent
this enduring icon not only of style, grace and beauty, but also of humanity. A
remarkable individual in the course of humankind, Audrey Hepburn was renowned
not only as an actress, but also as a philanthropist and UNICEF goodwill
ambassador.
Born in Ixelles, Belgium, in 1929, Ms. Hepburn was a child
of World War II. Of her own recounting, she was “among those who received food
and medical relief right after World War II;” she knew firsthand the value of
UNICEF’s work to aid children worldwide, dedicated to the proposition that “All
children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the
benefit of a better world.” Upon becoming a UNICEF ambassador in 1989 she went
on a mission to Ethiopia, a country devastated by famine due to years of civil
strife and famine. That was just the start. She worked tirelessly, to bring
attention to the plight of children in many countries, earning the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1992 for her work, spending the last years of her life as a
UNICEF ambassador though battling cancer.
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Episode XXX: Fong gets fishy, & Dolly’s ‘assets’ by Max Malone, Private Eye on 02/01/2019
Max, Jemma and Carlo walk out of a clapboard building with
Max looking as violated as a Thompson’s gazelle having a bad day on the
savannah. Jemma and Carlo are trying to suppress a laugh, with about as much
luck as that gazelle.
“What wrong mahn?” Carlo manages to ask through a losing
battle against a wide grin.
“That place could gag a maggot,” Max snarls.
“It’s just a fish processing plant,” Jemma offers, lips
caving in.
“Is that what you call it? I hate fish.”
“Good protein, mahn.”
“Yeah. I prefer my protein medium rare.”
Jemma and Carlo surrender to laughter. Max glares at them,
softens.
“I just hope that Chinaman and his sidekick hate the smell
as much as me. C’mon. There’s work to do.”
* * *
Max, Jemma, Carlo and MI6 operative Dolly Teagarden are huddled
in a local dive, surrounded by pirates, scoundrels and brigands – or so Max
imagines. They lean forward across the table, speaking in low register,
listening carefully, making pains not to look around suspiciously.
Dolly: “What makes you think his guards won’t just shoot
you?”
Max: “Well, Campanaro is lots of things, but stupid isn’t
one of them. He’ll want to know where Fong and the driver are, and, maybe, more
importantly, how to get his Lincoln back. Plus, he doesn’t want to lose me in
the counter-espionage caper. He’ll call off the dogs until he hears me out.” To
Carlo, “How many men you got?”
Carlo: “Seven good ones. More if you don’t need good.”
Carlo’s gold tooth glows through the gloomy surroundings.
Max looks at Jemma for confirmation. She nods. Max turns to
Dolly.
Dolly: “I got two assets flown in. They’ll be ready.”
Max: “You actually call them assets? I mean, I saw all three
Jason Bourne movies. Are you serious?”
Dolly nods affectionately at Max’s enduring sense of humor
despite the crisis that awaits. Carlo looks to Jemma for translation.
Jemma: “Is your news guy here, Max?” Max nods.
* * *
Sunrise in Grand Cayman. The sleek Lincoln is parked at the
top of the hill facing away from the Campanaro compound, beyond the range of
ordinary weapons. Nigel Best, editor and publisher of the Wildewood World,
stands next to the limo, arms folded across his chest, puffed up as much as his
140 pounds allows. Dolly is at his side, hip jutted out defiantly. There’s no
one else in sight, except for:
Max – who has ditched the island attire for his signature
suit and fedora – stalks resolutely down the hill toward the compound. Two
armed guards are at their posts on the roof of the villa, one more stands next
to Andy at the edge of the pool. Andy Campanaro’s eyes glint into the sun, a
hand gripping a glass of orange juice, his pernicious grin firmly in place.
“I’ll be damned,” Andy says to no one. “He’s got a pair.”
Max arrives. Andy flops casually into a poolside chair,
motions to his guard to lower his assault rifle.
“What makes me think our beautiful friendship has gone
adrift, old sport?” Andy says, in his unflinching manner.
“Maybe we never had one, old sport,” Max says with a mocking
snort.
“Have a seat anyway.”
Max doesn’t comply, keeping the sun at his back, with Andy
and the guard fighting the piercing Cayman sunlight.
“Let’s get to it, Andy,” Max says evenly, despite a clenched
jaw. “Your Chinaman and driver are all tied up at the moment. They’ve been
singing to MI6 agents. The containers on your boat are being ransacked.”
“Do they have an interest in farming?” Andy interrupts.
“Ahh. I should have been clearer. They’re going through the
containers on the Andromeda, not the Jamaican Star. It was part of Fong’s sea
chanty.”
Andy is able to maintain his expression, but he hoods his
eyes with his hand and his glance goes beyond Max toward the Lincoln.
“I don’t see much up there, Max old sport.”
Max looks up to the roof. “Look closer.”
Carlo and his pals are on the roof, both guards face down.
Dolly’s assets step from the villa into the pool area behind Andy and his
guard. They hear them, and start to turn.
“’Ello, ’Ello,” says an agent. “Don’t be too hasty there,
mate.”
Andy and his guard are looking down the barrels of a pair of
9-millimeter Glock 17s.
“Love those accents, don’t you?” Max says congenially.
After all, he is Max Malone, an American private eye.
|
| For the love of health by Taeler Butel on 02/01/2019
Food is my hobby and it shows. Making food healthier doesn’t
have to be a bummer. Think of nutrient rich food your body can use right now
and not store around your belly. Here are a few simple and scrumptious recipes
that are sneakily good for you.
Dry brined roasted chicken and vegetables
1 cut up chicken
4 T sea salt
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon pepper
1 T Italian seasoning
1 t smoked paprika
1 T each granulated onion and garlic
Veggies
2 med zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow or red onion quartered
1 small sweet potato peeled and sliced
Heat oven to 365. Mix together seasonings – set 1 t of
mixture aside. At least an hour before cooking, run seasoning all over chicken,
getting under skin if possible.
Lay veggies onto a tray, drizzle 1 T olive oil on them, add
the seasoning and toss. Roast 20 minutes at 365 degrees until browned and
tender.
Pour 1 T olive oil in large pan (I used large cast iron skillet),
place chicken pieces upside down, bake 40 minutes, turn over and bake top side
up another 20 minutes adding until skin is crispy - serve with roasted veggies.
Nutty Granola
4 cups rolled oats (not quick cook)
1 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanuts
1 T salt
1 t cinnamon
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Toss all ingredients except
cranberries in a large bowl. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray,
spread mixture into pan and bake, tossing every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes
or until brown and toasty. Cool!
Beef and Broccoli
Super quick and delicious, beef tenderloin is very lean and
packs a ton of protein! Serve over quinoa or wild rice if you need a starch.
1 lb sliced beef tenderloin
4 cups chopped broccoli
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves smashed
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 T corn starch
Heat a large wok or skillet, add oil and then add beef in
batches. Brown pieces on each side - remove from pan.
Add in broccoli, garlic and onion. Cook, tossing
occasionally until tender crisp, remove veggie mixture from pan, add in stock
mixed with corn starch and soy sauce. Let thicken (about a minute), add beef
and broccoli back to pan. Serve warm over your favorite rice or plain.
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
It’s a beautiful morning as you gather your camera and gear
to head out to take some beautiful landscape photos. You understand the
settings that you’ll need to get the proper exposure, in this case with a
fast-enough shutter to overcome the blur caused by the breeze that tosses the
flowers around in front of you. In the background is a view of Mount Hood on
the horizon. You allow the camera to set the focus by using one of the automatic
settings. Perhaps you focus on either the foreground or the background. Or, if
you are using manual focus, you use the age-old method learned from another
photographer, who learned it from his uncle who was a photographer, who learned
it from some guy named Ansel, and you focus a third of the way into the scene
and hope for the best.
Once you get home and download your photos you notice that
in some of the photos the foreground is out of focus and the background is in
perfect focus, while in others the foreground is sharp but the background is
out of focus. Some may be fine from front to back but you don’t know why or how
it happened.
In time, as you hone your photography skills, you will want
to understand how to focus properly and consistently. It’s something that is
hard to guess your way through or to accidentally discover. And once you figure
out that there’s a method, understanding it seems daunting but it’s rather
simple to understand if explained properly, so I’ll give it a try.
What you need to understand is something called hyperfocal
distance. By focusing your camera at the hyperfocal distance your photo will be
in acceptable focus from half that distance all the way to infinity. In other
words, if your hyperfocal distance is 20 feet everything will be in focus from
10 feet to infinity. In landscape photography especially, it allows you to
maximize your depth of field. Knowing this, in this example, we can then push
our depth of field out by focusing to 30 feet, 10 feet past your subject,
maximizing the depth of field.
Determining the hyperfocal distance for a particular focal
length and aperture combination can be tricky, but there are charts that you
can put in your billfold or camera case. There are also apps for your
smartphone that will help you calculate what it is for your particular camera,
focal length and aperture setting. Because of this I won’t go into the
complications of the mathematics involved in determining your hyperfocal
distance. With one of the variables being “The Circle of Confusion,” it would
be easier to explain a method that I use and that you can start using to
maximize your depth of field, resulting in a more accurate and consistent focus
in your photos.
Start by switching your lens to Manual. Turn off any kind of
vibration reduction if you’re using a tripod, leave it active if you’re hand
holding. Make sure to stop down, aiming for the lens “sweet spot,” an aperture
setting of roughly f/8-f/11. The sweet spot is the range of sharpest aperture
settings of your lens. It’s typically two full stops from your widest aperture
depending on the lens. Just make sure to stop down to increase your depth of
field.
Turn on your Live View screen and increase its magnification
and scroll the view to the closest spot that you want to be in focus in the
scene. Observe that area as you turn your lens focus ring to infinity, which
will slightly blur your foreground, and then focus back from infinity slowly
until your foreground object just comes into sharp focus then stop. Once you do
this you’ve moved your depth of field out as far as it can go while maintaining
focus at your foreground object. Using this method, you don’t need to know
distances to set your focus.
I should mention that there are times when hyperfocal
distance is not desired or necessary. Many forms of photography rely on a
shallow depth of field, such as portraiture or macro photography. In that case,
none of this is necessary, as having areas that lack focus is desired to direct
the viewer’s attention to the subject which is in focus.
Also, modern digital photography and computerized
post-processing allows a photographer to take multiple shots of a scene,
focusing from front to back, and then combine them to create a focus that is
sharp throughout the image. This method is called Focus Stacking, but in most
cases it’s unnecessary if you use the methods described in this article.
As in most cases when an instructor explains something, they
will always seem to take the long way. I know that I gave you the shortcut at
the end of a lengthy description, but as with any skill it’s more than doing,
it’s also about understanding. The more that we understand what we are doing,
the more we’re able to perfect how we do it. I hope that this rudimentary
explanation of hyperfocal distance helps you to take your photos one step
closer to perfection.
|
| Building relationships in Salem and beyond by Rep. Anna Williams on 01/01/2019
As the days get shorter and my to-do list gets longer, I
remind myself this is the season of service, rather than the season of
shopping. To that end, I have enjoyed spending my time this month getting to
know some of the elected officials who will become my colleagues in January.
December marked my first adventure into serving as your
State Representative. I was in Salem for Legislative Days and new member
training where I learned the rules for being a legislator from the Chief
Clerk’s office, got my office and parking space assigned and met with
constituents and lobbyists for the first time. It was a hectic and exciting
time.
In my conversations during Legislative Days, I heard from
people concerned about access to health care in rural communities, funding for
search and rescue operations in tourism destinations and about how climate
change will affect their businesses. I also visited with representatives of
survivors of sexual and domestic violence and students hoping to share their
visions for the future of Oregon’s education system.
The time was also important in building relationships with
my new colleagues. We shared photos of our family celebrations and got the
chance to talk about our communities. Getting to know my colleagues as people
first, before we discuss policy, ensures that we will be better able to find
solutions to our common problems.
I also travelled across the district to learn about the
issues I’ll work on in Salem. I met with the Port of Cascade Locks and the
administrator for the Bridge of the Gods and I learned about the pressing need
for a pedestrian and bike lane across the bridge. They generously provided a
tour of the important economic development and community-building projects in
the works.
I met with an advocacy group called One Gorge, which works
across state and party lines to meet the needs of the people, businesses and
environmental resources on both sides of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic
Area. We discussed the need for increased support for search and rescue
operations in the scenic area, as well as the process for replacing the Hood
River Bridge, a project that has been in process for nearly two decades.
I connected with Stan Pulliam, mayor-elect of Sandy,
multiple times. We discovered we have a lot in common and a host of shared
priorities for the people of Sandy. I am excited to partner with Mayor Pulliam
as well as Stephen Bates, a community leader in Boring, on a variety of
projects. We are ready to work together to support local businesses, improve
school funding, expand transportation options throughout Clackamas County and
ensure proper infrastructure is built to support the ongoing growth of Sandy
and the surrounding areas.
As we enter the final weeks of the holiday season and set
our sights on a new year, however you celebrate, I hope the holidays bring you
joy and connection to loved ones.
(Anna Williams is the representative-elect for House
District 52)
|
| MHGS: socially responsible corporations by on 01/01/2019
The way that business does business is changing. In a good
way. Businesses have always competed to get to the lowest common denominator –
selling products at the lowest price to produce the highest profits. But
companies are now leading the way to create benefits for the world in which
they operate, and often to save the environment. Where governance has given the
business sector free rein to do as it will, some companies are blazing trails
to set a new standard. And it’s paying off for those companies. Patagonia, a
company that produces outdoor gear, was one of the first companies to make us
stop and think about our consumption habits. In 2011, the company released a
full-page print advertisement detailing the environmental costs of its
bestselling sweater and asking customers to think twice before buying it. The
company responded to the demands of consumers who are also concerned for our
planet and want to act responsibly. The culture of overconsumption is one that
is driving environmental degradation and the company has asked that we change
our culture to one of responsible consumption. Patagonia also sells worn
clothing, hosts repair events and supports local environmental organizations.
As a result, it saw double digit growth annually over the past five years.
Another corporation that is setting a new standard is
Chipotle, the Mexican food chain that serves “Food With Integrity,” which
includes using fresh foods free of artificial flavors or preservatives,
sourcing meat that has been responsibly raised and eliminating genetically
modified ingredients from its products. International corporations like
Starbucks are also realizing increased profits from policies such as
sustainable coffee, greener retail spaces, employee programs and community
service.
Socially responsible corporations will be the drivers of our
new culture where customers whose values align with those companies will boost
sales. We know the things that are bad for our bodies, our health and our
environment, but we often don’t have healthy and affordable alternatives. Those
companies that are presenting us with options are the ones that will see the
greatest growth in the future.
Besides resource and environmental protection, companies
with socially responsible polices benefit from being role models for others,
enjoy a better reputation and customer loyalty from grateful consumers who see
that they benefit from an improved standard of living. The philanthropy that
businesses give will benefit their bottom line through tax benefits, of course.
But the benefits to both the businesses and the society at large will be
immense as other businesses take on the mantle of sustainability.
We as individuals can support companies that are socially
and environmentally responsible. We can choose how our money is used. As
consumers, we can save money and support the companies that produce the best
quality goods that will last longest so that we don’t have to replace them as
often. We can buy from companies that have socially responsible programs. And
we can invest wisely. Often our money is tied up in pension plans and
retirement savings accounts. At a previous job, I tried to find out where my
401K fund was invested, but no one could tell me. I knew that it was being used
to fund business whose values did not line up with my values and I felt that
there was nothing I could do about it.
Instead, I moved my savings to a brokerage firm and into a
different type of retirement account where I can choose that it be invested in
socially responsible stocks. Those provide funding for companies that invest in
environmental stewardship, consumer protection and human rights. It doesn’t
mean that we are sacrificing profits. On the contrary, while some companies are
treading water in a poor economy, socially responsible companies are thriving.
And I can feel better knowing that I’m helping to make a difference.
|
| Episode XXIX - ‘Ahh, Mahn, We Do That’ by Max Malone, Private Eye on 01/01/2019
Weeks passed as Max battled to maintain a few drops of
sweaty sanity through the endless days of sameness. The island weather was
taking its toll on the Wildewood private eye. His skin had sprung more leaks
than the Minnow on a three-hour cruise. The rattle of palm fronds in the wind
were beginning to sound like the clatter of lunchtime false teeth at the
sanitarium.
He longed for an afternoon of whispering wind in the cedar
trees around his mountain cabin.
Then there was the music. Max had nothing against the
rustling of reggae that drifted in the heavy air of the Caymans – except for
the fact that it was so infuriatingly jolly. He needed a good dose of Sinatra
melancholy – some “the place is all empty, ’cept you and me.”
And then there was his job. It was a chore just to keep up
with the information that flowed between Campanaro’s camp and Dolly’s diary –
information that Max was entirely in charge of. Did this make him a foreign
agent? Or a double-agent? Or, was there such a thing as a triple agent? Max qualified,
or failed to qualify, on all these fronts of foreign espionage. Campanaro fed
him false information that he was supposed to provide to MI6 operative Dolly
Teagarden. She in turn would reverse engineer the info then let Max know
exactly what she wasn’t doing about it. Max would return that misinformation
back to Campanaro.
Miraculously, Max kept both sides informed, misinformed, and
oddly pleased.
But that was just Max’s cover. He had his own agenda:
keeping Jemma company after the attack from Mr. Fong – the wicked fixer of
Campanaro’s – and fashioning his revenge on the churlish Chinaman.
And it would be an added and well-earned bonus if he could
pick up the juicy payment from Campanaro.
Max kept a “private eye” out for the habits of Mr. Fong and
his observations paid off. Campanaro’s muscle made trips into town twice a
week, always on Sunday and one other random day, returned the same night, and
was chauffeured by the mustachioed sidekick that had driven Max a couple times,
and was doubtlessly the second dark shadow the night of Max’s capture and
Jemma’s unwarranted assault.
* * *
The proper Sunday arrived. Max spent the day squirming in a
poolside chair, listening to Campanaro wax on about arms deals, drug running,
money laundering, all in an “aw shucks” tone that, except for the subject
matter, could have doubled for Andy Griffith explaining the heartwarming art of
fishing to an adoring Opie.
But Max was no Opie. And right on schedule, Mr. Fong and his
driver folded into the Lincoln Continental and drove off.
After two more hours of Campanaro: “I’ll be going, Andy,”
Max said, releasing himself from the agony of the poolside chair, and glancing
at his watch. “I have to see the Brit in about an hour.” He took a couple
steps, had his rhythm interrupted by a woman poured perfectly into a bikini,
sporting come-hither golden hair. “I’ll stay in town tonight.”
Campanaro nodded, but not in Max’s direction, whose
departing figure had been eclipsed by Germanic effulgence.
Max walked along the nearly endless driveway toward the
motorway where he could hail a taxi. His stroll was not an idle exercise as he
wandered on and off the drive, poking his head here and there in the tangle of
Cayman underbrush and fallen fronds.
* * *
The headlights of the Lincoln searched the darkness as it
moved along the driveway, made a turn, and came to an abrupt halt. Limbs,
trunks and palm tree leftovers were strewn across the road. Mr. Fong and his
driver got out, the Chinaman going immediately to his shoulder holster and
removing his piece. They were greeted by three island men who stepped into the
headlights, each dangling a machete from one hand.
“Do you know what you are doing, idiots,” Fong growled. It
was not a question.
“Ahh, mahn, we do that,” Carlo responded through a broad
Jamaican smile with a voice rooted in the music of the islands.
Fong brought his pistol into position. A man stepped out of
the shadows and clicked back the hammer on a revolver as its barrel came to
rest in the back of Fong’s head.
After all, despite the island attire and borrowed revolver,
he is still Max Malone, private eye.
|
| Having the will not to procrastinate by Paula Walker on 01/01/2019
A quick Google search serves up ‘195’ for the number of
countries or nations there are in the world. I will add to that one more that I
think all of us, at some time or another, are members of … the “procrasta –
nation.”
As we round another year, reminding ourselves to enter a “9”
instead of an “8” as we date our checks in this first month of the new year,
many of us become temporarily preoccupied with the anniversary ritual of New
Year’s resolutions. One worth considering in the many that are worthwhile is
creating or reviewing your estate plan.
Whether based on a Trust or a Will, a comprehensive estate
plan consists of a set of documents that transfer your possessions in an
orderly manner according to your directions upon your passing and carries out
your preferences for care and financial stability should you have a time of
incapacity while you are living. It identifies those who you trust and rely on
to perform those duties and gives them solid direction in fulfilling your
desires according to what’s important to you.
What to review? Just as Santa has his list and is “checking
it twice,” here is a checklist of some of the items to review if you have an
estate plan. Have there been major changes in your life or in law that warrant
changes in your estate plan: a birth, a death, a remarriage, a divorce, a shift
in wealth, a move to another state, a change in federal tax law?
Why create an estate plan? If you don’t already have an
estate plan here are a few reasons why you might be motivated to do so.
1) To keep your wealth for you and those you want to benefit
- and don’t, by lack of action, feed the state coffers. The federal estate tax
threshold is so high it is beyond the concern of most of us, though we may wish
we were in the category to have such concerns. However, our wonderful state
(and it is) of Oregon has an estate tax threshold that can concern many of us.
2) To take care of you. A comprehensive estate plan includes
those documents in which you appoint someone you know and trust to take care of
your finances, manage your daily affairs and assist with health issues when you
cannot do so for yourself. Better you choose than the court because there is a
void that needs to be filled.
3) To reduce the cost and the hassle of leaving yourself or
your possessions to the state to decide what’s to be done. In the case of
healthcare arrangements for instance or probate by intestacy, not only does
leaving it to the court expose you to “who knows who” to manage your most
personal affairs, it’s a lengthy, costly process for the court to intervene in
these regards.
4) To take care of your little ones. One of the most
important reasons for a young family to create an estate plan is to name a
guardian for your children. Should that ever be needed you don’t want to leave
it to the state to decide to whom they should be entrusted.
5) And what about that furry companion? What happens to them
when you cannot see to their care? An estate plan ensures for their well being
too.
Whether you simply want to be better organized about your
own affairs in general or want to leave your loved ones one of the greatest
gifts you can give – and I’m not talking here about your wealth in finances and
belongings but about guidance in trying times – preparing an estate plan is
worth your action.
Who benefits from you making good on this New Year’s
resolution? Ultimately you … and those you love, be they two legged,
four-legged, finned or feathered, or the more ideological purpose of supporting
a cause you believe in, because it is about your gift to life and not just your
wealth but your legacy.
That is why this is one New Year’s resolution worth your
time to complete.
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Living in The Blue Zone and some lessons on lifestyle by Victoria Larson on 01/01/2019
If you are the type who likes resolutions, pick something
very specific like quitting smoking or drinking more water. If you’ve got those
basics covered let’s go for a refinement of changes. But where to start...
Health and longevity are admirable goals. Years ago, people
researching these goals found that there were five places on God’s green earth
where people routinely lived the longest and were the healthiest. These regions
were circled on maps and the globe by the researchers.
They used blue pen and henceforth these areas were known as
The Blue Zones. They were areas found to have less arthritis, cancer, diabetes
and heart disease! Areas where the citizens lived into the later years, and
without Alzheimer’s!
These five locations were Greece, Japan, Sardinia (Italy),
the town of Loma Linda, Calif. and Costa Rica. Locations any one of us would
probably be happy to live in. And live a long time. But what exactly did the
people of these five locations, The Blue Zones, do to extend their lives. What
do they all have in common? What are we in the United States missing?
In all of the five locations, movement, not necessarily
exercise per se, was the daily norm. As well, these people had some purpose in
life. And in all five locations people were faith, family and community
oriented.
They knew how to rest once in a while, from daily to weekly
to yearly. And followed the 80 percent rule of healthy living most of the time
while still allowing for celebrations without guilt. The eating habits of all
five locations is mostly plant-based.
There will be more about the individuals living in The Blue
Zones in future columns. For now, suffice it to say that in none of these
locations did anyone resort to strict exercise regimes, they just moved, a lot.
(Do I hear a ‘yeah” out there?) Though admittedly, there are no garage door
openers (and few cars) or microwaves (most food was prepared over wood fires)
or junk food (most people grew or foraged for food), with the possible
exception of the California location. All the other four locations are in
countries we Americans tend to think of as “foreign”.
These lifestyles don’t mean you have to give up everything
you’ve become used to in life. But going for the 80 percent rule would be a
good place to start. All areas of Blue Zones are little meat, but sometimes
eggs, dairy, fish and always beans for protein.
Many in these locations drank one-to-two glasses of wine and
even coffee. All drank plenty of water though. So, we are going to do some
refinement changes, nothing totally drastic.
With the exception of Loma Linda, Calif., most of these
zones don’t even have supermarkets like we have. Ours are filled with
undesirable, factory-made, over-packaged foodstuffs! One percent of all Seventh
Day Adventists live in Loma Linda. They eat a very Biblical diet of fruits,
grains, nuts and vegetables. While discouraging the use of alcohol or coffee,
some may have small amounts of eggs, dairy and meat. Like the Amish, Adventists
have (or should have) what’s known as “sanctuary time” where time is spent
avoiding distractions such as movies and television. Instead they take long
walks and visit with friends. Many religions observe “sanctuary time” in their
own fashion.
All the Blue Zones evidence decreased calories, some by
eating only two meals a day, all by increasing fiber, eating in season, no junk
food and daily walking or biking or even dancing. Drinking plenty of water and
eating high fiber will automatically decrease calories by filling you with high
quality nutrition. If half of your food intake is beans and vegetables, you’ll
never be hungry!
Regrettably, the Japanese consumption of plant foods went
from 82 percent of the diet in 1950 down to 48 percent before 1990. Though
still eating little salt or sugar, “the diseases of affluence” are infiltrating
this (all?) countries.
Each of The Blue Zone world locations has something
wonderful to be gleaned. Each has an outstanding result to be considered; from
the Mediterranean diet to the area with the longest living females, or the
longest living males, to Biblical and historical diets.
Each of these areas of The Blue Zones will be reviewed in
future columns, but for now I’ll see you in the produce department or gleaning
for fallen fruits in your yard.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall
As the Mama’s and The Papa’s once
sang, “All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey.” But that shouldn’t stop
you from taking a walk on a winter’s day. And while you’re at it, don’t think
that photography season has passed. I can think of at least six reasons why
winter is a great time for photography.
The first reason that comes to mind concerns the weather.
The common thought about photography in the weather would be that it’s a
terrible time to go due to the grey skies, rain or snow. It is commonly
believed, especially among non-photographers, that the Summertime is the best
time for photos. Although the Summer weather is a great time to be in the
outdoors it may not be the best time to make beautiful photos - especially
photos of dramatic light and skies. A clear blue sky is beautiful in a photo,
but there can be a lot of negative space to try to fill, whereas a grey,
dramatic cloudy sky can add texture and drama to the scene.
Rain can help a scene as well, especially a forested creek
or a waterfall. The rain wets the foliage that may still be in the forest,
including moss and evergreen trees. When the foliage is wet, I like to apply a
circular polarizer to my lens and turn it until the shine and glare that’s on
the leaves and rocks, which is a reflection of the sky and ambient light,
disappear, which will in turn bring out the color of the forest.
Don’t hesitate to go out and photograph in the snow. The
snow can make some great photos, especially fresh snow. A bluebird day and
fresh snow will bring clear views of the horizon and any geographic features
such as a mountain into view.
Wintertime is the best time for beautiful sunrises. Winter
skies and rainstorms can, at times, clear or partially clear at night and
during daybreak only to succumb to a completely overcast or stormy sky soon
after sunrise. I always try to go to bed early, set my alarm and head out to a
view to try to witness a sunrise.
Winter forest scenes can be dramatic as well as artistic.
The lack of foliage leaves the forest with a clear view through tree trucks and
bushes. Many times, a view of a scene such as a creek, waterfall or view into
the distance is exposed in the winter when it’s obscured by foliage in the
summer. Also, with the tree trunks exposed, creative abstract landscape scenes
can be found.
Summertime weather, sun and no rain, leaves the streams and
waterfalls dry or with a limited flow but the rains of winter fill these
streams with water. With rain comes renewed growth of the moss around these
streams and waterfalls as well. Winter can be a great time to photograph them.
And don’t hesitate to arrive after a fresh snow to photograph them in the
winter white forest. I enjoy photographing streams and waterfalls in the
winter.
Winter weather will also filter out a lot of fair-weather
photographers too. Not all will dare to go out to get those unique winter
photos. This leaves you with more room to work at a location. Fewer people in a
photograph will allow you to concentrate on your subject better, no matter if
you’re photographing a landscape or a portrait shoot in a park.
Then there are the holidays. The winter season offers
holidays that will traditionally bring families together for family events and
get togethers. Don’t let these times with family pass without documenting them
with a photograph. A lot of times, in this busy day and age, we are so
distracted by our personal day to day routine that these holidays are the only
times throughout the year when family can be gathered together in one place.
Take advantage of that time to gather images for posterity.
As you can see the winter season is no time to set your
camera aside. There are plenty of reasons to look at winter as another time of
the year to get beautiful photos.
|
| New House District 52 Representative heads to Salem in January by Rep. Anna Williams on 12/01/2018
As your newly-elected State Representative, I get the
privilege of writing a regular column in the Mountain Times. This first
edition, I will introduce myself and my priorities. As the session starts, I
will share updates from the State House, my thoughts on our district and
responses to your inquiries. I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to
serve you as your Representative in Salem.
I am an academic adviser, social worker, mother of two boys
and wife of a high-school math teacher. I have been raising my family in this
part of Oregon we call home for just over a decade. A wise man once told me
that the best way to feel successful in life is to find a place you love and
then do everything you can to make it better. I have followed that advice
earnestly, and the results so far have not been disappointing.
I love this district, and I will do all I can to make it the
best it can be for all of us who live here. I am honored to have been elected
as your State Representative for House District 52 in the mid-term election. I
am ready to get to work to make HD 52 better for everyone who lives here.
I will do my best to keep in touch with you. One way I will
do that is to write this regular column in the Mountain Times to inform you of
my work in the Legislature, and to provide updates on what is happening in
Salem that will affect people in Sandy and the Hoodland/Mountain community. I
will be sworn in as a State Representative on Jan. 14 in Salem, and the Session
will officially begin on Jan. 22. At that time, I will focus my time and energy
on serving the people of House District 52, bringing a rural progressive lens
to the committees to which I am assigned, and working with you (my
constituents) to resolve your concerns and challenges with navigating
governmental systems.
One of my major goals for my freshman term is to be in
regular contact with each of the communities in the district. I met with
thousands of you during my campaign, but I want to continue to meet and listen
to you so I can best serve the community.
I will only know how you feel about something if you let me
know about it. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we do have to respect
one another as neighbors and equals. Please feel free to invite me to your
local forums, community meetings and events. I will do my best to attend as
many of these as I can. I have yet to receive my legislative contact
information, so for now you can get a hold of me at
anna@friendsofannawilliams.com or you can email my Chief of Staff, Adam Rice,
at adam@friendsofannawilliams.com.
My priorities in the Legislature will be to expand access to
healthcare for all Oregonians, ensure our children get the education they deserve,
protect the environment, and to make sure that the legislation passed in Salem
works well for the diverse and varied people who make up the communities I now
represent.
As I take the oath of office and begin working as your
Representative, I will learn more about how these values can take shape in the
legislature. Until then, thank you for trusting me to stand for you in Salem. I
am honored to be the Representative for House District 52. I will do my best to
serve you, protect the beautiful place we call home and all the things that
make it special, and be a Representative you can be proud of.
Thank you.
(Anna Williams is the representative-elect for House
District 52)
|
| MHGS: recycling construction materials by on 12/01/2018
I sprained my ankle last week, walking where admittedly I
had no business walking. It was a construction site where the grounds were
being prepared for development. There were big piles of gravel and sand. As I
walked along, I realized that the gravel I was walking on wasn’t the type of
gravel I’m used to seeing. It was, in fact, broken up concrete.
Instead of breaking up the rocks to make smaller pieces,
this was gravel made of aggregate of rocks that had been broken up into smaller
pieces. Instead of quarrying more rock, this was a way of re-using what has
already been quarried.
While nursing my swollen and purple ankle, I thought of ways
that we dispose of construction materials. When we demolish an existing
building or tear up a road, used materials are generally taken to a landfill.
But much of that material is of good quality or can be
repurposed. Old concrete can be recycled into aggregates and used in many civil
engineering applications, including road pavement materials, sub-basements,
soil stabilization, and the production of new concrete.
Re-using or recycling building materials is not a new
concept. In Portland, Hippo Hardware, the Re-Building Center and Habitat for
Humanity are all long-time institutions that re-use building components. There
is a difference between disassembling and demolishing a home. It is only
recently that architects, builders and some clever entrepreneurs have been
finding new and inventive ways to sustainably recycle construction materials
from deconstructing buildings rather than demolishing them. Materials such as
the concrete.
Concrete is the most widely used building material in the
world. That means that when we demolish buildings to make way for new ones,
there’s that much concrete to dispose of. When we dispose of concrete, it uses
up landfill space. But when we recycle, it cuts down on greenhouse gases that are
created in the production of virgin concrete. Recycling also cuts down on the
cost of transportation. Best of all, it is less expensive to produce. A win-win
all around!
If you are doing a remodel, consider taking your concrete to
one of several recyclers in the area. Many will also take masonry, bricks,
asphalt shingles, glass or rock. And if you are building, look for recycled
concrete. Not only will you do something nice for your wallet, you’ll do
something nice for the planet.
Another construction material that can be recycled is gypsum
from drywall or sheetrock. According to one Oregon recycler, Knez Building
Materials, “Every year, manufacturers produce a total of 80 million tons of
drywall supplies – and 15 million tons of drywall waste ends up in the
landfill. In the US and in Europe, drywall waste that is disposed of in
landfills has allegedly created a dangerous Hydrogen Sulfide Gas (H2S). In high
concentrations, hydrogen sulfide can be lethal. Although drywall waste itself
is not dangerous, when mixed with organic waste and exposed to rain in an
anaerobic environment, hydrogen sulfide gasses can begin to develop.”
As with concrete, recycling the gypsum from drywall can
reduce the amount of quarrying to produce, as well as the other ingredients used
to make it such as black alkali, lactic acid and aluminum. It also cuts down on
the energy used to produce virgin gypsum. Another local recycler, American
Gypsum Recycling, uses the drywall materials for agricultural soil
applications.
The future of downstream materials handling for all types of
construction materials – everything from carpet pads to thermostats--is bright.
It is an industry that is just taking off, with the possibility of much future
expansion. To get more information on how to recycle your building materials,
look online for Metro’s 2018-2019 Construction Salvage and Recycling Toolkit.
You can find it at
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-working/guide-construction-salvage-and-recycling.
|
| Pouring over a pour-over will by Paula Walker on 12/01/2018
We all know the basic idea of a will, that testamentary
document that directs the distribution of your belongings after your death, so
why the term “pour-over will,” and how is it used, and how does it work in
Oregon?
A pour-over will is also a testamentary document that
accompanies the revocable living trust. In creating your trust based estate
plan, the pour over will is the ‘fail safe’ component. It covers assets that
you forget or omit to put into or assign to your trust. That is to say that, a
revocable living trust must be what is called “funded,” i.e. you must associate
all your assets to the trust to get the benefit of avoiding probate, one of the
many motivations for creating a trust based estate plan.
For those assets that you leave out of your trust, the pour
over will is the means by which those assets are handled.
In many states pour over is true to its obvious wording, the
assets not in the trust, are “poured over” into the trust as was the intent of
the trust maker in creating the trust in the first place, i.e. that all their
assets would be covered by the trust. In many states you, the person
administering the estate, petitions the court to approve that intent for assets
not in the trust, and with that approval proceed to administer the entire
estate, all assets, according to the terms of the trust. But not exactly so in
Oregon.
In Oregon the pour over will does not so much pour the
outlier assets into the trust but instead circumscribes the scope of probate.
All assets in the trust are handled by the trust itself, avoiding probate for
those assets. All assets not in the trust go through probate. In that second
prong then, the determination becomes whether the value of those left out
assets warrants a full probate proceeding or a small probate proceeding, a
matter of the level of time, cost and complexity of probate incurred.
In either case, whether a state that allows a true “pour
over,” or a state like Oregon that limits the scope of probate according to the
value of the assets left out of the trust, the purpose of the pour over will in
creating a trust based estate plan is, and should be, vestigial, i.e. something
that was once larger and with an important purpose that is now smaller or non
existent and of no real use.
More to come on the many terms and concepts that this
article introduced.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
The point of the pour over will, whether used or vestigial —
as with many aspects of a carefully considered estate plan — is to have a plan
… the loving, considerate act of leaving your family and loved ones with a
solid course of action to follow and execute legally when you are gone.
Unlike the “Stories of the Stars…” that abound, of the
absence of such a plan by some well-known personage, that leave in the wake of
their sudden or not so sudden death confusion at best and more often
embittered, long running battles that waste the bounty that could otherwise
have benefited their family, friends, and philanthropic goals.
Recent examples: Prince… now nearly two years since his
untimely death without even the most basic will in place creating a muddled
mess that has to date benefited no potential heirs but has cost the estate so
far $6 million in attorney and advisor fees. Aretha Franklin with an estate
valued at $80 million died this past August without a will, leaving four sons
to sort out the bramble of legal requirements and claims aplenty you can be
sure. As the legal system recognizes her sons initially only as “interested
parties” and Aretha’s niece petitioned the court to be assigned personal
representative for the estate it appears the ingredients of drama possibly
fomenting.
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Episode XXVIII: Mutiny on a Cayman Island by Max Malone, Private Eye on 12/01/2018
When Max Malone climbed into the lime-green sedan, driven by
a mustachioed Andy Campanaro boot-licker, he was plotting his course like a
resolute Fletcher Christian no longer able to suffer the tyranny of Captain
Bligh.
But much like the fate of a moody Fletcher Christian, dark
clouds were on the horizon.
As he bumped along the palm tree dotted road away from the
island villa of Campanaro’s, Max squinted into the sunlight and gathered his
thoughts:
Cashing in on Campanaro was not his highest priority, he
mused. Although it would be a welcome reward. More importantly, there was the
world view that had to be taken into account, even though he had dedicated most
of his life to not being tangled in such nefarious affairs – save for a few
days handcuffed to a radiator in France, but his mind stopped its wander and
snapped back to the moment. He had to work with MI6 and the redoubtable Dolly
Teagarden in order to thwart the Campanaro shipment of arms from the island if,
for no other reasons, that it might bring down the demonic arms dealer, the
issue of the remains of three dead men at the inferno once called the Stardust
Lodge, and it seemed like the right thing to do.
Max lurched back to reality when the free ride came abruptly
to a halt on the edge of George Town, the capital and site of Jemma’s place and
the hospital where he was repaired. Max walked along, pulled his island shirt
away from his sweaty shoulders, cursed the clammy tropical weather, passed
fruit and vegetable stands, a furniture store that seemed not long for this
world, a shop selling turtles (big ones) complete with all sorts of turtle
products (don’t ask).
The urban nature of George Town surrendered to neighborhoods
clinging to the island like egrets tottering on the backs of grazing cattle –
which led him to Jemma’s place.
First, Max noticed what wasn’t there. There was no music. No
children playing. In fact, no anything, save for a few faces stealing glances
at him from inside their huts. Cautiously, Max knocked at Jemma’s door.
Nothing. He stepped silently into the darkened cottage.
The Rasty musician sat on the floor next to Jemma’s bed. His
eyes rose to meet Max in a most unfriendly way. Jemma was tucked into bed. She
didn’t bother to budge.
“What’s happened?” Max whispered, approached the bed.
The Rasty stood up. “You not welcome here no more, mahn,” he
said defiantly.
Max stopped at the bed, close to her protector. “Well, I’m
here.” And he bent over Jemma, nudging the Rasty aside, somehow softly and
seriously at the same time.
“What happened Jemma?” he asked, already assuming the
answer.
Jemma opened one eye, the other too swollen and bruised to
participate. She touched Max’s hand lightly with her fingertips. “Too much,
Max,” she managed over a cut lip. “Too much,” her voice as distant as a
forgotten foghorn.
Max looked back at the Rasty. “Big Chinese guy?”
The Rasty nodded. “You were knocked out, mahn. They drag you
away to a car, then do this,” turning his glance to Jemma.
Max’s blood boiled, but he didn’t let it spill over. Not
yet. He bent down to a knee and held Jemma’s hand. “Is there anything else
broken?” he asked the Rasty with a look over his shoulder.
“Don’t think so mahn. Jemma said no. She a nurse,” he
shrugged.
Max looked apologetically down at Jemma. She held his glance
for a moment, then closed her painful eyes.
“English woman came for you,” the Rasty said.
“Yeah,” Max responded with no enthusiasm. Then, to Jemma:
“I’ll fix this. I promise. I’ll fix this.”
Jemma looked away. Max stood. “Can you take care of her for
now?”
“Yes, mahn. Carlo take care.”
“Thanks Carlo.”
Max turned slowly, exited the hut, shamed by the sudden
sunlight.
He knew he had to contact Dolly Teagarden. He knew he had to
string Andy Campanaro along. He knew he could not be distracted by the
possibility of a big payday. And he knew he had a date with a big Chinese guy.
The kind of date Mr. Fong would never forget.
After all, he is Max Malone, private eye, with enough anger
to satisfy a scurvy-ridden survivor of Pitcairn Island.
|
| Gifts from the kitchen by Taeler Butel on 12/01/2018
Time to have fun and create, some of my favorite gifts are
found in a jar!
Pickled Carrots
7 medium carrots cut into 1/4” spears
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
3 t sea salt
1 teaspoon each caraway seeds and black pepper
Sprigs of rosemary
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and
boil for about 5 minutes. Place the carrots and rosemary into small jars.
Make the brine by combining the vinegar, water, sugar, salt,
caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil.
Pour the hot brine into the jars with the pickles and let
cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Panettone
This is a buttery, yeasty seasonal bread with dried fruits
it is good enough to give! Choose the traditional way or add your own take with
different fruits.
1/2 cup whole milk, warm
1 package dried yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup softened unsalted butter
5 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
2 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 t sea salt
1/4 cup currants
3 T rum
For the icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T cream
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup candied lemon and orange peel, finely chopped.
Panettone cake pan or 20 cm deep cake pan.
Grease a Panettone pan with softened butter. Place the warm
milk in a bowl and add the yeast and sugar. Mix well and let yeast get frothy,
about five minutes.
In a large bowl with a mixer beat together the butter and
vanilla extract until light and creamy. Add lemon and orange zest. Add the eggs
a little at a time until all are well incorporated.
Place the flour in a large bowl and mix with a pinch of salt
and make a well. Add the yeast mixture, then the butter and egg mixture,
folding in with a large spoon to make a soft dough.
Knead for five minutes in the bowl until the mixture starts
to come together. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a further
ten minutes, until you get a soft, stretchy dough. Add a light sprinkling of
flour to the surface and your hands as you go to stop the mixture from
sticking.
Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap;
keep in a warm place for two hours or until doubled.
Place the currants in a small saucepan with the rum and heat
on low for about five minutes or until the fruit has absorbed the liquid; set
aside to cool.
When the dough is risen, tip it out onto a lightly floured
surface and knead for another five minutes. Gradually knead in the soaked
raisins and chopped candied peel. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into the
prepared Panettone pan. If using a wrap layer of baking parchment around the
inside of the pan, place it to come up about a few inches above the rim and
secure the paper with string. This will help contain the dough as it rises.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and leave to rise for
another hour until it has risen to the top of the pan or paper.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the Panettone in the
oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden and risen. Insert a skewer into
the middle of the cake to test if done.
Leave to cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out
onto a cooling rack.
Leave to cool, mix and drizzle icing on Panettone.
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
| Handy herbal helpers to stay healthy for the holidays by Victoria Larson on 12/01/2018
The holidays bring us so much, in many cases more than we
need. Yet each of the winter holidays can deepen the meaning of our lives. We
can venture away from the frazzle-dazzle of holidays.
But if you succumb to the frazzle-dazzle of “shop ‘til you
drop,” treat yourself. If your feet are dog-tired (pun intended) then treat
yourself to a soothing footbath as soon as you can get those swollen feet out
of those shoes. To refresh worn out tootsie-toes use a handful of fresh herbs,
or 1/4 cup of dried if no fresh herbs available. Using a dishpan or large
bucket, throw in some salt and water. To refresh feet, use any or all of the
following: bay leaves (those old ones in the cupboard?), lavender, marjoram,
sage and thyme. Add vinegar if your feet itch.
If your feet feel cold, try this before bed to warm up. Make
a footbath of bruised black mustard seeds (available at Asian or East Indian
markets). But don’t make things any more complicated during this busy season.
Just leave herbs or seeds loose in the footbath. When removing them, simply
pour out over your outside plants to replenish the earth.
For a Fizzy Fun Footbath use 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2
cup of cream of tartar (it needs to be used up somehow, right?), add some sage
leaves and 5-6 drops of peppermint essential oil. This will fizz those frazzled
feet for a few minutes. Soak feet for at least ten minutes and feel the tickle.
If you’ve been overdoing the holiday season you may need to
stave off a cold or the flu. If you don’t feel like going out use up whatever
you have at home instead of running off to the pharmacy for industrial remedies.
You’ll not only feel better, you’ll be saving gas and therefore the
environment. Boil some eucalyptus or peppermint leaves in water. Then remove
from heat, put a towel over your head and the pan of steaming water with herbs.
Being careful to not burn yourself, lean over and breathe deeply. If you have a
cold or the flu, brew up some teas: lemon and ginger for cold, flu and
digestive upsets; sage and thyme for coughs and flu.
Compresses work well on sore throats. Soak a clean cotton
cloth in hot brewed tea (eucalyptus, peppermint or sage) and place over your
throat and chest, being careful to not burn yourself or your “patient.” Cover
the towel with plastic wrap, another towel and a hot water bottle. Remove when
cooled and replace with another warmed hot water bottle.
The use of sage during the holidays is well-known with our
American Thanksgiving meal. But did you know that sage leaves were a sacred
herb in Roman times? Sage was used in ceremony, as a medicinal and a culinary
herb. It is also a wonderful plant to attract pollinators.
Sage wands are still used to dispel not only animal and
cooking smells but also bad juju. Sage purifies the air. Large leaves of basil
or sage can be made into fritters by dipping into a batter of flour and beaten
egg and frying in olive oil.
If you get outside in time you may still be able to harvest
the last of the herbs in your garden. Dry them in bundles held together with
rubber bands or paper bags so they won’t fall all over the floor. Bundles of
herbs such as lavender or rosemary can be placed among linens or clothing. Or
stuff some herbs into baby socks tied with ribbons and use as dryer sheets! You
or your children could make tea cozies or pot holders by placing herbs between
the layers before sewing them together. Lovely gifts that release their scent
when warmed by use.
I was thrilled to find a three-foot bay tree among the
arborvitaes that surround two sides of my new-to-me 1925 home. Bay laurel
(Laurus nobilis) was growing wild in the Mediterranean region in Biblical
times. The will often survive our relatively mild northwest winters.
Bay trees are evergreen and consistently successful, so bay
was used by athletes, poets and priests. Wearing a wreath of bay was a mark of
distinction. A door wreath of bay was said to dispel sickness and even protect
from lightening. The leaves are most potent when used fresh or dried slowly.
A terrific herb to use for warming in the wintertime is
curry. Curry is actually a blend of several spices and can range from mild to
sweet to fiery! It is always best made fresh (as is most everything). Here’s a
good recipe to try: 2Tbsp each of cumin seed, coriander seeds, black
peppercorns and cardamom seed; 1 Tbsp each of caraway and fennel seed; 1 three
inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces; and 1 tsp whole cloves (not ground).
Toast the herbs in a heavy skillet, without any oil, for 8-10 minutes.
Spices will turn darker and be very fragrant. Cool
completely before grinding in a blender or spice grinder in small batches.
Store in a dry place. To use this delicious and good for you curry blend, just
sauté leftovers and top with any combination of almonds, apples, celery,
coconut or raisins and serve over rice. Yum!
Adding turmeric to your curry mixture will be delicious and
very healthful (much more healthful than capsules). Turmeric is better utilized
by the body if heated. Turmeric is a rhizome grown easily in tropical areas of
the world such as India and South America. Difficult in our area unless you
have a tropical greenhouse.
Turmeric is good for digestion, liver problems, lowering
cholesterol and decreasing Alzheimer’s disease. And it’s a food, so side
effects are less likely. You can add it to curry or on its own to dips, eggs,
rice, salads, stuffing or teas. Try Golden Milk: use any kind of milk heated
with turmeric and a little honey if desired.
For gaining the “holiday spirit” try making “Bishops’ Wine.”
To two quarts of cider add four cinnamon sticks, six cloves, one orange
unpeeled but cut into quarters, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and two quarts of port.
This recipe comes from Adelma Simmons, herbalist
extraordinaire. As an aspiring herbalist I went to hear speak at an herbal
gathering in 1997. Alas, she couldn’t attend due to an upper respiratory
infection making travel from Connecticut too difficult.
She died not long after that and it is my longtime sorrow
that I never met her. Her writings are legend. Now I have many more herbalist
friends who’ve written wonderful books if you’d like to immerse yourself in
herbs – Lesley Bremness, Stephen Foster, Deborah Francis, Jill Stansbury,
Sharol Tilgner and many more. Have fun discovering the world of herbs.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
Autumn has arrived here around Mount Hood. This is one of my
favorite seasons. As of this writing the leaves are prime all around the
mountain. The vine maples and the broad leaf maples are blazing. Even the moss
illuminates in the light.
When I grew up my family loved to pack a lunch, load up the
car and take Fall Leaf Sunday Drives. It’s something that I still love to do,
and so my wife Darlene and I hopped in the car and went for an incredible drive
looking for colorful fall leaves the other day, and we were not disappointed.
The Mount Hood Loop Highway has been a favorite day trip for
Portland families for many years. It’s fun to hop in the car and spend a day
travelling and sightseeing no matter the season. Those of us who live around
Mount Hood, the north side as well as the south side, have a secret shortcut
that we usually take. Lolo Pass to the Hood River Valley, or vice versa, in
good weather will give incredible displays of colored leaves and views of Mount
Hood.
Of course a large part of why we take these drives is to
take photos. I look forward each year to autumn photos along creeks or framing
views of Mount Hood. The trip yielded all of these. I took my DSLR and my
tripod, but after the trip was over I realized that most of the photos that I
made that day were on my cell phone camera.
Most all of today’s cell phone cameras have capabilities
that the average cell phone owner is probably not aware of. I have a device
that will adapt the phone to a small tripod. I can then switch the phone to
“Pro Mode.” Once in “Pro Mode,” it will allow you to make ISO and shutter speed
adjustments. It will even allow you to photograph in a Raw format (DNG). Once I
have taken the photograph in Raw format I am able to do adjustments in the
Adobe Lightroom CC Mobile application. This is the method that I used to take
the photograph that accompanies this article. When Carlton Watkins photographed
Oregon in the 1860s, he needed a horse and wagon to carry his camera and
supplies and a tent for a darkroom to develop his photos. Today we carry it all
in our pocket.
As we drove we stopped here and there, not even getting in a
hurry. As we drove up Lolo Pass, we stopped for views of Mount Hood vine maples
that were in colors that range from vivid yellow to dayglo oranges and reds. We
drove into the upper Hood River Valley to the little town of Parkdale where we
drove up to Cooper Spur through amazing yellow broadleaf maple forests on the
way to Highway 35.
All along Highway 35, the larch tree blazed a bright yellow
as they are scattered through the conifer evergreen trees. We drove up along
the east fork of the Hood River making a couple stops along the way before we
made it to Government Camp and a quick trip down Highway 26, where the display
didn’t end.
The sunshine was shining the day that we made our trip, but
don’t let a little rain stop you. Go out and enjoy the autumn color while it’s
still around.
Don’t forget to take your camera… or your cell phone.
|
| Trust & Privacy or... Mind Your Own Business by Paula Walker on 11/01/2018
A key question from clients as an estate planning attorney
is whether to develop a trust or a will and why. It depends (the stock legal
answer – right?!) … there are several essential determining factors, all based
on a client’s particular goals, objectives and preferences. Privacy and
continuity factor high among them. Distinguishing a trust from a will is the
ability to keep our affairs and the terms of our generosity private. Also,
there is the ability to designate a continuing source of welfare for your
beneficiaries.
You can think of a Trust and privacy in the pragmatic
context of sharing a confidence with another. You trust that in sharing, the
one with whom you have shared will keep your confidence in trust, a private matter
not to be disclosed. In similar fashion, because the terms of a Trust are not
subject to probate, i.e. not subject to court supervision, they do not become
public record. The person you name as Trust Administrator carries out the
duties assigned in the Trust, according to the terms of the Trust without
requiring court supervision or approval. The necessities of settling your
estate, and distributing your property require accounting to the government —
paying final taxes due — and to the beneficiaries you’ve named, not to the
court. As well, that Trust Administrator can be assigned to manage the Trust
over a period of time to provide beneficiaries a continuing source of benefit,
if that meets your goals.
A will by contrast, subject to court supervision, is a
matter of public record. Anyone can look up the specifics of your estate. Once
a will has been filed for probate, anyone can obtain a copy of it.
Ordinarily in writing this column I supplement the main
focus of column with a snippet of a “celebrity gone-wrong” example of poor or
lacking estate planning. This month I provide a solid example of the use of a
Trust to keep affairs and terms private, as well as ensuring that the Trust is
well-administered and continuing for the benefit of the recipient.
And for a little entertainment pull up this website to hear
“Mind Your Business” by Hank Williams. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZH2bmbUTl4
Stories of the Stars … If Only
Well known for his roles in “Smokey and the Bandit,” “The
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Deliverance,” Hollywood icon Burt
Reynolds died unexpectedly at 82 from coronary arrest on Sept. 6. Notable is
not only Reynolds’ acting career and iconic style of handsome, but also the use
of a Trust to pass his wealth on to his adopted 30 year old son, Quinton,
described by Reynolds as his, “greatest achievement.” The media quickly locked
on to Reynolds as an example of celebrity wealth managed well with respect to
heirs. Headlines declared upon Reynolds passing that, “Reynolds intentionally
left his son out of his will” — the reader catching sensationalistic lead —
followed by the line declaring that he left Quinton money through his Trust
instead. In addition to establishing the Trust itself, Reynolds provided us a
model of other aspects of a well-designed estate plan by appointing his niece
Nancy Lee Hess as Trust Administrator and not his son, in order to avoid
potential contests of self interest dealings. As well, it is reported that he
planned a succession of Trust Administrators to follow his niece should she be
unable to fulfill that role, thus ensuring the terms of the Trust would be
carried out by people that he himself knew to be trustworthy, for the life of
the Trust to benefit his son. Reynold’s estate is estimated to be worth
approximately $5 million. Because of the privacy guaranteed by using a trust as
the estate planning mechanism, the terms, type and specific value of the trust
Reynolds left his son are not known. It appears that Reynolds, who professed
unabashedly his pride in his son and his son’s self made career, has now
provided that self reliance a generous source of support.
Dear Reader … We welcome your questions on matters related
to estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance
the potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| MHGS: tips for throwing a ‘green’ party by on 11/01/2018
This summer, I attended several outdoor parties. I was
struck by the differences between them regarding the decorations. Take for example, two parties that were given
in the same park location.
The first party had balloons clustered around the location
to assist party-goers in finding the right shelter.
(Of course, I know some of you will crash a party if their
food is better than the one being served at your group’s, but you get the
idea.)
Floating balloons, filled with helium, promising us from the
time we are children to expect fun, food and games wherever they are present.
Unfortunately, the balloons were released into the air,
where they would find themselves traveling sometimes for long distances into
the trees, the ground and the rivers and oceans.
There, what was intended as a celebration of a gathering of
friends, family and life can become the death sentence to our beloved whales,
sea lions, fish and water fowl if they ingest the latex or mylar remains.
Helium, while not scarce, is an element in the air that can
best be saved for use in things such as MRI machines, computer and TV screens,
etc.
At a different party, I was struck by the fun idea of
stringing colorful paper banners and crepe paper waving in the wind to attract
party-goers. The crepe paper streamers danced while paper pin-wheels on
chopsticks spun around the site of the party, creating a sense of movement,
drawing the attention to the site.
Those things are made of natural materials that can be
composted and are biodegradable.
Once inside the first party site, plastic tablecloths covered
picnic tables with colorful designs.
At a child’s birthday party, the theme included with
pictures of the current favorite movie characters.
At an adult party, the tables were covered with red
checkered plastic to evoke the nostalgic feeing of days when people would take
their gingham tablecloths and wooden baskets filled with homemade fried chicken
and fresh-baked pies to enjoy on a Sunday drive in the countryside.
What’s not to love?
But when we examine those things that evoke such wonderful emotions,
we don’t think the fact that those tablecloths will be used for 2-4 hours, and
then the plastic is promptly deposited into the garbage, ending up in the
landfill.
In the middle of the 1900s, convenience was the goal and
clean-up was a cinch with the inventions of plastic.
Looking at the other party, fabric tablecloths covered the
tables.
I’ve spoken before of using fabric to give your gathering a
feeling of nostalgia, refinement, and the environmental benefits of throwing
the tablecloth in the washer. Somehow, the party seems just a little nicer when
the table is covered in fabric.
You can imagine of course, that the first party used plastic
papers and cups, disposable silverware and serving containers.
One use and conveniently, it all disappears from our life,
we continue home and forget about having to clean anything.
At the second party, the host had vintage melamine dishes,
mismatched, but very functional, as well as a set of silverware that she had
rescued at a re-sale shop and reserved for the purpose of entertaining.
A rolling cooler was designated to hold the dishes until
they returned home to be thrown into the dishwasher and the cooler was hosed
down.
We are conditioned to think that things should be done a
certain way.
We are the victims of a society that wants to sell us
things.
Maybe we can think of new ways of doing things that will
have the same effect emotionally, giving great joy and leaving us with
wonderful memories while teaching the younger generations to care for their
world.
|
| Simple dishes with leftovers by Taeler Butel on 11/01/2018
Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals – my advice
is get to the stores early in the month and then keep away, they get crazy!
Also stock up! Get an extra turkey or ham, make doubles of
desserts, breads and sides to freeze for the holidays.
Here are a couple recipes to transform leftovers into
something wonderfully different.
Butternut fettuccini Alfredo with chicken sausage
Best served by a fireplace in your jammies.
1 lb fettuccine
1/2 lb crumbled chicken sausage
3 cups chopped squash
3/4 cup cream
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 t chopped fresh sage
Boil noodles in salted boiling water until tender.
Cook the chicken sausage in olive oil, spoon out and set
aside.
In pan drippings cook chopped squash with all the seasonings
until tender, add in cream and cream cheese and use a masher to break up squash
(or ladle into a blender and blend until smooth).
Toss noodles and sausage in sauce, top with parmesan and
sage.
Homemade crescent pumpkin rolls
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 stick butter melted
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix
purée, sugar and butter, stir into dry ingredients and knead for one minute.
Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Roll dough onto a floured surface,
cut into triangles and roll, starting with long edge down to a point. Bake at
400 for eight to ten minutes, serve warm.
Turkey Shepard’s pie
4 cups left over mashed potatoes
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped leftover turkey
3 cups leftover turkey gravy
2 cups leftover cooked vegetables
Combine the turkey, gravy and veggies, pour into a baking dish.
Whisk mashed potatoes with cream and Parmesan cheese, pour over turkey
vegetable mixture and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes (potatoes should be browned
on top).
(Taeler Butel shares her culinary gifts exclusively with The
Mountain Times.)
|
| Concerns and issues from recent forums turn into proposed bills by on 11/01/2018
It is hard to believe that November is here and it has been
nearly a year since I was selected to serve as your State Representative for
House District 52. As you might remember, I hit the ground running. This is an
amazing experience and I am honored to represent you. Thank you again to all
who contacted me over the last 11 months. Through these contacts, you have
shared the challenges and strengths of this great community, and we have
discussed how we can work together to ensure that the Hoodland Area continues
to be a great place to live, work and recreate.
Over the last month, I had the opportunity to attend and
meet some of you at the public safety forum in Welches and the Mt. Hood Lions
Club Annual Auction and Dinner. The public safety forum provided insight into
problems with illegal camping and dumping, and the need for more law
enforcement officers. The need for more public safety presence pitted against
deficient local and county budgets is an issue across the district. I am a
member of the House and Senate Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee
on Public Safety, and as I shared at the Forum, during the 2019 Session I will
be working with other legislators and stakeholders to better fund the Oregon
State Police. We will also be looking for ways to help counties better serve
all of their communities, especially rural ones. I also discussed the search
and rescue recovery fees legislation I proposed to help alleviate the costs of
these vital services.
In addition to these public safety-related bills, for the
2019 Session I have proposed bills that are focused on education, economic
development, environmental stewardship, emergency preparedness/planning and
rural health care and services.
Education
As a father with a young daughter in public elementary
school, a son starting school next year, and multiple friends and family
members who are or have been educators, I understand the importance of all
students having access to a high-quality education. For the 2019 Session, I
have proposed full funding of education/Measure 1 at the Quality Education
Model-recommended funding level
[www.oregon.gov/ode/reports-and-data/taskcomm/Documents/QEMReports/QEC%20Short%20Paper%20Final%205-22-18%20v2.pdf].
Also, to address the need for students to have access to mental health care
services in school settings, I have also proposed assessing the ability of the
state to create school-based mental health centers in every Oregon middle
school.
Economic Development
As your State Representative serving on the House Committee
on Economic Development and Trade, I believe we need to support, grow, and
retain Oregon’s small businesses and the family-supporting wage jobs they
provide. Beyond repealing Senate Bill (SB) 1528, I proposed a study to examine
the benefits, including cost savings, of shifting to online reporting for all
transactions related to liquor control for small businesses and from monthly to
quarterly reporting.
Environmental Stewardship
As the son and grandson of farmers, having been a farmworker
and being an avid fisher and archery hunter, I believe environmental
stewardship is critical for ensuring our natural resources and wonders are
around for generations to come. As I shared in August, I have proposed a study
to the state purchasing privately held timberlands in the National Scenic Area
to be repurposed for recreation and maintained for current and future
generations. I am also looking forward to working with my legislative
colleagues and stakeholders across the state on other environmental
stewardship-related legislation.
Emergency Preparedness/Planning and Public Safety
I am a former Cascade Locks City Councilor, retired police
sergeant, Air Force veteran and firm believer that emergency
preparedness/planning and public safety are critically important to the success
and sustainability of our community. In addition to submitting a bill to make
the safety corridor that runs through the Hoodland Area permanent, the other
legislation I proposed includes a bill to eliminate all statutory limitations
on prosecuting felony sexual assault cases that have DNA evidence. Regarding
school safety, I have submitted multiple bills to address various aspects of
school safety including an examination of the cost and feasibility of
implementing the Salem-Keizer Threat Assessment System in school districts
across the state.
Rural Healthcare and Support Services
Across the district, there is a lack of health professionals
and prevalence of federal designations as medically underserved areas, I have
family and friends that struggle with having access to the care they need, and
my wife is a health care provider, I understand the need for health care and
other human services in our community. As such, I have proposed a study of the
costs and feasibility of providing telemedicine/telehealth infrastructure in
rural Oregon, and joint study by Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and coordinated
care organizations (CCO) on how to provide better access to healthcare services
to small communities. Also, in response to the threatened closure of the Hood
River County Veterans Services Office (VSO) I proposed a bill to allow Measure
96 (M96) funds to be directly added to small rural county budgets to keep VSOs
fully operational.
I look forward to seeing you in the community and hearing
from you soon.
(Jeff Helfrich is the representative for House District 52)
|
| Ways to give thanks and share in your abundance by Victoria Larson on 11/01/2018
Despite our current-day visions of the first Thanksgiving,
it may not have been as perfectly bounteous as we imagine. When they first
alighted from the Mayflower, the Pilgrims were still eating from what was
stored aboard ship. Each family had a ration of a peck of grain meal per week.
The first real Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, when
only eleven houses lined the street and four of those buildings were for common
use. Native Americans, most notably Squanto, helped the Pilgrims when their
crops failed them. The Natives also taught them about local foods. Though 20
acres of corn had done well, the 6 or 7 acres of barley, peas and wheat had
failed miserably. Nonetheless, the weekly allotment of maize was doubled for each
household.
The time for a true harvest festival and giving of thanks
was nearing. Men were sent out to gather in waterfowl, deer and shellfish. For
three days the Pilgrims gorged themselves on these gathered delicacies as well
as bread, leeks, salad herbs, cranberries and plums. History does not actually
record the eating of turkeys as this first Thanksgiving, though many wild
turkeys were in the fields and forests so it’s entirely possible that turkey
was on the menu. There is no mention of pumpkin pie at that first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was a local and regional Northeast holiday
until 1863 when President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a
national holiday. This was during the Civil War and one wonders what tables
were laden with during war time. But the gratitude for family, food and life
must have been great, despite (or maybe because of) the war. At this time there
were “new” traditions such as fruit pies and fruit wines!
Traditions evolve over time. Now there are few tables laden
with dishes of conserves, currant jelly, pickled peaches or spiced crabapples.
Though I still remember the spiced peaches on my aunt’s table. Yum. Fruits were
often gathered from farms, fields and roadsides, home-processed and stored in
fruit rooms. Whether underground barrels or above ground rooms with foot-thick
walls, fruit cellars, or rooms, were necessary in the days before electricity.
The place I moved to last summer has a free-standing fruit
room. It may be my favorite part of the new/old 1925 property. Though as of
yet, none of my home-grown, home canned fruits are in there. Next year I intend
to fill the room with succulent goodies for the table.
More about how to do this in the months to come.
Colonial America brought the country more affluence and
estate farms such as Mt. Vernon and Monticello. The Atlantic sea held an
abundance of food. Wild fruits and vegetables grew abundantly in American soil.
Farms were the norm and they were the “supermarkets” of the time. Apples,
peaches and pears dried on strings over open hearths; herbs, garlic and peppers
hung from kitchen ceilings; hams and fowl in the smokehouse.
How far have we progressed? We still have hunger in America.
Is this because we think that food comes from profit-seeking venues? Is it
because our populations have grown tremendously? Have we forgotten the American
values of frugality, resourcefulness, self-sustainability? Instead of giving
people fish, give them fishing poles. And teach everyone to garden. Gardening
gives people a true feeling of self-reliance. Most Americans discard almost
half of the still edible food they buy. Literally throwing away money, to say
nothing of the food.
Maybe it’s time to re-learn the old ways of canning, drying,
using things up. There is an astounding amount of abundance in our country. It
disturbs me greatly to see apples, nuts, pears and other foods lying on the
ground, not being utilized to feed more hungry people. When I had rescued
donkeys and llamas, I’d often ask neighbors and strangers for windfalls for my
animals. No one ever turned me down. They were thrilled to have someone use the
food.
People want to help one another. Some take their windfalls
to food banks or other locations that collect them, sometimes even plant
nurseries. Some donate money. Some invite people to Thanksgiving dinner who
have nowhere else to go.
Whatever you do, may you be grateful for all you have. May
you be able to share your abundance. And may you have a warm and cozy holiday.
Be grateful. Always.
|
| A Reason for Treason: a Big Payday by Max Malone, Private Eye on 11/01/2018
“I’ve got a real deal for you, old sport,” Andy Campanaro
offered as an opening gambit. “You let your Dolly what’s-her-name know that
you’re working for yours truly. Then you feed her misinformation.”
“What makes you think I’d ever throw in with you? And I’m
not an ‘old sport,’” Max Malone responded under hooded eyes.
“Money,” Andy said, opening his arms and shrugging as if it
was the most obvious idea since wheels on suitcases.
“I’m already on retainer,” Max answered meekly.
“Ahh. That U.S. Attorney in Florida,” Andy said, barely
masking a chuckle. “I’m sorry. That well just ran dry, old sport. Seems she
suffered a vehicle rollover on Capitol Circle in Tallahassee. It cost both of
you.”
Max thought: It’s a tough game to play when you’re not
holding any cards. Plus, he’s capable of reaching all the way to Florida. And,
my revenue stream just got cut off. So, there’s work to do.
“First of all, where’s Jemma Gayle?”
“It’s always about the skirts with you, Max. She’s just
fine. You can go back to her little shack as soon as we work through some
details.”
“OK. Fill me in.”
Andy drones on, like a worker bee in a field of dahlias,
explaining how the U.S. sells billions of dollars of arms to allies, but only
because the allies have enemies and they must have arms too, and the arms
manufacturers are more than happy to supply those as well.
“It’s just business, Max,” followed by another shrug. “Think
of it as the oil industry making billions while polluting the world so the
scientists and environmentalists can have jobs and make a few bucks themselves.
I’m more like an environmentalist.”
Andy laughs.
Max thought: Anyone this maniacal has the tragic flaw:
arrogance. (A personality trait Max is familiar with). I can navigate this mine
field.
“All you have to do is feed that annoying British babe some
bad information. And, there’s this.” Andy pushes a bank book across the table.
“Take a look, old sport.”
Max decides to let ‘old sport’ pass for now. He opens the
book, sees an account with his name on it at a Grand Cayman bank, with as many
zeroes on the left side of the decimal point as a scoreboard in the midst of a
Sandy Koufax-Juan Marichal pitching duel.
“All it needs to be activated is for me to call the bank and
release the funds,” Andy says through a Vincent Price smile.
“That’s damned convincing,” Max shoots back, emitting a low
whistle, finally getting to play a card of his own. “But I have to make sure
Jemma’s OK.”
“You can take off as soon as you sign up,” Andy says. “For
that amount of money, I need insurance.”
Andy reaches into his briefcase and hands over another
document. Max reads through it, slowly, ponderously, as if it really matters to
him. Max looks up at Andy, grins conspiratorially.
“And what exactly will you do with this after I sign it?”
“Nothing, old sport. In fact, tear it up after you’ve done
your job.”
Max pondered the situation: I’m admitting to treason,
probably, by signing this. But surely there are safeguards I can take. Surely,
I can solicit legal counsel if the need arises. And more than all of that, how
much do I really care? I am looking at the eye of a needle.
And all I have to do is thread it.
After all, “I am Max Malone, private eye.”
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
Another drop in the bucket of things that I have to do in my
life has been achieved - to intermingle with and photograph grizzly bears.
Darlene and I have just returned from an amazing trip to Alaska that included a
hike on a glacier, a boat ride into the Prince William Sound and a flight over
the glaciated peaks of the Kenai Peninsula, but the highlight was mingling with
grizzly bears in the wild.
We drove to a location that we had visited and were
unsuccessful at on a previous trip to Alaska. We weren't all that confident but
decided to give it a whirl. We did know that the river was full of salmon, so
it would be possible. The bears come down to the rivers when the salmon are
spawning for an easy, nutritious meal.
As we arrived at the trailhead a group of fishermen were
walking out to their cars. They had been chased out of the fishing holes by a
sow and her cubs. Darlene and I got excited. We grabbed our gear and headed
down the trail toward the river. As I hiked down the trail my mind was on
uber-alert with my bear spray quickly available. The last thing that I wanted
was to surprise a momma and her babies. Darlene was singing a song to herself
as she walked, hoping to alert a bear before we arrived if one was in our path.
We got down to the river just as the evening light was
starting to fade. I had a 150-300mm zoom but was wishing that I had a 600mm
with me. Primarily to be able to get a shot without walking right up to them
and asking them to smile. As it turned out the 300mm worked well, but I didn't
get any closeups. As we walked along the river we saw a group of people coming
out that told of another bear further downstream.
Darlene and I walked with a bit more vigor due to the
adrenaline in our veins, but when we arrived the bear had gone back into the
woods. We decided to just walk up and down the path for a while until we became
tired of that and had a seat to just sit and wait and watch.
We sat there chatting in a low whisper while we sat near the
brush next to the river as to not alarm any potential bear who might want to
come back for another salmon snack. I told Darlene that it was getting a little
dim and that we'd now need to really push our ISO to get anything with an
acceptable shutter speed. We discussed being hungry and that perhaps we should
leave and find a meal before it got too late when as I looked over Darlene's
shoulder toward the river, I saw the big sow grizzly lumbering out of the
forest toward the river on the bank right across from us no more than 20-30
yards away. I said in a concerned and excited whisper, "Bear! Bear!
Bear!" Darlene turned and showed her obvious excitement as we both started
to photograph the bear as if we were hidden paparazzi! A moment or two passed
and out came a cub, then another and then another. A momma and three cubs. We
could hardly believe what we were seeing. I will never forget that moment; when
she gracefully emerged from the forest. My first thought was, "this is not
the zoo.”
We photographed her and the babies until they decided to
retreat into the forest. Not long after we heard some commotion down river. All
of a sudden, I heard the "huff, huff" from a bear. It sent a chill up
my spine. A minute later a small group of tourists came walking toward me with
a sense of urgency. They said that a male grizzly came out of the woods near
them and chased them away. I grabbed my gear, and Darlene and we headed toward
where I heard the commotion. My senses on alert I walked slowly as I scanned
the trail ahead, the forest to the right and the river to our left.
As we approached we could see a bear in the river. Darlene
and I found a safe spot to observe and proceeded to watch one of the most
beautiful things that I've experienced in my life. In the river was a young
bear, perhaps two years old, playing as if he had no care in the world. He
walked around in the river picking up fish and tossing them around into the
air, wading into deeper pools and just swimming around. He was a joy to watch
and to photograph, but our light was fading fast. The cameras were having a
hard time and I didn't want to hike out in the dark, so we grabbed our gear and
headed back.
As we were walking out we could see silhouettes of bears in
the river. We walked a little quicker and counted ten bears in all on this
visit. It was as if they were all coming out of the forest at once. We hurried
out while we still had light to show our way.
That night at our hotel we decided to dedicate the next day
to getting some great bear photos. I reviewed my shots that night and came to
the conclusion that I needed that 600mm. The shots were great, but not close
enough as far as I'm concerned, and I'll be darned if I'm going to get closer!
We decided to drive 150 miles one way to Anchorage to rent a lens. We returned
with just enough time to get ready and head to the river.
We arrived with my rented 150-600 zoom lens and walked up
and down the trail and spent that evening there with absolutely no success. As
the light faded I lamented the fact that we had blown a whole day and the cost
of the lens. Darlene suggested that we take our last day in Alaska and come
back one more time.
The next day was beautiful. We spent a great day in the
Alaska scenery, but I was anxious to return to the bears that evening.
We noted that the time that the sow and her cubs came out of
the woods was approximately 7:30 p.m. We made sure that we were there early and
staked out a spot to sit near where she had been the night that we saw her
previously. Sure to form, at approximately 7:30 p.m. down from the forest she
came – her and her cubs.
The rest is history. This family came down and ate for a
while, retreated back into the woods for a while and then returned for an
encore. Ensuring that I got my amazing bear photos. I was beyond excited. We
were so excited when we got back to the car that we felt like kids after a
carnival. I scrolled down through the photos, checked focus, etc. and then
drove back to the hotel fulfilled and in disbelief that the photos on my card
were mine.
|
| MHGS: the cost of paper vs plastic bags by on 10/01/2018
Last month, the City Council of Sandy held a discussion on
whether to ban single-use plastic bags in the city. This would be in keeping
with a growing number of cities that have implemented similar bans. Each year,
according to the Environmental Protection Agency, consumers in the U.S. use
hundreds of billions of plastic bags. Plastic bags end up in trees, the street,
the ocean, endangering wildlife and the environment. According to the
non-profit Biological Diversity, around 100,000 marine animals are killed by
plastic bags annually and one in three leatherback sea turtles have been found
with plastic in their stomachs because they confuse the clear plastic bags for
jellyfish.
The truth is that plastic bags are by far the least costly
(i.e., carry the smallest ecological footprint) to produce over paper or cotton
bags. According to a study done in the U.K., a paper bag must be used three
times to offset the environmental impact of production. In part, that is
because it takes four times as much water to produce the paper bag by the time
you factor in the tree. If you use a cotton bag, it must be used 131 times to
offset the environmental cost of production. What about those cute shopping
bags they sell at grocery stores? They’re made of nonwoven polypropylene (PP)
and according to the same study, must be used 11 times to break even
environmentally.
The standard grocery store plastic bag is made from
high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Plastic is made from petroleum. The problem
with that is that there is not an endless supply of petroleum and it gets more
and more destructive to the environment to extract as we are running out of it.
Cost of production aside, we can re-use plastic bags as
trash liners or dog poop collectors, but eventually they still end up in the
landfill. Plastic bags have the highest after-use cost to the environment.
Unlike paper or cotton (or hemp), they will never biodegrade. The cost of
disposal is high as well. The EPA notes that some urban communities spend over
$1 million annually to remove litter. In 2011, Americans produced around 250
million tons of waste, 32 million tons of that solid waste was plastic. That’s
4.4 pounds of waste per person per day!
Of course, plastic bags can be recycled. Plastic cannot be
recycled curbside, which makes it especially challenging for communities such
as ours. Seven years ago, the Mt. Hood Green Scene helped the Hoodland
Thriftway pioneer a collection site for plastic bags. Since then, each week our
community fills two to four large bags with plastic shopping bags, weighing
five to seven pounds each. Not all bags are recyclable. Only clean bags that
are not crinkly, and no mylar bags. Only produce bags or standard shopping bags
can be recycled. Still, in spite of our best efforts, only three to eight
percent of bags are recycled in the U.S.
What’s the solution? In 1993, Denmark was the first country
to introduce a tax on plastic bags. A bag costs about 50 cents, with the
greater part going to taxes and the rest to the store. The result is that the
higher cost of the bags has cut the amount of use by more than 40 percent over
the last 25 years. In the U.S., in 2014, California was the first state to
enact legislation to ban single-use plastic bags at large retail stores. Since
then, municipalities such as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and others
have banned plastic bags. Yet others have imposed fees.
Retailers are getting the message. Some stores simply don’t
provide bags at all. Both Natural Grocers and Costco avoid either type of bag,
opting instead to package things in merchandise boxes. According to Costco’s
website, “We sell our goods directly out of the boxes they are shipped in, then
reuse those same recyclable boxes at the register by offering them to our
members in lieu of shopping bags.” Kroger, owners of Fred Meyer, plans to
eliminate plastic bags by 2025. “The plastic shopping bag’s days are numbered,”
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen wrote in an editorial published by the Cincinnati
Enquirer. The city of Sandy might be at the vanguard of the new reality or it
can maintain the status quo. For better or worse, change is on the horizon.
There are no easy answers to the dilemma of paper or
plastic. The best solution is to use the bags we already have — over and over
and over again. Avoid purchasing new shopping bags. Instead, look for pre-owned
bags at resale shops. Just don’t forget them in the car when you get to the
store as I’m prone to do. You’ll end up with your purse and your arms full!
|
| Episode XXVI: Campanaro Again and a Fling with Mr. Fong by Max Malone, Private Eye on 10/01/2018
It’s an unexplainable phenomenon how the mind, when in
crisis, can stop time and focus on multiple events simultaneously.
The combat soldier experiences it during battle. The Apollo
13 astronauts felt it in their time of crisis. Richard Burton dealt with it
when facing Elizabeth Taylor.
So it was with Max Malone in that fleeting moment in Jemma’s
bed when the Jamaican nurse slipped into the room, followed by two uninvited
shadows from nowhere, followed by the muffled protests of Jemma being gagged,
then the sudden gun barrel to the temple as Max reached for his borrowed
revolver on the nightstand.
All of this, in an instant.
An arm reached onto the nightstand, the other still pressing
the gun to Max’s head, and the lamp switched on. Max turned to the intruder who
allowed himself to be seen, relaxing his gun sufficiently to let it drift
between Max’s eyes. The man pressed his forefinger to his lips for quiet. Max
complied. Mysteriously, Jemma quit struggling.
Max sat up in bed, the gun not having changed its aim, and
saw Jemma unconscious with a cloth over her face. Max couldn’t focus on her
assailant, so he turned back to the more immediate problem.
His attacker was a huge Asian with a Fu Manchu, imperious
eyes, and came draped in a black raincoat that glistened in the dimly lit room.
He could have been the antagonist on the Orient Express.
Max looked again to Jemma.
“She will be fine in about one hour, Mister Malone,” the
Asian said in an exacting, accented tone. “Now, you will be pleased to dress
yourself.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I have the gun.”
Not even Max could protest against such Confucian logic.
* * *
The light danced off every surface of what must have been
the living room at Andy Campanaro’s mansion, but by simple square footage could
as easily been a high school gymnasium. It was simultaneously sumptuous and
spare. Modern art adorned the walls, but not overdone as much breathing room
existed between each piece. The sofa that Max was sitting on was bottom
friendly but uncomfortable in the obvious way of furniture too expensive to be
functional. Fluted faux-Doric columns separated the room from the view of the
cliffs and the seashore.
And Andy Campanaro slouched in a couch-matching easy chair
seemingly searching for a weakness in Max that would allow the gaze from his
menacing, steel-blue eyes to penetrate.
“I hope Mr. Fong was not indelicate,” Andy said, smiling
broadly, his eyebrows raised in a too-large friendly gesture, yet all of it
betrayed by the unscrupulous eyes.
“He made his point,” Max said flatly, then “at the end of a
gun.”
“Hah,” Andy exclaimed. “That’s funny, old sport.”
“I’m not an old sport, pal.”
“No,” Andy’s smile and raised eyebrows disappeared, as if
dropped down a well. “You’re a two-bit private eye who gets himself lured into
shark-infested waters for a U.S. attorney’s pay check and some sort of
hillbilly idea of revenge. That’s who you are.” Then the smile reappears as if
on cue from an off-screen director. He raises his hand as if brushing away a
fly.
“But you hired me as well, remember?” Max answered.
The raised hand again. “Max, please. Wildewood was a ruse.
The fix was in. You were nothing more than a bit player.”
“And Anna Belle?”
“Ahh, yes. Lovely Anna Belle Wilde. She was in on the caper
from the beginning. Great job by the way, especially for a backwoods babe. She
got everything she wanted. The property. The insurance money.” Andy shrugs like
an umpire walking away from a confrontation with an impotent manager.
“You killed your own twin brother.”
“He’s been dead for years. Up here,” Andy points at his
head.
“You tried to kill me too, pal,” Max leans forward.
“Ahh, Max, old sport. I don’t try to kill people. Look,”
Andy leans forward as well and folds his hands together, signaling lecture
time. “You blow into a foreign place you know nothing about, on the dime from a
U.S. Attorney. The Cayman cops don’t protect much, in fact aren’t capable of
protecting much – witness they even messed up putting you out of commission –
but they are able to focus on the status quo and what makes them comfortable.
You and the U.S. made them uncomfortable.” Andy shrugs and brings on the smile
again. “It’s that simple.”
“So what am I doing here, hot shot?” Max gazes around the
room.
“I can use you,” Andy says promisingly. “You have an in with
British intelligence. That makes you interesting to me. Far above your P-eye
grade.”
Max senses an opportunity. After all, perhaps a fish out of
water, but he is still Max Malone, private eye.
|
| Why a ‘Revocable Trust?’ by Paula Walker on 10/01/2018
When we talk about a Trust as opposed to a Will as your
basic estate plan document, we are in general referring to a Revocable Living
Trust. A ‘brain-ful’ to remember and a mouthful to repeat. But why the term
“revocable” and what about the term “living?” And are all trusts “revocable?”
First off what is a Trust? It is a legal entity you set up
to manage your assets and possessions, such as investment accounts, real
estate, qualified tax accounts, cars, art, jewelry etc. You place your assets
inside the Trust to manage them during your life and to provide the means to
manage them and/or their distribution upon your death. There are two types of
“living trusts,” i.e. trusts made effective during your lifetime. They are
‘revocable’ and ‘irrevocable.’
A Revocable Living Trust provides you the means to change
the terms of the trust, retain control of your assets or cancel the trust
altogether, i.e. ‘revoke’ it. Powers over the trust include adding and removing
assets, naming beneficiaries, changing/adding/removing beneficiaries, changing
what and how much is distributed to each beneficiary and dictating how
distributions occur and when. This is in contrast to an Irrevocable Trust, also
a ‘living’ trust that is by contrast cast in stone. Except for rare
circumstances, the terms of an irrevocable trust are set upon signing the
agreement. Once signed the Irrevocable Trust may not be changed, altered, modified
or revoked after its creation.
More to come in subsequent articles on types of trusts and
how they might work together or independently to meet your estate planning
goal(s).
Stories of the Stars… If Only
As we lived vicariously through the lyrics of the 1985 hit
“Freeway of Love” — “We goin’ ridin’ on the freeway of love in my pink
Cadillac” — watching the procession of more than 100 pink Cadillacs, escorting
the hearse carrying the golden casket, in honor of the Queen of Soul who
brought us that picturesque expression of life at its freest, the media had
been quick in making us all aware that Aretha Franklin, who passed away Aug. 16
of pancreatic cancer, died without a will. Documents supporting those reports
were filed by Aretha’s sons in a Michigan probate court, declaring themselves
as “interested parties,” checking the box on the form declaring that the Queen
died intestate – i.e. no will, no estate plan and no revocable trust in effect
at her death. As the procession of pink Cadillacs that lined the streets of
Detroit made an indelible tribute to this Diva of Soul we are left to ponder
whether she becomes another in the league of celebrities and famous persons who
make indelible impressions in the world of estate planning providing “lessons
to learn from” … if only …
Dear Reader, we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Creamy Rueben Soup by Taeler Butel on 10/01/2018
Rueben, I love you. Let’s make you into a soup:
2 slices rye bread, cubed
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 cup each yellow onion, celery, carrots chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 peeled and diced large Yukon gold potatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup gruyere cheese (or another Swiss) shredded
1 T corn starch
1 cup sliced pastrami
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2 T olive oil
2 t salt and pepper
1 t Italian seasoning
1 cup white wine
1 t paprika
Make the croutons: in a bowl toss bread cubes with 1 t salt
and pepper and 1 T olive oil. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 15 mins or
until crusty
In a large pot combine all vegetables, salt, pastrami,
pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika and olive oil. Cook on medium heat until
tender. Add in wine, cook one minute. Add in stock and bring to a boil, then
simmer 15 minutes. Add in cheese tossed with corn starch and stir until
thickened, then add in cream.
Ladle in bowls and top with croutons.
|
| Bills and the ‘4 Es’ for the 2019 legislative session by on 10/01/2018
Hello Hoodland Community and other Mountain Times Readers.
As your State Representative, I have the great honor of
representing this community in Salem and working towards solutions for issues
we face locally that will make our neighborhoods, communities, district and
state stronger. I want to thank you all for taking the time to email, call and
share face-to-face your questions, challenges and appreciation. The most common
topics discussed in the last month were: Highway 26 traffic and safety, school
funding and public safety needs. I have submitted bill proposals and begun
conversations with state and county level administrators to address these
issues. I look forward to continuing these conversations and working with
state, county and local leaders to find sustainable solutions.
Highway 26 safety: I shared in last month’s article that I
submitted a legislative concept/bill proposal to make the Highway 26 safety
corridor permanent. This bill proposal was in direct response to community
members, leaders and community-serving organizations and businesses sharing their
concerns about the safety corridor expiring. I spoke with Oregon Department of
Transportation Director Matt Garrett to share the community’s concerns during
my meeting with him during the 2018 Session, developed the bill proposal and
have since met multiple times with Dir. Garrett to discuss how else the traffic
safety needs in the Hoodland area can be addressed and in other communities
across the district as well.
School funding: School funding concerns are statewide.
Measure 1 and the High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Act
of 2016 (Measure 98) have yet to be fully funded. Oregon ranks 47th in high
school graduation rates
(https://eddataexpress.ed.gov/data-element-explorer.cfm/tab/data/deid/6100/sort/iup/).
As such, in addition to submitting a bill proposal to fully fund Measure 98, I
submitted a bill to identify the impact of not fully funding Measure 98 or
Measure 1. I believe that the legislature and public need to know the adverse
impacts that such inaction has on our students, educators, staff and the
education system.
Public safety: Public safety funding concerns exist across
the district and state. County budgets are in deficits, public safety funding
and personnel are being cut, and communities are grappling with how to address
this and some have even attempted to defund county veteran services offices
(VSO;
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2018/sep/19/county-sustains-veterans-office-funding/).
With most residents sharing concerns about the public safety needs along
Highway 26, I have begun conversations with Oregon State Police (OSP)
leadership on the personnel and funding needed to have additional patrols in
the area.
As I shared in my September Mountain Times article, for the
2019 Session, I am proposing bills that focus on education, economic
development, environmental stewardship and emergency preparedness/planning.
Again, these 4Es intersect and directly and indirectly impact the well-being,
quality of life and outcomes of the children, families, friends, neighbors and
communities across our district and the state. To learn more about the bills I
have proposed thus far or share your opinion on current or pending legislation,
please contact me directly via email at Rep.JeffHelfrich@OregonLegislature.gov,
my personal cellphone at 541-392-4546 or find me on Facebook and message me
@RepJeffHelfrich. I look forward to speaking with you and more state, county
and local leaders and community members on how we can work together to address
these and other issues. Thank you.
(Jeff Helfrich is the representative for House District 52)
|
| Witches aren’t just for Halloween – you can be one, too by Victoria Larson on 10/01/2018
Let it be known that Halloween is supposed to be a silly,
light-hearted holiday. While not a fan of the gruesome and terrifying, a little
thrill of witches and bats can be kind of fun. And Halloween requires no presents,
decorating is optional and no particular family tensions. You really can’t beat
that for all time fun.
So, do you want to be a witch? I’ll tell you how. Start by
getting minimal sleep. Four or five hours is not enough. Before electricity
people slept ten to twelve hours a night. Many parts of the world still do.
While that may not be possible for you (a new baby, too many lights, electronic
distractions), you should at least try for seven or eight hours of sleep every
night. Anything less will probably leave you feeling “witchy” and unfocused.
Perhaps this is part of the reason so many are seeking an off-the-grid
lifestyle?
Of course, you can aim for focusing by consuming numerous
cups of coffee or energy drinks. These may leave you feeling even more unfocused
and with tremors, but you can always tell yourself you are aiming to be a
witch! Add to this a breakfast of anything from cold cereal to a donut (both
fairly expensive and nutritionally worthless) or, if your aim is “witchiness,”
have nothing at all. Fairly guaranteed to make you a witch.
There’s always the carb overload if you really want to be a
witch. Pasta for dinner with too much wine will only put on the pounds,
especially belly fat. This will make sleep difficult as well as will
less-than-perfect digestion. Most wine has high levels of nitrates. Nitrate
(also in processed lunch meats and most bacon) has a strong link to breast
cancer. But hey, you are half-way to becoming a witch, so you knew that, right?
Sometimes witches are controlled by societal input. You can
be one too. You can be one who feels progress is always “better.” Certainly
medical advances have saved lives, but do we really “need” Twitter? I’d
personally rather not know what our President tweets to anyone. But I do like
the natural sounds of bird tweets every day.
Are we lost in the soulless language of technology? Sure,
it’s a fun and almost immediate way to keep in touch with those who matter to
you, but do you really need hundreds of “admirers.” And who wants dozens of
sales calls, phone threats or any life interruption for that matter! Shouldn’t
our lives be more fact-to-face? Man-made things can be good. Things made by God
or nature are even better.
We live in the “more is better” time when there is constant
clamoring from someone, somewhere for our dollars. To maintain a certain
standard of living means to buy more things. Does this not actually lead to
more stress - more to clean, more to store, more to insure, more debt for some
people? Maybe everyone doesn’t have to have a smartphone, a microwave, a
Cuisinart, a computer. But witches live by outside influences and may feel the
need to be part of the status quo.
Working a lot of hours at a stressful job will make you
spend more money - on clothing, childcare, even eating out because you have no
time to cook, though you may own every electric kitchen device available! Does
the trend of having your groceries delivered help the environment? Shouldn’t
this be reserved for those who are shut-ins or injured or somehow
incapacitated. Helping your neighbors is a fading concern. And think, growing
even some of your food would be soul-fulfilling.
If you already are, or want to be a witch, having one of
those stressful jobs is likely to cause you to reach the stress requirement of
witchiness. Many countries encourage vacations of several weeks in order to
renew your connection to nature, soul and self. But most North Americans don’t
take vacations, much less days off when they are sick. Think about it, which (witch?)
would you rather be?
Traits such as frugality, honesty, thrift and transparency
are lost to s society that values money above all else. So, you decide, do you
really want to be a witch? Or could you be one who simply makes a costume or
dons a witch hat and plays at Halloween fun? Maybe you could be a “good witch!”
|
|  Perseid Meteor Shower
Each year come August I start to look forward to the Perseid
Meteor Shower. The Perseids are an annual event that comes each year as the
Earth passes through the orbital path of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The debris
from the comet’s path causes little pieces of the comet to fall through the
Earth’s atmosphere at over 100,000 miles per hour, creating an amazing amount
of falling stars, sometimes up to 200 per hour. The Perseid Meteor Shower of
2018 was helped by its occur-rence during the dark skies of a New Moon.
Another occasion that’s becoming an annual August event is
my Dead Ox Ranch Photographer’s Campout. Last year we dedicated the event to
capturing photos of the Solar Eclipse. This year we were there to capture
photos of the Perseid Meteor Shower.
The Dead Ox Ranch isn’t as morbid of a place as it sounds.
The name was given to the ranch by the chance occurrence of there being a dead
cow on the property when it changed hands in a sale in its past. The ranch is
more than 100 years old and is located east of Baker City near Vir-tue Flats
and ruts from the old Oregon Trail. It’s just an hour drive from Hell’s Canyon
and the Wallowa Mountains. It’s also the location for some of the darkest skies
in the state.
Disregarding all of the above, the ranch itself is like
going back in time to an era of outdoor group socials, picnics and sitting
around in the yard in the summertime heat visiting and talking to friends and
family with an ice-cold beverage. Once everyone arrives and we are all set up
in our camps we mix and mingle and discuss our common purpose for being there,
photography.
The only chance that we take is being there in the summer
during the peak wildfire season, and this year has been a bad one. The state
was covered with smoke from fires originating not only in Oregon, but from
fires in both California and British Columbia. It’s been terrible indeed, but
we somehow lucked out with clear skies and only traces of smoke that came and
went for the whole three-day event. If we would have had smoky skies, we would
have somehow made the best of it anyway but that wasn’t the case.
Our mission for the workshop was to create what is called a
composite image; one that is made from several photos to create one single
image. Our goal was to make an image that included a group of meteors gathered
over a three-hour period.
To do that we wanted to create the photo using a base layer
taken at twilight so we can have focus and definition and yet still have dim
and cool light like night time. Then a photo of the sky later at night when the
Milky Way was fill-ing the sky.
After that we set up our cameras to take 30 second exposures
one after the other for three hours to gather photos of as many meteors as
possible. Once we gathered all these photos we then went into our digital
darkroom to blend them all together.
To composite the photos, we made our basic adjustments in
Adobe Lightroom and then opened all of the files into Adobe Photoshop as
layers. Once we had them in Photoshop it was a matter of creating masks and
selecting a blend mode to allow each layer to show through in its place and
order.
After some final adjustments the whole stack of layers was
merged together into a single image. Although this is a general description, I
felt compelled to explain the process to those who aren’t aware of how these
images are made. In today’s world of digital photography certain lines can be
blurred between art and photography.
The whole group of photographers had a great time. I’m
convinced that when we were out playing at sunset and into the dark we reverted
to kids again.
And when we gathered to process our photos, we were all
amazed at the results. I included the image that I created as an example of the
composite image that the class came to create for themselves.
Even if you don’t create a complex composite image in
Photoshop, a beautiful single image of a meteor is reward enough for a night
under the stars.
Keep this in mind next August when the stars start falling
during the Perseid Meteor Shower. Perhaps you can join us at the Dead Ox Ranch
for a workshop.
|
| A fond farewell, even to those who sent fruitcake by on 09/01/2018
They say all good things must come to an end.
Pompeii.
The “Die Hard” films.
Gluten.
And after today, this humor column.
For 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of more
than 30 community newspapers around the country, sharing a laugh or two
(sometimes three, if I was really on my game) with folks each week, from Boca
Raton, Fla., to Watsonville, Calif., and Tempe., Ariz., to Marietta, Ga.
I’ve learned a few things from the last two decades of being
a part of your communities, particularly about all the things that bring us
together rather than divide us. For example, our shared belief that Kenny
Rogers is one plastic surgery away from becoming a truly frightening Halloween
mask. Or not understanding how we have become more afraid of gluten than …
well, Kenny Rogers. Or that apes taking over the world will eventually happen because,
without opposable thumbs, they can’t become addicted to iPhones. And that our
government should have a Secretary of Bacon.
OK, maybe that’s just me.
But the most important thing I’ve learned over the years is
that humor is a language everyone understands and, in most cases, can agree on.
In today’s world, it’s easy to forget the many common, everyday experiences
that, while making us uniquely human, are things we all share in our daily
lives that unite us. Over the past 20 years I’ve experienced divorce,
re-marriage, the challenges of being a father to four teenagers, successes and
failures in my personal life as well as my professional life — all things that
aren’t particularly unique to me but that I tried to view and share through the
lens of humor. And not counting my teenagers, the rest of us had a good laugh
together as we shared in the common experiences of being human.
As this chapter of my writing career comes to an end, I am
moving on to the editorship of two small community newspapers — in a sense
coming full circle back to my journalism roots. Coincidentally, just as
marijuana has become legal here in Oregon.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for
allowing me the privilege of, in a small way, being a part of your communities
for so many years. Your letters and emails have meant a lot, and I will always
appreciate your taking the time to write them. Even when they arrived inside of
— or wrapped around — loaves of fruitcake.
Thank you again, and if you’re ever in Florence, Ore.,
please stop in. I still have fruitcake.
(Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation.
Write to him at nedhickson@icloud.com, or c/o Siuslaw News, 148 Maple St.,
Florence, Ore. 97439)
|
| Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Health & Wealth Part 3 by Paula Walker on 09/01/2018
Part 3 in the series addressing aspects of the Durable Power
of Attorney, an essential element of a comprehensive estate plan, answers a few
questions commonly asked about this legal instrument: Why the term “Durable?”
What is the difference between a “Power of Attorney” and a “Durable Power of
Attorney?” When do the Durable Powers of Attorney (DPOA) become effective? When
do the Durable Powers of Attorney end?
Why the term “Durable?” The use of this term is specifically
directed to the viability of the power during a time of incapacity. That the
powers granted are durable means that they remain in effect during and despite
a time of incapacity for the principal, i.e. the person who created the Durable
Power of Attorney document, assigning another person (the “Agent”) to act on
their behalf when needed.
What is the difference between a “Power of Attorney” and a
“Durable Power of Attorney?” You can establish a Power of Attorney for limited
purposes of limited duration, as well as establishing a power of attorney that
is durable. You may anticipate circumstances, such as travelling abroad, or
surgery and recovery, which will prevent you from directly managing your
financial affairs for a limited time. In such circumstances you may designate a
person, granting them authority to act as your agent for a limited duration.
The power concludes at a specified time, however long you set, or at your
incapacity if such a condition occurs before the specified end time. A durable
power of attorney remains in effect until you revoke it or at your death.
When does the Durable Power of Attorney become effective?
This depends on the choices you make in creating your Durable Power of
Attorney. You can designate that it is effective immediately upon your signing
the document or alternatively that it “springs” into effect when you are
determined to be incapacitated.
When does the Durable Power of Attorney end? That is in part up to you. As
mentioned, your Durable Power of Attorney ends when you die, but it also ends
if and when you revoke it. In addition, there is the potential for
effectiveness to come and go. If you have set the power to “spring” into effect
upon your incapacity, it becomes ineffective again when you are determined
returned to capacity, as though becoming dormant, waiting in the wings should
there be another time of incapacity in which it will be needed.
Stories of the Stars… If Only
Gene Wilder, known for iconic comic performances in “Blazing
Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,”
died of Alzheimer’s in 2016. His is not a story of “if only” but an example for
others learn from who face such a prognosis of debilitation. From accounts of
the family’s decisions of how and when to publicize the news of Wilder’s
illness we can infer that his family was involved early on in understanding and
planning for the eventual course of this illness. With Alzheimer’s or other
types of dementia, time is of the essence. Early action can allow a person to
review or create an estate plan, or components of an estate plan like the
Durable Power of Attorney while that person can still make legally valid
decisions. This course can reduce the potential for a family fight and possible
court contests over inheritance as well as ensure that the person and their
family have confronted the issues and set in place what is needed for care
giving as the disease advances. In these days when there is seemingly much to
worry about, it’s a loss when someone who had such an ability to make us laugh
is no longer here. The gentle-humored Wilder, who dedicated his life to making
us smile, left us with a legacy for another source of happiness — a model for
peace and harmony in how he faced his last act.
Dear Reader… we welcome your questions on matters related to
estate planning. These will provide grist for future articles and enhance the
potential for those articles to be of interest and value to you.
Please submit your questions to Garth Guibord, at
garth@mountaintimesoregon.com.
Paula Walker is the founding attorney of Confluence Law
Center in Welches, www.confluencelawcenter.com.
|
| Hwy. 26 safety one of the high priorities for Mountain community by on 09/01/2018
Hello Hoodland Community and other Mountain Times Readers.
For those of you who are new to my column, my name is Rep.
Jeff Helfrich and I am the State Representative for House District 52 in the
Oregon Legislative Assembly/Oregon Legislature, which includes North Clackamas
County, the entirety of Hood River County, and parts of east Multnomah County.
I was appointed in late 2017 and have been honorably serving our beautiful
district ever since. I am a member of the House Economic Development and Trade
committee as well as the Joint (House & Senate) Ways and Means Public
Safety Subcommittee.
I have been a public servant for over 30 years, beginning
with my service in the U.S. Air Force. I firmly believe that the best
legislation is developed in collaboration and through communication with the
community, and it is responsive to the challenges and needs of the communities
within the district, because a better district truly makes a better Oregon.
For the 2018 Regular Session, my bipartisan and bicameral
work included proposing and passing the maximally allowed two bills: House Bill
(HB) 4152, an Eagle Creek Fire Recovery-related bill; and HB 4044, an education
bill identifying the most effective programs in Oregon for recruiting,
retaining, mentoring and providing professional development to educators
working with our most vulnerable students.
As I shared in my August Mountain Times article, for the
2019 Session, I am proposing bills that focus on education, economic
development, environmental stewardship and emergency preparedness/planning.
These 4Es intersect and have both direct and indirect impacts on the well-being
and outcomes of our families, community, district and State.
To learn more about some of the bills I have proposed thus
far or make suggestions for legislation in time for the Sept. 28 bill
proposal/Pre-2019 Session Filing deadline, please contact me directly via email
at Rep.JeffHelfrich@OregonLegislature.gov, my personal cellphone at
541-392-4546, or find me on Facebook and message me @RepJeffHelfrich.
In previous articles, I have mentioned the public safety
concerns Hoodland Area community members, leaders, and organizations have
shared with me or that I have heard from attending community meetings. Last
month, I shared that I had submitted a bill proposal for the 2019 Session that
would make the safety corridor in the Hoodland Area along Hwy. 26 permanent.
In late August, I met with the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) Director Matt Garrett to discuss the Hwy. 26 safety
corridor, how the safety corridor can be improved and enforcement. My biggest
takeaways from the meeting with Director Garrett was how approachable he is,
that he truly wants to work with community stakeholders to address the Hwy. 26
safety issues affecting the Hoodland Area, and understands that the Hoodland
Area’s portion of Hwy. 26 is unique and expectedly faces unique challenges
requiring input from and collaboration with this community. I look forward to
meeting with ODOT Director Garrett again in the coming months to discuss plans
for a Transportation Forum with Sen. Thomsen,
Hoodland Area community and organization members and leaders, Clackamas
County government and agency leadership, and other area stakeholders.
In addition, I hosted a community conversation event in late
August. Thank you to those who attended, it was great to meet everyone there
and discuss the issues that are facing the Hoodland Area. As expected, Hwy. 26
and public safety were two of the major topics, but so too were affordable
housing, school funding and PERS reform among many others. I look forward to
working with you and many others in our community to address these concerns and
others you bring forth.
I look forward to seeing and hearing from you soon,
(Jeff Helfrich is the representative for House District 52)
|
| MHGS: protecting our drinking water by on 09/01/2018
We live in what is called a temperate rainforest. While
there are many temperate forests around the world, ours is one of a handful of
unique sites characterized by temperate temperatures and heavy rainfall.
England, New Zealand, Chile and a few others are found around the world in
oceanic regions.
While we may think that sometimes the amount of rainfall we
receive is more than abundant — especially in the midst of the long winters —
we also have other climate regions in our state. The southeastern portion is
largely desert. And so, it may seem that our state, especially in the beautiful
cascade-laden broadleaf forest where we live, will never run out of water, we
only need to look around us to see that we are experiencing water shortages.
For decades those shortages have only seemed to affect the
southern Oregon region around Klamath County where there has been the annual
conflict around the distribution of water between ranchers and farmers and
environmentalists trying to keep enough water in the rivers for fish and
wildlife. But other things affect our water supply as well. In central Oregon,
the burgeoning population in an area that does not have enough water to support
a large population will create larger problems over time.
Incredible as it seems, at the time of this writing, 80
percent of our state is experiencing drought. We currently have eight major
wildfires burning throughout the state. At the same time, we have been in a
period of insufficient snowfall for the past several years. That means that
each summer, we experience shortages of water due to a lack of snowpack melting
into the rivers. The result is that the rivers run low, the trees do not get
enough water, smaller streams begin to dry up and eventually there will be a
change in our ecosystem. That in turn affects our economy – the Christmas tree
industry, for example, suffers from lack of healthy trees. Also, the drought
brings invasive pests such as beetles that prey on unhealthy trees.
Did you know that at this time, 40 percent of the rivers
around the world no longer have sufficient water in them to reach the ocean?
Water is diverted from the rivers for the purposes of agriculture and ranching,
for manufacturing, since everything we produce requires water. Most recently,
an emerging problem is the use of water for fracking. The fossil fuel industry
invests heavily in trying to convince us that gas extracted from shale is not
harmful. According to Food and Water Watch, “The fracking industry itself
consumes space and water on a large scale. Through the construction of a
network of thousands of wells, it has a significant impact on the development
of the targeted regions and inevitably affects areas where either settlements
or environmentally and culturally sensitive zones can be found.”
What’s more, once they have used the water, it becomes
contaminated with toxins. Fracking waste includes rock and drilling lubricant
left over from the process of drilling a well, as well as wastewater and sand
from the fracking and production processes. This toxic cocktail is reinserted
into the earth. Sadly, state laws exempt those companies from having to make
reparations for the contamination.
There are things we can do to protect our environment and
our drinking water. We can plant native trees so that they are more likely to
survive droughts. We can take shorter showers, we can conserve water whenever
possible (don’t leave the sink running while we brush our teeth, etc.) and we
can raise awareness in others. Having a healthy ecosystem with enough water is
good for wildlife, good for the prevention of wildfires that threaten our own
health, but it will also decrease the risk of conflict over water, just as
those conflicts that are currently raging across the world as our most important
natural resource becomes more and more scarce.
|
| A Taste of Paradise by Taeler Butel on 09/01/2018
I’m currently eating my way through Miami and the Florida
Keys.
This is a place to taste history from the flavors of key
lime pie to the flavors of Cuba, and I’ve got the recipes for you.
Cuban roast pork
4 to 5-pound pork roast shoulder
2 cups orange, lime or lemon juice
bay leaf
2 t dried oregano
2 t cumin powder
2 T salt
1/2 t black pepper
10 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/2 cup mojo sauce
2 large onions sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Make a dry rub with the pepper, salt, cumin and oregano,
then poke holes all over roast and rub in spices. Heat oil in large pot and
brown pork all around, then set on plate, turn heat to med high and add onion
and garlic to pot. Cook 3-4 minutes, then add bay leaf, mojo and juice to pan.
Add in pork roast, cover and cook over medium-low heat at
least one hour until meat pulls apart easily with fork.
Key lime pie with coconut crust
Crust:
3 T melted butter
1/2 t salt
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Mix together and press into pie pan, bake at 350 degrees 15
mins set aside to cool.
Filling:
1 cup key lime juice
Zest of one line
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
Whisk together filling ingredients until smooth and pour
over cooked crust.
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
2 T powdered sugar
Whip together with an electric mixer, then spread or pipe
over filling.
(Taeler Butel writes exclusively for The Mountain Times.)
|
| Episode XXV A Mansion and Marley by Max Malone, Private Eye on 09/01/2018
Dolly Teagarden’s idea of hanging out with Max would make
him more of an asset than a target for Beau Kimatian-turned-Andy Campanaro
remained an unresolved strategy even though the pair made certain they were seen
everywhere around the glitziest hangouts of Grand Cayman – boosted by Dolly’s
seemingly inexhaustible MI6 expense account and the island’s equal supply of
ritzy restaurants and natty nightclubs.
Max played the game but maintained his private-eye notions.
Dolly had her eye on the ultimate prize of bringing down Campanaro at the
point-of-sale for the arms and military hardware at some far-off
unpronounceable desert rendezvous, while Max, being reminded constantly by the
tug of pain from his gunshot wound, remained motivated by his burning desire
for revenge against the man who defiled a seemingly innocent woman in
Wildewood, held Max’s hometown hostage all the while, then had the hubris to
have a slug delivered to Max’s midsection.
This Campanaro chap had a date with destiny.
* * *
Max sat in what should have been the driver’s seat of a
rental car being driven by Dolly from the passenger’s seat, only she had the
brakes, clutch pedal, accelerator, stick shift and steering wheel, while Max
had a distant dashboard and homeless glove compartment.
Max thought: How did Sterling Moss ever learn to drive a
Formula I race car?
The hair-raising ride was amplified by the fact that Dolly
spent precious little time paying attention to the road, road signs, or speed
limits, keeping up a running commentary on the politics of England vs. Cayman,
all of which totally escaped Max as he was riveted on the palm trees flying by
like a picket fence, monuments to his impending doom, on their way to a yet
undeclared destination.
Dolly wheeled around a corner and jerked the car over a
culvert and guided her missile off-road through and around banyan trees, up a
mossy hill with hidden rocks each of which Dolly managed to find, before they
bounced to a stop with a breathtaking view of the sea and a white mansion atop
the next hill over, followed by a precipitous drop onto a rocky shore below.
“Whattya think?” Dolly asked breathlessly as she killed the
engine.
“Nice view,” Max offered, gathering what was left of his
wits.
“That’s his,” she said.
Max gazed at Campanaro’s digs, gleaming white atop the
grassy hill, the sea in stark blue contrast as backdrop over the orange-tiled
roof, sculpted hedges, manicured lawns, three distinct floors, each one
slightly smaller than the one beneath giving off the simultaneous sympathies of
sumptuousness as well as a fortress to foil any foe. Guards with automatic
weapons slung over their shoulders were a finishing touch, two on the grounds,
one by the pool, and two more on the catwalk clinging to the third floor, their
gazes unwaveringly fixed on the immediate grounds.
Two dark-complexioned women dangled their feet in the pool –
Caymans? Jamaicans? – while two goons parked their suffocatingly ample bodies
on lounge chairs providing a convenient view of the diffident women.
Despite the temptation, Max paid more attention to the
fortress aspect. Surely there are floodlights. Surely there are 24-hour guards.
And surely, somewhere behind one of those windows, sleeps this Campanaro.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Dolly said, interrupting
Max’s reconnaissance. “Stealth will not get you in there, Max. But we’ve been
seen by Campanaro’s people. They’ve reported to him. He knows MI6 is here. He
wants to enlist you.”
Max squinted in Dolly’s general direction. “How do you
know?”
“Believe me.”
To Max’s way of thinking, a female British agent, who not
that long ago, had spent days cozying up to a band of European terrorists while
Max was cuffed to a radiator, had no collateral in the “believe me” bank.
However, that resort on the hill looked impregnable.
* * *
Max was spread out on the cot gazing up at the clapboard
ceiling, hearing the rummy voice of Jemma’s Rastafarian neighbor making his way
through another island tune, accompanied by the spiritual drumming of a
sidekick, taking the rhythms into a reggae bent that made shades of Bob Marley
dance in Max’s head.
Like a shadow on the wall, Jemma was there.
“You still here Mister Stubborn Americano?”
He certainly was.
After all …
Then, two more shadows washed the room. Max went for the
borrowed revolver on the nightstand. Too late.
|
| The three D’s: downsizing, destressing and de-teching life by Victoria Larson on 09/01/2018
Several years ago, I wrote a column of this same title. And
I began the process of doing so. Changes can come fast, or they can take years.
Life changes in an instant with a job loss, a move, health challenges, divorce
or death. These kinds of changes are unexpected and there is little we can do
to prepare for them.
Other kinds of changes take months or years, depending on
circumstances. I began downsizing five years ago. I started by getting as much
plastic as possible out of my house. Then books were donated to the library,
the local Montessori school and my friend’s rural “library box” alongside her
driveway. Bags and bags of recently unworn clothing went to local churches.
Household goods went to Salvation Army and local Senior Centers. This made a
considerable dent in “stuff” but not so much.
That reminds me of one of my favorite new sayings,
“everything matters, but not that much.” Similar to, “don’t sweat the small
stuff, it’s all small stuff,” but easier to say and usually gets a laugh as
people think about it. Ultimately, we are not the ones “in charge.” The Big Guy
(or Gal) upstairs is in charge, not us. Just realizing that we’re not really in
charge of everything goes a long way towards destressing.
De-teching came next for me. I cannot tell you how many
people respond to that by saying, “I can’t do that.” But you can. Start small.
When so-called time-saving devices wear out, don’t replace them. Don’t replace
the electric coffee grinder, dishwasher, microwave or TV when they break down.
By the time I was seriously into downsizing, all the above had broken down. I never
replaced them. And I’ve never owned a clothes dryer. I dry my clothes outside
on the line in the summer and inside by the woodstove during the winter. Do you
really need to upgrade an expensive phone? Or will a simple but portable one
do? They all do texting and photos now. If you are serious about “slow food”
instead of fast food, don’t eat out more than once or twice a week. Learn to
cook and save money besides.
Destressing happens when you tackle the above “stressors.”
Of course, you need to make decisions for yourself and your circumstances. A
large family may need a dishwasher or clothes dryers, and career addicts may
choose to keep their fancy phones and computers. But many “devices” lead to
stress. However, I remember an amusing incident when someone asked me why I
owned a bread machine. Well, my oven was broken, that’s why!
We need to remember that humans lived without any “devices”
for literally millions of years. Electricity only hit most of the US in the
late 1800s and was pretty much universal by 1940. Smart phones and computers
are relatively new. We’re encouraged, advertised to and given incentives to
modernize. But does everyone need to?
In seeking a slower-paced life, rather than pursuing the
frazzle-dazzle, I’ve spent most of my life cooking at home, doing dishes by
hand and drying clothes on the line outside. Over time I’ve become happier and
less stressed. Lots of alternative publications recommend destressing by
getting out of debt. First, pay off all your credit cards - then cut them up.
Then pay off your car or trade it in on a used car you can pay for outright.
Then pay off your mortgage. This is how my parents and grandparents did it.
Even those on fixed income or at poverty level may be able to survive on less.
Studies show that people are most content right at or just above poverty level.
Pots of money don’t necessarily make people happier. In fact, those who win
lotteries are often depressed within just a few years.
The decision to retire and live on a low income was not as
difficult as one might think. Especially since my level of life satisfaction
went up with every step towards self-sufficiency. My life is easier without so
much stuff, especially stuff that breaks down and becomes instant garbage.
After careers in radio, television and record promotion (back when we still had
records), I chose a career in natural medicine. I’ve loved the more than twenty
years of practicing and writing. Some people took my advice, some didn’t. Such
is the nature of human beings. But by continuing to write the columns I can
continue to disseminate information, maybe even controversies. I’m kept up to
date on current information and trends. And that’s a good thing, for all of us.
Several studies show that crises in mid-life are real. I’m
well beyond “mid-life,” and in fact beyond retirement age, but in order to live
the lifestyle I desire I’m choosing to no longer practice, other than to
provide information via these columns. Surveying people in 72 developed
countries found that people are at their happiest after age fifty. With our
youth culture that curve of happiness may even start later. While aging has its
attendant unpleasantness, the decrease in anger, worry and stress generally
gives way to an increase in laughter, wisdom and acceptance as we age. I look
forward to continuing to bring you my monthly columns.
|
|  A Jennie Welch landscape
We’re all photographers in the 21st century. In 2018, the
day of cell phones and their cameras, we hardly think about it when we pull out
the phone to get a photo of friends, family and places that we visit.
A hundred years ago it wasn’t so easy. Back then cameras
were bulky and film was inconvenient. Not all photos turned out and you didn’t
know what results you would end up with for a long time while your film was
away being developed, if you didn’t develop your own. But, of course, there
were enthusiasts.
There were photographers that ranged from full-fledged
professionals to home hobbyists with their own darkrooms. Most professional
photographers provided services to those who didn’t have their own photography
gear. They would travel and offer their services, sometimes door to door. They
would photograph anything from individual portraits to family groups. Even photos
of prize possessions such as their home, pets or a brand-new automobile.
At the early part of the 20th century postcards were a big
deal. Many people would order a set of the photos printed as a postcard to send
a photo to a friend or a family member that lived away.
Many of these same photographers provided photo postcards to
souvenir shops of local iconic landmarks frequented by tourists. After all, it
was easier to just buy some picture postcards than it was to fuss with a camera
and the subsequent rolls of film.
Some of these photographers made a name for themselves that
has endured through the years but some of them were a little bit obscure. Some
churned out massive amounts of these photo postcards while others only made
enough to sell in their own roadhouse gift shops or country stores. Billy
Welch’s Hotel was no exception.
Back in 1905 the Welches post office was established at
Billy’s Ranch with Billy as postmaster. Billy married Jennie Faubion, the
daughter of Oregon Trail pioneers and local homesteaders, and in 1940 became
the Welches postmaster. Jennie was the Welches postmaster until 1960. Jennie
Welch loved antiques and enjoyed collecting daguerreotype, ambrotype and
tintype examples of early photography. It’s obvious that Jennie enjoyed
photography.
Most people who remember Jennie remember her primary passion
being antiques, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Jennie Welch was
also one of the first local photographers of her day. She took photos and most
likely had someone else develop them and apply them to postcard backs to be
sold to tourists in the Welches Store and Post Office. They’re quite rare as
she didn’t make volumes of them like some of the other pro photographers did
and they’re hard to take notice of when you see one, but every now and then one
is recognized by the keen-eyed postcard collector.
Although not recognized as such, Jennie Welch should be
included in the list of early 20th century female photographers. Her photos
capture the history and beauty of Welches. Without her photos many early scenes
would be lost with the passing of time.
Today her photos are considered rare and collectable. Gone
are the days of picture postcards and travelling photography salesmen, but
thankfully their work lives on.
|
| MHGS: eco-friendly options to dry clothes by on 08/01/2018
Another incredibly hot summer and as I did laundry
yesterday, it just felt wrong to be using the clothes dryer on a day when the
temperature was in the 90s. I wondered for the umpteenth time how much energy
is being used simply by so many households doing laundry over the course of the
day? Or the week? Or the year? It turns out that next to refrigerators,
lighting and water heaters, electric dryers are the top energy-consumers in our
homes. The average dryer uses 875 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. The
environmental impact of clothes dryers is especially severe in the US and
Canada, since more than 80 percent of all homes have a clothes dryer.
Treehugger.com states, “There are upward of 88 million dryers in the U.S., each
emitting more than a ton of carbon dioxide per year.” According to the US
Environmental Protection Agency, if all residential clothes dryers sold in the
U.S. were energy efficient, the utility cost savings would grow to more than
$1.5 billion each year and more than 22 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas
emissions would be prevented.
So, what can we do about it? Well, the obvious thing would
be to use the clothes dryer less frequently. As I researched the answer to my
question, I found that there is a nascent movement to bring back one type of
solar clothes dryer (also affectionately known as a clothesline). Drying
clothes this way actually extends the life of your clothes because tumbling dry
breaks down the soft fibers (lint is the byproduct of this). For decades, I
lived in a house that was built in 1905 that had a wonderful clothesline in the
back yard. Clothes smelled fresh, and the sun added some additional whiteness
to the laundry. If I needed a little softening, I could tumble them in the cool
dryer for a few minutes. Also, the old Portland house had a clothesline in the
basement for rainy day use. I miss that old house! Now, when I do a load of
laundry, I try to do it in the morning. Instead of putting the clothes directly
into the dryer, I use a drying rack either outdoors or indoors. If I need to,
when I return from work in the evening, I toss things in the dryer for a few
minutes.
Even if you prefer to use a clothes dryer, there are ways
you can make it operate more efficiently to reduce the amount of energy it
uses. There are some great new innovations, such as solar powered dryers, which
in the future might become the norm. While we wait, you can choose a more
energy-efficient heat pump or condensing dryer. It condenses the moisture out
of the dryer air, then reheats it. This design is great because it doesn’t
require any additional air – it’s a closed loop. Key to any new dryer would be
a moisture-detection feature that will shut the dryer off when the clothes have
dried.
Here’s some other tips to save energy:
– You should also place the dryer in a warm spot in your
house so that it uses less energy to heat the air inside the dryer.
– Dry full loads, but don’t overload the dryer as you need
the air to circulate around the clothing.
– Try to wash several loads one after the other to maximize
the warm air and warm drum.
– Make sure that you clean the lint filter every time you
use it to keep the hot air moving more efficiently through the dryer and
shorten the drying time.
– Also, home maintenance experts recommend cleaning out the
dryer vents both from the inside and from outside the home to maximize air
flow. This will also prevent lint from accumulating inside the ducts which
could potentially create a fire hazard.
– And while you’re drying your clothes, you might consider
leaving out the dryer sheets. They’re full of cancer-causing chemicals.
Instead, go natural.
|
| Episode XXIV: It’s not nirvana to be an iguana by Max Malone, Private Eye on 08/01/2018
Max sat alone under a faded umbrella at a veranda bar
supported by tired timbers overlooking a working harbor – no luxury liners here
– as the moaning of ship horns testified to the tankers and container ships
that stood guard, all under the scrutiny of an unblinking indigo-blue iguana
that belonged in a Charles Darwin documentary.
Even Max’s most menacing glare was no match for the
redoubtable reptile, reclining a few feet away.
Rolling the remains of a defeated mojito around in its
glass, Max shifted an unfocused eye on a hazy horizon with lumps of briquet
clouds. He thought: Dolly Teagarden is MI6 – British for CIA – Jemma Gayle is a
Jamaican nurse providing him shelter from the storm during his rehab from a
gunshot wound inflicted by, doubtlessly, Beau Kimatian cum Andy Campanaro, or
one of his henchmen, and despite all the distractions – Dolly and Jemma – the unaccompanied
thought that bubbled up with every wince of pain from his abdomen was revenge.
That rage was deeper than the wound.
The more Max tarried, the more he blended in with his island
shirt, white slacks, huaraches, topped by a stylish Panama hat held in
captivity by a murky brown band. Or so he thought.
A dark, slender arm plopped down a fresh mojito, and one for
herself as well. Max followed the arm all the way to a beguiling Jamaican
smile.
“Believe I will, Jemma, thanks,” Max said, lifting his fresh
glass to his sponsor. “Have a seat.”
Jemma was already seated. “It’s OK for you to go home now,
Max.”
Max squints through the Caribbean sun, smirks, says “Jemma.
You don’t know me that well. I …”
“I know Grand Cayman, Max,” she interrupts, somehow without
raising her voice above the Jamaican cadence. “I don’t know what you’ve done,
or even why you’re here, or who that British woman is you’ve been talking to,
but I know that when the people who own Grand Cayman have unfinished business,
they find a way to finish it. This is not a democracy. It is a country of
billionaire bankers, drug dealers, money launderers, arms dealers, and corrupt
authorities. People mean nothing. Money means everything.”
“We’ll see, won’t we?” Max says, shooting a sharp glance to
Jemma, uncomfortably impressed that she knew of Dolly Teagarden.
“Iguanas are overrunning Grand Cayman, you know?” she said.
“There’s even a bounty on them.”
Max nods, lifting his mojito, getting the point.
* * *
Max shuffled along the run-down Cayman neighborhood, far
from the eager eyes of tourists. Music drifted on a soft breeze, a striking
Cayman woman sauntered across the street with a baby on her hip, vegetables
mingled with live poultry in cages on makeshift stands. Max walked into the
dark inner bowels of an alcove that dripped with intrigue. Sitting at a table
in the hallway, carving up a mango, sat one of the twins that had guarded Max’s
hospital room.
Max nodded. The hulking Jamaican polished off the last slice
of mango, rose, opened a steamer trunk that rested against the wall, took out a
soiled rag and rested it on the table between the two men. Max slid the bulky
rag to his side of the table, tucked it in his belt, stood up, dropped a brown
envelope in the trunk, walked back up the hallway, drummed his fingers on the
wall in an expression of island gratitude.
* * *
Two shadows faced off, divided by a sky full of stars
freshly washed by an island rain.
“Why don’t you bust him?” Max rasped as sotto voce as he was
able.
Dolly whispered, whittling away at the few remaining inches
between them. “We need the ones on the receiving end more than him. They’re the
ones who start wars. He buys his arms from Americans. All we can do is watch,
and wait, and hopefully follow the shipment, and then act.”
Max shuddered. What was unsaid was the U.S. did not
intervene because of the supply line.
“You must have a plan,” Max said.
Dolly surrendered her crooked Queen of England smile. “We’re
going to make sure Campanaro sees us together. That will make you more of an
asset to him than a target.”
That was enough intrigue for one night. The intervening
stars fell into shadow.
After all, he is still Max Malone, private eye.
|
| Universe makes push-starting your car that much harder by on 08/01/2018
I certainly feel a deep kinship with the surrounding universe.
Particularly after reading how, like my own waistline, it is continuing to
expand as it gets older. According to an article in TIME magazine, there are a
number of discoveries that answer fundamental questions about the mysteries of
space — beginning with a property called “dark gravity.”
It is something that parents have suspected for eons, and
that astrophysicists have only now proven the existence of: an invisible force
slightly stronger than normal gravity that pulls in the opposite direction. It is
this property that keeps the universe expanding in spite of the pull of planets
and constellations.
According to physicists at Princeton University, children
naturally possess this gravitational force, which explains their ability to
pull their parents in two directions at once.
The other effects of “dark” gravity aren’t as
straightforward. In fact, the difference between the two types of gravity are a
little hazy; both are invisible, and both earn their living by pulling things.
Here are a few examples to help illustrate their differences:
– A baseball landing in your mitt is gravity; a baseball
landing on your forehead is “dark gravity.”
– Push-starting your car by rolling it down a hill is
gravity; if the car doesn’t start before you get to the bottom, that’s “dark
gravity.”
– Weight-lifting, gravity; weight-gaining, “dark gravity.”
– Getting sick on the Tilt-a-Whirl, gravity; being strapped
next to the person getting sick on the Tilt-a-Whirl –
You get the idea.
And the discovery of light and “dark” doesn’t end there.
Apparently, physicists have discovered that matter also has
a bright and not-so-bright side.
While regular matter is easy to see, taste, touch and feel,
“dark” matter is an invisible substance that, by a ratio of 10 to 1, outweighs
all visible particles that stars, planets and people are made of.
This is why eating a three-ounce candy bar means that you
will gain — on average — 10 pounds. It’s all of that invisible “dark” matter
surrounding what we eat that’s causing America’s obesity problem, not the
calories or lack of exercise.
The trick is to find a way to remove the “dark” matter from
our food sources — something that is harder than it sounds since scientists
have no idea what the stuff is, what it looks like or where it came from.
The only thing we know for sure is that it was approved by
the FDA.
Though there were a handful of other revelations, nothing
compares with how the universe will eventually collapse. Much like the elastic
waistband in my swimming trunks, the universe will continue to stretch until it
reaches a point of critical mass known as “The Big Snap.”
What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
As for me, I’d rather not dwell on the gravity of such
matters.
(Ned is a syndicated columnist with News Media Corporation.
Write to him at nedhickson@icloud.com, or c/o Siuslaw News, 148 Maple St.,
Florence, Ore. 97439)
|
| Proposed 2018 legislation by on 08/01/2018
Hello Hoodland Community and other Mountain Times Readers,
It is an honor to serve as your State Representative and I
thank you all for taking the time to email, call, and share with me face-to-face
your questions, challenges and appreciation. Over the last month, I have had
the great opportunity to participate in and meet some of you at the Sandy
Mountain Festival and Parade and Mt. Hood Farmer’s Market, among other events
and venues. In response to these and other contacts, including those with
community, business, organization and government leaders across the district, I
have developed and submitted bills for the 2019 Session. The legislation I have
proposed has focused primarily on the 4E’s: education, economic development,
environmental stewardship and emergency preparedness/planning. Here are some of
the legislative concepts I submitted by Aug. 1:
Education
As a father with a daughter in public elementary school, a
son that is soon to start and multiple friends and family members who are or
have been teachers, I understand the importance of all students having access
to well-qualified and high quality teachers and a high quality education. For
the 2018 Regular Session, I proposed and passed House Bill (HB) 4044 which
commissioned a study to identify best practices for recruitment, retention and
mentoring our educators. For the 2019 Session, I have proposed full funding of
Measure 98, the High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Act of
2016. Measure 98 provides funding for career and technical education (CTE),
dropout prevention programs and college credit courses. To learn more about
Measure 98, please visit
www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/CTE/statefund/Documents/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20(Updated%202-16-2017).pdf.
Economic Development
As your State Representative serving on the House Committee
on Economic Development and Trade, I feel very strongly about our need to
support, grow and retain small businesses and the family supporting jobs they
provide in Oregon. As such, I have proposed the repeal of Senate Bill (SB)
1528. SB1528 disconnected Oregon from the federal tax code and will prevent our
district’s businesses from receiving a tax deduction that could lead to
increased investment in the businesses, its employees and our community.
Environmental Stewardship
I am the son and grandson of farmers, a former farmworker
and avid fisher and hunter, I believe it is important to be a good neighbor and
environmental steward and am teaching my two young children to believe the
same. Across the district, many have expressed concern about responsible
forestry management practices and the next steps for the privately owned
timberlands that are in the National Scenic Area (NSA). The NSA sits squarely
within our district and to address these and other concerns, I have submitted a
bill to study the feasibility of the state purchasing privately held timber
lands in the NSA, their possible use and public benefit.
I believe that buying former timberlands in the NSA is a
great opportunity for Oregon to acquire lands to be repurposed for recreation
and maintained for current and future generations of community members and all
Oregonians to enjoy.
Emergency Preparedness/Planning and Public Safety
I am a former Cascade Locks City Councilor, retired police
sergeant, Air Force veteran, member of the Joint (House and Senate) Ways and
Means Public Safety Subcommittee and have a young family of my own. I believe
that emergency preparedness/planning and public safety are critically important
to the success and sustainability of our community. I have heard from many
across the district regarding earthquake preparedness and in the Hoodland Area
specifically about the concern for safety along Hwy. 26. In response, I am
proposing a bill to identify the best option for adding flexibility to the
school building seismic upgrades grant funding that would allow for cases where
a building’s upgrades are close to or exceed the cost of reconstruction. I have
also submitted a bill to make the safety corridor that runs through the
Hoodland Area permanent.
My goal is to propose legislation that is responsive and
effective for addressing the challenges you identify and the successes you want
to see. To share your questions, concerns or suggestions for legislation or
invite me to your community or other group to talk about my role as a
legislator or discuss legislation, please contact me via
Rep.JeffHelfrich@OregonLegislature.gov, cellphone 541-392-4546, my Salem office
at 503-986-1452 or message me through www.facebook.com/RepJeffHelfrich/.
I look forward to seeing you in the community and hearing
from you soon.
(Jeff Helfrich is the representative for House District 52)
|
| Bite size is the right size by Taeler Butel on 08/01/2018
When it’s hot and you just want a bite and you also have
lunches to pack, these bite sized snacks have your back.
Pulled chicken potato skins
1.5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
6 small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 cup prepared BBQ sauce
1/4 cup sliced scallions
Heat oven to 365 degrees. Bake the potatoes tossed in olive
oil, salt and pepper for 40 minutes until tender and roasted.
Cool slightly, then scoop out to make room for the chicken
mixture.
Toss the chicken together with BBQ sauce and salt and pepper
to taste, then spoon about 1/4 of the mixture into the potato skins.
Bake for 15 minutes and top with scallions.
Cheese quinoa bites
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups quinoa prepared
1/2 t each onion & garlic pepper
1 T flour
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix together the milk, cheese, flour and seasonings together
in a small bowl and add this mixture to the cooked quinoa.
Stir over medium heat until thickened slightly, then pour
into greased muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool slightly.
A bite-sized side note
Try salami ravioli flowers, by cooking packaged ravioli and
skewer with salami.
Or make apple “chips” with cinnamon almond butter by slicing
a green apple and dolloping on some almond butter with a drizzle of honey and
then sprinkle on cinnamon and sliced almonds.
(Taeler Butel writes exclusively for The Mountain Times.)
|
| Maintaining health during a staycation, vacation or relocation by Victoria Larson on 08/01/2018
Whether staying home for a vacation this year, driving
through our lovely state of Oregon or relocating and settling in, illness on
the road is far worse when in flux. How can we make moves more comfortable and
be prepared for the possible stress of travel or relocating?
The farther away you plan to travel or move, the sooner you
should begin preparations. You can begin shoring up your immune system up to a
month before to deal with any onslaughts. Sleep and diet are underappreciated
as “health aids.” Since sleep is difficult for many while travelling or under
the stress of relocating, consider doing all you can to make yourself and those
travelling with you as comfortable as possible.
Try one of those small travel pillows for each member of
your family and put a few drops of each person’s favorite essential oil on the
corners of the pillow. You do not want to put the essential oil on the middle
of the pillow where you put your head as you don’t want to cause any irritation
to eyes. Lavender is the go-to essential oil for promoting calmness and sleep
but not everyone likes the scent of lavender. My personal favorite is geranium,
as it resembles rose essential oil without the high cost.
Since car travel is up and many are travelling with
children, why not be prepared to calm both children and adults. A mixture of
lavender essential oil and Rescue Remedy (or both) in a spray bottle filled
with distilled water will quiet everyone in the car, as well as drown out the
odor of those smelly feet or sweaty bodies after that long hike.
Essential oils, homeopathics and essences are small, light
and easy to travel with, whatever your luggage choice or your destination.
However, you should package the oils separately from the homeopathics and
essences, as essential oils may decrease the effectiveness of the homeopathics.
In addition to band-aids and healing salves, you can carry
homeopathic Arnica as a gel or in pill form to help with those inevitable minor
to moderate sprains, strains or other injuries. Both Arnica and Rescue Remedy
will also help with insect bites, stings and even sunburn, and are easy to
carry in purse or pocket.
Remember that nutrition is an important part of your health.
Increasing consumption of ginger, mint or turmeric will improve your traveler’s
digestion. Your tummy will be happier with a decrease of sugar in your diet not
just when vacationing or relocating but also when settling in. Sugar decreases
the ability of your white blood cells (the defenders) within a half hour of
consumption and lasts for five hours! After just two hours your immune function
is reduced by 50 percent. Plus, and perhaps worst, is the fact that sugar
consumption makes people cranky and irritable and summer heat does that
already. While treats when travelling or under stress are inevitable,
increasing fiber and protein will keep everyone more balanced and happy.
Probably the most incapacitating traveler’s or mover’s
problem is diarrhea. Even with the admonition of using only bottled water for
brushing teeth or washing fruit, keep in mind that not all places on earth have
dishwashers or use boiling water for washing dishes. In some countries it is
not advisable to eat raw fruits and vegetable. Forgetting is easy.
I remember a time in China when we dipped grapes into
boiling water to peel them before eating. But think about guacamole in Mexico:
better to buy the avocadoes and make your own guacamole with processed salsa
and not with fresh tomatoes or onions to avoid the famous “turista.”
If intestinal imbalance does result in diarrhea or vomiting,
be prepared. It’s easier than trying to find a grocery store or a pharmacy when
in the woods, travelling in a foreign country, or relocating to a new area.
Carry some bottles of carbonated water to which you can add
activated charcoal or psyillium powder to absorb the toxins you may have
ingested. Powdered ginger, turmeric or mint tea bags can help too. Pineapple
juice and fresh papayas, if you are lucky enough to be in a country where these
are readily available, will ease digestive woes as well.
In a pinch (no pun intended) you could use cinnamon, cloves
(also good for toothache), oregano or thyme from any old spice rack to make
tea. If you have carried essential oils of mint, oregano or thyme, they may be
diluted with olive oil and applied topically to the tummy area. Test a small
area for possible irritation before applying, especially with children and
anyone with compromised skin issues. Best to avoid the sun under such
circumstances as some are more sensitive than others and may cause rash or
sunburn. Using essential oils internally, even in drop doses could lead to
irritation of mucous membranes of the mouth or intestinal system.
All of the above-mentioned remedies are easy to obtain from
Naturopaths (capsules of ginger, turmeric, homeopathics and salves). Many can
be found at local grocery or health stores (teas, pineapple juice), or off the
shelves of your own home or the home of those you are visiting (powdered
spices). Let’s face it, vacations and moving are few and far between, so let’s
not lose any time being uncomfortable. With a little pre-planning and becoming
prepared we can be happier whether stacaytioning, travelling through or
relocating to a new area.
|
|  Photo by Gary Randall.
Summer is here. For a landscape photographer this time of
the year means good weather, green forests, flowers, warmer nights and starry
night skies.
I enjoy heading out for a sunset and staying until the stars
come out, and in many cases, staying out until sunrise. Sunsets and sunrises
are always a wonderful time to get dramatic landscape photos, while landscape
photos with an amazing Milky Way in the sky above can be unique and dramatic.
Night photography is a form of photography that seems
mystical and magical. To many people night photography appears to be
complicated and left only for those with the most acute photography skill, when
in fact once you understand just the basics of the exposure triangle - shutter
speed, aperture and Iso - you will realize that all that’s being done to get
these dark night sky photos, in most cases, is to get as much light into your
camera as possible.
Set your camera on Manual, set up your tripod and let’s get
started.
As most photographers know when you use a long exposure you
will need a tripod. Your tripod will keep your camera still during the
exposure. You will want to ensure that no movement takes place at all during
the exposure.
Another device that helps with this is a shutter release.
The release will keep you from moving the camera when you press the button. If
you have no shutter release you can usually set your camera timer to take the
photo a few seconds after you click the shutter button.
Your exposure setting will need to be extended in most cases
up to 20 or sometimes 30 seconds, depending on how dark the sky is. Remember
that the darker the sky, the brighter the stars, and a night without a moon
will give the best starry sky. The only negative consequence will be less light
on your subject or foreground. Many times just a slight sliver of a moon will
allow a more defined foreground while still allowing the stars to shine.
Concerning shutter speed, the only consideration that you
must have is that the longer the shutter is open the more movement you will
detect in the scene. Even in the stars as at some longer focal lengths the
stars will streak slightly when you extend the exposure to 30 seconds. These
star streaks turn into star trails if allowed to streak long enough, sometimes
up to 30 minutes. This method will create amazing surreal images of streaks and
circles of light above your subject. To do this requires another method |
|
|
|
