Week of October 31, 2024
Week of October 31, 2024
A small statue of St. Francis sits on a stump holding court in Julie and John Christensen’s forest in Corbett. The patron saint of animals and ecology is at home among the couple’s 70-acres of Douglas firs, cedars and hemlocks near the Columbia River. The Christensens moved to Corbett, a small, unincorporated town 30 miles outside of Portland, in 1984, intending to make it a communal home for themselves and friends they’d met through Julie’s work as a Catholic campus minister at Western...
FINN ROCK: Public input on a possible community disaster recovery grant was limited last Thursday when only one person showed up at the old McKenzie High School gymnasium. Up for discussion was an initiative managed by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) aimed at aiding recovery in disaster-impacted communities. Up for discussion were aspects of possible U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding to help after major disasters, such as wildfires, flooding, or other...
BLUE RIVER: “We had to learn to trust that our lives in this community are worth rebuilding.” Those words from McKenzie Valley Wellness president Val Rapp helped explain that the area’s rebuilding efforts involve more than just putting up new walls. “There was not a single one of us here who could do this by ourselves,” she said. “But working together, we began to figure out who could be our allies and support and help us and others in the community.” Rapp spoke at Saturday’s...
OLD MCKENZIE PASS: The east side gate to McKenzie Highway (OR 242), located near Sisters, will close for the season on Friday, November 1st ahead of an incoming storm, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported on Monday. ODOT is also clarifying a report from last weekend regarding whether it allows snowmobilers, skiers and recreationists into the closed area. The west side gate near McKenzie Bridge was closed last week. When the east side gate closes Friday, highway vehicle access across...
Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to make some energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades to my home. During this process, I examined the feasibility of installing solar panels. As it turned out, my home was not a great candidate for installation (too much shade), but I still wanted to know more. So, this month, I turned to local installation expert Jeremiah Chavez, General Manager of Energy Design (solarenergydesign.com), to ask a few follow-up questions. First on my list: what...
The Oregon Health Authority is launching a new rental assistance program through its Medicaid plan that serves low-income Oregonians when medical crises impact their ability to pay rent. The health authority’s plans are intended to keep people housed who need a short-term bridge to make ends meet and pay rent. Its goal is to help people maintain their health and their housing, which can lead to better long-term outcomes. People who face homelessness or the threat of eviction are 35% more...
Fall Season has arrived armed some pretty decent rainy days putting to bed another long and dry fire season. If you recall, however, the Spring season was wet and warm and responsible for profuse vegetative growth, some still standing. Earlier in the summer, McKenzie Locals Helping Locals sponsored a Blue River Cleanup Day. Those efforts around the South end of town helped remove invasive Scotch Broom plantations and other invasive plants as well as pick up many, diverse scattered items...
At least four progressive organizations that previously backed an Oregon ballot measure to hike taxes on businesses and divide proceeds among all Oregonians have withdrawn their support. Voters will decide in November whether to approve Measure 118, which proponents say would give about $1,600 annually to all Oregonians by making corporations pay more. Opponents across the political spectrum, citing analysis from state economic researchers, warned that it would raise prices and blow a hole in...
The Lane Transit District (LTD) will host a Día de los Muertos celebration on Friday, November 1st. The party will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rosa Parks Plaza at LTD’s Eugene Station. Attendees will see live performances from local groups Mariachi Cuervo and a folklórico dance by Raíces de Oregon. Also planned are interactive activites for children, including bilingual storytime on an LTD bus and family-friendly art projects. Community partners, including Plaza de Nuestra...
McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week The McKenzie Varsity Cross Country teams will participate in the Special District 4 Championships this Thursday, October 31, at Lane Community College. The Boys 2A/1A-SD4 Special District 5,000 meters race will start at 2:00 pm and the Girls 3A/2A/1A 5,000 meters race will begin at 2:45 pm. The McKenzie 2024 Varsity Volleyball and Football Seasons have concluded. There are no volleyball or football scheduled contests. The McKenzie School District will host its annual Fall Sports Banquet on Tuesday,...
It already seems like a long time ago when McKenzie Locals Helping Locals sponsored the fourth annual McKenzie River Community Celebration at the Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track. As you recall, the event was held this summer on September 2, Labor Day, and we had a grand time celebrating our Community. A lot of effort went into the organization and implementation of the annual event and we would be remiss if proper acknowledgment of those efforts went unannounced or not recognized. Please accept our apologies for doing so later rather...
Lane County “voters” should choose the members of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. A member of the Board of Commissioners should not be allowed to choose his or her “voters.” Ballot Measure 20-362 does just this. It does this by prohibiting the Commissioners or their allies from drawing the boundary lines for their own districts for their benefit. Drawing boundary lines to give a politician an advantage in an election is called gerrymandering. It is immoral and anti-democratic. Ballot Measure 20-362 will stop gerrymandering....
Certainly Tony Casad has done some good things as superintendent of the Blue River Water Board. He does deserve credit for those things. The question becomes: are the things the “good Tony” did outweigh the abuse, bullying and obstructionism that he has dished out to many members of the community. This of course remains a decision only the community of Blue River will make. It is not true that only Tony Casad can manage the Water District. It ran fine before he moved here and will go fine, likely better, if he leaves. There are still some...
As of the time of this writing, it’s election season, and some of us are being asked to approve bond measures for local schools. So, most likely I don’t have to tell you that such debates can get pretty heated. We should count our blessings, though. Some Oregonians used to argue over this sort of thing with dynamite. More specifically, a few of the residents of the unincorporated hamlet of Mohawk did. Mohawk is situated in the heart of the Mohawk River Valley a dozen or so miles northeast...
As pumpkins and winter squash reach harvest time, gardeners wonder how and where to store them. Since they won’t survive the first frost, now’s the time to plan a strategy. Tried-and-true storing techniques can keep some winter squash for several months. “Most squashes and pumpkins are warm-season crops and are susceptible to injury at temperatures less than 50 degrees,” said Gail Langellotto, an Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. “If left out in the garden too...
Oct. 19: 3:13 a.m: Suspicious Conditions - 90700 blk, Hill Rd. Deputies responded to a possible gas leak at a residence in the area. Oct. 21: 9:14 a.m: Fraud - 56900 blk, N. Bank Rd. The victim’s child paid over $1,000 to an online scammer before the scam was discovered by parents. 7:07 p.m: Assist Public - Lat: 44.0835667. Long: -122.319606. 7:50 p.m: Motor Vehicle Accident, Unknown Injury - 34600 blk, McK. View Dr. Oct. 23: 4:36 p.m: Civil Service - 48100 blk, McK. Hwy. 5:25 p.m: Vehicle Stop – McK. Hwy. Milepost 44. 6:32 p.m: Foot...
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at about 8 a.m., detectives with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at a residence in the 43000 block of McKenzie Hwy. The search warrant was the result of a months-long investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, focusing on child exploitation. The suspect, William Harold Berry III, was a registered sex offender on post-prison supervision for a prior felony conviction of Unlawful Penetration in the First Degree. Berry was arrested during the service of the...
Oct. 21: 20:06: 46000 block, McK. Hwy. Medical, Heart. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. Oct. 22: 14:41: 47000 blk, McK. Hwy. Legal Backyard Burn. Disregarded by Dispatch; Legal Backyard Burn. 18:33: 90000 blk, Cascade View Dr. Legal Backyard Burn. Investigate, Legal Backyard Burn, Visible From 126. Oct. 23: 13:54: 40000 blk, Booth Kelly Rd. Medical, General. Lift Assist Only. 19:15: 7700 blk, Thurston Rd. Medical, General. Cancelled On Scene. 21:07: 47000 blk, McK. Hwy. Motor Vehicle Accident. Non-Blocking/Non-Injury. Oct. 24: 16:22: McK....
Oct. 27: 17:32: Medical – 55000 block, McK. River Dr. Male, Conscious, Breathing. Oct. 28: 10:43: Medical – McK. Hwy./Milepost 44. Male, Conscious, Breathing. The Upper McK. Fire District’s board of directors will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 18th, at the Blue River Fire Station 2, 51730 Echo St. in Blue...
