Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Reality can get skewed when there are so many sources of information – books, magazines, newspapers, nurseries and, most of all, the internet and social media open up lots of room for contradiction. So, how do you find the right answer for gardening questions? Nine experts from Oregon State University Extension Service stepped up to bust some common gardening myths. Read on to get some research-based answers to 10 common misconceptions. For additional questions, call the OSU Extension master g...
LEABURG: A test of the emergency alert system in the McKenzie Fire & Rescue service area is scheduled for noon on Saturday, November 20th. Residents in the McKenzie River Valley may receive a test alert on their mobile phones, landlines or via email. The messages will include “TEST ALERT” to reduce any potential confusion. Residents should not call 9-1-1 in response to the test alert. “People are more aware than ever before of the need to be prepared for an emergency or disaster,” said McKenzie Fire & Rescue Chief Darren Bucich. “We want to h...
FINN ROCK: Coarse political confrontations devolved from sparring on the national stage to grappling with free speech at a local high school in 2021. And like the big time, the Internet was a weapon of choice in the McKenzie Valley. Devon Lawson, a ninth-grade student at the McKenzie River Community School, says his interest in politics was sparked two years ago when he realized he was unhappy with what was going on at the federal level. “I decided if something was going to happen, I was eventually going to change it,” he recalls. Typically, st...
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package recently approved by the U.S. Senate includes a $2.855 billion investment in salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration programs, as well as tens of billions of dollars allocated for water infrastructure. The bill, which has moved on to the U.S. House of Representatives, awaits decisions on final passage this fall. Language in the Senate version includes $1 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation to create a new program aimed at removing,...
July 19: 9:04 a.m: Theft - 91800 block, Mill Creek Rd. The occupant of a brown Subaru Legacy stole cigarettes and an undisclosed value of gasoline. Investigation continuing. 9:48 a.m: Restraining Order Service - 36500 blk, Parsons Creek Rd. 10:17 a.m: Stalking Order Service - 89700 blk, Hill Rd. 2:11 p.m: Threat, Harassment - 88100 blk, Heather Dr. 2:16 p.m: Safety Hazard - McK. Hwy. & Camp Creek Rd. 3:18 p.m: Motor Vehicle Acci-dent, Injury - 5500 blk, Camp Creek Rd. 3:37 p.m: Disabled Vehicle - Marcola Rd. & Mohawk Loop Rd. 4:09 p.m: Civil...
On the morning of April 23, 1936, the city of Portland was proudly preparing to launch its new harbor patrol boat, the Jack Luihn. It was going to be a big deal. Mayor LaGuardia of New York City was in town, and had been invited to come to the event. And the boat itself was truly revolutionary. Oregon's own wizardly inventor The Jack Luihn was the brain-child of one Victor Wiegand Strode, an inventor with a remarkable flair. Looking back on the historical record, the picture one gets is reminisc...
I have fallen in love with a wonderful and engaging woman. In the course of our dating, I see this woman in my future and am having thoughts of asking her to marry me. However, I have learned that her family forced her into detox/rehab because of an out of control cocaine addiction during high school. I am terrified of something happening that would trigger relapse on her part. Not only that, but the addiction resulted in a criminal record, as well as more than several pregnancies and...
An international field of runners will be returning to McKenzie Community Track on June 22nd at 7:30 pm PDT for an event dubbed, "the McKenzie International." Through a partnership between Portland Track and Project OVERCOME, a US Ignite-funded program, the meet will be streamed live on the portlandtrack.com website for $5.99. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to McKenzie Track and the Oregon Community Foundation, Community Rebuilding Fund, to help restore Blue River's local community...
With the recent designation as a federal 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and a grant from the Chamber of Commerce, the McKenzie Community Communications (MCC) group says it’s ready to move forward. In April the MCC took over a free access public wifi spot in Rainbow that had been established by volunteers from the Oregon Internet Response (OIR) team after the Holiday Farm Fire. “Thanks the McKenzie Chamber, we’re now planning to set up another public access site in Blue River or McKenzie Bridge,” according to MCC president Ken Engelma...
During a Monday night online meeting, Lane Electric Cooperative General Manager Debi Wilson said the utility is planning to put more of its lines underground to offset the impacts of natural disasters. “We’re committed to rebuilding the McKenzie community stronger than before,” Wilson said. “There are many more hazards that exist now than before the wildfire,” she noted, listing “landslides, rockslides, and flooding.” Currently, the Coop is working with a consultant to develop a rebuilding plan that will be submitted to the Federal Energ...
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. "We need to use all available tools to get 100% of us connected in this country and this program is an essential part of making that happen." Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel The Emergency Broadband Benefit will...
Ask experienced gardeners what makes their garden grow and they'll come up with the same response: great soil. Good answer, but not the only one. The same crops grown in soil thrive in water, too, as long as there are nutrients and oxygen involved. In fact, vegetables grown hydroponically root and grow faster than traditionally grown plants, said Barry Burnsides, an Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener. This ages-old system uses a mixture of water and nutrients to grow...
A $300,000 OVERCOME grant from US Ignite, the National Science Foundation, and Schmidt Futures has been approved to improve McKenzie Valley internet access. The program was designed to support underserved communities via novel broadband technology solutions. “Rural communities continue to see a lack of internet services, critical not only for basic daily tasks but also for emergency preparedness and recovery,” said East Lane County Commissioner, Heather Buch. “The OVERCOME grant provides an opportunity for consistent, reliable internet for the...
“We have restored the Blue River central office and fiber that enables all service in the area,” according to Tre Hendricks, Director of Government Affairs for CenturyLink/Lumen. “We are beginning reconnection customers who remain out of service in the Blue River area – there were approximately 50 and almost half of those were restored last week.” Hendriks said several cable cuts were, “Due to other utility and road clearing activities in the last two weeks, which has slightly delayed our efforts. Once the Blue River customers are done,...
“The bottom line is that restoration is progressing at a significant and steady pace.” That’s the most recent assessment on the rebuilding of Lumen/CenturyLink’s communications infrastructure from the company” director of government affairs, Tre Hendricks. Recent work in the Leaburg and Vida areas has included placing or splicing defective copper cable along 8,000’ feet of the McKenzie Highway. Crews also found a spot where stolen cable had to be replaced to reconnect six customers. Upriver, Hendricks said fiber had been placed for approximate...
PUC keeps December date for service restoration A group of “Good Samaritans” is credited with a creative solution for returning telephone service to CenturyLink’s upper McKenzie Valley customers. At Monday’s special meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Oregon, commissioners were told the new system will buid upon a microwave feed from Bend connected to five T-1 lines with 24 channels apiece. Lisa Gorsuch, the PUC’s emergency preparedness manager, told the board the system had been devised by the Oregon Internet Response team, a group of...
Indigo By Dan Purkey There is no doubt the word “Indigo” has special significance to Linda Chmiel; beyond the tropical plant of the pea family, which was cultivated as a source of dark blue dye. Human Indigo adults are known for being intelligent, creative, promoting a healthy peaceful life and having an innate desire to make the earth better! After growing up in Englewood, California, and graduating from Cal State Long Beach in Fine Arts, Linda became a seeker of personal wisdom from the Sequoia National Park, covered wagon living, to Bre...
Jason Johannesen LEABURG: “The first work we’re doing with the Connect America program is in this area,” were welcome words heard by a packed audience last Thursday night. They came from Karen Stewart, CenturyLink’s director of local government affairs, who was talking about a federally backed program to upgrade McKenzie area broadband service that is already underway. Asked for a completion date she said, “September, unless we run into construction problems.” Under the wing of the Federal Communications Commission, the Connect America pro...
Internet world Broadband access on the agenda next week LEABURG: Narrowing the digital divide that separates rural areas from high speed internet connections will be the focus of a March 17th meeting at McKenzie Fire & Rescue’s Leaburg Training Center. Organizers of the meeting include several McKenzie area residents who attended a Rural Broadband Conference convened by the Oregon Rural Development Council in Bend last month. That conference offered information on an array of federal, state and local initiatives that were designed to reach u...
Spectators By Finn J.D. John A century ago, the entire country was in the grip of a sort of lethal mania. You can catch references to it in old novels by nonplussed Britons like P.G. Wodehouse – a sense that the U.S., unlike England or France or Germany, was not really a country of laws. Oh, laws were fine for things like robbery and swindling and claim jumping, but when it came to crimes involving “honor,” nothing but cold steel or hot lead would suffice. The concept was popularly known as “The Unwritten Law.” It was, essenti...
2/23/15 McKenzie students in grades, 8, 10-11 and 12 were interviewed to get their input for three categories: Strengths, Challenges and opportunities. Below is a compilation of their input. STRENGTHS Caring staff Athletics Small classes More instructional time (hour long classes) Relevant instruction Technology improvements Hands on activities Aspire Clean school/environment Reinforced learning Awesome food service program Have fun Respectful students Students treated with respect Scholarships Individual attention Core classes CHALLENGES Short...
Planning meeting FINN ROCK: “Our job as a community and as a school is to make sure every student has an opportunity to be the best they can be,” were the words superintendent Jim Thomas used to open a public meeting at the McKenzie Elementary School’s pagoda building last Wednesday night. “We cannot short change them in terms of academics, social skills or the work ethic they need to have to be successful in whatever field they choose to go into,” he added. During the 2-1/2 hour session parents, teachers and administrators broke up into smal...
McKenzie School District Strategic Plan First Draft “Inspiring students to achieve their academic and individual potential“ 2/14/15 On Wednesday, February 11h, 2015, a workshop was held in the Pagoda to begin the process of crafting the McKenzie School District Strategic Plan. Forty people, including community members, board members, and school staff took part in the process. A second meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at The Vida Community Center. At this meeting, a final version of the strategic plan will be drafted. It is...
Meeting RAINBOW: People had a chance to place some priorities on places that matter to them last Wednesday night. They did it by marking up maps to show which U.S. Forest Service roads they use and what sort of special places they feel are along those routes. “You should mark the areas that you appreciate - maybe because you work up there,” explained Matt Peterson, assistant recreation officer for the Willamette Forest. Using comment sheets linked to the marked up maps, people were also encouraged to list some of their thoughts on why tho...
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. "We need to use all available tools to get 100% of us connected in this country and this program is an essential part of making that happen." Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel The Emergency Broadband Benefit will...
