Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Jesse Jackson stands proudly, flute in hand, on several hundred acres of forest near Roseburg that the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians fought to get back from the federal government in 2016 after more than 160 years of private and federal management and decades of heavy logging. Jackson, the education programs manager for the tribe, offers gratitude to the land through his music and the indigenous Takelma language once spoken widely by the tribe. He describes huckleberries,...
A new report analyzes the workforce dynamics in Oregon and how the state can address gaps for workers and industries. The 2024 Talent Assessment finds that Oregon’s economy is in a strong position, with significant growth in the labor market and more growth anticipated in the future. Christiana McFarland is director of the Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy with SRI, the firm that conducted the assessment. She said some factors could be barriers to achieving that future growth. “We kno...
The US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region will be waiving fees at most day-use recreation sites in national forests across Washington and Oregon on Saturday, June 8th, in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day. National Get Outdoors Day aims to connect Americans with the great outdoors and inspire them to lead healthy, active lifestyles. By waiving fees on this day, the Forest Service hopes to encourage the public to take advantage of the many recreational opportunities available in t...
MCKENZIE BRIDGE: At their May 20th board meeting the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District approved hiring a new Fire Chief. The current Chief, Christiana Rainbow Plews, retired this month and Joel Zeni stepped into her shoes. Joel has roots in the River community - growing up on Little Deerhorn Road and graduating from Thurston High in 2009. When he was 15 he started volunteering with Lane County Search and Rescue and then joined McKenzie Fire and Rescue as a volunteer at 17. He...
RAINBOW: With our area no longer considered to be in the middle of an “asbestos” or largely wildfire unlikely area, turnout at last Saturday’s Disaster Fair stayed strong throughout the five-hour event. Held at the Upper McKenzie Community Center, the facility was packed with information boots both inside and out. Whether someone stopped by a community groups or public agency booth the message was the same: disaster preparedness at its core works best when proactive measures are taken to minim...
Free camping, day-use, and activities to celebrate State Parks Day June 1 Celebrate State Parks Day with free parking and free RV and tent site camping at all Oregon State Parks June 1 as well as special events at selected parks. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will waive day-use parking fees at the 25 locations that charge them and camping fees for all tent, RV, and horse campsites on June 1. OPRD will also waive day-use parking fees on June 2, to support Free Fishing Days...
WALTERVILLE: Heavy equipment has been busy at the Hendricks Bridge Wayside east of Springfield is closed this week, removing tons of debris from last January’s ice storm. The park was used as a drop site for debris collected by residents as well as debris removed from roadways by Lane County Public Works. The large piles, primarily tree limbs, earned the unofficial nickname of “Mt. Brushmore” due to their height. “We are appreciative that our friends in the Parks division were able to make th...
RAINBOW: An automated external defibrillator (AED) is now installed at the Upper McKenzie Community Center. Donated by Eugene Springfield HEARTsafe, the device can treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped working. Over 500 AEDs are now available in many public places around Lane County, including government buildings, schools, airports and other community spaces. Small, lightweight AEDs are available for a quick response when someone suffers an out-of-hospital cardiac...
This story was first published by Columbia Insight. It’s said that “the map is not the territory.” This statement, say critics, is especially true of the maps created by the U.S. Forest Service to inventory the nation’s largest carbon sinks: its mature and old-growth forests. In April 2023, under pressure from the Biden administration, the Forest Service completed its first-ever nationwide inventory of mature and old-growth forests found on federal lands. This inventory of older trees is part...
BLUE RIVER: There were plenty of smiles on the faces of people to go along with sunny skies last Saturday. Many of the grins were on faces that a week before had spent a rainy day spiffing up the town in anticipation of celebrating the rebuilding of fire-damaged public structures and homes. As Cliff Richardson of Locals Helping Locals noted during his opening remarks, the soft opening of the Blue River Fire Station was an event that “Blue River can now brag about,” as well as the progress of...
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate William David McCormick, 52. He is a person of interest in an assault investigation. McCormick was recently seen in the Vida and McKenzie Bridge area. People who have any information regarding McCormick’s location, can call the Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4141 and reference case #24-2445....
FINN ROCK: Personnel from firefighting agencies outnumbered the public for last week’s P.R.E.P. meeting. People who weren’t there missed gaining insights into how plans to protect them are evolving to meet new challenges associated with long-lasting wildfires. During the Plan, Resilient, Educate, Prepare (P.R.E.P.) session Darren Bucich, McKenzie Fire and Rescue Chief, gave outlined how the area’s fire districts interact to conduct evacuations. He also explained that although “we volunte...
LEABURG: The McKenzie River Discovery Center at Leaburg Lake hosted the second “Listening Session” on May 10th for a proposal to see if the McKenzie area could benefit from a “Main Street” approach. It’s an idea that has helped communities around the state either boost or stabilize their economies, according to the National Main Street Center and Oregon Parks and Recreation. In April, the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored a meeting with RAIN and Rural Development Initiativ...
LEABURG: A successful dory workshop concluded last Friday at the McKenzie River Discovery Center (MRDC). The ten-day class was led by Brad Dimick, Cricket, and Glade Zarn of Fretwater Boatworks in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ten men and two women went from lofting the boat, building the parts, assembling the hull, and sanding and painting - to launching the result in ten days. According to Roger Fletcher, an MRDC board member and workshop coordinator, “the class re-created the first dory built for t...
Corey Culp, McKenzie River Community School's computer science teacher, has been named Technology Educator of the Year - along with two other outstanding K-12 Oregon and SW Washington. The award comes with a cash stipend of $1,000 for their classrooms to spend on tech education materials including hardware, software, services, or curriculum. For forty years, Oregon Technology Awards (OTAs) have celebrated excellence and achievement in the region's technology industry. This year's event will reco...
BLUE RIVER: People from all over the McKenzie Valley were busy over the weekend when a call went out for volunteers to help during a Cleanup Day. Over three dozen people were armed with rakes, pruners, bucket loaders, and motorized brush hogs last Saturday. The activity was all in anticipation of a Rebuilding Block Party scheduled for Blue River this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The May 11th event is being sponsored by the McKenzie Community Land Trust (MCLT), McKenzie Valley Long Term...
VIDA: An incident that started at a mental health clinic in Bend wound its way across the Santiam Pass before ending with a car crash in Vida last Friday. During the course of the investigation, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office determined the suspect, 21-year-old Joshua Davis Buck, was at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center when he requested a ride share service to Sisters. Once there Buck asked to be dropped off in the vicinity of the Sisters Inn and Suites. When the vehicle came to a stop, the driver, Stanley Collins, was a...
LEABURG: Transforming lumber into a craft capable of navigating Colorado River rapids was a task well underway at the McKenzie River Discovery Center last week. Twelve students who’d signed up for a ten-day class to loft, build, and launch a Colorado River dory—on the very site where Keith Steele built the first one in 1962—accepted the chore. Lofting the boat involved transforming initial drawings and photos into a full-size plan. Their result included all the curves of a boat that not only...
Congratulations to McKenzie High graduates Griffin Withaim, Jane Dellinger, and Salomon Acevedo, the Joe McCall Memorial Scholarship recipients. Each student will receive 1500.00 to help fund their first year of college. These exceptional students were chosen based on their community involvement, academic achievement, and desire to further their education. All three students plan to attend Oregon State University next fall. This memorial scholarship honored Joe, who loved the McKenzie River...
Oregon supplies some of its most vulnerable residents with air conditioners, air purifiers, and power banks. It is a first-in-the-nation experiment to use Medicaid money to prevent the potentially deadly health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other climate-related disasters. The equipment, which started going out in March, expands a Biden administration strategy to move Medicaid beyond traditional medical care and into social services. According to KFF, at least 20 states,...
NIMROD: The picturesque Eagle Rock Lodge was again the site for the McKenzie River Wooden Boat Festival. The annual event along the banks of this iconic river may have drifted by on April 27th but it continued as a tribute to local river history and the craft of wooden boat building—a testament to community and the spirited camaraderie shared on the river. The event included old and new, large and small, boasting over forty boats displaying both tradition and creativity. Among them were u...
VIDA: Ideas on ways local businesses could work together to improve the McKenzie area’s regional economy were at the core of a meeting last Saturday. The hour-and-a-half gathering at the Vida McKenzie Community Center drew about a dozen people representing businesses ranging from resorts to river guiding. Discussions centered on a model that’s been used to revitalize communities around the United States for about 40 years. By recognizing that rural economies could benefit from a custom app...
A primary in rural Lane County will determine whether the Oregon House Republican caucus will include candidates who differ from the party line on abortion. First-term Rep. Charlie Conrad, R-Dexter, faces a challenge from Republican business owner Darin Harbick in the 12th House District, which stretches south and east from Eugene to scoop up small rural communities including the McKenzie Valley, Creswell, Cottage Grove and Lowell. Conrad has earned praise from colleagues and some constituents,...
EUGENE: EWEB reports it is modernizing utility infrastructure to enhance efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. The initiative includes upgrading to smart meters, which commenced in 2018, as part of ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and meet evolving industry standards. However, the utility says a small but vocal faction of smart grid opponents is obstructing EWEB’s ability to install the new meters on their properties, resorting to threats against utility workers and tactics t...
Hive Five: Oregon’s New Favorite 2024 Hobby is Beekeeping. It’s not just about getting your delicious honey (though that’s a big plus!), it’s also about helping these little pollinators thrive, which in turn brightens up your garden. At its core, beekeeping involves the care and management of honeybee colonies, often in man-made hives. What makes it particularly appealing is the deep connection it fosters with the natural world, allowing people to play a direct role in supporting the health...
