Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
Sorted by date Results 926 - 950 of 1818
VIDA: The Holiday Farm Fire destroyed the building but not the treasure buried inside the foundation of the Vida McKenzie Community Center (VMCC). But last Friday people weren't too sure their search would be a success. "This is something the state and the Oregon and the Oregon Debris Management Team is really committed to," said ODOT's Onsite Incident Commander Kevin Finch before any earth was moved. "Hopefully we'll find a capsule from 1949." Whether or not there was anything to dig up wasn't...
RAINBOW: Close to nine months after the Holiday Farm Fire, some families should soon be able to return to living on the river again. The first of up to 17 temporary trailers funded by the Federal Emergency Agency were delivered to the US Basketball Academy site in Rainbow this week. The Mobile Housing Units (MHUs) vary from two to three bedrooms with a living room area, as well as kitchen, and bathroom spaces. FEMA will host an Open House and Tour of the site at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August...
Ten McKenzie High School students recently completed a Restoration Class in which they had the opportunity to help their local community recover from the Holiday Farm Fire. The grant funded program featured completion of local service projects and watershed education provided by the McKenzie Watershed Council, in partnership with McKenzie High School in sponsoring the class. The McKenzie River Ranger District also supported the program by allowing the student team the opportunity to work on District property near the School. Justin Demeter,...
History of the McKenzie River Club, Inc. The McKenzie River Active Club was organized November 4, 1941, by members of the McKenzie River Grange, for the purpose of having a social organization that would also work for the welfare of the McKenzie River country. Membership was open to anyone, regardless of residence. The By-Laws were written by the following Officers of the Grange: Tom Powers, Weldon Keller, Ulla Bredell, Earl Friedly, Ruth West, Carrie Friendly, Ruby Keller and Frances Rodebaugh. The first Officers, elected November 18, 1941,...
McKenzie River area, eventually burning some 170,000 acres and causing catastrophic damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and the environment. The communities of Blue River and Vida were both hit especially hard and were almost complete losses. All told, approximately 500 homes were damaged or destroyed and 1,000 individuals displaced. A Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business and other organizations working within a community to assist...
On Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m. Extreme Fire Danger restrictions went into effect for the South Cascade District of the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF), which includes Eastern Lane and Linn counties. The designation includes public use restrictions, and an Industrial Fire Precaution Level 3 industrial closure. According to ODF officials, the area passed the threshold for Extreme Fire Danger a few days ago, with near record high levels of fire danger for this time of year. "The weather...
Camp Noah is coming to the McKenzie Valley in August, with week-long camps for elementary-aged children at McKenzie School and Walterville School, and, the admission is free. Three generations of a long-time Vida family will be working at the McKenzie School day camp. Judy Gough attended McKenzie School, as did her daughter Kelly Shaw. In addition, Judy's granddaughter Kiana Woodard will also be volunteering at the camp. Kelly, a mental health professional, said she recognizes, "The need for...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week said it is proposing a revised critical habitat rule for the northern spotted owl that identifies 204,797 acres of exclusions from the 2012 critical habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act. The Service is simultaneously proposing to withdraw the Trump Administration's January 15, 2021 rule that would have excluded 3.4 million acres of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl. The proposed exclusions are located in 15 Oregon counties...
As the Bootleg fire burns in southern Oregon, the U.S. Senate is considering an infrastructure package that environmental scientists say contains misguided provisions. The infrastructure bill would include billions in funding for the U.S. Forest Service in the name of wildfire prevention. Dr. Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist for Wild Heritage and an evacuee of last year’s wildfire in Talent, Oregon, said increasingly the term “wildfires” is a misnomer because they become urban fires that destroy unprepared communities. “Every dollar spent i...
Last Tuesday, around 4:06 p.m., the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Special Services Unit was dispatched to an injured 19-year-old hiker on the South Sister Climbers Trail about 300 feet from the summit of the mountain. They determined Bend woman would be unable to walk down the trail without assistance. Airlink Air Ambulance agreed to transport two Search and Rescue volunteers partially up the trail which would reduce the time and distance required to reach the patient. After attempting the...
The Willamette National Forest has implemented a total campfire restriction effective on Friday, July 23, at 12:01 a.m., to reduce risks of human-caused wildfires as dry conditions persist. Additionally, dry conditions may lead to new ignitions and rapid fire spread. The long-term forecast predictions point to much of the same for the rest of the summer. All open fires, including charcoal fires, are prohibited with no exceptions for developed or hosted campgrounds. Open fires in wilderness...
U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernandez outlined in a draft order last Wednesday actions that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must take to protect threatened wild spring chinook and winter steelhead at its Willamette Valley dams. The case has been in the courts for three years. Plaintiffs in the case consider the draft order a win, although after years of delay they say the two populations of fish listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act have declined even further. “It’s with mixed emotions that we read this draft ord...
In August, Lane Transit District (LTD) will offer a boost with a Vaxpass free bus pass for people who are vaccinated against COVID-19. Federal regulations require all passengers and members of the public to continue wearing a face mask over the nose and mouth when on LTD property and on its buses. “LTD’s August Vaxpass is one way the district can thank community members who are vaccinated and encourages those who aren’t to consider getting vaccinated so Oregonians can continue to keep the spread of COVID-19 at a minimum,” said Aurora Jackson...
Oregonians will soon have a choice about how they display their support for salmon habitat. A new salmon license plate design will be available September 1st, or Oregonians can opt for the classic salmon license plate until August. Lowest-numbered new plates will be available through a special auction in cooperation with Oregon nonprofits that support salmon habitat restoration. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department first debuted the salmon...
FINN ROCK: "It is important that the restoration work be completed before the salmon arrive from the Pacific Ocean in early September," according to Daniel Dietz, the McKenzie River Trust's Conservation Director. "When completed, the restoration will improve salmon spawning and rearing habitat, including for juvenile Spring Chinook, and increase nesting habitat for Western Pond Turtles, as well as address Elk Creek bank erosion and flood mitigation." Project details include a temporary water div...
COUGAR RESERVOIR: Willamette National Forest officials report Drive (Forest Service Road 19) remains closed to through traffic near milepost 52 due to continued safety hazards. Inspections have shown the cliff face adjacent to the road is still unstable, with rocks and other debris continuing to break loose. Contractors are continuing work that includes rock bolting and installing a rockfall mesh screen before it is safe to reopen the roadway. Estimates are that work will be completed by the...
The Willamette National Forest is looking for contractors to operate campgrounds and other government-owned recreation fac-ilities. Sites include campgrounds, day use areas and boat launches divided into two packages. The north package is for 28 facilities on the Detroit, Sweet Home and McKenzie River Ranger Districts; which have an average annual revenue of $650,000 from 2016-2020. The south package is for 38 facilities on the McKenzie River and Middle Fork Ranger Districts; where average annual revenue was almost $785,000 from 2016-2020. The...
RAINBOW: Over 65 people showed up for the July 5th ribbon cutting ceremony at the Upper McKenzie Community Center. What they found was a large selection of books, audiobooks, and DVD's to borrow, as well as new free books for children and adults to keep. Other features of the O'Brien Library's temporary quarters inside the Center included a new children's area, refreshments, a treasure hunt and free use of computers and on-site WiFi access. Over $1,000 in donations to help build the permanent...
WALTERVILLE: Started over 20 years ago, the student garden at the Walterville Elementary School has been traditionally tended by the 5th-grade class. This year, when classes resumed after the pandemic restrictions, all six classes were involved in tending the plot behind the building. Besides the greenery, the garden featured a functional pond with fish and frogs. "We have six garden beds set up with veggies growing in four of the six and flowers in the other two," notes 5th-grade teacher...
On July2, 1971, Governor Tom McCall signed into law the nation's first bottle and can redemption system, which has helped keep Oregon clean and pretty litter free for 50 years. Not only was it the first, but it remains among the best, with Oregon regularly seeing some of the top redemption and recycling rates in the nation. To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Bottle Bill, the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), parent company to BottleDrop, is hosting a treasure hunt by hiding six...
Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, Oregon State University modeling suggests. Scientists including Meg Krawchuk of the OSU College of Forestry and former OSU research associate Ana Barros, now of the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said the findings can help local decision-makers understand how a changing climate might affect natural and...
Over the holiday weekend, Eugene Water & Electric Board reports it has received multiple reports of scam attempts targeting customers. The scammers threaten people by telling them that that their electric and/or water services would be shut off if the customer did not submit payment within 30 minutes. EWEB is reaching out to remind customers to be suspicious of any emails and/or phone calls that claim to be urgent and require immediate action to prevent shut-off of any of their utility services. Officials say that if your account is past due,...
The McKenzie River Valley is world-renowned for its cold, clear water, uniquely emerging from volcanic lava beds, which provide natural filtering and a relatively constant flow and temperature. Past US Presidents and other notable dignitaries have vacationed and fished on the McKenzie for its prized Rainbow Trout, guided by iconic local guide families rowing the no less iconic McKenzie River Boat. This is also Big Timber country and the drive up the McKenzie Highway has always held as one of the most beautiful trips through both remnant...
ODFW has implemented emergency fishing regulations throughout the state to help protect fish during hot, dry weather. Fishing tips for beating the heat Get up early. Fish early in the morning when water temperatures are cooler and fish are more active. You might also beat the swimmers, kayakers, paddle boarders, sailors, water skiers and others that might get in your way. Go higher. Lakes at higher elevations should be cooler than those on the valley floors. This is a great time of year to fish some of the hike-in lakes. Fish the headwaters....
Open fire restrictions are now in effect on the Willamette National Forest as of Friday, July 2, at 12:01 a.m. This spring was significantly drier than normal with long-term drought persisting across much of the western Cascades. The recent heatwave has accelerated the drying of fuels across the forest. The critically dry conditions are receptive to new ignitions and are conducive to rapid fire spread. The predicted weather forecast calls for continued warm and dry conditions with no precipitation expected in the foreseeable future. This...
