Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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This holiday season, pitching in to support a small business may be easier than you think. Many small towns are proud to feature a vibrant main street, and rightfully so. Busy storefronts are a sign of activity and growth. They also indicate strong community support. But not every small business gets its start in a brick-and-mortar location. With the popularity of online shopping, more small entrepreneurs are learning that their dream of selling locally-produced food, artwork, and handmade items can be achieved from the comfort of their own hom...
After occupying Crimea in 2014 without any pushback from world powers, President Putin decided to invade Ukraine in the east in 2022. He and his puppet advisors thought the Russian military would quickly vanquish Ukraine, but the Ukrainians, with equipment support from NATO, have put up fierce resistance. The destruction of civilian infrastructure by Russia has infuriated the Ukrainians and hardened the resolve of world powers to help Ukraine. The Ukrainians are fighting to preserve their country and have the advantage of territorial...
Remember those news stories about the massive campaign contributions on behalf of nonaffiliated Oregon governor candidate Betsy Johnson? For months her campaign treasury outpaced all others; she was the beneficiary of many millions of dollars, including more than $3 million just from Nike co-founder Phil Knight. As this is written on Wednesday morning, the Oregon governor's contest isn't settled yet – Democrat Tina Kotek is barely leading Republican Christine Drazan – but this much we know: Joh...
I volunteered for Upper McKenzie Fire District and McKenzie EASE for over 20 years. Although now retired, I am still a strong supporter of the department and the personnel who work so hard for our benefit. I urge everyone to join me in voting YES on the renewal of Measure 20-334 Local Option Levy for EMS and Fire Services. This will continue the much-needed funding for the department and the volunteers who give so much to our community. Don Lamb Retired UMFD Volunteer...
I was born to a single mom who lacked health insurance. OHSU provided charity care to my mom during my birth. Two years later, the Chemawa Indian Health Service Center in my hometown of Salem was established. I was able to get the care I needed that my family may have not been able to otherwise afford. I joined the U.S. Army at 18, a blue-collar kid in the hopes of adventure, a vocation, money for college - and seeing the world while serving the country I love. I served in Army hospitals for eight years in the U.S and around the world,...
The following is an update on our missing son/brother/uncle, Shane Sprenger from Vida, OR. It was 1 year ago, Tuesday, November 2, 2021, that Shane Sprenger was last seen at his home in Vida. His truck was found a few days later off Mill Creek Road near Blue River Reservoir. Shane was a local contractor who was working on a house in McKenzie Bridge on the morning of November 2nd. Around 10 am, with his tools plugged in at the job site, he went back to his home in Vida supposedly for lunch. He hasn’t been seen since and from there, the a...
We would like to thank all of the over 130 people who came to the showing of the documentary film, ELEMENTAL, Friday, Sept. 30. It showed the impact of wildfires on rural communities, including ours, the dramatic increase in severity of wildfires in the last 5-10 years, and the scientific research showing the relationship of climate change between the forest and fires. In such a complex topic as wildfire, it can be hard to understand all of the details and how they connect with each other. After watching the movie and listening to the Q&A...
I spent my career fighting fires in western Oregon. But you don’t have to be a professional firefighter to see the growing threat of wildfire to human lives, property, and our environment. I am concerned the massive accumulation of dead trees left to rot on federal lands will make future fires harder to fight. I’m even more concerned that very little is being done to solve this issue in advance of the next fire that will occur in these snag-infested areas. The U.S. Forest Service agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by environmental groups to...
Our fire department needs your help! This week, ballots for the November election will be arriving. One of the measures is a renewal of the levy for the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD). Five years ago, the Fire District absorbed the responsibilities of EASE, the local volunteer medical response. A 5-year levy was passed to pay the additional expenses of medical responses. Now that levy needs to be renewed, and I ask you to vote YES! We want to still have well-equipped volunteers come to our emergency. We have seen this...
There was a period in the late ‘60s when the Beach Boys, desperate for a hipper identity, reportedly considered shortening their name to “Beach.” Of course, the Backstreet Boys may perform into their ‘80s, but there’s no question that a dated name can take a toll. Take the newspaper. With an emphasis on “paper,” it sounds very retro. And of course, it is. The first newspaper was published in this country in 1690. As early as the 18th century, American newspapers flourished with the same core ele...
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Welcome sign in Walterville last week. While I was walking back to my car I happened to look across the highway at the intersection of Hwy. 126 and Millican Road. The view started another train of thought as I drove back east to my office. That downriver intersection and several others I drove by were upgraded as a result of the efforts of Jack Crawford and several other people who were part of the McKenzie Highway Association in the mid 80’s. People who’ve been around a while can recall when tho...
The Walterville Grange wants to thank everyone in our community and surrounding area for supporting our Grange events. Even though we were unable to have the Community Fair we heard from many of you about how much you missed the parade, the Waddle, the delicious chicken dinner, and other fair events, we hope you will attend our future gatherings. We are looking forward to seeing all of you at our next event, the Spaghetti Feed, on Friday, November 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. Red, white, and blue will be the theme for the evening honoring all...
If Oregon’s registered Democrats vote Democratic in this November’s general election, and the Republicans vote Republican, those numbers alone won’t come close to settling the deal. A big reason: The largest group of voters in Oregon are the NAVs – those who register as “nonaffiliated.” (Disclosure: I’m one of them.) But what does that mean for the outcome of the general election in another couple of months? If you dive into the numbers – which is where elections are won and lost – you find...
“So, how’s it going?” is a question that’s been put to me a few times lately. Luckily I’ve been able to answer “Surprisingly well.” The Q & A’s, of course, had to deal with the decision to switch from primarily a hard copy printed newspaper to one that subscribers receive over the internet. The conversion rate is now just above 90%. A few years ago that result would probably not have been possible, judging by the rough times some of the big daily newspapers endured. Two factors seemed to have come into play for River Reflections. On...
For McKenzie Valley Wellness Board, Members and Community, First I would like to thank you for your support in the recent election. I have made the difficult decision to resign from my position as a board member. One reason being I believe my skill set as a therapist, may be of better use to MVW at a later time after the rebuild has been completed. Secondly, and more challenging to articulate is my personal struggle with supporting Orchid Health. As a former Orchid Health employee, I both observed and experienced the effects of a hostile work...
This letter serves as my official resignation as Vice President and board member. I am resigning due to my ongoing concerns that this organization continues to fail to follow the bylaws and is not acting in the best interest of McKenzie Valley Wellness (MVW) and its members. The actions and transactions that have occurred to the detriment of this organization by a couple of board members have resulted in an investigation by the Department of Justice Non-profit division. As board members, we are to be fiduciaries in the following ways. The duty...
Lane County Cultural Coalition grants are now available. LCCC offers Cultural Opportunity Grants, funded by Oregon Cultural Foundation, to support cultural programs and projects throughout Lane County. These grants target for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations and individuals planning projects to be started and completed in 2023. Emphasis is being focused on granting to organizations or individuals in rural Lane County, so don’t be shy! By going to LCCC’s website (lanecountyculturalcoalition.net) you will find information about the...
The Knitting Club, which has existed in our community for over sixty-five (65) years, is disbanding. This is not something new as many other local groups have given up in the last few years. After Covid and the Holiday Farm Fire, our membership dropped from around 25 to less than 10. We invited friends in the community to join us and even posted an invitation in the River Reflections seeking new members. We got No responses. Over the years there had been many community activities in which to participate--The Lions Club, McKenzie Arts Forum,...
I came to my current role as manager at Orchid Health McKenzie River Clinic after working 15 years in fast-paced primary care where my job came first and family second. I am the mom of two fantastic, very involved, and active boys and I chose to come to Orchid for the work/life balance and the commitment to employee happiness and fulfillment. Working in rural healthcare has resurfaced my passion for healthcare and the McKenzie River community is truly Orchid’s mission statement. We serve over 700 patients at the McKenzie River Clinic and t...
America’s Newspapers encourages all newspapers to reprint Chris Reen’s editorial. Or, write your own editorial and send [email protected] a link. Thank you for your support of the JCPA! The internet that Silicon Valley promised us was supposed to be a haven for new ideas, robust free speech, and a free flow of information. Instead, the internet we got is dominated by a handful of Big Tech companies that wield unprecedented power over nearly every aspect of our lives. While Google and Facebook are amassing billions of dollars in adv...
“We love the RR.” That’s just one of the many positive comments that have been attached to emails from print subscribers who’ve been sending their addresses, so they’ll continue to receive this newspaper. Here’s another, “You’re doing a great job. When I see other local papers, they don’t compare to the RR. Don’t know how you do it, frankly. I always read the local news that’s not covered or not in such depth that you write.” In June, River Reflections’ long-time printing company decided to shut down its newsprint press. The increased cost...
It is widely agreed that small business is the backbone of the economy, providing jobs and needed products and services. Today many small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges. My small business is engaged in providing home repairs, remodeling, and improvements. We are also involved in building much-needed rental housing, trying to help in a small way with the national housing shortage. I started this business over 16 years ago and managed to survive some challenging times from 2007 to 2010, during the great housing crash. This time...
My husband Mike and I lived on the McKenzie for over 40 years. I worked for the McKenzie School District and he worked for the US Forest Service. Although we relocated to La Pine after losing our home in the 2020 fire, the Nimrod property is still in the family. We are members of McKenzie Valley Wellness. I worked with Val Rapp, Jane Wilson, and Kelly Shaw for several years at what was then the McKenzie River Clinic. They are honest, ethical people who are dedicated to seeing the Clinic rebuilt better than before, to better serve McKenzie...
We are delighted to announce that the IRS has approved our status as a Charitable Nonprofit, 501c3, retroactive to the time we applied, November 8, 2021. Our EIN number for tax deduction purposes remains the same: 93-6031677. Your donation could really help as we improve our building and grounds. We are currently in the process of remodeling our entries and bathrooms to make them ADA accessible. We have obtained grants for this first phase of improvements to the bathrooms in our 60-year-old building. Next on our list of improvements is to...
When I talked with my sister last week she asked if I was sad to be working on this issue of River Reflections. I said no. This edition marks the end of my personal involvement in producing a legacy newspaper. For those outside the industry - a legacy paper is one that's printed on a large newsprint press. Too many other weeklies around this country have folded after their mailing and production costs became unsustainable. Luckily, I saw this coming about three years ago and began upgrading the...
