Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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As a member of McKenzie Valley Wellness, I must ask: “Where did all that money go?” According to the 2019 McKenzie River Clinic Annual Report, during Fiscal Years, ‘13, ‘14, and ’15, $ 34,500 was withdrawn from the Clinic Endowment Fund (or an average of $ 958 per month). Over the subsequent three Fiscal Years, ’16, ‘17, & ‘18, $358,000 was withdrawn from the fund, (or an average of $9,944 per month). That is more than ten times the withdrawal rate over the preceding thirty-six months. The report also indicates at least $80,000 was withdrawn i...
I‘m writing this to announce that I plan to run for seat 2 of the McKenzie Valley Wellness Board of Directors as a write-in candidate. After working at the McKenzie River Clinic from 2017-2021, I would like to continue to serve the community by supporting programs that promote wellness and ensuring that funding is used responsibly in our community. There have been many challenges for the organization since 2017. I feel that by working with other community organizations, McKenzie Valley Wellness can find positive ways to move forward and help t...
Americans should ask the fundamental question: what is the difference between what a public non-profit utility company provides and what a private for-profit oil company provides? After all they both sell energy to all United States citizens. The difference is that natural gas and electricity are sold in the form of a public good whereas oil is sold in the form of a private product. Accordingly, on the grounds of promoting national security, the United States Congress should convert all oil companies to utility companies. This would eliminate...
April is Grange Month On behalf of the Walterville Grange, we would like to invite you to celebrate the month of April by embracing our common values. The Grange is committed to the development of the potential in families, children, youth, and adults. We emphasize civic responsibility, civil discussions, and involvement. We strengthen hometowns through volunteerism and community support to build up rural America for all. Join us this month as we celebrate these values during Grange Month. Jeffry Dehne Deerhorn...
Every year when the first of April rolls around I can always count on getting a number of phone calls. Sometimes they're from people upset because they couldn't find Page 9 in an 8-page edition. Others might be upset at extravagant government spending after reading about plans to replace the Goodpasture Bridge with an underwater tunnel or some such scheme. People who've read this newspaper for a while know what I'm getting at - the annual April Fool's edition. There are a few who hate it but...
During these past two years as I have worked with organizations and groups in the Valley I have been impressed and moved by the dedication and resilience of them all. I am especially proud of Mckenzie Wellness. They have worked hard and long to make sure there is Health Care available. They didn’t let the loss of the building get in the way of finding temporary space in Rainbow to keep services available. Working with Orchid Health they even provided some services in town for the dislocated. As they look ahead to the new facility in Blue R...
I have tried to get the members list to McKenzie Valley Wellness, it is information that all members should have access to. I have been provided the meeting minutes, but for some reason, the member list is not being released. To be a member you must have volunteered, or been part of the clinic situation, or been a patient. We have been all of that - helping remove debris after Snowmagedon etc, for the clinic. Valerie Rapp, MVW president, has refused to give me the list, even after providing the minutes of meetings. So how does one get the...
Thank you for the recent article, March 17th edition of the McKenzie River Reflections, regarding our local clinic and McKenzie Valley Wellness. As a member, donator, and supporter of the clinic for a number of years I am very interested in and have a vested interest in the success of the clinic. The recent article, though informative, left me with a number of questions regarding funds and funding. With, as stated in the article, a triple net lease from Orchid and the insurance from MVW, why would fundraising be needed? If the MVW and Orchard ...
If all goes as planned, the track in Blue River will be hosting the track team from Ireland this summer as they prepare for the World Track and Field Championships in Eugene this July. Conversations between Athletics Ireland and the McKenzie Community Track and Field have been ongoing and it is hoped an agreement will be forthcoming. Track board vice-president Michael Bergmann has been leading the effort to attract a team to use the McKenzie River location as a Team Camp venue prior to the start of the games at Hayward Field on July 16th. The I...
Interesting things are happening in Oregon’s Willamette River basin when it comes to salmon and steelhead recovery. Maybe even a little overlooked for their significance. An Oregon federal judge is running the river, issuing significant directions for how federal dams and reservoirs should be operated to benefit fish. And that’s what happens when populations of naturally producing salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act start approaching extinction. Entities worried about the decline of the fish sue. And they win. Then wha...
Alan Dowd chronicles the Russian threat to world peace in the February 2022 edition of The American Legion Magazine. I quote and paraphrase from the article. From its beginning in 1918 the Russian Communists led by Lenin and then Stalin sought to achieve power and control populations by intimidation, brutality, and death. “Lenin murdered 6 million people and Stalin three times as many. During Stalin’s reign from 1925 to 1953 Communism spread to Eastern Europe, China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. President Reagan referred to the USSR as the...
Swampytonk is a blend of backyard blues, Americana, and jazz. Sound interesting? This is what is in store for those who attend the free-will donation concert on March 5th at 7 p.m. concert at McKenzie Valley Presbyterian Church. The Henry Cooper Trio will delight you with this most interesting blend of musical genres and their musicianship is of the highest caliber. Henry Cooper is a seven-time winner of the Washington Blues Society’s “BB Award” for Best Slide Guitar and his trio is well worth a listen. This concert benefits the rebui...
Vida McKenzie Community Center is almost $2,000 closer to opening its doors this Fall after hosting a Valentine’s Dinner at McKenzie Valley Presbyterian Church on Saturday, February 12th. The room was abuzz with animated conversation and everyone left with their appetites quenched. Many people took their meals “to go.” Some supporters even left “tips” (aka donations) to help rebuild the Center more quickly. Auto Craft donated funds to cover a large portion of the food items, Thurston Florist donated some of the flowers and OroWheat Bakery do...
Since everyone wants more salmon, the question “Are there too many salmon in the North Pacific Ocean?” might seem odd. However, it is worth considering the potential effects of healthy and abundant salmon populations that often migrate thousands of kilometers at sea where they intermingle and compete with distant depleted populations for prey. It is not surprising that fishery managers are primarily concerned with maintaining those populations that return to regions they manage with little consideration for how these populations might adversely...
Alan Dowd documents some problems with China in The American Legion Magazine of December 2020, and I liberally quote from the article. The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the adverse impact on the world attributable to China's domination of the production of medicines, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. Prior to the pandemic China produced " 35.9 percent of America's antibiotics, 49.8 percent of our medical bandages, 71.7 percent of our facemasks and 77.2 percent of our plastic gloves. During the pandemic China "...
I read the recent article that raised a question about the future of McKenzie River Clinic with some degree of concern. Since McKenzie River Clinic is the only health provider for much of the McKenzie River Valley it would be great loss to the community if they went away. I was surprised to learn that some clients had complaints. We have been regular patients at McKenzie River Clinic since moving here in December 2021 and have always found them to be friendly, responsive, and very professional. I am a volunteer firefighter with the Upper...
As the anniversary approaches of the Jan. 6th storming of the nation’s Capitol, and as the omicron-related spike in Covid cases spreads nationwide, we will be hearing a lot in the coming weeks about disinformation. Mounting evidence suggests that disinformation played a critical role in both the ongoing pandemic and in ongoing support among some Americans for the attack on the capitol. Disinformation is a serious blight on our country’s ability to agree on basic facts and to conduct ourselves like a rational society. But it isn’t the only...
Our 2021 McKenzie rafting season has drawn to a close, and we’re all cleaned up and packed away. As promised, a portion of all rafting receipts was donated to two non-profits (McKenzie Community Development Cor-poration and McKenzie Locals Helping Locals) working with our valley’s residents as they continue to recover and rebuild from the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. We are excited to share that each organization received a check for $1,375! The guides and I want to thank folks for joining us on the river or encouraging others to. We hope to raf...
You’ve probably seen some pretty far-fetched online deals. Some say, “New Honda generators for $99,” or mobile phones, video game consoles, laptops, and jewelry “that was over-ordered and has to be sold because of a lack of storage space.” Those ads have always intrigued me so I thought I’d give this one a try and see what happened - a Canon XA50 video recorder for $49. When it didn’t arrive I contacted the seller who claimed it had been delivered. They even gave me a U.S. Postal Service tracking number to prove their claim. That stumped me wh...
It is with saddened hearts that we postpone the community Thanksgiving meal until 2022. McKenzie Fire & Rescue began serving a community family-style Thanksgiving meal in 2018. As we are all aware, the 2020 pandemic halted many community events. We want our communities to be healthy and strong. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the Thanksgiving meal until a time when we can gather face-to-face and share a meal. Until then, be safe and stay healthy. Chief Daren Bucich McKenzie Fire & Rescue...
Significant reforms in areas like healthcare and environmental protection will be impossible to achieve until big money is removed from Oregon politics. Despite the fact that voters supported Measure 107 and it was declared constitutional, the legislature has yet to impose any limits. Campaign finance reform is needed to ensure that our elected officials are representing the interests of the people who elected them, not the interests of wealthy individuals and businesses who gave large sums of money to their campaigns. Patrick Starns has made...
Our rivers are a powerhouse for every living thing. But for how long? With high demand for water and most of Oregon experiencing drought amid a warming climate, the future of our rivers is threatened. This year, the Deschutes River experienced the lowest period of natural flow since irrigation districts began using Wickiup Reservoir to store water in 1949. In addition to water supply becoming less reliable over time, we also have the inflexible legal tangle that is Western water law — which varies state by state. Western water law is a...
Significant reforms in areas like healthcare and environmental protection will be impossible to achieve until big money is removed from Oregon politics. Despite the fact that voters supported Measure 107 and it was declared constitutional, the legislature has yet to impose any limits. Campaign finance reform is needed to ensure that our elected officials are representing the interests of the people who elected them, not the interests of wealthy individuals and businesses who gave large sums of money to their campaigns. Patrick Starns has made...
As a result of climate change, the United States experienced a particularly dangerous and hot summer this year. New record highs were set all over the country and the Pacific Northwest was particularly hard hit. As of September 2021, according to the National Weather Service, the state of Oregon had a record 88 days over 80 degrees (considered the high heat threshold for our state) and suffered through three triple-digit heat domes. In June, temperatures reached 124 degrees and more in some...
For those of you, that don’t know me, I am Patence Winningham, a resident of McKenzie Bridge, formerly a Blue River brat from the 70’s and 80’s. And as of 2019, Emergency Manager for Lane County. I still can’t believe I actually moved into a job that would position me to support and coordinate efforts, in my own community, OUR community’s worst day. When the “Locals helping Locals” group asked me to speak, I really had to think about what direction I wanted to take this speech. My First thought, was to write this stuff down because If I...
