SOUTHTOWNE BLOG
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Keeping Oregon Wild
Written on Thursday, 17 May 2012 19:45 Read more...
Here are some notes from today's presentation by Chandra LeGue of Oregon Wild. The powerpoint presentation will be up shortly.
Founded in 1974, Oregon Wild works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters as an enduring legacy for all Oregonians.
Oregon public lands provide amazing recreation opportunities and a great deal of Oregon water.
Forests, especially old growth forests, store a great amount of carbon and are a good defense against global warming. Protecting our public land and forests is important to mitigate climate change.
Public lands provide the best habitat for a huge variety of native wildlife. Gray wolves are one example that have been in the news lately. Our first confirmed wolf pack have been identified in 2008 and have grown to about 2 dozen wolves. Click here to read more. This shows how important public lands and national forests/wild areas are critical to the comeback of some species.
Public lands provide the filtration that salmon and trout need to survive. They are making a come back and it is essential that their habitat is preserved.
Oregon boasts some of th emost amazing old-growth forests in the world.
Natural processes change our forests like fire, insects, disease, etc. on a consistent basis. It's very interesting and Oregon Wild offers many educational programs.
Only about 1/10 of Western Oregon's public forests are now old-growth. Extensive clear cutting is the main contributing factor. We need to protect our last remaining old growth forests as well as rebuild and restore some areas. Ecological restoration involves some logging and provides many jobs to our communities. Retoration includes restoring fish and wildlife habitats as well as planting.
Oregon Wild is working to protect over a million acres of Wilderness and millions more of roadless areas...some of Oregon's last, best wild places. They are working to allow future generations of people and wildlife to enjoy our Oregon Wild spaces. Become a member, come on a hike, and stay in touch to learn more.
Question: Please comment on the recent Goose Timber Sale
Answer: Oregon Wild was involved in the appeal, which was dismissed. Citizens and residents were concerned and Oregon Wild filed a lawsuit to stop the sale.
Question: Please comment on Forest management plan by DeFazio
Answer: Not supportive of DeFazio's plan. Sees loopholes in the plan. Hundreds of thousands of acres would be placed in the Timber Trust and would be at risk for clear cutting. Oregon Wild has proposed alternative plans.
Question: Where do you get your funding?
Answer: Oregon Wild is non-profit and receives funding through donations and grants.
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The Evolution of our Flag by Bert Toepel
Today's presentation is an annual event for Southtowne Rotary, just before Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Independance Day. The history of our flag as told by Bert Toepel, a highly decorated Master Army Aviator, is accompanied by flags hung all around the room making for one of the most festive and interesting meetings of our year. We managed to capture it on video this year (see bottom of article and also here for a video of all the flags) and Bert was kind enough to share his written presentation:.
The Evolution of our Flag by Bert Toepel
Each year, during the months of May, June, and July, we celebrate four holidays—Armed Forces Day (3rd Saturday in May), Memorial Day, Flag Day (June 14) and Independence Day (July 4)--all within a period of less than seven weeks. In commemoration of these important days, it is appropriate that we take time to review a portion of our nation’s history with a discussion of the evolution of some of its symbols—the flags here on display.
The first national flag to fly on the North American continent was the Viking flag in the 11th century. Since then, we have seen flags from Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, England, Scotland and Russia flown on our shores.
I’ll not go into the various “visitors” that have flown a flag on our shores but will focus on the evolution of the stars and stripes as we know it today.
Nearly a thousand years ago, many Christian countries in western Europe joined forces to regain the Holy Land from Moslem control. England was one of the European countries that participated in these crusades against the Moslelms. English crusaders would often wear the red Cross of Saint George, England’s patron saint, into battle. By 1450, the red St. George’s Cross on a white field had become England’s national flag. English explorers to the New World brought the Cross of St. George to Newfoundland in 1606. Scotland, to the north of England, had a patron saint much earlier than England did. The cross of Scotland’s patron saint, St. Andrew, became that country’s national emblem in 1385. Over time, the white Cross of St. Andrew on a blue field became Scotland’s national flag. As you can see, the Cross of St. Andrew is shaped like and X.
Queen Elizabeth I of England had no heirs, so when she died in 1603, her cousin, King James VI of Scotland became the King of England also. As King of both England and Scotland, he was known as King James I. To show unity between the two countries, he decided to have the Scottish and English flags combined. The new flag was adopted on April 12, 1606, and was called the King’s Colours. Twenty years later, this flag was given a new name – the Union flag. This is significant to us because it brought together the red, white, and blue on one flag, which became our national colors.
The oldest known Colonial flag in existence is called the Bedford Flag; it was made sometime after 1660 in England and the original now rests in the public library in Bedford, Massachusetts. The Bedford flag was present at the battle of Concord on April 19, 1775. It was carried by Nathaniel Page, a Bedford Minuteman. The Latin inscription "Vince Aut Morire," means "Conquer or Die". The mailed arm, sword in hand, emerging from the clouds represents the arm of God.
Written on Thursday, 10 May 2012 19:26 Read more... -
On Flying Planes, Rock Climbing, and Other Perceived Barriers to Blindness
Bill Spiry, who lost his eyesight in his twenties, started his talk with some rules. First rule: no hands. Second rule: sounds are good. He applied these rules by asking us a few yes or no questions, and we responded accordingly--rather than raising our hands, we called out our names instead. Having passed that test, Bill then instructed us to close our eyes, find our water glass, take a drink, and put it back down. Then pick up a napkin, and wipe off the water we just spilled on ourselves.
Bill acknowledged that the world is a little different when you can't see. But the biggest barrier that people with disabilities face, he said, was the perceptions that people without disabilities have about what he and others can and can't do. All of us have limitations that have influenced our lives; maybe some limitations aren't as obvious as someone who has a guide dog, but they are still there, and affect us.
He advised us, "If you are making decisions about people with disabilities…don’t! People with disabilities know they have it. 99% of the time you won’t offend someone if you ask them if they need help." Give them the benefit of the doubt, he said; instead of asking them if they can do a job, for instance, ask them how they would do a job. Bill has certainly not let his blindness slow him down; his background is in human resources and he was previously the head of human resources for the City of Springfield. He then went to law school at University of Oregon, and is just a few weeks away from graduation. He's also a Rotarian, and working as an intern under Erin Zempler.
One of the highlights of Bill's talk was a Q & A session in which he asked us to throw out ideas about what we thought would be challenging for a blind person to do. Flying a plane? It's been done (but not the landing part). Mowing a lawn? Yes, it's possible. Rock climbing? Bill climbed South Sister four years ago.
Bill left us with this: if you couldn't see tomorrow, what do you think you wouldn't be able to do? After his talk, our ideas were definitely changed. Thank you, Bill, for an inspiring talk!
Written on Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:08 Read more...
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