FEBRUARY 2021
On the Road pgs. 8 & 9
pg. 5
pg. 11
pg. 12
2
Hello, & welcome to Free For All News!
Free For All News, February 2021
INDEX 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 10 11 11 12 14 15 15
Comics Oregon Outdoor Family: Hunting for Painted Rocks in... Easy Rider: The Rise of the E-Bike Vince Lombardi Quotes Professor Popinjay’s Podium: How did we get all the different breeds of dogs? Auto Section Pandemic Road Trip 2020 Lane County: Art & Poetry Beautiful Dreamer: In Memory of Barry Lopez Springfield Public Library Foundation Books and Brew Lane County Chambers of Commerce Sends Plea to Gov... Brain Games Community Announcements Brain Games Answers
Welcome to Free For All News !
Call Today For A Quote !
Installation Maintenance New Construction Ornamental Metalwork Posts & Fittings & More !!
CCB #103473
In a time where our pastimes have been put up on a shelf, what is a person to do with themselves? What can you do to take your mind off of the troubles of the world? You need to do something to keep your sanity! With limited options, you may have caught yourself making laps around the grocery store or the local Wal-Mart just for some social atmosphere. And that’s okay. Many of us don’t exactly know how to cope with times like these. We seek out levity and comic relief in what safe ways we can. Here at Free For All News, a sloth arrived at the office on Valentine’s Day, 2020—just weeks before the quarantine. The Year That Shall Not Be Named henceforth became known as “The Year of the Sloth,” and our new office mascot was named David Lee Sloth in honor of his Van Halen fandom. It was not long before staff members were buying gifts for David Lee Sloth, mostly to enhance his look. From this, the game “Find a Sloth/Buy a Sloth” was invented and the competitive sloth shopping officially began. Now, it is true that we are likely a little too old to be competitively seeking out sloth swag for the office, but turning errands into a chance to play Scavenger Hunt allows us to have a little fun in the era of quarantines.
SLOÉ KARDASHIAN
Free For All News started out of a desire to highlight the positive in our community, advocate for small business and local talent, and share a fresh view of current events. We would like to thank the many readers, advertisers, and interviewees that have made this paper a success. For any questions or comments, contact the Free For All News staff through the information provided below. protected by applicable laws. All rights reserved. This publication or any of the parts therein,—including advertisements created by ©2021 Loiteringman Press/Free Jay Munoz For All News or its affiliates—may not be FreeForAll.monthly@gmail.com reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any method without prior FreeForAll.events@gmail.com written permission from the publisher. Any views or opinions expressed in this Heather Hicks, Professor Popinjay, publication do not necessary reflect the Jay Swofford, Art Mooney, Sandra Heidtke opinions of ©2021 Loiteringman Press/ Free For All News. ©2021 Loiteringman Press/Free For All News does not endorse advertisers and is not liable for ads, calendar items, or submitted content of any kind. Reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information within these pages is accuarate. However, ©2021 Loiteringman Press/Free For All News does not accept liablity for any errors or All content printed herein is copyright omissions, or for any loss resulting from ©2021 Loiteringman Press/Free For any use of its services. —Enjoy! All News and the respective authors are Sarah Glass FreeForAll.editor@gmail.com
BIG BEN SLOTHLISBERGER
DAVID LEE SLOTH
7
THE SLOTHSCHILD FAMILY
Comics
Free For All News, February 2021
3
WORKING OVERTIME FOR LAUGHS
“It looks like watching the Super Bowl without beer was rough on you.”
WE’RE CELEBRATING TWO “BIRTHDAYS” THIS MONTH OF JANUARY JOHN TURNS 78 AND HE’S CELEBRATING 50 YEARS AS A REAL ESTATE BROKER HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES
“ALL TIMES ARE GOOD TIMES— FOR THOSE WHO KNOW HOW TO USE THEM” WE THREE HAVE OVER 150 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU! JOHN
We’re here to help you with all your Real Estate needs. Whether your property is perfect and ready for market — or needs repairs or just buffing up — we’re the folks to call. Nobody can do a better job for a more reasonable cost to help you get the value you need. We are old enough to be very careful with everyone’s health and time and money. If you want to have success in your Real Estate Decisions, talk to us. We’re good at what we do! :>)
WANTED FOR MY VETS: NEED SMALL PICKUP WITH EXTENDED CAB THAT CAN PULL SMALL TRAILER. CALL JOHN REAKSECKER 541-221-4004 CELL & TEXT #
“Can you believe it? The guy with an arrow in his head is insisting on surgery before his COVID test results come back.”
“After the media reported that half of America is paranoid, Sam started keeping notes on Cheryl.”
LUCETTE
MICHAEL
I’m working with Vets who need Day Labor and Part-Time and Full-Time Work. (and housing). If you have work or a lead on a job, I’d appreciate a call or text at 541-221-4004. Homes in all Sizes & Prices Land from Lots to Timberland Income Property (cash flow)
WE CAN HELP — WE HAVE A SENIORS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST ON STAFF
= GOOD CHOICES FOR SENIORS
“Here’s a medicine encyclopedia. You figure out what replaces a good nutrition, proper sleep, and exercise.”
Homes $250,000 to $400,000 In Eugene / Springfield Income Property in Eug / Spfld Recreation Property on or near The Great Fishing Rivers: The Umpqua and The McKenzie Small “Farms” from 1 to 10 Acres
“The TV’s in the motel only have 24-hour news. Is this supposed to help us relax?”
4
Oregon Outdoor Family: Hunting for Painted Rocks in Springfield
Free For All News, February 2021
-
-
What is rocking, you say? Only the hottest new phenomenon to hit Springfield and Eugene! It’s been around for a couple of years, but our family has recently joined the craze. We’re pretty sure you’ll want to join, too. In short, people collect or buy small rocks, paint a design on them, and then hide them around town. Other people find them, after which they choose to either keep or re-hide them. Unlike geocaching or Pokémon, there’s no GPS involved and you don’t need any equipment. However, you also won’t know where rocks will be hidden. The sole purpose of “rocking is to make people smile. This is the perfect outdoor hobby for families!
Painted Rocks in Springfield - Our adventure started in Ruff Park, a wonderful but lesser-known Willamalane park in Springfield located at 1161 66th Street.. We go there often to walk the loop and see what’s in bloom. It’s a safe park for our little ones, and we don’t feel like we have to hold their hands the entire walk. On this particular trip, we noticed a woman and child acting a little strange—not dangerous strange— just “what-are-they-doing” strange. Soon, we discovered why: they were rocking the park. On that walk, we found four brightly painted rocks. We weren’t sure what the rules were, so we moved them around a little in the park, but didn’t keep any. Once home, I looked up the hashtag on the back of the rocks: #LCR. #LCR represents a group on Facebook called Lane County Rocks. I joined and quickly found that rocks are yours to keep or to re-hide. Seeing dozens of people share photos online of the rocks they’d painted or found, we were hooked. We discovered that there are lots of places to find painted rocks in Springfield.
Willamalane Parks - Since that first experience, we’ve become completely obsessed. We’re now into painting rocks and hiding them as well as hunting rocks. Our favorite parks for hunting and hiding are right here in Springfield. Willamalane Park & Recreation District has such a vast selection of public parks, all well-maintained and safe for families, and we love exploring. Rocking is the perfect motivation for finding new parks. Many of Willamalane’s parks are commonly rocked, some parks more than once a day. Ruff Park, mentioned above, is probably the most frequently rocked park we know. Another commonly rocked park is Clearwater Park. It’s a great place to take time for a picnic or a long walk along the river. We find at least two rocks every time we go, and we just hike a short loop between the parking lots. You can hike or bike the entire path if you like. Even many of the smaller neighborhood parks can be great places to visit. These parks usually have playgrounds, too, so even if you don’t find a rock, your kids can play for a bit and explore a new park. How to Get Started - We aren’t artists whatsoever, but with a little online advice, we got started painting rocks for just a few dollars. You’ll want acrylic paints (the kind sold for less than
Heather Hicks - Writer -
Shannon Hicks - Videographer -
Camille Hicks - Photographer -
a dollar at any craft store) and a weatherproof sealant. We started with a spray-on sealant, but it smelled awful. With bad weather coming, we needed something we could use indoors, so we found a brush-on sealant that is odorless. The only other thing we needed was a cheap set of brushes; the finer the brushes are the better. That, and rocks. Rocks are cheap and plentiful in our river valley, so we occasionally visit rocky areas and take a handful of rocks. We never take very many from one area because rocks are important for the ecosystem. We’re considering buying a fivegallon bucket of landscaping rocks so we have a large supply. You’ll want to find rounded, smooth rocks because they’re the easiest to paint. The beautiful part of rock painting is that all art is celebrated: simple designs or intricate; abstract, impressionist, or just dump the paint on and let it drip down. Whatever YOU like. Pinterest can be a great app to use to get ideas.
Wherever you go, be mindful of landscaping and stay on the path wherever possible. And if you can, consider picking up litter as you go. We can all help our parks to be more beautiful!
Where to Hide Rocks - Hiding rocks is the fun part. Hide them anywhere they’ll be found by others. We mostly choose parks. The key with rocking is that the rocks are meant to be found, so they are “hidden” mostly in the open. The only “rule” is to be respectful of where you hide rocks. Be sure to place them in places where people won’t trample the plants and landscaping. Some parks across the nation have banned painted rocks for this reason, and we’d hate to see that happen here! Posca Paint Pens - One last note: paint pens aren’t necessary to paint rocks, but since we aren’t very artistic, we bought a set. These are super helpful for small, intricate designs. The best brand (per the online gurus) is Posca. Locally, these can be purchased at The Duck Store on the University of Oregon campus and at Oregon Art Supply on Pearl Street in Eugene. Posca pens flow well and don’t clump, plus the nibs (tip of the paint pen) can be replaced when they get too dull. These are worth every penny if you really enjoy painting rocks. —Heather Hicks For more Oregon adventures with the Hicks family, visit https://www.oregonoutdoorfamily.com.
Easy Rider: The Rise of the E-Bike
Free For All News, February 2021
Germany
Virginia
Indonesia
Washington
Oregon
5
Bike Friday customers from around the world pose with their bicycles. Photos courtesy of Bike Friday (Photos courtesy of Bike Friday).
Hanna Scholz of Eugene bicycle manufacturing company, Bike Friday, explains the factors driving the new trend. For obvious reasons, 2020 was a year that defied consumer spending trends. The coronavirus created a chaotic marketplace. There were people spending money out of reactivity, people spending money very smartly, and others that won’t know which camp it is that fell into until the dust settles. What is clear is that the bicycle industry has begun booming. Specifically, electric-assist bicycles (the type that requires some pedaling) received such an infusion of consumer interest in 2020 that is not likely to fade anytime soon. For nearly 30 years, Eugene bicycle manufacturer, Bike Friday, has been creating high-end bicycles that do more than get their customers from point A to point B. These bicycles allow for customization along the dimensions of utility, innovation, and aesthetics. The final product, as a result of this process, is a personalized tool made to fit the physical dimensions of the rider as well as the dimensions of their lifestyle. World travelers, tandem tourists, cargo commuters, and regional ramblers have long turned to Bike Friday. Often, the company is at the forefront of the type of bicycle innovation that usually trickles into America from Europe and Asia. Instead, Bike Friday attracts bicycle consumers from around the world, their folding bicycles and electricassist bicycles being considered intriguing, long-lasting investments. Hanna Scholz is the daughter and niece of Bike Friday co-founders, Hanz and Alan Scholz (Hanz is her father and Alan is her uncle). In a recent interview with Free For All News, she explained the draw of e-bicycles and why the industry is sure to continue climbing America’s list of preferred transportation methods. —Sarah Glass The following interview has been abridged and lightly edited. FFA NEWS: How long has your company been up and running and how long have you been making electric bicycles specifically? HANNA: The first electric-assist bicycle we started offering on our bikes was probably five years ago, but it's grown significantly in the past two years. We currently offer electric-assist as an option for every one of our frame-types. We're also offering an upgrade retrofit to previous customers since we have several decades-worth of customers… We do sell our bikes around the world. We export most of what we build. Most go out of state, and about 20 percent to 30 percent go out of the country. FFA NEWS: I suppose what impresses me the most about e-bikes is the broad range of personal interests that seem to lead people to purchase one. HANNA: There are multiple groups, ages, and demographics of people that all have different values that lead them to an electric-assist bike...There are the older groups that have ridden their bikes for years and just aren't as strong as they used to be. They still want to go on some serious rides; they want to go on their favorite rides that include hills, and they want to keep up with their friends that are maybe a little more fit. Then there are a lot of the utility, daily-use, city-riding commuters… They want to use e-bikes to commute to work, to do errands, take their kids to school, go grocery shopping, or move things they need to lug around at work. This is a whole different group of people that needs a utility bike. It is extremely helpful to have an electric-assist boost for those situations when it’s cold or dark in the morning, or you’re in a hurry. For daily commuting, that electric-assist makes it possible to ride a bike more of the time, rather than just the nice, sunny days when you're feeling strong.
FFA NEWS: That makes a lot of sense. Sometimes you want to do what is best for your health or the environment, but it just isn’t practical. I have only had the opportunity to ride an electric-assist bicycle one time. I'm one of those people that, you know, I'd rather
use a darkroom than a digital camera; I don't want to use an electric bike. But I did, and it was so much fun! HANNA: Not-quite understanding why an e-bike would be valuable until you experience riding one is a process that is happening with people of all ages right now. Here you were, just describing yourself like, “Hey, I didn’t want to ride an electric-assist bike...” We've got younger people saying that they are strong and healthy, that they don’t need an e-bike… It's also happening with older people that are like, “Hey, you know, I'm not that old yet. I'm not that weak yet.” My father, who is co-founder of Bike Friday, was like that. He’d raced and he’d always been a strong rider. Finally, in his 60’s, he started experimenting with e-assist just because so many of his customers started asking him about it. Then, once he started riding one, and once he set my mom up on one—and she’s always had a hard time keeping up with him—he was like, “Oh, I’m such an idiot. She should have had an e-assist bike so long ago. We could have gone riding together, and I wouldn’t have stressed her out because I’m a stronger rider. She could have kept up!” [My dad] went through that whole process, and we’ve had customers go through the same thing. They have a hard time fully understanding how an e-bike would improve their ability to ride more often until they had a little bit more personal experience. So, I think the more people that have got that personal experience, the more they are going to tell their friends about it. The more their friends hear about it, the more they are going to be like, “Oh, well I guess you’ve got a good point there. I should try it myself.”
Sales of bikes with average selling prices above $1,000 experienced impressive growth in June 2020 compared to the same month last year. Full suspension mountain bikes were up 92% in dollars, gravel bikes +144%, sport performance road bikes +87%, and e-bikes +190%. Source: “Plot Twist: U.S. Performance Bike Sales Rise in June Reports The NPD Group,” The NPD Group, Aug. 2020, https://www.npd.com/.
FFA NEWS: How much do you attribute the recent rise in U.S. e-bike sales to the effects COVID-19 has had on society? Do you think more people are having those e-bike experiences that you mentioned, that the industry could potentially grow even more from where it is now? Or will it likely decline some after COVID-19 becomes less of a concern? HANNA: I do certainly believe the incredible spike and interest [in e-bikes] is directly related to the COVID situation this past year. People are stuck at home; they're looking for ways to be active, safe ways to get outside, safe ways to transport themselves without using public transit or taxis. All those situations that millions of people have been in have certainly helped them rediscover cycling... This whole situation is going on long enough that people can develop new habits. Being able to rediscover bicycles is a great and healthy way to stay active and get around. Needing to do that for a year or two is enough time for a whole other generation to have that be a serious option in their life. Will it taper off? Maybe. I don't know. FFA NEWS: It could start a revolution. HANNA: Absolutely. This is a significant period for people to rearrange how they are living their lives… There are reasons beyond the extreme COVID situation right now for people to continue valuing and seeing the merits of having biking in their daily lives. For more information, visit https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-bikes/ or email info@bikefriday.com.
6
Professor Popinjay’s Podium: How did we get all the different dog breeds?
Free For All News, February 2021
Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
If you are not fired up with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
GREEN BAY PACKERS HEAD COACH 1959 - 1967 The Super Bowl trophy is officially named the Lombardi Trophy.
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. YEARS WON THE NFL CHAMPIONSHIP
1961 1962 1965 1966 1967
*LOMBARDI NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON AS A HEAD COACH. (Lombardi Trophy Graphic/Teo’s89 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40137397)
Professor Popinjay’s Podium Vicki Curtis asks: If Noah only brought two of every unclean animal on the ark, how did we get all the different breeds of dogs? Dear Vicki, This question has definitely stirred up some controversy! I have to say, I'm gleefully rolling around in it! A lot of people seem to be at odds as to the very validity of this question, but this is the Professor you're talking to. I'll provide an answer no matter the invalid. The great modifier—‘IF’—opens the door to any possibility. Anyone who discounts this question right off the bat can just heel. This life is too important to be taken seriously so just roll over and play with your chew toy for a while, whoever that may be. Much of the speculation I've encountered in my research asks whether a floating box, even as big as the ark, could truly house all the animals of the world, including many dinosaurs, and eight mid-sized humans. The fact of the matter is it didn't need to. The debates may now come to an end for I shall tell you how it worked! I know many people are at the edge of their seat for this answer, and while I don't want to let those of any one persuasion down, I will say that I am irrefutably correct in this regard as in all regards. The myriad of creatures with which we in the modern world are acquainted have descended from a mere handful of what I call “Primary Animals.” Through the combining of these animals via sessions of eroticism, these five Primary Animals have spawned a completely different set of Secondary Animals. This process has continued until today, where we now enjoy a vast multitude of genera, species, and occasional superpowered mutation. Possibly it was these five Primary Animals housed in a small cargo hold on the ark while Noah and each of his sons enjoyed a luxuriously spacious cruise ship complete with shuffleboard, buffet, casino, and nightly dinner shows. We are not completely sure, but signs point to these five Primary Animals consisting of the Cow, the Pig, the Dove, the Duck-Billed Platypus (then only called the Platypus, as Ducks had not yet been invented), and finally, the Gryphon. From here it is obvious to see that the combining of the Cow with the Pig has yielded the common Canis Familiaris, or what we know as the dog, or rather, a very rudimentary version of what we now know as the dog. Now it has been pointed out by several astute learned readers of this blog that the first- generation dog could miraculously procreate with anything... literally! I don't think I need to go into any explanation as to how this is possible. It's blatantly obvious! That's why dogs hump everything indiscriminately! Here now is a list of Dog Breeds and the various things Genesis Dog got funky with thus spawning said breed:
Dog Breed...Thing Genesis Dog Had its Way W/ Bull Dog..................Bull Norwegian Elkhound........Elk Catahoula Leopard Dog................Leopard Rat Terrier.....................Rats Otterhound.............Otters Japanese Spitz.......Llama Bouvier des Flanders.........Silverback Gorilla Tree Beagle.....................Bagel Golden Retriever..................Money German Shepherd...........German Shepherd Poodle......................Cotton Candy Dachshund...............Polish Sausage Olde English Bulldogge.......Furniture Springer Spaniel..........Trampoline Greater Swiss Mountain Dog...The Matterhorn (The ride, not the mountain) Komondor......................Wet Mop Scottish Terrier..............Wire brush Russian Toy....................Matryoshka Dolls Afghan Hound................Automatic Car Wash Doberman Pinscher.........Crabs Great Dane......................Horse Irish Terrier..............................Potatoes Pomeranian.....................Pom Poms Greyhound.......................Bus Transylvanian Hound........Count Dracula Blood Hound.....................Count Dracula Carpathian Sheepdog.......Vlad the Impaler Dingo.................................Didgeridoo Hyena................................Standup Comic Fox.....................................Scientific Calculator Raccoon.............................Car Salesman Now I know this list will likely generate a lot of new questions. Like “How does a dog mate with an automatic car wash?” It is better just to accept it. You don't want me to go into that kind of detail. Trust me. Again, sorry to blow everyone's theories out of the water, but this is just what my research yields. Frankly, I'm surprised this theory is not more widely spread. It makes a lot more sense to me than most others I've read, especially that one about animals slowly changing over millions of years. Seriously, who has that kind of time? —Dogs best friend, Professor Popinjay Like, Share, Join the Professor Popinjay Group on FB.
Like, Share, & Join Professor Popinjay Group. OR NO TREAT!
Auto Section
Free For All News, February 2021
AUTO SECTION
Mon-Sat: 9am to 6pm Sun: 11am to 5pm
3520 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, OR
855 Hwy 99 N Eugene, OR 97402 (541) 461-2116
7
541.515.6795
Low Miles! ’12 Chevrolet Cruze LT
110K mi. ◊ $8,990
’15 Honda Civic LX 123K mi. ◊ $9,990
’16 Nissan Versa 1.6 SV 67K mi. ◊ $9,990
’16 Nissan Juke SV 97K mi. ◊ $11,990
’14 RAM PU 1500 Tradesman 137K mi. ◊ $18,990
’10 Toyota Tundra Grade 113K mi. ◊ $18,990
SEE MORE INVENTORY AT: www.randlmotorseugene.com No Credit Checks! Financing! Buy Here Pay Here! Down payments start at $800 with $225 Monthly Payments. ’09 Nissan Altima ’08 Ford Fusion ’12 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 2 WD ’08 Ford Taurus X ’14 Nissan Versa ’00 Hyundai Sonata ’07 Ford Five Hundred ’07 Ford F-150 X-Cab 4x4 ’08 Ford F-150 ’97 Chev. G1500
’01 ’12 ’06 ’08 ’15 ’99 ’08 ’07 ’10
Dodge Grand Caravan Nissan Versa Ford Escape Nissan Rouge Mitsubishi Lancer Isuzu Trooper Nissan Sentra Ford Escape Chry. Town & Country ’06 Ford Explorer 2WD ’04 Honda Accord
’06 ’00 ’07 ’13 ’04 ’09
’11 ’08 ’06
Chrysler 300C Isuzu Trooper Hyundai Sonata Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Ford F-150 X-Cab 2WD Suzuki Grand Vitara Hyundai Sonata Toyota Camry Chevrolet HHR
(541) 344-2676 Mon-Fri: 7:30am to 5:00pm simonstqab@aol.com
1820 Main Street, Springfield, OR
Cash For Cars CASH for unwanted vehicles running or not—trucks, buses, heavy equipment, & farm equipment. FREE removal.
www.simonsautobody.biz
Quality Collision & Paint Repair Insurance Claim Assistance Full Frame & Unibody Repair Computerized Paint Mixing System Written Warranty Classic Vehicle Restoration
We buy ALL scrap metal!
SAME DAY FREE ESTIMATES !
O&E
We Got Grit
AUTOBODY & TOWING
1720 S. A St. ● Springfield, OR 541.556.8024
From Cosmetic to Collision
BODY WORK FRAME WORK PAINT WORK RESTORATIONS www.oandeautobody.com
$50
TOW
* Light-duty tows inside Eugene and Springfield city limits.
Open Sat: 9AM to Noon Mon-Fri: 8AM to 5PM
Recovery Service Motorcycle Towing Lock-out Services Jump Start Fuel Delivery Battery Service Accident Towing
FREE LOCK-OUT SERVICE for children, pets, & loved ones For your 24-hour towing & service needs
Call: (541) 342-3344
so we can help keep you and your family on the road safely.
AAA Preferred Service
8
Pandemic Road Trip 2020
Free For All News, February 2021
HURRICANE, UT
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UT
PANDEMIC ROAD TRIP, 2020 3,720 miles 6 states 11 days By: Sarah Glass rd
Missoula, MT
Eugene, OR
Hamilton, MT
th
LANE COUNTY, OR - November 3 & 20 First, I want to say how very strange it feels to be able to purchase a plane ticket during a pandemic. Booking a flight from Eugene to Montana, with a connecting flight in Seattle, remains as easy as ever to achieve. Making the prospect of travel even more uncomfortable was a report that came from the Portland, Oregon news station, KGW News, on November 20th. “Days before Thanksgiving, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she believes residents who know their neighbors are violating the most recent round of COVID-19 protocols, which includes capping the number of people allowed in your home at six, should call the police,” wrote reporter, Maggie Vespa.
Salt Lake City, UT
Zion National Park, UT Hurricane, UT Las Vegas, NV
RAVALLI COUNTY, MT - November 27th My stepfather was at the airport in Missoula County as soon as my plane touched down. He stowed my luggage in his beast of a maroon Dodge Ram truck, and we immediately headed south. Following the line of rural communities neatly installed along the floor of the Bitterroot Valley, we arrived at my hometown about 50 miles later. With a population of just over 4,000 people, Hamilton is what Ravalli County residents call the “big city.” Not at all surprising to me, wearing a mask here was more of a matter of personal choice than mandated responsibility. The state’s former governor, Steve Bullock, would likely heartily disagree with me, but Ravalli County commissioners and the county sheriff announced last summer that they would not use their resources to be “the mask police.” A July 17th article from the Ravalli Republic newspaper quoted these local leaders as saying, “The governor’s directive forces the hand of business. Penalties will apply to businesses, not the individual… Private business owners may choose to enforce the governor’s directive… Everyone has the right and ability to shop or patronize businesses they feel comfortable in.”
I thought I would have more questions for the America I sought out during my 11-day road trip at the end of 2020. I suppose I wanted to understand the subtleties connecting people, places, and the patchwork of policies enacted by state governors in their best efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It was the inconsistency within and among so many of these “best efforts” that seemed to be dividing people. Americans are trying to make sense of what they are seeing. As belief systems continue to splinter amongst those usually considered authorities in knowledge, the nearly 330 million citizens of this country are relying more and more on their own deductive powers of reasoning and their own sensory experiences, as well as the teachers, scientists, and family members that they consider trustworthy. This is what those that work in data analytics would HAMILTON, MT - November 27th consider a nightmare torrent of information, one that Where I grew up, the possibility that produces a cacophony of fluctuating, fragmented patterns of serious disease could someday consume thought. Just think of it: 330 million people, all looking for our town was a topic regularly joked about answers on their own, each building their own systems of amongst the adults. It was the kind of humor beliefs out of information of varying quality and quantity. you see shared in the presence of potentially That would produce enough chaos on its own, but then we RAVALLI COUNTY, MONTANA fatal factors of life over which someone has would be forgetting that, even when two people receive the no control. I imagine those that live in the same information, they are prioritizing different things. In shadow of a nuclear power plant or an active volcano employ this type of data analytics, this is called “assigning weight” to certain types of input. humor as well, but in Hamilton, Montana, it was not giant explosions that Classifying weight differently from one equation to the next results in people feared: it was the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus, and the other entirely different methods of processing. sicknesses from history that have humbled humanity. At what level can the American public find harmony across its The jokes told by the adults were more like stated facts than anything collective systems of thought? Does it exist at the level of the household, else, the punchlines emphasizing the dire but real circumstances of one’s at the level of the community? Or have we been reduced to dissonance, to reality. A couple of the more popular jokes went something like this: static? To the crackling of black and white 1’s and 0’s across a television screen? JOKE 1 It seems that way, doesn’t it? It did to me, at first. It took hurtling Question: Why would the United States government build one of its few through 1,340 miles of airspace and being hauled along 2,380 miles high-level virology labs in a place like Hamilton, Montana? worth of road across a total of six states with one of my fathers to see Answer: Because they determined we are prime candidates for being things differently, but my perspective has changed. With each stop collateral damage! along my 2020 pandemic road trip, reassurance compounded: the JOKE 2 America I knew and loved was still out there. She was still beautiful, Question: Why would the United States government build one of its few albeit a little less free. high-level virology labs in a place like Hamilton, Montana?
Pandemic Road Trip 2020
Free For All News, February 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Answer: Because the one road going in and out of the valley would be easy managing in the event of a forced quarantine! Not exactly funny, right? People living in my hometown generally have a certain idea about what the terms “deadly virus” and “quarantine” mean. Their definitions are very different from those recently associated with COVID-19. You see, Rocky Mountain Labs is located in Hamilton, Montana. It remains one of the few virology labs owned by the United States government to be disclosed as having a Biosafety Level 4 designation, the highest Biosafety Level currently attainable. As little as 20 years ago, only a handful of these facilities existed in the entire world. These facilities are equipped to handle the deadliest substances known to man, from viruses of the hemorrhagic fever family to deadly and rare toxins like Ricin. As the fates would have it, Hamilton would not be the first home of a Biosafety Level 4 lab to achieve virology infamy in the modern era. Sadly, it was Wuhan, China that was handed this title in 2020 when it became the presumptive epicenter of COVID-19. ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT - November 29th Approaching the entrances of both Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, the road expanded into several lanes. In each lane, the occupants of idling vehicles waited patiently for their turn to pull up to a ticket booth and pay the park entrance fee. It seemed Americans from all over the nation (and even a few people from the international community) had had the same idea: With so many entertainment venues closed in the name of public health, what better way was there to spend time with your family, experience something new, and practice safe social distancing than by taking to The Great Outdoors? Both Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, I learned, can be experienced entirely from one’s vehicle without disappointment. Strategically placed vehicle pull-off points guide drivers to some of the parks’ best photo opportunities. Still, of all the photographs I had viewed of these areas, none prepared me for the real thing. After driving through the amazing Mount Carmel Tunnel at Zion National Park, my stepfather parked the truck so we could look back at the way we had just come. One of the mountainsides looked as if it was molten gold glowing in the heat of the setting sun. I could hardly wait for the truck to stop before I was grabbing at the door handle and out in the open-air staring mouth-open and awe-struck. After a moment, I noticed the figure of someone leaning out the passenger-side window of the sedan parked a few yards off from me. I looked at the teenage boy balancing there at the exact moment that he looked at me. Both of us had been staring a-gawk at the molten gold mountainside. We closed our mouths simultaneously and abruptly, conscious of the absurd way we must have looked. Then we started laughing. Again, this was simultaneous. We realized we had looked like idiots at the base of one of the world’s most majestic scenes. LAS VEGAS, NV - November 29th to December 2nd My stepfather paused at the middle of the pedestrian bridge overlooking The Las Vegas Strip. I thought he was admiring the creative building facades lining either side of the street, but it was something else entirely that had caught his attention: South Las Vegas Boulevard was empty. Only where the road seemed to run into the horizon were a few vehicles slightly visible. “The City that Never Sleeps” appeared to be dozing. It was Las Vegas as no one imagines it: quiet. Event advertisements plastered across billboards, building marquees, and the sides of cargo trucks were painfully outdated. Theaters that had showcased the iconic performances of David Copperfield and Cirque du Soleil had their stages darkened. Restaurants named after famous chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse stood visibly empty behind
9
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH glass partitions. Even the casino-hotels that are the core drivers of the Nevada economy—a castle-skyscraper, a pyramid-hotel, a building made to look like several New York City landmarks all pressed together—even they were suffering financially, allowed to entertain a number of guests no more than 25 percent of their capacity. To be sure, there was a certain charm to this “watered-down” Las Vegas experience. The level of professionalism local employees exhibited deserve all the credit for this. They embellished drink orders and told stories about their lives, greatly making up for the limited entertainment options. “Not too long ago, the government here was considering making it mandatory for people to wear masks while in their own homes,” said a middle-aged man working as a masseuse at the Luxor Hotel & Casino, “Even if they were alone in their cars, they would have had to wear one.” Echoed by bartenders, waitresses, and Uber drivers still catering to Las Vegas tourists, the masseuse said he was grateful to still be working. “I’m not all that great of a masseuse, honestly. Not the best, not the worst,” the middle-aged man and life-long Las Vegas resident went on to say. What made it all possible for him to do what he HURRICANE, UTAH loved was international tourism; this was the economic lifeblood of Las Vegas. Ironically, since international travel to the U.S. had been so strictly limited, the masseuse said he could tell what states were experiencing the worst of mandated shutdowns at any one time: these were the people that had made their way to Las Vegas throughout 2020. HURRICANE, UT - December 2nd Hands down, one of my favorite moments from the trip took place inside of a small diner in Hurricane, Utah. It reminded me of my Oregon home in Springfield. It was reminiscent of Busy Bee Cafe, the Pump Cafe, Plank Town, Sonny’s Tavern, and Along Came Trudy, one of those places where you feel as if you are experiencing something about the city itself, where the physical collection of people in attendance appears a psychological reflection and a symbolic rendering of the community’s best intentions. There was the octogenarian cowboy drinking coffee alone underneath his cowboy hat. There was the middle-aged woman smiling over stacked pancakes and coils of whipped-cream, determined to say “hello” to anyone within speaking-distance. Then there was the Latino waiter, his chest as pride-swollen and uniform as starched as the host of any establishment of fine-dining. This man shook mine and my father’s hands before we left the building, pulled down his mask to say farewell and show he had memorized our names in the span of a single sitting. HOME AGAIN IN SPRINGFIELD, OR - December 7th What my pandemic road trip revealed to me is that COVID-19 has tested us, but America has defied the stereotype of itself. We have shown the world that money is not at the center of our universe: it is the love of family, country, and community. When the nationwide quarantines began early last year, Americans were unified in their desire to keep each other safe from a potentially deadly virus. We rose to ensure that the ill were well-tended and that those experiencing the economic fallout of the virus were not wanting of basic necessities. Young neighbors checked on older neighbors. Non-profits, local municipalities, and faith-based organizations all threw all their machinery into motion with one goal in mind: to care for those in crisis. All of us contributed in one way or another, even if it meant all we could do was cater to the mental health of friends. This original motivation remains intact. Despite all that tries to cloud our vision, all we must do is look to see it. ~
10
Lane County: Art & Poetry
Free For All News, February 2021 7
TRANSITORY ENDINGS I wake up and it’s three a.m. the ward of car thieves and bats my neurons firing like car alarms a mesmerizing mandala of exploding suns in the multiverse – that approximation of all that is stupefying Paralyzed with angst I lie here unproductive scolding myself for my ignorance of Eliot the new physics the old hunger I used to look to Freud for answers Now suddenly he’s passé as in “Get over it your parents didn’t know any better” Maybe it’s time to move beyond this life of fitful births and small deaths Outside it’s a cold morning and I head for the bagel shop The heavy door swings open to lonely appetites and heated imaginations people warming up to the future together / like family like birds
Dahlia photographs © Rachel McLain
I overhear maddening fragments of conversation as in some English teacher’s writing assignment Finish these sentences and find the story
Rachel McLain is a Eugene artist whose work focuses on transformations. The dahlias in this series were a gift from a friend during the heavy wildfire smoke in September. Since she photographs outside in natural light, she couldn't photograph them until the smoke had cleared which meant the flowers had already begun to fade and transform. Rachel sees the color and texture changes as the flowers fade as a good reminder that change isn't always bad. www.rachelmclain.com
“Did you read about that girl with...” “You wouldn’t believe what came out of my...” “How could we have been so...” I decide there are only transitory endings that whatever happens is created by everyone There is no full knowing We are all finishing each other’s stories By: Jack Cooper WITNESS I am not a Buddhist but to pray over the soul of a silk worm for its selfless toil strikes me as extreme and absolutely wonderful I am not a Christian but I know that good works are multiplied like loaves and fishes and I cry just humming Amazing Grace I may not be a Pantheist or a Shintoist, a Mayan or a Druid but I’ll be the first to bear witness that the sun is indeed the eye of god because spring forgives winter because prairie dogs have a vocabulary for color because your skin guides me through darkness By: Jack Cooper
“Barely Here” © Susan Detroy
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME Stolen ones. Myth tells us Fire was stolen and Fire was a gift, but here I tell you, we are the fruit of Eden, we are the stolen flame, the instrument, the catalyst, Children of Spring, Royalty of Winter. See the space in our mouths where there is room for a sun? We were meant to burn.
Jack Cooper is author of the poetry collection Across My Silence(World Audience, Inc., 2007). His poetry, flash fiction, essays, and/or mini-plays have appeared in Connecticut River Review, Bryant Literary Review, bosque, The Briar Cliff Review, Rattle, Slant, Slab, The Main Street Rag, North American Review, and others. Recent awards include Grand Prize Winner in Crosswinds Poetry Journal's 2016 Poetry Contest. His poetry has also been selected for Ted Kooser's “AAmerican Life in Poetry” and “Every Day Poems.” Cooper is contributing editor of the online literary journal MacQueen’s Quintely, www.macqueensquinterly.com.
When hostages perpetuate captivity. When hostages invite servitude. When hostages refuse to run home when the way is clear so they can pledge fealty to their captors. When we cast off freedom as a burden. When we flaunt our chains as jewelry precious, our abuses as accolades. “Born of the Pandemic - Hair” © Susan Detroy
The summer of 2020, Susan Detroy released a new series of art and a film inspired by living in our worldwide pandemic. The series “Born of the Pandemic” includes self-reflective and environmental still images created as her pandemic lockdown began March 13, 2020. Ms. Detroy employs a story-telling, mobile photography style. Using photographs from the series intermixed with Susan’s daily pandemic journey, she created “In The Now,” a film released on June 30, 2020 as part as part of Platform 2020, through Harmonic Laboratory. Susan Detroy is a Eugene, Oregon-based artist with 40 years of art making. https://susandetroy.foliohd.com/born-of-the-pandemic https://platformfestival.art susandetroy.com
What pedestal is not also like a cage? What cage does not also imply or increase worth? William Blake once wrote: ...A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all of Heaven in a rage... But in the robin no rage exists, only the exhilaration of being valued, and love for its captor daily increased. By: Sarah Glass
Free For All News, February 2021
Beautiful Dreamer: In Memory of Barry Lopez
11
By: Mike Bonner Many of us have had troubled, abused, Climate change was on Lopez’s mind or neglected childhoods. Few of us have the long before he was diagnosed with prostate ability to render personal pain, anguish, cancer, fighting a valiant but ultimately and the quest for meaning into exquisite losing battle against the disease, culminatmeditations on the natural world and our ing in his death on Christmas. He told The place within it. Guardian in 2019 that we are living in Barry Lopez, the acclaimed Oregon “emergency times” but that “the mutilated author and natural explorer who died on world we live in must be loved, even if Christmas Day, 2020, was just such a it seems at times we are swimming in person. It is not the purpose of this tribute gasoline.” to gather the threads of Lopez’s unique life, When one thinks about the life and list his numerous literary accomplishments, wounded heart of a remarkable man like or review the continents, oceans, peoples, Barry Lopez, these words by Ernest regions, and native cultures he so earnestly Hemingway—another lover of nature interviewed. and wild places, come readily to mind: This is instead meant to focus on “The world breaks everyone and certain themes in the life of a curious, afterward many are strong at the broken gentle, talented, and spiritual man, whose places. But those that will not break it presence and words profoundly enriched us. kills. It kills the very good and the very The poignant modes of thought Lopez gentle and the very brave impartially. celebrated are not universally embraced. If you are none of these you can be sure But Lopez’s writings will long echo among it will kill you too but there will be no readers who care about nature, the world, special hurry.” Photo by David Liittschwager, life, and the peculiar mysteries of existence We are fortunate that what the barrylopez.com human beings are evidently fated to world had in store for Barry Lopez confront. made a minor exception in his case, In the book that won Lopez the National Book Award in 1986, delaying the special hurry, and Arctic Dreams, he writes about his experiences in the far North, allowing us seventy-five years of the describing the underlying richness of a seemingly barren landman’s beautiful poetic dreams. scape. In doing so, Lopez considers, in turn, the frozen terrain, the ABOUT MIKE BONNER: wildlife, the stunted forests, and the stoic subsistence culture of Mike Bonner of Eugene is the author the Indigenous Inuit people. of MAVO-High School in the 1960s, “I believe in all human societies there’s a desire to love and Freshman Year, a comic memoir of a be loved,” Lopez wrote, “to experience the fierceness of human Portland, Oregon adolescence. emotion, and to make a measure of the sacred part of one’s life.” This was written in stark contrast to Lopez’s earliest experiences. Like countless post World War II baby boomers, Lopez was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, which he revealed late in life. Out of that, he matured into a deeply religious young man who prayed daily and for a time even considered the Catholic priesthood. After attending a rigorous parochial high school, Lopez enrolled at the University of Notre Dame. A terrific student, he received undergraduate and graduate degrees, the latter a Master’s in 1966. In support of the Springfield Public Library Also around this time, Lopez’s writing career began to take off. His & the Springfield History Museum stories appeared in print, and from that point on he was primarily a working writer, turning his curiosity, love of nature, and thirst for authentic experience into a steady stream of meditations, treasured for their scientific acumen and philosophical eloquence. Somehow, the lure of 1960’s Oregon drew Lopez to our state, finding and renting a rustic property in Lane County near Finn Rock. The McKenzie River was within walking distance of his door. There Lopez would remain for the next half-century, eventually purchasing the property and leaving only when he and wife Debra Gwartney fled the Holiday Farm fire in September 2020, which reduced his beloved home and possessions to blackened cinders. It is ironic that a man whose foremost concern was how to live in harmony with nature should be made homeless near the end of his life by the very forces that have driven that balance right to the edge. In his writings, Lopez was particularly adept at framing The online event will take place January 26-29, 2021. During questions about the out-of-balance relationship western cultures these four days: have with nature, as in this choice anecdote from Arctic Dreams: A NEW ENTERTAINING VIDEO about the Library and “The Tununirmiut informed the Yankee whalers plundering the Museum will be uploaded each day. bowheads at Pond’s Bay—far from their own homes—that ‘getting Great PACKAGES will be available for PURCHASE rich’ was not what they were doing. Getting rich was to have a good family life, and be imbued with a far-reaching and intimate featuring local restaurants, Plank Town brews or William Rose knowledge of one’s homeland.” wine. Wonderful books, fancy pint tumblers, as well as Library Despite this advice, the nineteenth-century whalers went on and Museum swag are also included. plundering, until there were too few bowheads left to make it On Friday, January 29, we will host a LIVE ONLINE profitable. The slow-reproducing marine mammals remain an TRIVIA GAME with Clyde Williamson from Quality Trivia. endangered species to the present, numbering about 8,000 survivors. Get a team together and register to play – you don’t have to be Throughout his life, Lopez immersed himself in the aspirations great a trivia to have a really great time at this fun event. More of Indigenous cultures, often finding himself at odds with western information, coming soon! Call our wonderful librarians at commercial values. He was horrified by the prospect of oil drilling (541) 726-3766 if you have any questions. in the Arctic National Refuge, and the threat it posed to rare polar Winners of the inaugural BOOK CHARACTER PET species. PAGEANT will be announced at the Trivia game event. In a 2001 essay, Lopez criticized what he called “the adolescent For more information, visit https://splforegon.org/home/ impulses that fuel our consumer economy and the dilemmas posed news-events/booksandbrew/. by our ravenous oil consumption.”
12
Lane County Chambers of Commerce Send Plea to Governor
Free For All News, February 2021
December 17, 2020
LANE COUNTY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE SEND PLEA TO GOVERNOR Leaders representing a majority of local small- and medium-sized businesses across the region recently sent a co-signed plea for support to Governor Kate Brown and elected representatives on behalf of their constituent businesses. Vonnie Mikkelsen, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Brittany Quick-Warner, president and CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce; Bettina Hannigan, president and CEO of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce; Shauna Neigh, president and CEO of the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce; Lynda Kamerrer, President, Oakridge Westfir Area Chamber of Commerce; and Kari Westlund, president and CEO of Travel Lane County joined together in asking for financial and regulatory relief. “Too many of our small businesses will not survive the winter. The health and welfare of our families and communities cannot thrive without them. They didn’t ask for this. They didn’t vote for this. Their condition is no fault of their own,” said Quick-Warner. “The economic damage to our local businesses and families statewide is in the billions of dollars, not millions.” “If a small business dies it impacts more than just the owner. It impacts employees and their families. It impacts the busines s’s landlord and their family. It impacts the vendors the business owner buys from and their families. If this keeps up, the only take-out food will be from the state’s bread lines,” said Hannigan. “You can hear the despair in their voices,” said Neigh. “They’ve done the best they can to reconfigure their entire business model without support to meet mandated changes. They’ve got rent, utilities, employees, and other overhead. They cannot wait any longer, and it’s the holidays.” “It is our hope that the legislature and the governor recognize the dire impact,” said Quick-Warner. “We’re not questioning if they can prioritize small business, we’re simply appealing to get bridge dollars to businesses to help them make it across to the other side. They’ve ordered these shutdowns, freezes, and other restrictions. Now it’s time to offer first aid to stop the bleed-out and prevent the eventual death of thousands of businesses.” “Businesses such as restaurants or fitness centers have had to bear the brunt of decisions that fully and indefinitely restrict their ability to operate. We’re only beginning to see the dominoes fall as a number of local establishments—and some of our most iconic ones—close permanently. We think the state should be including the economic impacts in the calculus and offering substantive financial remedies in return to offset losses suffered by restrictions,” added Mikkelsen. “As businesses close, the tax base dries up; but the more people that stay employed the more support there will be for essential government services an d the legislatures’ other ambitious plans to benefit Oregonians.” “Our businesses have been extremely responsible and have dutifully followed the state’s Covid-19 guidance. They have successfully created some of the safest and most sanitary places for customers and employees to be. They should be open,” said Hannigan. “They have incurred exorbitant costs to implement unfunded, mandated health and safety protocols. They have endured everchanging regulations. They have been forced into new business models to carry them through times of reduced demand—especially during critical tourism and consumer spending seasons,” said Westlund. “Those who have survived so far barely have the resources to endure the unknowable future and indefinite periods of uncertainty.” Hannigan explained that tourism in Florence employs approximately 1900 people and pumps about $147 million into the community each year. “Restaurants are more than a job, or a place to eat, they’re an entire sector of what attracts thousands of people to Florence each year. Without them, a massive portion of our economy disappears. Take-out just isn’t going to cut it.” The group pointed out that recent Census Bureau polling showing that even prior to the Thanksgiving “Freeze” order: Nearly 43% of Oregon small businesses saw a drop in revenue last month. (https://portal.census.gov/pulse/data/) Nearly 25% of Oregon small businesses except to need additional financial assistance. (https://portal.census.gov/pulse/data/) This last month more small businesses in Oregon have reduced employment 16.1%. (https://portal.census.gov/pulse/data/).
29.9% of Oregonians expect to lose employment in the next month (https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/#/?measures=FJR)
7.2% are either not current on their rent or mortgage or have little confidence that they can make next month’s payment. On December 26, unemployment benefits for approximately 67,866 Oregonians will expire. (https://tcf.org/content/report/12- million-workers-facing-jobless-benefit-cliff-december-26/?agreed=1)
“The state’s remedies are anemic. There is little assurance for a small business owner with dropping revenues, depleting reserves, and waning confidence. They need to be heard, and they need to be served,” added Mikkelsen.
For example, Mikkelsen pointed out that November’s distribution of $20 million of small business grants by Business Oregon closed after just 15 minutes due to oversubscription. Similarly, the $55 million offered by Governor Brown is inadequate to m atch the current devastation in the local business community as evident by the 1600 Lane County small businesses that have applied for a morsel of the $3.6 million given to Lane County for distribution.
Free For All News, February 2021
Lane County Chambers of Commerce Send Plea to Governor
13
“We recognize that our elected representatives are being asked to balance competing forces carrying immeasurable impact on people’s lives, livelihoods, safety, and security,” Mikkelsen added. “Our effort today is a reminder to those who hold the purse strings and means to survival that our small businesses have demonstrated exceptional resiliency under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Today we are asking Governor Brown and the legislature to: 1. Provide a path for the safe reopening of all Oregon businesses who can comply and operate under recently released OR-OSHA Temporary COVID-19 Rules and Regulations. 2. Provide for substantial remedies to local small businesses that have, through no fault of their own, been forced to shut down, leaving employees out of work, and harming our local social and economic well-being. 3. Dedicate $75 million of state dollars toward a Hospitality Relief fund dedicated to helping our state’s restaurants and hospitality businesses recover. 4. Commit to a moratorium on new or increased taxes and fees at the state and local level. Directly or indirectly, these increase the cost of business, goods, and services. 5. Provide for stabilization of the commercial rental market through a short-term tax credit for property owners that are willing to waive debt for commercial tenants that are behind on rent. We welcome an opportunity to work with you on a balanced approach to remedy and relief for local business and economic impacts on our families and communities. And with deep respect, we look to you for leadership and ask that these concerns be addressed with expedient and substantive measures in an effort to prevent an economic meltdown for the state’s largest employer group: small business.
660 Main St, Springfield TRY OUR FAMOUS JERKY
Local & Exotic Meats Available Affordable Prices! Check us out on Facebook!
YOUR AD HERE “It’s Your BusIness”
Ad Sales 541-653-3362
Meat Boxes 21lb Beef Box 30lb Beef Box 30lb Pork Box
$92.40 $132.00 $87.00
We accept Oregon Trail.
Expires 02/28/21
14
Brain Games
Free For All News, February 2021
Brain Games
Answers on pg. 15
CrosScan is a word search/crossword puzzle hybrid. A CrosScan puzzle consists of a letter block and a list of clues. Answers to the clues are found in the letter block. Each puzzle has a theme, and every answer fits into this theme. When all the words are found and circled, the leftover letters spell out a short quote relating to the theme. For maximum enjoyment, we strongly recommend that you read the instructions be fore beginning.
1.
Visually scan the letter block to discover words. Words can be read backward, forward, up, down, or diagonally. It’s a good idea to look for diagonal words first. NOTE: DO NOT start with Clue #1, #2, etc. That is the hard way. 2. When you find a word, count the number of letters. Then, look at the word list and find the clues which have that same number indicated in parentheses. 3. Determine which clue corresponds to the word you found. Once you have located the clue, write the matching word in the blank space provided to the right of it for future reference. Do not circle a word in the letter block if you can’t find a clue to match it. HINT: Each puzzle contains a “star” in which words coming from all eight directions meet at one central letter.
4.
When all the words are found and circled, the unused letters leftover in the letter block spell out a short quote relating to the theme.
Printed with the permission of Susan T. Brown.
1. Pecans & cashews (4) __________________ 2. Car race (4) ___________________________ 3. Tidy (4) ______________________________ 4. Comedian Wilson (4) __________________ 5. 80’s rock style (4) _____________________ 6. Big party (4) __________________________ 7. Endorsement (4) ______________________ 8. Overblown buildup (4) ________________ 9. Social outcast (4) _____________________ 10. Large slab (4) _______________________ 11. Close friend (4) ______________________ 12. Reduce heat (4) ______________________ 13. Eccentric (4) ________________________ 14. Atomic or car (4) ____________________ 15. Knucklehead (4) _____________________ 16. Hunker down (5) _____________________
17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.
Go away (5) __________________________ Use dynamite (5) _____________________ Snow unit (5) ________________________ A real pip (5) ________________________ Move slowly (5) ______________________ Small peeper (5) _____________________ Nothing (5) _________________________ Bloat (5) ____________________________ Puny (5) ____________________________ Kiss (6) _____________________________ Preps corn (6) _______________________ Commotion (6) _____________________ Tumult (6) __________________________ Showy publicity (6) _________________ Troublesome situation (6) ___________ keen (6) ________________________
33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47.
Alarm feature (6) _____________________ LP track (6) __________________________ Very distant (6) ______________________ Tear hastily (6) ______________________ Disappointment (6) __________________ Exhausted (6) ________________________ Yogi Bear’s friend (6) _________________ Compress (7) ________________________ creepers (7) _____________________ Lunch meat (7) ______________________ 60’s exclamation (7) _________________ Marvelous (7) _______________________ David Bowie album (9) _______________ 60’s pop music show (10) _____________ Nonsense (10) _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1. Word Scramble
2. Word Scramble
WORD SCRAMBLE - HOW TO PLAY: Use the following letters to spell out all of the possible word combinations. No names, abbreviations, or non-English words. All words are used in common language, except Bonus Words.
GNLCA 1._________
2._________
4._________
NHPEO 3._________
5._________
HINT: 3 three-letter words, 1 four-letter words, 1 five-letter words.
1._______ 2._______ 3._______ 4._______ 5._______
6._______ 7._______ 8._______ 9._______ 10._______ 11._______ 12._______ Bonus: B1._______ B2.________
B3.________
HINT: 6 three-letter words, 5 four-letter words, 1 five-letter word.
Community Announcements
Free For All News, February 2021
15
Hit the road, Jack Don’t you come back No more No more...
“Which states will certify an unbelievable golf score?”
“2021 is going to be better. Am I right?”
Having seen the size of other peoples’ unemployment checks, Jack began singing subliminal songs constantly.
Community Announcements — JAN/FEB 2021 COTTAGE GROVE — Bohemia Mining Days Elects Board Officers & Makes Plans for This Year. At its January 5th meeting, the BMD Board of Directors elected its 2021 officers... Not knowing if a large-scale community celebration will be permitted in mid-July, the board created a “bare bones” administrative budget of $4,452 for this year. Research is underway to create an add-on budget to produce a modified, smaller scale 1- or 2-day event (without creating Bohemia City) on July 17 th-18th, if the current COVID-19 restrictions on large-scale events are lifted. At its January 27th meeting, the budget assumptions for the smaller scale event will be finalized and the 2021 budget will be adopted. By early May, it will be clearer if a community celebration can happen so the board set May 1 st as its “Go-No Go” date for event planning purposes. Tax deductible donations to support Bohemia Mining Days can be made by check, money order, or credit card. Credit card donations can be made on the website: www.BohemiaMiningDays.org or by mailing a check or money order, payable to BMD, to PO Box 1297, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. *** For more Cottage Grove events and announcements, you can subscribe to “Around The Grove News,” a free e-subscription newsletter service generated by T.E.A.M. Cottage Grove: https://cottagegroveoregon.us11.list-manage.com/ subscribe?u=c081788c7ac3cc97a344d7c77&id=492a8effc2.
COBURG — City of Coburg Public Open House Coburg City Hall ● 91136 N Willamette St., Coburg
Do you have questions regarding the projects of the city? Please join us with your questions & give us feedback on Saturday, February 22nd : 10AM to12PM or Tuesday, February 25th : 4PM to 6PM. Water Projects, Street Repairs, Sewer Maintenance, Land Use/Planning, Transportation, Police, Parks Development https://www.coburgoregon.org
SPRINGFIELD — Celebrate the Season: Bring Light to the Darkness Springfield Public Library, 225 5th St., Springfield ● Springfield History Museum, 590 Main St., Springfield
During the dark months of January & February, join us to celebrate the light by: * Creating a luminary - Pick up a luminaria kit during Curbside Pickup Service. Tag a photo of your luminaria with #splseasonsoflight on social media. * Donating to our Give Light drive - In partnership with Carry It Forward, we invite you to give light to someone less fortunate by donating basic, life-saving supplies: specifically warm socks, hats, gloves, as well as hand and foot warmers. Donations can be made at any Springfield Library book drop, Library curbside pickup and at these participating businesses: Trash-n-Treasures Antiques and Collectables, Chuck & Alice, Plank Town Brewing Company, The Washburne Café, Heartless & Hopeless Tattoo, Mezza Luna Pizzeria, Remember the Moon, Lovely, and Haphazard Creativity * Joining our winter reading program - A relaxed reading program consisting of reading challenges, scavenger hunts, and rewards to inspire readers during our rainy winter months. The challenge begins January 1 st. Register online for the Seasons of Light Winter Reading Challenge at http://wheremindsgrow— .beanstack.org/reader365. * Enjoying Illumination, a downtown art installation - Luminaria created by six local artists will be featured in the windows of the Springfield History Museum through March 1st. Enjoy the glowing power of art in the community.
LANE COUNTY — Low-Income Rural Home Repair Loans Available from Lane County & St. Vincent de Paul
The loan can be used for roofs, foundations, dry rot, plumbing, siding, heating systems, windows, doors, insulation, paint, and much more. For more information please contact Andy Clay at (541) 743-7128.
Brain Games Answers CrosScan Answers : Puzzle #76 - Slang
YOUR AD HERE “It’s Your BusIness”
QUOTE: “An abusing of the King’s English.” —Shakespeare
Word Scramble Answers
Ad Sales 541-653-3362
1. GNLCA (5 Words) — CAN, LAG, NAG, CLAN, CLANG
2. NHPEO (12 Words + 3 Bonus) -EON, HEN, HOE, HOP, ONE, PEN, HONE, HOPE, NOPE, OPEN, PEON, PHONE Bonus: HEP, HON, PONE
Free For All News, February 2021
16
ORDER OREGON’S ONLY HAWAIIAN PIT BBQ FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT
Call Julie: 541.729.0119 konacafebbq.com
CELEBRATING
Junction City 1712 Ivy Street 541.234.2316
20 YEARS
Thank you for supporting us for 20 years! Family owned and operated.
“Ono grinds on the mainland.”
Springfield 4605 Main Street 541.741.7136 “It’s not just BBQ, it’s the best.”
—Big Island Weekly ~ Kona, HI
—Register Guard ~ Eugene, OR
SINCE 2001
