Always Good News
NEWS
MAY 2020
When the going gets tough… the tough get going !
Let’s do iiit ! !
U.S. Senator John Blutarsky
“Bluto”
How a “Stimulus Package” Works
It is a slow day in the small town of Yonder, and streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody is living on credit. A tourist visiting the area drives through town, stops at the motel, and lays a $100 bill on the desk, saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs to pick one for the night. As soon as he walks upstairs, the motel owner grabs the bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher. The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his bill to his supplier at the Feed & Seed Store. The guy at the Feed & Seed Store takes the $100 and runs to pay his employee. The young girl has also been facing hard times. She just moved into town when the economic depression hit and has been living at the local motel. With the crisp $100 bill from her employer, the girl pays off her room bill with the hotel owner. The hotel proprietor then places the $100 back on the counter so the traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, picks up the $100 bill and leaves. No one produced anything. No one earned anything... However, the whole town is now out of debt and now looks to the future with a lot more optimism. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a Stimulus package works.
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Hello & welcome to Free For All News !
Free For All News, May 2020
Welcome to Free For All News !
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. Chief Editor/Publisher: Sarah Glass FreeForAll.editor@gmail.com Sales Manager: Jay Munoz FreeForAll.monthly@gmail.com Events Submissions: FreeForAll.events@gmail.com Support Staff: Bruce Rider, Art Mooney, Sandra Heidtke, Karen Offerdahl, Heather Hicks, Professor Popinjay
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INDEX C How a “Stimulus Package” Works 2 Comics 3 The Open Source Seed Initiative 7 Brain Games 8 Oregon Granges Could be Key... 9 Creative Community Solutions 10 ON THIS DAY… The Willamette Valley... 11 Professor Popinjay’s Podium 12 Lane Rescues
WORKING OVERTIME FOR LAUGHS
“There is no cancelling Jim’s fishing season.”
“Did you or did you not go for an unnecessary country drive on the evening in question?”
Free For All News, May 2020
The Open Source Seed Initiative
3
In 2018, pharmaceutical giant, the German-headquartered Bayer company, completed the purchase of U.S. seed giant, Monsanto. The acquisition transformed the world’s six most powerful agrochemical companies into what is now called the “Big 4.” Together, these companies are estimated to own about 60% of the world’s proprietary seed. Antitrust regulators reviewing Bayer’s acquisition request asked that it first sell off its seed division. When BASF came away with the seed division, the company was propelled to “Big 4” status.
In 2014, a number of university and freelance plant breeders, representatives of organic-oriented seed companies and seed rights activists joined together to create the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI), a 501c3 organization dedicated to preserving the rights of farmers, gardeners, and plant breeders to save, use, replant, sell, and breed with seeds. The core of OSSI is the Pledge, a statement that is passed along with seed of “OSSI-Pledged” varieties.
that a painter would give up rights of ownership to his masterpieces. Imagine Leonardo Di Vinci selling the Mona Lisa for the price of only the canvas and the painting materials he used. More than that, imagine making such a masterpiece available for others to enjoy or to paint on themselves. This is essentially what it means to “free the seed.” An OSSI open source seed is free for anyone to grow, study, adapt to different environments, or use in the breeding of new varieties. Gardeners, farmers, and plant breeders are free to save the seed, sell the seed, or do anything else they want other than apply patents or restrictions to it or its derivatives.
You have the freedom to use these OSSI- Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.
Carol recalled her apprehension the day she pledged her own plant varieties to OSSI. “I was shaking,” she said. “It’s not something you can take back.”
https://osseeds.org Corvallis-based green thumb, Carol Deppe, has long been aware of the deteriorating connection people have with their food and the waning freedoms left to those still interested in contributing to our nation’s food supply. Having earned her Ph.D. in genetics at Harvard University, Carol is known for her skills in breeding new kinds of organicadapted vegetable varieties and in teaching others how to do the same. First published in 1993, her first book, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, inspired a new wave of gardeners and farmers to take up plant breeding and seed saving. Carol connected to these readers in a myriad of ways over the years: through seed sales, seminars, correspondence, workshops at various events, and additional books (The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times and The Tao of Vegetable Gardening). A New Kind of Commons
OSSI has established the beginnings of a public commons for open source seed. After pledging her own varieties to the program, thereby giving up the opportunity to patent them, Carol soon joined the organization’s Board of Directors to take on an active role. "When I came in, we had about 60 varieties pledged. By the end of the year, we had 250 varieties pledged, three times as many plant breeders, and a lot more seed companies,” Carol told Free For All News. It was a big deal. OSSI needed more than university plant breeders on board for the open source seed mission to have a chance to proliferate and grow. They needed the freelance plant breeder as well, and Carol was the ideal facilitator in this. As anyone can likely imagine, it would not be without difficulty
Carol recalled her apprehension the day she pledged her plant varieties to OSSI. “I was shaking,” she said. “It’s not something you can take back.” If you go online to the OSSI website (https://osseeds.org), you will see Carol is responsible for breeding several plant varieties the public may freely use in the pursuit of their own agricultural innovations: 21 of the 480 currently available, to be exact. “The basic way it works,” the Oregon author explained, “is that there’s a plant breeder—sometimes a university plant breeder but usually a freelance plant breeder—who has developed the variety and then takes it to the variety review committee at OSSI, and we look at it. The plant breeder agrees as part of their application to pass that seed along only with the OSSI Pledge. “The pledge basically says that you can do anything you want with the seed except restrict it with patents or other means and that you’ll always pass this pledge along with the seed. The variety review committee takes a look at it to make sure that it is actually something new and is not violating anybody else’s intellectual property.”
Somewhere Between Piracy and Patents Through the decades, Carol recalls having witnessed U.S. intellectual property (IP) regulations incrementally choke off the traditional rights of gardeners, farmers, and plant breeders to use the seed they bought. She elaborated on the complicated history, saying, “Back then, basically once you got a seed, you could do anything you wanted with it. There was not any ability to patent plant varieties, and there wasn’t any such thing as Plant Variety Protection Act. But increasingly, those things came along. Increasingly, more and more of the seed was protected in such a way that you couldn’t breed with it or you couldn’t save seed, stockpile it, save it, grow it to sell, or use it to breed something new of your own—activities sometimes needed for your resilience or even survival.” CONTINUES ON PG. 4...
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The Open Source Seed Initiative
...CONTINUED FROM PG. 3
Free For All News, May 2020
people to reflect on the relationship between Capitalism, innovation, government influence, and social benefit. Essentially, open source allows the public to use and build off the work or research started by someone else. Although the term originally referred to the software development world, the concept is one that has existed throughout the human experience. Conversely, so has ownership. So where does that leave us?
The rights farmers and plant breeders are fighting for are those they have had throughout our nation’s history. There are a lot of nuances involved, but the crux of the matter revolves around two key factors. First, IP laws are becoming stronger, stackable, and a deterrent to anyone without the legal team and monetary filing abilities of agrichemical giants like Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) and DuPont. Secondly, the rights farmers and plant breeders are fighting for are those they have had throughout our nation’s history. Even early intellectual property laws, like those derived in 1930 and 1970 allowed plant breeders to adapt and test crops and farmers to save seed. The Evolution of U.S. Intellectual Property Rights As it stands today, technically, there are occasions in which farmers and plant breeders retain the rights mentioned above. What is most adversely affecting their way of life today is the patenting of plant traits, Utility Patents and their use with Trade Secret protections (hybrids), and additional obligatory licensing contracts. The Utility Patent is a powerful IP designation, one typically reserved for inventions. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to be used on plants. For those that know the tricks, patent expiration dates are not a problem, especially when it comes to the most lucrative crops on the planet: hybrids like corn, canola, and cotton. By combining Utility Patents and Trade Secret protections, companies can keep inbreeding lineages to produce a desired hybrid without disclosing the information to the public. They do this by renewing patents with parent plants that are technically new but much different from the previous hybrid parents. Like a dog following on the heels of its master, IP rights keep closely in tow with scientific advancement. This has given great advantage to pharma / biotech / agrichemical companies like the “Big 4,” comprised of Bayer (which owns Monsanto), the Dow and DuPont’s merger creations, Syngenta (which owns Chemchina), and BASF (which took Bayer’s seed division to satisfy antitrust regulators). The Great GMO Experiment The great GMO experiment may be over. Heralded as a technological advancement that would feed the world’s hungry while using less land and chemicals than conventionally grown crops, the potential of GMO’s drew great investment in the industry. However, as studies continue to emerge about yield rates, chemical use, and the effects on pollinators, it seems any initial benefits GMOs once exhibited, aside from its lucrativeness, are questionable. For all of the Big 4’s assets and technology, right now it is the individual and the family unit that stand to contribute the most to developing the sustainable food systems of the future. Carol Deppe and OSSI want to empower the backyard gardener and both small-scale and large-scale farmers.
Understanding U.S. patent law is more than a difficult undertaking. The question everyone wants answered is, at what point does intellectual property (IP) policies stop encouraging innovation in the marketplace and start destroying it? Patents were designed to ensure inventors could profit from their work and pirates would have a more difficult time doing so. Considering patent laws and open source opportunities asks
“All gardeners and farmers should be plant breeders. Developing new vegetable varieties doesn’t require a specialized education, a lot of land, or even a lot of time. It can be done on any scale. It’s enjoyable. It’s deeply rewarding. You can get useful new varieties much faster than you might suppose. And you can eat your mistakes.”
—Carol Deppe, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties
Free For All News, May 2020
“Farmers who switched to glyphosate-tolerant corn also switched herbicides, and used less total herbicide than farmers did on conventional corn — for a while. In the years since 2007, however, glyphosate-tolerant corn got sprayed with more weed killers, as measured in kilograms per acre, than corn without that GMO trait.” NPR How GMOs Cut The Use of Pesticides—And Perhaps Boosted It Again, by Dan Charles, 2016, www.npr.org
“A meta-analysis of yield developments around the world from 1961-2008 found that in 24-39% of areas growing [GMO] maize, rice, wheat and soybean, yields either failed to improve, stagnated after initial gains, or collapsed (Ray et al., 2012).” “Comparisons are increasingly favourable to diversified systems when total outputs are compared rather than specific crop yields… Mixtures have also been shown to produce 1.7 times more harvested biomass on average than single species monocultures and to be 79% more productive than the average monoculture (Cardinale et al., 2008).
The Open Source Seed Initiative
5
“Some people would say, ‘Gee, that looks different. That looks beautiful.’ They start saving seed from it, developing it into something new and really don’t give a damn about the science involved.” “Actually,” Carol continued, “a person who is a sophisticated gardener or farmer can in fact breed their own varieties, and that book is designed to help them do it. Also, there’s the OSSI Open Source Plant Breeding Forum (https://opensourceplantbreeding.org/ forum/). It’s a website where plant breeders who are interested in Open Source can go and talk with each other. beginning plant breeders or gardeners who are just interested in the subject can go there and hang out and see what various people are doing and get ideas. “OSSI has also sponsored a series of podcast by various OSSIassociated plant breeders, each telling the story of how they bred a particular OSSI-Pledged variety. These podcasts are designed to spread the art/craft/science of plant breeding to an ever-increasing army of gardeners and farmers.” To find out more about OSSI, you can visit their website at osseed.org. For more about Carol Deppe and her books, go to www.chelseagreen.com/writer/carol-deppe or caroldeppe.com/ index.html. —Sarah Glass
International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES), From Uniformity to Diversity: A Paradigm Shift from Industrial Agriculture to Diversified Agroecological Systems, by 24 IPES panel members, 2016, www.ipes-food.org
“All gardeners and farmers should be plant breeders,” reads the first sentence of Carol’s book, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties. The key characteristic plant breeding requires, Carol underscored, is curiosity. “Some people are really interested in science, and some people are really interested in essentially just painting with the genes: trying to create something more beautiful or tasty.” Carol laughed. “If you’ve got no curiosity, then if something new shows up in your garden, you probably throw it away,” she said. “So curiosity is usually something that’s going on with the plant breeder.
Carol kindly contributed her editing skills to this article.
Photos show book titles by Carol Deppe as well as some corn and squash varieties of her own creation. Images used with permission from Carol Deppe.
Free For All News, May 2020
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Brain Games
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Brain Games 1. Sudoku, Difficulty: Medium
Sudoku © Kevin Stone Printed using Brain Bashers Sudoku
www.brainbashers.com
2. Sudoku, Difficulty: Hard
Sudoku © Kevin Stone Printed using Brain Bashers Sudoku www.brainbashers.com
AUTOBODY
3. Word Scramble 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.
A)
LEMDO
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8._______
O&E
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9._______ 10._______ 11._______
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12._______ 13._______ 14._______ 15._______ 16._______ HINT A: 7 three-letter words, 8 four-letter words, 1 five-letter word.
4. Word Scramble 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.
B)
1._______ 5._______
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2._______ 6._______
3._______ 4._______ 7._______ 8._______
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’05 Nissan Titan XE 163K mi. ◊ $10,990
HINT: 5 three-letter words, 2 four-letter words, 1 five-letter word.
Brain Games Answers
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1.
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Oregon Granges Could be Key to Improving Rural Health...
Free For All News, May 2020
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Might Oregon’s Grange system be the key to closing health disparities between rural and urban communities? Former Eugene resident, Lillian Anderson, sought to answer this question while working to complete her Masters of Public Health degree at Oregon State University (OSU) last year. Lillian was familiar with how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) partners with community institutions like public libraries and churches when they share public health goals. Why should they not partner with the local Grange systems? The Oregon State Grange is currently comprised of 165 Granges. Many of these Granges exist in suburban areas with risk factors for health disparity. As described by the Rural Health Information Hub (supported by HHS), risk factors include “geographic isolation, lower socioeconomic status, higher rates of health risk behaviors, limited access to healthcare specialists and subspecialists, and limited job opportunities.” Before Lillian graduated from OSU, she decided to compete with students from Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon for the privilege of receiving funds to support her research project. For the 2018-2019 school year, her proposal was among those selected by the Northwest Public Health Training Center. With the help of leaders from the Oregon State Grange, including president Susan Noah of Springfield, Lillian searched for ways Grange services and events categorically overlapped with public health initiatives established by HHS. Public health, Lillian explained, is the consideration of health on a far broader scale than most people anticipate. Doctors recording a person’s physical condition is only one aspect of a greater health dynamic. Social indicators, called Social Determinants of Health
(SDOH)—health and health care, social and community context, education, economic stability, and the neighborhood and build environment—are topics that are broadly considered. Lillian and her team reviewed seven years of Oregon State Grange publications, noting each article that corresponded to an SDOH. The results of this preliminary study were published in 2020 in the Journal of Community Health under the title “The National Grange: A Rural Community Resource to Increase the Reach of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the United States.” States the report, “Grange activities and interests closely align with the goals and objectives of public health. This finding should not be surprising upon reviewing the history and evolution of the Grange. The Grange began as an organization devoted to educational activities and self-improvement, and quickly placed the health and wellbeing of the community as one of its highest priorities (Barns, 1967). While the Grange has continued with these activities throughout the years, they remain an underused and often an unknown resource to public health agencies working in rural areas.” Energized by her research, Lillian continues to pursue the possibilities of an official partnership, speaking publicly at Granges and public health seminars. Said Lillian, “If we can closely analyze the Granges that are in our area, see what it is that they are concentrating on, where their focus is, this is where their heart lies, an issue that they recognize that they want to help with, then we can take all of that enthusiasm and planning and structure that they already have and partner with it when it works with the public health mission.” Granges interested in speaking with Lillian about public health can email her at andelill@oregonstate.edu. —FFA News
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Free For All News, May 2020
NOTE: The following excerpts have been abridged and lightly edited.
“I would say that we have had the opportunity to take a look at what a pandemic emergency involves. Maybe we've had preparation in the past and included things in our emergency preparedness plans, but when you have a real event, then you get to see exactly how it is occurring. I know there will be lots of lessons learned and takeaways from this crisis that we can now incorporate into our emergency plans at the city level.” “One thing I would like to look at going forward is, we've spent a great deal of time now doing virtual meetings, and I have seen lots of pictures from all over the world that show how polluted it was and how clean the air is now. We are always looking at ways to make sure our air is clean and at how to keep it that way. “We can cut down significantly on our travel then cut down on our carbon emissions just doing a small adjustment to how we doing meetings. I am happy to have those kinds of conversations, because, if it leads to a cleaner environment, it's easier on our roads; we don't have to spend as much on the roads. You know, there are a lot of benefits I see from altering how we do some of the business that we do. That was really the point of the internet to begin with; I am looking forward to that kind of analysis. We just have to figure it out but not lose the people part. I don't want to lose people to people connections.”
“We are probably always, from this point forward, going to be conscience about contagion. In fact, for the medical professionals who have thought about pandemic or contagion—and many have—this is not taking them by surprise. With that tells me is that—and this kind of starts to lean toward what can we do better—is that we, as a society, need to be prepared; we need to have stockpiles of certain kinds of equipment, certain kinds of supplies. We need to be able to flex space and usage of space for emergency purposes. We need to not be taken by surprise when something like this happens.”
“The other part of the silver lining is that the pandemic has given families an opportunity, I think, to become closer, even if they are in the same room. People are spending more time on FaceTime or Google Hangouts. I think they are probably appreciating each other more or maybe not taking it for granted that those relationships do need to be nurtured.”
“We quickly had program teams jump to come up with creative solutions and ideas to continue our programming. The fitness team filmed their full-length classes with their actual instructors, classes that were getting cancelled before our crisis communications had even finalized. Our educational team developed craft kits for local students, and our
Creative Community Solutions
9
Adult Activity Center realized that seniors weren't going to be able to get their regular meals that they were getting during the day. So, as soon as we close, the next day we were able to offer drive-up services instead of sit-down meals. Things like that really made all of the programming possible. Our Community Engagement Team’s role was to tell the stories and strategize content delivery, but again, the program teams were really essential, collaborative, and willing partners in anything that we've been doing.” “I’m sure we will find positive changes to make amid all this. Our collaboration as a team and a district has really increased, and I’m hoping that is something that we can be mindful of maintaining and building on in the future. We haven’t made any decisions about exactly what will continue, but we’re confident we can build on both the teamwork and great resources we’ve built over the last month.”
“PeaceHealth is still processing our learnings from the past weeks of preparing for and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this experience, we are now even better prepared and have more fully developed our procedures to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, and caregivers during an infectious disease outbreak. “Many of our PeaceHealth Medical Group clinicians have continued to treat patients through telephone and video visits, when appropriate, and we may see more applications of those technologies after COVID-19 is no longer a public health threat. “Most of all, our caregivers and providers on the front lines of this pandemic are seeing and feeling the love and support of our community. Scores of local community members are sewing cloth face coverings that we are offering to visitors who don’t have their own. Finally, this community is showering our caregivers and providers with notes, prayers, and words of encouragement. We will always remember our community’s tremendous kindness and generosity.”
“Because of what's happened, there's probably going to be a heightened level of awareness of crisis management and resiliency plans for business. “Small business owners are basically running into so many different things in good times even, that rarely is there enough time or attention or thought given to those more strategic sort of plans: business plans and scenario building, planning for cash reserves or disruption of supply chains. “Most of our businesses are small businesses, if you go by the true definition. Many of them are in that global, national, trade sector supply chain that could affect even a business of five, ten, or 15 [employees]. Probably what we always should have been doing is just give a little more focus and attention to helping businesses build for not just their two or five-year strategic plans but build into those things like resiliency.” “I think some people, when they talk about small business, they think of the local mom and pop on Main Street. That certainly is a flagship sort of definition of our small business community and a large component of it, but small businesses can have anywhere from 10 to 20 to 150 [employees]; those are small businesses, too. They are really significant contributors, and it is so apparent right now why they are important to our community.”
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ON THIS DAY… The Willamette Valley Wolf Meetings
Free For All News, May 2020
On May 2nd, 1843, 102 men gathered on the banks of the Willamette River to decide the future of their homes, families, and dreams in this pioneer land called Oregon Country. “On This Day” is a column that tells the story of Oregon, one important day at a time. These days define the paths taken that formed the state, the people, the attitude, the thrust of history that is Oregon today: Oregon the Promised Land, the pre-state territory, a state born in the slavery era, and the place we call home today. “On This Day” focuses on the nexus where people, events, passion, hope, and dreams come together and create our history.
On This Day… May 2nd, 1843 Though many dates point to the state of Oregon’s beginnings, none are more important than May 2, 1843, in the town of Champoeg within the fertile Willamette Valley. On that Tuesday, 102 men gathered on the banks of the Willamette River to decide the future of their homes, families, and dreams in this pioneer land called At the Oregon Capitol, in the House Chamber, a mural by Barry Faulkner Oregon Country. Many early residents were illustrates the meeting at Champoeg that (Image/Oregon State Archives). former French trappers and traders of Canada’s Hudson Bay Company. In fact, the Willamette Valley was often referred to as French Prairie, with Champoeg an important center. These French-speaking pioneers began to farm and settle the land but retained a strong connection to their roots. They had names like Etienne Lucier and Pierre Belleque and participated in every facet of daily life in the Valley at that time. A complex mix of cultures, peoples, and authority in the Valley began to form with the Hudson Bay Company integral to settlers who favored a relationship with England. Increasingly, these pioneers were joined by Americans traveling over the rather new Oregon Trail that had been forged by early trappers and missionaries. Soon, a tipping point was reached. People within the region shared challenges that could not be addressed without some sort of organization, some sort of governance. These challenges ranged from addressing a perceived wolf problem to how to pass on property to family members, but there was no authority to decide matters of property or protection. It was time to decide how these Oregonians would create a government and under what flag the government would serve. Would their allegiance be toward the Hudson Bay Company? England? America? Would it be a brand-new nation called Oregon? It was time for some big decisions. Beginning in the late 1830s and gaining momentum in
early 1841, a series of meetings began to define the issues and the courses of action that would shape the governance. All sorts of options were discussed: an independent new nation; an American territory such as other western regions had become. It was clear some sort of governance was needed; it was not clear how to arrive at an answer all could support. In 1843, a series of meetings—today referred to as the “Wolf Meetings”—engaged the residents. The challenge of dealing with wolves in the valley brought people together, and that led to larger conversations and in all topics concerning decision-making and authority. The 500 folks who lived in the Valley in early 1843 were soon to be joined by over 1,000 Americans looking for a new start via the Oregon Trail. Together, they would now set the course for the future state as we know it today. On Tuesday, May 2nd, 1843, at Champoeg, a critical vote was taken to form a provisional government. That much is known. The exact proceedings were not recorded that day, and different versions have been supplied through the years. The Oregon Blue Book, produced by the Oregon State Archives and described as “the official state fact book about all levels of government in Oregon” states the following:
ild animals brought to a head the decisions for a government. Grizzlies, black bears, cougars, and wolves ranged freely in the Willamette Valley. Their destruction of livestock gave cause in the spring of 1843 for a “Wolf Meeting." A second Wolf Meeting led to the decision to create a system of government. On May at Champoeg, Joseph Meek posed the critical question: “Who's for a divide? All for the report of the committee and organization follow me," he shouted. By a close vote, perhaps to those wanting the government prevailed. What is certain is that the vote began the shaping of the territorial government and that the alignment of the new authority would clearly lean toward association with America as opposed to any other entity. It is clear today that this was an important and critical step in Oregon’s future as an American state. The vote was a nail biter. As reported years later by the Astoria Marine Gazette, the question of forming a provisional government resulted in 52 “Americans” voting for and 50 “French-Canadians and Hudson Bay men” voting against. In this accounting, 102 men (yes, only men gathered that Tuesday at Champoeg and voted to put the Oregon Country on a course that would shape the lives of millions of future Oregonians. And so it was on that day in 1843. Today, this history and much more can be experienced at Champoeg State Park. Although the city was washed away in a flood, and there are few buildings at the historic site, it is a place all Oregonians should visit and enjoy. Beyond all the important decision-making that occurred there, early settlement history and pioneer life are also on display, with wonderful picnic areas along the river and RV camping available. Finally, there is an obelisk to mark the “Vote” that brought the first organized government to the Pacific states. Plan on a summer drive to the Park to learn about and enjoy being an Oregonian. For more information about Champoeg Heritage Area, go to www.oregonstateparks.org. —Dan Egan Dan Egan is an Oregonian by choice. He has had an abiding interest in the study of history: what it teaches us about ourselves, our world, our future, our challenges, and our potential. He lives in the Washburne District of the city he loves and calls home—Springfield, Oregon.
Free For All News, May 2020
Professor Popinjay’s Podium
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Professor Popinjay’s Podium Going the Distance: Teachers and Parents Learn How to Do Computers So Kids Can Learn Stuff The world is changed. I feel it in the hand sanitizer. I hear it muffled through face masks. I smell it in the disinfectant spray. Much that once was is lost… at least until next school year, we hope. Among the few businesses and organizations considered essential amid this zombie apocalypse, educational organizations (aka schools) have been put into a unique position. Congregating in large groups is strongly advised against, particularly regarding children who, instead of sneezing into their elbow, are more likely to grab a fellow classmate and sneeze directly into his face. It is a professional courtesy amongst 3rd graders. Yet it seems necessary for education to continue despite the advent of the Andromeda Strain. God forbid we laze about our domicile for months watching shows about mullet-wearing tiger-wranglers while we gradually de-evolve into hairy-knuckled troglodytes. What if we should suddenly need to describe how the roots of a polynomial relate to one another via the relationship between the structure of groups and the structure of fields? If such mathematical theories were ever lost to antiquity the world would crumble before our very eyes! Trust me, you don't want to be the only one not laughing when someone tells a Euclidean Geometry joke. Our continued education is an absolute necessity! But if friends can't shake hands and say, "How do you do?" how then? Some schools have resorted to sending each student a packet with literature and practice problems to maintain what they've learned thus far, kind of like that correspondence course I ordered in the hopes of becoming a brain surgeon. This may be an adequate alternative, but I'm sure most teachers would agree, a very important aspect is missing. Of course, I'm referring to the salvo of impertinent questions and statements that only a class of 20 seven-year-olds can provide. It may sound like chaos, but this is part of the “village that raises the child,” and the mental and social stimulation that occurs is irreplaceable. So how do we replace it? Well, it means giving every student a computer and expecting teachers and students alike to become tenchomages overnight. Easier said than done. Distance Learning and Remote Teaching are the terms being thrown about (Though I think Remote Teaching is the official name of the Community College class that helps you stop your VCR clock flashing 12:00). Requirements for this kind of Distance Learning include a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone, internet connection, a variety of apps, usernames, passwords, and an associate degree in computer programming. Okay, so it might not be so complex to the average Mark Zuckerberg, but what about us hairyknuckled troglodytes? Needless to say, getting my kids jacked into the matrix so they can learn Kung-Fu has been a slow process. I won't even go into the complications brought on by the fact that I am still working at a familyowned restaurant and must now prepare to open as well as flit about providing technical support to three school children, two of whom have on-line sessions at the same time. I'm sure other parents are gleefully facilitating their child's Distance Learning with nary a dilemma… That was a hefty dose of sarcasm. Teachers and other members of faculty likewise have run into complications galore. Google Meetings set up days in advance inexplicably disappear. Audio and Video problems prevail. Communications are strained between the tech-savvy and those of us who have to call a 1-800 number to figure out our garage door openers. Broadband speed gets sapped up by various family members streaming multiple Marvel movies in the basement while they text hilarious toilet paper memes to their Facebook friends. I could go on. But the difficulties go deeper than mere technical problems. Instead of dependable humanoid teaching assistants, many teachers have been forced to employ disinterested felines and unruly
canines as assistants, neither of which possess the necessary training nor language skills to be of any academic use, aside from Tangent the Amazing Algebra Dog who remains in high demand. Sasha Chang, a local third-grade teacher, reflects, "...I am not running into too many technical difficulties. The hardest part for me is not being able to see my students in my classroom every day… I'm blessed to be able to continue to do my job, but it's just not the same. I miss my students!" Mercy, a local 3rd grader who may be related to me and might live in my house and eat my food, after a salvo of impertinent questions, stated, "I'd rather be in school with my teacher and my friends. But seeing them online is better than not seeing them. Having the teacher tell me about the [assignments] makes it easy to understand too. Brain surgery, here I come!" During this pandemic, as we cordon ourselves off behind the sofa, polishing our medieval weaponry and protecting our paper towel hoard, we might find ourselves missing family members and not just on account of poor crossbow marksmanship. We might miss a boyfriend or girlfriend who lives across town with their grandma. We might miss that one guy (Derrick, I think?) who would drop in on us, unannounced, drink all of our Smirnoff Ice and then pass out on our couch. In a world where everything flows through relationships, to be suddenly cut off is a difficulty almost more devastating than The Mandalorian being interrupted by a loading screen every ten minutes… almost. Isolation is rough on everyone, even for an introverted otaku like me. For better or worse, the lessons we best learn come those who mistreat us. The next best and preferable form of teacher, however, are those with whom we have a rapport. With many teachers I know, their foremost desire is to foster good and healthy relationships with their students so the venue for learning will be open. Packets may be the only alternative for some schools who I'm certain wish they could do more. Online Google Meetings and Zoom meetings may not be as good as face-to-face interaction but it’s a close facsimile and necessary. The evidence of this I see every morning as my children delight in finally interacting with friends and teachers after several weeks in the house seeing only my unshaven mug and camouflage bathrobe. In a way it has revitalized the children during these strange times, reestablished some level of order, and as difficult as it has been technologically, I applaud every bit of effort put in by our teachers and their associates, be they quadrupedal or otherwise. The tools and methods will be improved, and we will get better at facilitating our students. Only a couple of weeks into these new processes and my children are able to set up the online meetings and get their assignments completely without my assistance. I'm not surprised at all. This is their world. If my three-year-old can turn on the Wii U, input his username and password to access his Nintendo ID account and play Mario Kart with kids he has never met in Tokyo, then by golly, the little whippersnappers can do this! As to the level of involvement to which we as parents and/or students must currently oblige ourselves, remember this: The teachers are working diligently to make this happen because they believe each student is worth it. We entrust teachers with our greatest natural resource. I don't mean chalk. I mean our kids and their future. The best way we can show appreciation for the diligence of all parties involved is to be involved ourselves. Teachers are thrilled to see this and greatly appreciate it. Be patient. Be kind. Be willing to learn new things. It is not just for the kids, it's for yourself as well. For the time will come when the little folk will shape the fortunes of us all.
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Lane Rescues
Free For All News, May 2020
A great companion horse, Foxtrot is no longer ridable due to navicular syndrome. This 20 y/o Missouri Fox Trotter mare, 16HH, is fine for slowpaced, in-hand work. She moves smoothly & w/no pain when given her joint supplements.
Contact information for the rescue group is listed below the pet’s picture. All of these rescue groups have more amazing animals in need of a home, so contact them when you’re ready to adopt or have time to volunteer. Visit www.lanerescues.com to learn more.
enjoys playing, chewing wood, banging bowls, & hanging out w/ humans. He is picky about who he likes, loves to shower, & be outside. Needs someone w/ macaw experience.
This 3-yr-old is full of energy & fun. He needs a little coaxing to gain confidence, but once comfortable, he loves to play, dash, leap atop his cat tree, and interact. He is a conversationalist & a joy to have around.
This friendly 11-yrold has the spirit of a kitten & loves to play & engage w/ people. He is a great conversationalist who will greet you & tell you about his day. He even takes daily thyroid medication in a treat w/ enthusiasm.
Outgoing, sweet, & affectionate, this senior gal adores being petted & loves attention. She’s moved on from a difficult past & is looking for a new life where she is your only companion.
Missy will need patient, gentle encouragement to become more confident after being abandoned on the streets. She will reward you by showing her sweet, affectionate nature and when comfortable, she may even reward you with head bumps and kisses.
is a 3 yo, 62 lb fun, energetic, smart, & happy boy w/ border collie instincts. He needs an active home for stimulation. Good w/other lrg dogs; no children or small animals due to herding behavior.
is a 5 yo, 86 lb big boy who is very friendly & easygoing. He loves & benefits from long walks to lose some weight & keep him happy & healthy. He does well w/ other dogs & is a loving sweetheart.
is 8 yrs old & about 12 lbs. He wants to be w/ his person but needs to do it on his time. Would do best w/an experienced companion w/no other pets or kids.
is a special boy! He is about 6 lbs & 10 yrs. old. He is blind, diabetic, & requires insulin shots twice a day. Very friendly & confident. Would do best in an adult home & w/someone experienced giving shots
is a 12 yr old, about 11 lbs & is a chi/min pin mix. She is friendly w/ people but can be nervous around other dogs. Cuddles would love to be an only dog & have a companion person.
Incredibly bonded & needing a patient home. After their owner died, they lived in a blackberry briar on our street for 3 yrs. Now in foster care, both are healthy, sweet, & love to chatter. Around 6 yrs old. Blackie has the softest fur. Both love affection.
is a dream: smart, curious, affectionate. She is calm & not a biter. Loves to “dig” on the top of her cage & likes to chew wooden toys. She will excitedly play in a shallow bowl of water & recently learned to take a shower.
