Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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A $300,000 OVERCOME grant from US Ignite, the National Science Foundation, and Schmidt Futures has been approved to improve McKenzie Valley internet access. The program was designed to support underserved communities via novel broadband technology solutions. “Rural communities continue to see a lack of internet services, critical not only for basic daily tasks but also for emergency preparedness and recovery,” said East Lane County Commissioner, Heather Buch. “The OVERCOME grant provides an opportunity for consistent, reliable internet for the...
“We have restored the Blue River central office and fiber that enables all service in the area,” according to Tre Hendricks, Director of Government Affairs for CenturyLink/Lumen. “We are beginning reconnection customers who remain out of service in the Blue River area – there were approximately 50 and almost half of those were restored last week.” Hendriks said several cable cuts were, “Due to other utility and road clearing activities in the last two weeks, which has slightly delayed our efforts. Once the Blue River customers are done,...
“The bottom line is that restoration is progressing at a significant and steady pace.” That’s the most recent assessment on the rebuilding of Lumen/CenturyLink’s communications infrastructure from the company” director of government affairs, Tre Hendricks. Recent work in the Leaburg and Vida areas has included placing or splicing defective copper cable along 8,000’ feet of the McKenzie Highway. Crews also found a spot where stolen cable had to be replaced to reconnect six customers. Upriver, Hendricks said fiber had been placed for approximate...
PUC keeps December date for service restoration A group of “Good Samaritans” is credited with a creative solution for returning telephone service to CenturyLink’s upper McKenzie Valley customers. At Monday’s special meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Oregon, commissioners were told the new system will buid upon a microwave feed from Bend connected to five T-1 lines with 24 channels apiece. Lisa Gorsuch, the PUC’s emergency preparedness manager, told the board the system had been devised by the Oregon Internet Response team, a group of...
Indigo By Dan Purkey There is no doubt the word “Indigo” has special significance to Linda Chmiel; beyond the tropical plant of the pea family, which was cultivated as a source of dark blue dye. Human Indigo adults are known for being intelligent, creative, promoting a healthy peaceful life and having an innate desire to make the earth better! After growing up in Englewood, California, and graduating from Cal State Long Beach in Fine Arts, Linda became a seeker of personal wisdom from the Sequoia National Park, covered wagon living, to Bre...
Jason Johannesen LEABURG: “The first work we’re doing with the Connect America program is in this area,” were welcome words heard by a packed audience last Thursday night. They came from Karen Stewart, CenturyLink’s director of local government affairs, who was talking about a federally backed program to upgrade McKenzie area broadband service that is already underway. Asked for a completion date she said, “September, unless we run into construction problems.” Under the wing of the Federal Communications Commission, the Connect America pro...
Internet world Broadband access on the agenda next week LEABURG: Narrowing the digital divide that separates rural areas from high speed internet connections will be the focus of a March 17th meeting at McKenzie Fire & Rescue’s Leaburg Training Center. Organizers of the meeting include several McKenzie area residents who attended a Rural Broadband Conference convened by the Oregon Rural Development Council in Bend last month. That conference offered information on an array of federal, state and local initiatives that were designed to reach u...
Spectators By Finn J.D. John A century ago, the entire country was in the grip of a sort of lethal mania. You can catch references to it in old novels by nonplussed Britons like P.G. Wodehouse – a sense that the U.S., unlike England or France or Germany, was not really a country of laws. Oh, laws were fine for things like robbery and swindling and claim jumping, but when it came to crimes involving “honor,” nothing but cold steel or hot lead would suffice. The concept was popularly known as “The Unwritten Law.” It was, essenti...
2/23/15 McKenzie students in grades, 8, 10-11 and 12 were interviewed to get their input for three categories: Strengths, Challenges and opportunities. Below is a compilation of their input. STRENGTHS Caring staff Athletics Small classes More instructional time (hour long classes) Relevant instruction Technology improvements Hands on activities Aspire Clean school/environment Reinforced learning Awesome food service program Have fun Respectful students Students treated with respect Scholarships Individual attention Core classes CHALLENGES Short...
Planning meeting FINN ROCK: “Our job as a community and as a school is to make sure every student has an opportunity to be the best they can be,” were the words superintendent Jim Thomas used to open a public meeting at the McKenzie Elementary School’s pagoda building last Wednesday night. “We cannot short change them in terms of academics, social skills or the work ethic they need to have to be successful in whatever field they choose to go into,” he added. During the 2-1/2 hour session parents, teachers and administrators broke up into smal...
McKenzie School District Strategic Plan First Draft “Inspiring students to achieve their academic and individual potential“ 2/14/15 On Wednesday, February 11h, 2015, a workshop was held in the Pagoda to begin the process of crafting the McKenzie School District Strategic Plan. Forty people, including community members, board members, and school staff took part in the process. A second meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at The Vida Community Center. At this meeting, a final version of the strategic plan will be drafted. It is...
Meeting RAINBOW: People had a chance to place some priorities on places that matter to them last Wednesday night. They did it by marking up maps to show which U.S. Forest Service roads they use and what sort of special places they feel are along those routes. “You should mark the areas that you appreciate - maybe because you work up there,” explained Matt Peterson, assistant recreation officer for the Willamette Forest. Using comment sheets linked to the marked up maps, people were also encouraged to list some of their thoughts on why tho...
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. "We need to use all available tools to get 100% of us connected in this country and this program is an essential part of making that happen." Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel The Emergency Broadband Benefit will...
Rachel and the stranger By Finn J.D. John In the past 25 years or so, Oregon has come into its own as a place to make movies. The iconic projects have come thick and fast, especially in the last 25 years or so. The last 15 years of the century saw The Goonies, Stand By Me, Drugstore Cowboy, Point Break, Free Willy (twice), Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Postman, Ricochet River and Men of Honor filmed here — along with dozens of others. And the 21st century so far has brought us Pay It Forward, Elephant, The Ring (twice), Fahrenheit 9/11, Into th...
“Congratulations! We do hope that many of us older folk won’t lose the comfort of the printed page, held in the usual manner between a late morning cup of coffee and a cozy fire. The internet provides many things to many people, but is as cold as a heartless mistress (that was Glenn Campbell’s prose - not mine) .“ “Your NewsArk project sounds like a great one. I’m old fashioned and still write letters and still like to read newspapers. But I know there will be many who will appreciate the updated versions of all those issues. Good luck.” Note...
With Post purchase, Bezos has chance to remake newspaper model By Gene Policinski Jeff Bezos made it clear in founding Amazon.com that he can compete in the marketplace. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can, and will, do the same thing in the marketplace of ideas — that equally combative zone protected and preserved by the First Amendment’s provision for a free press. The historic sale of The Washington Post to Bezos, announced Aug. 5, is most noteworthy in that First Amendment sense, even beyond the already-rising sea of spe...
Chainsaw sculptor Kevin Strauslin A Northwest Rendezvous in Blue River? The three-day McKenzie River Chainsaw Festival certainly fit the bill – filling the air with the sound of racing two stroke saw engines and plenty of chips and sawdust. For Randy Gauthier of Moberly Lake, British Columbia, it almost didn’t happen. The single parent father is new to the trade. After working for 23 years as a dangerous tree faller he began carving only six months ago, deciding he had to find a better way to spend some time with his son. His love of c...
SHELFNOTES FROM LEABURG LIBRARY APRIL 2013 In January we heard the President’s version of the State of the Union. The message never changes very much regardless of whoever occupies the White House: the country is in pretty good shape; promises are made to do things that don’t really matter a whole lot; a few truly courageous citizens are honored with emotional tributes; and the members of Congress behave as they always do - those belonging to the party in power leap to their feet cheering loudly every five seconds, while those on the other sid...
Popular Science cover image By Finn J.D. John On the morning of April 23, 1936, the city of Portland was proudly preparing to launch its new harbor patrol boat, the Jack Luihn. It was going to be a big deal. Mayor LaGuardia of New York City was in town, and had been invited to come to the event. And the boat itself was truly revolutionary. Oregon’s own wizardly inventor The Jack Luihn was the brainchild of one Victor Wiegand Strode, an inventor with a remarkable flair. Looking back on the historical record, the picture one gets is reminiscent o...
Leaburg Library Website Photo of Leaburg Library A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEABURG LIBRARY The Leaburg Library was established in the spring of 1984 and has been providing continuous library service for local residents since then. There had been several attempts to have a library in the old schoolhouse building but none was successful until Ruth Mills and Rita Stadel took over the project in the fall of 1983. It began as an all-volunteer, free library, stocked with donated books on donated bookshelves, with basic maintenance work provided by members...
5 million acres to public access as a fire prevention measure Chart of lands closed for fire danger Early fall is one of the best times to visit Oregon's forests. The sunny days and cool evenings set the stage for an enjoyable experience, whatever the recreational pursuit. To assure this natural legacy will be there for future outings, please be mindful of fire safety. Drought conditions across much of the region have sapped trees, shrubs and grasses of moisture, creating a fuel bed primed to burn. It will take more than morning dew or even...
Blue Star Communications images [email protected], Contact us Today! Blue Star Communication contact Exede satellite video demo Watch High Speed Internet Service in action Click here for a video demo...
BBQ & Wine Tasting People had a great time at the McKenzie River Inn’s June 30th BBQ and wine tasting to benefit the Cascade Raptor Center. Besides the Raptors presentation, attendees could browse the comprehensive and very informative on Donald Mackenzie in the McKenzie Mobil Museum. In the spirit of Oregon, with the rain, the event raised $200 for the Cascade Raptor Center. Brian brought along a Saker Falcon normally from Eastern Europe, which has been captured by falconers until their numbers are now diminished. The Center is raising t...
